Devil's Desire [Import] [Paperback]

Laurie McBain (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Futura Publications (August 1977)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0860075834
• ISBN-13: 978-0860075837
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 4.3 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I liked this book and I even liked Alex!, June 24, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Devil's Desire (Paperback)

This is another of those first historical romances that I read when I was a teenager. I recently re-read it to see if it still holds up. I think it does and is even better than some of what is being written today.

OK, Alex is the epitomy of the selfish manipulative rogue. Everything he does is for a selfish purpose. But you slowly start to realize that deep down, he does have some redeeming qualities that have just been in hibernation for years. Spending all his time in "the ton" with all the useless aristocrats has jaded him to the point that the only person he has any tender feeling for is his younger brother Peter who he has basically raised. You also learn that he had to take on some serious responsibilities at a very young age with the death of their parents. Alex sees little to respect in most of the people he meets and so it takes some time for him to see what Elysia can offer him. He can't believe she's for real and yes, he does use her for his own ends.

Elysia is an orphan. Her parents are dead and her brother, who is in the Royal Navy, is missing and presumed dead. She has no one and is living with an evil aunt who makes her work for her keep. Elysia finally has enough of this abuse and packs up her meager belongings and sets off to London to try and make a better life for herself. Along the way she stops at an inn and meets up with Alex. They immediately argue and disagree over life and love and sparks fly. When they are caught in a "scandalous" situation created by another guest (who hates and wants revenge on Alex for a past wrong) Alex ruthlessly manipulates Elysia into marrying him as her only option to emerge from the scandal unscathed. Alex figures on marrying Elysia, taking her to his country estate in Cornwall and basically dumping her there and forgetting about her (except of course, she'll have to provide an heir at some point).

But Alex does not immediately return to London and as time passes, he starts to see what she is all about. She's good, kind, sweet, loyal - things that Alex had thought didn't exist, or not genuinely, anyway. And he is uncomfortable with the things he is starting to feel for his wife and wonders if she is feeling the same. He tests her by trying to make her jealous with his former mistress. He rages when he mistakenly believes that Elysia is having an affair and breaks one of the few keepsakes Elysia had from her late parents (I cried at that scene!).

Alex lashes out because Elysia awakens in him feelings he thought himself incapable of and that he believes are not returned. Feelings that he tries to deny, but ultimately, he has to admit that he loves her, that he's used her unmercifully and has to beg her forgiveness or lose her. So, OK to some it may seem like I'm letting Alex off too easy, but hey, I liked him even being a jerk! You just knew instinctively that there was more to him.

Then there's the smugglers, spies for Napoleon, and deadly traitors in their midst making things all the more dangerous.

I realize this book is likely hard to find, being so old, but give it a try and see what you think. You might like it as much as I did.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars real romance, April 9, 2004

By 

Chanel (England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Devil's Desire (Paperback)

to be honest, the hero was hard and at times very dark, whichis one of the greatest appeals to the novel. Lets be honest we don't read romances to hear about biddable male characters that we could meet in the supermarket. We want the hard bad guy, trapped in the confines of a novel, that's part of the charm of romance. Alex in devil's desire delivers this.
If you are a reader that refuses to pretend that you disaprove of this type of hero,this book is a five.
On the other hand Elysia at times is kind of irritating , her high morals and stuck up ways, may distance some readers.
But all in all a better romance than most written nowadays.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Lost in details, January 21, 2011

By 

Angel Kissed "Karen" (California) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Devil's Desire (Casablanca Classics) (Kindle Edition)

I love it when an author can develop a character that just comes to life.
I like detail in a story so that you feel you are a part of it.

However, I felt lost in the detail that was in this book, at least for the first half of the book. It seemed that she tried to include too many well/over developed characters that weren't essential to the story. Too many villians that were either over developed or under developed. There was so much detail about a room or house that it took up most the chapter and I thought I'd never get to the heart of the story.

The story or plot was good in and of itself but there was a fluency missing which I attribute to too much unnecessary detail and then the lack of detail when it was most needed to have the impact.

Characters that were developed were dropped and never heard from again...which seemed like a waste of time and imagination.

There were parts that drew me in and struck an emotional cord in me which showed that this author had/has potential but this is one that I'll easily put down and not remember to ever pick up again.