Customer Reviews

Devil's Mistress

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Devil's Mistress is unlike any Historical Romance I have read in that it does not follow the standard formula for this type of novel. The book begins with a Prologue that lends an eeriness that makes the reader eager to get into the guts of the book. The book begins with a witch burning, a witch hunt and the hero and heroine meeting. Then the hero turns out to be married. Then the heroine gets married to someone else. This is what I mean about the book not following standard formula. You have to continue reading to see if and how the two could possibly get back together. The writing allowed me to feel the hysteria that permeated Salem in the late 1600s as the witch hunts began. The love story is poignant and understandable.

For me, the unusual way in which this book was presented makes it one of Ms. Graham's finest.

I REALLY enjoyed this book. The plot centers around the witch trials both of England and Salem. The heroine (unfortunately) falls victim to both and must be saved by the hero, Sloan, twice. The book gets off to a quick and exciting start-the first hundred-fifty pages are fabulous. The protagonists (whose names I don't remember) get together, have a few near misses with death, then hit it off nicely. Unfortunately, it slumps a bit after that with a very, very lengthy discription of their enforced separation. The action and romance both pick up again in the end, so I guess all's well that ends well.

All told, this book provided me with several extremly diverting hours, so, if that is all you are looking for, I suggest you read it as well.

This one started out well, very exciting with Brianna running from witchcraft accusations in Scotland and finding safety and the delicious Sloan onboard his ship. They get hot and heavy right away, but Sloan's keeping something from Brianna. I guessed his secret early on, but it was still a good, angsty plot twist. And then another twist follows soon after and Brianna runs away to America. But then she discovers that Salem, Massachusetts wasn't the wisest place for an accused witch to set up a household and a whole other set of problems develops. This final part of the book should have been the best, especially when Sloan came looking for Brianna, but I thought it really started dragging at this point. Brianna started behaving stupidly, and even the long-awaited lovers' reunion was underwhelming. Not my favorite Heather Graham romance, but still an interesting read with a little more historical depth than the average.

This is another page-turner from Heather Graham, award-winning author of over 100 romance novels. Set in the 17th century, this is the story of Brianna McCardle, a dark-haired blue-eyed beauty who is falsely accused in Scotland of being a witch. She is saved only by pretending to be a whore sent to the Welsh sea captain, Lord Treveryan for the night. Treveryan is captain of the Sea Hawk working for the king, and a hunk to die for. Brianna loses her innocence to him but he loses his heart to her. He sweeps her away on his ship to keep her from the witch hunters but then he decides he won't let her go. But neither will he marry her. Raised by Puritans, Brianna cannot be his mistress so she flees to America with her cousin who marries her when she is discovered to be with child.

This story is all about what happens when life gets in the way of true love. You will feel the pain of love denied, love delayed and love misunderstood--then the joy of love regained. And it all takes place in a time when witch hunts abounded in Britain as well as Salem, Massachusetts.

Graham does a wonderful job of weaving in the history, developing the characters and including believable sexual tension between the hero and heroine. I recommend this one!

I have read better books by Heather Graham. The book was a bit drawn out could have been cut down by at least three chapters. The heroin pretty much worked my nerves. At times she was very naive. The book also became a little boring halfway through but all in all it was okay. I do suggest reading "A Pirates Pleasure" a very good book.

Heather Graham is blessed with the ability to transport her readers to wherever her novels take them. As she weaves her plots around characters that we come to care about, it is hard to put her books down. In this regard, Devil's Mistress does not disappoint! The 17th century with it's ignorance and fear of all things deemed witchcraft, comes alive as we follow the precarious plight of Brianna MacCardle from the shores of her native Scotland to the New World and the Salem Witch Trials. Accused falsely of being a witch, Brianna is uncertain of who she should fear most - the Witchfinder bent on finding her, or her self appointed guardian Lord Sloan Treveryan, Captain of the Sea Hawk. Graham takes the romantic tension between Brianna and Treveryan to breaking point through plot twist and turn and with it the readers ability to see how there could possibly be a happy ending. If you want a book that will absorb you and help you escape the Twenty First Century - then look no further - you have found it!!!

It was not what I expected. It was heart wrentching and sad but good too. Hard to say but not the light hearted romance I was expecting. Keep your tissues near.

I've read several of Graham's books, Devil's Mistress is definitely a good book. If you're the type of person who skims the books for the steamy passionate scenes, this book is not for you. The plot, though slightly predictable, is well worth reading the book through, and the end is definitely rewarding and odd, because you always think of your heroine's living forever in your mind, at least I do. Devil's Mistress is an awesome book, I also recommend A Pirate's Pleasure, also by Ms. Graham, and would strongly suggest that people not invest the money in Savage Sweet Eden.

-Morgan

This is the 1st pirate book I've read, and I thought it was very
good. I found some things a little too convenient, such as
ailing spouses, but aside from that, I really liked the book &
did not want it to end. It did have a happy ending, and I
didn't sob like a baby when it was finished, like I thought I
might.