Customer Reviews

The Devil's Web

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(11)
1 star:		(15)

 

 

While other reviewers were disheartened by the struggles the main characters experience throughout this story, I found the book perfectly understandable and appreciated the continuity that Balogh is brave enough to create and publish. If you had read the other two books, you would realize that this final story would be the most difficult of the three love stories. Balogh left the character of James for the end because he had the most inner hubris to overcome and work through. I've read enough Balogh books to realize that her characterization is always consistent. She won't compromise character traits or inner struggles that she gives them in previous books. I was eager to see how she would help James resolve his guilt and overcome his difficult upbringing. She's 'right on' in his reticence, fear of love, and in the ways he would treat Madeleine. I also realize, however, that I was girding myself for a difficult read when I purchased Devil's Web. I, like others, much prefer a more light-hearted romance. This is an older book, and I think that Balogh has matured as a writer over the last 17 years. She does keep getting better and better, but I have a hard time seeing readers give her such low marks when she is by far one of the best writers writing romance these days.

Mary Balogh first introduced Madeline and James, to her readers, in THE GILDED WEB. And oh how well the author intrigued her readers with this couple -- so skillfully setting the stage for their story. So skillfully, that when I finally tracked down James and Madeline on the secondary market I immediately placed my order. After all, what are a few, big dollars? I JUST HAD to find out what happened to this couple. Mary, Mary, Mary! Oh my goodness! James and Madeline's story, THE DEVIL'S WEB, is a disheartening read. It is the story of two combatants, two people who should never have married! I don't care how much Balogh claims they share a hidden love deep in their hearts! The depth is too great! These two people FIGHT, FIGHT, and FIGHT some more, and when they are not fighting they ignore each other!

An overzealous religious father raised James Purnell. Love and friendship raised Madeline Raine. Everyone liked her -- everyone except James Purnell. "Obsession" is the key word in this novel. A novel about two people who share this unwanted emotion, two people who can't let go, two people who drag each other through the gutter of despair.

No doubt, Mary Balogh can write a story. Her writing skills are always first-rate. She pulls her reader into a story. There is no question Mary Balogh is one of my all-time favorite authors. I don't think there is anyone else who can write such diversified characters as this lady! Balogh's "Signet Regency" collection may be similar in setting but each story is OH SO different. Would I recommend THIS particular story? Only if you are reading the entire "Raine series" and you want closure . . . Grade: C

Publish date: August 1990

Grace Atkinson, Ontario - Canada.

I loved this book, the characters, and the situations. I agonized through the main characters inability to talk to each other. I ached as they watched others have the type of lives they wanted but did not know how to achieve. My heart broke for James as he tried to break through to his father, knowing it was impossible. And I absolutlely LOVED how Balough wove all the different aspects of love throughout this story with the lives and reactions of the different characters. I think this is one of my favorite Balough books. I don't understand how others could see it as anything other than affirming the ability to overcome the most crippling of psychological obstacles in an attempt to find freedom in the ability to express love. I will re-read this book down the road, and I will enjoy every one of the interwoven love stories that each open the door for James and Madeline to be able to share themselves.

I had been looking forward to this story line about Madaline and James ever since she introduced this couple. This could have been so much more.
I have never been so bored with a couple and depressed. All they do is argue in this book- who cares about the secondary characters I wanted the story of Madaline and James. I was so tired of these people. Madaline and James should never marry anyone let alone eachother! I love Mary Balogh but will not be buying any of her reprints!!!!

I can tell you I read about half the book and skimmed the rest. Jeesh, this wasn't even a romance. It was ridiculous how boring and unattractive these characters were...ugh! I say, "Skip it." I loved this authors Bedwyn's series...LOVED it. Lately though, any book of hers (even reissues) that I have happened to pick-up, have not even worth the full price purchase...hit the secondary market if you just have to read something from her but again, I generally will NOT pick-up one of her books. She had me hooked, then I read the books after the Bedwyn's and...blech!

I actually don't mind the "relationship from hell" and the fact that James and Mad were attracted to each other even as they didn't like each other. I never once believed that James loved Madeline, though I did believe she loved him. She protected herself from him... he was just basically a jerk. I don't mind that she loved him anyway, I can accept on face-value that she did even as she also hated him. The relationship was tortured and neither one was happy, which I didn't mind-- there was definite tension. What did bother me, was the happy ending. It was extremely fast and really seemed like it was thrown in there just to give a sense of conclusion. I think if they'd come to an uneasy truce, I'd have been much happier than the "bliss" which left me wondering if I'd missed something.
I hadn't read the previous books and was confused as heck with all the characters. I had to turn back a few pages SEVERAL times. I'd never had trouble jumping into a series before...oh well.

I have enjoyed several of her books.I bought this one and was disappointed. James was the most hateful character. I never connected to his lonely, whinning and always unforgiving character. There wasn't any romantic chemistry.There is one argument after another about the same thing. If the auther's goal was to write a book that made you want to wring James's idot neck, she suceeded. If I had bought this book first I would never have bought another one.

I will admit that Balogh is not my favorite author and this book is definitely not a new release. It had been sitting on my bookshelf for a few years, so I finally decided to pick it up. I'm sort of sorry I did. It took me weeks to slog through this book.

Balogh is a proficient writer and a decent storyteller, but there was absolutely nothing about this book that sets it apart. The story doesn't leap off the page, in fact it's fairly plodding.

I have not read the book where the characters are first introduced and this book relies heavily on the events of that book. Luckily (or not) Balogh finds time in the 400+ pages to eventually fill the readers in on exactly what happened. The problem is, even when you finally find out, there's little to explain the inexplicable pull these two character have toward one another.

Balogh tells us over and over again that the characters can't live without one another, but there is very little within the story to make me believe these two wanted to spend more than two minutes in the same room with one another.

On the outside, the relationship is nothing but strife while inside the two characters are aching to open up to one another. That is not something I necessarily see as a problem. I thought that was a nice bit of characterization with a decent amount of insight into the human condition. However, my biggest problem was the sheer volume of contrived misunderstandings. One after another after another after another when all one character would have had to have done was ask for a tiny bit of clarification and the angst and argument would have been moot. But no, it was easier for the characters to make these asinine and rash assumptions.

Add to that the endless pages of minutiae about the intimate lives of the secondary characters. I lost count of the number of exchanges between the siblings of the main characters where they sat around talking about how perfect their marriages were, how much they absolutely loved taking care of their children themselves even though it was considered a no-no by their peers, and hoping endlessly that their poor wayward siblings could have a marriage half as happy as their own. Are you kidding me? It was absolutely nauseating.

This is the darkest of the 'Web' stories and tells the story of Madeline, sister of Edmund and Dominic and James Purnell, brother of Alexandra (Edmund's wife from Gilded Web). I won't precis the plot because other reviewers have done that but IMO this is the most complex relationship of the three books and as usual its very well done with lots of emotional intensity. Yes, he's not very nice to her, but he comes from a horrific background, a father who was a fanatically religious disciplinarian who ruled his children with a rod of iron in a very bleak home. There is another skeleton in his closet which needs to be exposed before he can truly forgive himself. Madeline by contrast has had a very loving, open and happy childhood and the contrast between the two of them and their trials and tribulations before they eventually come to a happy outcome is perfectly understandable and very well described. Definitely worth reading as usual. Would have liked a slightly more drawn out happy ending is my only slight criticism.

I like the Bedwyn and 'Simply' series by Mary Balough, and thought this would be another book like those: full of humor, strong heroines and heros with characters.

It's nothing like those. I was able to force myself through to page 280 before I admitted defeat. The book is unrelentingly depressing, and I couldn't read any further than that. James has constant thoughts about how he should behave better towards Madelaine, yet he doesn't change a thing. He is a hard, cold man and I cannot believe Madelaine actually loves him.

Horrible, horrible story. It's going back to the bookstore today.