Fallen Angel (Zebra Historical Romance) [Paperback]

Elizabeth Thornton (Author)

Book Description

Series: Zebra Historical Romance | Publication Date: December 1, 2004

Beautiful, fiery Scotswoman Maddy Sinclair held one man responsible for the scandal and tragedy that ruined her family: Viscount Deveryn. The unrepentant rogue known as The Fallen Angel was a scoundrel and cad with a heart as cold as ice. But when Maddy fell blindly into his powerful embrace, she was unaware the man who kissed her so skilfully was her sworn enemy - until it was too late. Though her heart may be lost, her will to foil Deveryn's scheme to steal her legacy is stronger than ever. Deveryn, whose reputation with the ton's ladies left no doubt that he cared little for true love, certainly hadn't come looking for it in Inverness, Scotland. He had his sights on Maddy's castle and her tempting beauty - but not her affections. That changed as he found himself challenged by her wit, her guile, and her ability to turn the tables on his best laid plans, offering him a lesson in seduction that proved heaven does indeed exist on earth - and that perhaps only one thing can redeem a fallen angel.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise For "Fallen Angel: "Ms. Thornton has struck gold with this searing romance...the irresistible chemistry between the battling lovers explodes into an equally mesmerizin sensuality....A major, major talent, Ms. Thornton takes her rightful place as a genre superstar."

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Zebra (December 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0821776061
• ISBN-13: 978-0821776063
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #208,950 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Try another Thornton book, but not this one, February 21, 2005

By 

Krissie White (Louisville, KY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fallen Angel (Zebra Historical Romance) (Paperback)

Although, I have enjoyed some of Ms. Thornton's other works (i.e. Perfect Princess), I wish I had never read this one. It is true that it is well written, but as another reviewer pointed out, the hero of the story is ridiculously chauvinistic and nearly rapes the heroine. As a matter of fact, Deveryn thinks the word "rape" to himself regarding the encounter. Forgetting that disturbing passage, I never could figure out why these two people would ever be drawn to each other. They spend the entire book arguing with each other and saying unforgivable things. Love at first sight would not explain any endurance of their attraction. Maddy, who is supposed to be a smart "bluestocking", employs all the logic of a gnat throughout the story. Deveryn never until the last few pages of the book considers Maddy's feelings or looks at things from her perspective. Instead, he keeps forcing sexual encounters on her, which she always gives into. Then following such an encounter, they have a stupid argument. The plot repetitively continues thus until everything is resolved in an unbelievably neat fashion (which literally only happens in the last 3 pages, and without much discussion between the two lovers). Ms. Thornton's good writing technique cannot save this terrible story.

23 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Left a bad taste in my mouth, January 23, 2005

By 

TooManyHobbies "too_many_hobbies" (New Orleans, LA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Fallen Angel (Zebra Historical Romance) (Paperback)

Sorry, but I just did not like this book. The plot was good and technically it was well written, but I could not stand the characters. The book was first published in 1989 and I guess "acceptable behavior" for a romance novel character has changed greatly over the last 15+ years.

For example, the hero Deveryn practically rapes Maddie, the heroine, early in the book and then blames the poor girl for his loss of control. She made him "angry." Ha.

I found Deveryn's character to be cruel and gratingly chauvinistic. He treats Maddy like a child: he ignores everything she says, repeatedly sends her to bed without any supper (even though they are staying in her house where she is supposedly in change), and he makes her eat porridge even though he has been told it makes her sick. To me Deveryn should have been cast as the villain of the story and not the hero.

In the beginning of the book I sympathized greatly with Maddy. She wanted Deveryn to pay for what he had done to the father. (Early in the book you find that Deveryn slept with Maddy's stepmother and when Maddy's father found out he got drunk, gambled away everything he owned (to Deveryn no less), and retuned home a penniless disgrace.) I wanted Maddy to avenge her father. I wanted her to find a big stick and take Deveryn down a peg or two or twenty. But Maddy turned out to be a wimp. She talked a lot about revenge but at every turn she meekly accepted Deveryn's dictates. I wanted to slap the girl silly. Finally I just threw the book in the garbage.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars not worth the reading, August 5, 2005

By 

romance lover (usa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fallen Angel (Zebra Historical Romance) (Paperback)

this book isn't BAD, and the writing is well done, and it won't bore you, but it just isn't worth the time it takes to read it. Maddie is a likable character, if a little unsensible at times. However, it's Deveryn that ruined the book for me. It seemed to me that all he had going for him was his looks and the fact that he fell in love with Maddie at first sight. But he's unlikable as a romantic hero in many ways...he threatens to beat Maddie several times during the book, is not forthcoming with her, and seems to take perverse pleasure in forcing himself on her even when she says "No". Their first sexual encounter is pretty disturbing...while not being actual rape, it makes you uncomfortable and is far from being a pleasant scene. Even in later love scenes he exerts his will upon her. There wasn't really any redeeming qualities given to him to have the reader really feel like Maddie and Jason are a good match and love each other. It seems that the only thing holding them together is sexual attraction.

also a few other points..what on earth happened to Malcolm? he figured predominantly in the beginning part of the book, then he is forgotten about by the author. He could have played an interesting part in this story.

Also sometimes the writing style can be confusing. Thornton deliberately does not write about scenes that we may have liked to read about (Maddie's aunt's engagement to the Duke, Jason's visiting the whorehouse with Oxford pals). We hear about these things 2nd hand from other characters in their dialogue.

Also, i found that the whole device about Madea wasn't really used to to its full extent, and Maddie's pregnancy was reduntant to the plot.

This book was not an unpleasant read but it wasn't really that good, either.