Customer Reviews

The Irish Devil (Irish Eyes)

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

The love every woman dreams of having for her very own is what this story is made of. It is excellent. A true love story. The hero is to die for and the heroine is precious. I loved it and would read it again and again. The hero has two loyal friends, one of which is his half brother. Both would die for him and his. There is a lovable dog to protect the heroine as her constant companion. Lord Eric protects Lady Faith at every turn and puts the people who hurt her in their place. He makes it clear he will not tolerate their behavior. It makes you want to find an Eric of your very own to protect you like he does Faith, the heroine. Lady Faith is a healer and all the people love her. They become her friends, trying to protect her from the ones that would do her harm. They rejoice when the devil takes her under his protection. Faith becomes especially close to one servant girl and they share a binding friendship. The story is warm and heart-rending. You can feel the love it radiates on every page. I didn't want it to end but I couldn't put it down. It is truly a wonderful read. If you don't put this one on your list to read, you will be denying yourself a treat of all times.

This was well written, easy to follow and had me guessing to the end. The characters are on fire! I catch myself daydreaming of the hero and his friends. WHEW! Sensuality rating: 9

THE BEAUTY AND THE BARBARIAN

Ireland in the Middle Ages ~ a land of both heavenly landscapes and hellish warfare. It is in this world that Lord Eric of Shanekill is both feared and revered. His unstoppable rage on the battlefield has made him known as the "Irish devil." Little did he know that his greatest battle would be fought in his own heart...

Faith, daughter of Lord Terra, is a healer who lives on the edge of society. Shamed by a cruel act of injustice, cast out by her father, she is the last one anyone would choose for a wife... But when the "Irish devil" is given his choice of Lord Terra's daughters, he desires Faith's hand in marriage. Against all obstacles, they struggle to overcome the pain of their pasts and realize the passion which both have desired~and denied~for so long...

Donna Fletcher's first novel in the Irish Eyes series is captivating. The Irish Devil is the first title of this series. This one takes place in the Middle Ages. It's full of Celtic charm and passion. To me, it started out dark, but the closer the characters got to emotional freedom, the lighter and stronger the story became. I will give you fair warning that the passion is teasing and bold.

The story starts out with a servant telling the tale of the Irish Devil. He's a cold-hearted man who fights to the death on the battlefield. On this night, the tale is more frightening because The Irish Devil himself is about to appear at their doorstep to claim a bride from the callous family they work for. He will choose between the natural daughters of the Lord and Lady or the stepdaughter who has been disowned because of tragedy long ago. Once a choice has been made, the ride to a new life begins. Here in lies the heart of the story as these two learn to love and trust each other.

This is definitely a grand romance series to look out for. The next two installments of the series are TO MARRY AN IRISH ROGUE and DAUGHTER OF IRELAND

This book was one of the best books I have read in a long time. I read it straight through the first time because I could not put it down and then read it again more slowly and it was better the second time. The characters - even the secondary ones - were interesting and had depth. The heroine was strong in character and a breath of fresh air and the hero, although arrogant at times, turned out to be a great guy. I cannot recommend this book enough.

series. I would highly recommend "The Irish Devil' to other readers of medieval romance or anyone who loves a good story where the hero and the heroine are oh-so-right for each other.

Fletcher's writing is not overwrought and full of purple prose. Instead it is simply well-crafted and honest, allowing the story to shine through. Yes, I did catch the error on the word score, it does mean twenty not ten, but that was only a momentary irritant. I'm not sure what the reader below is talking about with the misuse of A and An. After reading her review, I skimmed the book again looking for problems in this area and found nothing.

Bottom line, this is one of the best romances I've read this year with an unusual storyline, wonderful characters, and a glorious romance that captured my heart.

Eric of Shanekill is known as the Irish Devil because of his Viking father and Irish mother and his childhood training in how to fight like one of the "barbarians." When he is given his choice of Lord William's daughters as a reward from the king, William and his new wife are happy to stick him with the girl they consider the worst of their daughters, Faith. Faith is happy to be leaving her father's and stepmother's home, where they constantly tell her she should be dead and they wish she was, even if that means marrying the Irish Devil.

This was actually a fun read and I enjoyed it a great deal. Faith was the victim of an attempted rape several years before we join the story and that attack left her with one large physical scar and some severe emotional ones. She has been ostracized from her father's home at the wish of her stepmother, who is convinced that she was actually raped and thus a fallen woman who will never marry anyone of any note. However, when Eric visits the household and sees Faith, he is instantly attracted to her and thrilled to marry her rather than her stepsisters who are all cold and prickly, according to him, although we never have a chance to get to know them in the text.

The plot deepens when Eric realizes she has been attacked and he has to deal with the consequences. It takes the couple a long time in the story to work through this issue, but once they do, then a servant girl is killed in the same way Faith almost was, and Faith realizes that she needs to face up to her fears and tell the truth about what she remembers from that terrible night.

The love scenes in this book were pretty hot and steamy and I would not recommend this book to a young teenager. Some couples in the book have sex and are not married, but Eric and Faith are safely married from the beginning and the language isn't over the top. However, some of the sexual encounters are described in detail. All this served, in my opinion, to really deepen their love story and I definitely enjoyed the sexual chemistry between Faith and Eric. Because of the delays caused by the plot, they come to appreciate each other on an emotional level before the physical, and that is always what really gives me the great tingly feeling I love in a romance.

Picky, picky, picky I know, but I was thrown from the beginning quote by Erasmus who lived 400+ years after the story's setting. Then, if you forget the title of the book, don't worry. You'll be reminded throughout the story ad naseum. That being said, the characters were distinctive, clearly defined, although Faith seemed a bit contemporary. The story moved easily and it was an enjoyable escape.

Not only is this book light on history. There is no history in it. I think it might most charitably be described as a fantasy in which the characters wear medieval costume and their social structure is loosely based on that of medieval Europe. This author appears to lack a basic grasp of the history of the period and of historical novel writing in general. Sadly, it appears that not only has she failed to do her homework, but she actually seems to hold a measure of contempt for the time period she's writing about. I can't help wondering why she bothered. Why not just write a contemporary?

From a historical perspective, this book's woes begin on page one. Even the heroine's name - Faith - is so anachronistic it's jolting. (Naming girls after virtues is a Puritan custom that began approximately 400 years after the story takes place.) The pages that follow contain far too many historical weaknesses to name.

But it's not just history. Anachronisms aside, this novel is just poorly written. Although she has other books in print, Ms. Fletcher is an amateur. Her work is rife with grammatical errors, dangling modifiers, misspellings and comma splices. Many words are simply misused (i.e., "limpid" instead of "limp," "desirous" instead of "desirable"). The hero is irritating and cartoonish; the secondary characters are stereotypical. The heroine can't decide whether she wants to be a sad caricature of everyone's conception of a medieval lady or an independent, twentieth-century woman. The plot is flimsy and devoid of any plausible conflict.

Yes, these things do matter. Yes, they do disrupt the story. When a reader buys a book, I don't think it's too much to ask for the author to hold up her end of the bargain by researching her period and by brushing up on the basics of English grammar, spelling and sentence structure. This is no more than having respect for the reading public and holding to the principle that any job worth doing is worth doing well.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story! Faith and Eric were wonderfully complex and full characters. Their struggles and triumphs made their personalities (and the story) so much richer. The relationship between Eric, Colin, and Borg was a great addition as well. I was intrigued by all three of these men. Faith was the only well developed female character, but she was so brave and courageous it was enough. Bridget was a sweet but stereotypical maid, and Lady Terra was the cruel step-mother. However, it is Eric and Faiths relationship that is spellbinding! These two people are so perfect for each other. It is quite touching.

I was so surprised to learn that the next book in this series is totally unrelated. I am so disapointed, I want to know what happens next. Ms. Fletcher....PLEASE! KCS

I absolutely looooooove this book. I've read it so many times, it never gets old for me. The characters are magnificent!!! I recommend this book to people who loves a strong man feared by other people but finds out he's actually a really nice guy... I have this book in paperback, but don't mind downloading this into my kindle...