The River Devil [Mass Market Paperback]

Diane Whiteside (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 2, 2008

Hal Lindsay is a decorated Union Navy hero and a riverboat captain who has built an empire around his Missouri River steamboats. Yet deep inside him lurks the pain of a dark, vicious past - one that has him determined to live alone, finding carnal comfort in the arms of women who will do anything as long as the price is right - like the sensual innocent currently masquerading as an experienced gambler aboard his boat. For once, Hall finds himself wanting more - much more...and that is a very dangerous thing...Rosalind Schuyler is appalled to be unmasked by Hall - and frightened as well. The prominent New York railroad heiress is on the run to escape marriage to a man who would kill to gain her fortune. Now it seems she's in danger of a different kind. For Hal Lindsay is like no man she's met before. One minute, he's kind as a brother, hiding her from those searching night and day for her. The next, he's a pure masculine animal, taking her to his bed and beyond what she thought were the limits of her desire. Everything he does, she wants more of, but what she wants most, she knows he can never give...

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Rosalind is on the run. Her father's will stipulates that she inherits upon marriage or when she turns 25. Her fiance backed out of their engagement under pressure from Nicholas Lennox, who will stop at nothing for personal gain. He means to force Rosalind to marry him, and he has already beaten her in an attempt to frighten her into acquiescence. Fortunately, Rosalind has a plan. Her father taught her how to play poker, and they used to frequent gambling halls with Rosalind dressed as a man. So she resumes her disguise and disappears, planning to gamble her way up the Missouri River to Montana. Riverboat captain Hal Lindsay recognizes her and offers her a berth on his boat. With Lennox closing in, they get deeply involved, even though both are now in danger. Whiteside has created another entertaining adventure set in the late 1800s that includes scenes so steamy readers will singe their fingers as they turn the page. Maria Hatton
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"Hot and gritty, seething with passion and the aura of the Wild West. Whiteside's debut presents readers with a solid western as well as a highly erotic romance, and the combination is sizzling. Erotic romance fans have a tale to savor and an author to watch."

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Brava; Reprint edition (December 2, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0758207956
• ISBN-13: 978-0758207951
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,362,270 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

By day, Diane Whiteside builds and designs computer systems for the government. By night, she escapes into a world of alpha males and the unique women who turn their lives upside down. Noticing the lack of a husband to keep Diane in line, her Tibetan Terrier stepped up to the plate and makes sure that Diane does everything The Right Way ' which means lots of walks and dog treats. For more information about Diane plus her alpha males, unique women, and Tibetan Terriers, please visit www.DianeWhiteside.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars 4 1/2 stars Great riverboat erotic romance, July 27, 2005

By 

baltimore0502 "Hon!" (BALTIMORE, MD USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The River Devil (Paperback)

I first discovered Ms Whiteside with her prior book, THE IRISH DEVIL which I enjoyed to a degree. THE RIVER DEVIL shows her growth as a writer and I enjoyed it very much. It's better than THE IRISH DEVIL IMO.

The first indication that Hal Lindsay's life is about to change comes when he rescues a stray dog from being beaten by some riverbank bullies. He intends to give the dog away, but the dog becomes so attached to him that he allows him to stay. Hal is not a man interested in emotional attachments, canine or human - they just wind up causing pain. Hal has had enough pain in his life, especially his difficult childhood and his relationship with his emotionally distant parents. While attending a poker game he becomes intrigued by fellow poker player Frank Carstairs. He looks familiar to Hal and the more he looks at Carstairs, the more he begins to suspect that he is actually a she. Long, elegant fingers, delicate features and not even a hint of a beard. And quite possibly this she is missing railroad heiress Rosalind Schuyler! Hmmm he may just need to get a closer look at "Carstairs" and find out for sure.

Rosalind Schuyler is on the run and hiding from Nicholas Lennox who is determined to marry her for her substantial fortune. She's seen first hand how cruel, violent and dangerous he can be and she is determined to hide from him until she comes into her fortune. But that's not until her 25th birthday some 15 months away! How can she keep hiding when he has Pinkerton detectives looking all over for her? First, she's dressed as man as she used to do with her brothers and father who taught her how to move like a man, play poker and shoot (unforunately they're all dead now). Second, she will avoid the railroads where Lennox will surely look for her. Instead she decides to travel by riverboat eventhough she has a very real fear of water (her mother and brothers drowned in a boating accident). Up to this point, no one has seen through her disguise - not until Hal Lindsay that is. Will this golden god of a man keep her secrets?

Hal agrees to hide her after they spend a steamy night getting acquainted so to speak! He hires her/Frank Carstairs on as his cub pilot and arranges for her/him to share his cabin (a cot is set up for her but quickly becomes his dog, Cicero's resting place!). Hal's sister Viola and her husband William Donovan (from TID) have joined Hal on this trip and it is nice to catch up with them. Unfortunately for Hal, his parents also show up unannounced. This makes things uncomfortable for all as Hal has a strained relationship with his parents and Viola is completely estranged. Those who read TID know that their mother Desdemona was a southern sympathizer who committed some treasonous acts of which neither Hal nor his father are aware (though Viola is). Well, we discover that's not all she's done and this book details her many transgressions and character flaws. We also find out that Hal was cruelly beaten by his father as a child resulting in his vow never to have children and pass that legacy along. But most importantly, we watch as Hal and Rosalind come together, first sexually, then professionally as she begins to learn the basics of piloting a riverboat and lastly emotionally as bonds, no matter how unwanted begin to form between them. Hal is impressed with her intelligence, her resourcefulness and her sensuality. Rosalind is smitten almost from the start admiring Hal's inherent goodness, fairness, smarts and obvious sex appeal. But what will happen at the end of this trip upriver? Will they part forever? Will Rosalind successfully elude Lennox?

I really enjoyed this book and I liked both Hal and Rosalind. The plot of this book had more depth and less emphasis on sex as her last book, though don't get me wrong, there's still plenty of steamy sex scenes to satisfy. The only things keeping this from 5 stars for me come down to personal taste. My eyes glazed over at times as the author details the navigation and workings of riverboats. I also found myself skimming the poker games which I found boring because I do not know how to play the game. But both those aspects also provide an authentic period atmosphere and the author's obvious love of the riverboat period and poker really comes through.

I highly recommend this book and look forward to Donovan friend and partner Morgan Evans' story THE SOUTHERN DEVIL due in 2006.

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Ms. Whiteside Delivers Again!, June 22, 2005

By 

Kristi Ahlers (Illinois) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The River Devil (Paperback)

For Ms. Whiteside's latest effort we've left the west and have travelled to the mid-west. This story is set on the river...The mighty Mississippi and the Missouri rivers to be exact. Our hero is a river boat captain and he lives his life as he pleases doing what he wants when he wants. One night though is about to change the path that he has taken.

Rosalind Schuyler is on the run for her life. Nicholas Lennox will do what ever he has to do in order to insure that her wealth is his. Rosalinda can think of no worse fate in life so she dress as a man and heads out. She must stay "free" for 15 months and than her money is hers with no strings attached. She is soon running out of options and one night at a poker game she runs into Hal Lindsey and he is breath taking and handsome. To bad she's dressed as a man. Of course what she doesn't realize is that Hal sees through her disguise. He wants her and is going to have her. But for how long? Little do they know they share a enemy that will stop at nothing to get what he wants. Will they find a happy ending or will that be taken from them with help from close by?

This was another good read by a very talented author. Ms. Whiteside brings river life...well, to life. Hal and Rosalind are complex characters and their romance although fast and steamy was entertaining. William and Viola return for this story and it was fun to visit with them again. This is one read that I recommend and I look forward to reading Ms. Whiteside in the future.

Official Reviewer for Romance Designs

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Great cover - boring story, August 9, 2005

By 

lyndy "lyndy" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The River Devil (Paperback)

I find this book BORING! I've tried to force myself to keep going but my mind will start to wander and I'll find some excuse or another to set it down and do something else. I find that I don't care at all about the riverboat thing and I don't find either H&H all that compelling, can't really seem to care what happens to them. They're likeable characters well enough, they just don't have any kind of special spark that pulls me in, they fell flat for me. I thoroughly enjoyed The Irish Devil so I thought I was in for another terrific read but it just hasn't happened on my end.

I also find it odd that in 1872 this heroine is so casual about sex and not just willing but eager to jump into bed outside of marriage. That aspect of her character pulled me out of the story because it feels very contemporary rather than historical. There is an early line in there that just makes me go back and re-read it and think surely I must have read this wrong, the heroine (while in disguise) has just literally bumped into the hero's mother and is shocked to see her in this area, as she mulls this over in her mind -

**Could she have been visiting a lover given the streak of semen high on her cheek? Rosalind had brushed similar streaks from her skin, after private times with David.***

What?! The streak of semen high on her cheek?? Not only does that sound weird to me but I just can't wrap my mind around a heroine from this time period thinking or having a background of such a thing. Especially when she seems to have come from a wealthy up-bringing and all this experience is coming from her relationship with her previous fiancé who comes across as fairly prim and proper in what I read about him.

I thought the sex scenes in The Irish Devil were buring hot with excitement but with these two I found myself skimming..very ho hum.

I wouldn't recommend it for the trade size price, maybe at the most in paperback but this is one that is not a keeper for me. I give it three stars because the writing technically is good, smooth and professional - it's just what she's written that didn't pull me in.

The one plus I can say about it is that it was an awesome cover!