Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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33 of 34 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Some of Lindsey's best recent work, June 23, 2007
Lady Ophelia Reid is, without a doubt, the reigning beauty of the London social scene. She has the face of an angel and the haughty demeanor to back it up--combined these two qualities keep her name on the tip of every London gossip's mouth. She becomes an even bigger topic of conversation when she breaks off her engagement to a brooding Scotsman with a lofty title--twice. With rumors circulating about the cause of the broken engagement, and the realization that her so-called friends are really spiteful and vindictive, Ophelia wants nothing more than to return to London and go back about the business of finding herself a husband. With her face and notoriety, she knows that the scandal won't be off-putting to her potential suitors.
Reputed rake Raphael Locke, Viscount Lynnfield and heir to a dukedom, is friends with Ophelia's jilted ex-fiance and finds it hard to believe that such a beautiful young woman is beyond redemption. Everyone else seems willing to believe that Ophelia is a lying, manipulative rumormonger who will do anything to get her own way. Rafe, on the other hand, believes that everyone can change, and makes a bet to that effect. He vows that he can tame the shrew that Ophelia Reid has become and unleash the kinder, gentler woman who must reside underneath her haughty exterior. To that end, he absconds with her to his country estate to get to the bottom of her treachery and teach her how to act like the lady he knows she can be. Somewhere along the way, he finds himself falling for Ophelia despite his residual doubts about her true nature... is the kind-hearted, sweet girl she eventually becomes the true Ophelia, or has she always been the callous, cold-hearted ice queen that she was reputed to be?
Johanna Lindsey has always been one of my favorite romance authors and, in the past, her stories never failed to leave me satisfied and eagerly anticipating her next effort. That being said, it bears mentioning that The Devil Who Tamed Her features two characters from a previous novel, The Heir, whose futures were left in question at the end of that story. In all honesty, I didn't like The Heir, didn't really care for Ophelia in that novel, and haven't been impressed with about the last five novels Lindsey's put out (If you've never read Captive of My Desires and Marriage Most Scandalous, consider yourself warned to run the other way). But The Devil Who Tamed Her has almost redeemed Lindsey in my eyes. It was not only good, it was great, and reminded me of how good Lindsey's work can be when she puts a little effort into it. Having read a number of her books, I can say that she hit her stride right around the late 80's and early 90's (Prisoner of My Desire and Love Me Forever, anyone?) and her more recent efforts have just been sub-par, halfhearted efforts designed at keeping her at the top of the bestseller's lists and not with giving her fans the stories they've come to know and love.
Not so with this story. I couldn't have cared less about Ophelia at the end of The Heir (another Lindsey novel I wasn't particularly impressed with), but in this story she was an engaging and fun to read about heroine. Her transformation from vengeful shrew to thoughtful companion was a joy to watch and it was great to finally know the motivation behind her previous vicious actions. In addition, Rafe Locke was the type of hero you can dream about and just wish that you could meet a man like him. He takes his decision to help Ophelia mend her broken reputation seriously, and the bet takes a backseat to his genuine interest in seeing her achieve her full potential. These two are a couple that you can root for and be happy when they finally find a way to make it work. I've got to say that as a Lindsey fan, this is the best she's come in a long time to showing me the kind of work I know she's capable of. That being said, it's no Prisoner of My Desire. But if you take into consideration the work she's been doing lately, and the quality of this story in comparison, I think any Lindsey fan will agree that this is some of her best recent work.
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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Horrible, August 30, 2007
Oh Lordy, this has to be one of the worst Romance books I've read. The characters are all hollow and lifeless, which makes the plot - character driven as it is - even worse off then the characters.
The main character, Ophelia, was a Mary Sue. The most beautiful woman in all of england, maybe even world, more beautiful then any other woman who'd ever existed? Come on now... And the whole "I'm so beautiful, everyone hates me" is so cliche it makes me choke.
Even that, though, I can understand and go along with. Romance novels don't have to be the best plot driven things. Just believable, I can make up the rest. Rafe was equally and utterly stupid for someone who is supposed to be smart. The abduction was laughable. The "change" was laughable.
The author made no attempt to breath any life into these characters. The plot was crystal clear and see through, utterly boring because it wasn't supported; the characters stupid, dull, and dead; and to add insult to injury, she wrote the characters speach in some kind of butchered english accent instead of trusting that we can fill that in for ourselves.
Don't read this book. If she's a best seller, then this can't be more then a "need to fulfil a contract" book and nothing else.
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11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Loved this book, June 13, 2007
I was re-reading The Heir just before this came out, having no clue what this new book would be about. Having read all her other books, I knew there had to be a story about Raphael Locke and Ophelia Reid. Well you can imagine my surprise when I picked up a copy of this last night! This bookw as absolutely wonderful. I finished it in one sitting, unable to put it down. I have to say that this is my favorite of all her books. You must read The Heir first though, because this book centers on Ophelia and her transformation, and knowing her background and her past evil deeds will help tremendously.
The end was very different from many of her books and I personally liked it. Most of her books tend to have slightly rushed endings, but at least this one shows you their life after the main story, which tends not to be the case in her other books where we see the main characters kiss and make up and then it's the end. This book actually has an epilogue!
Get one today!
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