The only reason I don't give this book 5 stars is, not all stories are excellent. The first one, The Lord of Elphindale, is about a beautiful half-fairy lady, Gwen, who was conceived specially to bind one magical man to the fairy realm. Sounds interesting, isn't? However this story is my least favorite in all four. Although two main characters were attracted to each other but they kind of lacked of deep feeling for one another. So I'm not really impressed with this one. The second story, The feary braid. The concept is interesting and unique. A human girl, although raised by a fairy, struggled to her human soul to find true love and be loved in return. This story is very passionate..although I think, it's a bit 'too long'. The story moved from one event to another in a very slow speed..and sometime, made me want to say..'Alright! What's next?' But still, it's entertaining enough. The third story, Love talker, is one of "The best" novellas I've ever read. A faery lord, Galen was cursed by a fairy queen for seducing mortal women to their deaths..One fine night during his eternal curse, a plain lady with a good heart, Moira, summoned him and asked him to undo his spell on her beloved cousin. Although Galen was burned by a desire for her, he finally learned a meaning of true love and learned that, the only thing he ever wanted for all eternity is to be with a woman he loved... This story made me sigh with a smile on my lip and tear in my eyes. The author did an excellent job to describe feeling of the two main characters and all people around them. The fourth story, Dangerous gifts, is also good although not as good as 'Love talker'. It describes about how two wounded hearts helped each other to find value of themselves. With helping hands from two fairies, one with good intention and the other was to lure a lady and took her for his own, this simple story line was spiced up to above average.... So if you are looking for a really romantic book to read and don't mind a bit of fantasy, this book is absolutely for you!!. And you will love it just as I do..

I *love* shared world collections but usually find myself annoyed at having wasted my precious reading time wading through at least one clunker in the bunch. So, I approached this collection with a little hesitation, sure I'd find myself skimming at least one of the stories. I'm thrilled to report that all four stories were skillfully told and enjoyable and no skimming was necessary. My favorite was Barbara Samuel's THE LOVE TALKER which featured a cursed male faery saved from his torment by the love of a mortal woman. Sigh, this story was so romantic that it was worth the cost of the entire book. My least favorite was probably Jo Beverly's tale THE LORD OF ELPHINDALE only because the hero acted like an all-around jerk to the heroine (who was supposed to be his childhood best-friend) for far too long. This is a story that could've benefited from 100 or so more pages to flesh out his actions and make the romance more believable. Still, this was a fitting addition to the collection and is nowhere near what I'd consider a "clunker". If you enjoy romance and hold a soft-spot in your heart for faeries this is a not-to-be-missed book.

FYI---Kristin Ramsdell, Library Journal's Romance reviewer, chose FAERY MAGIC as one of 1998's Notable Books, along with THIEF OF DREAMS by Mary Balogh, THE BRIDE FINDER, by Susan Carroll, THE LAST HELLION, by Loretta Chase, and Rosemary Edghill's MET BY MOONLIGHT.

I bought this book because I absolutely LOVE Jo Beverley and I was not disappointed with "The Wise Virgin". The case of mistaken identity but finding true love amidst such problems of long time bitter feuds. I really shed a few tears on this one, as to the poignant way Ms. Beverley fleshed out her characters. She makes me laugh and she makes me cry. So sensual in such a short story, it was a pure Beverley delight.

I was very much impressed with "The Vagabond Knight" by Margaret Moore, as well. Here you had two wounded souls both past the fresh dew of youth, older and hopefully wiser, but both carrying baggage. I cried for these two as well as laughed as some of the dialog, and shed tears of joy at the end. I felt she dealt well with giving both a history and tieing it up quite nicely in the end.

The "Unexpected Guest", by Deborah Simmons, again was a wonderful short story. Being able to flesh out so many characters this well in so short a story time is the mark of a very accomplished author. I was so impressed with this story, that I plan to look into other novels by this author to pick up more works on the de Burgh family.

As a rule, I dont like anthology novels and much prefer the meatier stories, but this was excellent. A keeper to reread around the holidays!

I bought this book for Jo Beverley's "The Wise Virgin", and I was not disappointed. The characters were awesome, the story well-developed, and the resolution plausible.

When I buy an anthology just because there's one author I know I want to read, I always hope that there will be good surprises in the other stories. I'm frequently disappointed, but not this time.

None of the stories in this book were a total waste of time. Deborah Simmon's story was wonderfully well-written. And it's clear that it's part of a series of stories about a family of men, which is great news. New books to read, a new author to explore.

The middle story I found less compelling. An enjoyable read, but not a keeper. Still, since the entire book was worth reading, I'll give it five stars to reflect the quality of the two stronger stories.

Normally, short works are dull for me because they aren't long enough to develop the characters... but Beverley was awesome in her The Wise Virgin, which appears in this book! The characters develop superbly and I think it takes a lot of talent to do so in less than a hundred pages! You laugh! You cry! I looooooved it! Highly recommended!

This is another example of the difference in my taste for romance & that of a large number of others. JB, as usual, wrote a wonderful story rich in history. I realise that thousands of people would really love this story. Alas, it's not my kind of love story.
The story was set in 1068 during the invasion of England by William ...of Normandy. It is a romance but the story is full of war, betrayal, & the horrible realistic everyday life of the people that lived during that time. I don't care to read about that much realism... I'm one of those that want to escape from those type of horrible realities - not into them. Reading about mutilation & inhumane punishments are just not my cup of tea. Unfortunately, I picked this up after reading her Malloren series & was unpleasantly surprised.
Another thing that wasn't to my taste was the often told story of mistrust between the hero & heroine. They met, fell in love (& lust of course) - the great misunderstandings took place & they alternated between lust & turning cold shoulders to each other - almost til the end of the story. I got really disgusted with both of them - often!
Anyway, JB is definitely a great author - however, I will have to be more careful of her books that I choose to read; I was sad & sickened by the reality of those times through-out almost all of this book. But, I do want to stress that those of you that like a well written story rich in history (and can handle brutality) may very well love this story

This story, set in 1060s England is a seamless blend of romance, history, and passion. Normandy has invaded the English and the land is in turmoil. Aimery de Gaillard, half English and half Norman, help aid the English peasants under the thumb of Norman overlords and becomes known as "Golden Hart". He's distinguishable by markings on his hand, though he tries desperately to disguise himself at all times. He comes upon Madeleine de la Haute Vironge in the woods. She was caught looking upon him as he bathed and he seeks to teach her a lesson. Speaking English he tells her what he would do to her, though she doesn't understand a word. This first meeting lays the foundation of their very passionate, sensual relationship.
When the King decides to give Madeline a choice of 3 men she may choose to marry and Aimery is one of them she finds once again she is drawn to him. Though this time not as Golden Hart, but as the King's favored choice. Aimery warns her not to choose him, because to do so would expose him as Golden Hart and a traitor of the crown. For circumstances I will not reveal in this review, she does choose him and they marry much to the delight of the reader. It doesn't end there so hold onto your seats!

This story is a masterpiece. Not only is it set in one of my favorite time periods, the dark and turbulent early 1060s, but it is does not hold back. Jo Beverly serves up a heavy weight punch and this book is a classic.

Courtesy of A Romance Review

Lord of My Heart, the first historical romance of Jo Beverley, is set in 1068, two years after the Battle of Hastings. With this magical and historical background, Ms Beverley has created a wonderful tale with two unforgettable characters. Once again, Ms Beverley proves to be an excellent storyteller and Lord of My Heart is surely one of her best historical novel. A must read no matter you are a fan of historical romance or a new romance lover.

In this book you will see how a woman who doesn't like any kind of bets, she bets not once but three times with Bryght Malloren and she lost the three times, so here we can learn that if you don't like to do something just don't do it.
This book will keep you reading the story of super heroine Portia St. Claire who climbs all kind of walls and super hero Bryght Malloren who is always there to save her.
This love story is kind of different from others, if I tell you why I will tell you the main story (the three bets that she lost) and I think that this is a nice book to read.
In the other hand of the love story, you can see how gambling could make rich people poor.

This is a well-balanced romance and I wish I can give it a 4 1/2 stars. There are many 'faults' in this book but still I give it a high rating just because of the general well-roundedness and good editing.

The faults are that the situation is highly improbable and the characters' reactions, especially, hard to understand. And Portia, the heroine, is soooo frustrating. I just CANNOT understand why she feels what she does at the end and there was a point where I really believed that Jo Beverley was going to give the first bad ending in romances' history. But everything of course still worked out, though I still don't understand some parts. But maybe that's the beauty of JO Beverley's writing: at a point where most romance writers succumb to idealistic declarations of mutual love, she keeps on digging at the problems until they are completely resolved, if not removed.

I loved the character of Bryght, though! :-) I just charming characters. Can't say the same for Portia, unfortunately.

Enter the world of the gambler - where stakes are high and all could be lost or gained at the turn of a card. Portia St. Claire's brother, Oliver is an addicted gambler who loses their estate. In order to try to pay off the debt, Portia and her brother travel to London to ask for help from a family friend.
Bryght Malloren, 2nd in line to the Malloren Fortune is on family business to attempt to retrieve a damning letter in the home of the Earl of Walgrove. He finds instead the short, fiery Portia St. Claire instead who holds a pistol on him and demands he leaves. Sparks fly immediately between these two.

This good is interesting on several levels. First it very accurately portrays the addiction to gambling, the inability to control it, and the dangers of bidding beyond your means. Secondly, and completely unassociated the characters and secondary characters each hold their own weight, are interestingly created and weaved into the story. Unlike the 1st Malloren book (MY LADY NOTORIOUS), Rothgar, the head of the family does not overshadow Bryght who in his own right is sensual, intelligent and handsome. Portia, though not a traditionally beautiful woman has such a fiery nature, though perhaps a bit prudish and still, is a nontraditional heroine.

Though Portia is actually auctioned in a Brothel at one point, for her virginal qualities this book is much lighter on explicit sex then it's predecessor and indeed the story seems much richer. However, perhaps it is that you truly began to care about this family. And this being book 2, you get to know and like them a lot more!

Chain of Fire

Have you ever had a incident where someone treated you badly because the color of your skin or you did things differently than others? That's what happens in this story. It is all prejudice and discrimination. A black tribe is forced to move because they need more room for the white people. The blacks try to stand up for themselves but in the process many get hurt. Will they have to move or will they all possibly stand up for themselves and die? You'll only find out if you read Chain of Fire. If you want my opinion I think that this is a great book because this really could of happen. What I am really trying to say is that the subject of the book could have really happened because it was about blacks and in this time blacks weren't treated fair. This book has to do with prejudice and discrimination. Back in the early 1900's blacks weren't slaves in all parts of the world only in some places but they still weren't treated fair. If you were to rate this book from 1-10 on a rating scale I would give it a 10.

This engaging companion to Journey to Jo'burg tells a passionate story of resistance. Naledi, the teenage girl in Jo'burg, and her brother, Tiro, join with the rest of their village to fight against South Africa's apartheid government that has marked their village to be destroyed and the occupants moved to a barren and nearly unlivable plot of land farther away. The fire within Naledi begins as a smoldering log. As she faces one injustice after another, the fire burns brighter and stronger. Her friendship with Taolo, the son of an active union leader from Soweto, pushes Naledi into a leadership position. She must accept the responsibility and the consequences of resistance.

Naidoo includes a diversity of personalities involved in resistance. Naledi's grandmother's hesitancy turns to quiet understanding while a few villagers choose to side with the apartheid goverment for the perks. Death, beatings, kidnappings and destroyed homes are some of the many consequences the black South Africans find in their struggle. Throughout the story you are shown the strength of community rising up against injustice.

Naidoo has provided strong and proud teenage characters who are not afriad to stand up against injustice. Naledi, Taolo and Tiro are inspirations for all of us.

The Chain of Fire is the best book I ever read. When I first started to read The Chain of Fire, I truly thought it was going to be boring. After a few chapters Naledi finds out that the government is going to tear down their village, then it got interesting. The story is about a girl named Naledi, who lives in South Africa, is trying to stop the government from tearing down their village. My favorite part of the story is when Naledi and the other students in her school did a protest. I liked it when the police came and started a lot of violence.I didn't like the ending because they didn't tell if Naledi liked their new "homeland".

If you've been reading Jo Beverley's Rogues series, which began with An Arranged Marriage and continued with Lucien's story in An Unwilling Bride, you'll want to get your hands on this book IMMEDIATELY.

Leander Knollis, Earl of Charrington, didn't appear in the two earlier books, but he was certainly mentioned as a Rogue absent at war. In this book, set a few months after Lucien and Beth's marriage, Leander comes home and, thanks to the war having brought him to a realisation of his own mortality, decides that he really needs to marry and start his own family. However, a few weeks in London shows him only too clearly that he can't choose a bride from the available young women there. For one thing, none of them interest him. For another, they keep falling in love with him! While he can feel nothing more than lukewarm liking for any of them.

Not that he understands why this is the case; as he says to Beth Arden, he's not particularly handsome. And, in fact, standing next to the very handsome Lucien, he's nothing much to look at. Though Beth admits - and this is a very clever device, Jo, using the lens of Beth's thoughts to show us what's attractive about Leander - that there is something compelling about him. And Beth also tells us that what is most likely to appeal to women is the impression Leander seems to give of being alone and emotionally in pain. Which he is - except that he doesn't recognise it.

Leander's problem is that his upbringing has led him to see romantic love as destructive and not worth the emotional investment. Added to this, he doesn't see himself as capable of falling in love. So, he tells his friends, he wants to marry someone suitable, someone he can like, but who won't fall in love with him.

Who better, Beth thinks, than the Weeping Widow? Judith Rossiter, widowed a little over a year since and with two children, who is well known to have been so in love with her husband that she's still grief-stricken. She still wears unrelieved black. So Leander proposes to Judith, secure in the knowledge that she's not going to fall in love with him.

Judith, we learn, ceased to love her husband not long after they were married. The only reason she still wears black is that she can't afford anything else! She's very puzzled by this proposal from a nobleman five years younger than her, and at first thinks he's mad. But events lead her to accept his proposal - and now all she has to do is prevent him from finding out that she does actually have strong feelings for him after all...

What stops me giving this book five stars, as I gave some of the other Rogue books, is that while I enjoyed it very much I felt that something was missing. The romance was very, very understated; while there are some lovely scenes in this book, such as some of the kissing scenes, I didn't actually feel that I *saw* Judith and Leander fall in love with each other. I almost felt that Leander wasn't so much falling in love with Judith as he was with the idea of a family. So that wasn't quite as fulfilling as the first two books in the series, or The Devil's Heiress.

However, one thing I loved about this book was the chance to get a glimpse - well, more than a glimpse - of my favourite heroes and their partners. The book begins with Beth and Lucien at Hartwell, just six weeks after the end of AUB; we see that the promise of a very happy marriage which we were left with in AUB is definitely coming true. And Lucien and Beth play major roles in the first part of the book. Then, towards the end of the book, we get lots of Nicholas and Eleanor (and Arabel), proving that the happy ending of An Arranged Marriage was a lasting one. I do love encountering characters from earlier books later in the series!

Definitely one to add to your Jo Beverley collection!

I know that most people think that _An_Unwilling_Bride_ is the best of Jo Beverley's Rogues books. I disagree. While _Bride_ is certainly an excellent book, this book is better. For one thing, this book does not have any desperate villains, just one bumbling (but dangerous) one and one set of phantom villains. This lack of an adventure plot means that the romance must stand (or fall) on its own terms. This is a terrific story.

Both characters are completely believable. Each brings baggage to their marriage, and each learns to shed it in the course of the book. Leander is amazing -- worldly, strong, powerful, and yet strangely alone and vulnerable. Judith is living with the consequences of her early marriage to a stunningly romantic poet who turned out to be a stunningly unsatisfactory husband. The preconceptions they bring to their marriage, about themselves and about each other, need to be untangled before this Cinderella story can be resolved.

The resolution is believable, because the changes in each character are motivated and plausible. This story has lots of funny scenes, and some heart-rending passages, as well. The writing is clean and fluent. All in all, a very good book.

Wonderful! Jo Beverley's Rogue series is a delight - stories that hold your attention and satisfy deeply. I have now finished the third book in the series and have enjoyed this one as much as the first two.

Christmas Angel is a very different Christmas story for the season of goodwill is really only a frame to the whole picture and the action leads up to Christmas in only a very subliminal way.

This is a gentler story than the first two Rogue books for Leander Knollis, Earl of Charrington, is presented to us as a much milder man in some ways but one whose passions run so deep beneath the surface that he is in danger of missing great happiness. Nicholas Delaney and Lucien de Vaux, the heros of the first two Rogue books, are seemingly much more passionate and volatile men. Leander is a man who believes self control is of high esteem and, much to his amazement, a woman who is largely fooling herself about her first marriage knocks all of his preconceived notions about love, marriage and partnership askew.

Others have summed up the plot so I won't go into it. I would like to point out that, in this book, conversational interaction is very important and deserves thoughtful reading. The child characters of Bastian and Rosie are well drawn. I laughed out loud at Rosie's conversation with Hal Beaumont (a Rogue I sincerely hope will one day get his own book!!) when she wonders about the loss of his arm, wild animals and death. In a few brief paragraphs, Jo Beverley captures childish innocence and curiosity so well.

Judith Rossiter, our heroine, for all her experience of 13 years of marriage and two children, is virginal and naive in a charming way. How delightful to watch her and Leander dance round each other, striving for something neither can identify!

Nicholas Delaney and his wife Eleanor continue to be a linchpin in all of the Rogue stories and it is very satisfying to follow their progress and that of Lucien and his marchioness. I loved this - and look forward to starting the fourth book. Excellent and subtle, this one!

As a huge fan of Jo Beverley's, I was quite disappointed in Forbidden Magic. Beverley has a tendency of late to spend too much time in one character's POV (in this case, Meg's) and too little in the other main character's. While I can appreciate Beverley's desire to make Sax something of a mystery, by the end of the book, I wasn't really sure why he fell so hard for Meg. And if Meg thought "I've got to get the sheelagh back" once, she thought it a hundred times. At one point I put the book down and said, "All right, Jo, I GET IT!" I was also disappointed that after building a great deal of sexual tension between Meg and Sax, there wasn't much of a payoff for the reader. I hope Beverley returns to form in her next Malloren novel and gives a better balance between hero and heroine POV.

I love romance, but most of the novels out now a days are trashy and are all about copulation. Forbidden Magic was well done, and actually had a story. It was a woderful mix of magic, love and passion. Meg is a charming character full of life and spunk from her naughty undergarments to her shy demur way. I found Sax to be a marvlous character, with his temper and his love for stray unwanted animals. He is quite eccentric and just what I would want in a husband. Mrs. Beverly did a fabulous job on this story and I throughly recomend it. This was the first book I've read writen by Mrs. Beverly and you can be sure that it will not be the last!

I don't know what the other reviewers were reading because I found this book delightful and quite, to the point, magical! I found Sax to be absolutely delightful, sexy, fun, and needy. I found Meg to be charming and also needy. They each saved one another. The entire household was a blast, including and especially the pets! The dialog just so spicy, sensual and fun! I'm wondering if these other people read the same book as I did!

Granted, I am a big FAN of Jo Beverley, but I truly enjoyed this Regency romp and was sorry to see it end! Maybe the sister Laura's story could come next? Definitely a keeper!

From the beginning, I guess I set myself up for disappointment. I read so many good things about the Malloren series and reading "Devilish" (the last of the series) only heightened the excitement. I liked the characters well enough. Elf and Fort were both interesting and endearing but I guess the problem was in the book's chapter by chapter development. I absolutely agree with the other reviewers, the book had an interesting beginning but the author just wasn't able to follow through. She was able to weave a good beginning but utterly failed in giving a satisfying end. However, I must admit that Jo Beverly is indeed a master of the Georgian era. The depth of her knowledge can match or even surpass that of a history teacher but alas this isn't a history texbook! It wasn't a total loss though. If only to complete the Malloren series, it's worth a read. God knows it's hard to appreciate the series' nuances if you don't read them all. I'm crossing my fingers though that the next installment I read of the Malloren series would prove better than this major disappointment.

Another Jo Beverley masterpiece! This is the story of Elf Malloren (twin of Cyn)and sister of Rothgar (God I can't wait to get to HIS story)and the Earl of Walgrave (Fort).
If you've read the prior two novels on these Malloren's you can fully appreciate the animosity that drives Fort to hate and despise all Malloren's.

Lady Elfred (Elf) is now 25 and feeling a bit 'on the shelf' as well as bored out of her mind. Her watchdog brothers are all elsewhere and she is staying with a married friend who is also feeling like an adventure so they decide to go masquerading at the 'wicked' Vauxhall Gardens - mainly for a little spice in their lives. Unfortunately, Elf ends up getting a little more excitement than she bargained for. After a couple of narrow scrapes she finds herself running literally, right into Fort, who of course, does not recognize her in disguise. In order to save her from a worse fate (she eavesdropped on a treasonous plot) he abscounds with her to his mansion for a night of pleasure. In disguise, Elf does get a wonderfully wicked taste of what is to come and so the story goes.

Elf does escape Fort with her virginity still intact but he has awakened in her a taste for more 'wickedness' and also her sense of duty in establishing whether or not Fort is really part of a treasonous plot against the King.

Now she must decide what to do, wait for her brothers to come to sort out this mess or take action! What's a girl to do! Well, naturally, she really would like to run into Fort again and really do something wicked - just once in her life!

This is a wonderful story - a definite keeper and I really can't wait to get to the rest of these Malloren's! You will love this book!

This was my first Jo Beverley book, being difficult to please, I really enjoyed the book. I regret that I found out later it was part of a series of books. I've read three of the five books on the Malloren story and this is by far my favorite. I could not put it down. I recommend the entire series: #1 My Lady Notorious #2 Tempting Fortune #3 Something Wicked #4 Secrets of the Nigt and #5 Develish. The fist 2 are not in print currently but are available via auction. The characters are strong, the plot and storyline is definetly wicked if you are familiar with the etiquette of the era and the trials are awesome. I've read it twice in one month, which I never read a story twice.

Can you live with the man who killed your father? Jo Beverley believes that you can, that love can conquer anything - even that. That is probably the main reason I gave this book 4 stars only.. everything else about it is excellent, but I found the central theme too difficult to swallow.

The characters are very well written.. Renald is hard, tough, unyielding.. but oddly vulnerable in his attraction to Claire.. she is defeated, heartbroken and vulnerable, but beautifully strong in her pride and dignity..

Very well written.. the twists and turns will surprise you and delight you.. funny at time, heart wrenching at others.. what else can you ask for from a historical romance?

I just love Jo Beverley! She never fails to move you into the period and into the hearts of minds of her main characters. Here you have the story of Claire Summerbourne, anxiously awaiting the return of her father from a rebellion to overthrow the upstart king Henry Beauclerk. Instead, who rides up to the castle but Renald de Lisle, kings champion, to bring her fathers body home and assume ownership and title to Summerbourne.

He has won the prize of Summerbourne, along with the kings orders to wed without delay, one of the three maidens living there and to care for the rest of the deceased Lord Summerbournes family.

Meeting Claire Summerbourne, he is immediately taken with her and as much as she would admit to herself, she finds him physically disturbing. The plot goes on with Renald trying to wed the lovely Claire before she discovers his awful truth.

The characters are so well fleshed out, you can feel all the emotions and struggles each has in their hearts and soul. Again, a most magnificent story set in and during the reign of King Henry. I also love the way she reintroduces characters from previous novels so that the flow of these books brings you back to revisit the other characters that you hated to lose track of once their stories had ended.

In 1101 England, Lord Renald de Lisle, acting as the King's Champion, duels and kills the peace loving Lord Clarence of Summerbourne, a traitor who refuses to pledge fealty to the throne. King Henry grants the Summerbourne estates to Renald with the caveat that he marry one of the three maidens residing there.

When Renald arrives, he receives a cold reception from the residing four women, but marries Clarence's daughter, Claire. He soon falls in love with his bride, but worries that when she learns the truth about her father's death, she will hate him forever. She reciprocates his feelings of love until she learns the truth on their wedding night. Can their love be strong enough to overcome the fact that he killed her father?

LORD OF MIDNIGHT is an extremely enjoyable Medieval romance that fans of the sub-genre (and for that matter historical romance readers in general) will relish. The story line is an intriguing period piece and the battling lead protagonists make a fun to read couple. Jo Beverly is clearly one of the leading writers lighting up the Dark Ages.

Harriet Klausner

After collecting all and reading each book in it's successive orders, I was intrigued by Rothgar and could not wait to read his tale. His movement through the other stories did a real job of whetting my curiosity about him. He was all that I had hoped and expected and I was not disappointed in the way his character was developed. Diana was a bit of a disappointment as a heroine for him. It was great that she was independant and strong of will but I would have liked to have seen him with a woman that was more mature (no more than 5 years his jr) and a little more worldly. Besides the fact that she could do all the he could do was just cute. He still needed a woman. To me Diana was yet another person to be added to his long list of people that he had to take care of. I think the characters of Diana and the Mistress should have been switched. She was just too young to be the woman that he needed. This story definelty fell flat of the expectations that were built throughout the series.

Devilish perfectly caps off the excellent Malloren books. Most of the book is written from Diana's perspective, with occasional peeks into Rothgar's mind. But by reading each of the books that precedes this one, the reader has great insight into Rothgar, so seeing the story from Diana's perspective doesn't limit your understanding of Rothgar.

Devilish is the story of the Marquess of Rothgar and Diana, Countess of Arradale. Rothgar is the oldest sibling to his younger half-siblings (who people the four other Malloren series books). Throughout each of the four preceding books, Rothgar has been the one the siblings turn to when they can turn to no one else. Even the King of England turns to him for help.

And yet, as Diana states in the book, who will comfort the comforter? Rothgar, who when he was a child witnessed his mad mother murder his baby sister, fears that his blood is tainted with insanity. When he was 19, his father and stepmother died and he took over the care of his five younger siblings. When Devilish begins, each of Rothgar's siblings has been happily married off, with extensive maneuvering on his part. He has made them happy, but built his own prison of isolation in the process.

Diana, a peer in her own right, inherited her title and status without marrying into it. However, if she marries, her husband will be in control, so she has resigned herself to being like Queen Elizabeth and not marrying in order to keep her power and status.

Because of Rothgar's tainted blood and Diana's position, a marriage and especially children are not possible. And yet these two characters are equals in every way - they are each other's mates, and they know it. The tension that arises from this situation is thick. Every time Diana and Rothgar meet their relationship grows. But the obstacles that Beverley creates to their happiness are enormous. The suffering they endure and the longing they feel is palpable as you read the book. Words mean more than they should, and every gesture has a purpose. Each moment Diana and Rothgar spend together is precious and yet painful. It is positively toe-curling!

If you have a special place in your heart for tortured heroes, and strong-willed heroines, this is the romance novel for you. I recommend reading the whole Malloren series in the correct order (no matter how hard some are to find - they are worth it!). By reading the earlier books, you have a better understanding of Rothgar, the fierce love he has for his family, and the desperate isolation he is building for himself. This last installment in the Malloren series is different from those that precede it - it doesn't have the lightheartedness of My Lady Notorious, the wickedness of Something Wicked, or the warmth of Secrets of the Night. The best words to describe the mood of this book are: desperate longing. It's deeper, darker, and more intense than the books that precede it, but it also deserves to be because Rothgar is like no other. And neither is Devilish.

I'd read my way through My Lady Notorious, Something Wicked (I read them out of order, so read about Elf and Fort before Bryght and Portia), and Tempting Fortune, with increasing dissatisfaction, and hadn't intended to read Secrets of the Night or Devilish. However, a friend with whom I often share books recommended Devilish to me, so I felt oblighed to give it the old college try.

I blazed my way through it in one night (by no means a record, but uncommon with books I don't feel strongly about) and when I was done I wished there were more. Ah, Bey. Sigh, drool, melt. What a hero.

But I've been surprised and confused by the amount of negative reviews of the book, to the point of wondering if I read the same book everyone else had. Bey cold? Diana whining? Bey disappointing? Perish the thought.

But then again, the Marquess of Rothgar has been a presence in the entire Malloren series, from My Lady Notorious onward, leaving plenty of fertile ground for readers to build their own idea about him (indeed, part of my dissatisfaction with the other three books that I read stemmed largely from the fact that Rothgar consistently overshadowed the heroes). So it's not really surprising that the book might not have lived up to what many readers hoped for Bey.

The other complaints (dealing largely with two issues; Diana's suitability as a heroine and the lack of sex scenes) are largely a matter of taste. I don't like the heroines of the books I read to be sweet, simpering virgins with hearts of gold (another problem I had with some of the Malloren books, particularly Tempting Fortune); I like them to be strong, stubborn, and independent, which Diana was. I don't think that a gentle, delicate, naive young woman could have had the courage or the resolve to keep pushing Bey until he had to give up some of his control.

Nor do I read this sort of book for the sex scenes; I read it for the plot, and for the romance. Therefore I wasn't disappointed with the lack of sex, and I feel that much more would have been hard to justify, considering that Rothgar's determination not to have children has been well-established.

As for what I liked about the book--most everything. I appreciated that Jo Beverley didn't resort to tired old cliches (silly misunderstandings keeping hero and heroine apart, etc). I heartily approve of the fact that Bey acknowledged his love for Diana relatively early on in the book, instead of holding out until some great crisis puts her life in danger and forces him to admit how he feels. Bey and Diana had rational (if occasionally misguided) reasons for staying apart, a nice change from many romance novels. Diana made a solid, if largely unremarkable, heroine; Bey carries the book, walking the line between strength and romance. All of the parts of the book that melted my heart centered around him and were usually from his point of view.

Devilish is a book I'll keep and read over and over again, a sure sign of a good, satisfying read.