October 2015 Book of the Month & Giveaway
November 18, 2015 06:22 PM Posted by juliannadouglas
I had no five-star reads in September, so I'm fast-forwarding to October. My favorite book from that month's reading is a Regency-set historical romance by one of my favorite authors. It features a heroine who, by day, is a mild-mannered widow, teaching young girls the social graces, but by night, she masquerades as the Black Angel, a super-hero style avenger of wrongs perpetrated on women and children, generally by men of the upper classes. She also has a Robin Hood-esque streak in her, robbing from the wealthy to give to the underprivileged. Our hero is a dissolute rake who leads a scandalous life, but his reasons for doing so are sympathetic. He knows he's not a charming gentleman like his best friend, and it pains him that he can't keep a woman – not even one he's paying – around for more than a few months. When our heroine mistakenly unleashes her avenging angel persona on him, thinking he's a terrible person after witnessing his latest mistress leaving in a huff, it's to great comic effect. But when she starts to get to know him on a more personal level as his neighbor, she quickly realizes her faux pas. But making amends without revealing her secret identity is going to be tricky, not to mention, she has a Bow Street Runner on her tail that could prove deadly if she's discovered.
Liz Carlyle has never yet failed to enchant me with her stories, and this book certainly didn't disappoint. From the opening pages, Aleric (aka Devellyn) and Sidonie set the pages on fire. Sidonie is a hot-blooded, passionate woman who fully embraces her own sexuality and desires, but she fears there can never be anything between them, especially if he finds out she's the one who robbed him. Devellyn amused me with his confusion over being desperately attracted to two seemingly disparate women at the same time, while also occasionally tugging on my heartstrings. I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about Sidonie's brother, George Kemble, a long-time secondary character in Liz Carlye's books. Overall, this novel was a fun, flirty, emotional, and sexy read. That's why I'm naming The Devil to Pay as my October Book of the Month. If you enjoy historical romances or characters with super-hero style secret identities, you should definitely give it a try. Keep reading to learn how you can win a copy for your own library.
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By day, Sidonie Saint-Godard is a quietly elegant young widow who teaches deportment to the unpolished daughters of London's nouveau riche. By night, she is someone altogether different. The notorious Black Angel—so called for her lusciously located angel tattoo—ruthlessly takes from powerful men who exploit, and gives to those who suffer at their hands. Always in disguise, she has eluded capture and her identity remains a mystery. The Marquess of Devellyn, one of the least noble noblemen in town, uses and discards women as he pleases. But when the Black Angel entices him into her bed, ties him up, and pilfers his most valued possession, she may have gone too far. This time, Devellyn tells her, she'll have the devil to pay. And he definitely means to collect. |
Read my complete review of The Devil to Pay.
Giveaway
If you would like to win a copy of The Devil to Pay to see how wonderful it is for yourself, just enter the Rafflecopter giveaway below. One lucky winner will receive their choice of an eBook or print copy of the book. If the winner chooses an eBook, I will gift it to them via the eBook retailer of their choice (Amazon, B & N, or AllRomance). Please note, the paperback version of the book is now out of print, but if the winner chooses a print copy (available to US winners only), I will have a “new” or “like new” copy (at my discretion and based on availability) of it mailed directly to them via Amazon or one of their third-party sellers. Good luck!
International Entrants: You are welcome to enter my contest, but please note that not all eBooks are available in all countries due to copyright restrictions. If this is the case, Amazon does offer an option to trade for a gift card (I'm not sure about B & N or AllRomance). I'm sorry but due to the lack of availability of the paperback version and the high cost of shipping overseas, the option of a print copy will not be available to international entrants.
Categories: Book of the Month, Giveaways
Tags: Liz Carlyle
