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Binding: Mass Market Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.6
EAN: 9780446406949
ISBN: 0446406945
Label: Vision
Manufacturer: Vision
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 384
Publication Date: November 01, 2009
Publisher: Vision
Studio: Vision
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Editorial Review:
Product Description:
NOTHING IS MORE INTOXICATING-
Reynaud St. Aubyn has spent the last seven years in hellish captivity. Now half mad with fever he bursts into his ancestral home and demands his due. Can this wild-looking man truly be the last earl's heir, thought murdered by Indians years ago?
OR DANGEROUS-
Beatrice Corning, the niece of the present earl, is a proper English miss. But she has a secret: No real man has ever excited her more than the handsome youth in the portrait in her uncle's home. Suddenly, that very man is here, in the flesh-and luring her into his bed.
THAN SURRENDERING TO A DEVIL.
Only Beatrice can see past Reynaud's savagery to the noble man inside. For his part, Reynaud is drawn to this lovely lady, even as he is suspicious of her loyalty to her uncle. But can Beatrice's love tame a man who will stop at nothing to regain his title-even if it means sacrificing her innocence?
Average Rating: 
Rating:  -
I was really looking forward to read this last story of the four soldiers. I really enjoy it , read it in 2 days ...
Still it was diffrent from the others , but good book
Rating:  -
Like many of the other reviewers, I was really looking forward to picking up this last book in the series. I loved the other ones - they were each fabulous! The characters were great, I rooted for them through the whole book. But this one just wasn't up to par. Don't get me wrong, the book was good, but Hoyt has set herself up for GREAT and so in comparison this book just didn't pass muster. Especially seeing as how its the last in the series!
There were a few things that were off. To start Reynaurd comes home after 6 years of captivity (more like an enslaved son - remind me again...why couldn't he run away???)and just declares Beatrice is his. Thats it. I think it was because she was English and he missed everything English... and then later because he needed a wife to make a better showing of his sanity. If he just escaped, was deathly ill and presumably weak for captivity and his sickness - how was he doing everything he did? Maybe I didn't pick up on the sense of time... And if his captivity was so bad that it caused PTSD, how in the world did he overcome it so fast? Beatrice's love???? Its like Hoyt knew that after 6 years he had to have some PTSD, so we got a couple scenes on that - check and done. I don't wish misery upon anybody, but this is after all a fictional character and this could have been milked a little more...definitely.
The characters in this book really are great and had so much potential, but after the characters in her past books, and all the anticipation of finding the trader this was pretty anti-climatic.
Rating: -
Definitely not Hoyt's best effort. I thought the hero/ine were very flat characters, and the "action" in the end was wrapped up too quickly. Also absolutely a let-down/shoddy ending to a Spinner's Falls conspiracy story that spanned four books. Very glad I borrowed this from the library rather than purchasing it, because it would have just collected dust on my shelf.
Rating: -
Is this "dead man" her true love?
Reynaud St. Aubyn has risen from the dead. After being held captive for seven long years, he has returned to his ancestral home to regain his life and title. Has he gone mad? He must prove otherwise or the dream he has held on to will be gone.
Beatrice Corning is the niece of the man who has taken Reynaud's place as the Earl of Blanchard. She has been fascinated by Reynaud ever since she first saw his portrait in their home. Is this the same man? Will all her fantasies be fulfilled?
Reynaud and Beatrice are drawn to each other but will the torture of the last seven years keep Reynaud from being able to love? Beatrice must decide if she is willing to sacrifice everything for him, even herself. Will he do the same?
This was an exciting romance. It's the final book in The Legend of the Four Soldiers Series. I intend to read the others after experiencing this one. Elizabeth Hoyt does an excellent job of painting a picture of that time period. The passion between Beatrice and Reynaud was on fire. This story has everything you want in a historical romance. This is a good book to curl up with on those cold evenings.
Rating: -
I have been a big fan of Elizabeth Hoyt since she burst on the scene in 2006 with The Raven Prince. While all her books are very enjoyable, some stand out more than others. To Desire a Devil is the final book in The Legend of Four Soldiers series.
Reynaud St. Aubyn was a ghost, a man seven years dead in the Colonies, when he burst into the parlor of his father's house. After suffering all those years at the hands of his Indian captors, he has returned to England to regain all that he has lost. The man in possession of Reynaud's title, his homes, and his monies is the uncle of Beatrice Corning. The sweet girl has served as her uncle's hostess and has quietly admired the portrait of a young, idealistic Reynaud. But the man who bursts into their party is a far cry from the innocent boy in the picture. Bird tattoos adorn his face, an earring in one ear, hair past his shoulders and a questionable grasp of reality; he promptly passes out in Beatrice's lap. Beatrice convinces her uncle to allow Reynaud to stay in the house and recover as it would look better on them if the title reverts back to him. Their mutual attraction is undeniable as they spend time together. Unfortunately, he proposes marriage to her in order to quell the rumors that he is quite mad from his ordeal. He doesn't even hide that from her. Will their relationship survive his relentless pursuit of his title and the real identity of the traitor of the Regiment?
I was quite anxious to get my hands on this book. I made the mistake of reading the first chapter of To Desire a Devil in the back of To Beguile a Beast and it tortured me! I couldn't wait to read about Reynaud and Beatrice. I was quite pleased with the book overall. The relationship between the two lovers is quite intense and the love scenes are quite decadent. Once Reynaud and Beatrice are married, as with the other books in this series, is where the relationship deepens. Slowly, Reynaud reveals the suffering that he faced at the hands of the Indians. The brutality and realism of what he faced as well as the aftermath of PTSD are very well written. It is as we discover the identity of the traitor and the final confrontation occurs that the book could have been so much more satisfying. After searching for the man who caused the misery and death of so many individuals, his identity is more of a let down than an "a-ha" moment. Reynaud's realization of how he really feels for Beatrice also seemed rushed and disconnected.
I did enjoy the side story of Lottie and Nate, a married couple experiencing some discord. I do feel, however, like this thread was tied up a little too abruptly and without a resolution. Ms. Hoyt excels at crafting characters that you instantly care about. Both the hero and the heroine are equally strong and unique. Characters from the previous books make a few appearances but they never deflect attention from the main characters. I don't read historicals as a rule anymore, but Ms. Hoyt is still on my auto-buy list. I enjoyed this book, flying through it in about a day. Ms. Hoyt delivers an engaging, emotional story and I can't wait to see what comes next. I am not reading the excerpt at the end anymore; I just can't stand the wait!
Originally reviewed for Night Owl Romance
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