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Devil to Pay #1
The Devil's Daughter
To free herself from Hell, Lucy needs to claim one last soul, and she knows just the one she wants.
Jed Caine is in need of a woman who will keep his house and cook his meals. Instead, he finds himself with a wife who neither cooks nor cleans and who challenges him at every turn.
He wants her heart; she wants his soul, and it would seem the only things standing in their way are burnt coffee and dried buffalo chips.
And, of course, the tiny little fact that her father is the devil himself and he's not about to release his daughter, regardless of how many souls she brings him, or how much the foolish mortal loves her.
Jed Caine is in need of a woman who will keep his house and cook his meals. Instead, he finds himself with a wife who neither cooks nor cleans and who challenges him at every turn.
He wants her heart; she wants his soul, and it would seem the only things standing in their way are burnt coffee and dried buffalo chips.
And, of course, the tiny little fact that her father is the devil himself and he's not about to release his daughter, regardless of how many souls she brings him, or how much the foolish mortal loves her.
305 pages, Nook
First published April 1, 2008
22 people are currently reading
202 people want to read
About the author
Laura Drewry
12 books333 followersUSA Today bestselling author Laura Drewry writes fun and sexy contemporary romances filled with heartfelt emotion and characters readers can relate to.
When she’s not writing, she likes reading, watching Marvel movies with her boys, Pinning recipes she'll never make, and cheering for the Yankees. Laura lives in southwest British Columbia with her husband, three sons, two dogs, a turtle, a handful of chicken and about 30,000 bees.
You can find her online or stop by her Facebook or Twitter page to say hi.
When she’s not writing, she likes reading, watching Marvel movies with her boys, Pinning recipes she'll never make, and cheering for the Yankees. Laura lives in southwest British Columbia with her husband, three sons, two dogs, a turtle, a handful of chicken and about 30,000 bees.
You can find her online or stop by her Facebook or Twitter page to say hi.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
June 10, 2024
4.5 stars
February 15, 2023
Nothing will stop the heroine from earning her freedom. She'll seduce the hero, she’ll take his soul and the souls of his stepsister and her unborn baby back to hell in exchange for her ability to leave Hell and live her life on earth. When she sees the hero, she believes him to be an easy mark. She can see that his pride is a path to his destruction and she'll use it however she can. The hero takes one look at the woman before him at the wife auction and turns her down flat. She's everything he doesn't want in a wife. She's beauty-stunning really. This is bad thing for a man who refuses to surrender to his basic urges. She's preoccupied with her appearance. As his wife, she's had no cause to wear fancy clothing or such frivolous things when on the ranch. Lastly, she's incapable of succeeding in even the simplest of household chores such as cooking, cleaning as making coffee. But the thing that changes his mind and urges him to take her to wife is her hands. Those feminine hands are calloused and tough and have seen hard work at some point in her life. So, they marry and the heroine's seduction begins.
She's brash and forward with her advances, believing all she needs to do is be sexy. But her husband isn't that type of man. He believes in developing their relationship in time. Starting with earning truth between them and seeing where that path leads them. Although it literally pains him, he turns away her advances. Frustrated, the heroine believes she now lives in a place almost as bad as hell. Freezing despite it being July in Texas, working her hands to the bone every day and doing it in ugly dresses and worst of all feeling like she's getting no closer to succeeding in her mission. Then her brother shows up. The heroine knows that he's after the baby's soul as well so she ups her game, doing everything she can to see the hero happy. And then the strangest thing starts to happen. She begins to feel pride and a sense of satisfaction with her work. She finds herself wanting to make him happy not because of her seduction but because his smile does weird things to her insides. All her life she believed herself incapable of feeling human emotions such as hope, happiness or love but she finds herself falling in love with her husband. And the hero quickly finding himself falling for his wife just as quickly. She's turned out to be everything he's ever wanted in a wife. He was right in waiting until they knew and respected each other before forwarding their intimate relationship because now he couldn't imagine her not around. She makes him happy and he'll do anything to see her happy in return. He wants to fight her demons, her secrets and her brother. But with the mission hanging over her head and the realization that she can no longer stomach the idea of stealing the hero's soul, she decides to tell him the truth. She decides to save the bay's soul and the hero's and take her punishment back in hell. Too bad this plan doesn't fit with the hero.
I really enjoyed this book. It was a lovely read with a balance of humor and angst, the characters were great and well developed and the plot was interesting. As a character I loved the heroine. She was so not that cold hearted woman she wanted to pretend herself to be and it's clearly evident from the beginning that she was a good person, just a scared woman who has been backed into a corner. And the hero was not the tormented man first depicted either. Yes, he was deeply troubled but he was not that dark brooding type. He encouraged his wife with everything she did around the farm and took great pleasure in doing things to make her smile. I found the overall setting to be a bit, tame if not a tiny bit slow. Not boring mind you but it was rather focused on farm life and the character's interactions. Again, not a bad thing and certainly far from dull but at the same time not all that...exiting? Any who, not bad for my first Laura Drewry book. I'm intrigued to read the next book as it features the villain of this story as the hero so that'll be interesting.
She's brash and forward with her advances, believing all she needs to do is be sexy. But her husband isn't that type of man. He believes in developing their relationship in time. Starting with earning truth between them and seeing where that path leads them. Although it literally pains him, he turns away her advances. Frustrated, the heroine believes she now lives in a place almost as bad as hell. Freezing despite it being July in Texas, working her hands to the bone every day and doing it in ugly dresses and worst of all feeling like she's getting no closer to succeeding in her mission. Then her brother shows up. The heroine knows that he's after the baby's soul as well so she ups her game, doing everything she can to see the hero happy. And then the strangest thing starts to happen. She begins to feel pride and a sense of satisfaction with her work. She finds herself wanting to make him happy not because of her seduction but because his smile does weird things to her insides. All her life she believed herself incapable of feeling human emotions such as hope, happiness or love but she finds herself falling in love with her husband. And the hero quickly finding himself falling for his wife just as quickly. She's turned out to be everything he's ever wanted in a wife. He was right in waiting until they knew and respected each other before forwarding their intimate relationship because now he couldn't imagine her not around. She makes him happy and he'll do anything to see her happy in return. He wants to fight her demons, her secrets and her brother. But with the mission hanging over her head and the realization that she can no longer stomach the idea of stealing the hero's soul, she decides to tell him the truth. She decides to save the bay's soul and the hero's and take her punishment back in hell. Too bad this plan doesn't fit with the hero.
I really enjoyed this book. It was a lovely read with a balance of humor and angst, the characters were great and well developed and the plot was interesting. As a character I loved the heroine. She was so not that cold hearted woman she wanted to pretend herself to be and it's clearly evident from the beginning that she was a good person, just a scared woman who has been backed into a corner. And the hero was not the tormented man first depicted either. Yes, he was deeply troubled but he was not that dark brooding type. He encouraged his wife with everything she did around the farm and took great pleasure in doing things to make her smile. I found the overall setting to be a bit, tame if not a tiny bit slow. Not boring mind you but it was rather focused on farm life and the character's interactions. Again, not a bad thing and certainly far from dull but at the same time not all that...exiting? Any who, not bad for my first Laura Drewry book. I'm intrigued to read the next book as it features the villain of this story as the hero so that'll be interesting.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 27, 2011
This is my first Laura Drewry book and I’ve actually had it a while. Based on the blurb I thought I would enjoy the story, but, unfortunately, I never warmed up to the heroine and this ended up being a disappointing read. For me it was too late to like her when she finally decided to toss her selfish ways for love, even if she is the devil’s daughter. I just couldn’t give her the benefit of the doubt, and not because of her relatives from hell.
Lucy Firr is determined to get out of hell and out from under father’s thumb. She’s tired of vying for his attention and always found lacking, tired of being tricked into doing something just for dad’s sport. So she needs an innocent soul. Being her father’s daughter, the lies trip off her tongue at a bride auction when she chooses the groom she wants, Jed Caine, to put her plans in motion.
Jed originally passes on the beautiful temptress. He needs a wife who knows how to work on a ranch, not a woman who’s never done a day’s work in her life. But when he sees the calluses on Lucy’s hands, he decides to take a chance. Marrying her and getting her home are the easy parts of his new life. Once home his sister-in-law refuses to allow Lucy inside their small home, telling Jed she’s evil and wants her baby. Jed, of course, has no idea how spot on the woman is in her predictions.
So Jed and Lucy make camp around the firepit outside the house and sleep in the barn. And they do sleep. Only. Lucy does her best to seduce Jed to finally get her plan moving, but she’s not very good at it, though Jed still would love to bed his new wife, but he also wants them to get to know one another. He knows love is probably not in the card for them, so respect will do just fine between them in his mind.
Lucy is a slow in getting that concept, but she’s determined to do whatever Jed wants. Then she finds she enjoys talking to the man and eventually begins to earn his respect. Things also don’t go smoothly outside the relationship due to visits from Lucy’s half brother, who is carrying out their fathers demands in sabotaging Lucy, which is par for the course for those two.
She does come around in the long run, but it was left too late for me to really like Lucy. By the time she learns what needs to be done and gladly does it because it’s the right thing, I hadn’t really liked her for quite a while and I didn’t have have enough good feeling left over to give her any when she starts to get things right. Now, Jed I did like. He’s hardworking, taking care of his sister-in-law since his brother’s been missing, doesn’t give in to Lucy and his libido as the men in town would have done with a pretty lady like his new wife. He does what has to be done and sticks to his guns on the important stuff.
There’s also a secondary story concerning Lucy and I actually found that a little too convenient after everything I’d already gone with through with these characters. Deacon, Lucy’s brother, is defeated in the end and he ends up the hero of the next book, Dancing with the Devil. I’m torn on whether I really want to read that one. The fact he’s redeemed is good, but if he holds out like Lucy did, I just don’t want to go through it again.
See my complete review at http://www.goodbadandunread.com
Lucy Firr is determined to get out of hell and out from under father’s thumb. She’s tired of vying for his attention and always found lacking, tired of being tricked into doing something just for dad’s sport. So she needs an innocent soul. Being her father’s daughter, the lies trip off her tongue at a bride auction when she chooses the groom she wants, Jed Caine, to put her plans in motion.
Jed originally passes on the beautiful temptress. He needs a wife who knows how to work on a ranch, not a woman who’s never done a day’s work in her life. But when he sees the calluses on Lucy’s hands, he decides to take a chance. Marrying her and getting her home are the easy parts of his new life. Once home his sister-in-law refuses to allow Lucy inside their small home, telling Jed she’s evil and wants her baby. Jed, of course, has no idea how spot on the woman is in her predictions.
So Jed and Lucy make camp around the firepit outside the house and sleep in the barn. And they do sleep. Only. Lucy does her best to seduce Jed to finally get her plan moving, but she’s not very good at it, though Jed still would love to bed his new wife, but he also wants them to get to know one another. He knows love is probably not in the card for them, so respect will do just fine between them in his mind.
Lucy is a slow in getting that concept, but she’s determined to do whatever Jed wants. Then she finds she enjoys talking to the man and eventually begins to earn his respect. Things also don’t go smoothly outside the relationship due to visits from Lucy’s half brother, who is carrying out their fathers demands in sabotaging Lucy, which is par for the course for those two.
She does come around in the long run, but it was left too late for me to really like Lucy. By the time she learns what needs to be done and gladly does it because it’s the right thing, I hadn’t really liked her for quite a while and I didn’t have have enough good feeling left over to give her any when she starts to get things right. Now, Jed I did like. He’s hardworking, taking care of his sister-in-law since his brother’s been missing, doesn’t give in to Lucy and his libido as the men in town would have done with a pretty lady like his new wife. He does what has to be done and sticks to his guns on the important stuff.
There’s also a secondary story concerning Lucy and I actually found that a little too convenient after everything I’d already gone with through with these characters. Deacon, Lucy’s brother, is defeated in the end and he ends up the hero of the next book, Dancing with the Devil. I’m torn on whether I really want to read that one. The fact he’s redeemed is good, but if he holds out like Lucy did, I just don’t want to go through it again.
See my complete review at http://www.goodbadandunread.com
December 31, 2008
Lucy Firr is a stunning beauty but watch it that you don’t make her mad. She has a temper like the devil, which just happens to be her father. Lucy makes a deal with her father that if she brings him a soul that in exchange, she wants her freedom. He agrees.
Lucy arrives in the town of Redemption. There she sets her sights on Jed Caine. Jed is still trying to figure out why he is even attending a wife’s action. He doesn’t want a wife but he does need someone to help take care of Maggie; his brother’s wife. Lucy convinces Jed that she is the woman for him. Lucy has played many parts before but never wife. This will be a new experience.
As much as Jed desires Lucy, he knows that the best place for her is far away from him. Lucy is used to getting her way and that includes having men fall for her charms. Lucy does love a challenge. She will do everything she can to claim Jed’s soul but is she ready for someone to claim her heart?
I read Dancing with the Devil, the second book that features Deacon, Lucy’s brother. I feel in love with the story so much that I just had to go out and buy The Devil’s Daughter right away. The in your face, sarcastic, laugh out loud comedy that Laura Drewry brings to her characters as well as her books…is why I fallen so hard for them. Who knew the devil’s children had a great sense of humor. I had a smile on my face when Jed informed Lucy that she would need to start a fire using buffalo chips, as I can remember as a little girl, going out and collecting cow pies as well as buffalo chips to start my own fire, when camping. I can’t wait to read more by Laura Drewry.
Lucy arrives in the town of Redemption. There she sets her sights on Jed Caine. Jed is still trying to figure out why he is even attending a wife’s action. He doesn’t want a wife but he does need someone to help take care of Maggie; his brother’s wife. Lucy convinces Jed that she is the woman for him. Lucy has played many parts before but never wife. This will be a new experience.
As much as Jed desires Lucy, he knows that the best place for her is far away from him. Lucy is used to getting her way and that includes having men fall for her charms. Lucy does love a challenge. She will do everything she can to claim Jed’s soul but is she ready for someone to claim her heart?
I read Dancing with the Devil, the second book that features Deacon, Lucy’s brother. I feel in love with the story so much that I just had to go out and buy The Devil’s Daughter right away. The in your face, sarcastic, laugh out loud comedy that Laura Drewry brings to her characters as well as her books…is why I fallen so hard for them. Who knew the devil’s children had a great sense of humor. I had a smile on my face when Jed informed Lucy that she would need to start a fire using buffalo chips, as I can remember as a little girl, going out and collecting cow pies as well as buffalo chips to start my own fire, when camping. I can’t wait to read more by Laura Drewry.
December 4, 2012
I reviewed this book back in 2008, but it's been reissued and is free for the downloading on Amazon today.
I gave this a B-, so really it would be 3.5 stars for me here. Though not without flaws, I remember it being a fun read and here is what I had to say about it: There are some books that just sound like they shouldn't work. At first blush, The Devil's Daughter appeared to be one of these. A plot involving not a figure of speech, but the Devil's actual daughter - and one described as a "love and laughter romance" to boot - sounded like it could end up being just a touch twee for my tastes. However, readers who look beyond the 80s throw back cover (seriously, the male model looks like he has both a perm and a mini-mullet), will find a fun little treat of a story.
The novel opens at a bride auction in 1880s Texas. A lovely young lady in a silk dress spots a man and knows instantly that he has what she seeks. Though the man in question has his own ideas about what he is looking for and suspects that an elegant lady will not suit him or his hardscrabble farm, Lucy Firr convinces him to choose her anyway. Intrigued by the lady whose dainty appearance stands at odds with her work-roughened hands and brazen speech, Jed Caine agrees to marry her.
This is a partial review. You can find the full text at All About Romance: http://likesbooks.com/cgi-bin/bookRev...
I gave this a B-, so really it would be 3.5 stars for me here. Though not without flaws, I remember it being a fun read and here is what I had to say about it: There are some books that just sound like they shouldn't work. At first blush, The Devil's Daughter appeared to be one of these. A plot involving not a figure of speech, but the Devil's actual daughter - and one described as a "love and laughter romance" to boot - sounded like it could end up being just a touch twee for my tastes. However, readers who look beyond the 80s throw back cover (seriously, the male model looks like he has both a perm and a mini-mullet), will find a fun little treat of a story.
The novel opens at a bride auction in 1880s Texas. A lovely young lady in a silk dress spots a man and knows instantly that he has what she seeks. Though the man in question has his own ideas about what he is looking for and suspects that an elegant lady will not suit him or his hardscrabble farm, Lucy Firr convinces him to choose her anyway. Intrigued by the lady whose dainty appearance stands at odds with her work-roughened hands and brazen speech, Jed Caine agrees to marry her.
This is a partial review. You can find the full text at All About Romance: http://likesbooks.com/cgi-bin/bookRev...
July 22, 2011
Reviewed by Jen
I had read Laura's earlier straight historical (meaning non-paranormal) westerns, Charming Jo and Here Comes The Bride, but hesitant to pick up this first book in a new series. To me, paranormal and western just don't really seem to go hand in hand. So, I'd just passed over these books. Then I received Laura's newsletter in my inbox and I decided to contact her to come guest on our blog. It hit me that she'd be promoting the release of book 2 in the series and should probably read book 1. So, I got my hands on a copy and decided to review it for her.
All that said, here's my review:
I actually liked this book. It took me a while to get past the fact that Lucy was the devil's child, but this was my own hangup and not really the fault of the book. I will say that I liked the character of Jed more than Lucy...but Lucy did grow on me as the story went along. A couple of the minor, secondary characters were annoying but not so much that they ruin the story. So, a original plot and some interesting characters and you've got a pretty good book.
I had read Laura's earlier straight historical (meaning non-paranormal) westerns, Charming Jo and Here Comes The Bride, but hesitant to pick up this first book in a new series. To me, paranormal and western just don't really seem to go hand in hand. So, I'd just passed over these books. Then I received Laura's newsletter in my inbox and I decided to contact her to come guest on our blog. It hit me that she'd be promoting the release of book 2 in the series and should probably read book 1. So, I got my hands on a copy and decided to review it for her.
All that said, here's my review:
I actually liked this book. It took me a while to get past the fact that Lucy was the devil's child, but this was my own hangup and not really the fault of the book. I will say that I liked the character of Jed more than Lucy...but Lucy did grow on me as the story went along. A couple of the minor, secondary characters were annoying but not so much that they ruin the story. So, a original plot and some interesting characters and you've got a pretty good book.
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December 15, 2007Very, very, extremely, very, very bad.
December 29, 2011
Read my review at http://www.romancing-the-book.com/200...
January 30, 2013
Is a great book to read
Read
April 28, 2016DNF- started out interesting then I quickly lost interest due to the characters.
June 19, 2014
There were some obviously predictable parts and not quite as much character development (or sass) as I wanted, but there are worse ways to kill a plane ride.
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