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Dare the Devil

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SAVE A HORSE - RIDE THIS DEVIL OF A COWBOY! Welcome to Glacier Country! Luthor Devlin and his ranch hands were out tracking 20th century rustlers when they stepped into a time warp! There on the jagged cliffs was a woolly mammoth, a sabre-toothed tiger and her - a tawny, near-naked savage. She was a primal fantasy come true - that left him stunned! His gaze was locked onto hers. "I'd really appreciate an explanation of all this. You, the hairy elephant, and the cat with the overbite are not the norm in Montana. And I know you can understand my every word. So anytime you'd like to begin." Her relaxed appraisal hadn't gone unnoticed by either the man or the large tiger. The latter proved her undoing. His mouth opened not to snarl again but to emit a long, loud, kittenish yawn. The tiger rolled over, rubbed his back and shoulders into the ground, his hind legs spread-eagle, yawned again, and pawed sleepily at his face. To the amazement of everyone, his sword-like teeth fell out. "Damn it, Pumpkin, why couldn't you have just growled!" She extended her hand. "Cam Stirling, action technician." At his confused expression, she sighed. "Stunt woman." She was wild, irresistible - and he was the man to tame her. She dared the devil every day - why not Luthor Devlin!

194 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 1, 1984

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75 people want to read

About the author

Elaine Raco Chase

35 books133 followers
Elaine Raco Chase is the award-winning author of seventeen paperback novels with over 3 million books in print. She is published in 25 countries and 15 languages.

As a romance writer, Chase has won two sales awards for top romance novels of the year, Romantic Times Lifetime Achievement Award for romantic suspense, and the Affaire de Coeur Silver Pen Award for writing excellence. Her non-fiction debut Amateur Detectives - A Writer's Guide was nominated for the prestigious Agatha Christie Award.

Elaine was past President of Sisters in Crime International, a charter member of Romance Writers of America and a registered lecturer for Poets and Writers.

She currently teaches a variety of writing courses.

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5 stars
33 (47%)
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18 (25%)
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10 (14%)
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6 (8%)
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3 (4%)
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
Profile Image for Ron.
6 reviews
November 29, 2012
What can I say - I'm a guy, and found this romance novel to be a great read for both men and women, giving each character their own strengths, human weaknesses and differences to make it believable and engaging.

STORY SYNOPSIS -
Super studly Rancher guy meets gorgeous, "studlier" yet feminine gazelle woman, whom at first believes her to be from another 'time' element, but in reality, it is her 'profession' that leads him into following her around in amazement as she rides faster and harder than any cowboy (even himself, although he is the last one to admit this, which is what almost ruins the couple - male insecurities - we all have them).

LIKES AND DISLIKES:

I really like the story of a feminine yet strong woman (Cam Stirling) taking her time with the hot & Cool Hand Luke rancher named 'Thor' (kept thinking of the mythical god "Thor" ... sorry .. a very uncommon yet powerful name).


The characters were brought to full color with skillful descriptions of both thoughts and outward appearances. I liked ranch hand and father figure Nate, who was envious over Cam's belt buckle which was given to her by that movie star guy. (sorry, forget his name). Thoughtful and meaningful moments weaved this romance story. Such as the story about Thor's parent's in the stars, Cam taking care of her sick father.

FAVORITE PARTS -

Cam running down the treacherous mountain side with Thor watching in amazement, her every flawless move with grace and style resembling that of an wild cat, without missing a single step, and his sad-bleepin attempts to conquer the mountain himself, to applaud Cam when she earned it, or to even applaud her when she was putting up with his whiney a**.

Great action, great romance, great writer. I really appreciate a writer who takes the time to give each gender their fair share of strengths and weaknesses, unbiased and with a touch of humor. I would have guessed this story had been written by someone who has had a lot of experience with the male ego and learned how to suffer through 'us' lol, to get along with our species.

SEX SCENES -

I found the sex scenes to be done in very good taste. I hate too much graphic, overboard descriptions that go on and on for pages at a time. They were hot and graphic without being sickening.

The tension build up between Thor and Cam was cool. How their private little get together turned out to be a community affair. A lot of natural activities that happen in our efforts to get to know someone better, and situations that bring out the best and worst of us.

I was waiting for Cam to show her bad side, whenever Thor mumbled and grumbled as she 'kung fued' her way with the horse thieves, but she proved to be her worth. The one guy Thor knocks down keeps getting up ... and Cam single handedly knocks out a bunch of the bad guys with one swift karate blow.

Lot's of humor and enjoyment in this one guys. How real men really think and feel. I'ts kinda embarrassing actually! lol But it is soo true! Go ahead and give it a swing.





Profile Image for Joan Reeves.
Author 75 books86 followers
October 16, 2011
Camilla Stirling, or Cam as her friends call her, is an Action Technician. Don't know what that is? Well, I didn't either. Turns out an action technician is a stunt woman, and Cam comes from a long line of stunt doubles. She's smart, funny, gorgeous, and knows her way around a slide rule when it comes to computing the mathematical formulas needed to successfully dive off a waterfall without killing herself in the process. The frequent descriptions of stunts her family has done are hilarious. Not every family has grannies that get paid to be set on fire!

When self-assured Cam meets ranch owner Luthor (Thor) Devlin, it's love at first sight for both of the independent, stubborn people. There's only one little problem. Devlin, like most men, thinks he's supposed to be the protector of the woman he loves so he's more than a little nonplussed when he realizes Cam doesn't need his protection. Or his strength. Or his riding to the rescue every time he gets anxious about her safety. In fact, he ends up needing her rather than the other way around. And that just rankles this proud man.

No one does setting and description as well as Elaine Raco Chase. You almost feel the frosty air and see those majestic, rugged mountain peaks in Montana that serve as the backdrop of Dare The Devil. Devlin's ranch and the man himself sound like every woman's dream--if he can just change his attitude about men and women.

Cam and Devlin, like couples in real life, have issues. It's complicated, but love often is. Is love worth fighting for? Or will Cam and Devlin have to give up too much to let love survive?
Profile Image for CARLA.
995 reviews40 followers
April 1, 2017
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Okay, I got about 30% before letting it go. Ya know, I used to pride myself on finishing every book I started but I realized it was a waste of my time to read something I didn’t enjoy. And the story wasn’t bad, I just predicted so well it lost interest for me.
3 reviews
November 27, 2012
EXCELLENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! EXCITING, SUSPENSFUL, NEW TWIST TO A STORY THAT READS WELL. HAS A CLASSIC FEEL TO IT. HIGHLY RECOMMEND.
Profile Image for Jane Stewart.
2,462 reviews965 followers
November 16, 2012
Written in the 80s and feels like it. Relationship development was fluffy, not enough depth. Too many adverbs.

STORY BRIEF:
I was hoping there might be a time travel element - but there was none - my fault. I read the publisher’s blurb too quickly, without thinking. This is current day ranchers on horseback out riding. They see a woman Cam with a sabre-toothed tiger. It’s part of a movie set. She is a stunt woman. Luthor is one of the ranchers. He and Cam are attracted to each other.

OPINION:
Too many adjectives and adverbs. They interrupt the story. I never thought I’d be saying this. Many experts say avoid adverbs, and I’ve argued against them because I like the adverb use by Grisham, Rowling, and Georgette Heyer. However with this author, it’s a problem.

Something else unexpected for me. Sometimes I complain about too much pondering in romance novels which drags things out. This is the first time I’m complaining about not enough pondering. We need a sense of characters’ inner thoughts and feelings. Pondering might bring more depth.

Cam is smart, strong, and competent at her work. Her male coworkers respect her. I really liked the scenes about the bad guys and the climax. Neat action. That was the best part of the book.

This book about half the length of a regular novel.

NARRATORS AND EDITING:
Not enough pauses. Some of the editing caused some sentences to start too soon after other sentences. But many times the narrators did not pause enough as they read. The guy had a southern twangy hillbilly sound for the ranchers, which I don’t think fits Montana. Otherwise the narrators voices were ok. The narrators were Destiny Landon and Lee James.

I listened to this on my iPod. The sound quality was slightly different or odd from what I’m used to in audiobooks. It wasn’t bad, but something was different.

DATA:
Narrative mode: 3rd person. Unabridged audiobook reading time: 5 hrs and 59 mins. Swearing language: moderate to strong, but rarely used. Sexual language: moderate. Number of sex scenes: 3. Setting: current day Montana. Book copyright: originally published in 1987 updated in 2011. Genre: contemporary romance.
Profile Image for Gaele.
4,076 reviews85 followers
January 2, 2013
Again, Elaine Raco chase creates dialogue that repeatedly reinforces my belief that hers is some of the best I have read (or heard). With a remastered story that was originally published in 1987, there are some elements that feel dated, but really – what doesn’t in this ever-changing world? People haven’t evolved dramatically, and their need to find love and fulfillment with a partner is a constant, no matter the year. Both of these characters are dimensional people – not all good or all bad, they come with baggage and aren’t afraid to show it.

The heroine, Cam, is rough and tough, independent and comes from a family of daredevils who hide that trait by becoming masters of their game – stunt performers. Thor is a bit of an old-school cowboy, with a Dudley-Do-Right protecting his Nell at every step. When the two worlds collide, and Thor realizes that Cam is not a damsel in distress needing to be saved, it rankles.

Finding the two discover a common ground, and realize that they are good together, despite the frequent dust ups about danger is a great listen. There is humor, snark and gorgeous descriptions that place you in the wilds of Montana, with the never fail to amuse stops in the action. There is steam, there is swearing, and most of all – this is a feel good book, that will have you laughing and smiling throughout.

The narration was really good, although there were several times when it felt as if the two narrators were stepping on each other’s lines. The conversation in Elaine Raco Chase’s books is so well crafted that it’s not necessary to adjust the pacing; there is time to breathe and still not lose the context or emotional impact of the words. A clever story with just enough heat to feel contemporary but not a purely erotic romance, this is one that is a good introduction to this author’s works and a great listen for an afternoon or two.

I received a copy of the audiobook from the author for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review, and all conclusions are my own responsibility.
Profile Image for Lady Raven RAVE!.
1,824 reviews1,506 followers
October 19, 2011
http://www.romancenoveljunkies.com /for readers & book lovers.


BRIEF SUMMARY
Thor is a ranch owner who lives in Montana. He is walking his land with his ranch hands, when he stumbles on an interesting scene that includes a beautiful woman with barely any clothes on. Cam is a stuntwoman, who is smart and beautiful. The moment the both see each other, it was an instant attraction.

THOUGHTS
I liked this book and its characters. It was fun with a bit of humor added to the chemistry of everyone. The moment the story started, it dove right in and I loved that. I enjoyed the description of what was taking place between Thor and Cam when they first met; it set the pace for the rest of the story. Cam was not just another ordinary woman in a story; the author gave her character the ability to be a stuntwoman, which is a little different and nice for me. The growing relationship and romance between Thor and Cam was sweet. Even though Cam is perfectly capable with taking care of herself, Thor still felt the need to protect her. The other supporting characters added to the fun of the read as well as. This was a nice light read.

Story: GOOD
Intimacy: GOOD
Enjoyment GOOD

http://www.romancenoveljunkies.com
Profile Image for Jennifer Gallagher.
301 reviews14 followers
Read
July 21, 2013
I read nothing about this book.. started reading and thought Elaine Raco Chase had lost the plot!!! I mean wooly mammoths.. Saber toothed tigers!!In the middle of Montana and of course a woman from the Prehistoric Time!! Lol oh boy how wrong was I.. this was a beautiful love story one of the best Of Elaine's..Luthor Devlin and Camilla Stirling beautiful stunt girl and a Rancher who at times is so jealous and also needs to foot up his butt for being stupid with his thoughts and actions... You just have to read this Awesome book..
Profile Image for Joni.
188 reviews
March 16, 2013
5 stars isn't enough... needs more. This is my favorite out of the 4 I have read from this author. Loved the story line the whole concept was excellent. I really enjoyed the heroine being a stunt woman it gave the story a different feel and the hero a rancher loved it! The grandmothers....LOL. I had many LOL moments as well has heart warming and heart breaking but it's was well worth it...This is a fast paced action packed lol steamy romance...
Profile Image for Tammy Campbell.
123 reviews1 follower
June 18, 2015
Dare the Devil

Good story. I don't think I would have called it a comedy. I liked reading about how movies at made.
Profile Image for Uvi Poznansky.
Author 41 books359 followers
July 26, 2013
The book opens with Luthor (Thor) Devlin, a ranch owner, trying to steady the nerves of his friends, who--along with us readers--are whipped into a frenzy at finding the tracks of some strange wildbeasts. Incredibly, a wooly mammoth with curved ivory tusks and a saber toothed tiger come rising out of knee-deep fog, right there in a formidable landscape in the middle of Montana. And to top things off, he spots what seems to him as a naked, bronzed bodied female savage, whom he intuitively sees as a perfect match to the hero in him: a damsel in distress.

Cam is anything but. Wearing the scent of a skillfully blended perfume that drifts on the breeze, she makes the haze of prehistoric world evaporate from Thor's imagination. No, this is real. Camilla Stirling--Cam for short--is a stuntwoman on a movie set.

The author, Elaine Raco Chase, gave a lot of thought to the choice of names. Thor (with echoes right out of Norse Mythology) and Devlin (which means fierce courage, and sounds like a devil.) He is a strong counterpart to this woman, who is a daredevil herself. But while his name, as well as his lines of dialogue, suggest a link to a primal world, and to the aura of the old west, her name suggests quite the opposite. Her full name Camilla suggests warrior maiden (in Virgil's Aeneid)--but in its modified form, Cam, it is sleek and modern, as she lives in the world of cameras, snapshots, and illusions. So the story brings together more than simply two characters: it brings two worlds to a clash, which heightens the attraction between them, and enriches the romance.

This is the Taming of the Shrew turned inside out on a prehistoric stage set.
Five stars.
Profile Image for WiLoveBooks.
865 reviews59 followers
November 30, 2012
Review coming soon...I thought it was a cute story. Cam is a stunt woman and Thor is attracted to her right away, but he has a problem with how dangerous her job is. He really struggles with that, wanting to protect her. Cam is a strong woman who can take care of herself and makes no apologies about it. If he has a problem with it, then it is his problem. She is very patient with him, though, while he tries to get a grip. The story has lots of humor and plenty of steam.
579 reviews32 followers
April 19, 2012
I read this as an eBook for the Nook. There are 437 pages to this novel.
4,416 reviews28 followers
April 13, 2015
Dare The Devil review

Dare The Devil is another outstanding romantic comedy written by author Elaine Raco Chase. Her characters are so real and easy to love.
Profile Image for Susan.
1,735 reviews39 followers
October 11, 2015
Cam Stirling is a stunt woman and she’s with a crew filming a Neanderthalish action flick in Wyoming (I think it was Wyoming). But the crew has inadvertently wandered off government land onto private ranching lands and Luthor (Thor) Devlin is none too happy about that. However, he is pretty intrigued by this daring stunt woman who works with such large, exotic animals such as an elephant (who plays a woolly mammoth) and a tiger (who plays a sabertooth!). Eventually Thor and his ranch hands have their hands full between the movie people and the yearly summer influx of teens to the ranch. Add to it that there have been some horse and cattle wrestlers in the area stealing livestock.

If you read my blog regularly, then you know that contemporary romance is not my usual cup of tea, but I keep trying it here and there. I listened to another book, Designing Woman, by the same author some time ago and found it clever. So I gave this one a try. Both Cam and Thor are characters with flaws and concerns and real personalities. They have been shaped by their families and the lives they have chosen. Cam is no swooning, vapid love interest. She’s there to do her job and she comes from a long line of stunt women. She feels no need to show off or take risks. She’s a professional. She also happens to be in quite good shape, which Thor has noticed. Thor comes from a ranching family and grew up an only kid. His crew is his extended family and the land means much to him.

There’s plenty of romance in this book with the two main characters getting to know each other. There’s flirtations and stolen kisses and secret rendezvouses. It’s sweet. Even though this genre is my least favorite, I still found myself chuckling a time or two at the initial blundering attempts to get to know each other. Late in the book, we do get a few sex scenes (hooray!) and they are steamy without being spicy.

Of course, the two lovers have to have at least one misunderstanding and that happens too. Thor grew up primarily in a man’s world without too many women doing a “man’s” job. So you might guess how the little spat came about. Essentially, Thor needed to grow up a bit. While I totally agreed with that assessment, we don’t see such a significant flaw with Cam, and hence, we don’t see her making a significant change in her life to accommodate the relationship. In that regard, the giving was mostly on Thor’s side. I would have liked to see Cam have to realize something big about herself and make some sort of change as this would have added further depth to her character. Overall, it wasn’t a bad little romance. I liked the stunts and the animals. The action scene near the end with the wrestlers was great and was probably my favorite scene in the entire book.

I received a copy of this book from the author at no cost in exchange for an honest review.

The Narration: Destiny Landon and Lee James split up the female and male roles. In the beginning, it clearly sounded like they recorded at different times and maybe even different sound booths. But the production gets smoother pretty quickly and soon they had a narration that sounded like two people having an actual conversation. Landon had a great voice for Cam – confident, sexy, professional. James was great for Thor having a rugged cowboy voice that reminded me a bit of Sam Elliott (whose voice will always be cowboy sexy). There were very few female roles for Landon to play (the main actress and a waitress) and she did them both well. I especially liked her somewhat snooty voice for the actress. There were plenty of male roles for James to show off his voice talents. I liked all the different cowboy voices and especially his screaming director voice.
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