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The Devilish Devalles #1
The Devil to Pay
Over the years, Gabriel Devalle has more than earned his reputation as one of “those devilish Devalles.” No one is more surprised than Gabe, therefore, when a debutante tosses herself into his path, only to have her gown “accidentally” ripped by her mischievous and alluring sister, all in the name of causing a scandal. Or was it to prevent a scandal? Either way, the gown-ripping sister has certainly drawn his notice.
Miss Miranda Hunt will do anything to prevent her sister from making a mistake which would bring scandal down upon their family…even make a deal with the devil. Mr. Devalle is no angel—fallen or otherwise—but he is devilishly handsome, shamelessly wicked, and as infamous a gentleman as Miranda has ever known. He promises to circumvent her sister’s schemes…for a price. What is a proper young lady to do when she has The Devil to Pay?
Miss Miranda Hunt will do anything to prevent her sister from making a mistake which would bring scandal down upon their family…even make a deal with the devil. Mr. Devalle is no angel—fallen or otherwise—but he is devilishly handsome, shamelessly wicked, and as infamous a gentleman as Miranda has ever known. He promises to circumvent her sister’s schemes…for a price. What is a proper young lady to do when she has The Devil to Pay?
112 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 9, 2013
39 people are currently reading
356 people want to read
About the author
Catherine Gayle
73 books923 followers***Please note that series numbering of the Portland Storm series is different at Goodreads than it is on Catherine's website or at any retailer. Goodreads policy will not allow the series numbering to match anything else. If this confuses you, please complain to Goodreads, as it is not Catherine's fault.***
Catherine Gayle is a USA Today bestselling author of more than forty contemporary hockey romance and Regency-set historical romance novels and novellas. Soon, she'll be launching her debut contemporary small-town romance series. She's sold more than three-quarters of a million books. She’s a transplanted Texan living in North Carolina with two extremely spoiled felines. In her spare time, she watches way too much hockey and reality TV, plans fun things to do for the Nephew Monster’s next visit, and performs experiments in the kitchen which are rarely toxic.
Catherine doesn't check messages on Goodreads very often. Please contact her through her website for a timely response.
Catherine Gayle is a USA Today bestselling author of more than forty contemporary hockey romance and Regency-set historical romance novels and novellas. Soon, she'll be launching her debut contemporary small-town romance series. She's sold more than three-quarters of a million books. She’s a transplanted Texan living in North Carolina with two extremely spoiled felines. In her spare time, she watches way too much hockey and reality TV, plans fun things to do for the Nephew Monster’s next visit, and performs experiments in the kitchen which are rarely toxic.
Catherine doesn't check messages on Goodreads very often. Please contact her through her website for a timely response.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 37 reviews
February 17, 2014
Cute book. What I didn't like about it? Incredibly fast paced, so much so that you feel as though you're missing out on a lot of context that should be there. The characters develop quickly and so do their relationships. I wish it were about 100 pages longer because I think that would have allowed for a little more explanation and developing on the characters romance department.
Cute though, and quick to read! I'd read more of her works.
Cute though, and quick to read! I'd read more of her works.
March 31, 2023
Loved it! 4☆
May 1, 2019
The Devil To Pay by Catherine Gayle is a very quick read, perfect for those with limited reading time. Ms. Gayle has provided readers with a well-written book and loaded it with awesome characters. Miranda's sister is determined to trap Gabe into marriage. In her effort to save him from being trapped she called his attention to herself. Gabe and Miranda's story is a fun read. There's plenty of drama, humor, and a little spice. I enjoyed reading The Devil To Pay and look forward to reading more from Catherine Gayle in the future. The Devil To Pay is book 1 of The Devilish Devalles Series but can be read as a standalone. This is a complete book, not a cliff-hanger.
January 30, 2024
Short and sweet, would have loved an epilogue. A cute story allround.
July 29, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
June 25, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ – A solid read with plenty to enjoy!
February 28, 2014
Let me start off by saying that this is a novella. That, of course, means that the story is very faced paced. The characters come with a back story, but the overall feel of the story is that it should have been longer. As a reader, I feel that I missed out on so much detail simply due to the fact that the book wasn't as long as I felt it had the potential to be.
There were so many good parts to this novella, that it seems a shame to keep it as a novella, and not use it as a springboard to jump into a full length story. I would have liked to see more of a relationship flourish between Miranda and Gabriel. More courting, perhaps a wedding, or even a glimpse into their happily-ever-after, should they have one. I felt that I was left with a lot of questions after the last sentence had been read, and I would have liked to have had at least some of those questions answered. What happened after Gabriel brought Miranda home? How did society as a whole react to their sudden relationship? What did Miranda's sister think when Miranda came home betrothed to the man she had originally wanted for herself?
That isn't to say that this wasn't worth reading, it definitely was, and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys a quick, clean romance, and/or is a fan of the historical romance genre. I look forward to reading more by this author, and hopefully seeing more of these characters in her future works.
There were so many good parts to this novella, that it seems a shame to keep it as a novella, and not use it as a springboard to jump into a full length story. I would have liked to see more of a relationship flourish between Miranda and Gabriel. More courting, perhaps a wedding, or even a glimpse into their happily-ever-after, should they have one. I felt that I was left with a lot of questions after the last sentence had been read, and I would have liked to have had at least some of those questions answered. What happened after Gabriel brought Miranda home? How did society as a whole react to their sudden relationship? What did Miranda's sister think when Miranda came home betrothed to the man she had originally wanted for herself?
That isn't to say that this wasn't worth reading, it definitely was, and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys a quick, clean romance, and/or is a fan of the historical romance genre. I look forward to reading more by this author, and hopefully seeing more of these characters in her future works.
July 29, 2014
Oh, how I love humor!
In "The Devil to Pay", Catherine Gayle gives us both a hero and a heroine. While Gabe, the devil of the title, rescues Miranda, she is determined to rescue her sister (or at least, to prevent her sister from creating a scandal around herself!). She wants, on some level, an adventure. And while she is not totally positive it needs doing (she is young, and female, so she has been protected from many of the realities of their lives), she has the character that demands she rescue her family. Of course, she must rescue Gabe. In the course of rescuing each other, the two lead the reader through quite a few laughs. By the end of the book, I was in love with both characters, and hope for glimpses of them in the future.
In "The Devil to Pay", Catherine Gayle gives us both a hero and a heroine. While Gabe, the devil of the title, rescues Miranda, she is determined to rescue her sister (or at least, to prevent her sister from creating a scandal around herself!). She wants, on some level, an adventure. And while she is not totally positive it needs doing (she is young, and female, so she has been protected from many of the realities of their lives), she has the character that demands she rescue her family. Of course, she must rescue Gabe. In the course of rescuing each other, the two lead the reader through quite a few laughs. By the end of the book, I was in love with both characters, and hope for glimpses of them in the future.
February 15, 2014
A short historical romance novella that introduces Gayle's series, The Devilish Devalles. It's nice but super short and that cheats the reader out of the romance. Within a few days the H/h go from first meeting to love. Both characters are remarkably developed for such a small book but I really would have loved to have spent more time with to to see the romance develop. Plus, we are left rather haphazardly with lots of questions.
March 21, 2014
Sleepless beauty
oh my!
I was only looking for something to read a chapter or two of before bed then before I knew it Gabe had me enthralled! my night ended at two AM with a finished book and a happy ending you couldn't beat.
mischievous, kind, and completely perfect for Miranda Gave will have you trapped with his poetic words.
Innocent, loyal, and loving with the perfect touch of spice Miranda just might be a match for Gave.
oh my!
I was only looking for something to read a chapter or two of before bed then before I knew it Gabe had me enthralled! my night ended at two AM with a finished book and a happy ending you couldn't beat.
mischievous, kind, and completely perfect for Miranda Gave will have you trapped with his poetic words.
Innocent, loyal, and loving with the perfect touch of spice Miranda just might be a match for Gave.
July 28, 2014
Even though most short romances seem too rushed, Gayle managed to make this whirlwind romance quite believable. The story was entertaining, the characters were intriguing, and the relationship didn't feel forced. I have long been a fan of Catherine Gayle, and this is just one more wonderful story to add to the list.
December 11, 2014
this was super quick (way too quick) but i still found it quite charming. it's really too bad this was only a novella because i would have loved to have read an entire novel developing gabe and miranda's relationship.
August 9, 2016
I enjoyed how little sister "saved" her older sister from scandal. I think the book went too fast in some areas that should have taken more time. It was a good story that made me giggle in some parts.
May 15, 2013
Nice..
June 1, 2013
Too short
June 11, 2013
Really short, ending felt unfinished.
September 5, 2014
Nice story - wish it could have been longer.
February 26, 2014
This was a super cute quick read. I think the story could have benefited by being longer but altogether I would recommend it to others.
March 20, 2014
Plain really just plain.
April 9, 2014
Super cute book
This was a great, clean book. I loved the storyline very much. If the next book in the series is as clean as this one, I definitely plan to read it.
This was a great, clean book. I loved the storyline very much. If the next book in the series is as clean as this one, I definitely plan to read it.
April 11, 2014
déçue , heureusement qu'il s'agissait d'un ebook gratuit. même si les personnages sont sympathiques il ne se passe pas grand chose
April 22, 2014
what was that... very very veryyyyy short story
May 15, 2014
Amusing, but would benefit from fleshing out into a longer story.
May 23, 2014
a very fast moving novella.
July 31, 2014
not at all what i expected
November 4, 2014
Really 3.5 *. Story line was quite engaging. Wished it had been longer, so I could get a better feel of the characters.
September 14, 2018
Main female character is too stupid to live, at least, right and well. Cannot recommend.
TTS-enabled eBook.
TTS-enabled eBook.
November 9, 2014
Good quick read
Nice twist having the idea peruse scandals to force a marriage and t he sister save her. Interesting how quickly the rogue falls in love with the heroine.
Nice twist having the idea peruse scandals to force a marriage and t he sister save her. Interesting how quickly the rogue falls in love with the heroine.
April 17, 2015
Good story too short!
This book would be so much better if it was longer and they actually did the wedding!!! It just leaves u hanging with questions of " What happened!"
This book would be so much better if it was longer and they actually did the wedding!!! It just leaves u hanging with questions of " What happened!"
Displaying 1 - 29 of 37 reviews