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Bayou Magiste Chronicles #1
Claimed by the Devil
Helene Gaudet is finally free of her past—including a rage-filled ex-husband whose curse has left her unable to have children. Helene shares the agony of those memories with no one—certainly not with a Marchand.
Her lonely life is upended when she encounters who she believes is her perfect Dom in an Internet chat room. To her shock, her Dom is none other than Devlin Marchand, the very person who handed her over to a dark sorcerer to be killed. Yet Devlin proves himself to be a loving Master, and lust and love grow with each tormenting, releasing, encounter.
But guilt over his past betrayal is multiplied when he learns the curse that has dogged his lover for years comes from the trove of magic created by his very own family. Devlin fears all he has built with Helene will be destroyed. Can they overcome the past to have a future together?
Her lonely life is upended when she encounters who she believes is her perfect Dom in an Internet chat room. To her shock, her Dom is none other than Devlin Marchand, the very person who handed her over to a dark sorcerer to be killed. Yet Devlin proves himself to be a loving Master, and lust and love grow with each tormenting, releasing, encounter.
But guilt over his past betrayal is multiplied when he learns the curse that has dogged his lover for years comes from the trove of magic created by his very own family. Devlin fears all he has built with Helene will be destroyed. Can they overcome the past to have a future together?
Paperback
First published October 10, 2010
11 people are currently reading
63 people want to read
About the author
Gianna Simone
21 books165 followersI'm a proud born-and-bred Jersey Girl with Brooklyn roots. And I still live where it all started - I married my very own alpha male many eons ago, and have an amazing and beautiful daughter, and a teenage hockey-playing son (who charms and frustrates me at every turn). Free time is always a luxury and I spend the bulk of what time I manage to scrounge up lost in the worlds of my own making. I love to read and write hot, sexy and emotional stories about people both glamorous and not-so-glamorous. Be warned - some of my characters can even be downright un-heroic at times, which is part of what makes them so interestingly sexy, in my opinion!
On the rare occasions I'm not taking advantage of that valuable free time by writing, you can catch me poking around in my other favorite twisted historical worlds of the History Channel's Vikings, Sleepy Hollow, Knightfall and even Reign, even though those are either already over, or coming to an end (Yay for DVD's and streaming!) I'm also a huge fan of Harry Potter, Highlander, Charmed (the original), and DragonBall Z! Yeah, a strange fandom medley, but each one features some of the sexiest villains ever. Did I mention I love villains? And of course, let's not forget my beloved NY Rangers.
On the rare occasions I'm not taking advantage of that valuable free time by writing, you can catch me poking around in my other favorite twisted historical worlds of the History Channel's Vikings, Sleepy Hollow, Knightfall and even Reign, even though those are either already over, or coming to an end (Yay for DVD's and streaming!) I'm also a huge fan of Harry Potter, Highlander, Charmed (the original), and DragonBall Z! Yeah, a strange fandom medley, but each one features some of the sexiest villains ever. Did I mention I love villains? And of course, let's not forget my beloved NY Rangers.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
October 2, 2016
3.5 stars
I enjoyed this one, it was a fun romance and the magic made it different from all the other kinky romances I read. I especially liked Devlin's magic potions!
Helene was sweet and determined, I liked her and I was definitely rooting for her. Devlin was all dangerous charm. He was pretty full of himself at times but I liked him. Despite rather dark origins, their relationship was actually really sweet.
A fun read overall.
**I received a review copy of this book from the BDSM group on Goodreads.**
I enjoyed this one, it was a fun romance and the magic made it different from all the other kinky romances I read. I especially liked Devlin's magic potions!
Helene was sweet and determined, I liked her and I was definitely rooting for her. Devlin was all dangerous charm. He was pretty full of himself at times but I liked him. Despite rather dark origins, their relationship was actually really sweet.
A fun read overall.
**I received a review copy of this book from the BDSM group on Goodreads.**
September 14, 2011
In the Devil's Arms is an emotionally charged, beautiful love story filled with smoking hot BDSM sex scenes. I enjoyed the magical aspect as well. Gianna Simone is officially on my auto-buy list!
December 21, 2013
Reviewed for BDSM Book Reviews
catch the review http://networkedblogs.com/SaMOn
catch the review http://networkedblogs.com/SaMOn
September 26, 2013
Claimed by the Devil is a paranormal erotic novel. The story takes place in the “bayou” where the entire community is made up of “magical creatures” (not witches, werewolves, etc…) more like “enchanted beings” complete with amulets, rings, potions, curses etc. The heroine is a Black Creole, Helene. She is a troubled lower level “enchanted being” whose bulk majority power was stolen from her as a teenager. The hero, Devlin, a white stronger “enchanted being” played a reluctant but key role in that theft when the two were “friends” in high school.
Fast forward about 18 years and the two meet up again in a sex chat room. Helene, now downtrodden and divorced from an emotionally and physically abusive marriage, is not aware that Devlin is the man she has been chatting with on the internet. Basically, they meet in person and a BDSM relationship ensues, Helene being the submissive. The novel is VERY explicit. I realize that the author meant this to be an erotic novel; however, there is such a thing as over doing it. There’s a BDSM sex scene about every 3 pages and did not contribute much to the main story which in my opinion kept getting lost in all the hard core sex.
Helene’s ex-husband still holds a grudge/anger against Helene. In fact, he had cursed her to prevent her from ever being able to conceive. Through the sex and the “power of submission” she learns from Devlin, she is able to stand up to him. Also, she ends up forgiving Devlin for his role in his betrayal when they were teenagers. Devlin finds a potion to cure her infertility.
Helene and Devlin get married, and she gets pregnant. At the end, after she has the baby, he “collars” her, making her his–body and soul forever. Then they participate in a disturbing and painful sexual act which for them is a “happy ending”.
Overall, the story could have been better if the relationship between Devlin and Helene had been developed more. I didn’t feel a connection, and I did not like either character. Devlin to me seemed a bit abusive, and I didn’t find many strong redeeming qualities. Perhaps this is part of BDSM. In reference to Helene, she should have been allowed to “turn the tables” on Devlin at least once in the novel. This would have strengthened her character even if at the end, she decided to stick with being the submissive.
If you are looking for shock valve, this novel may work for you. However, the story kept getting lost in the long hard core BDSM sex scenes.
-Reviewed by Pamela
Fast forward about 18 years and the two meet up again in a sex chat room. Helene, now downtrodden and divorced from an emotionally and physically abusive marriage, is not aware that Devlin is the man she has been chatting with on the internet. Basically, they meet in person and a BDSM relationship ensues, Helene being the submissive. The novel is VERY explicit. I realize that the author meant this to be an erotic novel; however, there is such a thing as over doing it. There’s a BDSM sex scene about every 3 pages and did not contribute much to the main story which in my opinion kept getting lost in all the hard core sex.
Helene’s ex-husband still holds a grudge/anger against Helene. In fact, he had cursed her to prevent her from ever being able to conceive. Through the sex and the “power of submission” she learns from Devlin, she is able to stand up to him. Also, she ends up forgiving Devlin for his role in his betrayal when they were teenagers. Devlin finds a potion to cure her infertility.
Helene and Devlin get married, and she gets pregnant. At the end, after she has the baby, he “collars” her, making her his–body and soul forever. Then they participate in a disturbing and painful sexual act which for them is a “happy ending”.
Overall, the story could have been better if the relationship between Devlin and Helene had been developed more. I didn’t feel a connection, and I did not like either character. Devlin to me seemed a bit abusive, and I didn’t find many strong redeeming qualities. Perhaps this is part of BDSM. In reference to Helene, she should have been allowed to “turn the tables” on Devlin at least once in the novel. This would have strengthened her character even if at the end, she decided to stick with being the submissive.
If you are looking for shock valve, this novel may work for you. However, the story kept getting lost in the long hard core BDSM sex scenes.
-Reviewed by Pamela
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 24, 2013
4.5 Stars!
Well… What to say about this book? Well I can say this for a fact, I did call up quite a few friends of mine and told them about the book and that they should buy a copy for themselves. So coming from me, that’s a pretty big recommendation. While there were some parts of the book that I did enjoy, there were others that I didn’t really like. I’m sure that’s the way it is with everyone though.
Thinking back on this book, I have to say that the first thing that comes to mind is HOLY SMUT FACTOR! I’m not kidding here; there is a ton of sex that happens in this book. Yes, just so you know there is some BDSM that happens, but it’s not even close to hardcore stuff. The thing that caught me off guard with this part of the book was that even though there was a ton of sex, I still enjoyed the book. (I have recently stopped reading the smutty books.)
The storyline itself was confusing at times. Really confusing. There is a magic aspect to the book that you are told about, but not really told about. It felt at times like the background of the two main characters was just passed over. I wish there would have been more about their pasts mentioned in the book. The characters themselves were just well developed in my opinion. When it came to them personally, I have no complaints.
There is a fair amount of suspense that takes part in the story as well. I enjoyed the fact that it would pop back into the story when you least expect it. It wasn’t constantly happening, so you were able to enjoy the story and still left wondering.
Overall, I did enjoy this series and I will continue reading the other books. I enjoyed the authors writing style and I would recommend this to my followers!
Well… What to say about this book? Well I can say this for a fact, I did call up quite a few friends of mine and told them about the book and that they should buy a copy for themselves. So coming from me, that’s a pretty big recommendation. While there were some parts of the book that I did enjoy, there were others that I didn’t really like. I’m sure that’s the way it is with everyone though.
Thinking back on this book, I have to say that the first thing that comes to mind is HOLY SMUT FACTOR! I’m not kidding here; there is a ton of sex that happens in this book. Yes, just so you know there is some BDSM that happens, but it’s not even close to hardcore stuff. The thing that caught me off guard with this part of the book was that even though there was a ton of sex, I still enjoyed the book. (I have recently stopped reading the smutty books.)
The storyline itself was confusing at times. Really confusing. There is a magic aspect to the book that you are told about, but not really told about. It felt at times like the background of the two main characters was just passed over. I wish there would have been more about their pasts mentioned in the book. The characters themselves were just well developed in my opinion. When it came to them personally, I have no complaints.
There is a fair amount of suspense that takes part in the story as well. I enjoyed the fact that it would pop back into the story when you least expect it. It wasn’t constantly happening, so you were able to enjoy the story and still left wondering.
Overall, I did enjoy this series and I will continue reading the other books. I enjoyed the authors writing style and I would recommend this to my followers!
October 25, 2013
I love a good series I can sink my teeth into and Claimed by the Devil is the beginning of series with magical sex toys, dream worthy Doms and sex scenes with BDSM that will curl your toes. *fans face*. When Devlin crosses paths with Helene after they reconnect after a harsh betrayal. I loved the element of suspense as Devlin has online Dom/sub conversations with Helene and they finally meet. The magical nature of the sex scenes was original and made the story flare with all consuming heat. The community of beings wrapped in spells and workings is positively diabolical and worked so well the the voodoo/magick elements of the story. There is a painful history between these two and there is a very real possibility that their reawakened passion may not be enough to surmount the damage done in the past. Some things are better left alone-will Helene and Devlin heal the wounds that bind them or will the darkness find them first? I love the characters and who wouldn't love a magical sex toy?
5/5 This series is hot!!
5/5 This series is hot!!
October 6, 2013
Paranormal romance between unlikely characters. The love story is nice, some of the erotic scenes are HOT and laden with BDSM themes. Beyond these high points, I had a few low points. I don't like how Devlin tricked Helene into meeting him, nor did I like how quickly she trusted him. The first half of the book had A Lot of sex, but not much story...and I can't believe I'm listing that as a con (but excuse my lack of a better term)-it rather "turned me off". As the book progressed, though, I became interested in the characters, and invested in the story. All in all, this was a "nice" romantic story, with some really hot Domination/submission erotica!
March 10, 2011
A great author and a steamy read!
December 12, 2013
Loved it! I read the second book first, and liked this one better!!
the review will be posted later @ http://www.bdsmbookreviews.com
the review will be posted later @ http://www.bdsmbookreviews.com
May 12, 2017
I received this book in exchange for an unbiased review.
While I hoped that this book would be great, it left much to be desired. The storyline was choppy and the characters fell flat. This would have benefitted from more depth and an editor that could have led the story in a better direction.
While I hoped that this book would be great, it left much to be desired. The storyline was choppy and the characters fell flat. This would have benefitted from more depth and an editor that could have led the story in a better direction.
August 8, 2020
2.5 stars.
April 25, 2024
This book had good plot lines and characters. The narrator did a good job with the accents. The issue for me was the number of sex scenes. I felt they took away from the story.
December 27, 2010
I must preface this with saying I don't normally read erotica. I have nothing against it, I'm just not sure how to review it. Keep that in mind when you read my review. That said, I had a lot of problems with In the Devil's Arms.
The first and biggest was a formatting issue in my Kindle edition. Whenever there were long paragraph scenes of dialogue between two people, they'd get mushed into one paragraph. Instead of the paragraph being one person's words, it was two. I had to constantly train my eyes to remember that someone else spoke and that took me out of the book. The other problems I had were with the story and characters.
The first half of the story was all about sex and there was a lot of it. It suddenly shifted into having a plot and then the sex dried up. The story would have been so much better if it was reversed. I was actually interested in the story and the mystery around everything but it was never fully fleshed out. The two main characters were put together too easily and fast, leaving out the tension.
I also never really liked or knew the characters. Helene seemed independent and strong until she met Devlin. He seemed to fall for her because of those qualities. At least that's what he told me. It was never shown. However, their relationship became a sub and Dom one. While BDSM doesn't bother me, I'm just not into that sort of thing. It really contradicted what they were supposed to be and she became weak and needy while he became a bit of a dick and controlling. I'm not sure if that was because of the BDSM or not.
While there were other characters, since the first half of the book was about sex I never got a feel for them. They sort of came along and became plot devices. While I don't think a bad guy was necessary in this sort of story, there was one. He came, was evil, and that's about it.
Lastly, this all took place in a magical world. Not sure why. The magic wasn't explained and it was pretty generic and they could literally do anything. I actually would have liked this book a lot more had there been no magic at all. It didn't need it and I wasn't expecting it.
If there's one thing that's done really well, it was the sex scenes. They were well written with such detail and imagination. It aroused me a few times. It's still hard for me to judge this. It's an erotica book so it should be about the sex but should it be more? I don't know. Are other erotica books like this or not?
If you're just looking for sex especially BDSM, In the Devil's Arms is a great book. However, the formatting will take you out of it and if you're looking for something a little more, it might not be the book for you.
The first and biggest was a formatting issue in my Kindle edition. Whenever there were long paragraph scenes of dialogue between two people, they'd get mushed into one paragraph. Instead of the paragraph being one person's words, it was two. I had to constantly train my eyes to remember that someone else spoke and that took me out of the book. The other problems I had were with the story and characters.
The first half of the story was all about sex and there was a lot of it. It suddenly shifted into having a plot and then the sex dried up. The story would have been so much better if it was reversed. I was actually interested in the story and the mystery around everything but it was never fully fleshed out. The two main characters were put together too easily and fast, leaving out the tension.
I also never really liked or knew the characters. Helene seemed independent and strong until she met Devlin. He seemed to fall for her because of those qualities. At least that's what he told me. It was never shown. However, their relationship became a sub and Dom one. While BDSM doesn't bother me, I'm just not into that sort of thing. It really contradicted what they were supposed to be and she became weak and needy while he became a bit of a dick and controlling. I'm not sure if that was because of the BDSM or not.
While there were other characters, since the first half of the book was about sex I never got a feel for them. They sort of came along and became plot devices. While I don't think a bad guy was necessary in this sort of story, there was one. He came, was evil, and that's about it.
Lastly, this all took place in a magical world. Not sure why. The magic wasn't explained and it was pretty generic and they could literally do anything. I actually would have liked this book a lot more had there been no magic at all. It didn't need it and I wasn't expecting it.
If there's one thing that's done really well, it was the sex scenes. They were well written with such detail and imagination. It aroused me a few times. It's still hard for me to judge this. It's an erotica book so it should be about the sex but should it be more? I don't know. Are other erotica books like this or not?
If you're just looking for sex especially BDSM, In the Devil's Arms is a great book. However, the formatting will take you out of it and if you're looking for something a little more, it might not be the book for you.
September 30, 2016
This book has it all love, betrayal, a journey to redeeming the love and trust one lost it was awesome and the best party the kink I couldn't put it down it staged me in from the start I couldn't put it down I strongly recommend this book it's worth it Helen must learn to trust the man who betrayed her to an evil sorcerer who wanted to drain her of her magic and made her infernal in the process
Devlin was ordered to bring Helen to be a sacrifice he loved her and wanted to save her he contemplated marrying her and going against the wishes of the evil sorcerer but in the end she is hurt and he must earn back the love and trust he lost will Helen and deck in have a happy ending to find out what happens next you have to read the book
Devlin was ordered to bring Helen to be a sacrifice he loved her and wanted to save her he contemplated marrying her and going against the wishes of the evil sorcerer but in the end she is hurt and he must earn back the love and trust he lost will Helen and deck in have a happy ending to find out what happens next you have to read the book
October 26, 2014
Not quiet sugar-kink, but very close. You get both a perspectives (dom & sub) through the story at various points. The books starts out hot and then mellows toward the end when both characters have somewhat settled into the relationship.
The book had a smattering of world building and some neat magic sex toys, but the entire thing could have had the magic removed without impacting the story.
The book had a smattering of world building and some neat magic sex toys, but the entire thing could have had the magic removed without impacting the story.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews