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Devil #1
The Irish Devil
Only sixteen when she discovers that her mother is a spy for the South during the Civil War, Viola Ross desperately tries to conceal her family's dark secret at the end of the conflict she must marry the one man in town who knows - Edward Ross, a drunkard who soon uproots Viola and takes her out West in search of gold. When Edward is tragically killed, Viola survives the best way she can, and ends up becoming partner with another widow in a laundry and dressmaking business, barely making ends meet. When her partner deserts her and her husband's debts threaten to destroy her, Viola offers William Donovan - a self-made Irish man - a deal he can't resist. She offers to be his personal mistress for three months; in return, Donovan agrees to house and feed her, which allows Viola to turn down the advances of Paul Lennox, a treacherous man whom she loathes. As Viola and William start to trust each other - much to both of their surprise - things heat up as Lennox plots to kidnap Viola. But will the growing bond between Viola and her Irish devil prove strong enough to overcome the dangerous circumstances that are headed their way?
298 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2004
26 people are currently reading
899 people want to read
About the author
Diane Whiteside
30 books122 followersBy day, Diane Whiteside builds and designs computer systems for the government. By night, she escapes into a world of alpha males and the unique women who turn their lives upside down. Noticing the lack of a husband to keep Diane in line, her Tibetan Terrier stepped up to the plate and makes sure that Diane does everything The Right Way which means lots of walks and dog treats. For more information about Diane plus her alpha males, unique women, and Tibetan Terriers, her website.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
May 16, 2015
3 generous stars because I felt bad for William.
Gosh, I really wanted to like this book.
Have you ever felt a sneeze coming on…you know, the first little itch in your sinus so you start doing the Bewitched twitchy thing with your nose to make the itch go away? But that doesn’t work and pretty soon the itch becomes a tickle/itch, but still no sneeze. Before you know it you’ve got the palm of your hand smushing your nose all over your face trying to get rid of the annoying tickle/itch and you want to sneeze so badly but it’s just not happening…it has the potential for a great, satisfying sneeze but it just…doesn’t… happen, and you want to scream!
That’s how badly I wanted to like this book, but just like that elusive sneeze, it didn’t happen. Oh, don’t get me wrong, it was ok… William Donovan had the makings for a great hero but with a heroine like Viola… well… I’m just sayin’…
And truly, I feel bad because the storyline had such great potential! I have Irish ancestors who immigrated to the US in the mid 1800’s and I’ve heard the tales about how hard it was for them, so I know the racism and bigotry William faced, and that should have been the driving force of the story, but the author just missed the mark on this one. I don’t know, I really can’t put my finger on what happened with this book.
I feel that the author’s writing lacked much thought or creativity. It seems like 25% of William's dialog was made up of the word sweetheart, and that got really annoying after awhile. I don’t know, maybe I’m being too critical because as I said, I really, really, almost liked William and I’m frustrated with the author because ultimately, I wasn’t able to. Another thing that bothered me was how often they’d be touching, kissing – foreplay – and suddenly she’d realize she was naked. Or suddenly she’d realize he was naked. There was even a point when, before she knew what happened, he managed to insert an anal dildo without her knowing it. Hello? I’d sure as hell notice that. So what, was she like comatose??
So there you have it. My rambling review that has made little – if any – sense and has probably left you with more questions than answers. For that I apologize.
Sexual content: anal, (finger and dildo) light bondage, and I read where someone else said there was ménage, but I didn’t see it, though admittedly I did a lot of skipping through this one. Though I do recall the opening scene with 2 prostitutes but there was nothing detailed in that.
Gosh, I really wanted to like this book.
Have you ever felt a sneeze coming on…you know, the first little itch in your sinus so you start doing the Bewitched twitchy thing with your nose to make the itch go away? But that doesn’t work and pretty soon the itch becomes a tickle/itch, but still no sneeze. Before you know it you’ve got the palm of your hand smushing your nose all over your face trying to get rid of the annoying tickle/itch and you want to sneeze so badly but it’s just not happening…it has the potential for a great, satisfying sneeze but it just…doesn’t… happen, and you want to scream!
That’s how badly I wanted to like this book, but just like that elusive sneeze, it didn’t happen. Oh, don’t get me wrong, it was ok… William Donovan had the makings for a great hero but with a heroine like Viola… well… I’m just sayin’…
And truly, I feel bad because the storyline had such great potential! I have Irish ancestors who immigrated to the US in the mid 1800’s and I’ve heard the tales about how hard it was for them, so I know the racism and bigotry William faced, and that should have been the driving force of the story, but the author just missed the mark on this one. I don’t know, I really can’t put my finger on what happened with this book.
I feel that the author’s writing lacked much thought or creativity. It seems like 25% of William's dialog was made up of the word sweetheart, and that got really annoying after awhile. I don’t know, maybe I’m being too critical because as I said, I really, really, almost liked William and I’m frustrated with the author because ultimately, I wasn’t able to. Another thing that bothered me was how often they’d be touching, kissing – foreplay – and suddenly she’d realize she was naked. Or suddenly she’d realize he was naked. There was even a point when, before she knew what happened, he managed to insert an anal dildo without her knowing it. Hello? I’d sure as hell notice that. So what, was she like comatose??
So there you have it. My rambling review that has made little – if any – sense and has probably left you with more questions than answers. For that I apologize.
Sexual content: anal, (finger and dildo) light bondage, and I read where someone else said there was ménage, but I didn’t see it, though admittedly I did a lot of skipping through this one. Though I do recall the opening scene with 2 prostitutes but there was nothing detailed in that.
March 9, 2010
Oh, Lordy!
The town laundress, widowed Viola Ross, looses her house and business because of a friend’s greed, the man she’s refused to marry time and again just won’t take the hint, she will not remarry, because let’s face it, marriage is overrated, but since she get’s an ultimatum along the lines of "Marry me or go homeless, because no one will give you shelter" and she refuses to join the flock of parlor house ladies, she decided to seek protection as the mistress of an intriguing Irishman. The same "Irish devil" the girls at the parlor house claim to be so virile (he actually took two girls to the room on his last visit), they need to sleep late into the afternoon to recover. Hey, what do you know, maybe the guy will finally show Viola what the fuss about carnal relations is all about.
William Donovan, enamored of the lovely widow, readily accepts her proposition of being his mistress for the next tree months, they have a lovely bout of carnal relations in his office, he chases away her persistent suitor, they have a lovely bout of carnal relations at his place, he pays her in advance the next morning, they proceed at having lots and lots of carnal relations (which they both more than enjoy) interspersed with flashback scenes, Viola’s suitor’s multiple attempts at getting rid of William and acquire Viola’s hand in marriage (it’s all about the money), more carnal relations, scenes of Viola’s brother searching for her and more carnal relations.
Finally, two chapters before the end, Viola gets kidnapped, her brother, having heard she’s been living in sin with an Irishman, attempts to defend her honor by punching the guy she’s been living in sin with, get’s punched back (men and their displays of macho-ness), joins the rescue party, they save Viola (rather quickly and without much trouble), the bad suitor dies, Viola realizes she’s in love with William who promptly reciprocates, she proposes, he accepts, they get married, get their own shivaree and have one last carnal relation. THE END
Despite the "historical romance" classification there wasn’t much history involved (beside mentioning the anti-Irish feel of the West and the fear of the Apaches). This book read more like a sex manual than anything else, complete with trinkets (dildos) and light to moderate bondage. There wasn’t much of a story (Viola and William were too busy having carnal relations), not much suspense (everything was revealed early on), the flashbacks were redundant and page-count fodder, the characters were uninteresting and without much personality.
And the "sweetheart" uttered in (almost) every single sentence quickly lost its endearment properties and showed only that the guy uttering it probably didn’t remember the woman’s name.
The town laundress, widowed Viola Ross, looses her house and business because of a friend’s greed, the man she’s refused to marry time and again just won’t take the hint, she will not remarry, because let’s face it, marriage is overrated, but since she get’s an ultimatum along the lines of "Marry me or go homeless, because no one will give you shelter" and she refuses to join the flock of parlor house ladies, she decided to seek protection as the mistress of an intriguing Irishman. The same "Irish devil" the girls at the parlor house claim to be so virile (he actually took two girls to the room on his last visit), they need to sleep late into the afternoon to recover. Hey, what do you know, maybe the guy will finally show Viola what the fuss about carnal relations is all about.
William Donovan, enamored of the lovely widow, readily accepts her proposition of being his mistress for the next tree months, they have a lovely bout of carnal relations in his office, he chases away her persistent suitor, they have a lovely bout of carnal relations at his place, he pays her in advance the next morning, they proceed at having lots and lots of carnal relations (which they both more than enjoy) interspersed with flashback scenes, Viola’s suitor’s multiple attempts at getting rid of William and acquire Viola’s hand in marriage (it’s all about the money), more carnal relations, scenes of Viola’s brother searching for her and more carnal relations.
Finally, two chapters before the end, Viola gets kidnapped, her brother, having heard she’s been living in sin with an Irishman, attempts to defend her honor by punching the guy she’s been living in sin with, get’s punched back (men and their displays of macho-ness), joins the rescue party, they save Viola (rather quickly and without much trouble), the bad suitor dies, Viola realizes she’s in love with William who promptly reciprocates, she proposes, he accepts, they get married, get their own shivaree and have one last carnal relation. THE END
Despite the "historical romance" classification there wasn’t much history involved (beside mentioning the anti-Irish feel of the West and the fear of the Apaches). This book read more like a sex manual than anything else, complete with trinkets (dildos) and light to moderate bondage. There wasn’t much of a story (Viola and William were too busy having carnal relations), not much suspense (everything was revealed early on), the flashbacks were redundant and page-count fodder, the characters were uninteresting and without much personality.
And the "sweetheart" uttered in (almost) every single sentence quickly lost its endearment properties and showed only that the guy uttering it probably didn’t remember the woman’s name.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 23, 2011
I love hot love scenes as much as the next girl but when it's all the book is based on, it becomes tedious. I blame myself of course, I knew I was reading an erotica and kept on reading, so there. I got pulled in by the theme since I can't resist the heroine mistress theme but this was not a romantic read to me.
I'm not a big fan of erotica's to begin with because the plots are usually just pages and pages of sex filled scenes and you know, I want to read a romance not a sexmance. Okay, even if it's a sexmance show me some chemistry, some love, anything just not one big sex romp. Just to show you that I'm not quite the prude that I'm making myself out to be, Susan Johnson has about 10 books on my favorite shelf and if you know how she gets down you understand my meaning, but that lady can write so that's the difference.
Apart from too many sex scenes that were not sexy, the setting was dreary and boring and the hero a little on the weird perverted side. The author's writing could have been a tad bit better (can someone say sweetheart a million times??) and the so called plot with heroine and the villain was a joke. And of course it wouldn't be me writing this review if there wasn't a pet peeve or two floating around. The worst one being that the hero is in love with the heroine from page one and is really willing to marry her but is just afraid of her rejection, hence, she becomes his mistress instead. So what's the use of the mistress thing if the hero already wanted to marry her mmm? If you enjoy erotica's you might like this one, but it's lacking that certain something we romance readers love about a romance novel so beware.
I'm not a big fan of erotica's to begin with because the plots are usually just pages and pages of sex filled scenes and you know, I want to read a romance not a sexmance. Okay, even if it's a sexmance show me some chemistry, some love, anything just not one big sex romp. Just to show you that I'm not quite the prude that I'm making myself out to be, Susan Johnson has about 10 books on my favorite shelf and if you know how she gets down you understand my meaning, but that lady can write so that's the difference.
Apart from too many sex scenes that were not sexy, the setting was dreary and boring and the hero a little on the weird perverted side. The author's writing could have been a tad bit better (can someone say sweetheart a million times??) and the so called plot with heroine and the villain was a joke. And of course it wouldn't be me writing this review if there wasn't a pet peeve or two floating around. The worst one being that the hero is in love with the heroine from page one and is really willing to marry her but is just afraid of her rejection, hence, she becomes his mistress instead. So what's the use of the mistress thing if the hero already wanted to marry her mmm? If you enjoy erotica's you might like this one, but it's lacking that certain something we romance readers love about a romance novel so beware.
March 3, 2011
I really wanted to like this book, but I just didn’t feel the romance build up between the hero and heroine that I like. The biggest reason the sex just over powered the storyline. I like erotic, but in these longer novels sometime it’s just too much reading page after page of sex, the characters story just gets put aside. This book also didn’t read like an historical romance to me either it felt to modern times with the wording. The sweetheart calling just got on my last nerves, along with things happing between William and Viola it just didn’t make since; here is an example he puts a dido in her anus and she didn’t know, (what?? I don’t think so). You’ll find more things in the book not very well explained or things just never gotten back to and expanded on more.
I myself wouldn’t recommend this book too many people unless you like a lot of sex and small storyline. I do want to add there's anal play, bondage and spanking along with a mention and use of other stuff like floggers, some beads and more. A ménage scene with two ladies and the hero, but there is no sex involved just the mention of them together.
I myself wouldn’t recommend this book too many people unless you like a lot of sex and small storyline. I do want to add there's anal play, bondage and spanking along with a mention and use of other stuff like floggers, some beads and more. A ménage scene with two ladies and the hero, but there is no sex involved just the mention of them together.
August 22, 2009
Rough and ready Western frontier romance that's heavy on the steam and light on everything else. And that's a shame, too, because the plot had lots of potential and the story could have been elevated to "great" status if the author spent as much time describing the motivations and actions of the characters as she did discussing the dew. And I'm not talking about Mountain Dew.
Despite these drawbacks, I enjoyed this story, and I look forward to the next few books in the series!
Despite these drawbacks, I enjoyed this story, and I look forward to the next few books in the series!
January 6, 2009
Let me just start by saying that this is not, by any stretch of the imagination, a good book. It is porn, pure and simple. But, so enjoyable! It totally satisfied as a guilty pleasure, having everything I secretly love in a romance--saintly, meek heroines, tough-but-sensitive heroes, a little light B&D, and almost no conflict whatsoever. Perfection, especially for lazy vacation days! Also, Whiteside writes hot, kinky sex scenes. Lots of them! This is an "erotic romance" for sure, which means it's porn with a discreet cover. I must give the author props for having the right balance of plot and sex--I was never tempted to skip over sex scenes to get to the plot (or, as is more often the case, vice versa). Sure, the villain is an all-out, mustache twirling cliche, and there are gratuitous flashbacks and noble Chinese sidekicks, but none of this spoiled my fun. I will totally check out the rest of the series, because I do love my porn dressed up in corsets and petticoats. Somehow the combination of porn and the historical Wild West setting was irresistible.
December 13, 2009
Badly written, waferthin story, characters not fleshed out, too much sex.
March 26, 2011
I read this book because of a challenge I was in where I had to read a book with Irish or Luck in the title.
I enjoyed the story, as it had everything in that I enjoy in a good book - romance, sex and a story with a bit of angst (if you know what I mean) but there was someting lacking that does not make it a 5 star read.
Viola Lindsey, married Edward Ross because he blackmailed her but because of the marriage her family disowned her (something Edward had not expected) and they went west to mine gold/silver. Now Viola finds herself widdowed after her drunkard husband has been murdered and his murderer wants to marry Viola but she hates him and even after Paul Lennox paid her business partner to move on and sell everything from under her Viola still refused to marry him, instead she chose to be the mistress of a wealthy Irishman William Donovan.
Little did she know that Donovan has wound a fantasy around the lovely Viola so he can't believe what he is hearing but yes he'll have her and they get straight into it and continue on a regular basis. I enjoy good sex in a book but something in this was a little lacking, it wasn't getting me like other author's of this genre do - still it was enjoyable.
Towards the end Viola is kidnnapped by Lennox - this I found gripping which surprised me.
I would still recommend it. I have just noticed that it is part of a series and I may give the series a go (if my library has copies)
I enjoyed the story, as it had everything in that I enjoy in a good book - romance, sex and a story with a bit of angst (if you know what I mean) but there was someting lacking that does not make it a 5 star read.
Viola Lindsey, married Edward Ross because he blackmailed her but because of the marriage her family disowned her (something Edward had not expected) and they went west to mine gold/silver. Now Viola finds herself widdowed after her drunkard husband has been murdered and his murderer wants to marry Viola but she hates him and even after Paul Lennox paid her business partner to move on and sell everything from under her Viola still refused to marry him, instead she chose to be the mistress of a wealthy Irishman William Donovan.
Little did she know that Donovan has wound a fantasy around the lovely Viola so he can't believe what he is hearing but yes he'll have her and they get straight into it and continue on a regular basis. I enjoy good sex in a book but something in this was a little lacking, it wasn't getting me like other author's of this genre do - still it was enjoyable.
Towards the end Viola is kidnnapped by Lennox - this I found gripping which surprised me.
I would still recommend it. I have just noticed that it is part of a series and I may give the series a go (if my library has copies)
August 14, 2010
Free Kindle download. I'd heard of the popular author, so I actually got down to reading this right away. I was disappointed, though. I was hoping for something remarkable for the genre, something that would transcend the stereotypical, but the characters were so two-dimensional, it was hard for me to like the book much. The heroine is so pure and so downtrodden, born of the best families and so beautiful so that she was coveted by the evil rancher. And of course, the hero is the epitome of all that's good in a romance hero -- virile, honorable, handsome, wealthy, and super-super capable (remarkably so that his men make bets over it) with his weapons of choice; plus he's so unduly angst-ridden about his not being good enough for the heroine, especially because of her genealogy. In a western setting, I somehow don't think that would have mattered much, so it seemed more like a manufactured obstacle to the romance.
Otherwise, it was a quick read, entertaining but predictable.
Otherwise, it was a quick read, entertaining but predictable.
July 22, 2016
I did not like this book at all. For a man enamored of Viola, Donavan certainly jumped at the chance to have a willing concubine when she was in desperate straits. I found his behavior dishonorable and disgraceful - making a whore of an honorable lady. Yeah yeah, he protected her from her enemies and he married her in the end - big deal - he's still a swine. I don't enjoy books where the heroine falls for the rapist or kidnapper (not that Donovan is either but you get the point.) I just don't find it believable that the heroine would fall in love with this animal.
The sex scenes were flat and boring and if he called her sweetheart one more time I think I would have screamed!
The sex scenes were flat and boring and if he called her sweetheart one more time I think I would have screamed!
September 22, 2015
Lighthearted and enjoyable kindle freebie here. I found this story to be surprisingly sweet and fluffy for its genre. And, the real shocker, the lead characters IMO were actually decently developed, not completely one dimensional. There are several minor issues I had with the writing, such as lots of repetitive phrasing and actions and some nonsensical sentence structures but ultimately with this genre, it's hard to be too highly critical as I rarely have any expectations from the get go.
May 29, 2014
Can I give it 6 stars? I love this book and I do not like historical westerns. I just love the story and the characters and the plot and I just love it. I was surprised to see how low everyone else rated this book. For me, I don't give out 5 stars often, only for books that I will read again, and this is one that I read over and over because I just enjoy the interaction and the love scenes.
January 2, 2010
This book was soooo dirty. The story was awful.
June 14, 2010
Horrible. Pornographic cheesy western
June 16, 2010
I only have 3 words to describe this book- trashy beach! Just laugh.... I am not even at the beach!
September 12, 2011
No plot to speak of and way too much time with bedroom endeavors.
November 26, 2013
Read this a few years. Ago enjoyed it
July 5, 2017
The upside of my reading through the library adventure is that I find hidden gems I wouldn't otherwise chose to read. The downside is that I also find books like The Irish Devil . This book is tripe, pure and simple. It's poorly written, there's very little in the way of plot, and the "characters" feel more like props than fully fleshed out people. I can't really think of any reason to purposefully read this book unless you like racier romance novels and seek them out. Even then, I'm sure there are other offerings where the author has some writing talent. Bonus points for turning the book into an exercise device--I suggest 10 jumping jacks for every "sweetheart", 10 sit ups for every "dew", 10 squats for every "masculine", 10 pull ups for every "shiver", and 10 lunges for every "Apache" (it is a Western themed Romance after all!). You'll be toned in no time!
Given zero stars or a rating of "horrible". Read at your own risk!
Given zero stars or a rating of "horrible". Read at your own risk!
Want to read
July 19, 2020elibrary
June 26, 2021
Difficult read... Not in terms of the diction used but rather the sex scenes being over the top and abundant. No thank you.
October 23, 2022
Adult for sure
October 6, 2025
First western ever and I liked it. Very slow burn but it was a good read.
September 28, 2010
2.5 stars, ordinary story, no new ideas, nothing really grabbed me.
There were a lot of erotic sex scenes with bondage and current day sex toys. Don’t look for historical accuracy. That is not the purpose of this book. Other than the sex scenes, the plot and events were predictable and similar to a typical romance novel. It was ok, but I wasn’t surprised or delighted.
Story brief: Viola came from a wealthy family. Her father disowned her when she married Edward. Edward brought her to a small mining town in Arizona. He was killed and Viola washes clothes to make a living. Paul is the local rich man who owns most of the town. He arranges for someone to take all of her possessions in hopes of forcing her to marry him. Viola goes to William and asks to become his mistress as a way to support herself. William agrees and she moves in with him immediately. Paul is furious and continues to be a threat.
Sexual language: strong/erotic. Number of sex scenes: seventeen. Setting: 1871 small mining town Rio Piedras, Arizona. Copyright: 2004. Genre: erotic western historical romance.
To date, I’ve read the following Diane Whiteside books.
2.5 stars. The Irish Devil. Copyrt 2004. Review Date 8/31/08.
2 stars. Caught By The Tides (in anthology Beyond The Dark). Copyrt 2007. My 5 star review for the anthology was posted 12/31/07.
1 star. Bond of Blood. Copyrt 2006. Review Date 9/03/08.
There were a lot of erotic sex scenes with bondage and current day sex toys. Don’t look for historical accuracy. That is not the purpose of this book. Other than the sex scenes, the plot and events were predictable and similar to a typical romance novel. It was ok, but I wasn’t surprised or delighted.
Story brief: Viola came from a wealthy family. Her father disowned her when she married Edward. Edward brought her to a small mining town in Arizona. He was killed and Viola washes clothes to make a living. Paul is the local rich man who owns most of the town. He arranges for someone to take all of her possessions in hopes of forcing her to marry him. Viola goes to William and asks to become his mistress as a way to support herself. William agrees and she moves in with him immediately. Paul is furious and continues to be a threat.
Sexual language: strong/erotic. Number of sex scenes: seventeen. Setting: 1871 small mining town Rio Piedras, Arizona. Copyright: 2004. Genre: erotic western historical romance.
To date, I’ve read the following Diane Whiteside books.
2.5 stars. The Irish Devil. Copyrt 2004. Review Date 8/31/08.
2 stars. Caught By The Tides (in anthology Beyond The Dark). Copyrt 2007. My 5 star review for the anthology was posted 12/31/07.
1 star. Bond of Blood. Copyrt 2006. Review Date 9/03/08.
November 27, 2013
I did not like this book. At first it was interesting because I did want to know how Viola was going to get through her ordeal but after she hooked up with William Donovan, the whole story just went south. I think this was meant to be a love story but it was more of an "F" book than anything else. There is BDSM and a lot of it. It seemed like every time I pushed the button on my reader to the turn the page, something even more sordid than before was going on and frankly, it got old. Yes, people, there is such a thing as too much sex in a book.
The plot was weak, the characters were just horny and there was no love between them that I could sense, not even after they got married. After the wedding, we had to have a wedding night, of course which was more of a gratuitous sex scene than anything else. It was the first time he'd ever had sex without a condom. Whoopteedo.
I thought the ending really sucked. The whole book did. I didn't care about any of it and the redundant and endless sex was really boring.
On a positive note, the author may have blazed the way for E.L. James and The 50 Shades of Grey. This book came out in 2004. It wasn't as well-written as the 50 Shades but it predates the series by a long shot so that may make Diane Whiteside a trailblazer of sorts.
The plot was weak, the characters were just horny and there was no love between them that I could sense, not even after they got married. After the wedding, we had to have a wedding night, of course which was more of a gratuitous sex scene than anything else. It was the first time he'd ever had sex without a condom. Whoopteedo.
I thought the ending really sucked. The whole book did. I didn't care about any of it and the redundant and endless sex was really boring.
On a positive note, the author may have blazed the way for E.L. James and The 50 Shades of Grey. This book came out in 2004. It wasn't as well-written as the 50 Shades but it predates the series by a long shot so that may make Diane Whiteside a trailblazer of sorts.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 30, 2009
#1 Devil - Western Historical romance/erotica
Well written, as far as authenticity, characters, intriguing and interesting main and sub-plots. Set in Arizona in approximately 1870, this small mining town is a rough and dangerous place. Apache Indian attacks are a constant threat, as is the harsh environment.
Viola is a launderess, a widow, fighting off the marriage proposals of a the wealthy mine owner. William Donovan is a freight contractor who ends up protecting Viola from the mine owner's increasingly obsessive attentions.
The author truly brought the Old West mining town to life. Even the secondary characters and plots were interesting and kept me eagerly turning the pages.
Very sensual and erotic scenes. I'd like to read more in this series.
Well written, as far as authenticity, characters, intriguing and interesting main and sub-plots. Set in Arizona in approximately 1870, this small mining town is a rough and dangerous place. Apache Indian attacks are a constant threat, as is the harsh environment.
Viola is a launderess, a widow, fighting off the marriage proposals of a the wealthy mine owner. William Donovan is a freight contractor who ends up protecting Viola from the mine owner's increasingly obsessive attentions.
The author truly brought the Old West mining town to life. Even the secondary characters and plots were interesting and kept me eagerly turning the pages.
Very sensual and erotic scenes. I'd like to read more in this series.
January 7, 2016
It was okay. I enjoyed the characters but the drama in the story was kind of silly.... nothing major, the bad guy was just stupid. If he was going to do what he was going to do in the end he could have just done it long ago, but then yea if he did there wouldn't have been a story... lol
I did like the two main characters William and Viola... she was adorably cute when William taught her all he knew about sex... but he was a little sicko... at any event they were made for each other and their love growth was believable and well developed.
Hope they show up in the next story about Viola's brother Hal.
I did like the two main characters William and Viola... she was adorably cute when William taught her all he knew about sex... but he was a little sicko... at any event they were made for each other and their love growth was believable and well developed.
Hope they show up in the next story about Viola's brother Hal.
November 15, 2007
Picked this book from the bookshelf of the house my family was vacationing in (mostly because the word 'Irish' is in the title) and am glad I did. Mostly because I wouldn't be able to pick it up from a bookstore shelf without furtively glancing around to check who saw me. The plot was average, but it was the descriptive writing that kept my attention. Definitely not one to buy, but if you're ever on vacation and see the book on a shelf, pick it up.
July 21, 2014
The first in the Devil series by Diane Whiteside. Viola Ross is a widow and in need of protection. She goes to William Donovan and offers herself up to be his mistress.
My first book by this author and quite a steamy little thing too. I enjoyed it. Some elements were out of my normal comfort zone and a few extra steamy scenes I could have lived without but I still liked it.
My first book by this author and quite a steamy little thing too. I enjoyed it. Some elements were out of my normal comfort zone and a few extra steamy scenes I could have lived without but I still liked it.
September 4, 2015
This used to be one of my all time favorite romance series. But rereading it years later has not been kind to this story for me. The characters were boring and the erotic scenes made me laugh instead of hot and bothered. I still enjoyed the romance but I was glad when I finished this book. I was tempted to reread the rest of the series but I think I'll just leave that to fond memories.
September 18, 2012
WOW!! One of thee BEST historical romances I've read in a really long time; with a twist of really hot and spicy sex!!! I thoroughly enjoyed the storyline, the plot, the setting and of course the scorching sex scenes!!! a Must read if you love cowboys...with a hint of Irish....and if you dont love cowboys...you will after reading this!!!
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