The Devil's Bride

by Lucy Gordon, Penelope Stratton

Can the Devil ever be reformed…?

Calvina Bracewell, an orphaned parson’s daughter, lives a wretched life, taken in by a family who abuse her and use her family connections to their own ends.

But Calvina’s world is changed overnight when she marries a man who is wealthy and incredibly attractive. But is he also the devil?

Lord Rupert Glennister is both admired and feared. His uncanny ability with cards and his notorious success with women seem to hint at mysterious forces helping him.

Known as ‘Devil Glennister’, society has threatened to exclude him unless he can redeem himself by marrying a woman of virtue.

In Calvina Bracewell, the face of moral fortitude and all that is godly, the ‘Devil’ sees the perfect bride to save his reputation, and bring him back into the society which is beginning to exclude him due to his over-indulgences.

But Calvina has another love – the innocent Toby, her first love.

Yet this secret attachment is now made impossible by circumstance, but can Calvina forget Toby in favour of Rupert?

Is this sudden marriage simply one of convenience or will it develop into a match of passion?

With Rupert’s former lovers and exploits confronting her at every turn, how can she contemplate life as a respectable wife?

And more importantly, will Rupert draw Calvina deeper into darkness?

In a discovery of love, passion and jealously, Lucy Gordon brings Calvina into the hearts of her readers in a romance filled with suspense and mystery.

As her life takes a sinister turn, Calvina may have the riches and position of a Lady, but who is it that keeps making repeated attempts on her life?



‘Everything you could want from a historical romance’ - Holly Kinsella, author of Tell Him About It

Lucy Gordon began working life on a British women's magazine, where she interviewed famous men like Sir Roger Moore, Sir Alec Guinness, Warren Beatty, Richard Chamberlain and Charlton Heston. But since 1984, she has been publishing her romance novels – twice winning the Romance Writers of America RITA Award for the Best Traditional Romance. She is now married to a Venetian artist and together, they have lived in different parts of Italy, though currently reside in her native England.

Genres: Romance, Historical, Historical Romance, Marriage Of Convenience, Abuse

194 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 30, 1997

About the author

Christine Sparks was born in England, UK. She wanted to be a writer all her life, and began by working on a British women's magazine. As a features writer, she gained a wide variety of experience. She interviewed some of the world's most attractive and interesting men, including Warren Beatty, Richard Chamberlain, Charlton Heston, Sir Roger Moore, Sir Alec Guiness.

Single life was so enjoyable that she put marriage, and even romance, on the back burner, while she went about the world having a great time. Then, while on vacation in Venice, she met a tall, dark handsome Venetian artist, who changed all her ideas in a moment, and proposed on the second day. Three months later they were married. Her friends said a whirlwind romance would never last, but they celebrated their 25 anniversary, they are still married, still happy and in love.

After 13 years on the magazine Christine decided that it was now or never if she was ever going to write that novel. So she wrote Legacy of Fire which became a Silhouette Special Edition, followed by another, Enchantment in Venice. Then she did something crazy gave up her job. Since then she has concentrated entirely on writing romances for Mills & Boon, Harlequin and Silhouette and has written over 75 books. Her settings have been European and her heroes mainly English or Italian. Christine now claims to be an expert on one particular subject. Italian men are the most romantic in the world. They are also the best cooks.

A few years ago she and her husband returned to Venice and lived there for a couple of years. This proved the perfect base for exploring the rest of Italy, and she has given many of her books Italian settings: Venice (of course), Rome, Florence, Milan, Sicily, Tuscany. She has also used the Rhine in Germany for Song of the Lorelei, for which she won her first RITA Award, in 1991. Her second RITA came in 1998, with His Brother's Child, set in Rome.

Eventually Christine Fiorotto and her husband returned to England, where they now live. She write and he paints, they have no children, but have a cat and a dog.

Reviews

[Cheesecake · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wellllll... I was totally enjoying this but was less impressed with the ending.
It could have been a 4 star if the Hero hadn't kept everything to himself till the bitter end. It was as if his character changed at the end and I just couldn't believe in his mediocre grovel. -sigh-

I did, however, like that the author didn't belabour misunderstandings to death. There is a steady progression of intimacy between the MCs despite his frequent, long absences. But I felt that we are left in the dark of his feelings until the very end. The good parts of their getting to know each other, are told to us and not shown.
I did love Calvina!! She was strong, and told him where to stick it, never backing down when he tried to browbeat her.

Calvina has been living with the family of a friend of her father's since his untimely death. You'd think he would have set up some kind of care for her future in case of such an occurrence, but he didn't. The father's friend is really a jack ass as are everyone else in the family.
Her only hope is a boy she loves who may come into some money and then take her away to marry.
But the Jack ass manages to screw that up and Calvina runs away in despair, straight into the arms of the Devil, 'Rupert'. (Gotta say, 'Rupert' just doesn't scream 'Devil' to me. In fact I had a teddy bear named Rupert when I was little, lol!)
Rupert coerces her to marry him, then promptly leaves her alone... over and over again.
No details are given to his absences. Did he whore around? No idea. I like to think not, but it is never addressed.
Meanwhile, Calvina becomes the bell of the balls. She also has a secret life of charity that leads to misunderstandings.
There are attempts on her life... or are they just accidents??
The last 10th of the book becomes overly Gothic, complete with a monologuing villain.

Safety is OK I guess Like I said above, it is never said if he bedded anyone while they were apart. He is unrepentantly 'friendly' with the OW on multiple occasions, yet has the gall to get mad at Calvina for talking to her old beau (who was actually a nice guy... unlike the OW). There is no mention of justice against the OW after her part in the attempts on Calvina's life. In fact I wouldn't be surprised if she weren't still shacked up in their London townhouse!

[Heather ~*dread mushrooms*~]

I'm opting not to finish this one as I don't care for the two main characters. Also the formatting on the ebook I got from NG is horrible. The lines are all broken and so many words run together that I can't read with ease. However, I may try this again if my library gets a copy.

I received a copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Debbie DiFiore · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very odd

I don't know why but this story Just missed the mark again. I didn't understand the marriage at all. I do not believe he was faithful at first but I don't know because it never said but all the hints dropped during their time apart seemed to signify he was still being a rake. They finally come together and consummate the marriage but then their are attempts on her life and all fingers point to her husband. It was just a little sketchy and I really don't know if I bought the HEA. And all his exes and his past just disgusted me. And again I don't think he was faithful when they first married. Maybe once they consummated around the 60% Mark but who knows. There was an HEA I guess. No epilogue. Thank goodness it was free in KU.

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This has been on my bookshelf for years but alas will not survive this latest reread.

[Johanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, what can I say about this book?
Was it a brilliant piece of literature? No! But then, I don't think anyone picking up these kind of books, really expects to find that. I just wanted a quick escape from reality with a garanteed happily ever after ... and that's exactly what the book gave me.
Lucy Gordon's writing style, as usual, easily floats and is enjoyable.
The female lead was a bit boring but inoffensive, the male lead on the other hand... I adored Rupert. He had a dry humor bordering on sarcasm, a complete disregard for society, and an iron will to get what he wants. He plays the bad guy (he's literally called 'devil'), while at the same time being more honorable and far less ridiculous than most of the ton we meet in this story. He was a true jem and for me, he (along with a few humorous side characters) made this story so enjoyable.
Now about my complaint.... I would have prefered it, if Ms Gordon had stuck with the love story. Calvina and Rupert had enough going against them as it was to fill a book. If she hadn't suddenly thrown a death threat story into the mix, she could have spent more time with Calvina and Rupert. Lysandra and the Dyrimples deserved more of an comeruppance than they got and I would have liked to see Calvina turn away from Toby more clearly and for Rupert to witness. The murder mystery in my opinion only took away from their relationship. Having Calvina suspect him of wanting to kill her seemed a bit cheap and nonesensical. She didn't believe most of his reputation when she agreed to marry him without knowing him, so why would she suddenly believe he would try to kill her?
In conclusion, for the most part I greatly enjoyed the story, only the last third with its new plot was a bit of a let down.

[Lulu [at] Reckless Reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

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I went into The Devil’s Bride by Lucy Gordon expecting something devilish, paranormal. What I got instead was an absolutely lovely and entertaining historical romance that was thoroughly engaging. The characters were fantastic and well defined. Rupert was drool-worthy and Calvina grew from the meek girl at the start to a force to be reckoned with by the end. The pacing is spot-on. Never slow, never fast, just right! We get to grow with the characters and with their relationship, which is great! I haven’t giggled and gushed as much as I did reading this in quite some time. Seeing these lovely beautiful idiots fall in love with one another and then try to deny it, fight it, each thinking the other despises them. It’s fantastic! Finally, throw in a bit of a twist at the end with a small little mystery and attempted murder, The Devil’s Bride by Lucy Gordon is an amazingly entertaining historical romance that hits the spot for a lovely light, delightful read!

// I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this title. //

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Regency England Lord Rupert Glennister reputation as 'Devil Glennister' has badly misfired and he has been ostracised by the ton. Only a marriage to a virtuous lady can redeem him.
Calvina Bracewell, an orphaned daughter of a parson, is thrown onto his path. But their marriage is anything but calm and safe. Is it just her imagination that her life is in danger, and who from.
I really enjoyed this story, it kept be amused and didn't flag. I am getting to like these romances as long as there are interesting characters and some mystery.
A NetGalley Book

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I would like to thank netgalley and endeavour press for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Calvina is abused and treated like dirt by the family she's living with. Rupert is a notorious rake who is now being denied access to the higher parts of society due to his behaviour, he needs to marry in order to get back everything he has lost.

This was interesting, but Rupert could almost be abusing her as badly as the family she lived with did, at times.

[Joan]

DNF at 38%

An insipid heroine and a full-on alphamale so up his own ar*e that he thought it was totally acceptable to force himself on an innocent girl...it wasn’t rape, but it was pretty unpleasant.

Bodice ripper with little - if anything - to redeem it.

[⋆☆☽ Kriss ☾☆⋆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Devil’s Bride feels a bit like a general mass-market sort of romance, but seemed to lack the same explicitness, romance focus, and length I’ve come to recognize as rudimentary for such novels. At a little over 200 pages, this book has very mild sex scenes that convey things swiftly and subtlety, so there’s a greater focus on the story outside of the bedroom.

But somehow I still felt that the romance was a bit lacking for a book that’s supposed to have that as its main focus; there was so much talk of Calvina getting dresses or attending social events or helping at the charity house that we really don’t get more than maybe six or seven worthwhile romantic scenes between her and Rupert, with dashes of smaller, less interesting interactions thrown in. It’s not as if the romance isn’t there, but it just felt like the author paid more attention to the things they did in their everyday lives more than skipping around to circumstances that would bring them together in some romantic way so that readers could get all warm and fuzzy over watching love bloom. Pages and pages went by where they were apart for weeks and there was definitely a few times where lust was mistaken for love or I got a sort felt like things weren’t unfolding realistically. I also felt that the twist and danger Calvina was put in was sort of unnecessary and not very well worked in, it could have been, but the execution was off and I think the shortness of the novel coupled with its rather tame depiction of darker themes is to blame.

That all being said, I don’t feel this is a bad book by any measure. Just perhaps not to my tastes; when I read a romance, I want to be moved and absorbed in the relationship, and this just didn’t do that for me. The author executes a pretty good handle on the history and language of the era; the characters were believable for the time in their words and mannerisms. In this regard, I was impressed and give the author my praise.

Overall, the plot was simple and a pretty straight shot that follows the “didn’t marry for love but through time spent together through trials and tribulations and a mutual attraction they find they are falling for each other” sort of formula, and was pretty well executed (except for the lax focus on someone threatening Calvina’s life). Since this is a standalone, everything is presented and wrapped up in one shot. I didn’t notice anything inherently problematic, though Calvina is nearly assaulted a few times so heads up on that front. I don’t really have strong feelings for this book one way or another; I didn’t really care for it, but I don’t hate it either. It was easy to polish off in a single setting without making me feel like I was dragging myself to the end. I think if you’re in the market for a quick, simple romance and are interested in how things develop this could definitely be a nice little novel to pick up. I rate it more highly on its writing than story, but I think that’s more a matter of personal taste than an inherent flaw in the plot development. Overall three stars for being a decent read; two stars dropped because it could have been better had the author devoted more time to romantic scenes and better executing the other subplots.

*I received a copy of this for free from Net Galley, but in no way did that affect my review!*

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Calvina Bracewell, an orphaned parson’s daughter, lives a wretched life, taken in by the Dalrymple family who abuse her and use her family connections to their own ends. Calvina’s one ray of hope is Toby who she hopes to marry but her world is shattered when Toby becomes engaged to Eglantine Dalrymple after supposedly compromising her. Calvina is locked in her room & only allowed out to see the happy couple; the final straw is when Eglantine is wearing Calvina’s mother’s brooch. Calvina escapes but her world is changed overnight when she marries a man who is wealthy and incredibly attractive. But is he also the devil?

Lord Rupert Glennister is both admired and feared. His uncanny ability with cards and his notorious success with women seem to hint at mysterious forces helping him.

Known as ‘Devil Glennister’, society has threatened to exclude him unless he can redeem himself by marrying a woman of virtue. In Calvina, the face of moral fortitude and all that is godly, the ‘Devil’ sees the perfect bride to save his reputation, and bring him back into the society, which is beginning to exclude him due to his over-indulgences.
This is a marriage of convenience & Robert disappears for time but he’s drawn to Calvina not only for her poise & beauty but also for her intelligence. Calvina is also drawn to Robert.
A lovely story with very likeable main characters. Calvin is her father’s daughter & is soon helping at a refuge; Robert has the nickname Devil but sends gambling vowels to a wife to destroy. A story of awakening love with a mystery attached as increasingly Calvina’s life is threatened.
The pace of the story keeps you turning the pages & I found it hard to put down
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book

[Silje · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. The format I received was terrible, words were connected and lines broken.

This is a typical regency romance, with a damsel in distress and the devilish handsome player who saves her in order to help his own plans.
I didn't really connect with any of the maincharacters. Calvina is way too innocent and weak, especially at the beginning, but I like how she grows into her strengths and manage to do work with the poor, that was a nice touch. Rupert is supposed to be the devil of the society, but he doesn't really do anything different from most other men in the ton; being a player and gamble... He does of course have a soft side, but his character is still hard to connect with.
The plot itself was okay and the assasination part was a nice detail that lifted the story, but the God fearing parts were a bit too much, though I suppose it was a relevant detail since Rupert was "the Devil".
All in all it was an ok read with some good parts and some less good parts, but I have definitely read better.

[Robbi-Lynn Hunter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad but irritating

I was very surprised that the author was British as she didn’t know the first thing about titles, which I found very irritating. A first son who inherited a title from their father wouldn’t not be called Lord Rupert Glennister. That is a courtesy title given to second sons of Dukes, Marquesses and Earls. That being said it was a quick easy read, though wouldn’t necessarily recommend it.

[Annette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strangely compelling

A compelling story line that kept me interested from the beginning. I wanted to not like Rupert but he grew on me. Calvina was both naive and a bit too self righteous. But all in all they were a good match for each other. As a historical romance this one goes on my favorites list. I would like to read more if this author's works.

[Shelby Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Never believe all the talk!

For a long time Rupert lived the life of the Devil and was a threat to everyone! Calvina is orphaned and the people who do use here as servant in the name of religion! Rupert must wed a virtuous woman to enter into society again, so begins a story of intrigue, lust, plots to harm her, and all while acting so innocent! Very enjoyable!

[Soma]

Hmm this did not hit the right spots for me. The antagonists were very cartoonish, Cinderella-esque villains. There wasn't really any development of the relationship between the protagonists? At least I didn't feel like they were growing close. During a lot of the story, the male protagonist just wasn't there. I did however love that this took place over the course of several months.

[T.A. Burke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, the story went along rather well then went for straight 'Perils of Pauline' at the finale. It was diverting but the resolution was too rapid, too glib, for all the drama that had taken place just prior.

[Doreen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terrific!

Written 20 years ago, it is an intense, believable story with great characters and well devised plot! It is not like much of the silly, unedited, ridiculous stuff that clogs the ebook market! Great reading experience!

[Valerie Coskrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A bit gothic

Cinderella finds her prince in a world ripe with adultery, gossip, and friendships. Toss in the threat of murder and lots of suspension while love grows and the story intrigues to the end.

[Regina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

I love historical romances, and this is a beautifully written one. This book also full of Daring situations that make you read non stop.

[Isabelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this story. It was nice to see the love growing between the two.

[Kristýna Doričkova · Rating 3 out of 5]

A generally good book, the story moves like a wattpad fanfiction, but considering the age of the book, it's pretty readable

[hexagonalhotdogs · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Evelyn Derenzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intriguing!

There is nothing like having a nickname as the Devil to keep one turning the pages to see what mischief would happen next.

[Ezza Syuhada · Rating 3 out of 5]

I honestly don't have strong feelings for this book. I enjoyed it yeah but it definitely did not blow my mind and I think this is due to a few reasons. 

Reason 1: I honest to God thought this was going to be my usual type of historical romance where the sexy times is over the roof but alas it wasn't but the optimistic side of me keeps waiting and hoping for it, that it would happen in the last 10% of the book, and when it never did happen I was left in this limbo of utter disappointment but not really but yes but no. The disappointment left me feeling confused.

Reason 2: There wasn't a lot of attention regarding the romance, I mean for a romance book isn't that whats supposed to occur and be the main focus? The lead characters spend so much time apart than together I was starting to really doubt they were ever going to get a move on it. The author talked about other aspects of their life like the social events that Calvina goes to or other stuff but no Rupert in sight and I'm here on the edge of my seat going all just effin get it on already!!!

But in the whole grand scheme of things, the book is an overall enjoyable book. Had I knew from the start that no sexy times was involved, I would have calibrated my expectations and thus probably like the book more instead of feeling this disappointment of waiting for said sexy time to happen and waiting and waiting and realizing at 98% of the book it would be too late for it to happen and leaving me confused as f**k. It was very vanilla you know, all the frisson, all the sexual tension and NO ACTION!!!!! But it's cool, it's cool still an enjoyable read.

*I received this book by the publishers via Netgalley in return for an honest review

[Gerrie · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 out of 5 stars

[Sally Hannoush · Rating 4 out of 5]

A love story that grew from nothing but chance. A lot of "devil's" work is done in many different ways. Things aren't as they appear all the way around. A good read.

[Mary Stockwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book

This book is so excellent. The characters come to life. I love a well written historical romance, especially when it has a twist of mystery.