The Devil Takes a Bride

The Cabot Sisters #2

by Julia London

A high society bad girl’s plan for marriage backfires in this Regency romance by the New York Times–bestselling author of The Trouble with Honor.Once the toast of society, Grace Cabot and her sisters now await the shame of losing high status and fine luxuries upon the death of the Earl of Beckington. The dire circumstances are inevitable unless, of course, Grace’s wicked plot to seduce a wealthy viscount into marriage goes off without a single hitch. But once a stolen embrace with the wrong man leads her to be discovered in the arms of Jeffrey, the Earl of Merryton, her plan takes a most unexpected—and scorching—twist.Governed by routine and ruled by duty, Jeffrey had no desire for a wife before he succumbed to Grace’s temptation. Though his golden-haired, in-name-only bride is the definition of disorder, he can’t resist wanting her in every way. But once her secrets meet his, society might consider their lives to be ruined beyond repair . . . while Jeffrey might just see it as a new beginning.Originally published in 2015Perfect for fans of Bridgerton.“London’s writing bubbles with high emotion as she describes sexual enthusiasm, personal grief, and familial warmth. Her blend of playful humor and sincerity imbues her heroines with incredible appeal, and readers will delight as their unconventional tactics create rambling paths to happiness.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Regency, Historical Fiction, Audiobook, Regency Romance

363 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 27, 2015

About the author

Julia London is the New York Times and USA Today best selling author of more than two dozen romantic fiction novels. She is the author of the popular historical romance series, the Cabot Sisters, including The Trouble with Honor, The Devil Takes a Bride, and The Scoundrel and the Debutante. She is also the author of several contemporary romances, including Homecoming Ranch, Return to Homecoming Ranch, and The Perfect Homecoming.

Julia is the recipient of the RT Bookclub Award for Best Historical Romance and a six-time finalist for the prestigious RITA award for excellence in romantic fiction. To keep up with all the Julia London news, please visit http://www.julialondon.com. Follow her on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/julialondon

Reviews

[Zoe · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book tops my "odd books" list, hands down.

I was confused. I was appalled. I was shocked.

And I decided to hold on to my kindle version of the book and put it on my keepers shelf. I am not certain how to explain it. If that isn't odd, I don't know what it is.

Warning: I have a lot to say about this book. Please proceed with caution.

I read the first book in the series, about the oldest Cabot sister, Honor Cabot, and hated her with a passion. The 2nd Cabot sister, Grace Cabot, is the heroine of this book. The book opens approximately around the same time book 1 starts. While Honor Cabot was plotting to use George Easton to seduce an innocent woman under the banner of "for my family", Grace Cabot was also scheming for the same selfish reason but she didn't know what Honor had planned. Grace Cabot also wanted to save her family, and pathetically, she was as dishonest as Honor and stooped as low as her older sister. Grace's grand plan, was to trap Lord Amherst into marriage. As I read on I realized together with Grace, what an idiotic notion she had, and how immature she was. Lord Amherst saw through Grace's scheming and his older brother, Lord Merryton, had the good luck of falling into Grace's trap while he was searching for his wayward younger brother Lord Amherst. But he became Grace's victim and had to marry her.

I think it should be fairly obvious that I do not respect Grace (or the Cabot sisters, for that matter) as a character. Some may argue that she was Merryton's victim, especially in the early stages of their marriage. But I would like to bring it to the jury's attention that it was HER CHOICE to trap someone she hardly knew into marriage and use him to protect her family. She didn't stop to think whether the guy wanted to marry her or whether the guy had someone else waiting for him. She didn't care about the poor guy who she chose to be her husband, who would then be saddled with her and her sisters and her mad mother. She just needed a guy with a title and MONEY. How does she deserve my sympathy when she found that she was trapped in a less than ideal marriage? She was lucky that Merryton was the honorable man that he was. As imperfect as he was, he was the better person and did have the financial means, which was important to Grace and Honor because, God forbid that they had to live without society, balls and gowns.

But I digress, as I usually do when I have the misfortune of meeting a character whom I despise.

Grace got what she wanted: she married a Lord. And if I could say something to Grace: Grace Cabot, you made your bed, now lie in it and you will have no sympathy from me. But Lord Merryton was no prize. He was..............unusual. And that is putting it mildly.

Merryton obviously suffered from some form of mental illness. It took the form of compulsive behaviors, a strong need to adhere to rules and uniformity. Everything should match and align. And he liked the number 8 and held on to it like a lifesaver. The underlying reason, is that he had a voracious sexual appetite and favored some types of BDSM in the bedroom.

It may be noted that I am rather vague on Merryton's "affliction". Well I know so very little of BDSM, having only known the term in the last 6 months (yeah sorry, I am not what you would call "adventurous"). I think Julia London was intentionally vague on the details and depth of his "affliction" as well and chose to leave that to our imagination. So imagine your worst, Merryton was that.

Merryton, oh I felt for the man. He was deeply shamed by his condition and struggled to restrain himself. But having Grace jumping him in the darkness while he looked for his sorry excuse of a brother was too much for him and he ended up having to offer for this woman, Grace Cabot. Now he was in a bind: what does a man do with a virgin bride when he contends with his rather animalistic sexual appetite? Desperate to keep his condition a secret, Merryton was unpleasant and frustrating to live with. Oh he feared, for his family's noble name, for this innocent woman who knew not carnal pleasures but now had become the core of his desires, for the potential ruin shall anyone found out about him. Merryton had always suffered, and now he suffered more.

I hope I have given enough information about who Grace and Merryton were as characters. Now I would like to discuss the story. This is THE ONLY BOOK, that has EVER come close to convince me that a sexual relationship could turn into love. Merryton and Grace shared no love in the beginning, how could they? They did not know each other at all and that is not euphemism, that is a fact. They had a rather heated interaction in the dark and boom they were married. But they had a sexual relationship from day 2. Merryton consummated the marriage when Grace said she would like to try to be a wife to him. And their physical relations in the beginning were difficult. Grace wanted some affections. She was new to sex. Merryton could only manage to "keep to the normal business" without letting his natural tendency run wild. So Merryton had sex with his wife. It was as simple as that. They had sex.

Now this may be a sore spot for some readers. I myself, was relieved to read that the marital bed was handled in a more practical light. Much to my relief, I did not have to read about how they "waited to have relations". This is such a modern idea and it really bothers me that writers feel compelled to portray a society marriage in a more palatable way for modern readers. As uncomfortable as the situation must be, I have always wondered, what was one to do when one ended up in such a situation? Did they truly bother with these modern notions of "I would like to get to know you first" back in the days, or they got to the business with a pragmatic attitude and did what they were supposed to do? I should think that back in the days, people were not so "plagued" with these romantic notions for maidenly hopes.

Because of Merryton's character, it is of little wonder how many sex scenes there are in this book. Merryton and Grace did it frequently, and all "in front of us", too. But this is where this book fascinates me: I could see it happening for Merryton and Grace. That they shared nothing but sex in the beginning and sex had led to mutual affections.

I don't mind sex in the story, but man do I hate an useless sex scene. In a heavily sexual romance novel, it usually goes like this: the main characters had sex and wow this was the best sex he had ever had so this woman must be so special and he must love her because you know, the sex was so great, it was never like this with any other woman. And I love you, the end.

I mean, no offense, but seriously, get real. Whenever I read such a novel, I want to ask the writer, in what monkey world does pure sex lead to love for men? Men are simple creatures, really. (And somehow I envy the ability, in men or women, to engage in sexual activities as they are: a normal activity without complicating it with emotions and attachments. I honestly meant that, nothing disparaging intended.)

My above comment notwithstanding, Julia London is the first and only writer to date who created a story that convinced me that it could be possible that people go from sex to true affections. This is accomplished because Julia London created Merryton. He was a carnal creature, he wasn't just a man. He was an obsessive man, who had a tremendous need for sex. But at the same time he was ashamed of it. He knew this was not the social norm and most people, even today, would condemn him for who he was (even though I am almost 100% certain that these hypocrites would sinfully delight in reading about Merryton). He despised his nature, of his want. But he couldn't change who he was.

But when he was trapped into marriage with Grace, he knew he was in even more trouble. He felt dirty enough about himself and now he had a virgin wife, who knew nothing about sex. Oh I imagine he was excited. But at the same time he was horrified.

So Merryton and Grace stumbled into marriage and headlong into loveless sex, for a while. Grace did win back some of my affections because she stood by Merryton. This is marriage, if you want it to work, you stand by each other, through thick and thin. But through the physical activities, Merryton and Grace built a unique, albeit fragile, connection, which helped Merryton accept himself, and helped Grace gain a real husband. This was the most notable thing about this book for me: Julia London showed me one scenario in which it is possible, for a couple to go from loveless sex to a bond in love. And she convinced me that sexual compatibility was the major driver for the success of this particular marriage.

This book deteriorated in the last 30% in my eyes when all the Cabot family and Merryton's younger brother came into the picture. I found it the end to be rather boring and messy, but I knew what Julia London was getting at: you accept those you love, even though they disappoint you, or rather, especially when they disappoint you. This is one sentiment that I truly share. So I appreciate the nod to the importance of acceptance in love.

My one issue with characterization in this book is Merryton's brother, John. I don't get him: he seemed like a snake when he tried to scare Grace by telling her about Merryton's "sexual preference" and Grace despised him for that. Then in 20 pages, John turned into a saint who returned to his son and the woman he ruined and claimed that he wanted to be there for them. And how was he a Lord? He was a second son. Merryton was firstborn and held the rank of earl. If there were any secondary titles, they would have all belonged to Merryton. I don't understand how a second son of an earl would have a title. John would be heir presumptive for Merryton but that did not give him the right to any courtesy titles. It bothered me that John was referred to as Lord Amherst. But well, I am not an expert on this. I was just bothered for the lack of knowledge to determine whether that was appropriate.

I would also like to add as an afterthought that Lord Merryton, Jeffrey Donovan, reminded me of Ian from The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie, which is a wildly popular book which I really did not like. If I had to go for a hero who had some kind of mental disability, Jeffrey was way better in my eyes than Ian. And as much as I dislike Grace Cabot in this story, I disliked Beth from The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie more.

[Ivy H · Rating 4 out of 5]

Order vs Disorder: That's what the subtitle to this novel should be. But it's a chiselled and sexy kind of "order" and an enchantingly spirited "disorder" that are portrayed in this novel via the H and heroine, respectively. Geoffrey the H is the wealthy and stuffy Earl of Merryton, but don't let the title fool you; this guy is not a happy camper. Geoffrey was raised in an environment where his autocratic father punished him severely and always forced him to live by the rules of order and conventional modes of conduct. His mother kept herself occupied by languishing in her bedroom and sipping on laudanum. As the first born son, Geoffrey was expected to be perfect in everything he did and to never behave as normal young boys would. As a result of his dysfunctional upbringing, Geoffrey became an obsessive compulsive kinda guy. He was fixated with notions of order, straight lines and the number 8. I think it was his way of maintaining control over his immediate environment. Geoffrey's sexual desires also haunted him because he was taught, by his conservative daddy, to believe that rampant lustiness and extreme sexual fantasies were wrong. This created a weird, F up dichotomy in Geoffrey's world: on the one hand he would have really wild, sexual trysts with mistresses yet he would later end up hating himself for finding pleasure in such "dirty" things. He also believed that a noblewoman/wife will never enjoy sex and that it's a husband's duty to just do the act as quickly as possible to avoid causing her emotional distress. Then into Geoffrey's world of order and conservatism comes the heroine, Grace !

I loved Grace. She has 3 sisters and her mother is going mad ( literally ). In this era, people believed that insanity was hereditary and Grace felt she had to find herself a husband before the rest of the Ton discovered the truth about her mother's mental health issues. Grace's big plan is to trap John, Lord Amhurst ( and Geoffrey's rakish younger brother ) into marriage. Grace sends a note to John asking him to meet her at some place for tea. Geoffrey intercepts the note, thinks John is up to no good and goes in his brother's place. The room is darkened and Grace ends up kissing Geoffrey. The H becomes so filled with unwanted lust that he can't control and the two start making out like horny teenagers. Grace, the dummy, still thinks it's John and she's excited since she had never found John sexy before. The scene is interrupted by a parson and 2 busybody ladies ( the prim and proper types who can't keep their gossipy mouths shut for a minute ! ). Our MC's are then propelled into a marriage of convenience and Grace is damn lucky that Geoffrey is such an upstanding man who hates the idea of gossip staining his venerable family name. If it was a rakish H in an Anne Stuart novel, Grace would have had to buy a ticket on the next ship sailing to New York.


I would have given this a five star rating because this couple was so sexy but their romance took a little too slow to actually get started. I understood the reason why the relationship was a little slow to develop, because they were complete strangers due to Grace's stupidity in "trapping" the wrong ( but MUCH BETTER ) brother. However that meant that the first third of the novel was filled with stilted conversation between them while they attempt to become comfortable with each other. But the sex during the last quarter of the novel, was HOT. I loved the scene where the H pours honey over selected parts of Grace's body and licks it off ! Then Grace reciprocates and there's even the use of a riding crop too. It was a lot better than the couple's early sexual activity, where Geoffrey is afraid to be too sensual because he thinks Grace will hate it. It was very enthralling watching the way Grace broke down Geoffrey's barriers, by gradually infusing little bits and pieces of wonderful chaos into his very orderly world. The author also shows how much Grace herself wanted to revel in her sexuality and was confused as to why her husband seemed afraid to touch her. The relationship that developed between this mismatched but very sexy couple was one that was built on trial and error. Each character kept trying to be the ideal spouse and at times each would do something to annoy the other, but once in a while there would be a significant breakthrough. A lot of the effort was put forward by Grace because poor Geoffrey was kinda clueless about what his wife really needed. Grace also makes an effort to befriend Geoffrey's retired nanny/governess and this dear old lady helps her to understand her complex husband's past.

I really like Geoffrey. He was a different type of alpha male H. He was strong, handsome and sexy but his obsessive compulsive issues and his hang ups created a fascinating romance story for me. It made him a very unique type of hero. He was still as hot as F though. Grace, the heroine, is my favorite among the Cabot sisters in this series. She is slightly wicked, funny, sweet and she enjoys getting all caught up in Geoffrey's sexy light bondage games. What I admired most about Grace was how she saved this runty little useless puppy that the breeders had claimed would be unsuitable as a hunting dog. That pup was so mischievous and cute that he kept bothering everybody so much that Grace named him Bother ! I LOVED Bother ! Then Grace saves a little 3 legged mongrel that's homeless. How can I not love this girl ? Seriously. If you want to read a regency historical about a very unique type of alpha H and the crazy ass heroine who tamed him then you will love this book ! Plus there is no cheating and no OW or OM drama. There is mention of a wannabe OW that the H had been thinking of proposing to but since he never loved her and she never enters the story, then she doesn't count. Actually all three novels in this series are great but I am glad the author did not write a book about the youngest sister Mercy. She came off as a supreme annoying brat in all her sisters' novels. Prudence is my second favorite and Honor gets third place.

Btw, I LOVED the novel's cover !

[Alba Turunen · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Estrellas. Iba con expectativas muy bajas respecto a éste libro, porque lo anterior que había publicado Julia London no valía nada, sobre todo el primero de la serie, que me disgustó demasiado. También es cierto que al igual que ocurrió con “Juego secreto”, temía que la protagonista, Grace, fuese una aprovechada como su hermana mayor.

Los motivos de Grace para hacer lo que hace no son nada honorables, eso por descontado. Si Honor me horrorizó en “Juego secreto” mediante una actitud tan mezquina como separar a una pareja que se ama para que ella no pierda su estatus, la decisión de Grace no es mucho mejor. Sí, las hermanas Cabot están en un atolladero, y sus posiciones penden de un hilo, sobre todo porque su madre está perdiendo su salud mental, y solo eso era motivo de escándalo y exclusión social.

En el anterior libro Honor pudo solucionar su problema particular, y sobre Grace solo supimos lo que tenía pensado hacer, seducir a un vizconde para que se viera obligado a casarse con ella, y así pudiera cuidar de ellas y de su madre. ¿Verdad que los motivos son egoístas? Pues lo cierto es que este plan le salió mucho mejor de lo que creía, porque el caballero a quien tenía pensado seducir, no se presentó en la trampa, si no que lo hizo el hermano mayor de éste, el conde de Merryton.

Jeffrey Donovan, el conde de Merryton, es un hombre extraño, raro, excéntrico, frío y solitario. Jeffrey vive una vida de pulcritud y orden sin par; para él todo es lógico y medible, y tiene un particular fetiche con el número ocho. Por consecuencia de ser tan extraño, es un hombre solitario que rara vez frecuenta la alta sociedad porque no sabe comportarse. Pero hay algo más oscuro en Jeffrey que él intenta mantener oculto a toda costa, y es que con su carácter y forma de ser, no concuerda para nada el rol que ha querido darle la autora, la mente de Jeffrey está sucia y llena de perversiones sexuales, él sabe que está mal pensar así y no puede evitarlo, por eso, para él es una tortura estar tan cerca de una mujer tan hermosa como Grace, y no querer hacerla daño o corromperla como quiere su mente. La verdad que la fantasía a lo rollo Grey se lo podía haber ahorrado la autora y quizás el libro habría subido la última estrellita.

La vida de Grace da un vuelco tremendo cuando se da cuenta del error que ha cometido, sabía que era un error atrapar a un caballero como había pensado, lo que no sabía es que el error sería mayúsculo cuando quien entró en aquella oscura sala era otro hombre, un hombre misterioso que supo besarla y darle lo que quería, pero un hombre que no comprende, que no conoce y que la asusta. De modo que su relación solo puede empezar de una manera, como matrimonio de conveniencia que se ven obligados a aceptar tras ser pillados en flagrante delito.

Poco a poco Grace deberá ir acostumbrándose a su nueva situación, su nueva casa, la mansión campestre de su esposo, donde éste está la mayor parte del tiempo, pues no frecuenta la sociedad; su nueva vida, su soledad sin sus hermanas, y un esposo al que no comprende, ni a él ni a sus manías. En cierta manera, Jeffrey es algo Asperger, es muy inteligente, ordenado y metódico y espera que todo esté como desea, si no, pierde sus casillas, así que Grace pone su vida patas arriba y su paciencia hasta el límite.

Así que ¿Qué es lo bonito que ha tenido el libro? En general la historia, me gustan los protagonistas que tienen algún tipo de tara, o simplemente rarezas que se salgan de lo común, y así ha sido Jeffrey. Lo que menos me ha gustado es el rollo Grey que le ha dado Julia London, creo que no lo necesitaba, además de que al libro le sobraban algunas pocas escenas de sexo, y estoy hablando de un libro que en extensión es muy cortito, creo que podría haber rellenado algo más simplemente viendo cómo evolucionaba la historia de los protagonistas, de ser unos extraños a conocerse, a apreciarse y a llegar a algo más, eso es lo que ha hecho al libro bonito.

No será la mejor serie de Julia London, pero de vez en cuando escribe algún libro que sorprende y éste me ha convencido, salvo el detallito que menciono más arriba. Por suerte la actitud de Grace ha cambiado mucho desde el inicio y me ha gustado más de lo que pensaba, y Jeffrey me ha gustado enterito salvo sus perversiones, pero al fin y al cabo lo que me ha gustado es cómo evoluciona y se abre a Grace.

Sólo me queda el libro de Prudence, que con ése final que ha dejado la autora se prevé que su historia está a punto de empezar. Espero que por lo menos me guste, si no tanto como éste, más que el primero.

[Lori ◡̈ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Current 2025 rating: 4-stars
Original 2015 rating: 5-stars and a keeper. 

This story has been brought to you by the number 8.

8️⃣ Jeffrey, the Earl of Merryton - was brought up by an extremely abusive father that punished hard and demanded perfection. Jeffrey grew up to have serious OCD issues and high anxiety seemingly as a result. He is know thru high society as being “rigid and fastidious, and thinks of little else than propriety.”

To regain control when he starts to feel overwhelmed, he counts to the number 8 and keeps his home decorated in uniformity. He also lives under a heavy cloud of shame for what he perceives to be depraved thoughts and desires. He would have racing thoughts of positions he imagined women to be in (specifically touching herself). He was no manwhore though, he tried to hide these thoughts by being stoic and proper at all times. But then Grace turned his life upside down.

🍯 Grace Cabot - needed to get married before society learns her mother is slowly going mad. She tries to create a compromising situation to be caught alone with a certain Lord that was friendly with her, to force him to marry her…. but she gets caught with his brother instead. (Thankfully she did NOT get caught with the brother, and he be forced to marry her and destroy his life as he was secretly in love with another girl)

The only thing that I remembered from my first time reading this story was that beginning scene in the tea room, and then that ‘the hero was a sex addict that was afraid to hurt or disgust the heroine’. And while that was true, my second time reading this wasn’t as enthralling as the first time. I felt there was too little angst overall, I wished for more scenes focusing on just the two of them learning to live together (and less on side plots). So it was entertaining enough, but not necessary to keep on my Keeper Shelf for a reread in the future.


Bingo Reading Challenge 2025
Square #3 - MC is neurodivergent
Progress - 47/100
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Original 2015 review:
I loved this book! The characters were absolutely perfect. I loved that the heroine was not a meek, mousy little thing, but she was also not a bitchy feminist shrew. She was a fun character that was easy to want to read about. The hero was a tortured OCD/anxiety attack prone type of guy and I loved reading the story and seeing how the two of them come together and work thru it. His personality was great too. He had major mental issues that he was trying to overcome but he was not a real jerk about it to his wife. He often stressed that he would harm her or apologized to her, and it was very sweet because of what a serious, stoic guy he was. Just a perfect, sweet (and steamy) love story!

[Pepa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reseña completa: https://masromance.blogspot.com.es/20...
Es una novela muy simpática. Es fresca, no muy extensa y se lee prácticamente sola. Muy acorde con las publicaciones de esta editorial.
El principal aliciente es el protagonista masculino, en él se centra gran parte de los capítulos, quien con su comportamiento protagoniza escenas y comentarios que me han parecido muy divertidos.
La protagonista femenina muy tópica, una joven lanzada que se sacrifica por su familia y que tiene un comportamiento nada acorde con la época. Sino, no habría novela.
No sé si por el vocabulario o por el comportamiento general de la familia, en más de una ocasión parece que no estás leyendo una novela histórica. Mis recuerdos sobre el estilo de Julia London no concuerdan con este nuevo estilo, lo que me plantea si ya, originariamente, son publicaciones más ligeras
En definitiva, una novela original y fresca a la que enfrentarse sin grandes expectativas pero mucho mejor que la primera.
La primera parte me ha gustado mucho más que la segunda.

[Nuria Llop · Rating 3 out of 5]

Me ha gustado más que la primera entrega de la saga de las hermanas Cabot, pero sigue careciendo de la profundidad de las anteriores novelas de Julia London. Los protagonistas y el argumento son totalmente adecuados a la época (no como en la anterior) y él resulta bastante interesante (y a veces cómico) por su personalidad un tanto obsesiva. La historia avanza a buen ritmo y entretiene, pero a pesar de que hay bastantes escenas de sexo, les falta erotismo. Me da la sensación que la autora ha querido adaptarse a la moda imperante de la novela romantico-erótica y no se siente cómoda al escribir estas escenas. No sé qué motivos la han llevado a cambiar su estilo (quizá el cambio de editorial, ya que Harper Collins no publica casi nunca novelas que excedan de las 250 pag., como eran las de J. London), a simplificar sus historias y sus personajes, pero creo que es una lástima. Aún así, seguiré leyéndola y recomendaría esta novela a las lectoras que suelen preferir las historias que se leen rápido y resultan amenas.

[Fani *loves angst* · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Grace Cabot goes to Bath feeling the need to marry a husband as soon as possible, before the truth about her mother's madness comes out. She hatches a plan of convincing a young lord she rather fancies to join her in an empty shop, where she's sure they're to be discovered by others and thus forced to marry. Unfortunately for Grace -or rather fortunately as it turns out- it's not the young lord than falls into her plan, but his elder, stuffy brother, the Earl of Merryton. And thus their marriage begins...

The Fall of Lady Grace is not a perfect book, nor are its characters anywhere near perfect. Grace is obviously an opportunist, willing to trap a man into marriage in order to save her family from ruin; however, she turns out to be a most likable heroine. Jeffrey, our hero, is also imperfect: he suffers from severe OCD and his own kind of madness (mainly consisting of imagining almost everyone he sees in sexual situations and enjoying his women bound and ... in numbers, ready to pleasure him or each other). There's absolutely NO menage though in this book, only him and the heroine. And yet, those two imperfect heroes, make one perfect, adorable and quite adventurous couple! I liked seeing those two striving to communicate, to create something good out of this forced marriage, without added bitterness or unnecessary drama. I loved Grace's stubborness, her pragmatic views and the fact that she takes things into her own hands when something's not the way she wants it to be. I loved Jeffrey's shyness, his struggle to overcome his disabilities, his unwavering honesty. I loved seeing them together, watching the lust and physical attraction turn to something deeper. I loved watching Jeffrey open up and starting to believe that someone can indeed care for him despite the fact that he'll never be perfect. In short, I loved everything about this book:)

There were scenes in this book that made me laught out loud, followed by deeply emotional and tender ones. The sex was generally hot but the kinky stuff is mentioned in passing rather than described in detail, so no need to fear if that's not your cup of tea.

It's been months since I last read a historical romance and even more since I last enjoyed one, but this book made me reconsider getting back to the genre.

ARC received by NetGalley

[Caz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've given this a B- at AAR, but have rounded up to 4 stars.

Readers were introduced to the Cabot sisters in the first in this four-book series, The Trouble With Honor. The two eldest sisters – Honor and Grace – are only a year or so apart in age, and have both had a couple of seasons. Although beautiful, witty, and much sought-after, neither has accepted a proposal of marriage, having found the chase to be much more fun than settling on one particular suitor.

But now their stepfather is terminally ill, and their mother is showing the first signs of madness (we would recognise this today as Alzheimer’s Disease) – and Honor and Grace are brought down to earth with a bump. When Lord Beckington dies, they will have nowhere to live and very little money – and once word gets out about their mother’s illness, their chances of marrying well will be practically nil. After all - what man is going to want to saddle himself with the expense of his wife’s sisters and insane mother?

Believing Honor’s marital prospects to be poor, Grace decides it’s down to her to make a match with a man wealthy enough to be able to support them all, and she has just such a one in her sights.

Lord Amherst is young, handsome, the brother of an earl and a man who has often singled Grace out as the recipient of his flirtations. He has recently removed to Bath, so Grace follows him there, her desperation to secure a home for her family leading her to plan a truly despicable act; she is going to trap him into marriage.

Grace’s plan works to a T – except that she entraps the wrong man and ends up having to marry Amherst’s older brother, the austere Earl of Merryton instead.

The story then follows these two very different people as they attempt to find a way to live together, an attempt that is hampered not only by Merryton’s knowledge of what Grace had intended and her guilt, but also by the fact that he is a very troubled man.

The wedding is hastily arranged, and afterwards, the earl takes Grace to his country estate near Bath. Deciding there is nothing to be gained by moping or cowering away from the rather saturnine stranger with whom she is to share her life, Grace sets out to try to make something of their marriage, regardless of its inauspicious beginning. In spite of that contemptible act, Grace turns out to be a strong and engaging heroine who genuinely wants to understand her husband and to be a good wife to him.

Jeffrey Donovan has lived rather a solitary life. Brought up by a cruel and authoritarian father to believe he had to be perfect, he suffers from a compulsive disorder and finds it very difficult to cope with the inconsistencies and the unpredictability of everyday life. He is also plagued by images of what he believes to be sexual deprativies; and he has found that the only way he can banish both them and his fear of losing control is by counting and doing mathematical calculations. To be honest, he’s not all that depraved (this is an historical romance, after all, not an erotic novel) – but I suppose it’s plausible that a young man who was brought up as Jeffrey was, and who has no close male friends with whom to get drunk and talk about girls could have come to see the idea of getting turned on by thoughts of girl-on-girl action or a bit of light bondage as abnormal and perverted (!)

While Jeffrey is at first rather starchy and stand-offish, he tries, in his own way, to understand what Grace wants, and his gradual unbending is rather sweet. Like Grace, his one driving principle has been to protect his family – and when he realises, towards the end of the book, that he is in danger of repeating his father’s mistakes, it’s very much to his credit that he decides to do something about it even though it is incredibly difficult for him.

The chemistry between Jeffrey and Grace is strong and their relationship is well-written. Jeffrey’s fear of losing control and Grace’s inexperience make their first sexual encounters awkward and a little uncomfortable to read, which, given their situation, makes perfect sense. Thankfully, this isn’t a story that relies on misunderstandings to create tension – it’s there because of the situation in which the protagonists find themselves and because of the fact that they both have much to learn about each other and big adjustments to make.

The book contains some elements that are perhaps a little darker than are commonly found in historical romance, and it tackles a difficult subject in what seems to me to be a fairly realistic manner. Lady Beckington’s dementia is presented sensitively, and the scene in which the entire family gathers for a meal is very touching, showing the normal chaos of family life as well as providing a bit of an epiphany for Jeffrey, who sees his wife’s family accepting their mother for who she is and treating her as part of the family, even as her illness progresses.

Jeffrey’s mental issues are also handled sympathetically, and I did appreciate that Grace didn’t turn out to be some sort of miracle cure for him. It’s clear that he is always going to have problems, although we see him begin to take steps to learn to live with them more positively towards the end of the book. I did think that perhaps there were a couple of things which fell into place a little too easily for him, but I’m not an expert on these things, so I’m not going to dismiss the possibility that he could learn to adapt.

I enjoyed reading The Devil Takes a Bride (although Jeffrey is not a devil – bedevilled perhaps, but certainly not a bad person), and while it may help to have read the first book, it’s not absolutely necessary as this works perfectly well as a standalone. While I can’t say I noticed any serious flaws, I did, however come away from it feeling as though it was a little insubstantial, even given the somewhat difficult subject matter. This is one of those times when I’m grading based on a gut instinct as to where this book sits in comparison to others I’ve read recently, hence the B-. Above average, but perhaps not a book I’ll be re-reading in the very near future, although I will probably continue to follow the series.

[Izzie (semi-hiatus) McFussy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh. Spicy scenes were substituted for romance. Some weren’t magical. I was empathetic to Jeffrey’s issues, but that didn’t make him likable. Daisy was better, but she had to shoulder too much of the plot.

[Debbie DiFiore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay this was very different. It reminded me a little of Ian Mackenzie in the book "The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie" which I adored. Jeffrey the hero in this book isn't as hot as Ian was but he suffers from OCD and they have similar traits. I thought he might have Aspergers at first but I don't know. The heroine who I loved was just awesome. She was trying to trap a husband before anyone found out that her Mother was going mad. It came after a hit to her head and they acted like it was a gene in their family blood. But I got past that. Instead of the man she wanted to trap she gets Jeffrey. Pretty steamy sex in this book too. They get caught and have to get married. One of his symptoms were his lascivious thoughts. If he saw a beautiful woman he would think of them in a sexual encounter. And he liked to watch two women together and light bondage and a little spanking. I was like doesn't every man have those kinds of thoughts?? Lol. I don't know but he has to count to eight so that it goes away. Once he sees Grace and marries her, he only thinks about Grace in his thoughts. But he changes from a man so strict and unfeeling to a really great hero. The heroine was so wonderful too. She liked being naughty so to speak and she had such a wonderful heart. The epilogue was wonderful too.I am really glad I read it.

[Izzah ꒰Duchess of Cabria ಇ ⭑✧ ᴏɴ ᴘᴀᴛʀᴇᴏɴ ✧ ⋆꒱ · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit messy, a bit heartbreaking

This book was hard to get through for me. I have only read three other HRs with neurodivergent heroes (The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie, To Tame a Savage Heart, Flaming June) and have yet to read one with a neurodivergent heroine. And that's because it might hit a bit too close to home, like this one did.
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🕮⋆˚࿔✎𓂃 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
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[Juliana Philippa · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars

For the first time in his life, what he was feeling was love. Soft, asymmetrical, messy, imperfect love.

Thoughts. What a fantastic book! I absolutely loved it. I apparently have read 2 Julia London books, but it was years and years ago, so I didn't remember anything about her or her style as an author. Given this, it was actually unusual for me to pick this book, because based on the summary, it wouldn't be a book I would normally like. A popular, beautiful, society darling (not my favorite heroine type) tries to trap a lord into marriage by getting herself compromised and instead gets his older earl brother (the act of someone who is scheming, manipulative, and doesn't care about others' lives)? Yeah, not much appeal. I'm so glad I looked past the summary and chose the book though; as occurs so many times to romance books, the summary ends up just doing it a complete disservice.

This romance was an emotional read, focused on the hero and heroine, and wonderfully portraying their complexity as people and the complexity of their relationship. I'm not giving anything away by disclosing that the hero has OCD, because it's told at the beginning, and I'll admit that this immediately had me excitedly clapping my hands. Okay, now that could come off as twisted, lol - so let me explain: I'm very involved in mental health awareness and advocacy and this is an issue that basically NEVER comes up in romances (in the sense that the hero or heroine have it, I mean). The only other romance I have ever read that truly deals with this issue is Megan Chance's The Portrait , which is a fabulous book and probably the most emotional romance I've ever read. (Now that I write this, I remember reading about another HR where the hero has I think Asperger's Syndrome, but I haven't read it yet and the author's name is escaping me).

Jeffrey, Our Hero. London wonderfully provides us insight into Jeffrey and his struggles with OCD and it was just so, so well done. Honestly, my heart broke for him so many times. He's such a tragic figure in so many ways at the beginning of the story, completely isolated and trapped by his illness, and then further burdened by his extreme feelings of shame and guilt. People think that he's extremely reserved, cold, exacting, and arrogant, but that's not it at all. He seems like a terrifying ass at the beginning; thankfully, we get insight into his thoughts from the start, so we're able to immediately see past that. He holds himself so far apart from others and I just wanted to give him a humongous hug numerous times throughout the book.

He knew that people perceived him to be aloof and haughty, but it wasn't true. The truth was that he was frozen, locked into the madness that had consumed his life. In his life, society was the most dangerous ground he walked. (Location 2335)

A couple important (at least for me) call-outs that make me again say hat's off to London:
(1) Jeffrey doesn't all of a sudden warm up to Grace in a couple chapters and completely change his behaviors and habits, which would be totally unrealistic
(2) He continues to struggle with OCD throughout the book
(3) I was so, so afraid London would have him all of a sudden be "cured" at the end, which would not at all be real and would send the wrong message in so many ways; he has definitely changed and we see in the Epilogue the transformation he has undergone, but it's all realistic and believable: while he still struggles with the illness, he's able to free himself, not be a slave to it anymore, and react differently to things, thanks to Grace, their relationship, and her love/acceptance

Grace, Our Heroine. Grace was a wonderful counterpart to Jeffrey. At first, one does wonder how a social butterfly like Grace will possibly be satisfied and happy in the countryside, but she comes to appreciate Blackwood Hall and the new "rhythm" of her life, as she phrases it at one point. I started off so suspicious of her, because her ploy is such a horrible thing; so manipulative, not taking into account any thought to her target, his life, his wishes, his dreams. From the beginning and throughout though, she knows it's wrong though, but feels she has no other choice for her family (the reason frankly doesn't seem very believable, since Augustine is such a wonderful step-brother; it doesn't make sense he would kick them out, even if his fiancee wanted them gone). She feels even more guilt when she realizes she trapped Jeffrey and owns up to what she did and her mistakes. She's such a likable and lovable heroine, her bright spirit and persistence is the perfect counterbalance to Jeffrey. At times I was nervous about how she might react to things, but it was all dealt with very realistically and maturely; it's completely reasonable that, especially in that day and age, one would feel a bit of trepidation once you found out.

She looked up at him, trying to find that moment in his eyes again. But he was, she was learning, a careful man, closely guarded and a master at protecting the gates. For some reason that made her feel sorrow for him. What must have happened to him to be so guarded? To refuse to let even the slightest ray of affection inside? How lonely that must be, she thought, and couldn't help herself—she touched his face. Merryton flinched and turned his head slightly, but Grace was not deterred. If anything, that flinch emboldened her. (Location 1702)

Their Relationship. Overall, their relationship is just beautiful and very sweet. You ache for Jeffrey, when you see how much he is struggling with having Grace in his life and how it deeply disturbs him. Grace's tenderness and care towards him is wonderful (it was so sweet what she does with the flower bouquet the second time; you'll know what I mean when you read it :-) I loved her spirit, how she dealt with situations, how she so sincerely wanted to understand her husband. It was also lovely to have a novel where it's the heroine who is being the persistent one, pushing the relationship forward, since so often that's the hero.

"I'm quite sturdy."
His smile deepened. "You are very sturdy."
"And you aren't afraid for me or of me."
He tucked a strand of hair behind her ears. "The only time I am afraid of you is when you take the pianoforte."
Grace's eyes widened with surprise, and then she laughed. "Do my ears deceive me? Does my husband jest?" (Location 2500)

Only Reservation/Criticism. The only thing that I didn't really understand were Jeffrey's naughty-images-thing; I wasn't sure whether to be upset because it was supposed to be related to the OCD and was therefore demonizing and dirtying the illness and sending the wrong message, or whether it was not related, or I don't know. I also wish that we had seen Jeffrey explain to Grace what he went through with his father and all that he experienced and witnessed, but oh well. I'll just assume he shares details post the book-period, since it wasn't essential for us to see.

The Basics.
Heroine: Miss Grace Elizabeth Diana Cabot (~22 years old)
Hero: Jeffrey Thomas Creighton Donovan, Earl of Merryton (30 years old)
Setting: Mostly in the countryside at Blackwood Hall, but also in Bath and a bit in London, Spring of 1812

Some of My Favorite Quotes. So many to choose from, as is the case with all good romance books ;-). But here are a few:

How this man baffled her! There was so obviously a need in him—not for her, or her body, precisely, but strangely, she thought she understood he needed not to be judged. That was a need born from pain, and Grace could not bear to see it in a man's eyes. (Location 2019)

As it was, she now knew too much about him. He was intrigued by her, aroused by her. He was angered by her, inconvenienced by her. He'd always been a man who took pride in the fact that he could always find an answer, could always bring order to any situation. Could always control himself. But with Grace, there was no order. There was no control. It was a messy, muddy hole of emotions and secrets and chaos. (Location 2074)

He realized as he watched Grace take her place at the pianoforte, what agitated him was a feeling so raw, so unnatural to him, that he didn't know how to tamp it down, how to push it out of sight or bury it. He could not count his way from this. What agitated him, what had turned him every which way, was that he cared. He cared for Grace. Against all odds, he cared for her a great deal, and that made him feel more uncertain than he ever had in his life. (Location 3051)

[The love declaration; hidden not to ruin it, but available here for those of us who want to easily enjoy it again :-)] "You must understand, more than anyone, how difficult it is for me to accept what John has done. Because I am mad, because I am lost without order and symmetry. Without them, the world descends into chaos and debauchery. You understand this."
"I'm trying to," she said helplessly.
"Then you must know how ..." His voice broke, and his hand curled at his side. "You must know what it means when I tell you that you have changed me. Your love, your acceptance, has changed me. When I look at you, the fears I carry inside me begin to subside. I can see the possibilities—I can't grasp them all, not yet, but I can see them—and I need you, Grace. I need you desperately."

Bottom Line. Cannot recommend it enough. Fantastic book that I can't wait to reread at a future date.

*This review is of an ARC provided by Net Galley and the publisher

(Written January 12, 2016)

[Lover of Romance · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary
Grace Cabot and her sisters are put in a horrible position, and she knows that she will need to marry before all of England learns that their mother is mad. Their mother suffered an accident a couple of years previous, and her mind has deteriorated, and it is growing steadily worse. Now she has decided that she needs to take matters in her own hands. So she plans on seducing a scoundrel, that would make an amiable husband. But her plan goes awry, when she seduces his older brother, the Earl of Merryton. Now they are forced to wed, and Grace realizes how wrong she was, and she starts to realize the consequences of the scandal, married to a man who is proper and firm in his orderly life. At first she doesn’t know what to make of her husband, who is aloof and withdrawn, and is obsessed with the number eight, and everything in their estate, has to run with perfect order. And there is nothing to do, Grace is used to do the frivolities of London and the entertainments, not being left alone and missing her family more than ever. But Grace is determined to find the truth behind Geoffrey, but will she stand by him when she learns his secrets…

The Hero
Geoffrey, the Earl of Merryton, grew up with hard childhood. He was painfully shy and reserved, and his father was cruel and harsh on his expectations. Then when he evolved into a young man, he started to suffer from images that aren’t normal, images that haunt him, and only counting with his numbers helps maintain his control. He travels to Bath often, hoping that he can find something to help heal what is wrong with him. But when he finds himself married to Grace, his control is slipping more than ever, and he wonders if he can keep the ‘beast’ contained, for his lovely wife who deserves an honorable husband and got Geoffrey instead. What I loved about Geoffrey, was how human he came off to appear…not perfectly fake. He had real challenges, he has many faults, but we see him change and you see how love changes him slowly…into a man who is strong and determined to be better.

The Heroine
Grace, is used to a busy life, and a chaotic one at that. She finds herself facing consequences of a scandal. Grace is the second in her family, and always felt she was never good enough for her family…it was always Honor who was great at everything, and the only thing Grace can do is make conversation and small talk. Grace finds herself living in a cold household with a cold husband and she is determined to know him and see what is beneath that aloof exterior. Grace is bold and is willing to take matters in her own hands…which creates problems and stress for her husband and their staff who are used to order and NOT chaos. Grace bothered me at times, she seemed not to care about consequences of her actions very non chalantly, and that bugged me, but I liked her character other than that. She is lively and energetic, and is protective of animals and takes in strays all the time. I love her caring and gentle nature….its needed to aid in her husbands problems.

Plot and Story Line
The Devil Takes A Bride is a riveting tale of how healing love can be. I was not sure how I would handle this story or how much I would enjoy it…but I liked it way more than The Trouble With Honor…maybe because Grace seemed more engaging than Honor. I liked Grace way more than Honor. She takes crazy risks that results in horrid scandal, but unlike Honor, she feels the repercussions more, and admits that she was wrong. This story was much more emotional as well and really tugged at my heartstrings at times. I don’t want to reveal too much about the problems that Geoffrey is suffering from, but its something that would be quite scandalous back in the day. So you see how real his trauma is, and how it’s affecting him emotionally and mentally. Its straining him, and soon you see how close he is to breaking…and that just about broke my heart…seeing how much he needed to be accepted and loved for who he is. He has never known love or a gentle hand since he was a boy with his governess. What was even better…was seeing how Grace fully accepts him, knowing everything and how willing she is to be open to him and love him unconditionally. This is a story that is one of the best of Julia London….provacative, riveting in emotion, and strong in plot and building of characters.

The Cover
I have to say I love poses like the one we have here…I adore red covers,,,a very bold and sensual color, and it works great with this one.

Overall View
The Devil Takes A Bride is a truly sensational tale of the power of love….how it can heal and give one strength and provoke sensation. A Sensual tale that will sweep you away. A SPLENDID TALE!!

[Sonia De la rosa · Rating 4 out of 5]

He disfrutado mucho con la historia de Jeffrey y Grace. Un protagonista con un trauma y un secreto que hace todo lo posible por esconderlo, haciendo que se muestre ante la sociedad como un hombre inaccesible y frío, se encuentra con una que es totalmente diferente a él.
Obligados a casarse para evitar el escándalo.... Grace le pondrá a Jeffrey su vida, tranquila y metódicamente ordenada, patas arriba

[[Aengell] · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a lovely, lovely story!

Have I mentioned already that Julia London is becoming one of my favourite HR authors? I can't and won't categorize the feeling her stories evoke in me, but I know that there's a wide range, from making-me-laugh, comical situations to heart-warming romance and deeply felt emotions, with a good dose of angst.

This story was exactly that and so much more.

The heroine, Grace, was forceful, at the beginning a little bit childish, but she had good intentions and her good nature shows throughout the whole story. She put the lightness and humor into the book.

Geoffrey, the hero, is the exact opposite. He's not only stiff, brooding, and seemingly in complete control, but he's also a tortured man, and has some serious health issues. Physically he's healthy and strong, but he is, as it is put in the book, "mad". Yes, we have a mad hero here, and it was not only beautiful to see how Grace helps and understands him, but it was also a delight to see how he comes to deal with his issues.

I loved how the story with his little brother evolved, the author did a kind of kitschy but cute plot twist.

I love Julia London's writing style, her narrative voice has something soothing but still making me excited about the story, and she can certainly create characters, quite similar to Sherry Thomas.

Strongly recommended!

[Gloria—aka—Tiger · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first book by this author, and I really liked it. The writing is excellent, the characters are vividly and convincingly portrayed, the relationship is built in a believable way. While Grace would drive me crazy in ten minutes with her constant chattering about gowns and society, I could actually understand how she might fit well with Jeffrey. I love stories about damaged and/or outside-the-norm characters and goodness knows Jeffrey is both, but I respect how he tries to manage his issues and still take care of his responsibilities. I also respect and admire Grace for seeing past his struggle to discover the human underneath his armor. I wish Jeffrey—or anyone, for that matter—had revealed the horrors of his childhood to Grace so that perhaps she had a more in depth perspective of his challenges, but hopefully they will get around to it during the lifetime they have ahead of them.

Looking forward to more books by Julia London.

[Desi · Rating 3 out of 5]

**2.75

Me gustó un poquito más que el primero... y el epílogo tiene mucho que ver!!

pero al igual que la anterior protagonista, Grace me pareció algo odiosa, inmadura y un poco egoísta!!

De Jeffrey no hay mucho que decir... al final resulta ser como todos los demás protagonistas, nada diferente, aunque nos quieran hacer creer que si!

[starryeyedjen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. I think I've only tried one other Julia London novel and felt rather the same about it. I appreciate that the author attempts a fair bit of uniqueness when it comes to her characters, but it just doesn't come off as entirely genuine...for the character or the time period. I think I've come to conclude that this author is also not for me.

[Cherry's Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Terminado. Aunque ha resultado ser una de estas novelas en las que todo el peso de la trama recaen sobre la figura del protagonista, me ha gustado. Tengo debilidad por los protas escacharraditos y este es uno estilo Lord Ian Mackenzie. Es un libro entretenido y que se lee solo, a diferencia del primero de esta saga que era muy soso. Me han sorprendido las escenas de cama, porque han sido abundantes para ser una novela no erotica, pero nunca me desagradan estas cosas así que minipunto para London. Tengo curiosidad por saber hacia donde tira el tercer libro de la serie que, por lo que parece, será el de Prudence.

[Pam Bereznak · Rating 5 out of 5]

So I met someone here on Goodreads who recommended book 2 of this series. I like to start a series from beginning so I am reading all 3. What I didn’t realize, as I was listing the 3 books on my books read list, I had actually already read Book 3. Why just 3, not sure. I looked it up here on Goodreads and saw I had read it back in 2015. I have no idea if I liked it or not because I wasn’t writing reviews then or keeping notes and that was 3000 books ago. I saw she is expensive and since I read at least 300 books a year, I thought that was why I didn’t get anymore.

Anyway, with all that being said, I really enjoyed book 1 and was definitely looking forward to this book 2. It did not disappoint. I really liked Jeffrey and Grace's story. I liked that the author wrote about someone with OCD. I'm not sure I've read very many that mention it. I love how much depth Julia gets in her stories and her characters. I liked both families, as strange and imperfect as they are. I think overall it was a good read.

Now let's see what happens in book 3.

[Ezi Chinny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think I’ve been sleeping on this author. This book was amazing. It was so well written and had incredible character development.
It had characters with mental issues that weren’t explicitly named but described enough for the reader to understand it was OCD and another with dementia. I also love heroines who are unconventional and forthright. This book had all of that and more.

The icing on the cake was that the audiobook which was narrated by the legend Rosalyn Landor. I loved this one!

[SassyLeg · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Well, appreciated the two protagonists and their flaws: the h basically traps the H into a compromising situation, ruthlessly pursuing her family's interest and the H...... is a "special" person.
He is so straight laced, dutiful, aloof, cold, unemotional etc etc but he actually needs to be IN CONTROL (bad childhood, of course).
Scandal and subsequent marriage completely mess up his life, so he fights till the end against emotional involvement .... but not against sexual chemistry!!
Yes, there is steam but there is also a plot - enjoyable.
Final mention: my empathy with the H for his "counting up to..." mania..... I do the same (with a different number). Do I need to worry for my mental health? 😶

[Amarilli 73 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, questo secondo capitolo mi è piaciuto ancora di più.

Stavolta la protagonista è Grace, la seconda delle Cabot, anch'essa preoccupata di trovare una sistemazione per tutta la sua famiglia, dopo che la morte del ricco conte-patrigno ha messo a rischio protezione e rendita.
Così la nostra fanciulla pianifica di farsi compromettere da un fascinoso (e nobile) libertino, ma qualcosa va storto e lei si ritrova sposata all'assai meno fascinoso fratello maggiore (in effetti, il titolo originale era "The devil takes a bride", il diavolo prende moglie, e questo rende il primo impatto con lord Merryton).

Se già i matrimoni combinati potevano non essere il massimo, figuriamoci i rischi che poteva portare uno a sorpresa e non desiderato da nessuno nella coppia.

Ma questa è una storia di conoscenza e di rinascita.
La London se ne frega di presentarci maschi sempre perfetti, senza incrinature: qui il Devil della situazione è un uomo sofferente per i suoi tic, i disturbi ossessivi-compulsivi, i suoi traumi non rimossi, le sue manie istintive, la sensibilità alla vicinanza con i propri simili.
L'autrice riesce a far percepire tutta la disperazione di un uomo del suo tempo, ignaro del proprio disturbo, terrorizzato dal farsi scoprire da domestici e suoi pari, che si autoimpone un sistema di salvataggio (oltre all'isolamento) per non essere additato come un pazzo e rinchiuso chissà dove.
Stupendi i passaggi dedicati al numero otto e al conforto che può dare.

E lei... Grace è splendida nel suo tentativo di aiutare questo marito così particolare, per quanto sia lei stessa inesperta e maldestra, e non abbia neppure gli strumenti per capire dei disturbi che i medici del tempo si limitavano a curare con laudano e salassi.

Una serie che consiglio e che voglio proseguire ancora.

[Olga · Rating 1 out of 5]

Libro justito para pasar la tarde , no aportada nada nuevo sobre erotismo, rarezas y excentricidades en plan Grey ( de hecho podría ser un antepasado jejeje) ... Ella muy en su papel de dama que quiere sacar del apuro a su familia y de virgen experimentada ... Lo se salva que lo ha escrito Julia london...

[Isa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bueno, pues tal y como esperaba, no ha sido gran cosa. Jeffrey y Grace no han conseguido transmitirme ni amor, ni sus miedos ni nada. Su historia de amor no me la he creído, sencillamente porque no la he visto. El conde y Grace son pillados en una situación comprometida y para evitar el escándalo deben casarse. Jeffrey tiene unos comportamientos y manías, como contar los pasos que hay en una habitación o las ventanas o su obsesión por un número en concreto, que le hacen sufrir porque piensa que está loco. Se intuye que esto viene de un trauma de la infancia relacionado con sus padres, pero la autora no lo explica en profundidad y pasa casi de puntillas por el tema, creo que es algo muy importante para poder comprender al protagonista. Por otro lado está lo que más me ha chocado y es su obsesión con el sexo, tiene pensamientos e impulsos que lo atormentan y le hacen pensar que es un pervertido y tal y como London lo relata, lo parece 😅. En un libro de Lisa Kleypas, El diablo en primavera, se trata un tema parecido, pero lo hace con tanta elegancia y naturalidad que no resulta chocante. Grace no me ha convencido mucho, al principio me resulta superficial y plana, aunque al final tiene una ínfima evolución. La historia entre ellos pasa sin pena ni gloria y de repente, ¡TACHAN! Están enamorados, ¿Cuándo? Me lo he debido de perder. En fin, un libro que me ha entretenido al principio pero que le ha faltado mucho para engancharme y transmitir ninguna emoción. Tal vez lea el siguiente, a ver si me encuentro con un protagonista menos “peculiar” 😒

[Shauni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally reviewed for Bodice Rippers, Femme Fatales and Fantasy.

In Book Two of her Cabot Sisters Series, Julia London tells a story of desperation, misunderstanding, redemption and yes love. She also gives us an excellent adventure and a story about two people who are forced into a marriage neither of them want.. and yet slowly manage to fall in love.

Grace Cabot needs to wed and needs to wed fast. Her life is petering on the edge and her entire family is facing ruin. Her stepfather is dead and her stepbrother the new Earl will soon be married. While this should not be a problem.. it seems that the bride to be has a less than stellar relationship with Grace's Sister Honor and the entire family is on the verge of being tossed out. Or so Grace thinks. Add to that the fact that her beautiful wonderful mother is losing her mind and Grace knows, no family of the ton will want to marry into a family that has a history of madness. So it's do or die! She has come up with a plan to ensnare, entrap, mislead... a man of the ton, a charming rake who flirts with all the girls.. but Grace thinks they can get along just fine. Only when the time comes, it's not the rake but his somber, tedious, overbearing brother who falls into her trap. And one scorching kiss later they are on their way to wedded bliss.

Jeffrey, the Earl of Merryton has spent his life taking care of his family. As a child he was forced to behave with propriety by an ogre of a father who abused him mercifully. Somewhere along the way, Jeffrey developed severe OCD and a few other issues.. probably social anxiety as well. Painfully shy he has done all he could to live up to his own expectations. Unreasonable expectations initially forced upon him by his father. Add to that the fact that Jeffrey has a kinky side and the poor man is just lost to himself. When he succumbs to an amazing kiss with Grace Cabot, Jeffrey's entire life changes. Talk about upsetting the apple-cart!

I wasn't crazed about book one in this series, The Trouble With Honor and am very happy to see that Grace's story is so much better. Sure Grace is conniving to get a man but she is still straightforward about it all, in a rather topsy turvy way. But that's Grace. Always one with a plan. Never one with a good one.

Watching these two learn to deal with each other was priceless! Grace had no clue how to deal with poor Jeffrey's OCD and her need to move things just a bit out of alignment was fun! Of course poor Jeffrey was no better. Both finagled and finessed their way into a rather unique and wonderful relationship.

Jeffrey as a character was heartbreaking, he spent his life trying to be perfect and eventually almost found himself alone. It took Grace to teach him that life wasn't perfect and people can make mistakes. Even cause a scandal and life goes on.

I admit, I cheered for these two! Excellent Book.

Shauni

This review is based on the ARC of The Fall of Grace, provided by netgalley and is scheduled to be released on July 29, 2014

[Nanou · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ouais 5 étoiles parce que j'ai envie et surtout que j'ai très beaucoup aimé cette histoire.

On va juste suivre Grace et Jeffrey s'apprivoiser l'un l'autre... Ya pas de méchant, pas de quiproquo, pas de retournement de situation, bon alors certes il va y avoir des étapes à franchir dans leur relation et ce sera pas facile au début, mais pour une fois on a pas de grand drame avec malentendu et résolution miraculeuse à la fin ^^

Rha Jeffrey *coeur coeur coeur*, il a des TOC, des crises d'angoisse... Complètement largué devant le tourbillon désordonné qu'est Grace xD. Ils sont trop mignons tous les deux <3

[S · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a unique and intriguing read. The hero's particular… quirks were fascinating to explore. His need for absolute order, the precisely aligned photo frames, the specific number of flowers – it added a layer of complexity and vulnerability to his character that I found compelling.

And the chemistry? Absolutely electric. The connection between the main characters crackled with a palpable tension that kept me turning the pages. It was a delightful blend of intrigue and a touch of something… different. A refreshing take on the genre, and I thoroughly enjoyed the ride.

[Jultri · Rating 3 out of 5]

OCD hero obsessed with perfection/symmetry/counting in 8s because the rigidity and order calms him down and reduces his sexually explicit recurring thoughts and the compulsion to act on these. In a case of mistaken identity, the heroine initially set out to seduce and entrap his younger brother but ended up being discovered in the earl's embrace instead. Not quite the usual glorious angst fest I have come to expect from Julia London.

[Aou · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5 stars