The Devil's Due

Desire in Disguise #2

by Rita Boucher

Beautiful Lady Katherine Steele was in desperate flight from the loathsome man who threatened even more than her virtue after her husband's death. Her only refuge was a castle deep in the heart of Scotland, her only safety lay in disguising herself as the widow of Lord Duncan MacLean, whose death in far-off battle left the castle without a master. But Duncan MacLean was not dead. The earl was very much alive - and his return to his ancestral home put Katherine at his mercy.

Genres: Historical Romance, Traditional Regency, Romance, Regency, Historical Fiction, British Literature, Historical

224 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published April 1, 1996

About the author

Rita Boucher has always loved stories set in the Regency era, (not surprising, considering she grew up reading Georgette Heyer.) Her books are now available in both Kindle and print editions. She is currently living her own personal happily-ever-after with her husband in Maryland, working on new stories, keeping in touch with family and fans and indulging in an occasional game of chess.

Reviews

[Jenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars

Thank you to Olivia Herber books (the publisher) & Booksprout for a copy of the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Apparently, this is a re-release of a book previously published in the 90's. This was a new writer to me and I was pleasantly surprised when I ended up liking the book.

Duncan and Kate are engaging characters with great chemistry. The supporting characters are also charming. The story was reminiscent of Shakespeare's "Taming of the Shrew" as well as Beauty & the Beast.

Duncan was erroneously reported as dead during the war. He had in fact been a POW who returns to England to find that his fortune has been forfeited to the Crown. He has one old, decrepit, cursed castle property left in Scotland to go while awaiting the process to legally correct the error. When he arrives, he finds Kate & her family has been staying there under the lie that she is his widow. Kate is in trouble so she's been successfully hiding out there.
Let the verbal dueling begin when they meet.

The writer did a good job of of painting a picture of the setting. The romance is a slow building one with no "intimate scenes" but a few very heated kisses.
The sexual tension/attraction b/w the 2 characters is front & center. The story was a little darker than the usual historical romance creating some depth and drama.

The negative was that some of the prose is very wordy (so much so that i got lost a few times, had to reread a few paragraphs here & there b/c i thought "um...huh? what?" as i got lost in all the words)

Overall, this was a good historical romance that was more character driven than story. I would read another book by this writer.

**Now on a side note, after the publisher received some early responses from readers that had issues w/a few details, they re-edited the ARC and sent us a new version. So I appreciate that the publisher & writer took the early comments into consideration and re-edited the book so that it would be more pleasing to those who had issues w/some of the scenes. While I think the writer has the right to her creative expression, I commend her for not wanting to alienate or otherwise disturb those loyal readers. I have read both versions. Basically, a few sentences were deleted and some wording was changed.
To be honest, that didn't effect the story at all. It still flowed smoothly and if I hadn't read the first version, I wouldn't have known. The story still maintained it's original integrity.

[Kathy * Bookworm Nation · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

This is a tough one to review. I normally prefer the more lighthearted stories, which I thought this would be. Some of the plot was dark though and made the story a bit more serious than I usually like. The writing and characters were great though. I actually really liked Kate and Duncan. Both have a lot of baggage, and heartache. They are really a blessing for each other and I enjoyed their story. Kate and her daughter and their faithful maid Daisy are on the run. After the death of her husband (a real loser) she is placed in the care of her evil brother-in-law. When she finds out he has been abusing her daughter they go on the run. We don’t find out until the end of the book what all happened, but throughout the story you know something was up. Kate discovers an abandoned castle in Scotland and decides to pretend to be a widow of the Lord who used to live there. Little does she know he was actually alive and well. Duncan returns from war to find Kate in his castle pretending to be his widow. While they have a rough start they slowly become friends and overlook the outside appearances to who is on the inside. I really liked that the romance in the story was believable. It wasn’t necessarily an insta-love, although they are attracted to one another. There was more depth to their feelings.

Daisy and Fred (Duncan’s friend) were fun characters, although sometimes I had a hard time understanding their dialect. Little Anne was a sweetheart, you of course feel for her. It was sweet to see her relationship with Duncan. Overall, I really enjoyed the story even though it did end up being more serious than I was expecting. I loved the love story!

Content: The romance between Kate and Duncan was clean, just some kisses. The bad guy was a pedophile (among other things) and there is some talk of abuse.

[Ilze · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is from the old Signet Regency romance line, although it is not strictly speaking a Regency romance at all. The story takes place in an old castle in Scotland that had been abandoned when the previous laird dies and his only son is believed killed in battle in the Peninsular War. The new laird, Duncan, did not die in battle, but had been betrayed by an Englishman, then captured and held by the French. After he escapes from the French prison, he and his faithful Cockney valet/batman make their way back to the family castle and find the heroine, Kate, living there with her mute daughter and her maid-of-all-work Daisy. It turns out that the same Englishman who betrayed Duncan to the French is responsible for the daughter's loss of speech and Kate's having to live in hiding in Duncan's castle. The story is somewhat convoluted and has too many pat coincidences to give it more than 3 stars. The use of Cockney accents for the speech of the English servants of Kate and Duncan and Scots accents for the Scottish villagers is a bit distracting and slows the reader down until one figures out what is being said, but does add to the atmosphere of the book.

The book's cover illustration is a bit silly because the hero actually has only one eye, having lost the other when he was betrayed and ambushed, and wears an eyepatch. In the scene illustrated on the cover, he has also not shaved for about a month and has a full growth of beard, as well as a scar from his jaw up to his missing eye! Also, in the book the couple are dancing some sort of Scottish reel, not waltzing.

[Catsalive · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this Regency, it has a tenebrous, almost gothic atmosphere, with some very dark themes. It is also populated with very likeable, interesting characters in Kate & Duncan, reliably supported by Daisy, Fred, Anne, & some wonderful villagers. 3.5*

[Nanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

First thing to point out is this book was released back in 1996 with this cover. It has been re-released now and will be on the market February 23, 2021. It has a brand new cover which is much nicer.
Lady Katherine Steele is the daughter of the late Colonel Braxton. Her father wanted a son and when he got a daughter, he treated like the son he didn't get. Teaching her to shoot guns, bow and arrows, ride like the wind and other very unladylike like things. Her late husband wanted a perfect ton wife and was very disappointed with her. When he died, he left his brother in charge of all she had including her small daughter, Anne. Only after her grief lifted did she find out what a evil man he was. She and her maid, Daisy run and go into hiding in a old, run down Castle in Scotland. The Castle
belongs to a friend of her late husband. Both the old Laird and his son are now dead and the Castle is a great place to hid. It is said to me hunted so the village people will not come near it. She tells the lie that she is the wife of the son, Duncan MacLean. He was killed in the war. Only he wasn't, instead he
has been in prison at La Purgatoire and left to die there with his men. So, when he shows up with his
man, Alfred Best things get really interesting for all.
Duncan, is scared outside and inside from all he has been thru. The last thing he expects to find at the wreak of a Castle is a woman using his name. With an old maid, and a child who doesn't speak.
This is sure a wonderful story of two people who both has secrets, deep wounds and tons of regret.
Both are drowning in quilt, Duncan for his lost men and Kate for daughter.
This is great read even without the steamy scenes a lot of romance story has.
The attraction that builds between Duncan, Kate, Fred and Daisy is built on trust, and helping the other thru problems. Little Anne also learns that not all men are mean and it doesn't go with how they look.
I hope you give this book a try, it was a good steady read with a surprise at the end you will love.
I received and ARC from the author and wish to thank her. This is my honest opinion and am freely giving it. This is the second book in this series but I have not read book one and the story was great. Am going back to read book one now.

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was so nice to read a Regency era story without the inane balls and ton and frivolous romances. The Devil's Due is a deep, dramatic and very interesting story set in a ruin of a Scottish castle. Duncan MacLean is a character that I could really grow to love. He escapes a French prison but he is disfigured, bitter and haunted by the men he lost in battle when he was betrayed. He returns to find his estates and fortune seized by the Crown when he was declared dead. While he tries to reclaim his fortune, he has only the ruins of his clan castle to go to. MacLean lairds are reviled and resented by the clan for good reason, and an old curse seems to hang over the castle. To make matters worse, he finds an English woman (Kate) hiding out in his castle with her servant and daughter, obviously terrified of someone finding them. This is a tale with depth, feeling, humor and a bit of the beauty and the beast feel to it. It is also a romance that develops slowly as they all learn to trust one another and discover their common interests. The ending is very satisfying and HEA, but the journey to the end is also very entertaining. fun and intriguing. The book also does a good job of portraying the lack of power and control that women had over their own lives and possessions. Kate is a strong characters who was raised unconventionally by a military father and does not conform to all the rules of society. This is a reissue of an older book with a trigger event removed.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Martha B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A more realistic beauty and the beast

I love a well written, character driven story with a HEA ending. The Devil's Due by Rita Boucher has it all, except an epilogue.

I really like both Duncan and Kate. Their story is simply, but their pasts and the future danger they each face addd an interesting complexity. Ms. Boucher's descriptive writing borders on poetry, and her vocabulary is refreshingly diverse. In her sweeping tale set in the Highlands, all of the characters are well developed. I never once had to guess at the motivation or actions of any of the players. Whether lead or supporting, all are believable and understandable,

Although the ending is sweet, the absence of an epilogue left me feeling a bit let down. I understand not giving readers a glimpse into the future if there are to be additional books featuring the same character. However, if a book is a standalone story there should be an epilogue that provides HEA details.

All in all this is an enjoyable and entertaining read.

Content 411: This book contains a mild amount of simple (d*mn, h*ll, b*st*rd, b*tch) secular swearing. There is some kissing and desire, but there is no sex. That said, this story does address a form of child abuse that might be a trigger for some readers.

Disclosure: I received an complementary copy of this book from the author via Booksprout. I am voluntarily submitting my honest review.

[Stephanie Herron · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story pulls you in front the start. Duncan and his friend Fred return home after being held prisoner for two years. Thinking he was dead, all of his assets have been sold except a ruin of a Scottish castle. Once there, they find Kate, her daughter Anne, and her servant Daisy. Things do not begin well as both Kate and Duncan have hidden wounds, guilt and are leery of other people. However, Kate is a natural caregiver and Duncan is a man of honor so they agree to try and make things work with all of them staying there. Duncan is sure his appearance is scary but is surprised when neither Kate nor Anne seem to be frightened of him only cautious. Duncan was betrayed and is trying to get his poetry book back so that he can get the proof he hid in it to get justice for his men. Unknown to each other, the person Kate is fleeing is none other than the man Duncan wants to prosecute. Kate is strong willed and has some very useful skills as she grew up as a military brat. These come in handy but are a bit of a surprise to Duncan as most ladies of the ton are not gardening, using a bow and arrow to hunt for dinner and good with horses. The mystery of who she is intrigues Duncan but he respects her and chooses not to push the issue. Her innate goodness helps him overcome the villagers view of the curse of him and his ancestors. Just when all seems to be going well for everyone the villain finds them and it's a race to the finish and for good to win over evil.

[Tina Ullrich · Rating 4 out of 5]

A twisting take of betrayal and vengeance. A scared man wanting to redeem himself and get revenge for his dead comrades for a duplicity of greed. A mother wanting to hear her child's voice again after a hurt so profound. Can they trust one another of will the villain they but want revenge on win in the end? That is what you will get in this book of building trust, faith, and healing.
Duncan Maclean, Major, rake, despoiler of women's virtue, cursed beast, and to honorable to cheat. He is scared from defending a young boy trapped in prison along with the few men that survived. Now back in Scotland, a new Earl, and his inheritance half in the crown treasury, waiting to get the proof to fulfill his vengeance.
Kate Denten, Lady Steele, the Braxton Brat, a would be soldier and half Lady of the Ton. Still in morning from her husband's death, she find a her evil guardian hurting a house maid and threatening her daughter. Now she is hiding out at "the Mad MacLean's" ruinous castle.
These two go through so just that trust, acceptance, and love just are hard to believe in. As things progress both learn lessons from Anne, a child, on how to understand what trust really is.
Enjoy this reform from a curse journey with some great description of highland country. Great characters and plot will have you on the edge of your seat.

[Debbie Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Duncan MacLean escapes a French prison with one thing in mind revenge! He finds out most of his assets have reverted back to the crown except his ancestral home a pile of rubble in Scotland. He needs to hide until he can recover evidence to confront the man who betrayed him and is responsible for his capture and committed treason. He needs the proof he had collected from his friend Captain Steele. Lady Katherine Steele is trying to protect her loved ones, especially her daughter who has been traumatized and no longer speaks. She hides in Scotland and she’s quite surprised when Mad MacLean arrives on her doorstep. Her deceased husband was his friend and she learned Maclean was presumed dead and the castle was uninhabited so she becomes his wife and goes into hiding. A captivating book I love the connection these two have, both have wounded hearts and souls. They are trying to survive anyway they can to move past their horrible past and nightmares that haunt them. This story has wonderful secondary characters in his army batman Fred, Daisy her chaperon and Cur the beloved dog. I have voluntarily read and reviewed the excellent story filled with two wounded souls, each trying to recover from the past in this intriguing romance with a few twist and turns as they discover they a mutual enemy.

[Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

TITLE: Gripping study of life ‘after the war’ from 2 viewpoints.

SETTING:
A widow and child of a soldier dealing with life after the death of a soldier husband, mistreated by the relative under whose care they have come, is placed in juxtaposition to the return of a soldier whose platoon suffered from a traitor’s plot to have them all killed to cover evidence of his crime. We watch as they struggle to survive in the time of Wellington’s victory over the French, and as the traitor is finally vanquished.

CRITIQUE:
Well thought out plotting makes this book difficult to put down. Our H and h have flaws that make them human, thus more realistic. Their sufferings are part of the story, although the most gruesome episodes have taken place in the past and we are thus spared watching them as they endured them. The story is softened by the addition of an innocent child who is starting to recover from trauma as well. She becomes a bridge that both draws the H and h together, as well as helps the H open his heart once again. There is no “on-screen” sexual episodes (for which I am grateful) but the inferences to abuse in the past might be uncomfortable for any who have similarly suffered.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Bridget Love to read Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

The same enemy

Kate has secrets lots of them so many that have driven her to an isolated Scottish castle! Duncan is a scarred broken man an ex rake and reprobate! Their lives were intertwined long before they met! When their lives where threatened in London Kate ran to Scotland told the village her husband their Laird Maclean was dead and she his widow! Along with nuts and and daughter they attempted to renovate and live in part of the castle sure their enemy would not find them as Kate never accessed her funds!
John Vesey is a traitor an evil personified he is slowly poisoning his wife and guilty of countless crimes!
As their secrets are revealed Ann Kate's daughter is also keeping secrets that give her night terrors! Duncan MacLean also has nightmares from his capture and the war! Kate discovers her husband was not only unfaithful but changed her all to win a wager! Secrets and stories are revealed but the end is anticlimactic it should have revealed more of what happened after the lies of John Vesey and some remedy of the destruction he wrote! That is why its 4 stars!

[Rosemary · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about Duncan who is a soldier. While he was in prison, he was presumed dead. He escapes from the French prison and is in England trying to claim his lands, title and revenge. He goes to the only property which still belongs to him. There he meets Kate. Kate, her daughter and her friend hides from her evil brother-in-law, in the out of way castle and she pretends she is the Widow of the Laird (Lord Duncan MacLean). There is not really a lot of romance in the book, it is more of a slow forming trust and love between Kate and Duncan. I am not really sure what to give this book in number of stars, because it did not leave me happy, but this book kept me interested and intrigued through the whole entire book which shows a good writing style from this author. It is the first book I have read by her, but I think I want to read more.
I received an ARC copy of this book from booksprout for my honest opinion.

[Marty Tool · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very slow building of a love story from start to finish, that I enjoyed. The main characters come to a falling down Scottish castle to hide and get their strength back. Kate to hide and protect herself and daughter from her brother in law, and Duncan arrives months later to await his fortunes returning to him since he was declared dead, as well as find the proof against a supposed military supporter who led to a massacre of Duncan's men. It builds steadily with well written characters that keep opening their layers slowly to the other. This has dark themes of the characters pasts, it is not lighthearted, but a slow building of trust and love. Aside from a few kisses it is clean in the romance department, but I didn't miss steam at all. A well told story that kept me turning those pages. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review of my opinion.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Devil's Due is another great story I have had the pleasure of reading by Rita Boucher. I enjoyed the mystery, suspense, and intrigue. It is not a long read and I had no problem reading the whole book in one sitting. So good.

The Devil's Due is getting four and a half stars from me. I would love to go back read the first book of the Desire in Disguise series, Miss Gabriel's Gambit. I recommend this one for readers who enjoy historical romance. I thought it was pretty good and not one to miss.

I received The Devil's Due from the publisher, but was not required to write a review. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion.

[GG · Rating 1 out of 5]

Trigger Warning: child rape. Severe PTSD. I was very close to DNF, but only had a couple of chapters to go, so finished it.

I liked Kate and Duncan, and the premise of the story, just not the details. There were a couple of modern terms (oxymoron) which didn't help. Poor Anne broke my heart, such sadness and horror. I hope Fred and Daisy get their HEA.

No where near as good as Miss Gabriel's Gambit.

[Suzette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating and fast paced story. Duncan returns from war to find his life in shambles. Kate is on the run with her young daughter. Both characters are suffering from things that have happened in their pasts. The story is filled with a lot of pain and angst. There is also moments of lighthearted fun when the two banter as they get to know each other better. The relationship between the servants also makes for some delightful comic relief. It is truly a masterful piece of storytelling that will keep you riveted from start to finish.

[Patrizia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Una lettura abbastanza avvincente; il punto debole delle moderne scrittrici di regency è quello di attribuire alle donne del tempo una mentalità che si sviluppò solo dopo le conquiste femminili degli ultimi pochi decenni, ma, nonostante qualche eccessivo tocco di folklore, nell'insieme la storia tiene, e i personaggi hanno un loro perché.

[Katy Jo Franklin · Rating 5 out of 5]

AWESOME! READ FROM BEGINING TO END.

Highly recommend this wonderful story filled with strong characters flawed and strong to the end.
Bad person died escaping justice in this world, but judged by God.

If you are looking for an escape from the "lies, fake news and drama" curl up and enjoy this story.

[Dee Jay Blaylock · Rating 5 out of 5]

a common enemy

Both Duncan and Kate have an enemy. Little do they know it is the same person.
As they work together to better the castle and protect Anne, the secrets each hold become easier to tell.

[Rita Walsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely enjoyed this read!

I was captivated from the very beginning. The story brought you through a whole spectrum of happenings…good and bad, but the ending just sets the world at rights. Thanks for the “late night”! It was so worth it.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

action and intrigue

You will find a bit of intrigue and action as this romance moves along to it’s finish which is a happy ever after.

[Laurel]

In the "Just One Kiss Away" anthology

[Monica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an entertaining read with a HEA. It is a clean romance with some suspense. The characters are strong and enjoyable. There is a secondary romance that is also fun.

[Linda (NOT RECEIVING NOTIFICATIONS) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Duncan MacLean returned from the war both a scarred man and bitter from how he was treated. In some ways broken, he soon found out that everyone believed he was dead and most of his earldom was given to others. Returning now to the one piece of damaged property still in his name, he comes upon a young woman claiming to be his wife.

Lady Katherine Steele is on the run with her daughter, Anne, and her best friend/housekeeper from John Vesey, a man related to her through marriage. Despicable, sleezy and the lowest scum of the earth, he wants to marry her but his motives are nefarious. Kate will do anything to protect her daughter.

Duncan is also enemies of Vesey but for different reasons. Kate and Duncan's initial confrontation causes some misinterpretations on both their parts. But little by little Kate learns that Duncan is a good man except he is haunted by demons from his past. Duncan knows that Kate is not being honest with him and he yearns to know her better.

This is a clean traditional regency romance with some dark subject matter. I didn't care for the author constantly bringing up Duncan's thoughts that because of his scars no woman would ever consider loving him. Once is okay, twice I can live with but constantly throughout the story gets old real quick. There is some some kissing but overall the romantic bits come across as dry. And ignore the cover. Duncan has hair down to his shoulders, a beard and one working eye. The other was put out by 'the Frenchies'.

Now, as to the nasty matter. Ms. Boucher did do a fairly good job with the subject of pedophiles. Nothing too overt but the hidden application is there. Unfortunately, when I read a regency romance, I find this subject too distasteful. Maybe because I just finished reading a contemporary romantic suspense story where this same matter was covered I felt a little overwhelmed at the moment. I know this thing exists but when I read what I think is a older historical romance I don't want this included in the subject line. IMHO that, and the reasons listed in the previous paragraph, are why I am giving this two stars for "OK".

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lady katherine is hiding from a evil man, her husband has perished in the war and she has come to hide on the ruined estate of someone her husband was friends with who was rumored to have died when her husband did. She pretends to be his widow, which is only a problem when the hero returns to his ruined estate shocked to find a woman squatter claiming to be his widow.

Duncan was a hot hero a rake, who is now damaged by the war, scarred and tortured by things he witnessed in war..... he lets Lady Katherine stay and her daughter who no longer speaks (Anne), the man who Lady Katherine is hiding from is the same man Duncan is searching for but they do not talk about things as she is trying to hide who she is from him as she fears how important this man has become, unknowing that in her possession is his comuppance. very good book.. i loved the whole beauty and the beast feel of it as well as a heroic hero... warning there is talk of child abuse ...sexual mentioned and is a part of both Anne and Duncan's issues.

[Jennifer · Rating 1 out of 5]

It's too bad I can't give negative stars. I finished reading this one but feel it is misclassified as a romance because it has some serious themes which are explored more than the romance between the characters. It's more like a depressing read of two broken people who find each other and somehow fall in love.

Let me list the reasons:

1. Katherine is fleeing an evil brother in law who controls her fortune
2. This brother in law has also raped her daughter, multiple times
3. This brother in law is trying to kill his wife with poison.
4. Katherine's now-dead husband whom she loved was psychologically abusive to her
5. Duncan is haunted by a family curse
6. He suffers from nightmares from the war (PTSD)
7. He has suicidal thoughts and tries to kill himself in the stream at least twice
8. He is also physically scarred (on his face) from the war.


It's just too sad and depressing to really bring a smile to your face.

[Spazfungus · Rating 3 out of 5]

A serious regency romance. liked how kate no longer became self-bound by hurtful words. Liked how Duncan, his once perfect looks marred by war, was able to overcome his past failings and shoulder his responsibilities. villain got off too easy

[elstaffe]

Oh boy. I don’t know how to rate this. It was way too angsty for me and also way too much giving a child a terrible backstory for plot reasons, but I did enjoy Boucher’s writing. This was just a case of me being in the mood for a light Regency romp and getting romangst. A nice change from the incompetent heroines of some of the other categories I’ve been reading recently (or rather, heroines whom are portrayed as competent but then the author decides to undercut for plot reasons).