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MacLachlan Family & Friends #1
The Devil to Pay
Liz Carlyle, New York Times bestselling author of The Devil You Know and A Deal With the Devil, continues her devilish streak with this sensual regency romance.By day, Sidonie Saint-Godard is a quietly elegant young widow who teaches deportment to the unpolished daughters of London's nouveau riche. By night, she is someone altogether different... The notorious Black Angel—so called for her lusciously located angel tattoo—ruthlessly takes from powerful men who exploit, and gives to those who suffer at their hands. Always in disguise, she has eluded capture and her identity remains a mystery... The Marquess of Devellyn, one of the least noble noblemen in town, uses and discards women as he pleases. But when the Black Angel entices him into her bed, ties him up, and pilfers his most valued possession, she may have gone too far. This time, Devellyn tells her, she'll have the devil to pay. And he definitely means to collect.
384 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 28, 2004
76 people are currently reading
1951 people want to read
About the author
Liz Carlyle
46 books848 followersDear Readers,
The awful truth about novelists is that we are mostly dull, introverted homebodies who only write in order to live our fantasies vicariously. I came to writing rather late in life, and I’m still amazed I can get paid for doing something I love, and that I get to stay home while I do it.
My favorite comedian Steve Martin once said, "I believe entertainment can aspire to be art, and can become art. But if you set out to make art, you’re an idiot." I have never tried to create art, but I do try to tell one heck of a good story. Yes, I try to write with a hot iron, while the heat of the story is in me. And I try, always, to entertain my readers.
Regards,
Liz
The awful truth about novelists is that we are mostly dull, introverted homebodies who only write in order to live our fantasies vicariously. I came to writing rather late in life, and I’m still amazed I can get paid for doing something I love, and that I get to stay home while I do it.
My favorite comedian Steve Martin once said, "I believe entertainment can aspire to be art, and can become art. But if you set out to make art, you’re an idiot." I have never tried to create art, but I do try to tell one heck of a good story. Yes, I try to write with a hot iron, while the heat of the story is in me. And I try, always, to entertain my readers.
Regards,
Liz
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 136 reviews
June 5, 2019
3.5 stars. It was a little slow to start, but once it got going it was a good story. I didn't realise till I started reading that it was about Sidonie, the sister of the well known and loved secondary character from other books in the series, George Kemble, or 'Kem'.
In this book, as well as the love story and redemption of both Sidonie and Aleric, we get the back story of George and Sidonie. George does not play the comic relief in this book - we see his serious side. A decent read with a lovely HEA.
In this book, as well as the love story and redemption of both Sidonie and Aleric, we get the back story of George and Sidonie. George does not play the comic relief in this book - we see his serious side. A decent read with a lovely HEA.
April 22, 2011
I keep thinking that eventually I will read a Liz Carlyle book that just doesn't do it for me. Well this wasn't the one! I absolutely loved this book! Devellyn was just awesome. He was a big giant of a man, but he acted like a little lost puppy. He is so awkward and sweet.. but he is also thoughtless and selfish, but not when it comes to Sidonie. For example:
Sidonie,” he said, his voice strangely hoarse. “You are the most—I mean, you are so…I find you…ah, devil take it! Never mind!”
“I beg your pardon?”
“Nothing,” he growled. “I misspoke. What did you say about oranges?”
--------------
Or when she was asking him about his latest mistress, she was under the mistaken impression that he tossed her out, when actually all of his past mistresses ( and there were something like 8 in the past year) had all dumped him:
The marquess shrugged, as if his failings did not matter, and drifted closer to the window, where he stood looking out at the fading sunlight. “The truth is, Sidonie, I don’t fare well with women.” He spoke coolly, and without looking at her. “It is my own fault, of course. I…I neglect them. I forget where I’m supposed to be, and when I’m supposed to be there. I’m irresponsible. I drink to excess, gamble to excess, and sometimes I brawl. I never remember special occasions. And I very often go to sleep before they’ve…
well, never mind that.” Devellyn fell silent for a moment. “And I cheat on them,” he quietly added. “Dreadfully. Did I mention that?”
“You did not,” she answered. “But a full disclosure of one’s fidelity, or even one’s skill in the bedroom, is not, strictly speaking, necessary before having dinner with someone.”
Devellyn smiled down at her a little wearily. “Ah, Sid, I have no charm at all, have I?” he said almost regretfully.
... Sigh.... you just gotta love this guy!
Sidonie,” he said, his voice strangely hoarse. “You are the most—I mean, you are so…I find you…ah, devil take it! Never mind!”
“I beg your pardon?”
“Nothing,” he growled. “I misspoke. What did you say about oranges?”
--------------
Or when she was asking him about his latest mistress, she was under the mistaken impression that he tossed her out, when actually all of his past mistresses ( and there were something like 8 in the past year) had all dumped him:
The marquess shrugged, as if his failings did not matter, and drifted closer to the window, where he stood looking out at the fading sunlight. “The truth is, Sidonie, I don’t fare well with women.” He spoke coolly, and without looking at her. “It is my own fault, of course. I…I neglect them. I forget where I’m supposed to be, and when I’m supposed to be there. I’m irresponsible. I drink to excess, gamble to excess, and sometimes I brawl. I never remember special occasions. And I very often go to sleep before they’ve…
well, never mind that.” Devellyn fell silent for a moment. “And I cheat on them,” he quietly added. “Dreadfully. Did I mention that?”
“You did not,” she answered. “But a full disclosure of one’s fidelity, or even one’s skill in the bedroom, is not, strictly speaking, necessary before having dinner with someone.”
Devellyn smiled down at her a little wearily. “Ah, Sid, I have no charm at all, have I?” he said almost regretfully.
... Sigh.... you just gotta love this guy!
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April 11, 2022
3.5 stars, rounded up.
Once again, I have fallen ridiculously behind on my reviews, but it's time to pay the piper.
I am a TOTAL sucker for books where the heroine steals from the hero. Even better if she leaves him tied naked to a bed while she makes off with his worldly goods. Admittedly I prefer her to have a good reason, and our French widow Sidonie doesn't really have one here; she's just a Robin Hood figure who steals to donate to charity, which is laudable, but I'd rather she have a more self-serving motivation considering all she risks. The whole thing about the tattoo was a nice touch, and it's a pleasant change to have an HR heroine who had a pretty happy marriage with her first husband and already enjoys sex.
Devellyn is a fairly standard hero - I don't actually remember too much about him, but I do know that he wasn't nearly as ruthless and rakish as I expected.
Once again, I have fallen ridiculously behind on my reviews, but it's time to pay the piper.
I am a TOTAL sucker for books where the heroine steals from the hero. Even better if she leaves him tied naked to a bed while she makes off with his worldly goods. Admittedly I prefer her to have a good reason, and our French widow Sidonie doesn't really have one here; she's just a Robin Hood figure who steals to donate to charity, which is laudable, but I'd rather she have a more self-serving motivation considering all she risks. The whole thing about the tattoo was a nice touch, and it's a pleasant change to have an HR heroine who had a pretty happy marriage with her first husband and already enjoys sex.
Devellyn is a fairly standard hero - I don't actually remember too much about him, but I do know that he wasn't nearly as ruthless and rakish as I expected.
October 30, 2025
No había leído nada de la autora y me he llevado una grata sorpresa.
Me ha gustado mucho el estilo de escritura, me ha gustado la historia, los protas son muy divertidos y se traen unos dialogos con mucho sentido del humor.
Recomendable 100%
Me ha gustado mucho el estilo de escritura, me ha gustado la historia, los protas son muy divertidos y se traen unos dialogos con mucho sentido del humor.
Recomendable 100%
March 22, 2017
I have to admit I was lured into reading this by a single quoted exchange:
“Sidonie,” he said, his voice strangely hoarse. “You are the most—I mean, you are so…I find you…ah, devil take it! Never mind!”
“I beg your pardon?”
“Nothing,” he growled. “I misspoke. What did you say about oranges?”
I can't resist a Hero so bumblingly, gruffly dorky.
I loved the idea of the heroine leading the double life! She was a sort of cross between Robin Hood and Batman, a night-time vigilante set on avenging women against men who took advantage of them. I liked her daring, her history of traveling around the world with her ship-captain husband, and her great ability of disguising herself when she went around doing her Black Angel shenanigans.
The Hero was a big dissolute wastrel of a man who, despite wasting much of his life and money, was also very smart and dangerous. He also had low self-esteem, stemming from a family tragedy and estrangement from his father.
I'd give this book 4.5 stars for the first half-ish, then around 3 stars near the end. The excitement kind of fizzled out and it concluded in a rather boringly generic way, I thought, which was really too bad.
The real scene-stealer of the book was Sidonie's brother, George Kemble. He fascinated me every time he appeared! I want to read more about him! He's the enigmatic, deadly, thrilling Hero I want! But, unless I'm totally blind, there isn't a book about him in this series? What's going on? Liz Carlyle you can't throw a character like that away... He's destined to be more than a secondary, c'mon...
“Sidonie,” he said, his voice strangely hoarse. “You are the most—I mean, you are so…I find you…ah, devil take it! Never mind!”
“I beg your pardon?”
“Nothing,” he growled. “I misspoke. What did you say about oranges?”
I can't resist a Hero so bumblingly, gruffly dorky.
I loved the idea of the heroine leading the double life! She was a sort of cross between Robin Hood and Batman, a night-time vigilante set on avenging women against men who took advantage of them. I liked her daring, her history of traveling around the world with her ship-captain husband, and her great ability of disguising herself when she went around doing her Black Angel shenanigans.
The Hero was a big dissolute wastrel of a man who, despite wasting much of his life and money, was also very smart and dangerous. He also had low self-esteem, stemming from a family tragedy and estrangement from his father.
I'd give this book 4.5 stars for the first half-ish, then around 3 stars near the end. The excitement kind of fizzled out and it concluded in a rather boringly generic way, I thought, which was really too bad.
The real scene-stealer of the book was Sidonie's brother, George Kemble. He fascinated me every time he appeared! I want to read more about him! He's the enigmatic, deadly, thrilling Hero I want! But, unless I'm totally blind, there isn't a book about him in this series? What's going on? Liz Carlyle you can't throw a character like that away... He's destined to be more than a secondary, c'mon...
June 28, 2023
This book was surprisingly good. But there was ONE sentence, yes just one, that made my skin crawl and feel disgusted. That is the onky reason why I am not giving this book a 5 star.
The rest of the book was actually quite good.
The rest of the book was actually quite good.
November 5, 2015
Reviewed for THC Reviews
I have no idea how I keep managing to allow so much time to pass between reading Liz Carlyle's book. Somewhere in the past three years, I squeezed in one of her novellas, but I was shocked to discover that it's been that long since I last read one of her full-length novels. I really need to stop doing that, because thus far, she's never failed to enchant me with her stories and The Devil to Pay was no exception. I absolutely loved this story of a seemingly proper widow who's harboring a very high-profile secret identity and the rakish, scandalous Marquess who's finally met his match. From their opening scene together, they set the pages on fire and their romance certainly doesn't disappoint. I also very much enjoyed learning more about long-time secondary character, George Kemble. All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and was always excited to get back to it each time I had to put it down.
Our heroine, Sidonie, is George's sister, and both of them are the illegitimate children of a duke and his mistress. They also both struggled a lot with their identity growing up. With no father to guide her and her mother sending her away to live with grandparents, who then sent her to a convent school in France, Sidonie harbors some resentment toward her mother. She eventually ran away and married a sea captain, spending most of her marriage to him sailing the globe. When her husband died, she put down roots in England, where she now lives under the guise of a proper widow who teaches young ladies of the merchant class proper deportment so they might snag a titled husband. She has an adventurous spirit, though, and when she witnessed a young woman being mistreated, it reminded her of what her own mother went through as a young woman. With the help of her companion, who was also a close friend of her mother's and an accomplished actress, Sidonie took up the disguise of the Black Angel, under which she imparts justice to those in positions of power – mostly men – who've wronged others, particularly women and children. I absolutely loved Sidonie's avenging angel persona. She's almost like a historical version of a super-hero. She's not always infallible, though, and when she witnesses yet another of the Marquess of Devellyn's mistresses leaving the house across the street in a huff, she mistakenly assumes he's a terrible person to have driven so many women away. What she does to him in retaliation for his perceived slights is LOL funny and completely priceless, but when he moves into the house vacated by his mistress and Sidonie starts to get to know the man on a more personal basis, she can't help feeling guilty for what she did to him. She sees into Devellyn's heart and understands him better than he understands himself, but she wishes she didn't see so much. He tempts her beyond belief, but she believes nothing can ever come of it without revealing her secret identity which she refuses to do. Another thing I found refreshing about Sidonie is that she's a hot-blooded, passionate woman who fully embraces her own sexuality and desires. She's a perfect match for Devellyn in more ways than one.
Aleric Hilliard, the Marquess of Devellyn, is a dissolute rake. He's described in the cover blurb as "the least noble nobleman in ton, who uses and discards women as he pleases." This didn't make him sound very appealing (and I might mention it's not entirely accurate), so I wasn't sure how well I would warm up to him. I shouldn't have worried, because right from the outset, Devellyn is quite amusing. He also shows some vulnerabilities early on that go far beyond his cavalier attitude and give him a lot of depth. First of all, he harbors a fair bit of guilt over his involvement in the accidental death of his brother, which was only compounded by his father shutting him out after that. Secondly, the reality of his situation with the women in his life is that they always leave him, not the other way around, so he wonders if he might be unlovable. In fact, he seems bothered by the fact that he can't keep a woman – even one he's paying – around for more than a few months. Dev also knows that his size is intimidating and he's not the charmer that his best friend, Alasdair, is. After his run-in with the Black Angel, Dev vows revenge against her, but at the same time, he can't stop thinking about how she made him burn with desire. Unfortunately, the same is true of his lovely neighbor, Sidonie, which leaves him wondering what's wrong with him that he so desperately wants two very different women at the same time. Even though he's strongly attracted to Sidonie, he believes he's not good enough for her. Despite being the heir to a dukedom, he's lived the life of a rakehell, courting scandal everywhere he goes, so he feels like he would taint her by association. Dev is a very complex hero, and I enjoyed watching all the different facets of his personality unravel as the story progressed.
As is typical for Liz Carlye's books, she has some common characters that play secondary roles. As always, I loved George. He's been a scene-stealer throughout many of her books, and never fails to entertain me. In this one, we get to see deeper into his background and learn a little more of how he came to be the best purveyor of information on just about anyone in the entire country. George has always been an eclectic character, a man with many different facets. Here we get a glimpse of his dark side, and on the flip side of things, we also see a touch of his personal life and it was nice to see him settled down with a special “friend.” Another character who keeps popping up in Ms. Carlyle's books is Isabel, Lady Kirton. In this one, she's bosom beaus with Dev's mother, and as one of the main forces behind the Nazareth Society, she soon figures out Sidonie's secret identity, when Sidonie brings some of her spoils to the charity home. Isabel also conspires with Dev's mother to get him and Sidonie together. Last but certainly not least, Dev's best friend, the charming, outgoing Alasdair MacLachlan played a significant role. I really liked him, so I'll look forward to seeing what kind of heroine it takes to make him settle down in his book, One Little Sin, which is the next in the series.
Overall, I found The Devil to Pay to be a fun, flirty, emotional, and sexy read. I really liked both Aleric and Sidonie, while their story was something a little different than most historical romances, especially the way they meet. Their love scenes are laden with intense, deep feelings that perfectly express their burgeoning love, while also being very steamy. The secondary characters helped to build the hero and heroine, as well as add flavor to the story. The ending was sweet and wrapped everything up in a neat little bow. So for me, this book was a perfect read that I would highly recommend.
Note: Ms. Carlyle didn't used to officially consider her books as series, but somewhat recently she began grouping them together on her website. The Devil to Pay is now listed as book #1 in the MacLachlan Family & Friends series. However, I would advise readers that Ms. Carlyle's character web is very complex, with past and future characters popping up throughout most of her books. With this in mind, it is my opinion that the reading experience would be greatly enhanced by beginning with her first book, My False Heart, and continuing to read them in their publication order. The entire backlist, in order, can be found on her website.
I have no idea how I keep managing to allow so much time to pass between reading Liz Carlyle's book. Somewhere in the past three years, I squeezed in one of her novellas, but I was shocked to discover that it's been that long since I last read one of her full-length novels. I really need to stop doing that, because thus far, she's never failed to enchant me with her stories and The Devil to Pay was no exception. I absolutely loved this story of a seemingly proper widow who's harboring a very high-profile secret identity and the rakish, scandalous Marquess who's finally met his match. From their opening scene together, they set the pages on fire and their romance certainly doesn't disappoint. I also very much enjoyed learning more about long-time secondary character, George Kemble. All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and was always excited to get back to it each time I had to put it down.
Our heroine, Sidonie, is George's sister, and both of them are the illegitimate children of a duke and his mistress. They also both struggled a lot with their identity growing up. With no father to guide her and her mother sending her away to live with grandparents, who then sent her to a convent school in France, Sidonie harbors some resentment toward her mother. She eventually ran away and married a sea captain, spending most of her marriage to him sailing the globe. When her husband died, she put down roots in England, where she now lives under the guise of a proper widow who teaches young ladies of the merchant class proper deportment so they might snag a titled husband. She has an adventurous spirit, though, and when she witnessed a young woman being mistreated, it reminded her of what her own mother went through as a young woman. With the help of her companion, who was also a close friend of her mother's and an accomplished actress, Sidonie took up the disguise of the Black Angel, under which she imparts justice to those in positions of power – mostly men – who've wronged others, particularly women and children. I absolutely loved Sidonie's avenging angel persona. She's almost like a historical version of a super-hero. She's not always infallible, though, and when she witnesses yet another of the Marquess of Devellyn's mistresses leaving the house across the street in a huff, she mistakenly assumes he's a terrible person to have driven so many women away. What she does to him in retaliation for his perceived slights is LOL funny and completely priceless, but when he moves into the house vacated by his mistress and Sidonie starts to get to know the man on a more personal basis, she can't help feeling guilty for what she did to him. She sees into Devellyn's heart and understands him better than he understands himself, but she wishes she didn't see so much. He tempts her beyond belief, but she believes nothing can ever come of it without revealing her secret identity which she refuses to do. Another thing I found refreshing about Sidonie is that she's a hot-blooded, passionate woman who fully embraces her own sexuality and desires. She's a perfect match for Devellyn in more ways than one.
Aleric Hilliard, the Marquess of Devellyn, is a dissolute rake. He's described in the cover blurb as "the least noble nobleman in ton, who uses and discards women as he pleases." This didn't make him sound very appealing (and I might mention it's not entirely accurate), so I wasn't sure how well I would warm up to him. I shouldn't have worried, because right from the outset, Devellyn is quite amusing. He also shows some vulnerabilities early on that go far beyond his cavalier attitude and give him a lot of depth. First of all, he harbors a fair bit of guilt over his involvement in the accidental death of his brother, which was only compounded by his father shutting him out after that. Secondly, the reality of his situation with the women in his life is that they always leave him, not the other way around, so he wonders if he might be unlovable. In fact, he seems bothered by the fact that he can't keep a woman – even one he's paying – around for more than a few months. Dev also knows that his size is intimidating and he's not the charmer that his best friend, Alasdair, is. After his run-in with the Black Angel, Dev vows revenge against her, but at the same time, he can't stop thinking about how she made him burn with desire. Unfortunately, the same is true of his lovely neighbor, Sidonie, which leaves him wondering what's wrong with him that he so desperately wants two very different women at the same time. Even though he's strongly attracted to Sidonie, he believes he's not good enough for her. Despite being the heir to a dukedom, he's lived the life of a rakehell, courting scandal everywhere he goes, so he feels like he would taint her by association. Dev is a very complex hero, and I enjoyed watching all the different facets of his personality unravel as the story progressed.
As is typical for Liz Carlye's books, she has some common characters that play secondary roles. As always, I loved George. He's been a scene-stealer throughout many of her books, and never fails to entertain me. In this one, we get to see deeper into his background and learn a little more of how he came to be the best purveyor of information on just about anyone in the entire country. George has always been an eclectic character, a man with many different facets. Here we get a glimpse of his dark side, and on the flip side of things, we also see a touch of his personal life and it was nice to see him settled down with a special “friend.” Another character who keeps popping up in Ms. Carlyle's books is Isabel, Lady Kirton. In this one, she's bosom beaus with Dev's mother, and as one of the main forces behind the Nazareth Society, she soon figures out Sidonie's secret identity, when Sidonie brings some of her spoils to the charity home. Isabel also conspires with Dev's mother to get him and Sidonie together. Last but certainly not least, Dev's best friend, the charming, outgoing Alasdair MacLachlan played a significant role. I really liked him, so I'll look forward to seeing what kind of heroine it takes to make him settle down in his book, One Little Sin, which is the next in the series.
Overall, I found The Devil to Pay to be a fun, flirty, emotional, and sexy read. I really liked both Aleric and Sidonie, while their story was something a little different than most historical romances, especially the way they meet. Their love scenes are laden with intense, deep feelings that perfectly express their burgeoning love, while also being very steamy. The secondary characters helped to build the hero and heroine, as well as add flavor to the story. The ending was sweet and wrapped everything up in a neat little bow. So for me, this book was a perfect read that I would highly recommend.
Note: Ms. Carlyle didn't used to officially consider her books as series, but somewhat recently she began grouping them together on her website. The Devil to Pay is now listed as book #1 in the MacLachlan Family & Friends series. However, I would advise readers that Ms. Carlyle's character web is very complex, with past and future characters popping up throughout most of her books. With this in mind, it is my opinion that the reading experience would be greatly enhanced by beginning with her first book, My False Heart, and continuing to read them in their publication order. The entire backlist, in order, can be found on her website.
December 3, 2009
Here's the thing: I don't list 1/5 of the historical romance novels I've read on my Kindle this year. Why? Because most of them are total crap. And chauvanist at that. And dumb. Whatever. This one was not Einstein material but I really enjoyed it. The plot was kinda dumb, but for some reason I really liked the characters, and that's all these books are about. The ending is improbable at best, but I consider these romance books akin to, say "Ninja Assassin". You don't go in expecting it to win an Oscar, you expect the solid and predictable joyride of lust and romance bull and if it exceeds those expectations it's share-worthy. Ninja Assassin was NOT, but this book is. I will read another book by this author, and that is a ringing endorsement from me in this category :D
September 30, 2012
This was super cute and fun! My first Liz Carlyle book. The heroine, Sidonie, is a widow and thief (this is the second book this month I've read where the h is involved in illegal activity - the other one was
) Devellyn, the hero, is this big hunk of a man who has all sorts of problems with women and is estranged from his family. Sidonie and Devellyn also happen to be neighbors. I liked the way Ms. Carlyle revealed their background layer by layer. For example, Sidonie was married before and we slowly learned about her husband, why she married him, what she has been doing in the time since he died.
This book was funny, cute, well-written, steamy (Wow, their first time together was just wow - totally at a loss for words here), and I loved it. Definitely will read more by this author.
) Devellyn, the hero, is this big hunk of a man who has all sorts of problems with women and is estranged from his family. Sidonie and Devellyn also happen to be neighbors. I liked the way Ms. Carlyle revealed their background layer by layer. For example, Sidonie was married before and we slowly learned about her husband, why she married him, what she has been doing in the time since he died. This book was funny, cute, well-written, steamy (Wow, their first time together was just wow - totally at a loss for words here), and I loved it. Definitely will read more by this author.
November 18, 2018
3.5 stars
Started out wonderful and so intriguing! However the middle dragged on and I began to lose interest. The fact that the heroines secret identity was causing conflict with the hero and the heroine including feelings of jealousy was just weird. And I didn’t love the way the ending pulled it together. Rather fizzled out.
Started out wonderful and so intriguing! However the middle dragged on and I began to lose interest. The fact that the heroines secret identity was causing conflict with the hero and the heroine including feelings of jealousy was just weird. And I didn’t love the way the ending pulled it together. Rather fizzled out.
January 19, 2024
Ammetto che ero molto curiosa di leggere quest'inizio di serie della Carlyle, avendone amati i libri precedenti.
Purtroppo, temo che non sia stata variata la precedente traduzione, che ha reso il libro una "cosa" che lascia perplessi.
Ho il dubbio, peraltro, che ci siano state sforbiciate di pagine, perché la trama va a singhiozzo, come se mancassero passaggi logici, e rasenta un costante livello di noia/stupidità (con una nobile illegittima che, per vendicarsi del Ton che non l'accoglie, pensa bene di calarsi nei panni di una Robin Hood femminista ai danni di nobili debosciati e sporcaccioni...).
Oltre a questo (sto proprio invecchiando 🤨🤨😆) è di una volgarità che ho incontrato di rado in un romanzo storico (non erotico): parolacce spesso e volentieri, anche in bocca a duchi e dame di una certa istruzione; doppi sensi e contesto abbastanza gretto.
Ed è soprattutto la terminologia scelta ad essere moderna e fuori contesto: non si può sentire, in un Regency romantico, il duca che corteggia la dama chiedendole di appartarsi per una "sveltina"...
Purtroppo, temo che non sia stata variata la precedente traduzione, che ha reso il libro una "cosa" che lascia perplessi.
Ho il dubbio, peraltro, che ci siano state sforbiciate di pagine, perché la trama va a singhiozzo, come se mancassero passaggi logici, e rasenta un costante livello di noia/stupidità (con una nobile illegittima che, per vendicarsi del Ton che non l'accoglie, pensa bene di calarsi nei panni di una Robin Hood femminista ai danni di nobili debosciati e sporcaccioni...).
Oltre a questo (sto proprio invecchiando 🤨🤨😆) è di una volgarità che ho incontrato di rado in un romanzo storico (non erotico): parolacce spesso e volentieri, anche in bocca a duchi e dame di una certa istruzione; doppi sensi e contesto abbastanza gretto.
Ed è soprattutto la terminologia scelta ad essere moderna e fuori contesto: non si può sentire, in un Regency romantico, il duca che corteggia la dama chiedendole di appartarsi per una "sveltina"...
July 31, 2021
This book has such an alluring premise. A heroine leading a double life - a Robinhood-esque vigilante by night, a witty but proper woman by day. I'm a sucker for romances like this, and I really loved the beginning. My problem, really, is our "hero," Devellyn. And, I think, the author's easy dismissals of truly abysmal character.
Devellyn has been drinking, whoring, gambling, and fighting for years. He's a sad person. I think I was meant to feel sorry for him, and I suppose I did feel something akin to pity, but also exasperation. He fails to grow. When things get rough, he immediately backslides. And I'm meant to believe he can be a worthwhile husband to a heroine who deserves more?
The hardest part for me, however, was how creepy and controlling he was. He meets Sidonie and on the second meeting, informs her he will be calling her "Sid." This struck me first as odd - he didn't know her and this a British romance where Christian names are not just spoken by acquaintances - and secondly, he took some great liberties in assigning her a nickname. She sees this too and asks him to stop, and he happily refuses. This to me was a huge red flag. Add to that, he begins ordering her around and demanding to know her whereabouts. She fails to keep a list of her comings and goings for him, and he scolds her because he is apparently her jailor.
And then there are the less-than-consensual sex scenes. I think we're meant to understand it's consensual because Sidonie has internal thoughts the chapter prior about how much she lusts after our hero. But when she's saying no and "Devellyn couldn’t wait. He held her down by both shoulders, and somehow managed to shove deep on one thrust, beneath him [she] screams but it was a short, soft sound," I'm certain our heroine was raped. It's confusing, then, when Sidonie has no such thoughts. I just...this is not the 80s or 90s anymore, and it was not written then! People don't get to touch/harass/rape others because the woman is somehow too beautiful to ask for permission or treat her as a literal human.
If you thought perhaps Devellyn had endearing qualities outside of our heroine, you would also be wrong. He treats his servants worse than the floor he walks on. Sidonie notices his servants cower when he's around and comments at one point that they "were a tad craven. They were likely two floors down, cowering." And this I attribute to the author. If someone - anyone - continually yells at you, treats you poorly, this is abusive behavior and cowering is a sign of abuse and not cowardliness. It's a bizarre double-standard where Sidonie wants to rescue women treated poorly (usually sexual trauma), but she herself is raped and then fails to address/comment on/seek to right the verbal abuse happening in the hero's house.
I read romance for its escapism, and this is just a strange facet of abusive relationships with powerful men. Give this one a pass.
Devellyn has been drinking, whoring, gambling, and fighting for years. He's a sad person. I think I was meant to feel sorry for him, and I suppose I did feel something akin to pity, but also exasperation. He fails to grow. When things get rough, he immediately backslides. And I'm meant to believe he can be a worthwhile husband to a heroine who deserves more?
The hardest part for me, however, was how creepy and controlling he was. He meets Sidonie and on the second meeting, informs her he will be calling her "Sid." This struck me first as odd - he didn't know her and this a British romance where Christian names are not just spoken by acquaintances - and secondly, he took some great liberties in assigning her a nickname. She sees this too and asks him to stop, and he happily refuses. This to me was a huge red flag. Add to that, he begins ordering her around and demanding to know her whereabouts. She fails to keep a list of her comings and goings for him, and he scolds her because he is apparently her jailor.
And then there are the less-than-consensual sex scenes. I think we're meant to understand it's consensual because Sidonie has internal thoughts the chapter prior about how much she lusts after our hero. But when she's saying no and "Devellyn couldn’t wait. He held her down by both shoulders, and somehow managed to shove deep on one thrust, beneath him [she] screams but it was a short, soft sound," I'm certain our heroine was raped. It's confusing, then, when Sidonie has no such thoughts. I just...this is not the 80s or 90s anymore, and it was not written then! People don't get to touch/harass/rape others because the woman is somehow too beautiful to ask for permission or treat her as a literal human.
If you thought perhaps Devellyn had endearing qualities outside of our heroine, you would also be wrong. He treats his servants worse than the floor he walks on. Sidonie notices his servants cower when he's around and comments at one point that they "were a tad craven. They were likely two floors down, cowering." And this I attribute to the author. If someone - anyone - continually yells at you, treats you poorly, this is abusive behavior and cowering is a sign of abuse and not cowardliness. It's a bizarre double-standard where Sidonie wants to rescue women treated poorly (usually sexual trauma), but she herself is raped and then fails to address/comment on/seek to right the verbal abuse happening in the hero's house.
I read romance for its escapism, and this is just a strange facet of abusive relationships with powerful men. Give this one a pass.
November 1, 2018
Devellyn isn't a happy man. Not only is he estranged from his family, and as the icing on the cake he was robbed by the Black Angel and his humiliation is known all over London. He would feel better if only he could forget the pretty thief and stop lusting after her. And then he meets Sidonie, another woman that enchants him.
Sidonie is the Black Angel, trying to help women that were abused. Although a thief, she is honourable and when she realizes that she misjudged Devellyn she returns the stuff she stole from him. She is torn, she knows that he will react badly when he learns the truth, but she can't help but fall in love with him.
I love Devellyn. He reminds me a little of Dain (Lord of Scoundrels) who is one of my favourite heroes ever. Devellyn reaction to the truth did bother me a little, but the guilt he felt when his temper cooled made it better.
My only problem with the book is Sidonie's quest. She was acting incredibly foolish, I really don't understand what she hoped to accomplish. Stealing a few trinkets from a man can hardly be helpful to those he had wronged. But even if you can get over that, later in the book when Devellyn offers to give her money and find another way to help her she refuses. Come on, even a fool can see that that is the better way, that you can help more people. I know that there are more reasons for what she does, but still...
And since George Kemble is Sidonie's brother we learn more about him. The ones who read some books of Liz Carlyle will surely recognize the name. :-)
Rating:
4.5 stars
Sidonie is the Black Angel, trying to help women that were abused. Although a thief, she is honourable and when she realizes that she misjudged Devellyn she returns the stuff she stole from him. She is torn, she knows that he will react badly when he learns the truth, but she can't help but fall in love with him.
I love Devellyn. He reminds me a little of Dain (Lord of Scoundrels) who is one of my favourite heroes ever. Devellyn reaction to the truth did bother me a little, but the guilt he felt when his temper cooled made it better.
My only problem with the book is Sidonie's quest. She was acting incredibly foolish, I really don't understand what she hoped to accomplish. Stealing a few trinkets from a man can hardly be helpful to those he had wronged. But even if you can get over that, later in the book when Devellyn offers to give her money and find another way to help her she refuses. Come on, even a fool can see that that is the better way, that you can help more people. I know that there are more reasons for what she does, but still...
And since George Kemble is Sidonie's brother we learn more about him. The ones who read some books of Liz Carlyle will surely recognize the name. :-)
Rating:
4.5 stars
November 10, 2013
As I've previously said with other historical-romances, this one was a surprisingly good read. I didn't expect to get pulled into this story and its characters as much as I did. Perhaps that's why I enjoy reading them so much.
Dev is such a tortured soul. He is self-depreciating, sarcastic, confident but still unsure of himself, and ultimately a sweetheart. Sid is brave, stubborn, sensual but still prim, and ultimately an avenging angel. Her want--no need--to help those who are trapped was an admirable yet a somewhat sad trait (because of her history) and complimented Dev's feeling of being thrust into independence and solitude (because of his history). Although, I much rather preferred Dev and Sid's sexual interactions to those of Dev and Ruby's--they were so much more romantic!
Overall, this is a definite HR must-read. I was completely sucked into the story and did not want to stop reading. The side characters were absolutely fantastic as well; Julia and Alasdair were hilarious and were a joy to watch interact with Sid and Dev. The ending was a lovely HEA and left nothing wanting. Great book: full of action, suspense, trickery, romance, misunderstandings, late-night rendezvous, a broken hero, and a heroine hell-bent on avenging those who can do nothing themselves.
Dev is such a tortured soul. He is self-depreciating, sarcastic, confident but still unsure of himself, and ultimately a sweetheart. Sid is brave, stubborn, sensual but still prim, and ultimately an avenging angel. Her want--no need--to help those who are trapped was an admirable yet a somewhat sad trait (because of her history) and complimented Dev's feeling of being thrust into independence and solitude (because of his history). Although, I much rather preferred Dev and Sid's sexual interactions to those of Dev and Ruby's--they were so much more romantic!
Overall, this is a definite HR must-read. I was completely sucked into the story and did not want to stop reading. The side characters were absolutely fantastic as well; Julia and Alasdair were hilarious and were a joy to watch interact with Sid and Dev. The ending was a lovely HEA and left nothing wanting. Great book: full of action, suspense, trickery, romance, misunderstandings, late-night rendezvous, a broken hero, and a heroine hell-bent on avenging those who can do nothing themselves.
August 27, 2010
Another good book from Ms. Carlyle. These things truly are like potato chips. Aleric was a sweetie who needed a lucky break for sure. The night the Black Angel stripped him, tied him up naked in bed and robbed him, he got his break, it just took awhile for him to realize it.
After all, he had been shunned by his father, been left by at least 10 mistresses, have wood eating beetles eat him out of his home, knock himself out at least twice by banging his head on the headboard while he was banging...errr...you know what I mean. Then he gets cracked over the head with an ashtray and then practically set on fire.
Sidone is the fresh air that allows him to step out of his life for a minute and find out that he can be a better man. Now if he can only catch that dastardly Black Angel and give her what for right over her shapely bottom with the back of his hand, then his life will be complete.
Of course things never go as smoothly in love or spankings as we all dream they might. There were quite a few laugh out loud moments and smiles in this book and Aleric and Sidonie make a hot couple. I love Sidonie's brother, George and glad we got more of his background. Fun read!
After all, he had been shunned by his father, been left by at least 10 mistresses, have wood eating beetles eat him out of his home, knock himself out at least twice by banging his head on the headboard while he was banging...errr...you know what I mean. Then he gets cracked over the head with an ashtray and then practically set on fire.
Sidone is the fresh air that allows him to step out of his life for a minute and find out that he can be a better man. Now if he can only catch that dastardly Black Angel and give her what for right over her shapely bottom with the back of his hand, then his life will be complete.
Of course things never go as smoothly in love or spankings as we all dream they might. There were quite a few laugh out loud moments and smiles in this book and Aleric and Sidonie make a hot couple. I love Sidonie's brother, George and glad we got more of his background. Fun read!
June 8, 2012
Altogether fantastic! Liz Carlyle certainly had her mojo working when she wrote this one. Charming, sexy, laugh-out-loud funny in places, great dialogue, great scene-setting, great characters. The hero Devellyn is Carlyle's answer to Lord of Scoundrels, and he is to die for! Sidonie is over-the-top wonderful, and her brother George Kemble, who appears in practically all of Carlyle's books, is one of the main characters in this one - not just as a brilliant valet, antiques dealer and "fixer", but as someone with a personal history that affects everything he does and a huge devotion to his sister. Love him, love the book!
November 29, 2017
Where have you been all my life, The Devil to Pay?? I guess it's my own fault for not exploring Liz Carlyle's backlist more thoroughly, plus inexplicably this book has been absent from some of the "best romance" lists I've seen... This is easily one of the best books I've read this year, so enjoyable! I feel like starting a second read now so I can spend more time with the characters, not just hero/heroine but the whole supporting cast. Amazing.
August 18, 2013
4/4.5 stars - after initially thinking I wasn't going to like this, it was a very entertaining read. I loved the main characters and there was some intrigue about the story too. It was a little predictable but then again, most romances are! Glad I read this one.
April 20, 2020
CW: NSFW, language, mild dubious consent
I absolutely loved this book. Sidonie is clever and an admirable heroine, and Devellyn is so not-charming, he almost becomes it. Carlyle proves, over and over again, why she is my favorite author!
I absolutely loved this book. Sidonie is clever and an admirable heroine, and Devellyn is so not-charming, he almost becomes it. Carlyle proves, over and over again, why she is my favorite author!
August 5, 2014
So rapey and weird and I couldn't emotionally connect to the characters at all.
November 11, 2016
loved it..At the beginning i thought this book was not for me but then i was completely hooked..
April 5, 2024
Nemesi - per RFS
.
Ruby era tenebra, Sidonie era luce; fredda eleganza e raffinata bellezza.
Ruby non era niente di simile.
Ruby vedeva la feccia che giaceva in fondo all’anima di ogni uomo.
Amiche Fenici, rieccomi pronta a raccontarvi della mia nuova avventura.
Sì, mia, perché ogni volta che leggo un romanzo ho la possibilità di immedesimarmi con la protagonista e vivere con lei le sue peripezie.
Siamo a Londra ma la protagonista non è inglese bensì francese, Sidonie è una vedova rispettabile dall’animo nobile che di giorno insegna buone maniere alle debuttanti, mentre di notte si trasforma nell’Angelo Nero, una Robin Hood di altri tempi che ruba ai ricchi per vendicare e difendere i bisognosi.
Capita però anche ai migliori di sbagliare e Sidonie truffa la persona sbagliata, un gentiluomo che non lo meritava, il marchese di Devellyn.
Chi sbaglia deve pagare e per l’uomo tanto temuto da essere chiamato il Diavolo di Duke Street è ancora più importante per mantenere la sua reputazione di duro, tanto da assoldare addirittura un investigatore privato.
Ma come può concentrarsi sull’Angelo Nero quando si ritrova tra le mani tutt’altro tipo di angelo? Una vicina vedova e misteriosa che gli fa pulsare il cuore e non solo.
Il romanzo è ben scritto e scorrevole, ho adorato la protagonista così coraggiosa e intrepida con i suoi vissuti anticonvenzionali che l’hanno portata a diventare una femme fatale di tutto rispetto, pronta a tutto pur di ottenere giustizia.
Dev, al contrario, per quanto in linea con i caratteri che i gentiluomini avevano a quel tempo, mi è sembrato un po’ troppo pieno di sé e borioso, ma verso la fine ha recuperato.
Il finale poteva essere sviluppato maggiormente, a mio avviso è stato un po’ frettoloso, l’autrice è comunque riuscita con maestria in poche pagine a sfatare tutti i dubbi e le lacune lasciate in sospeso durante la lettura.
Nel complesso è un libro molto avventuroso e con il giusto pizzico di spicy senza esagerare.
Consigliato!
Escludo di dover apprendere qualcosa che possa cambiare
i miei sentimenti per lei,
che sono e saranno immutabili.
.
Ruby era tenebra, Sidonie era luce; fredda eleganza e raffinata bellezza.
Ruby non era niente di simile.
Ruby vedeva la feccia che giaceva in fondo all’anima di ogni uomo.
Amiche Fenici, rieccomi pronta a raccontarvi della mia nuova avventura.
Sì, mia, perché ogni volta che leggo un romanzo ho la possibilità di immedesimarmi con la protagonista e vivere con lei le sue peripezie.
Siamo a Londra ma la protagonista non è inglese bensì francese, Sidonie è una vedova rispettabile dall’animo nobile che di giorno insegna buone maniere alle debuttanti, mentre di notte si trasforma nell’Angelo Nero, una Robin Hood di altri tempi che ruba ai ricchi per vendicare e difendere i bisognosi.
Capita però anche ai migliori di sbagliare e Sidonie truffa la persona sbagliata, un gentiluomo che non lo meritava, il marchese di Devellyn.
Chi sbaglia deve pagare e per l’uomo tanto temuto da essere chiamato il Diavolo di Duke Street è ancora più importante per mantenere la sua reputazione di duro, tanto da assoldare addirittura un investigatore privato.
Ma come può concentrarsi sull’Angelo Nero quando si ritrova tra le mani tutt’altro tipo di angelo? Una vicina vedova e misteriosa che gli fa pulsare il cuore e non solo.
Il romanzo è ben scritto e scorrevole, ho adorato la protagonista così coraggiosa e intrepida con i suoi vissuti anticonvenzionali che l’hanno portata a diventare una femme fatale di tutto rispetto, pronta a tutto pur di ottenere giustizia.
Dev, al contrario, per quanto in linea con i caratteri che i gentiluomini avevano a quel tempo, mi è sembrato un po’ troppo pieno di sé e borioso, ma verso la fine ha recuperato.
Il finale poteva essere sviluppato maggiormente, a mio avviso è stato un po’ frettoloso, l’autrice è comunque riuscita con maestria in poche pagine a sfatare tutti i dubbi e le lacune lasciate in sospeso durante la lettura.
Nel complesso è un libro molto avventuroso e con il giusto pizzico di spicy senza esagerare.
Consigliato!
Escludo di dover apprendere qualcosa che possa cambiare
i miei sentimenti per lei,
che sono e saranno immutabili.
October 24, 2021
Segundo libro que leo de esta autora, y he de decir que me gustan sus personajes. Sidonie es una mujer que cree que debe tomar la justicia por su propia mano y se lanza a ello en su propia cruzada como defensora de mujeres desamparadas. Devellyn es una de sus víctimas en un giro del destino. Él resulta ser un gigante torpón, como le describen sus amantes. Bastante corto de entendederas con los sentimientos de los demás. Pero su atención (y sus hormonas) se ven atrapados en el juego de ella.
Los personajes secundarios también son un plus: su hermano misterioso, el amigo que conoce el secreto, la amiga y tía postiza...
Dentro de lo que cabe, la trama del Ángel Negro me gustó, opino que podría haber dado más de sí, pero que al tiempo la autora lo mantuvo en un nivel bastante realista. La protagonista no realiza grandes gestas ni corre riesgos irrealistas, aunque sí tiene pasos en falso y es una actriz impresionante con doble faz. Y sus encuentros como "ángel" con Devellyn son un auténtico placer.
El resto de tramas que les unen y separan, son más o menos por el estilo: podrían haber ido a más, pero tampoco están mal. Hacen un libro muy completo que leí en dos noches con sus madrugadas, porque ¡no podía dejar de leer! Fue un auténtico placer.
Los personajes secundarios también son un plus: su hermano misterioso, el amigo que conoce el secreto, la amiga y tía postiza...
Dentro de lo que cabe, la trama del Ángel Negro me gustó, opino que podría haber dado más de sí, pero que al tiempo la autora lo mantuvo en un nivel bastante realista. La protagonista no realiza grandes gestas ni corre riesgos irrealistas, aunque sí tiene pasos en falso y es una actriz impresionante con doble faz. Y sus encuentros como "ángel" con Devellyn son un auténtico placer.
El resto de tramas que les unen y separan, son más o menos por el estilo: podrían haber ido a más, pero tampoco están mal. Hacen un libro muy completo que leí en dos noches con sus madrugadas, porque ¡no podía dejar de leer! Fue un auténtico placer.
December 30, 2022
Sidonie and Aleric. Gritty story. Not the most romantic story especially when the hero is easily convinced to go to brothels. However, the story came together like a good jigsaw puzzle with interesting side characters. Heroine has a tattoo of a black angel on her chest and her hidden identity is the black angel.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 14, 2022
Very cute, and a fun read. Really liked the Black Angel bit, and the past history of Sidonie's family was nicely intertwined into the story.
April 18, 2020
This is dubcon for sure so stay away if you don't like that. Also, it was great but now I need the m/m book for her brother!!!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 8, 2016
Found this older Liz Carlyle book at the library, and figured I should read it so that I'm caught up on her series.
While I liked Sidonie -- she's kind and caring -- I never really bought the whole Black Angel disguise thing. I was never sure why she felt compelled to do this. She can't really articulate why she thinks it's a smart way to help poor women, so as a reader, I was never convinced about it either. It's apparent that she carries a grudge against rich men, but her robberies just seem childish and silly.
Devellyn is a great hero. Initially he's just a drunk jerk, and it's nice to see him find his way back to his family and to enjoying life.
So...3 stars. A nice book that I enjoyed.
While I liked Sidonie -- she's kind and caring -- I never really bought the whole Black Angel disguise thing. I was never sure why she felt compelled to do this. She can't really articulate why she thinks it's a smart way to help poor women, so as a reader, I was never convinced about it either. It's apparent that she carries a grudge against rich men, but her robberies just seem childish and silly.
Devellyn is a great hero. Initially he's just a drunk jerk, and it's nice to see him find his way back to his family and to enjoying life.
So...3 stars. A nice book that I enjoyed.
April 30, 2018
The first half of this is great. The prologue was intriguing, quirky and set up the premise (Sidonie as Robin Hood) well. I loved Devellyn's character, too - it's such a relief to read about a hero who is not charming, debonair, and a natural with women. That doesn't make him unattractive, as he is self-aware and self-deprecating too. There's a real chemistry when they first meet, and again when they start getting to know one another.
The plot loses its way a little in the second half, and the ending is frankly a little improbable, but I enjoyed the story nonetheless.
The plot loses its way a little in the second half, and the ending is frankly a little improbable, but I enjoyed the story nonetheless.
April 12, 2023
Un libro scritto male, ma non saprei dire dove finiscono le colpe della Carlyle e dove iniziano quelle del traduttore, per non parlare dei tagli scellerati e insensati che sono sicura questo libro sia stato vittima.
Per il resto è un libro con una trama banale, con personaggi caratterizzati poco e male e volgarotto, mai mi era capitato di leggere tali e tante parolacce in un romanzo storico.
Decisamente il mio primo incontro con questa scrittrice è stato un disastro.
Per il resto è un libro con una trama banale, con personaggi caratterizzati poco e male e volgarotto, mai mi era capitato di leggere tali e tante parolacce in un romanzo storico.
Decisamente il mio primo incontro con questa scrittrice è stato un disastro.
July 26, 2015
Ugh. So disappointed. The worst about this book is its rapey, emotionally stunted hero. Don't get me wrong, it was pretty good in the beginning. I love the writing style and the story had promise. Unfortunately, it went all downhill from there.
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