The Devil's Heiress

Company of Rogues #7

by Jo Beverley

In The Devil's Heiress, there are fortune hunters aplenty who are not particular about the origins of the wealth Clarissa Greystone has recently inherited from the vicious nobleman. Still, she's amazed when the new Lord Deveril (a distant relation of the late, unlamented lord) sends his heir, George Hawkinville, to court her... and she's right to distrust the bold young man's motives. At first, it's true that all Hawk cares about is her fortune. He cannot imagine what sort of respectable woman would have ever agreed to marry the late Lord Deveril, or to accept money from the man. But Hawk needs that same ill-gotten wealth to repay the enormous sum his father has pledged against Hawk's own maternal inheritance. But, as these unexpectedly loving allies are swept up in the aftermath of shattering a Napoleonic spy ring, it soon becomes clear to both Clarissa and Hawk that their mutual reservations cannot stand against their mutual passion.

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

384 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published August 7, 2001

About the author

Mary Josephine Dunn was born 22 September 1947 in Lancashire, England, UK. At the age of eleven she went to an all-girls boarding school, Layton Hill Convent, Blackpool. At sixteen, she wrote her first romance, with a medieval setting, completed in installments in an exercise book. From 1966 to 1970, she obtained a degree in English history from Keele University in Staffordshire, where she met her future husband, Ken Beverley. After graduation, they married on June 24, 1971. She quickly attained a position as a youth employment officer until 1976, working first in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, and then in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire.

In 1976, her scientist husband was invited to do post-doctoral research at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. When her professional qualifications proved not to be usable in the Canadian labour market, she raised their two sons and started to write her first romances.

Moved to Ottawa, in 1985 she became a founding member of the Ottawa Romance Writers’ Association, that her “nurturing community” for the next twelve years. The same year, she completed a regency romance, but it was promptly rejected by a number of publishers, and she settled more earnestly to learning the craft. In 1988, it sold to Walker, and was published as "Lord Wraybourne's Betrothed". She regularly appears on bestseller lists including the USA Today overall bestseller list, the New York Times, and and the Publishers Weekly list. She has been the recipient of numerous awards including the Golden Leaf, the Award of Excellence, the National Readers Choice, and a two Career Achievement awards from Romantic Times. She is also a five time winner of the RITA, the top award of the Romance Writers Of America, and a member of their Hall of Fame and Honor Roll.

Jo Beverley passed away on May 23, 2016 after a long battle with cancer.

Reviews

[Alba Turunen · Rating 4 out of 5]

En realidad 4'5 Estrellas. Por fin puedo decir en favor de ésta serie y de la escritora, que he llegado a ése libro que creo que es imprescindible dentro de su obra. Admito que la obra de Jo Beverley no es fácil que guste, pero tenía algo, sabía escribir muy bien, sabía cómo crear auténticas tramas truculentas (para eso era muy británica), y lo que mejor sabía crear: las ambientaciones de sus novelas. El punto flojo de Jo Beverley era siempre los personajes, y su historia de amor, siempre, siempre, tenían un pero. Pues en éste libro no he encontrado ningún pero para ellos.

No es un libro perfecto, pero si uno que me ha tenido enganchada desde los primeros capítulos, la historia tenía algo que me fascinaba y he quedado muy satisfecha. Tras los últimos libros, que eran bastante maluchos, podía esperar que éste libro siguiera por la misma estela y quizás plantearme abandonar la serie, pues no, me ha dejado con ganas de seguir leyendo sobre los "Pícaros".

¿Qué tenemos en ésta novela? No me gustaría contar lo principal para no spoilear lo que ocurre al final del segundo libro de la serie, "La prometida rebelde", pero quizás la sinopsis ya lo desvela. Clarissa Greystone, ésa joven protegida de Beth, que venía de una familia deplorable y que fue vendida al lord Diablo, se libró de éste gracias a la intervención de los Pícaros, y para más inri se descubrió como única heredera de su fortuna. ¿Qué puede hacer una joven señorita, ahora mismo independiente y con una fortuna, y que no tiene ninguna intención de casarse?

Cuando el comandante Hawk Hawkindale vuelve a su casa tras las guerras napoleónicas, lo que menos desea es la noticia que le da su padre. Nunca fue feliz en su casa y desde luego nunca se llevó bien con éste, durante años ha sabido mantenerse apartado de su camino, pero ahora no puede evitarlo, no, cuando su padre le dice que su propiedad ha sido hipotecada y debe una gran cantidad de un dinero que no tiene. Así que la guinda del pastel para seguir apretando las tuercas de Hawk es cuando su padre le dice que se case con la heredera del Diablo, así podrán disponer de su fortuna legitimamente y pagar sus deudas. Pero Hawk ve algo sospechoso en lo que se dice de Clarissa, por lo que le han dicho, es una joven maquinadora que probablemente mató a su prometido y que de algún modo falsificó el testamento de éste para que su fortuna fuera a ella.

Esto es lo que encontramos al principio de la novela, pero serán muchos más los secretos que guardarán los protagonistas, tanto él como ella, porque los secretos de Clarissa no sólo la involucran a ella, y los de Hawk podrían romper todo el afecto que él despierta en Clarissa. En efecto, Clarissa no tiene ninguna intención de casarse, o eso pensaba hasta que conoció a Hawk y poco a poco fue descubriendo que se estaba enamorando de él. Si algo me ha gustado de la relación de los protagonistas, es que a pesar de sus pocos secretos inconfesables, han sido sinceros el uno con el otro, sobre todo con aquello que más interesa en la novela romántica, y son los sentimientos. Para Clarissa es fácil enamorarse de Hawk e incluso ésta sabe que él necesita casarse por dinero, por su dinero, pero en ningún momento duda de que Hawk realmente la quiere. En cuanto a Hawk, al principio no tiene una idea clara de ella, aparentemente es una joven feúcha, una asesina y una ladrona, pero poco a poco se va dando cuenta de que eso no casa con la Clarissa que está conociendo y lo está fascinando.

En cuanto a lo demás, la novela tiene bastantes clichés de los que puede tener una novela de Regencia, pero si la trama engancha y te está gustando ¿Qué más da? Nos encontramos de nuevo a casi todos los Pícaros reunidos, ésta vez para desentrañar una trama que nos presentó los primeros libros de la serie, y que ha sido tan interesante como la historia de amor. Sin duda he quedado con las suficientes ganas de continuar con la serie y de enterarme qué es de los Pícaros que siguen solteros.

[Jacob Proffitt · Rating 1 out of 5]

Well, this is another Jo Beverley first: my first DNF. This is a real shame as I found myself stranded on a public library long weekend and no way to actually move on to the next. So why the DNF?

To start, I felt Beverley betrayed Hawk. For two stories now, we've heard (and seen) how smart and competent he is, how he doesn't forget a detail, and how he reads people and situations to come to the correct conclusion. So I was interested as soon as I realized that his trajectory would put him in opposition to the Rogues, at least initially. What a great set of conflicts that might open up! Only, he completely forgets, for half the story, that Lucien is a Rogue. And with the lame excuse that he wasn't used to thinking of him as "Arden" (his title). This is freaking Hawk the investigator and a group closely associated with one of his two best friends! Plus, bonus, he doesn't make the blindingly obvious connection that maybe something so brilliantly hidden that he can't make progress on it in a couple weeks of determined trying just might have been hidden by the Rogues. This is stupid beyond all reason. That he didn't pull in at least Con and preferably Nicholas and/or Lucien and ask for a confidential update is stupid, even if he didn't go the extra step of asking help in solving his personal quandary.

But even that was only the start of the stupid. He compounds this by his treatment of Clarissa. You don't manipulate the woman you love and just hope she forgives you later. You don't seek her social ruin and hope it turns out in the end. You don't scheme for her money, money you desperately need, and then ask for a do-over once you have it. His actions indicate a distinct lack of the trust central to love, but to then answer her question "Do you love me?" with "I adore you" is, to me, an evasion of the highest order. At that point, I finally lost all confidence in his competence and hereby name him more appropriately: Chicken.

So Chicken was bad enough to deal with, but this book also marks the return of Lissette, the manipulative wench from the first book. And we have Beverley giving her all sorts of mystical powers of manipulation and disguise and access and intelligence—just like the first book where I hated her so much. I mean, she magically knows about the title disposition. And the Georges. And Clarissa's friends and neighbors. And she moves about freely with disguises and lies and manipulation that would take three of her to pull off. But that's okay because Beverley obviously loves the conniving seductress for some reason so she gets away with it.

With the combination of Chicken being such an idiot and Lissette showing up to spoke everyone's wheels for no reason, I simply lost all desire to continue. This is at about the halfway point. I'm sorry, but I'm tired of people I'm supposed to take seriously as smart being run around in circles by an idiot with the author in her back pocket. It's a betrayal of the characterization from the previous stories coupled with the bad taste left from the stupid of that first book and I just don't want to know more. I don't even want to know if Lissette gets away with it again and disappears. I will say that if she shows up in any more stories, this may not be my only Beverley DNF...

A note about Steamy: This may be a base canard and slander. I didn't get to any explicit scenes. But the kissing was on course for them and I can't imagine Beverley wasting all that chemistry between the main characters so Imma assume there's some and tag appropriately.

[BJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book on my 2nd read. The H is awesome, and the now adult h is an interesting person. He believes she's a thief and was involved in a man's death. She does has secrets, but she shows integrity and does not reveal them. But this more than a love story, so many twists. Good to see the rogues and their families work together to resolve a mystery.

[Elis Madison · Rating 3 out of 5]

We last met Clarissa Greystone as the reluctant child bride of the villain in An Unwilling Bride. Her parents had basically sold her to the pervy old phart, whose kisses made her




She was a prisoner in the evil man's house, and running out of ways to gross him out, when the Rogues and Roguettes arrived to liberate some goodies the squishy-shoed baddie had stolen. Deverill ended up "accidentally" dead



and Clarissa ended up inheriting 100k pounds (a megabuttload of money in those days). The gossips are calling her The Devil's Heiress (do ya think maybe that's where the title came from?)

Traumatized by the things she's endured and seen, Clarissa's been hiding away at her old girl's school.

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But the schoolmistress has been hinting that it's time for her to go.



Meanwhile, back at the ranch…


Major George Hawkinville returns from war to learn that:

A) his father discovered that he might be heir to the title of the Viscount Deverill (Yup, that's the fortunately deceased man Clarissa was betrothed to.) so

B) his father needed money for lawyers to pursue his claim to the title, so

C) the old putz mortgaged everything to this fat jerk Slade who plans to raze the manor and village to make room for a bunch of ugly, ostentatious structures

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Hawk's dad expected his inheritance to include sufficient funds to repay his debts and reclaim Deverill's entailed estate from ruin. But it seems Deverill bequeathed everything that wasn't nailed down to his future bride. The will was found in a desk drawer after the villain's demise, handwritten and witnessed by two servants who then conveniently jumped a ship to the Bermuda Triangle.

Hawk's dad isn't all that broken up about it—his son has been judging him for years, so he reckons Hawk ought to get his own hands dirty. Da smirkingly (?) suggests that Hawk marry Clarissa to gain the inheritance. Hawk will do that if he has no other choice, but it happens he was an investigator in the war. He knows when a story smells, and this one reeks. He's betting that the Devil's Heiress had something to do with the convenient demise of her betrothed and that the will is forged. So he sets out to expose these truths.

After checking a few facts in London, Hawk tracks down Clarissa and decides to court her, the better to ferret out her secrets.



Clarissa realizes that Hawk's interest is phony. She assumes he's a fortune-hunter, but hey, the guy makes her lady parts tingle, so she doesn't much care. Unfortunately for Clarissa, when her lady parts tingle, she tends to run off at the mouth.


Let's hope that's beans.

Hawk is just enough of a stiffrump for justice (Hey, a new campaign slogan!) that he'll rat her out if he thinks she's guilty. And Clarissa knows just enough about Deverill's death to condemn a lot of people, including herself, to the gallows.



Lots of blurted, confessiony comments, athletic leaps to conclusions, and various man-and-lady-bits tingling keep the story rolling along, and the arrival of a villain from the first book in the series adds a new twist at an opportune moment.

The occasional clangy note, like silly alliterative pillow talk (rod of rapture) made me giggle at inopportune moments. And when all the secrets are revealed, the heroine's all



And the hero's all



It felt a little



But even with the flaws, this is an enjoyable story and a solid middle book in an extended series. I repeat--add a half star....


My rating system:

One star—Blows (skip it)
Two stars—It was OK (if it sounds interesting, buy it used)
Three stars—Liked it (grab it next time you're looking for a good read)
Four stars—Loved it (make a special trip)
Five stars—*Grrrowr!* (nuff said)

[Albagar90 · Rating 4 out of 5]

me ha tenido enganchada desde el minuto uno, y con un final bastante sorprendente

[Winona · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was looking for a quick read and found it with this book in Jo’s Rogues series. Appreciate the escape from heavy topics and the current trauma of our world. Ms Beverly rarely disappoints.

[Carmen · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5 estrellas
Es una historia de amor entre dos supervivientes: ÉL, que ha sobrevivido a un padre que no supo y no quiso hacer las cosas bien y que sigue aplastando todo lo que toca, y ELLA, con una familia que la "vendió" para casarla con un ser despreciable y que se ve envuelta en algo ajeno a ella y a su control. Dos caracteres fuertes, escépticos y nada románticos, que chocan y, al final, confluyen.
La trama de intriga alrededor del asesinado del "diablo" y la acción a la que se ven llevados los dos, hace que te enganche la lectura y que te pegues a sus páginas para seguir leyendo. No tiene momentos románticamente ilusos, sino que vas viendo como ellos se van enamorando, platónica y físicamente. Hay espías, traición, política, amistad, errores, deber... una buena novela romántica de época, con alicientes añadidos.
Sigue siendo una apuesta seguro escoger una novela de esta autora.
https://millibrosenmibiblioteca.blogs...

[Ilze · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very, very enjoyable!

[Desi · Rating 3 out of 5]

leído en Junio 2014

Estuvo bien... bastante entretenida!! Me agradó la protagonista

[Barbara Elsborg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Second time I read this - I forgot until I was a quarter into it! I read a huge number of regency romances - and a few Victorian ones - and this does seem better than a lot of them. I actually like the predictability and the same old plot coming up time after time, what interests me is the way different authors succeed (and some don't) in making what is a very formulaic genre different and fun to read. I hadn't read the others in the series - well I don't think so, but knowing me, I might have. Clarissa was spunky and brave. I liked Hawk with his sense of honor and fairness and even though there were a few parts where I wanted to wring both their necks, the book kept my attention.

[Janet]

Someone needs to tell me why I am re-reading this again? Am I expecting a different outcome? For me, the books that follow this one are not as compelling as this culminating book!

The best thing about this book, other than its own merits, is that is elucidates previous stories and ties up all the loose "Rogue" threads. A very honest book about motivation and outcomes and a delicious couple to boot!

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed Clarissa'story--she got her happy ending after her misery earlier in the Company of Rogues series.

[May Mostly Romance · Rating 1 out of 5]

เรื่องราวของจอร์จคนที่สามที่ถูกเรียกว่าฮอร์ค นายทหารผู้กล้าซึ่งกลับมาจากสงครามเพื่อพบว่าสถานทางการเงินของครอบครัวอยู่ ในชุดที่เลวร้ายที่สุด และคลาริซ่าทายาทสาวผู้ร่ำรวยคือคำตอบเดียวในการแก้ปัญหา

คลาริซ่าและความร่ำรวยของเธอเป็นผลพวงมาจากการกระทำของนิโคลัส (ถ้าคุณยังพอจะจำได้ เขาเป็นพระเอกในหนังสือเล่มแรกของชุดนี้) ดังนั้นนิคจึงถือเป็นหน้าที่ของเขา และ TCR ในการปกป้องคุ้มครองเธอ ทำให้เรื่องนี้ก็เข้ามาเกี่ยวกับ TCR จนได้

เช่นเดียวกัน เล่มนี้ก็เรื่อย ๆ มาเรียง ๆ ไม่มีอะไรเด่นพอที่จะน่าสนใจ แต่ก็ไม่ถึงกับเลวร้ายจนเกินไปนัก คะแนนที่ 57

[Omar Zambrano · Rating 3 out of 5]

Realmente es como un 3.5. No es un mal libro, fue ameno, entretenido, pero lastimosamente desde la portada del libro, la autora indicó en pocas palabras el desenlace de Clarissa y Hawk. Se abona mucho que fue escrito en una época posterior a la batalla de Waterloo, entonces ese pincel histórico hace juegos con tu mente para recrear dichos pasajes. No conocía a la autora, y parece ser muy reconocida con novelas románticas

[Karen Darling · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was weird to me how the heroine got new clothes and her personality changed.

[Lady of the Lake · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank goodness I discovered audio books! It is so hard to find the time I need to sit
And read as much as I would like! With audio I never have to put a good story aside! I can get all my work done as I listen! I was such a book snob and never thought I would ever be able to use An e reader! Ha! I love my kindle and even have a nook as well! (personal preference is the Kindle) then I thought I was totally Against audio books! Never thinking it would give pleasure as reading Does! So glad I'm not too stubborn and gave it a try! Now I am never without a great story! I love my books...my ebooks and my
Audio!!! A true addict am I!!!

This romance read by the fabulous Simon Prebble had so much going on besides a regular romance. This would be a romantic suspense? A bit of a Romantic mystery? You need to pay attention throughout the book as Jo Beverley gives us a lot of story! And although I read this out of order and it was fine as a stand alone I think you would benefit from reading the series in order as past characters are popping up in the pages. It would have been better perhaps to know these characters stories.

Jo Beverley will be an author I will return to as her story was really enjoyable and intelligent with enough story plot and romance with bits of suspense....that keeps you wanting to go on and on until the end! Well done! Loads of fun 3d characters quite a bit of sex but not overdone. All in all a perfect Mix of everything!

[Amelia]

This book was longer and more complex than the average Regency romance. I enjoyed it, but I really wished I'd read the earlier books in the series first -- there were simply too many characters to keep track of without knowing a bit more about their back stories. That said, the many and varied subplots kept the story lively. It featured a courting couple whose parents had set terrible examples of married life, but who were surrounded by loving friends.... many with their own stories unfolding in the background.

[Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just love her stories. Makes me want to re-read the Company of Rogues series.

[Debbie "Buried in Her TBR Pile" · Rating 3 out of 5]

Own in: Three Heroes (Kindle Edition) 3.5 stars - The last half of the book is the best part with revisiting Deveril's death, Nick Delaney and the Rogues, etc. Hawk and Clarissa deserved their HEA.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has the distinction of being part of two series : The Company of Rogues & Three Heroes.
Copyright 2001. This is a reread & I remember quite a lot about it. Can be read as a stand alone, but you can follow the story better if you read "An Unwilling Bride" first. There are a LOT of characters from the previous books in this one.

This is Hawk & Clarissa's story. Hawk is one of the three Georges of Hawk In Vale. He's the son of the squire, who has always wanted to be more than what he is. He finds out that he's Lord Deveril's heir.
Clarissa was first in "An Unwilling Bride" & causes a lot of trouble for Beth. She was "sold" into a betrothal with the evil Lord Deveril. In that book he meets his demise. The Rogues arrange it though that she inherit his money. Money that technically belongs to Hawk's father as he's the new Lord.
Hawk has a reputation as a bloodhound in the army when it comes to sniffing out irregularities. He also is attracted to Clarissa.

We come to a resolution to the problem of Therese Bellaire after she kidnaps Nicholas' daughter. There's also a surprise for the Rogues following this.
I really enjoyed this story. It hit me just right.

[Anita · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! It is the first book in a while that I can say was well written! Also I think it is the first time that I really liked both the hero and heroine in a while!

The only thing I could complain about.... is the first love scene - the frequent use of deliberate alliteration was unnecessary and it was distracting taking away from the moment. The storyline was a little predictable, with the ending becoming more about a somewhat unrelated event than their love story (which was fine). All in all - I recommend the book and while it is number 8 or something in the series of rogues - I have not read any of athe other books and this worked fine. I did not care of the "rogues" in this story (the oddest being something about the actress mistress and his wife being friends - wtf??), but the author's general writing skill was good enough to make me look into the other novels.

[Isabel Luna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Es una historia de amor entre dos supervivientes: ÉL, que ha sobrevivido a un padre que no supo y no quiso hacer las cosas bien y que sigue aplastando todo lo que toca, y ELLA, con una familia que la "vendió" para casarla con un ser despreciable y que se ve envuelta en algo ajeno a ella y a su control. Dos personalidades fuertes, realistas y nada románticos, que chocan y, al final, confluyen.
La trama de intriga esta muy bien redactada alrededor del asesinado del "diablo" y la acción a la que se ven llevados los dos, hizo q me quedara leyendo sin querer soltar el libro, pero sin querer q termine y hace rato q eso no es usual. No tiene momentos románticamente ilusos, sino que vas viendo como ellos se van enamorando, platónica y físicamente. Hay espías, traición, política, amistad, errores, deber... una buena novela romántica de época, con alicientes añadidos.
No se xq no leo más de esta autora. Las pocas q leí hasta ahora no defraudaron en absoluto.

[Bia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Esta es la historia de Hawk, uno de los tres Georges y amigo de Con, y de Clarissa, la alumna de Beth que conocimos en el libro dos. Tengo que ser sincera y decir que Clarissa no me gustó mucho. Hawk me impresionó más. Es inteligente, aunque un poco frio y distante. Esta historia está llena de intrigas y acción. Aparecen personajes malvados del pasado, ¿y cómo no?, también nuestros queridos picaros. Sobre todo Nicholas, que parece colarse en cada novela. Igual me sobraron tragedias y muchas páginas, pero me gusto…aunque no la recomendaría para una tarde de lectura ligera jaja

[Suzy Vero · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Devil’s Heiress is one of those books that does not work as a standalone … it’s an integral part of this series. The main theme of the plot is tied to the first book, An Arranged Marriage, and the secondary characters and villain are too. Overall, it’s a good story tho the mystery / drama overshadow the romance. I’ve come to find that Beverley’s books are like this … one passionate sex scene near the middle of the book then a happy ending for the couple.

[May Grider · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a pleasure to read this after having almost given up on finding more books from the Company of Rogues series at the library. Love the heroine and the love story and great action and involvement of so many Rogues. This book wraps up several story lines and is a lot of fun for any fan.
I accessed the ePub version using the OverDrive library app.

[Margaret L · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best of the George’s

Entertaining and interesting story that kept my rapt attention cover-to-cover. Clarissa is less the ‘perfect heroine’ than many but is fresh and engaging. Her romance and trials are involved but the author navigates them with precision and adept mastery. I thought this was the best of the Rogues stories.

[YRP · Rating 3 out of 5]

3'5 estrellas
Me ha gustado como la autora consigue encauzar todas las tramas anteriormente vistas en los anteriores libros para que conecten.
(No recomiendo leerlo, sin leer al menos el libro 1 y 2 de la serie de los granujas)
La historia romántica se me ha quedado floja y los últimos capítulos se me han hecho un pelín pesados.

[Jeanne (love2cook) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beginning in June 1816, in Sussex, England is the start of the story of the Devil's Heiress, Clarissa Greystone is burdened with the wealth of a man she despised. A fortune hunter's dream. Major George Hawkinville needs a fortune more than anyone. He starts on his quest to win Clarissa's money. Jo Beverley delivers a powerful, enchanting love story.

[Ilse Natalia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me gusto mucho aunque sentí que el protagonista masculino era un poco seco pero si me transmitió ese sentimiento de amor, la historia si daba muchas vueltas porque reunía a dos sagas que sinceramente solo tengo este, me gustaría acabar las dos sagas porque me gusto como escribía la autora. Lo de hasta el ultimo si me gusto pero no me convenció del todo .

[Susan Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book more than the previous one but I still think there should be a prologue with the relevant facts from the previous books.

Clarissa seemed very different in this book than she did in the previous book, which detracted a bit from the story. However, it was still an enjoyable book with lots of twists and turns.