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    Between the Devil and Desire
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    Between the Devil and Desire
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    Between the Devil and Desire
    Ebook379 pages5 hours

    Between the Devil and Desire

    By Lorraine Heath

    4/5

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    About this ebook

    London's most notorious rogue—decadent, depraved, forbidden

    The ladies of the ton won't stop whispering about deliciously wicked Jack Dodger—once a thieving street urchin, now the wealthy owner of London's most exclusive gentleman's club. There's no pleasure he hasn't enjoyed, no debauchery the handsome scoundrel won't provide for the lords who flock to his house of carnal intrigue.

    London's most virtuous lady—honorable, uncorrupted, and all too human

    Olivia, Duchess of Lovingdon, would never associate with such a rogue. So when Jack is named sole heir to the duke's personal possessions, the beautiful, well-bred lady is outraged. Now, Olivia is forced to share her beloved home with this despicable man.

    Caught between the devil and desire

    But Olivia's icy disdain is no match for Jack's dangerous charm. His touch awakens desire. His kiss demands surrender. She will struggle to bar Jack from her heart . . . but her body, coveting divine release, will not let her bar him from her bed.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateOct 6, 2009
    ISBN9780061977596
    Author

    Lorraine Heath

    Lorraine Heath always dreamed of being a writer. After graduating from the University of Texas, she wrote training manuals, press releases, articles, and computer code, but something was always missing. When she read a romance novel, she not only became hooked on the genre, but quickly realized what her writing lacked: rebels, scoundrels, and rogues. She’s been writing about them ever since. Her novels have been recognized with numerous industry awards and have appeared on the USA Today and New York Times bestseller lists.

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    Reviews for Between the Devil and Desire

    4/5

    157 ratings11 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Rounded up. The narrative bounced around quite a bit, I prefer when it's just the two main characters switching back and forth every chapter or so. This one went about wherever and whenever it was convenient for the author. The heroine was over-dramatic, and it took quite a while for me to enjoy her (even then I don't think she'll be very memorable for me). The pieces didn't fit together quite as well as in the first book in the series, but it was still entertaining and I'm glad to be learning more about this group of friends from the streets.
    • 4/5

      I loved the characters. Their story starts with a bang.

      Between the Devil and Desire is a wonderful love story. It has a darker side, but neither the romance nor the darker side of the story overwhelms it. Everything has its place and none of it is used just to be there.
      Another thing I loved is that Olivia's late husband wasn't a monster.

      The resolution of the late Duke's choice for his son's guardian and Jack's past might not be for everyone, but it suits his character and this story perfectly.

      One of my favourite parts was the additional point of view from a five-year-old. There are only a couple of moments seen from Henry's point of view, but they are adorable.
    • 5/5
      a bit of a weird ending but a must read all the way
    • 5/5
      Brilliant !
    • 4/5
      Between the Devil and Desire
      4 Stars

      As the owner of a gaming hell, Jack Dodger is the last person one would entrust with the care of a small child. Yet, he not only inherits the late Duke of Lovingdon's fortune, but is named guardian to his young son. Olivia Stanford, the boy's mother, is not amused that a debauched scoundrel is living in her home and is not shy about voicing her opinion. The only problem is her incomprehensible attraction to the rogue...

      While the plot twists are obvious from miles away, the journey toward the actual revelations is entertaining nonetheless.

      Jack and Olivia have exceptional chemistry and their love/hate banter is fun. Jack is charming and witty, and his obvious affection for young Henry makes him all the more appealing. The fact that he is tortured to boot is icing on the cake.

      Olivia is a likable heroine overall, but her preoccupation with society's dictates and tendency toward self-righteousness is tiresome at times. Thankfully, this doesn't last too long and she does eventually get over herself.

      The romance and minor suspense plot deal with some darker issues, such as child abuse, poverty and the vagaries of social class, with tact and sensitivity.

      In sum, another well-written and engaging story by Lorraine Heath and I really need to read more of her books.
    • 5/5
      A most enjoyable read, with many unexpected twists and turns.
    • 4/5
      I've already read the first and third books in the Scoundrels of St. James series, and like the other two this one is a four-star for me.

      What I Liked
      Jack Dodger, whose persona is a bit darker than his cohorts in crime, is infuriating and appealing at the same time. And once again, I was charmed by the relationship that develops between the rogue and a child, in this case the five-year-old Duke of Lovingdon. The romance between Jack and the boy's mother develops gradually and in a believable manner.

      I enjoyed the reappearance of characters from the other books too. While they were secondary characters, their roles were much more than just walk-ons. In this sense, the series reminds me a bit of Mary Balogh's Bedwyn Saga, where the brothers and sisters show up in every volume and we learn more of the back story in each.

      What I Didn't Like
      I suppose that it's inevitable when you're reading the same author repeatedly, but the love scenes in all of the books resemble one another so much that I found myself skimming. Skimming the sex scenes? What's up with that?

      Conclusion
      This was a touching and humorous love story, with lots of surprises about Jack Dodger. I recommend that the series be read in order.
    • 4/5
      Read from April 14 to 19, 2013Read/Listened for Fun (Kindle/Audible)Overall Rating: 4.25Story Rating: 4.25Character Rating: 4.25Audio Rating: 4.00 (not part of the overall rating)First Thought when Finished: Jack Dodger was super wicked and probably my favorite Scoundrel!Story Thoughts: Historical romance must have two things to make me happy: a man to swoon for and a woman who puts him in his place. Between the Devil and Desire delivered on both counts. The story had the added kick of a little boy who brought out the best in Mr. Dodger. I cried at the back story, laughed at the shenanigans, and loved watching Jack/Olivia fall in love!Character Thoughts: Normally I would start with the man but to me Olivia was the rock of Between the Devil and Desire. She was a woman who could have just cowered to Jack but instead she was a fierce mama bear who held her own. What I loved most? She was willing to expand her thought process even where her son was concerned. Jack was just awesome. I liked him the first book but loved him here. I am so glad he finally found love and a little peace.Audio Thoughts: Narrated By Susan Ericksen, Antony Ferguson /Length: 11 hrs and 15 minsSusan and Antony did a great job with Jack and Olivia. I do think they work really well together and really enjoyed this audiobook.Final Thoughts: I am really enjoying this series so far!
    • 4/5
      Reviewed for queuemyreview.com; book release Jan09Lorraine Heath’s books are a bit of a treat for me. Her characters are always interesting (both male AND female), the plots always have a bit of a twist, and the heat between the hero and heroine is always sizzling. “Between the Devil and Desire” lives up to all of the above and includes a subplot of heroes in rags-to-riches circumstances in her ‘Scoundrels of St James’ series.Olivia is a Duchess who prides herself on her proper behavior. She was a dutiful daughter who married a much older man at her father’s behest and provided the required heir. Her husband never visited her bed again and she spends all her love and devotion on her young son. After her husband dies, she’s shocked to find out that the man her husband the Duke named as guardian to her five year old son and the future Duke is none other than the “deliciously wicked Jack Dodger”. How long can a woman who’s never experienced real pleasure hold out against a man who’s an expert at delivering it?Jack Dodger’s mother sold him when he was a boy of five. He escaped from his cruel ‘owner’, renamed himself, and found a new home and family under the tutelage of Feagan—manager of the best gang of child thieves in London’s rookeries. He’s come a long way since those days, as have his childhood friends. He’s currently the owner and manager of the best and most exclusive ‘men’s club’ in London, Dodger’s Drawing Room, where for a high fee, men can safely and anonymously indulge their vices. They can gamble, drink, dance…but no one, NO ONE is allowed to harm anyone who works for Jack, he protects what’s his because he remembers being vulnerable. Jack’s life revolves around his quest for more money—because money equals safety. When he’s offered a king’s fortune to act as guardian for the son of a Duke he hardly knew, Jack’s suspicious…but he’s also not about to let a nagging virago of a Duchess keep him from earning a fortune!Jack was such a complex character. The bad boy with a heart of gold…badly tarnished and totally wicked, but only in the best ways! Heath did a great job of portraying the gradual change in her lead characters’ relationship; once you accept the premise of her plot, the unfolding of the story is believable and gradual. I must confess that I found Olivia mostly forgettable and I did find the connections at the ending a bit dubious, but after enjoying the rest of the story I won’t quibble.“Between the Devil and Desire” provided me a few hours of enjoyable escapism. It made me laugh and smile and even the bit of danger at the end wasn’t too terribly menacing. That’s another point in Lorraine Heath’s favor, in my opinion, she writes stories that don’t try TOO hard. They’re smooth, they’re hot, they’re enjoyable, and they just make me feel lighter when I’m done.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      I feel like I should not have rated this book 4 stars. In truth, I have a lot of quibbles with it. The subject matter was trapped somewhere between super dark/upsetting and a romp? It was a very light-hearted tone for a book that, ultimately, hinged largely on a child molestation background.

      SPOILERS

      Alas, by the end of it, I was literally rolling around on my couch delighted because, "DID IT SERIOUSLY JUST? IS THAT. I MEAN. REALLY?"

      Because somewhere around halfway (maybe less) through the book I realized, "Oh my God, she's his step-mom. The kid is his half-brother. Oh my God." And from that point on, ridiculously, I was sold. 5000% sold. Especially because I knew all through the typical influx of sex scenes toward the latter 1/3 of the book, that EVENTUALLY, they would get to realize and acknowledge, "Oh my God, your dead husband was my biological father."

      It's much like the Highlander series I recently read where William Wallace was, for seemingly no particular reason, a minor character.

      Since this book just whole-heartedly went for schtupping the step-mom without realizing it trope (is that even a trope?) I just let it do its thing and entertain me. I still have issues with the handling of most of the darker issues brought up.

      But.

      She's his step-mom. Did I mention that? AMAZING.
    • 5/5
      Jack Dodger, a wealthy man who owns a prestigious gentleman’s club. Having lived on the streets when he was younger, he craves wealth. So when he hears that the Duke of Lovingdon has died, but his will leaves him all his entailed wealth, if he agrees to be guardian to his son, he agrees but meets resistance with the mother, Olivia. Olivia is furious, after hearing the will and that she has no power, even as the mother of her son, to repute the offer to Jack Dodger. Jack is only doing this for the power and wealth, but despite tension between him and Olivia escalate, he starts to care for this young boy he is responsible for. And he starts to realize that there are a lot more important things besides wealth, but when desire and passion are cultivated between these two, they come to realize that love is the most dangerous weapon of all when it comes to defeating the shield around one’s heart.This is the second in the series, and I just fell in love with Jack Dodgers story. Jack grew up on the streets being a pickpocket and now he is more than ever determined to make as much money as he possibly can. So when he hears that he is supposed to be the guardian to a young impressionable boy. But his mother Olivia matches his strong will, and tension flows between them both. But as time continues there is a desire that rises and unable for either of them to resist. I truly fell in love with this story and the characters as well. Not only Olivia and Jack but the little boy, Henry. From the beginning Jack starts to learn what it means to have a family, and the bond between Jack and Henry become undeniably strong. At first, Jack’s goal is to get Olivia married off to someone so he can just enjoy the rewards and not have to bear the responsibilities, but time passes and his relationship with Olivia strengthens to the point where he doesn’t know if he can live without her in his life. This is such a heartwarming story, where love can melt the ice of any hardened heart and teach the true value of the healing power of love. This is probably one of my favorite series written by Lorraine Heath, for the plot flows and the characters are engaging, and the passion and love these two feel will brighten up any stormy day. Such a wonderful read!!!