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Book Review-Angel In A Devil’s Arms by Julie Anne Long

by | Jan 8, 2021 | Book Reviews | 0 comments

Book Review-Angel In A Devil's Arms by Julie Anne Long

Book Review-Angel In A Devil’s Arms by Julie Anne LongAngel in a Devil's Arms by Julie Anne Long
Also in this series: Lady Derring Takes a Lover , How to Tame a Wild Rogue
Series: The Palace of Rogues #2
Published by Avon on October 29, 2019
Genres: Historical Romance, Regency Era
Narrator: Justine Eyre
Length: 7 Hours and 55 Mins
Pages: 368
Format: Audiobook
Source: Library
ISBN: 0062867504
Goodreads
AmazonLibrary Thing
four-stars

From USA Today bestselling author Julie Anne Long comes the second book in an exciting new historical romance series, the first since her beloved Pennyroyal Green series.
He has devil's blood in his veins. At least, that's always been the legend. How else could the Duke of Brexford's notorious bastard son return from the dead? The brutal decade since Lucien Durand, Lord Bolt, allegedly drowned in the Thames forged him into a man who always gets what—and who—he wants. And what he wants is vengeance for his stolen birthright...and one wild night in Angelique Breedlove's bed.
Angelique recognizes heartbreak when the enigmatic Lord Bolt walks into The Grand Palace on the Thames, and not even his devastating charm can tempt her to risk her own ever again. One scorching kiss drives home the danger.
But in the space between them springs a trust that feels anything but safe. And the passion—explosive, consuming—drives Lucien to his knees. Now his whole life depends on proving his love to a woman who doesn't believe in it...because his true birthright, he now knows, is guardian of Angelique Breedlove's heart.

Angel In A Devil’s Arms is the second book in the “Palace of Rogues” series, and after the ending of book one ” Lady Derring Takes A Lover” I was highly intrigued to read this one, since she gave us a teaser on the beginning meeting between our two protaganists: Lucien and Angelique. I will admit that in the first book I didn’t know quite what to make of Angelique. There is quite a bit of mystery surrounding her in many respects, and it was this mysterious cloud that is hinted at that makes you want to know more of her. I am not sure why exactly it took me so long to pick up this book but I had completely forgotten of this release, it really just slipped my mind but when I saw the audio available at my local library, I just grabbed it instantly, knowing it was time to grab it up. I will say I am relieved that I did so, because it had the balance of what I was looking for.

Angel In A Devil’s Arms places the reader back into the setting of the Palace of Rogues and this beautiful and elegant boarding house in the docks of London. We get to see the fun interactions between all of the guests but most especially we get drawn into the drama that is building between Lucien and Angelique. At first, our two protaganists don’t care for each other, its more of a toleration mixed a bit with intrigue. But as they grow to unveil that mystery that surrounds each other, there seems to be a sense of intimacy that builds between Lucien and Angelique. Angelique is determined not to grow fond of Lucien, his charm is dangerous to her, because she has secrets and he could harm her and what they have built here with the boarding house. But she soon realizes that love is worth the risk, but will Lucien be her champion and partner?

“Is it something about me? Or do you feel as though you can treat all men as though what we feel is of no consequence?”

I have to say I had such a blast with this book, and I laughed my socks off. I had forgotten how witty this author’s writing can be, and all that dry wit just had me smiling all the way through and it definitely was the book I needed to help lighten my heart. I found the romance between these two to be quite endearing. It has a sense of “enemies to lovers” but that light angst that exists between them isn’t consistent all the way through. I really liked how the author implemented the healthy boundaries for a relationship by both the man and the woman, it showed a sense of equal fairness I was drawn to. I was also fascinated by the story behind the hero and trying to figure out who was behind the attempt on his life and a budding relationship with his younger half brother (who was adorbs)

But what surprised her most was the gratitude for everything, including all the heartbreaks, upheavals, betrayals she’d so far known. The wrong men had simply prepared her to recognize the right one. The seemingly wrong turns had led her precisely to where she wished to be.

I did find that overall this story offered the comfort and distraction that was desperately needed and it gave a lighthearted tone to a story that will leave the reader with a smile and aching for more!

About Julie Anne Long

Well, where should I start? I've lived in San Francisco for more than a decade, usually with at least one cat. I won the school spelling bee when I was in 7th grade; the word that clinched it was 'ukulele.' I originally set out to be a rock star when I grew up (I had a Bono fixation, but who didn't?), and I have the guitars and the questionable wardrobe stuffed in the back of my closet to prove it.

But writing was always my first love.

I was editor of my elementary school paper (believe it or not, Mrs. Little's fifth grade class at Glenmoor Elementary did have one); my high school paper (along with my best high school bud, Cindy Jorgenson); and my college paper, where our long-suffering typesetter finally forced me to learn how to typeset because my articles were usually late (and thus I probably have him to thank for all the desktop publishing jobs that ensued over the years).

Won a couple of random awards along the way: the Bank of America English Award in High School (which basically just amounted to a fancy plaque saying that I was really, really good at English); and an award for best Sports Feature article in a College Newspaper (and anyone who knows me well understands how deeply ironic that is). I began my academic career as a Journalism major; I switched to Creative Writing, which was a more comfortable fit for my freewheeling imagination and overdeveloped sense of whimsy. I dreamed of being a novelist.

But most of us, I think, tend to take for granted the things that come easily to us. I loved writing and all indications were that I was pretty good at it, but I, thank you very much, wanted to be a rock star. Which turned out to be ever-so-slightly harder to do than writing. A lot more equipment was involved, that's for sure. Heavy things, with knobs. It also involved late nights, fetid, graffiti-sprayed practice rooms, gorgeous flakey boys, bizarre gigs, in-fighting—what's not to love?

But my dream of being a published writer never faded. When the charm (ahem) of playing to four people in a tiny club at midnight on a Wednesday finally wore thin, however, I realized I could incorporate all the best things about being in a band — namely, drama, passion, and men with unruly hair — into novels, while at the same time indulging my love of history and research.

So I wrote The Runaway Duke, sent it to a literary agent (see the story here), who sold it to Warner Books a few months after that...which made 2003 one of the most extraordinary, head-spinning years I've ever had.

Why romance? Well, like most people, I read across many genres, but I've been an avid romance reader since I got in trouble for sneaking a Rosemary Rogers novel out of my mom's nightstand drawer (I think it was Sweet Savage Love). Rosemary Rogers, Kathleen Woodiwiss, Laurie McBain...I cut my romance teeth on those ladies. And in general, I take a visceral sort of pleasure in creating a hero and a heroine, putting them through their emotional paces, and watching their relationship develop on the page. And of course, there's much to be said for the happy ending. 🙂

And why Regency Historicals? Well, for starters, I think we can blame Jane Austen. Her inimitable wit, compassion and vision brought the Regency vividly to life for generations of readers. If Jane Austen had written romances about Incas, for instance, I think, we'd have racks and racks of Inca romances in bookstores all over the country, and Warner Forever would be the Inca Romance line.

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