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With dreams of a great romantic love, Abigail Carrington sails to England to marry the man she has loved since childhood, Michael Ingram, Marquis of Darfield. She believes her betrothed is a generous and noble man who has been longing for her. But the handsome man waiting for her at the altar is a dark, brooding stranger who rushes her into marriage, then abandons her at his country estate. Only the passion of Michael's kiss gives her hope that theirs can be more than a marriage of convenience.
A man's need...
With scandal shadowing his past, Michael, the Devil of Darfield, had no need for a wife. Remembering only the little hellion who made life miserable for him aboard her father's ship, he resents the agreement he made to marry her so he could save his ancestral home. Though determined to ignore her, he cannot stop thinking about his lovely violet-eyed bride. Her beauty tempts him. Her charm bedevils him. He tries to drive her away until he almost loses her. Then he vows to regain her love—before it is too late....
Abbey Carrington stood at the bow of the luxury passenger ship with her hands stuffed into a muff. For the last hour she had watched intently as the coast of southern England grew increasingly larger, as had her excitement. She had anticipated this day well over half her lifetime.
She could not suppress a faint smile that curled her lips as she recalled the things her father had told her about her betrothed. Since she was a girl, Captain Carrington had told her Michael Ingram loved her dearly and could not wait for the day she would be old enough to be his wife. Although Abbey had not seen Michael since she was a child, her papa had seen him often and swore his esteem of her was steadfast.
His assurances had been constant and had begun when, at the age of nine, she had been sent to her first school in Rome. Her father, during a visit the following summer, had gleefully told her of the betrothal, laughing gaily when he told her how fervent Michael was in his desire to marry her one day. Abbey had, of course, been surprised by that, since Michael had grimaced painfully every time she came near him on board the Dancing Maiden. Her father had next come at Christmas, bearing a gift from Michael--a violin. Suspicious, Abbey questioned why her betrothed had not written. Captain Carrington assured her that Michael wanted a well-educated wife. He preferred she concentrate on her studies and not be distracted with letters. At the ripe age of eleven, Abbey had accepted that explanation without question.
Two years later her papa had removed her from the school in Rome, complaining it was too rigid. It was his considerable opinion that a girl needed to experience life, a sentiment that Abbey wholeheartedly shared. But apparently a girl did not need to experience life so much as to warrant sailing all the way to India, and her papa had placed her in the care of an old Egyptian friend while he continued east. Depositing her in Cairo, he had ruefully told her that Michael was greatly disappointed he was detained in Spain and could not visit her as he had planned. In her adolescent fervor, Abbey was quite touched by Michael's bitter disappointment; she had felt it rather keenly herself.
When she was older and had studied deportment and elocution in Paris until she could improve no further, she had been allowed to sail to the Orient with her papa. She remembered her father's sad sigh when he informed her they had missed her betrothed by just a sennight, but he had waited as long as he could for just a glimpse of his heart's love. He had left a message for her that she should continue her classical training on the violin and that he hoped she was enjoying the study of history, a subject he loved dearly. When she had voiced her doubts several months later, her father had chastized her for her faithlessness. Michael, he had reiterated, was quite steadfast in his esteem of her. It wasn't very long after they returned to Europe that Captain Carrington cheerfully reported a conversation he had had with Michael in Amsterdam, during which the young man had professed undying love and impatience for the day he would be reunited with Abbey.
Abbey pulled her cloak tightly about her and peered up through the masts at the dull gray sky. At last deemed old enough to marry, she was now only hours away from seeing the man she had dreamed of and admired since she could remember. Her father's constant compliments of Michael's military career, the enormous shipping trade he had built, and the fact that he was now the very important Marquis of Darfield kept him constantly in Abbey's consciousness. The captain delighted in relating stories of Michael's courage in a world of ruthless shipping magnates and pirates, of fair business practices for which he was exalted among his peers, and of his relentless chase of unsavory pirates, racketeers, and injustice in general.
Her papa had been so admiring of Michael Ingram for the last twelve years that Abbey could not imagine another man who could possibly compare to him. That he wanted her as a wife thrilled her. That she might not measure up mortified her. But her occasional doubts were easily erased with a new letter from her father. The fact that Michael had never written her directly or that she had not actually seen him in all that time did not daunt her. He had been too busy building a fortune, her papa had said, so that Abbey would never want for anything. And naturally the responsibilities of his very important title did not leave him time for leisurely correspondence.
Three years ago her father's consumption had taken a turn for the worse, and he had sent her to live in America with her aunt Nan. She had been waiting patiently since then, believing the captain's letters explicitly when he told her Michael would soon send for her and their days would be filled with love, laughter, and strong, healthy children. She believed everything Captain Carrington told her about the man who was to be her husband.
Fortunately, in Virginia, it had been easy to wait for Michael. Abbey loved living on her aunt Nan's farm with her cousins, Virginia and Victoria. She loved working in the fields by day and tending her small garden in the evening. With no men about the house--except for a few freed men and occasional gentleman callers--life on the farm had been idyllic. At night, while her cousins sewed and Aunt Nan painted, Abbey would play her violin. Or they would sit and talk. And when they grew tired of talking about the farm, the people in town, and the various men that called for them, they would talk of Michael.
In truth, they all dreamed of Michael. They would take turns imagining him standing at the stern of his ship, his open shirt blowing in the breeze, his long, dark hair tousled by the wind. They imagined him, his crew incapacitated, fighting off wave after wave of pirates by himself, and boasted to one another that his skill with the sword was the greatest in all of Europe. They imagined him spurning the attentions of dozens of beautiful women with the excuse that his heart's true love was in Virginia. That particular daydream always had Victoria swooning.
Abbey dragged her gaze from the sky and looked at the coastline where Portsmouth was beginning to take shape. It wasn't until her father's solicitor sent word of his death that Abbey had her first pangs of serious doubt. The solicitor, Mr. Strait, was adamant that Abbey leave for England right away, as the will demanded she settle her father's estate by marriage. Heartsick by the news of her father's death and privately uneasy that she had not heard anything about Michael in more than eighteen months, almost immediately Abbey had begun to fight waves of doubt. What if he had changed his mind and her papa had not had opportunity to tell her?
She pulled her cloak tightly about her as she recalled the day she had pleaded with her aunt to let her remain in Virginia.
"Nonsense," Aunt Nan had said. "Are you going to leave that poor man standing on the dock in Portsmouth waiting for you, his arms laden with two dozen roses?"
"Yes!" Virginia had cried, "he'll have his best coach, at least the size of Mama's parlor, with four grays waiting to take you away!"
Aunt Nan had added he would probably sweep her to the altar that very day, for he would not be willing to wait for her one more moment. Abbey had paled at that remark. Aunt Nan had read her expression and cuffed her on the shoulder, sternly reminding her it was every woman's duty to follow their husband to the marriage bed, without complaint, and lie there patiently while he did that. Virginia and Victoria had snickered behind their hands as Abbey's expression had turned to horror, but Aunt Nan had insisted, "You are not the first and you certainly won't be the last woman to make do with it."
Otherwise oblivious to the bitter cold, Abbey unthinkingly pulled her hood up over her dark head as a steady rain began to fall, and recalled how her emotions had warred during the voyage. Part of her doubted that Michael esteemed her as her father had claimed. But then again, her papa would never lie to her, so it had to be true on some level. Part of her doubted he was the heroic figure she had dreamed about. After all, how many pirates could one man fell? But her papa had said he was that and more. Perhaps the stories had been embellished, but surely they were grounded in truth.
She sighed quietly as she absently counted the masts bobbing in the port ahead. The part of her that had seen Michael through her father's eyes all these years had finally won out over the doubts. She had nothing to fear. Michael Evan Ingram, Marquis of Darfield and Viscount Amberlay, loved her with all his heart and even now, was standing on the dock, waiting for her with two dozen roses in his arms.
She abruptly turned on her heel and marched back to her cabin. She was not going to meet the love of her life in anything less than her best traveling clothes.
iluv2canter
Posted September 9, 2011
I thought the story was excellent and the characters were interesting; even though Abbey's personality turned to mush near the end of the book. The thing that bothered me the most was the numerous errors that were found throughout the book. Was the proof reader illiterate? For example in one paragraph Abbey's last name was Carrington, in the next, it was Cannington, then further into the book it was Canington. The same thing happended with Mariah then it was Marian. I read a book to escape not become an English teacher grading a paper. The spelling, grammar errors and the inconsistency running rampant throughout this novel detracted from what could have been an enjoyable experience.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Redonk Nutshell: Affianced strangers are forced to reassess their perceptions of one another when the date of their wedding finally rolls around
I had previously read and very much enjoyed Julia London's The Year of Living Scandalously, so I didn't hesitate to pick up this book upon reading the synopsis. Michael & Abigail first meet on Abigail's father's ship when she is but a child, and a feisty child at that. She shadows Michael, borderline harassing him, until he pushes her away by more or less murdering her doll. Abigail is eventually sent away to school by her father, where she grows up across the world, eventually settling in Virginia with relatives. All the while, her father arranges a marriage between Abigail and Michael. Abigail receives continual letters from her father of Michael's undying affection and love, and she comes to form an idea of him, an idea she falls in love with.
Meanwhile, Michael signs the marriage contract in order to keep his family out of debt, thinking that he'll be able to fulfill his obligations in time in order to cry off. When Abigail's father dies, it leaves Michael left to honor his agreement, a fact he is far from happy about.
It's one continual misunderstanding to the next upon Abigail's arrival. Her bright eyed and optimistic outlook immediately wins the affection of Michael's staff, but bewilders Michael altogether. He was expecting the hellion of a child he remembered from his youth, not the beautiful and endearing woman standing in his home. Abigail's romanticized expectations of Michael are crushed when she realizes the deception her father intricately wove around both of them. They marry in order to fulfill the contract, but the relationship between them remains uncertain while they struggle to find common ground between them.
The Devil's Love was an enjoyable read, but it didn't rock my world. In fact, I found myself wishing I had borrowed it from the library instead of purchasing it. The plot plods along somewhat predictably, and I found myself spacing out here and there. I was committed to seeing Michael & Abigail through, and I wanted to see how they ended up getting along. That in itself was really what pulled me through.
Overall, this was a nice read. Nice. Not wonderful but not bad either.
The Devil's Love by Julia London, 400 pgs, November 1998
Rating: C
Romance: 2/5 Raunch: 2/5
Anonymous
Posted November 16, 2006
the story's fascinating...and so with the characters..it started off interesting...but somewhere near the end, the heroine changed from this seemingly-capable-of-everything woman to a dimwitted girl with no sense at all...Like come on...it was so obvious that her cousin was a fraud..and even if she actually feels that certain situations are not right...she still fell for it...what a total ninny..and i dont think pregnancy can really cause u to be dimwitted and all...However if you would not boil over how stupid the heroine was on the last part...it's a fairly good read
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Posted November 27, 2005
This is the first book of Julia London¿s I bought via B & N. She appeared to be a newer author so, I gave her a try. Although I felt ¿The Devil¿s Love¿ wasn¿t a bad first try, it was also not a memorable read. I liked the main character Abby was a willful and wild child, running around like a little pirate on her father¿s ship and being adventuresome in her youth but, once she got sent away to boarding school by her father, she got a bit dull. Also, the story line was heavy into her father spending a dozen plus years telling Abby that Michael always loved her, thought of her, bought her gifts and wanted to marry her only to find out her father made up all these thoughts and wishes. Abby met up with Michael early in the book and learned quickly none of what her father told her was true. Her reaction was a bit light for such a nasty and long standing deception (crying here and there, feeling bad for herself etc) but, nothing dramatic as was warranted. I, like another author, felt that Abby should have went back immediately to America as she threatened once the truth came out. She should have had the pride to walk away when she understood Michael did not want her and once she found out she was an innocent party to the deception. Walking away would have been gutsy and heroic. Instead, it felt like Abby stayed and shouldered everyone else¿s lies, deception and mistrust. I would have preferred the feisty like pirate girl to show up again and show everyone a thing or two. Michael, our hero had moments of being appealing but, he was also a bit mean and distant when he wasn¿t turning on the heat and charm. I didn¿t care for the fact that he was forever doubting Abby. This got irritating that he wavered back and forth all the time. I couldn¿t get a grip on him until late when he finally got his stuff together and recognized the truth and worked to repair the damage done to his relationship with Abby. Abby¿s heroic taking of the knife blade for him wasn¿t as exciting as it should have been and the lost child seemed a bit down played. These events are very important yet they didn¿t elicit high emotion when they should have.- probably because I didn¿t buy into and connect with these main characters enough. There was a lot going on in this story ¿ perhaps too much?? The ending did redeem the rest of the book which is a good thing. Perhaps her later works are a bit more interesting and dramatic.
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Posted July 22, 2002
This is my first of Julia London and was quite impressed by it, more especially after finding out that this is only her first book. I say, it's well done for a first try. THE WICKED PROMISE is the sequel for this book. Thank you again to other reviewers who've mentioned it. I will definitely order it this week. Read Editorial Reviews above for book description: Here is my opinion... I enjoyed the first and last part of this book the most, however, the middle part was a bit slow ---not all together boring but just a bit slow to get to the point. Also, the part where Abby recovered from her accident which she then turned around to hating Michael all of a sudden... hmmm, where did that come from? That scene didn't appeal much to me. I prefer a different rent than that. Or perhaps it just wasn't represented like it should be for me to appreciate it. In addition to that, if she was supposedly soooo angry, I was hoping for her to finally carry out her original plan of going back to America. She's been thinking, making plans to do this for the longest time that the idea was instilled in me. I expected her to do so but it didn't happend. She tells him this but doesn't do it. She should have just left and that's that. That would have been a great rift too -- seperation...then Michael going after her -- that sorta thing. But then again, this is only a very small self preferences. Overall, this book is an entertaining read. The initial plot was engaging. The characters are well defined and well executed. There's lots of funny moments as well as heart quenching ones as well. The Epilogue is my favorite of all. It was a satisfying conclusion to this heart warming story.
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Posted March 26, 2002
This is the first book I've read by Julia London but it will not be the last. This was a really good book. It was well written and flowed nicely. I loved all the characters especially the main characters. I recomend this whimsical enchanting tale.
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Posted June 29, 2001
Julia London, oh how you can write. Your words can take my breath away.
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Posted July 21, 2000
After reading all the books from authors like Judith McNaught and Julie Garwood in this genre, I thought I wouldn't find another author that could write like them. But oh, oh, oh, to my surprise Julia London is just as good! This is the first book of Julia London that I've read and Devil's Love is totally scrumptious! The story of Michael and Abby is so delightful, so romantic, so heartbreaking and sooooo good. Abby is sunny, cheerful and adorable and Michael was quite the opposite in the beginning. But later Michael *sigh* turned out to be a wonderful, sexy and a totally fantastic hero! The story line and build up was good and wonderfully written that YOU JUST WOULD NOT WANT TO PUT IT DOWN! If you want to read romance you MUST read this 'coz this book will make you feel like you are the main characters! This book will take you back in time. This book will make you laugh out loud. This book will make you fall in love (again)!
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Overview
With dreams of a great romantic love, Abigail Carrington sails to England to marry the man she has loved since childhood, Michael Ingram, Marquis of Darfield. She believes her betrothed is a generous and noble man who has been longing for her. But the handsome man waiting for her at the altar is a dark, brooding stranger who rushes her into marriage, then ...