Absolutely awful!!

DNF! I refuse to read a “romance” novel in which the so-called “hero” treats his wife like this!
Insulting her, humiliating her, berating her, and then CHEATING on her, right after he demands that she be faithful to him!! What a bastard:(((
I really don’t understand all the good reviews

36 people found this helpful

Repulsive Hero

The hero is an abusive bully with a large capacity for self pity. He may go on to regret his treatment of Abby and work to win her back but I’ve been an observer of human behavior for 75 years and self centered people like Michael rarely change permanently.
Julia London writes well and creates complex characters. Anne Flosnik is a marvelous narrator.
I have a very open mind about all sorts of damaged and difficult characters in the romances I read but I draw the line at emotional or physical abuse.

21 people found this helpful

First half was sooooo good

I absolutely loved the first half of the book. There was no angst, there was communication, no stupid misunderstanding, I didn’t want to slap anyone, and there was a lot of love building. The second half I was disappointed. I was annoyed and thought she was being stupid and stubborn. It was hard finishing it.

18 people found this helpful

This will twist your heart!

Would you listen to The Devil's Love again? Why?

This book has been a favorite of mine for a very long time. I've been re-reading/re-listening to some of my favorites. This is one that has been on my mind for years, because I loved it, but couldn't recall the title. Much to my delight I am able to listen to it, which I can't thank the publishers enough for. Once I started listening I could not stop, and when I finished it, I immediately started it over.

What did you like best about this story?

This has all of the ingredients that make a romance perfect for me. I laughed and cried, and, could not put it down.

Have you listened to any of Anne Flosnik’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I think Anne Flosnik is an excellent narrator. Sometimes she gets a little too excited during the love scenes, so I fast forward a bit. I hesitate to critique an animator when I think about what a difficult job it is to forget the narrator, and become immersed in the story, that makes a narrator, like Anne Flosnik a great narrator, in my opinion.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Sometimes it takes courage to find a perfect love.

Any additional comments?

I'm thrilled to have found this at Audible. I am a huge fan of this author, and I am hoping to find her other books here as well. For some authors it is their earlier books are their best. That isn't to say it is the case with Julia London, but I think of them as buried treasure, so please keep them coming.

15 people found this helpful

Awesom Book

What did you love best about The Devil's Love?

It holds your interest from the very start to the finish. I loved Abbey's strong character.

Which character – as performed by Anne Flosnik – was your favorite?

I like AF especially for the women's characters and the children, but not so much the men.

Any additional comments?

I don't want to give the story away but I hated what Abbey's father did to her and Michael had every right to feel the way he did. I enjoyed the love, romance and stormy words between them. It makes you wonder how it will end.

9 people found this helpful

Very Good!

Ms London is one of my preferred authors and she did not disappoint me in this one. It made my day during a gloomy rainstorm and kept me from going insane. I loved the characters especially the gardener and his roses that no one can touch. I also loved when the family came to visit from America, hilarious!!! Anne another of my preferred narrator did a great job as always. Well worth the credit!

7 people found this helpful

Romantic Love Times One!

Michael Ingram, Marquis of Darfield, prefers to be a recluse, because of his family's past indiscretions, debts, and scandal. Even though he agreed to a betrothal to Abbey, a wealthy merchant-captain's daughter, many years ago, in exchange for paying off his wastrel father's debts, when the time comes to fulfill the contract Michael does not want to marry her.

Abbey had fallen in love with Michael when she was 9 years old when he was aboard her father's merchant ship. She followed him around the ship with her pirate sword at the ready to get his attention, but he ignored her when he could.

Over the years her father regaled her with stories about Michael's love & devotion to her, even giving her periodic reports on him and telling her of his continued devotion to her; giving her gifts supposedly from Michael via her sea captain father. After her father's death, remaining a naive ROMANTIC little girl mentally, she travels to England to marry him, expecting Michael to be in love with her and pining for her, as much as she has pined for him. Although she has not seen him, nor talked to him in 10 years, she has a portrait of him supposedly painted just for her, and her father's romantic stories telling of his unfailing love for her. All he recalls of Abbey is a wild, dirty hellion whom he couldn't stand.

She excused his ignoring her, still dreaming of a grand love...until she learns the truth, that her father had been lying to her all those years, and in reality Michael did not even like her. Michael offered her a way out of the marriage, but Abbey was devastated and confused and having no place to go, she married Michael.

She was so naive, but she was sheltered all her life and she was only nineteen. She had built an image of Michael in her mind and heart of an honorable man who loved her desperately. She had dreamed of their perfect love and marriage built on her father's lies.

Despite his uncaring attitude during the day, she never stopped loving him.

The story includes humor, revenge, shooting, betrayal, murder, sexuality, duels, and unrequited love.

19 people found this helpful

Good romance poor reader

The narrator can't pronounce the letters V and F. They come out as the letter B or P. Wife=wipe love=lub cove=cobe covered=cubbard gruffly=gruply. Totally ruins the story.

5 people found this helpful

Buying into dangerous fantasy

So we start off with the hero ripping the head off the doll of a little girl who grows up to be the heroine. He doesn’t really get better, the narrator sounds like she has a frog in her throat. It sounds like a may December match kind of icky. He’s an emotionally violent jerk who cheats on her after right after the wedding. The myth that her love will change him and bring out the good inside him. It doesn’t work like that.

3 people found this helpful

Very well done

Once in a while I will read a book that brings a tear to my eye. This book was one. Abbi's own naivete helps create her sad situation. You can almost feel her pain. I liked this book a lot.

7 people found this helpful