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guiltlesspleasures's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.25
This, the second in the Palace of Rogues series, felt flat to me compared with the effervescent Lady Derring Takes a Lover.
It started out so strong, with Lucien, Lord Bolt, coming seemingly back from the dead and scaring people left, right and center. It was one of the greatest character intros I’ve read, made all the better by the delightful Dot’s saucer-eyed reactions.
Lucien is back to seek revenge for a plot years ago that saw someone try to kill him by throwing him in the Thames while he was drunk. In the ensuing years, he has earned his battle stripes, made his fortune, and come back lean, mean and looking for the people who wronged him. I love that trope.
Sadly, we don’t get much of it. There are a couple of great scenes where he scares the living bejeezus out of people, but I wanted more of that. Instead, he falls in love with Angelique Breedlove almost immediately and decides that all he wants is to make her happy. And this is at like 68%.
I don’t always need books to be super plot-heavy and actually love a character-driven romance. But there wasn’t enough character development for either of them to make it work.
Also, the epilogue is really long and consists of an introduction to the next couple, which felt like an odd choice. And the cover — ugh.
Still, 3.25 stars because Julie Anne Long’s writing is so beautiful and there were some lovely moments.
It started out so strong, with Lucien, Lord Bolt, coming seemingly back from the dead and scaring people left, right and center. It was one of the greatest character intros I’ve read, made all the better by the delightful Dot’s saucer-eyed reactions.
Lucien is back to seek revenge for a plot years ago that saw someone try to kill him by throwing him in the Thames while he was drunk. In the ensuing years, he has earned his battle stripes, made his fortune, and come back lean, mean and looking for the people who wronged him. I love that trope.
Sadly, we don’t get much of it. There are a couple of great scenes where he scares the living bejeezus out of people, but I wanted more of that. Instead, he falls in love with Angelique Breedlove almost immediately and decides that all he wants is to make her happy. And this is at like 68%.
I don’t always need books to be super plot-heavy and actually love a character-driven romance. But there wasn’t enough character development for either of them to make it work.
Also, the epilogue is really long and consists of an introduction to the next couple, which felt like an odd choice. And the cover — ugh.
Still, 3.25 stars because Julie Anne Long’s writing is so beautiful and there were some lovely moments.
rachy_'s review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
rachelsreadsandreviews1's review against another edition
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I have high hopes for this series going forward, but this sequel was not what I was hoping for. The story felt dull in comparison to the first. I felt like it was riding off of the vibes created in the first, without creating new one of it own. There was a lot of potential for excitement with the male main character’s background. That was hardly used at all, which was a disappointment.
The characters themselves were rich and developed as well as they could within the confines of the storyline.
I continue to be massively impressed with the quality of Julie Ann Long’s writing. She is the best historical romance writer I think I’ve ever read. Her prose is rich, without feeling over the top. Even though this plot was not to my taste, I
thoroughly enjoyed her writing style.
Plot - 2
The characters themselves were rich and developed as well as they could within the confines of the storyline.
I continue to be massively impressed with the quality of Julie Ann Long’s writing. She is the best historical romance writer I think I’ve ever read. Her prose is rich, without feeling over the top. Even though this plot was not to my taste, I
thoroughly enjoyed her writing style.
Plot - 2
Writing and Editing - 5
Character Development - 4
Narration - 5
Personal Bias - 3
Final Score - 3.8
chelle_thebelle's review
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
kelseyreadshr's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Angel in the Devil’s Arms is book two in the Palace of the Rogues series. While this could be read as a standalone, you get more about Angelique’s story and the tie in of the other half of the token from Lady Derring Takes A Lover.
This was another delightful story about two people who’ve been continuously let down by other people but have rebuilt and pressed onward. There isn’t much action but you get a lot more of the MC in forming a bond before they become lovers. Angelique and Lucien do not get a long very well in the beginning but loved the tension that was building between them. I also enjoyed and found it comical when she put Lucien in the friend-zoned. Angelique is content and doesn’t want to feel for another man again whereas, Lucien is originally good with just a fling. Lucien’s disappointment with his father was heartbreaking and I liked how Lucien called Angelique on her feelings - pushing her to face them. I also liked how they had already made major progress in healing themselves from past hurts (much like in the first book) prior to meeting one another.
The epilogue ties up a lot of loose plot points plus setting up the next book.
There are two encounters but thought it was steamier than book one with longer scenes as well.
Side note for kindle users: had technical issue at the end of the book on the page count in the epilogue.
This was another delightful story about two people who’ve been continuously let down by other people but have rebuilt and pressed onward. There isn’t much action but you get a lot more of the MC in forming a bond before they become lovers. Angelique and Lucien do not get a long very well in the beginning but loved the tension that was building between them. I also enjoyed and found it comical when she put Lucien in the friend-zoned. Angelique is content and doesn’t want to feel for another man again whereas, Lucien is originally good with just a fling. Lucien’s disappointment with his father was heartbreaking and I liked how Lucien called Angelique on her feelings - pushing her to face them. I also liked how they had already made major progress in healing themselves from past hurts (much like in the first book) prior to meeting one another.
The epilogue ties up a lot of loose plot points plus setting up the next book.
There are two encounters but thought it was steamier than book one with longer scenes as well.
Side note for kindle users: had technical issue at the end of the book on the page count in the epilogue.
tomstbr's review against another edition
4.0
Same narrator as the first book in Audio, so that was good. Fun story of reluctant lovers with a bastard son of a lord. I did appreciate the back stories of Him and Her.
Do women like romance novels because this is how they think men think? Or want men to be like this? Hmm, it must be, but I can't say the men come across very well in these books, nor realistic in some cases. I will keep researching to see.
3.5/5 for the spice, secondary sex scene was a rollicker. Not bad!
Do women like romance novels because this is how they think men think? Or want men to be like this? Hmm, it must be, but I can't say the men come across very well in these books, nor realistic in some cases. I will keep researching to see.
3.5/5 for the spice, secondary sex scene was a rollicker. Not bad!
amlibera's review
4.0
This was book three of my COVID comfort reading. The Palace of Rogues trilogy lives in a deeply imaginary version of Regency London (so imaginary we are verging on fantasy.) It's a funny mix of all of the tropes of current romance (emotional damage and hot sex) along with this odd recurring and enjoyable theme of what caring, contentment, and caretaking mean. There's a bit of a battle between them that I feel good mostly ignoring - especially for the chapter in which the residents of the boardinghouse plot the meeting between the alpha hero and the alpha hero of the previous book in the series as if they were introducing a new puppy to a resident cat.
jackiehorne's review
DNF at 100 pages
I usually love Julie Anne Long's writing, and I enjoyed Angelique from the first book in the series, and was looking forward to reading her story. But we're at 75 pages in, and we're still in the first scene. Not much happening, plot-wise. Long's language is, as usual, lovely, with lots of spot-on metaphors and similes. Still, the balance of dialogue to narrative seemed off, with far too much of the former, and not enough of the latter to explain who Lucien, the bastard viscount come back from the dead after 10 years, was and is.
I usually love Julie Anne Long's writing, and I enjoyed Angelique from the first book in the series, and was looking forward to reading her story. But we're at 75 pages in, and we're still in the first scene. Not much happening, plot-wise. Long's language is, as usual, lovely, with lots of spot-on metaphors and similes. Still, the balance of dialogue to narrative seemed off, with far too much of the former, and not enough of the latter to explain who Lucien, the bastard viscount come back from the dead after 10 years, was and is.