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A review by beth_dawkins
Demon's Bride by Zoe Archer
3.0
Anne, an impoverished Barron’s daughter married a stranger, Leopold Bailey. She knows he has secrets, and is more than a little intimated by her new handsome husband. Like the other Hellraisers Leo was given a gift, the gift of prophesy, by the devil. Born as a saddler’s son, he has become the Demon of the Exchange. He topples men’s fortunes and stacks his own. With his gift he has acquired much, even a wife among the peers of London’s elite. With her by his side more doors will open for him, and nothing can stop him, until he ends up in love with her.
This is the second book in the Hellraisers series. This one could be read as a standalone. The first book is about a different couple, but also holds the story of how the Hellraisers were given gifts by the devil. Demon’s Bride is a lot like the first, it felt like it followed the same formula. There are some differences in the ending, but not enough to set it apart.
Like with the first novel it does an excellent job of putting the reader into the time period. I even think the heroine felt more realistic than the first. She is a lady of her time and has more of an excuse to deal with the issues in her marriage. She did marry a man for convenience, and knew it might be rocky. She really has very little to complain about—other than that pact he made with the devil. Their falling in love is steamy, and those steamy scenes are done very well. The first half of the book is them falling for one another, and his mounting insecurities.
The main problem for me was that I felt as if I had read this book before. It was so like the first one that I could predict each step Leo and Ann went through. The action scenes, like the romantic scenes are done well, but there is a serious lack of tension in them. The ending should have been exciting, but it felt far too predictable for me. There is a little twist that reminds the readers that nothing is truly safe, but it wasn’t enough. I wanted to feel much more for the ending than what I did.
I would like to read the next one, just because so far it looks like it might be a little different than the first two. I am hoping it isn’t the same plot. I will say that the characters in the second book are better than the first, but the tension they build together does not carry through to the end. I never felt like our main couple was really in danger, nor did I believe they really thought they were in any danger. I really want there to be more to it.
This is the second book in the Hellraisers series. This one could be read as a standalone. The first book is about a different couple, but also holds the story of how the Hellraisers were given gifts by the devil. Demon’s Bride is a lot like the first, it felt like it followed the same formula. There are some differences in the ending, but not enough to set it apart.
Like with the first novel it does an excellent job of putting the reader into the time period. I even think the heroine felt more realistic than the first. She is a lady of her time and has more of an excuse to deal with the issues in her marriage. She did marry a man for convenience, and knew it might be rocky. She really has very little to complain about—other than that pact he made with the devil. Their falling in love is steamy, and those steamy scenes are done very well. The first half of the book is them falling for one another, and his mounting insecurities.
The main problem for me was that I felt as if I had read this book before. It was so like the first one that I could predict each step Leo and Ann went through. The action scenes, like the romantic scenes are done well, but there is a serious lack of tension in them. The ending should have been exciting, but it felt far too predictable for me. There is a little twist that reminds the readers that nothing is truly safe, but it wasn’t enough. I wanted to feel much more for the ending than what I did.
I would like to read the next one, just because so far it looks like it might be a little different than the first two. I am hoping it isn’t the same plot. I will say that the characters in the second book are better than the first, but the tension they build together does not carry through to the end. I never felt like our main couple was really in danger, nor did I believe they really thought they were in any danger. I really want there to be more to it.