ANGEL IN A DEVIL'S ARMS by Julie Anne Long

Julie Ann Long’s latest offering, book 2 in the Palace of Rogues, is ANGEL IN A DEVIL’S ARMS. I absolutely adore Julie Ann Long’s writing. I find so many of her turns of phrase to highlight while reading her books. The prose is scintillating, the conversations sprightly, and there’s always enough angst to make me sigh happily. Long is one of the few authors pretty much guaranteed to get a 5-star rating from me every single time.

It is said about Lucien Durand, Lord Bolt, that he has devil’s blood in his veins. The bastard son of the Duke of Brexford, Lucian was believed to have been killed 10 years ago, supposedly drowned in the Thames. Now that he’s shown up again, having made himself rich by moving from indentured galley servitude to pirate to a trade importer. And now Lucien is back looking for vengeance against those who tried to kill him. Makes delicious chills go down your spine, doesn’t it?! What I like best about Lucien is his gradual awakening to a life not ruled by vengeance. He tried to not get sucked into human interactions, but somehow he manages to form sympathetic bonds with those around him, even while trying to resist.

Angelique is the co-proprietor of the Grand Palace on the Thames, the boarding house where Lucien lands upon his return to London. She’s determined to guard her battered heart, even though her body and her mind are strongly drawn to the devastatingly seductive Lord Bolt. I applaud Angelique’s ingenuity and perseverance. She’s a highly admirable woman, and I do so cheer for her to achieve her Happily Ever After. I think Angelique and Lucien are just as good a match mentally, with their clever wit and their practical brains, as they are in the bedroom, and that makes their story so fulfilling.

In a time when so many historical romances are brimming with anachronistic characters and militant feminists, it’s refreshing to have an author who can still deliver a quality read with strong women that don’t yank the reader out of the time period. Fans of smartly written historical fiction will revel in Long’s delightful tale of a prickly proprietress and the rascally lord who woos her heart. ANGEL IN A DEVIL’S ARMS provides a sweet yet spicy romance but showcases a meeting of the minds and hearts that’s even better.

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.