Rules to Catch a Devilish [Libro de bolsillo]

I enjoyed this book, and I read it very quickly. It kept me entertained and I really really liked the h. However, constantly I found myself wavering on whether or not I like the H. ***SPOILER*** I was really disturbed by how he allowed his guests, his sister, and his friends, to treat her especially since he was supposed to be her friend. It did not occur to him to stand up for her for quite awhile, or to send the spiteful women and hateful men home. I really thought he did a disservice to her. I was also quite upset that the only thing he thought to offer he was a position as his mistress. Really? For someone being forced to wed, he should have realized she'd be a good candidate despite her birth especially since he is known to "throw up his nose" at society......I found myself shaking my head of the hilarity of it. He only thought of marrying her after she left to marry someone else. His grovelling at the end did NOT last nearly long enough for it to be believable, and the books abrupt ending left a bad taste in my mouth....

With saying all of that, the writing was very good, witty, and funny. I really enjoyed the characters, and responses. It was entertaining in most parts.

SPOILERS)))I just finished reading Ms. Enoch's latest and it was so worth the wait.!! I stayed up half the night to finished it because I was very intrrigued by Sophia and Adam. The setting sounded beautiful and their dialogues witty and funny. The interaction between Sophia and Graves was sexy and infused with humor. I loved how his servants loved her, the attentions he had with her and the way he treated her without never dismissing her for her consequence of birth. It was overall a beautiful story.

The only complain I have of the book and the reason I gave a four stars due to two things that bothered me a bit about the story. First, I found disliking a bit the open-mindness of Sophia. I do not require as a rule to only read about virgin heroines but Sophia had had two lovers before Graves, and for the time period the story was based on, I found it too liberal, she was considered a fallen woman, and well..... she sort of was in a way. This all contributed to Adam treating her the way he did I believe. Which brings me to my second point, I disliked Adam a lot by the end of the story, which bothered me because he had become a very lovable hero at the beginning. I hate it how he never really acknowledge her as at least a friend in front of his visitors, not until the very end did he publicly gave her a modicum of respect, and by then she had left him. I felt the ending was wayyyy to rushed. I would have loved to read about their wedding, how the preacher reacted to hear she would be marrying a duke and not him. I dont know, I loved the book but at the same time didnt really LOVE IT.
All said and done, Ms. Enoch has always, in my humble opinion, been an excellent story teller and I have so far enjoyed her books, some more than others, but still she is one of the few I run to buy books from as soon as they come out.

Even as I write this review I am conflicted as to what rating to give it. The book is well written and has a good story and good characters. So what is the problem? I did not really like the hero, Adam, until almost the end. Honestly, even then it was a little hard.

In some ways this book followed the values of the time more closely than most. Adam was a Duke and lived and acted accordingly. Sophia was a by- blow of a Duke. However, Adam was something of a scoundrel himself. I do realize in that period of time, she was not socially his equal or eligible to be his wife, still I wanted more from him, more from the hero. I hated it when he allowed a man in his home to call her "a highborn whore" without so much as a peep out of him. Really? How romantic!

While Adam realized what a prize he had, he was not willing until very near the end of the book to take the chances and do what needed to be done. Sophia's friends stood up for her before he did.

Sophia, herself, fell into bed with him a little fast for me. Their affair seemed very modern time to me. In this area the book did not seem to follow the morals of the era. She had two lovers before Adam and a one point he reminded her she was not virgin!! It did not endear him to me.

Lest I be all negative, it was a good love story and I would recommend it, if you, as I do, like this author. It lacked just a little something.....one reason I am hesitating on my rating.