Tempting the Devil by Samantha Kane

Lady Harriet Mercer is desperate to be publicly ruined in the hopes that her blackmailer will finally leave her and her son alone.  Already having a loveless marriage she has no plans to enter into another one and if her pristine reputation is ruined, the blackmailer will not accept her and keep her secret just that, a secret.  When she attempts to seduce her old childhood friend, Roger Templeton, she believes she has found the perfect man.  Roger is a devil and has no qualms about ruination...until it involves Harry.  He finds her excuses about who is trying to kidnap her son flimsy and refuses to bed her.  So let the taunting, teasing and plotting begin!  The closer that Roger gets to Harry, the more he sees that something is lurking behind Harry's cheerful facade and he is determined to find out what and help her.  But having been burned in the past by a woman makes him a bit leery of entering into the type of relationship Harry wants and she must find a way to show she is different than everyone thinks her to be.  With the blackmailer closing in, can Harry and Roger find the path to happiness together?

This is the second book I have read by Samantha Kane and it was another enjoyable experience!  I really enjoy her use of subtle wit and smoking heat while dealing with true emotions and putting a fresh twist on a topic used many times before.  Harry was a delightful heroine: intelligent, outspoken, practical, stubborn, shrewd and feisty and she was a perfect match for the kind-hearted, loyal, witty, handsome devil Roger.  Roger is a man with no money and no real connections and sort of makes his way through life on his charming actions but Harry finally makes him realize that he has nothing to offer a woman if he is still searching for himself.  I did think his reasons for trying to keep Harry at bay were a little weak and I wished he would have told her the truth but it all worked out in the end.  Harry, for her part, also could have been more truthful but the truth always has a way of revealing itself in due course and it worked well for this story. Childhood friends to lovers is always a favorite storyline and it was well done in this romance and I am very eager for more from Samantha Kane who has the sizzling, smart, intriguing storytelling down!  4 stars

eARC provided by LoveSwept (Random House) via netgalley

The Saint's Devils
Can be read as standalones but previous characters do appear in following novels

The Damsel and the Devil  Late 2013

The Devil's Thief by Samantha Kane

Julianna Harte needs money desperately for the foundling home she sponsors so, as the daughter of a reformed thief, she decides to steal her neighbors highly valuable, perfect pearl.  What she does not expect it to get caught by the very naked owner!  Alasdair Sharpe can't believe the cheek of this female, breaking into his bedroom to steal his pearl but he is instantly attracted to her and offers her a proposition...one night in his bed for the pearl.  As Julianna has had a crush on Alasdair, she agrees and break out the fan because these two can burn up the sheets!  However, when Alasdair awakes in the morning and finds both Julianna and his pearl gone he is furious and sets about finding out her identity and reclaiming what is his.  What he does not expect is the blinding passion he feels for Julianna and how jealously turns him into a crazy man....surely it is just not passion that attracts him to this delicate, witty woman?  Will Alasdair be able to move past Julianna's thievery and control his anger to accept the most wonderful treasure to drop in on him?  Or will Julianna's desire to fix her wrongs cost them everything?

This was my first time reading anything by Samantha Kane and I thoroughly enjoyed it (even if a few plot points bugged me)!  The major thing that was hard for me was Alasdair's jealously.  He accuses Julianna of having another lover the day after their encounter, even though he was her first and he just can't let go of the idea she has another man in her life.  And when he sees her crying on another man's shoulders, oh boy!  His anger almost makes his do something regrettable but he, thankfully, comes to his senses in time.  Beyond the insane jealousy, Alasdair was a sexy devil, living life to the fullest, with lots of laughter and passion who meets his match in Julianna.  She keeps herself very plain looking but underneath the unremarkable exterior, she is full of passion and fire with intelligence, wit and charm.  She has a kind heart and wants to help the children as best as she can but Alasdair makes her see her thievery is just temporary and she needs a more permanent solution.  We are introduced to two other 'devil's' and they add some wonderful humor and friendship and I can't wait for their own stories as they seem to have secrets to share. . . There is a bit of action involving the man Julianna sells the pearl to that I enjoyed and I also enjoyed the little twists involving her foundling home.  The chemistry between Julianna and Alasdair is instantaneous and explosive so be certain to have a cool drink handy!  Overall, I really enjoyed this book, even with Alasdair's bossy jealously.  It has action, smoking passion, sharp wit and a romance that blooms under an unusual circumstance.  Samantha Kane has made a new fan out of me for her historical romances and I am anxiously awaiting the next story to see what she comes up with next time!  4 stars

eARC provided by Random House (Loveswept) via netgalley.com

The Saint's Devil's
Tempting a Devil  July 8th (sigh)