Angel in a Devil's Arms: The Palace of Rogues

I loved the Pennyroyal Green series – I’ve still got books to read in it, but I have the whole series. For me, this series was a no-brainer to grab – and I loved the first in the series. Now we have Angelique’s story, who we first met in Lady Derring Takes a Lover, and the friendship between she and Delilah provided them both with courage and growth. Now Angelique has her own moment to shine, with a man who is reputedly brutal, uncaring and cold. But she’s seen different – she knows different – and it will only take courage and determination to make a choice that could change both their lives forever. Lucien Durand, Lord Bolt, was thought to have drowned in the Thames some ten years past. He didn’t – but used the time away to refashion himself, emerging as a person who always gets what (and whom) he wants. Calculating, determined and ruthless – he wants to reclaim his birthright and nothing will stop him, but he may be diverted by his interest in Angelique and his determination to ‘have’ her. There’s no denying that their connection is electric – but can they both find the ability to trust in one another and reveal their true desires? Anger, fear and shame all characterize the underlying emotions for both Lucien and Angelique - all of it completely honest in feel and easy to understand for the reader. What sparks off the pages is the ‘rightness’ of the connection between them, even as neither has a reason to ever trust in ‘what they feel’ ever again after both had been betrayed or ill-used because of that trust. Angelique’s rather callous attitude toward the ‘words and intentions’ of men is easy to understand, and her reluctance to believe in her own worth as a friend and partner are clearly displayed, and harder to work through. The same goes for Lucien, although he has his revenge plan for his ‘abandonment’ by his father, he’s also caught in the trap of not feeling worthy of anyone else, particularly after his father’s actions. It’s worsened by Angelique’s refusal to believe in his words of affection, once he’s determined to show her how he feels, and it will take them both time to grow and understand that perhaps, words from one another, are not going to lead to disappointment. There was a lovely growth for both characters as they fumbled (often) their way through their own emotions, while there was never a question of their connection from anyone else. Without isolating their story from the larger world that was built, they get plenty of time to shine with and without each other, as characters come in and out of the story to enforce a point of how together they are, or to toss a monkey wrench in to test them. A lovely story that benefits from reading the first book in the series, even if it’s not ‘required’. I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via Edelweiss for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Prepare to be wrapped up in a story written by an amazing wordsmith who is elegant in her prose, describing emotions and characters that make you feel the depth of their thoughts, whether good or bad. It carried me along from the first page to the last wanting to highlight phrases on my ebook. Unfortunately it would have been most of the storyline so I tried to refrain! As Lucien, Lord Bolt returns from the dead and wants rooms at The Grand Palace on the Thames, the owners, Angelique and Delilah, were astounded. "His eyes were a crystalline green, like moss agate, o mist over a moor. It was as peculiarly difficult to hold his gaze as it was to hold a lit coal. It was far too...alive and complicated.". The picture that presents if fascinating. Lucien is back and set on revenge for those who wronged him all those years ago. He had ended up in the Thames but survived, although no one knew it. He has come back after ten years and changed him into a man who gets what he wants. He has an attraction to Angelique which is a dance that takes a journey for the two of them to come together. Intrigue, secrets, suspense, a consuming attraction off the charts and a great cast of characters drive this story to a satisfying conclusing. Cannot wait to read the next book in this amazing series!