***This review is for the original edition published by Signet August 1982***

TW/CW: This is an old skool bodice ripper - the rape to romance trope. The MMC is an alpha male (34) who has stalked and groomed the FMC (18) since she was a young girl (approx 8yrs) because she resembles her mother, who died in childbirth and was the MMC’s calf’s love. He installed his female cousin to serve as her governess, and has been controlling her future via the governess. On the eve of her wedding to her childhood sweetheart, he kidnaps her and stages her death so that her family and fiancée will not look for her. There is also a violent, graphic gang rape/assault to the FMC that is only indirectly related to the toxic relationship she has with the MMC. This event is essentially brushed aside after it occurs in the narrative.

These two deserve each other because as horrible and disturbing as he is, she “falls in love” because she can’t help herself and how “her body responds to him” against her will.

Catherine Coulter is a talented writer - this one earns stars simply for that reason. Her characters come alive on the page, so much so that I loathe all of them with the fiery passion of a thousand suns.

A Darker Side Of Historical Romance

Devil’s Embrace by Catherine Coulter is a story that is not for the faint of heart…if you swoon like a Regency debutant, you probably won’t enjoy this story. However, If you enjoy the darker side of romance and are looking for a story to satisfy the craving—this book is for you!

Personally I love a dark story with a perfect anti-hero and all of his devilish deeds. I also enjoy the innocent heroine being corrupted and then realizing she would have it no other way. This book has both types of characters and their journey to their HEA is one full of topics many readers will shy away from including abduction, noncon-dubcon carnal encounters between H/h, rape, attempted murder, and probably more topics as well. The thing is each of these things helped to progress the story, mature the characters, bring the H/h together, and ultimately lead to their deserved HEA.

I loved it all.

The darkest romance novel I've ever read. I'm embarrassed to say that I enjoyed it considering that the heroine is basically raped by the hero and then comes to love him (yeah right), but I guess all that smutty manga I've read has affected my brain. After reading Shinjo Mayo's work (Haou Airen mainly), this sort of book doesn't give me much pause.

Cassandra (18 years old) has been in love with her childhood friend Edward all her life, but the day before their wedding, she's kidnapped by the Earl of Clare (34). Other than the fact that he forces himself upon her (yeesh), he's a pretty typical hero; domineering, arrogant, handsome, charming, totally obsessed with her, etc. A lot of the book passes in his yacht The Cassandra, and then in Genoa. As if the one rape in the boat isn't already enough, there's also a gang rape toward the middle. It wasn't very graphic, but it wasn't the nicest thing to read either... Pretty hardcore stuff. Definitely not for everyone.

First and foremost, the research and writing style is tight. Ms. Coulter has done her research in what was appropriate for the time period in regards to clothes, furnishings, and what not. The dialogue also flows well - I loved the arguments between Cassie and her kidnapper.

However, what keeps this novel from reaching a 5-star is the execution of the forced bride trope. Cassie keeps protesting, but is taken nonetheless, and of course experiences blinding pleasure! (sarcasm) No matter how many times she begged for modesty or to be left alone, he simply had to press on. And then later on she goes through an ordeal considerably worse than the one she had been through before, and the conclusion left me feeling rather unenthused. This kind of dark hero doesn't really work. Between the good writing style and fun dialogue, weighed down by the the whole 'now I love my kidnapper/abuser' Stockholm Syndrome thing, this book earns 2.5 stars at most.