To Desire a Devil by Elizabeth Hoyt

Elizabeth Hoyt has become one of my favorite authors.  I'm rarely disappointed with her storytelling.  Once again she's hit a homerun (notice the baseball metaphor :)) with To Desire a Devil.

The blurb is very good:

NOTHING IS MORE INTOXICATING-
Reynaud St. Aubyn has spent the last seven years in hellish captivity. Now half mad with fever he bursts into his ancestral home and demands his due. Can this wild-looking man truly be the last earl's heir, thought murdered by Indians years ago?

OR DANGEROUS-

Beatrice Corning, the niece of the present earl, is a proper English miss. But she has a secret: No real man has ever excited her more than the handsome youth in the portrait in her uncle's home. Suddenly, that very man is here, in the flesh-and luring her into his bed.

THAN SURRENDERING TO A DEVIL.

Only Beatrice can see past Reynaud's savagery to the noble man inside. For his part, Reynaud is drawn to this lovely lady, even as he is suspicious of her loyalty to her uncle. But can Beatrice's love tame a man who will stop at nothing to regain his title-even if it means sacrificing her innocence?

I was really looking forward to this one.  Given the high expectations, I was very pleased.  Reynaud was angry and bitter.  His interactions with other people are outright rude, understandable given his experiences of the last 7 years.  Beatrice is giving, tolerant and understanding.  Ms. Hoyt gradually gives you Reynaud's backstory and it's gruesome and sad.  You feel every one of his emotions.

To Seduce a Sinner is my favorite book of this series, but this is very close.  I loved Reynaud's interaction with Lord Vale from TSAS.  Jasper and Reynaud have such a shared history that they were bound to reconcile, and I felt it was handled well, with frustration and anger, laughter and memories.

A good book, if you're a Hoyt fan it's a satisfactory conclusion to a good series.

Have a great night and happy reading :)