Surrender to the Devil [Mass Market Paperback]

Surrender to the Devil is the third book in Lorraine Heath's "The Scoundrels of St. James" series (and overlaps time-wise with the second book, Between the Devil and Desire). I wasn't sure that I was going to like it and IMO the summary written for the book doesn't do it justice: Frannie and Sterling are so much more complicated than the lust-driven characters they are described as!

I ended up *LOVING* this book and definitely recommend it to all historical romance readers out there. The hero and heroine's relationship is so sweet and passionate, they have great chemistry and are absolutely perfect for each other and seem to really need one another. The supporting characters are terrific (love Feagan's gang!), the mystery of Sterling's problem was engaging (and unusual in the genre, so a nice addition), and there were *several* laugh-out-loud moments.

Although this book is part of the St. James series, I have not read the two previous ones and had no problem following what was going on. Knowing the characters, however, I think the experience is probably richer if you are already familiar with Feagan's gang from the previous books (Luke and Jack's stories).

SUMMARY:
Miss Frannie Darling (29) grew up an orphan on the streets of London, the one bright light in her life being her street "family": Feagan (their kidsman), and his "lads" Jack, Luke, Jim, and Bill. (The background I'm about to give is explained in the prologue, so I'm not giving any surprises away). When she was 12 years old, Frannie was kidnapped, sold to a brothel that specialized in virgins, and brutally raped. Despite their young age, Luke and Jack searched out the gentleman who raped her and Luke killed him. It turns out that the man was Luke's uncle and Luke's grandfather, who comes to see the boy who killed his second son, recognizes Luke and arranges for the trial to not occur and for his grandson, along with his friends, to come live with him and be educated by tutors.

Frannie is now a young woman and she finds satisfaction in the bookkeeping she does for Dodger's gaming club and joy in her real passion: her orphanage to help street children. When she meets the Duke of Greystone (Catherine's brother) at Luke and Catherine's wedding, she is completely fascinated and also extremely surprised; though she doesn't fear intimacy or passion, she has never been attracted to nor felt desire for any man ... until now. (Their first encounter at the wedding is very funny - and then very hot, lol). As Sterling determinedly pursues her, Frannie can't help but want to give in to him; she knows he will never marry her, and frankly she dislikes the aristocracy and has no desire to join its ranks, but would it be so wrong for her to take this opportunity to be with the only man who has ever looked at her like she was a desirable woman and whom she desires as well?

Sterling Mabry, Duke of Greystone (28) has been traveling extensively for many years following a terrible fight with his father. His father called him selfish for wanting to go see the world, but Sterling knew this was something he had to do (for spoiler reasons see "Comments") before he settled down and carried out his duty as duke. He has been back in London for four months now and is determined to do what he must: find a wife and produce the necessary heir and spare. Sterling is convinced that no woman can really love him because of his secret problem and therefore wants to find a wife who will give him the heirs he needs and then be content to live her own life, someone self-involved who won't want his love and will not fall in love with him.

When he sees Frannie at Catherine's wedding he is inexplicably drawn to her and decides that before embarking on the marriage mart, he must spend one night with this intriguing woman. Although he starts his pursuit with the mere goal of enjoying himself with Frannie's body, he becomes unwillingly fascinated by the woman herself and wanting only one night quickly becomes wanting much, much more.

Along with the romance between Sterling and Frannie, the story involves Frannie's attempts to save children from the rookeries and bring them to her orphanage. She goes at night searching for children whom she can help and this quickly becomes quite dangerous, since the mean kidsman Sykes is not happy that she is taking his children - and source of revenue - from him. There is also Sterling's private struggle with a hidden problem, which is hinted at from the beginning but only revealed a little into it (revealing it would be a spoiler, so it's in the "Comments" section; click on the link at the bottom of the review if you want to know).

FEAGAN'S GANG:
I loved Feagan's gang and cannot wait to read the other books in the series. They are extremely protective of Frannie, who was kind of the "mother" of the gang when they were growing up even though they're all around the same age. They have never forgiven themselves for what happened to her so long ago, because they feel like they should have somehow been able to protect her, and as a result, they treat her like she is fragile (one of the reasons she is so enjoys her time with Sterling is he doesn't treat her like that). Their love for her is obvious and the numerous times that they are protective of her and try to warn Sterling off are sweet, enjoyable, and highly entertaining.

MAIN CHARACTERS, Frannie and Sterling:
Frannie and Sterling are so great together and they are definitely one of my favorite romantic pairs of the year. I wasn't sure I would like this book at first, since the idea that Sterling just wants to sleep with her and considers himself too good to marry her was unappealing, to put it lightly, but Sterling is *not* like that. He doesn't come off as haughty, just lonely and cynical, and although he does try to stick to only lust, from the very beginning of their acquaintance he feels more for her than just that.

There's a very gentle side to Sterling that we don't see at first, but that is slowly revealed, with what he does for Frannie and the orphans, especially Jimmy/Peter (I *loved* when Sterling paints a fake tattoo on his back for him because he sees Sterling's and wants the same thing). The scenes where he shows Frannie his sketches and later makes several drawings of her are also a treat.

Frannie is a terrific heroine; she is incredibly strong and resilient, yet also gentle, generous, and friendly. She does so much for others and has so much capacity for love, but she is not an annoying do-gooder heroine who is all smiles and sunbeams, don't worry. She is in fact an incredible mix of innocence and realism, both shy and confident, sensitive and brave. Frannie wants to be married and have her own children, but she has pretty much given up on this dream. She's also extremely smart (a whiz with numbers), which is always nice in a heroine.

There was always honesty between Frannie and Sterling, which was a nice change. Neither of them have illusions about their relationship, where it might potentially go, and where it never will (though surprise, surprise, our HEA contradicts that!! I know, you're shocked - sit down and recover). Although they first see each other across a room and find themselves attracted to one another without really knowing each other, this wasn't a book where it's all about lust and not much else. Sterling finds himself becoming lost in Fannie's goodness and optimism, amazed that she can be as innocent, open, and giving as she is, despite all she's been through. Frannie loves how gentle and sweet Sterling is with her, while also being passionate and almost hungry for her, as if she is his sustenance and salvation.

THE SCOUNDRELS OF ST. JAMES SERIES:
1) In Bed With the Devil - Lucian (Luke) Langdon, Earl of Claybourne and Lady Catherine Mabry
2) Between the Devil and Desire - Jack Dodger and Olivia, Duchess of Lovingdon
3) Surrender to the Devil - Miss Frannie Darling and Sterling Mabry, Duke of Greystone (Catherine's brother)
4) Midnight Pleasures With a Scoundrel - Inspector/Sir James (Jim) Swindler and Eleanor Watkins (to be released on October 27)

BOTTOM LINE:
Read it!! I can't wait to read Jim's story - and meanwhile, I'll read Books 1 and 2 and probably end up rereading this one also.

P.S. Frannie is one year older than Sterling and as much as I hate to admit this, I don't really like the heroine to be older. However, it's only one year and if you're put off by this, DON'T BE!! This book is not to be missed!

I have a tendency to alway give Lorraine Heath's books 5 stars. While a couple of her earlier books are exceptions that I gave 3 and 1/2 to most of the time I simply must give her books 5 stars for how they make me feel and how much I enjoy them. There is no other author right now that draws me into her world and characters of the story in quite the way Ms. Heath does. This book was no exception. It is in fact exquisite! Some books I read are just simply a great story to me, but, some books are like I have entered into a whole new world and almost become part of that world. I truly feel a passion for the characters and I want to BE one of those characters just so I can participate in the story. Frannie and Sterling are not only two of my favorite characters EVER ,but, Ms. Heath makes me so wish I knew them personally and could call them my friends (as well as know their friends in the books). Her writing is that good. She is very gifted in creating a love story like no other and creating characters that you are so happy reading about. She pulls you in slowly, carefully, and gradually makes you almost believe it's real or could be real or wish so it could be real. But ,boy, you sure wish it was! I simply and absolutely did not want this one to end. I even cried in the last couple of chapters because even though I knew Frannie and Sterling would end up together (it is a romance book) I almost felt like maybe they wouldn't and I just couldn't stand that for them because they truly belonged together. I felt their sadness at not believing they could be together. Something else she is very talented at is weaving together a real plot with her magnificent and necessary secondary characters that are just...icing on the cake! I see no need to actually go into the story here as some others have already done that so why waste the time and effort. That's why I am just heaping praise for it. I will just say that I was sad when the book ended. It left me wanting more. That is what Lorraine Heath does. She always leaves the reader wanting more. There is one more book in this story as I understand it and I can't wait to read it. I believe it comes out in October maybe and it is about Jim Swindler... one of Frannie's friends/protectors that she grew up with in the rookeries and later at the Claybourne mansion that truly really was in love with her. Jack Dodger and Luke already have their own books that came before this one so now Jim Swindler gets his turn at love. Now he gets his own love story and it will be a wonderful way to end the series. But I wish the series could go on for several more books as all of them have just been incredible. I would also like to point out that Sterling is the very best of heroes. I tend to always latch on to heroes that the writer tries to make appear an uncaring, rich, and "just wants to get under the skirts of women" aristocrat ,but, is so much more under the surface. Another wonderful side is revealed to they themselves and they themselves transform over time once they become aware of that one women they are inevitably attracted to and come to know well. While there is an instant attraction the love grows slowly in most all of Ms. Heath's books and that is a factor I deeply appreciate. Other authors should try that. You really get to experience that growing tension and love that is created between the two lead characters. The love scenes are usually somewhat sparse ,but, when they appear they are so incredibly beautiful and tender. I once again fell in love with this leading man Sterling Mabry. You don't even have to see him...his characterization is so rich it just jumps off the page and you can literally visualize who this man is and who he is beneath the surface. He truly is the hero of this book. Frannie is a true heroine as well. She is the epitome of goodness and gutsyness. She has been through soooo much and has not let is tarnish her one bit, but, instead she rises above it all and always sees the positive in every situation and in every person she meets. She is that one heroine you wish you could be more like. What a great attitude and disposition she has. No man could help falling in love with her. All this being said I can only give this books 5 stars. I wish I could I could give it 10 stars. It deserves it. If you are a lover of historical romances then this is a must read. I can't imagine anyone reading this book and not only being touched ,but, coming out thinking I want to be a better person. Do yourself a favor and read this entire series. It will bless you beyond measure. Well done, again, Ms. Heath, WELL DONE! Your books are a TRUE treasure. I can't say enough good things about them. My apologies for such a long review. I did get a bit carried away I realize. I just couldn't help myself!

I love this series. Absolutely love it. Far from turning Frannie into someone unrecognizable through a Cinderella twist, or focusing unduly on what made her a victim instead of a strong survivor, Surrender to the Devil shows why Frannie is the center of the Feagin world. When Frannie meets Sterling, she recognizes that he's everything she doesn't want. She has no financial need to be a duke's paid companion, she has no illusions that a duke would marry her, and she has no interest in joining the ranks of the aristocracy. What she does have is an interest in her attraction to the man, not the title.

Still, Frannie isn't interested in throwing off her carefully assembled life for a few moments between the sheets. She's working on building and endowing her home for orphans. Her goal of saving as many children as she can (both to make up for imagined sins in her past and because she herself was ultimately saved) remains her primary focus. Sterling isn't quite as clear. He begins as the typical self important lord, yet he tumbles into a free thinker in favor of class mingling a little quickly for my taste. His problems are real and moving. His belief in his own inadequacy has solid, if misguided, foundation. But I wanted a bit more of a relationship with his sister, a bit more conflict in his soul about his personal beliefs and Frannie's reality than I saw. Ultimately, it's a minor quibble in a really outstanding and engaging read. I finished the book in one sitting and wished I could read it over again when I was done.

SttD stands alone, the other books in the series are not needed at all to appreciate the characters or the events. There's an interesting wrap up at the end that answers some obvious questions the readers would be left with at the close of Frannie's tale, but it also seems to wrap up the series a bit too neatly. It this the end of Feagin's children? And would Dodger really do that? Isn't that (no spoiler here, sorry) a bit neat? Does it really solve the issue Dodger's trying to address or just addressing our modern senses? The fact that I, as a reader, care to ask that question at all speaks to the strength of this trilogy. I can't wait to see what Lorraine Heath comes up with next.