Lori’s review of Sweet as the Devil
James, Baron Blackwood, Scottish guard to Prince Ernst of Dalmia, is charged with protecting the prince’s newly discovered daughter. Having already met the irresistible Miss Sofia Eastleigh at the home of one of his lovers, Jamie knows the distraction she poses – and is determined to resist the temptation.
A sexually liberated artist, Sofia took one look at James and knew the dark, powerful man would make a most delicious lover. And while the infuriating Scot seems intent on ignoring his desire and playing the gentleman Sofia craves his seduction – at least until the prince’s cronies are defeated. Unless, of course, he can find a way to keep the princess safe while savoring the delights she has to offer…
This series takes place at the end of the Victorian era, in 1893. Sofia meets James as he indulges in an adulterous affair with the woman whose portrait she’s been commissioned to paint. She’s immediately attracted, even though he smells of sex (with another woman – oh yum, I know, right?). He is kind to her, while the Countess is not.
It turns out that James is the head of the guards for a European prince, and it just so happens that Sofia is the prince’s daughter. While I enjoyed this much more than the previous book, Sexy as Hell, I am turned off by the glorification of adultery and alcoholism portrayed in Johnson’s books, while at the same time I find myself wanting to applaud her for not being afraid to write unapologetic man-whore asswipes who aren’t your typical romance heroes. James is much more heroic than the heroes of the previous 2 books in the series, and his man-whorish tendencies aside, he really does try to be a good person and do the right thing. He has an innate kindness that I liked.
Sofia is shocked to learn that she’s the daughter of the Prince, and really wants no part of it, especially because she’s the target of an assassination plot. When she finds James is to be her bodyguard until the culprits are caught, she immediately sets out to seduce him, even though he tries to be noble and not sleep with her.
A few things other than the amoral nature of the characters bothered me. One is an editing issue. Every time the servants were referenced, they were called “flunkeys”. Not only an ugly term that doesn’t make any of the characters using or thinking it look too good, but it was very repetitive. Also, a major plot point for me was that James was taking Sofia north to his Highland estate to keep her safe. It’s the premise on which the entire “road trip” romance is based. It was a big secret so that the Prince’s enemies wouldn’t be able to find her. Yet James tells practically the entire world he’s taking her to his estate. Just because he doesn’t disclose its location, does he think that the bad guys, high in the government of an allied country, won’t be able to locate it? It struck me as incredibly stupid.
So, it was better than the previous 2 books in the series, but still pushed a lot of buttons for me.
2.75 out of 5.
The series:
You can read more from Lori at I Just Finished Reading and Living in the House of Testosterone.
This book is available from Berkley Sensation. You can buy it here or here in e-format.
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