Format read: ebook provided by the author
Series: The Hellraisers #2
Genre: Historical Paranormal romance
Release Date: May 1st 2012
Number of pages: 370 pages
Publisher: Zebra
Formats available: ebook, paperbarck
Purchasing Info: Goodreads, Author’s Website, Amazon, Book Depository

Book Blurb:
Hell to Pay

Leo Bailey may have been born to poverty, but ruthless business sense and sparkling intelligence have made money worries a thing of his past. It doesn’t hurt that the Devil himself has granted Leo the ability to read the future.

But even infallible predictions are a déclassé commoner’s trick to some members of the ton. They’ll never see Leo as their equal—one good reason to prove himself their better. And a noble marriage is an obvious start.

Bookish Anne Hartfield, daughter of a baron, is hardly the flashiest miss on the marriage market. But her thoughtful reserve complements Leo’s brash boldness in an attraction neither can deny. A whirlwind courtship sweeps Anne and Leo into a smoldering marriage before either can believe their luck. But happiness built on Leo’s dark powers can’t last. Soon, Anne will have to save her husband…or lose her heart…

My Thoughts:

Demon’s Bride is the second novel in the Hellraisers series and so far it is my favorite. I had a  few problems with the 1st book but they didn’t arise in Demon’s Bride. I was pleasantly surprised by the whole story.

The story begins with the wedding of Anna our heroine to a man she nearly doesn’t know. This is a marriage of convenience, Anna is an aristocrat and it’s exactly what Leo needs. Leo is a successful businessman but he’s a commoner and he needs to marry into the aristocracy to get closer to his next business marks. I was sucked into this story. Leo and Anna barely know each other and I loved to see them learn each other.  He never expected to like his wife but as much as he wants to act like the  aristocrats, Leo cannot stop thinking that he’d like a love match. His parents married for love and he refuses not to know his wife. I seriously loved this slow discovery of love.

Demon’s Bride reminded  me of Théophile Gautier a French novelist from the 19th century who wrote Supernatural stories. Not as much as in the story but in the way the supernatural was introduced. This would be your typical historical romance with the marriage of convenience and the characters falling for each other, BUT something abnormal happens. Something the heroine can’t explain, but the human brain always finds acceptable answers. Then something else later would occur and make the heroine doubt. I loved how slowly the supernatural element was introduced. If I hadn’t read the 1st book I would have been left in the dark like the heroine. At first we only get references as to what Leo agreed to in the past. His pact with the devil is not something he advertises. I think this book doesn’t suffer from the ‘1st book in a series’ weight. The author didn’t have to set all the rules all over again and it left room for the heroine to slowly come to the realization that something is wrong with her husband. The Devil’s grip on Leo’s soul gets stronger every time he uses his power and I wanted to shake him into realizing it.

It also helps that I really loved Leo and Anna! Leo is an ambitious man but he’s not cold-hearted.  He made a pact with the devil so he could foresee the future and know where to invest his money. He’s known as the Devil of the Exchange. I loved that from the very beginning he admits that he wants a real relationship with his wife.

I still didn’t care much for the part of the plot involving the Roman ghost. It didn’t work for me in the 1st book either. I get how the women in the Hellraisers lives are their salvation that their magic will save them. But the ghost part just irritated me. It’s probably just me and my ghost dislike 😉  In Demon’s Bride we get to see the other Hellraisers and I liked getting to know them better. I even felt teary eyed for one of them in the end.

Demon’s Bride is a great addition to the Hellraisers series. A great mix of Historical romance and paranormal adventure where the hero must choose between his ambition and  the woman he loves.   Zoë Archer always knows how to make me crave for more, if you haven’t tried this series you’re missing out!

I give Demon’s Bride 4 Stars

About Caro The HEA Lover

Caroline is a HEA loving, yarn addicted French who's desperately hoping to get a HEA of her own. If she's not reading then she can be found knitting while listening to Audiobooks or watching Tv shows. Her secret addiction is reading websites that make fun at other people's expense (DYAC, Failbook)! Caroline also blogs at the Secret HEA Society with Susi.

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