WHEN THE DEVIL MEETS AN ANGEL
 
Country bred Lucy Craddock-Hayes is content with her quiet life. Until the day she trips over an unconscious man—a naked unconscious an—and loses her innocence forever.

HE CAN TAKE HER TO HEAVEN

Viscount Simon Iddesleigh was nearly beaten to death by his enemies. Now he’s hell-bent on vengeance. But as Lucy nurses him back to health, her honesty startles his jaded sensibilities—even as it ignites a desire that threatens to consume them both.

OR TO HELL

Charmed by Simon’s sly wit, urbane manners, and even his red-heeled shoes, Lucy falls hard and fast for him. Yet as his honor keeps him from ravishing her, his revenge sends his attackers to her door. As Simon wages war on his foes, Lucy wages her own war for his soul using the only weapon she has—her love…

My Thoughts:
I started reading this trilogy about two years ago. I was really impressed with EH's The Raven Prince and honestly couldn't wait to read the remaining two books. Things definitely did not go as I had planned. I did not immediately grab up book two, The Leopard Prince, or the third The Serpent Prince...other books just seemed to fall into my lap or these titles didn't fit into the challenge that I was doing. I sincerely regret this. I do believe that The Serpent Prince is my favorite.

Lucy is a country mouse set to wait out her time until the Vicar finally gets up the nerve to propose to her. She does her duty to her town and her father and life is just the same old thing until she stumbles across a man that she presumes dead lying face down along the roadside. When Lord Simon Iddesleigh moans she knows she is mistakened. Lucy does what any caring person would do, she has him carried home with her.

In the week or so that Simon spends in the Craddock-Hayes home he is bowled over by Lucy's beauty, strength, honesty, and her brow. His Angel sees through him right to his very soul, and a black soul it is. He has already sold his soul to the Devil to get revenge on the men who murdered his brother. Loving his Angel the only thing he can do is set her free to live her merry life with the Vicar, this is the only way to keep her safe from the would be assassins and his own devilish needs.

I almost instantly fell in love with the characters in this book. Lucy's father is a blowhard with a foul temper, but you have to laugh at his conversations. Poor Lucy doesn't know how to subdue either man when in each others presence and the banter is comical at times. Edward de Raaf shows himself a few times throughout...I don't remember him being so humorous in his book The Raven Prince.

This is my favorite part of the book. The hopeless romantic was rearing its ugly little head while reading apparently.

"You won't speak, won't tell me,' he said huskily. 'Are you taunting me? You taunt me in my dreams sometimes, sweet angel, when I'm not dreaming of...' He sank to his knees before her. 'You don't know me, don't know what I am. Save yourself. Throw me from your house. Now, While you still can, because I've lost my determination, my will, my very honor--what little of it I had left. I cannot remove myself from your presence." p.152

Simon is pouring his heart out into Lucy's lap after leaving and spending a week in London. He is looking ragged and not all together healed from his last ordeal that landed him on Lucy's doorstep to begin with.  My heart definitely did the pitter patter while reading this particular part of the book. Elizabeth Hoyt did a wonderful job with the hero and heroine and their story and at the same time she weaved the Serpent Prince's fairytale into the plot of the book with an expertise that I have grown to love. The Serpent Prince definitely earns high ratings!!

5 stars

THE ONE THING HE CANNOT REVEAL
For years, Melisande Fleming has loved Lord Vale from afar . . . watching him seduce a succession of lovers, and once, catching a glimpse of heartbreaking depths beneath his roguish veneer. When he’s jilted on his wedding day, she boldly offers to be his.
TO THE ONE WOMAN HE MOST DESIRES
Vale gladly weds Melisande, if only to produce an heir. But he’s pleasantly surprised: A shy and proper Lady by day, she’s a wanton at night, giving him her body—though not her heart.
IS HIS DEEPEST NEED . . .
Determined to learn her secrets, this sinner starts to woo his seductive new wife—while hiding the nightmares from his soldiering days in the Colonies that still haunt him. Yet when a deadly betrayal from the past threatens to tear them apart, Lord Vale must bare his soul to the woman he married...or risk losing her forever.

My Thoughts:
My only regret is waiting so long to read the second book in the Four Soldiers series. I really do believe that allowing so much time to lapse between book one, To Taste Temptation, and To Seduce A Sinner caused me to have an awful time in the beginning. I kept trying to remember how the hero and heroine fit into the last story, what Jasper and Samuel had figured out about Spinners Fall, etc. Once I realized that Melisande was Emmeline's (heroine from TTT) friend and that Jasper was indeed the former fiancee to Emmeline I let everything else go. I figured it would come to me as I read deeper into the story. I am happy to say that most of it did come back.

Melisande has been in love with Lord Vale, Jasper, from afar for years. It almost broke her when her best friend became engaged to him and she did not have the courage to do anything more than stand idly by and watch the love of her life slip through her fingers. Now she must go and watch him wed someone else, only this time the young lady practically leaves Jasper at the altar. Melisande finds the courage to approach Jasper and ask him to marry her. Jasper knows that he should remember who she is, he knows that she is Emmeline's friend, but can't remember her name. Sad really because Melisande was showing more courage than some men standing in front of a firing squad.

Both Melisande and Jasper have secrets that they wish to keep. Melisande is so in love with Jasper but she is afraid that if she allows him to know of her true feelings he will hurt in the end, when he finally gets his heir and turns away from her. Jasper is dealing with his demons from Spinner's Fall and is still on the hunt for the traitor who gave their location to the French.  Neither realize that these secrets are going to be the very things that bring them closer together and ultimately bind them together in a very strong love.

I love how Ms. Hoyt always includes bits of a fairy tale at the beginning of each chapter. I believe she has done this with every one of her books that I have read. The fairy tale always lends a little something extra to the story.

Another awesome book by Ms. Hoyt... and this time I won't wait so long before reading the next book in the series!

Rating 4.5 stars

ROR Winter Challenge #2. Title read and reviewed during the Fall Challenge (Cindy W)
SRC: Book two (book 1: The Raven Prince, read '08)
Published 2007
345 pages
Rating: 5 stars

back cover: THE ONE THING A LADY MUST NEVER DO
Wealthy Lady Georgina Maitland doesn't want a husband, though she could use a good steward to run her estates. One look at Harry Pye, and Georgina knows she's not just dealing with a servant, but a man.
IS FALL IN LOVE...
Harry has known many aristocrats- including one particular nobleman who is his sworn enemy. But Hary has never met a beautiful lady so independent, uninhibited, and eager to be in his arms.
WITH HER SERVANT.
Still, it's impossible to conduct a discreet liaison when poisoned sheep, murdered villagers, and an enraged magistrate have the county in an uproar. The locas blame Harry for everything. Soon it's all Georgina can do to keep her head above water and Harry's out of the noose... without missing another night of love.

My Review: I had a rough time of getting started with this book. I don't know if it was all the activity that comes with the holidays or if it was just slow getting started. Being stranded in a car for eleven hours definitely cured me of whatever it was holding me back in getting into this Hoyt novel. I must say that it was definitely worth the wait!
I enjoyed the relationship between George and Harry much more than I did with Anna and Edward from The Raven Prince. I think it may have to do with the idea of forbidden love. George has waited so long... well not really waited so much as prolonged what seems to be the inevitable, only to find love in the arms of her "servant". George definitely knew what she wanted. You could definitely feel the internal struggles that both George and Harry experienced. This novel will definitely put you into a great big SIGH mode...sweet, passionate, and mysterious! The mystery surrounding this couple definitely added a little umph to the story line! While I wasn't completely taken by surprise with who was guilty of poisoning the sheep, it was rather surprising nonetheless.
The Loepard Prince is by far my favorite of the three Elizabeth Hoyt novels that I have read. It definitely earns a spot on my keeper shelf.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!!