Books › The Devil in Love
The Devil in Love
First published 1975 · 256 pages
A breathless, vintage escapist fantasy where pure innocence collides with worldly temptation in a lavish French chateau.
What it feels like
Reading this vintage romance is like stepping into a perfectly preserved, pastel-hued time capsule of mid-century escapism. The narrative moves at a brisk, breathless clip, sweeping the reader into a world of opulent French chateaus, rustling silk gowns, and high-stakes aristocratic drama. It is a story steeped in earnest melodrama, where the emotional texture relies entirely on the electric, forbidden contrast between wide-eyed innocence and cynical, worldly experience. The prose is unapologetically flowery, filled with dramatic sighs, blushing cheeks, and sweeping declarations of the heart. It is a pure, unadulterated comfort read for those who delight in the classic, sweet historical romance tropes, offering a swoony, uncomplicated journey where virtue inevitably triumphs and true love conquers even the most devilish of reputations.
- Mood
- escapist
- swoony
- opulent
- innocent
- Tone
- earnest
- breathless
- melodramatic
- romantic
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- innocence taming experience · aristocratic splendor · duty and sacrifice · redeeming power of love
- The writing
- Flowery and breathless, characterized by dramatic declarations, blushing heroines, and a rapid, dialogue-heavy flow.
- The arc
- Moves from naive apprehension and familial duty to breathless infatuation and the triumphant realization of true love.
- Who it's for
- Readers who crave vintage, sweet historical romance and delight in the classic trope of an unspoiled maiden melting the heart of a cynical rake.
Content notes
- outdated gender dynamics
- classism
About the book
Sir George Stanton dies leaving his wife, his four beautiful daughters and his son Nicky, the new baronet, with no money. To Lady Stanton, the idea was unthinkable. However, Nicky must finish his time at Oxford, so to help him Larisa decides to become a governess in France. But it was truly unthinkable.
Gently--but firmly--Larisa pushed her mother's objections aside, and the family did have to retrench. She set off for Valmont-sur-Seine to Chateau Valmont, eager to teach her new pupil and to meet her infamous employer, Comte Raoul de Valmont.
The Count's exceptional success with pretty women already had all of Paris society calling him "The Devil." But surely the handsome, worldly Comte would not give a second thought to an unsophisticated nineteen-year-old governess... Even if she was intelligent, totally unspoiled and exquisitely beautiful.
Description from Open Library.
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