Long and Short Reviews

Dere’s Demons by Tara Manderino
Awe-Struck eBooks
Historical Romance
Full length, Sweet
Review by Violet

When Jane was no longer able to provide for her sisters after her brother, Collin, lost their home in a game of chance, she was forced to turn to Lord Derrington for help – the very man who once wagered against him.

If Nigel hadn’t started the idiotic Dere’s Demons, Brayden wouldn’t now have to worry about a missing artifact, Collin wouldn’t have been trying to desperately ingratiate himself with the group, and he would not have the whole bloody mess to deal with. It absolutely did not help matters when he found himself increasingly attracted to Jane.

It appeared that at least one of their brothers was guilty of taking the artifact, but only one family’s honor could be salvaged.

♥ ♥ ♥

Brayden, Lord Raby, tried his best to keep the young and stupid Lord Wolesly from losing his house in a card game. But things didn't turn out as Brayden hoped. That might have been for the best, in the long run, or he might not have met Lord Wolesly's sister, Jane. When Jane discovers that her brother has gambled away their home, she and her nine-year-old twin sisters have nowhere to go. Enter Lord Raby, who, while trying to clear his dead brother's name of theft, takes Jane and her sisters into his home...and into his heart.

Dere's Demons was an enjoyable read, and I had a hard time putting it down to go to bed. The plot was interesting, but good characterization really drew me in and kept me hoping and waiting for the moment when things would finally work out between Jane and Brayden. Jane's plight and the way she stood up to the challenges made her an easy to like, sympathetic character, and Brayden was the perfect, swoon-worthy hero we all look for in books of this genre.

I especially liked the fact that, even though there was a physical attraction between the two, the feelings that developed were more centered on how each one cared for the other's well-being. I liked Brayden's dignity, and the way he was protective of those he cared about. Jane was selfless and giving, and that made me wish even more for things to work out for her. Some of the misunderstandings between the two seemed a little contrived, and I felt at some points that the descriptions of setting and the character's physical appearnces were too sparse. But that might have been done on purpose, because it left me the freedom to develop my own mental images. The end felt a little rushed, and I would have liked to see that first passionate kiss between the two. But on the whole, and taking into consideration that the version I read was an ARC and not a final edited copy, the things I liked far outweighed those I did not. A recommended read for women of all ages.