The Devil's Thief (2012) (edit title/settings)

• Rated 4 stars

“THE DEVIL'S THIEF by Samantha Kane is a sizzling historical romance. #1 in "The Saint's Devils"set in 1818 London. A passionate filled,sensual tale of thievery,deception,romance and love.Oh did I say it was fast paced and filled with passion? When next door neighbor,Julianna Harte steals Alasdair Sharpe's precious family heirloom,what follows is a bit of humor,and lots of passion as they try to find and retrieve the treasured heirloom. But is a heirloom more important than the possible love of your life? You will have to read "The Devil's Thief" to find out for sure. An enjoyable read from beginning to end. Received for an honest review from Net Galley and the publisher.
RATING: 4
HEAT RATING: HOT
REVIEWED BY: AprilR, My Book Addiction Reviews”

• Rated 4 stars

“In this regency romance, our leading lady, Julianna is desperate enough to steal a valuable family heirloom, a rare pearl, from one of London's biggest rakes in order to feed the children in an orphanage she secretly runs. She steals into Alasdair's bedroom in the night, gets caught, has a gun pointed at her, cuts a deal with the 'gentleman'...Okay, fade to black here...;) and slips away before dawn.

What follows is a game of cat and mouse, with the tension between Julianna and Alasdair at a boiling point throughout the story.

The characters were brilliant, colorful and often humorous, especially devilishly rakish Roger, one of Alasdair's best friends! The descriptions of the streets of London were beautiful, alive, the plot, well done with just enough spice!

This edition was provided by Netgalley and Random House Publishers in exchange for an honest review.”

• Rated 5 stars

“Reviewed by Guest Reviewer/Kimberly & posted at Under the Covers Book Blog

http://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/2012/11/arc-review-the-devils-thief-by-samantha-kane.html

“What an awesome read!!! I loved this story and can’t wait for Samantha continue on with the colorful cast of characters.” ~ Under the Covers

Sneaking into her neighbor’s bedroom to steal his famous Stewart Pearl, Julianna Harte gets caught red handed by the handsome Alasdair Sharp. When Alasdair bargains with the thief he can barely see in the darkness of his abode, the Stewart Pearl for a night in his bed, Julianna does the unthinkable. In the light of day, Alasdair awakens to an empty bed and the pearl of course gone. Alasdair, having no intention of allowing his family’s treasure to disappear since he really did not mean to give the pearl to his thief, calls upon the help of his friends to search for his “Juliet”

Julianna Harte is the daughter of an ex- thief who, since his recent marriage to an older woman has given up the craft. Julianna sees no remedy but to sell the Stewart Pearl to pay the rent on a foundling home she is in charge of. All she can think of is the poor children who have been orphaned or abandoned on the homes steps. Hmmm, but is that her only motivation? After all, she has been in Alasdair Sharp’s company, and the man has hardly noticed her.

When Julianna sells the pearl to a career criminal, she must deal with the aftermath as Alasdair and his friends are not ignorant nobility, for they know her identity. When Alasdair confronts the plain Julianna, sparks continually fly when these two are in the proximity to one another. Julianna soon realizes that she has done wrong by Alasdair and wishes to make up for hr theft, while Alasdair has other plans for Julianna.

What an awesome read!!! I loved this story and can’t wait for Samantha continue on with the colorful cast of characters like Wiley, Roger, Hil and even Alasdair’s cousin Ernest. Each of these great characters have some awesome quirks that make them memorable. I loved the hero and heroine. At first, the reader thinks Alasdair a rake but soon find out otherwise, and Julianna is no shrinking violet as we find from the steamy scenes between she and Alasdair. The fact that these two can hardly keep their hands off each other but still be unsure of what they mean to one another is artistry. Bravo Samantha Kane, for I loved the Devil’s Thief and await with bated breath for Tempting a Devil.

*ARC provided by publisher


”

• Rated 4 stars

“My Rating: 4 stars: Enjoyed - strongly recommend (A-)
Full Review: http://www.twimom227.com/2012/11/review-giveaway-devils-thief-by.html

The Devil’s Thief, is a highly amusing historical romance filled with wit, fun, danger and love. The story is rich with enjoyable characters and an amusing plot. The characters provided the driving force behind the storyline. Julianna is a strong woman who can fit within society's boundaries on the outside, but is "modern" on the inside. I love that Alasdair respects and admires that part of Julianna. I feel the interactions and banter between he and Julianna are clever and entertaining.

Julianna does not fit the mold of a prim and proper society woman, often standing up for herself, taking risks and making things happen. And she’s not the only one. Her father, a former thief, who stole only to feed and cloth his young daughter, has married up into society to a Baroness. But he didn’t do it for the financial cushion, but rather for love. And the Baroness herself is fairly bold and at times, contrary to the roll she lives in public.

The quest to return the pearl is one of adventure and danger. Although somewhat predictable, the plot moved forward at an enjoyable pace. The ups and downs the characters endure make the journey that much more satisfying. Alasdair’s companions, (fellow Devils) Roger and Hil add comic relief, but also additional mystery. They are marvelous. I love the light-hearted, silly "frat boy" humor of Roger and want to know more about Hil. He is full of intrigue, and it will be exciting to see what woman will match him. The misunderstandings and mishaps the gang encounter never bordered on frustrating and always kept the story moving forward.

In the end, I really enjoyed The Devil’s Thief and look forward to the next tale. The overall feel was light and romantic, with a lot of humor tossed in. But most of all, the characters were all exceptional. They may not be the picture perfect specimens of society during the time period, but that's what made them enjoyable and even lovable. ”

• Rated 3 stars

“Julianna Harte, the daughter of a reformed jewel thief, sneaks into the bedroom of Alasdair Sharpe intent on stealing an invaluable pearl, which will help her save her home for foundlings. When Alasdaire catches her in the act, he strikes a deal that will forever change both of their lives. 

Julianna is a fun and delightful character, even though she's fairly unconventional for the era because of her strange upbringing. Her inner dialogue was fresh and entertaining, as was most of the writing in this story. Julianna's love affair with Alasdair was seductive and steamy, though curiously, their first encounter was a abbreviated for some reason. I thought that might be made clearer by the end of the book but I'm still puzzled by that, especially after one really HOT scene in a library. 

Alasdaire was appealing but I never quite figured out exactly who he was beyond having a very active love life before Julianna. His friends, Hilary St. John and Roger Templeton, seemed the more interesting and clever members of the 'Saint's Devils,' a moniker created when they were in college for their group of rogues.  I liked him with Julianna but he was otherwise unremarkable. 

While Julianna's reason for stealing the pearl and attempting to later sell it made for some excitement, that premise broke down later in the story, leaving it pretty flat and implausible in the end. But, it did lead to another interesting character named Wiley and I'm counting on seeing more of him in the series. 

This was a very enjoyable story with a refreshing heroine who wasn't always making the best of decisions but that seemed in keeping with the character. The series shows promise as the other members of the Saint's Devils have already captured my interest. I'm rating it 3.5 stars and recommend it to those who enjoy interesting characters and steamy romances.

(I received an ARC from NetGalley)
”

• Rated 0 stars

“
This novel is a delightful romp through London, June 1817.
It begins in the bedroom of Alasdair Sharp, when he surprises a thief in the act of stealing a priceless pearl. He is doubly surprised that the thief is a woman, a very beautiful woman. While holding a gun on her, and asking her some revealing questions, he comes up with a very unusual solution to their problem. If she agrees to give him one night in his bed, she can have the pearl in the morning " if she still wants it" . Confronted by Mr. Sharp, knowing he thinks her a thief, and criminal, she feels strangely liberated. For once she can "get what she wants, and more importantly, what she needs". She tells him her name is Juliet.
Juliet's real name is Julianna Harte, she is the daughter of a former con man, and thief. He has retired from crime, and lives quite happily with his second wife Lady Linville, his years as a criminal a well kept secret. Julianna grew up always trying to be anonymous, blending in so as not to call attention to herself, and subsequently her father.
In the morning, Alasdair's bed is empty, and the pearl is gone! He feels strangely guilty and bereft! So he joins with his best friends Sir Hilary St. John , and Roger Templeton to find his mystery woman. At a society gathering at Sir Hilary's aunt's home, who should appear but his elusive Juliet in the persona of Miss Julianna Harte, accompanying her father and step-mother, the Baroness, Lady Linville. who just happen to be his next door neighbors!
The romp begins....we meet foundling children, some quite nefarious characters, and a delightful cat and mouse game between Alasdair and Julianna, including Sir Hil and Alex in the game There are some very tense moments, some very HOT moments, and lots of laughter. 
I would recommend this novel to historical fiction lovers, who enjoy humor with some Shakespeare mixed in.
This novel was given to me by the publisher, and NetGalle
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