After reading the previous books in Elizabeth Hoyt’s The Legend of the Four Soldiers series, I’ve been looking forward to the fourth book in the series: To Desire a Devil.

Reynaud St. Aubyn has spent the last seven years in hellish captivity. Now half mad with fever he bursts into his ancestral home and demands his due. Can this wild-looking man truly be the last earl’s heir, thought murdered by Indians years ago?

Beatrice Corning, the niece of the present earl, is a proper English miss. But she has a secret: No real man has ever excited her more than the handsome youth in the portrait in her uncle’s home. Suddenly, that very man is here, in the flesh—and luring her into his bed.

Only Beatrice can see past Reynaud’s savagery to the noble man inside. For his part, Reynaud is drawn to this lovely lady, even as he is suspicious of her loyalty to her uncle. But can Beatrice’s love tame a man who will stop at nothing to regain his title—even if it means sacrificing her innocence?

Hoyt is one of my favorite historical romance writers around, which also (for good or ill) means I expect a lot from her. Usually she delivers an exceptional story. This time around, I liked the story OK, but wouldn’t consider it an exceptional one.

I liked the way we see how Reynaud’s time in captivity has affected him. It’s no surprise that it would. The scene by the coach where he imagines himself back in battle is painfully vivid. I couldn’t help but sympathize with him.

I had a tougher time with the way he was so domineering with Beatrice. He pushes and pushes and pushes her to become more involved with him. And though Beatrice really knows little about him, she follows his lead. Her trust is eventually rewarded, yes, but I thought she came to trust him all too quickly.

The romance still works, but it doesn’t have the same magic to it as many of her other books, such as The Serpent Prince.

To Desire a Devil: 3.5 out of 5.