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Web #3
The Devil's Web
Sensual. Seductive. Emotional. No one stirs the heart and imagination like Mary Balogh. In this classic novel, the New York Times bestselling author weaves a spellbinding tale of two people haunted by desire, unable to resist the love that has become their most passionate obsession.…
When James Purnell walks into the London drawing room and sees Lady Madeline Raine, time stops. Once she had been his for the taking. Now she is an aloof, beautiful stranger, determined to keep the devilishly handsome nobleman from seducing her again. But after four years apart, desire reignites—swift, hot, irresistible—culminating in a night of reckless lovemaking. Suddenly Madeline is faced with an unbearable marry with no hope of love or risk certain ruin. Her decision will have consequences she never imagined, as she makes a shocking discovery about the man she secretly loves. What she doesn’t know is how far James will go to right the wrongs of the past—and how much he’s willing to risk for the woman who already owns him…body, heart, and soul.
When James Purnell walks into the London drawing room and sees Lady Madeline Raine, time stops. Once she had been his for the taking. Now she is an aloof, beautiful stranger, determined to keep the devilishly handsome nobleman from seducing her again. But after four years apart, desire reignites—swift, hot, irresistible—culminating in a night of reckless lovemaking. Suddenly Madeline is faced with an unbearable marry with no hope of love or risk certain ruin. Her decision will have consequences she never imagined, as she makes a shocking discovery about the man she secretly loves. What she doesn’t know is how far James will go to right the wrongs of the past—and how much he’s willing to risk for the woman who already owns him…body, heart, and soul.
464 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published August 7, 1990
215 people are currently reading
1279 people want to read
About the author
Mary Balogh
200 books6,360 followersMary Jenkins was born in 1944 in Swansea, Wales, UK. After graduating from university, moved to Saskatchewan, Canada, to teach high school English, on a two-year teaching contract in 1967. She married her Canadian husband, Robert Balogh, and had three children, Jacqueline, Christopher and Sian. When she's not writing, she enjoys reading, music and knitting. She also enjoys watching tennis and curling.
Mary Balogh started writing in the evenings as a hobby. Her first book, a Regency love story, was published in 1985 as A Masked Deception under her married name. In 1988, she retired from teaching after 20 years to pursue her dream to write full-time. She has written more than seventy novels and almost thirty novellas since then, including the New York Times bestselling 'Slightly' sextet and 'Simply' quartet. She has won numerous awards, including Bestselling Historical of the Year from the Borders Group, and her novel Simply Magic was a finalist in the Quill Awards. She has won seven Waldenbooks Awards and two B. Dalton Awards for her bestselling novels, as well as a Romantic Times Lifetime Achievement Award.
Mary Balogh started writing in the evenings as a hobby. Her first book, a Regency love story, was published in 1985 as A Masked Deception under her married name. In 1988, she retired from teaching after 20 years to pursue her dream to write full-time. She has written more than seventy novels and almost thirty novellas since then, including the New York Times bestselling 'Slightly' sextet and 'Simply' quartet. She has won numerous awards, including Bestselling Historical of the Year from the Borders Group, and her novel Simply Magic was a finalist in the Quill Awards. She has won seven Waldenbooks Awards and two B. Dalton Awards for her bestselling novels, as well as a Romantic Times Lifetime Achievement Award.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 231 reviews
October 3, 2023
This is not an enjoyable book by any stretch of the imagination.
Having met and singled out James and Madeline as my favorite characters from ‘The Gilded Web’, I was bracing myself for pining and a whole lot of denial in their own book. But Balogh far surpassed my expectations with what is probably the darkest novel I have read from her. For the first time this series lived up to its title, as it really felt like an inextricable web our characters were caught in.
Madeline and James could give Heathcliff and Cathy a run for their money when it comes to denial and codependency. Their relationship is not comfortable or easy or even elevating, for a good part of the story it seemed that they could only bring out the worst in each other. I almost found myself agreeing with them when they kept repeating that their relationship had no future. But then they would both privately admit to a deep love for each other, one that had existed for five years and survived (and even grown stronger) a four year long separation, and it was obvious that avoiding each other wasn’t an option for these two. The obstacles they faced before and after their wedding sometimes felt insurmountable, and more than once I found myself doubting that the author could pull off a believable HEA for these two. But fortunately Balogh stuck the landing with James and Madeline, and although brief, their final reconciliation felt like a personal victory.
James’ final love confession: ‘because my soul will die in me if I walk out through that door without you’ reads a lot like ‘I cannot live without my life, I cannot live without my soul!’
Once I reached the last page in the book, I wholly believed that they’d earned their happiness and were going to nurture their relationship and not let other misunderstandings ruin it. These two went through hell side by side once they decided to make a life together, and after this metaphorical katabasis, their bond was indestructible. I do however wish Balogh had written an epilogue for these two, as I desperately wanted to see them having a happy family life months or years down the road. Even a longe reconciliation would’ve gone a long way to soothe all the fights they shared throughout the book. But then again, this is definitely an earlier Balogh novel and I can’t expect the same level of thoroughness that distinguishes her later books. I think this book would’ve definitely become a classic of the genre if Balogh had written it a decade or so later.
There were instances where I wished I could tell both MCs to get their shit together, but then again they both went through so much and it was clear, more so than in perhaps ANY other HR I’ve ever read, that a happily ever after depended exclusively on their willingness to trust one another and their feelings. I also experienced the entire spectrum of human emotions while reading this: I was annoyed, awed, moved to tears, frustrated, jealous on account of one or the other main character, and angry. And yet I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of times I’ve connected this deeply to a group of characters.
Madeline and James were both deeply flawed, and almost the opposite of what the main characters in a historical romance ought to be: an inconsistent flirt who doesn’t know where she belongs and an antihero whose guilt is eating him alive to the point where he almost destroys the love of his life. And yet they make their relationship work and find their happiness. And if THEY managed to achieve that, well then there’s certainly hope for everyone.
Having met and singled out James and Madeline as my favorite characters from ‘The Gilded Web’, I was bracing myself for pining and a whole lot of denial in their own book. But Balogh far surpassed my expectations with what is probably the darkest novel I have read from her. For the first time this series lived up to its title, as it really felt like an inextricable web our characters were caught in.
Madeline and James could give Heathcliff and Cathy a run for their money when it comes to denial and codependency. Their relationship is not comfortable or easy or even elevating, for a good part of the story it seemed that they could only bring out the worst in each other. I almost found myself agreeing with them when they kept repeating that their relationship had no future. But then they would both privately admit to a deep love for each other, one that had existed for five years and survived (and even grown stronger) a four year long separation, and it was obvious that avoiding each other wasn’t an option for these two. The obstacles they faced before and after their wedding sometimes felt insurmountable, and more than once I found myself doubting that the author could pull off a believable HEA for these two. But fortunately Balogh stuck the landing with James and Madeline, and although brief, their final reconciliation felt like a personal victory.
James’ final love confession: ‘because my soul will die in me if I walk out through that door without you’ reads a lot like ‘I cannot live without my life, I cannot live without my soul!’
Once I reached the last page in the book, I wholly believed that they’d earned their happiness and were going to nurture their relationship and not let other misunderstandings ruin it. These two went through hell side by side once they decided to make a life together, and after this metaphorical katabasis, their bond was indestructible. I do however wish Balogh had written an epilogue for these two, as I desperately wanted to see them having a happy family life months or years down the road. Even a longe reconciliation would’ve gone a long way to soothe all the fights they shared throughout the book. But then again, this is definitely an earlier Balogh novel and I can’t expect the same level of thoroughness that distinguishes her later books. I think this book would’ve definitely become a classic of the genre if Balogh had written it a decade or so later.
There were instances where I wished I could tell both MCs to get their shit together, but then again they both went through so much and it was clear, more so than in perhaps ANY other HR I’ve ever read, that a happily ever after depended exclusively on their willingness to trust one another and their feelings. I also experienced the entire spectrum of human emotions while reading this: I was annoyed, awed, moved to tears, frustrated, jealous on account of one or the other main character, and angry. And yet I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of times I’ve connected this deeply to a group of characters.
Madeline and James were both deeply flawed, and almost the opposite of what the main characters in a historical romance ought to be: an inconsistent flirt who doesn’t know where she belongs and an antihero whose guilt is eating him alive to the point where he almost destroys the love of his life. And yet they make their relationship work and find their happiness. And if THEY managed to achieve that, well then there’s certainly hope for everyone.
January 25, 2012
When I want an emotionally intense story with rich characters, I chose Mary Balogh. This book was intense...intense in my dislike for the characters, plot, and especially the ending. This is an old school romance wrapped in a 2008 cover. By page 50 I was begging Madeline and James to just have an uninterrupted conversation about their feelings. By the middle of the book, I was ready to hold a gun on them and force the conversation. I thought I would get rewarded in the end, but instead got a short confession of "I love you" from each and some quick sex that truly solved none of the overall issues. Where was the groveling and heart felt apologies for being such idiots? I don't have the words to adequately describe my disappointment in that. The one thing that kept this from being a DNF was the lovely but too short secondary romance of Jean Cameron and Howard Courtney. She is a businessman's daughter from Canada visiting England for the first time. He is a very successful local farmer. Their entire romance encompasses less than 10 pages of this book, but when they kiss for the first time (the first kiss for both) it is awkward and beautiful. He loves her. She loves him. And in a moment of craziness rarely found in old school books, they TALK about it. I wish they'd given some relationship advice to our main characters. It was this lovely hint at what I usually like about Balogh books that kept me hoping for a good end. I wish I'd quit reading after Jean accepts Howard's proposal (before page 200).
August 29, 2023
4.5/5 (marked down slightly upon rereading). This is a rare reread for me, because after many average books, I needed a guaranteed winner.
This was my original review in 2014:
Wow! This is the book I have been hoping to come across while reading through dozens of other books of variable standards. It was full of emotional tension so highly strung it cuts, as I ached for the protagonists, sharing with them their love and pain in equal measures. Sure, James was all ice and spite on the outside, yet the author also allowed us to glimpse inside his soul, to sense his self-doubt, to understand that his actions were not intended to hurt Madeline, but to punish himself, for what better way to torture him, than to hurt the woman he loves. I cried so much, I had to drink a litre of water immediately after finishing the book to rehydrate myself. What beautiful writing. I have read many of her other books but none of them moved me as much as this one. I did read this before the other books in the series and I did not have trouble following the plot. I have to go back and read the others, but I cannot see how she can top this one.
And now, after my reread in 2018, I can confidently say that Balogh has yet to top this in terms of emotional intensity and passion. There is so much angst and heartbreak in this book, it was agonising to read and to feel the pain of both their characters. But I do believe their behaviours towards one another were justified.
James visits England after 4 years living in Canada's wilderness. His prolonged estrangement from his strict, religious zealot of a father continues to weigh him down. His father has always been a hard man to please, but their relationship became further strained by a mistake a youthful James made 10 years earlier. This mistake is a major source of their ongoing tension, with his father refusing to grant James the forgiveness and benediction he desperately seeks. Moreover this mistake has resulted in James's inability to forgive himself and to grant himself any chance of happiness.
“...perhaps it was from himself he wished to escape and that it could not be done. For wherever he went, however far he ran, he must inevitably take himself along too.”
Lady Madeline is 26, still beautiful, still vivacious, still flitting from suitor to suitor, leaving a string of broken courtships behind her. She wields her gaiety and flirtatious banters like a shield to protect herself and her very bruised heart. A heart she had offered freely to James four years earlier, and he for a brief moment infused it with hope only to crush it when he abruptly left her and England soon after.
Madeline and James - the air just crackles with the electricity they generate between them. They circle warily around one another, each seemingly oblivious to the other's presence - she flirts and smiles at her flock and he alternately broods. But the awareness is there always, much like the inconvenient love and lust they have struggled to suppress and deny to themselves and to one another. Even as he decides to court another much less complicated young lady, Madeline intrudes herself into his consciousness.
“He watched Jean and saw Madeline. She was in his every waking moment and in every cycle of his dreams. She was in his blood.”
“Her lips were cool and wet and salty from her tears, and they trembled against his own. Lips he had kissed once—no, twice—a long, long time ago, and lips he had been kissing ever since in those unwary waking moments when dreams were remembered."
They both fight to keep their distance, yet the irresistible attraction between them invariably pulls them back into each other's arms. But though the physical gravitational force is as strong as ever, so is the spark of animosity between them. They hurl hurtful words at one another even as their lips meet.
“He set a hand up over his eyes and closed them again. Why did he want to hurt her? And why did it hurt him so badly when he succeeded? Was that it? Was that what he was trying to do? Hurt himself?
But why would he wish to hurt himself? Why punish himself? Punish himself for what?
For loving her?"
Their psyches are complex. Madeline, she of the perpetual smiles which hide a thousand tears. Her flighty behaviour is her self-defence mechanism. Meanwhile, James is ultimately the product of his severe upbringing and his single folly so many years ago. Because of that, he remains in self-imposed penance, weighed down by the huge blot on his conscience.
“He really would not need his father's hell as punishment for his sins. He lived there very effectively already. A hell of his own making.”
And yet he can't stay away from her. Hurting when apart, and hurting when they're together, he eventually chooses the latter as a lesser evil.
“Why did you marry me?” she asked, neither moving nor opening her eyes.
He shifted position. She thought he would not answer. She turned her head away from him.
“For light,” he murmured finally. But he said no more and she was not sure she had heard him correctly.”
Yes, there is the frustration of them not declaring their true feelings for one another. But James had never been taught to express his emotions, because emotions were frowned upon as redundant and a sign of weakness and Madeline, she had already opened herself up to him once and been badly burnt in the process. For the months of his sexual aloofness and the deprivation of her pleasure, I marked it down to 4.5/5. But I did feel his ache even as he withdrew himself from her. He was at loss to fix the widening gulf between them as he just didn't have the emotional and psychological tools to do so. And when he let her go:
“He schooled his expression to blankness and watched her. For the last time. A five-year obsession. Finally at an end. For her. For him it would end when he drew his final breath. And perhaps not even then.
This was my original review in 2014:
Wow! This is the book I have been hoping to come across while reading through dozens of other books of variable standards. It was full of emotional tension so highly strung it cuts, as I ached for the protagonists, sharing with them their love and pain in equal measures. Sure, James was all ice and spite on the outside, yet the author also allowed us to glimpse inside his soul, to sense his self-doubt, to understand that his actions were not intended to hurt Madeline, but to punish himself, for what better way to torture him, than to hurt the woman he loves. I cried so much, I had to drink a litre of water immediately after finishing the book to rehydrate myself. What beautiful writing. I have read many of her other books but none of them moved me as much as this one. I did read this before the other books in the series and I did not have trouble following the plot. I have to go back and read the others, but I cannot see how she can top this one.
And now, after my reread in 2018, I can confidently say that Balogh has yet to top this in terms of emotional intensity and passion. There is so much angst and heartbreak in this book, it was agonising to read and to feel the pain of both their characters. But I do believe their behaviours towards one another were justified.
James visits England after 4 years living in Canada's wilderness. His prolonged estrangement from his strict, religious zealot of a father continues to weigh him down. His father has always been a hard man to please, but their relationship became further strained by a mistake a youthful James made 10 years earlier. This mistake is a major source of their ongoing tension, with his father refusing to grant James the forgiveness and benediction he desperately seeks. Moreover this mistake has resulted in James's inability to forgive himself and to grant himself any chance of happiness.
“...perhaps it was from himself he wished to escape and that it could not be done. For wherever he went, however far he ran, he must inevitably take himself along too.”
Lady Madeline is 26, still beautiful, still vivacious, still flitting from suitor to suitor, leaving a string of broken courtships behind her. She wields her gaiety and flirtatious banters like a shield to protect herself and her very bruised heart. A heart she had offered freely to James four years earlier, and he for a brief moment infused it with hope only to crush it when he abruptly left her and England soon after.
Madeline and James - the air just crackles with the electricity they generate between them. They circle warily around one another, each seemingly oblivious to the other's presence - she flirts and smiles at her flock and he alternately broods. But the awareness is there always, much like the inconvenient love and lust they have struggled to suppress and deny to themselves and to one another. Even as he decides to court another much less complicated young lady, Madeline intrudes herself into his consciousness.
“He watched Jean and saw Madeline. She was in his every waking moment and in every cycle of his dreams. She was in his blood.”
“Her lips were cool and wet and salty from her tears, and they trembled against his own. Lips he had kissed once—no, twice—a long, long time ago, and lips he had been kissing ever since in those unwary waking moments when dreams were remembered."
They both fight to keep their distance, yet the irresistible attraction between them invariably pulls them back into each other's arms. But though the physical gravitational force is as strong as ever, so is the spark of animosity between them. They hurl hurtful words at one another even as their lips meet.
“He set a hand up over his eyes and closed them again. Why did he want to hurt her? And why did it hurt him so badly when he succeeded? Was that it? Was that what he was trying to do? Hurt himself?
But why would he wish to hurt himself? Why punish himself? Punish himself for what?
For loving her?"
Their psyches are complex. Madeline, she of the perpetual smiles which hide a thousand tears. Her flighty behaviour is her self-defence mechanism. Meanwhile, James is ultimately the product of his severe upbringing and his single folly so many years ago. Because of that, he remains in self-imposed penance, weighed down by the huge blot on his conscience.
“He really would not need his father's hell as punishment for his sins. He lived there very effectively already. A hell of his own making.”
And yet he can't stay away from her. Hurting when apart, and hurting when they're together, he eventually chooses the latter as a lesser evil.
“Why did you marry me?” she asked, neither moving nor opening her eyes.
He shifted position. She thought he would not answer. She turned her head away from him.
“For light,” he murmured finally. But he said no more and she was not sure she had heard him correctly.”
Yes, there is the frustration of them not declaring their true feelings for one another. But James had never been taught to express his emotions, because emotions were frowned upon as redundant and a sign of weakness and Madeline, she had already opened herself up to him once and been badly burnt in the process. For the months of his sexual aloofness and the deprivation of her pleasure, I marked it down to 4.5/5. But I did feel his ache even as he withdrew himself from her. He was at loss to fix the widening gulf between them as he just didn't have the emotional and psychological tools to do so. And when he let her go:
“He schooled his expression to blankness and watched her. For the last time. A five-year obsession. Finally at an end. For her. For him it would end when he drew his final breath. And perhaps not even then.
March 17, 2017
I feel.bad about giving a Mary Balogh novel a one star rating, but this is not a romance novel. They keep saying they are in love with each other, but there is no evidence of that love. They are routinely mean and hurtful, they don't try to do anything nice for each other. They aren't even friends. It doesn't even make sense as not a romance novel, because it doesn't make any sense for the characters to think they are in love. Like, I honestly don't understand this pairing of characters. The entire time I was reading, I kept expecting something to happen to give them an opportunity to actually fall in love and become a couple, but it never happens. It's just two people making each other miserable for an entire book and then in the last ten pages they decide they are best friends and we're supposed to believe it now with absolutely no evidence of it in the book.
Bad storytelling. Also, Balogh writes in a spiral manner, where characters go back and mentally rehash what has already happened, but each going back helps them come to a new realization that helps advance the plot or the character development. The first three quarters of this book is just James and Madeline rehashing the exact same stuff with no progress. Seriously, this was the most painful Balogh I have ever read.
Bad storytelling. Also, Balogh writes in a spiral manner, where characters go back and mentally rehash what has already happened, but each going back helps them come to a new realization that helps advance the plot or the character development. The first three quarters of this book is just James and Madeline rehashing the exact same stuff with no progress. Seriously, this was the most painful Balogh I have ever read.
July 10, 2017
3.5 stars for this 1990 offering from Mary Balogh. I enjoyed it but overall found it a little too emotional and angsty for my tastes. I feel as if with this book Balogh had not yet reached her best, but a lot of groundwork was there for better books she was yet to write when this was one published.
James has arrived back in London after several years in Canada. This was an interesting addition to your standard Regency. James has some guilty secrets in his past, and during his years in Canada he has tried to come to terms with things, to 'find himself' as we would say today. But although he has found a measure of peace in his fairly lonely life working in Canada, the issues from the past are still open wounds.
And there is Madeline. A perennial spinster at age 26, but she is still confident she can marry anytime she chooses. So why doesn't she?
James and Madeline fell deeply in love years ago, before James went to Canada. They had, still have, a soul-deep connection with each other. But life isn't neat and tidy. They didn't marry then, and neither of them was able to express their need and love to each other. But now James is back. And how will they both cope?
These are two wounded souls who need each other so badly, and it is a great frustration through the majority of the book that they are unable to communicate this, either to themselves or to each other. They are surrounded by happily married and happily breeding family members, but for them there is no happiness. It takes a long time and lots of drama before the past is finally revealed, and the two of them finally, FINALLY reach their HEA.
I don't personally enjoy reads that are too angsty, (although I know many readers do). I felt constantly frustrated in this book, just wanting them to show a bit more affection, kindness and understanding to themselves and each other. The writer conveyed the story well, and the reader can see where their problems lie, although some secrets from the past are not revealed till later in the book. But I can't really recommend this read unless you like the angst.
I could see the roots of Balogh's later book (1995) Heartless
in the couple who are drawn together but both have past issues that take a long time to deal with. Also with the external person who has malicious intent and causes harm to others. But Heartless as a book is much warmer and more readable in my eyes - ironically, it has more 'heart'. I LOVE Heartless, whereas this one I liked but didn't love.
The malicious interfering two-faced character also makes an appearance in the wonderful book Slightly Dangerous
, (2004) again IMO a much better book than this one.
So, if you like your HRs dark and emotional, by all means give this one a try. But for me, while not her worst, it's also not Balogh's best.
James has arrived back in London after several years in Canada. This was an interesting addition to your standard Regency. James has some guilty secrets in his past, and during his years in Canada he has tried to come to terms with things, to 'find himself' as we would say today. But although he has found a measure of peace in his fairly lonely life working in Canada, the issues from the past are still open wounds.
And there is Madeline. A perennial spinster at age 26, but she is still confident she can marry anytime she chooses. So why doesn't she?
James and Madeline fell deeply in love years ago, before James went to Canada. They had, still have, a soul-deep connection with each other. But life isn't neat and tidy. They didn't marry then, and neither of them was able to express their need and love to each other. But now James is back. And how will they both cope?
These are two wounded souls who need each other so badly, and it is a great frustration through the majority of the book that they are unable to communicate this, either to themselves or to each other. They are surrounded by happily married and happily breeding family members, but for them there is no happiness. It takes a long time and lots of drama before the past is finally revealed, and the two of them finally, FINALLY reach their HEA.
I don't personally enjoy reads that are too angsty, (although I know many readers do). I felt constantly frustrated in this book, just wanting them to show a bit more affection, kindness and understanding to themselves and each other. The writer conveyed the story well, and the reader can see where their problems lie, although some secrets from the past are not revealed till later in the book. But I can't really recommend this read unless you like the angst.
I could see the roots of Balogh's later book (1995) Heartless
in the couple who are drawn together but both have past issues that take a long time to deal with. Also with the external person who has malicious intent and causes harm to others. But Heartless as a book is much warmer and more readable in my eyes - ironically, it has more 'heart'. I LOVE Heartless, whereas this one I liked but didn't love. The malicious interfering two-faced character also makes an appearance in the wonderful book Slightly Dangerous
, (2004) again IMO a much better book than this one.So, if you like your HRs dark and emotional, by all means give this one a try. But for me, while not her worst, it's also not Balogh's best.
September 10, 2023
It could have been magnificent 5 stars if the results on came earlier and involved more peaceful time spend together.
But otherwise it was special reading experience. James was dark and cold and mean he simply could not act differently and Madeline was fiery and flirtatious so two opposites meeting and trying resolve their issues.
Therefore it left me slightly disappointed
But otherwise it was special reading experience. James was dark and cold and mean he simply could not act differently and Madeline was fiery and flirtatious so two opposites meeting and trying resolve their issues.
Therefore it left me slightly disappointed
April 26, 2019
The build up to this story from first 2 books were excellent. I couldn't wait to start reading this one. It just didn't work. Every chapter I kept reading and hoping it would get better. Last 1% of the book was worth reading. The rest just bad story telling.
Postscript: I have realized what has really bothered my about the early Mary Balogh books. She writes really bad heroes. When I am reading about a romantic male figure I want him to be fierce, just, compassionate, and make wrongs right. In a scene in this book the abuse of the poor duchess and the possible threat to her life and pregnancy is discussed in a very casual manner by the "heroes." Yet they do nothing to interfere. This inherent laziness and self absorption of the heroes really ruined this series for me. I don't want realistic men I can find plenty around me who watch injustices being committed around them and don't do anything just because they don't want to deal with the headache but when I am reading about a romantic hero I want him to be the antithesis of the ordinary man. I want a Hero in every sense of the word. As protective of the ones he loves and as just to everyone around him.
Postscript: I have realized what has really bothered my about the early Mary Balogh books. She writes really bad heroes. When I am reading about a romantic male figure I want him to be fierce, just, compassionate, and make wrongs right. In a scene in this book the abuse of the poor duchess and the possible threat to her life and pregnancy is discussed in a very casual manner by the "heroes." Yet they do nothing to interfere. This inherent laziness and self absorption of the heroes really ruined this series for me. I don't want realistic men I can find plenty around me who watch injustices being committed around them and don't do anything just because they don't want to deal with the headache but when I am reading about a romantic hero I want him to be the antithesis of the ordinary man. I want a Hero in every sense of the word. As protective of the ones he loves and as just to everyone around him.
May 30, 2022
I get that this is character driven but 90% of their problems could have been solved by having a single conversation. Just one.
February 25, 2014
If you’ve not read the first two books, especially the first one, ‘The Gilded Web’, I guarantee you that you will not understand our couple’s past, present and future behavior. It really is imperative you at least read book one.
In this book we watch Madeline, sister of Edmund and Dominic, mature, yet when it comes to planning and mapping out her future, she hasn’t changed a bit. She is still kept back with her conflicting feelings toward James and is hurling herself from one plan to another, only to find out that she must face the reality of loving a man who will certainly drag her into darkness with him.
Talk about a man, James Purnell, brother of Alexandra and Edmund’s wife from ‘Gilded Web’, who is torn by the past and his feelings of unworthiness when it comes to his future.
This is the third and last story of the Web Series and if it was the hardest to read for me, I wonder if it was as hard to write for Ms. Balogh.
If you’re not into dark and complex characters, then this story will be wasted on you. But if you can appreciate the intricacies of a very complex relationship between James and Madeline, you will be rewarded tenfold with a story of deep, true, abiding and long lasting love that had to go through many trials in order to blossom.
I loved all three stories and Ms. Balogh’s writing is as strong as ever. The depth of the characters that she writes about is one that I will always appreciate. If you’ve never read this author, these may not be the books to start you on her wonderful writing, but once you do, please don’t miss out on these unique, complex and very interesting characters.
It comes as no surprise to me that she succeeded yet again in creating three romance stories that touched my heart. She weaved these with a historical event that helped the plot and shaped the characters that I was deeply touched by, and will stay with me forever. I highly recommend all three of these engrossing and wonderful stories.
*Melanie for b2b.
In this book we watch Madeline, sister of Edmund and Dominic, mature, yet when it comes to planning and mapping out her future, she hasn’t changed a bit. She is still kept back with her conflicting feelings toward James and is hurling herself from one plan to another, only to find out that she must face the reality of loving a man who will certainly drag her into darkness with him.
Talk about a man, James Purnell, brother of Alexandra and Edmund’s wife from ‘Gilded Web’, who is torn by the past and his feelings of unworthiness when it comes to his future.
This is the third and last story of the Web Series and if it was the hardest to read for me, I wonder if it was as hard to write for Ms. Balogh.
If you’re not into dark and complex characters, then this story will be wasted on you. But if you can appreciate the intricacies of a very complex relationship between James and Madeline, you will be rewarded tenfold with a story of deep, true, abiding and long lasting love that had to go through many trials in order to blossom.
I loved all three stories and Ms. Balogh’s writing is as strong as ever. The depth of the characters that she writes about is one that I will always appreciate. If you’ve never read this author, these may not be the books to start you on her wonderful writing, but once you do, please don’t miss out on these unique, complex and very interesting characters.
It comes as no surprise to me that she succeeded yet again in creating three romance stories that touched my heart. She weaved these with a historical event that helped the plot and shaped the characters that I was deeply touched by, and will stay with me forever. I highly recommend all three of these engrossing and wonderful stories.
*Melanie for b2b.
September 14, 2009
I forced myself to finish this book only because I was recovering from an accident and couldn't just return it to the library for another book (and I really didn't want to reread anything on my shelves at the time).
I kept thinking, OK ten more pages and then we'll get to Balogh's usual meaty characters and good plots. We'll find some redemption for the hero and heroine. There will be some good news in this book. There will be something... even if its a bolt of lightening that strikes them both down for being the world's most annoying people ever and/or too stupid to live.
Sadly, nothing of the sort happened. The book stunk and the characters will spend the rest of their lives making each other and everyone around them miserable.
I guess this book is a reminder we all, Balogh included, have off days where every endeavor we undertake is not a success.
I kept thinking, OK ten more pages and then we'll get to Balogh's usual meaty characters and good plots. We'll find some redemption for the hero and heroine. There will be some good news in this book. There will be something... even if its a bolt of lightening that strikes them both down for being the world's most annoying people ever and/or too stupid to live.
Sadly, nothing of the sort happened. The book stunk and the characters will spend the rest of their lives making each other and everyone around them miserable.
I guess this book is a reminder we all, Balogh included, have off days where every endeavor we undertake is not a success.
January 2, 2018
I am still angry about this book hours after finishing it.
Once again, Mary Balogh has penned a "romance" about two people who hate each other.
I'm a big fan of the enemies-to-lovers trope, but they tend to include a few smattering scenes where the hero and heroine can observe the other's kindness and compassion, and the two main characters often share witty banter that hides their attraction.
Not at all the case with James and Madeline in "The Devil's Web." We met them in this trilogy's first book ("The Gilded Web") where James is all broody and unkind to sunny Madeline (although he is pleasant and nice to others). In fact, he is supremely cruel to her when he rejects her declaration of love and tells her that what they have is just lust. We know from second book, "Web of Love," that for some bizarre reason Madeline still pines for James.
It's such a good set-up for their reunion. All for naught.
James has deep emotional scars, both from being raised by a cold and domineering father who never gave affection and from his agony that, when he was 20 years old, he caused a young woman's ruin. He's turned into a total dick. For some reason he's pleasant and friendly to others, though sort of reserved, but he's just over-the-top cruel to Madeline, who often responds by biting back at him.
Their first few interactions:
Glaring, ignoring
Sniping, insulting
Hard kiss -- "I hate you," "I hate you more"
Kiss again -- "This is all we have between us," "I hate you" [brief moment of his kindness -- wipes away her tears but she bites his head off]
Kiss again -- "I'm leaving you forever," "Don't let the door hit you on the way out; I hate you."
Gee, emotional abuse is so romantic.
Balogh keeps letting us know that James is obsessed with Madeline and "loves" her, but he just can't show it or say it.
Madeline is supposed to be this very self-possessed, no-longer-naive woman who is sociable and lovely with many admirers and a strong character. She was a nurse in Belgium after the Battle of Waterloo (described in "Web of Love") and you'd think that whole profound experience of hers would've come up in this book, but it never does. I kept thinking someone would tell James about how brave and committed Madeline was, and that would help deepen James' feelings for her, but no, it's just forgotten. Very weird.
James and Madeline have very cold sexual encounters -- the first time they have sex, there's no romance or affection shown at all, and he ends it with, "OK well now you have to marry me, and you have to obey me, etc etc" and she just goes along with it (though she knows she could have gotten out of it.)
Actually, pretty much every time they have sex, there's no romance or affection. It's just bizarre.
James is a terrible, terrible "hero." Almost as bad as the psychopath from "Whitney, My Love," who is the worst person ever. James is so cold and hard to be with, it's amazing Madeline stuck it out with him for as long as she did. He never responds to her with kindness, he berates her and mocks her, he has ZERO sense of humor, he's suspicious ... There is NOTHING about him that is lovable.
And it NEVER gets better. They finally have a screaming match at the VERY end of the book, and it seems like they still won't figure it out until she admits she's pregnant ... and he responds with the classic, "Is it mine?" which makes Madeline (and me!) apoplectic with rage. He seems to accept her insistence that it is indeed his child, and then he's happy and kind and loving to her, and then they're happy. The end.
WTF did I just read???? This book has given me PTSD. Also, I am FURIOUS that it takes a magic baby to make the dickhead hero into a nice person. GGGGODDDDD that SUCCCCCKKKKKS.
I kept reading because I thought it would get better and IT NEVER GOT BETTER. EVER.
Once again, Mary Balogh has penned a "romance" about two people who hate each other.
I'm a big fan of the enemies-to-lovers trope, but they tend to include a few smattering scenes where the hero and heroine can observe the other's kindness and compassion, and the two main characters often share witty banter that hides their attraction.
Not at all the case with James and Madeline in "The Devil's Web." We met them in this trilogy's first book ("The Gilded Web") where James is all broody and unkind to sunny Madeline (although he is pleasant and nice to others). In fact, he is supremely cruel to her when he rejects her declaration of love and tells her that what they have is just lust. We know from second book, "Web of Love," that for some bizarre reason Madeline still pines for James.
It's such a good set-up for their reunion. All for naught.
James has deep emotional scars, both from being raised by a cold and domineering father who never gave affection and from his agony that, when he was 20 years old, he caused a young woman's ruin. He's turned into a total dick. For some reason he's pleasant and friendly to others, though sort of reserved, but he's just over-the-top cruel to Madeline, who often responds by biting back at him.
Their first few interactions:
Glaring, ignoring
Sniping, insulting
Hard kiss -- "I hate you," "I hate you more"
Kiss again -- "This is all we have between us," "I hate you" [brief moment of his kindness -- wipes away her tears but she bites his head off]
Kiss again -- "I'm leaving you forever," "Don't let the door hit you on the way out; I hate you."
Gee, emotional abuse is so romantic.
Balogh keeps letting us know that James is obsessed with Madeline and "loves" her, but he just can't show it or say it.
Madeline is supposed to be this very self-possessed, no-longer-naive woman who is sociable and lovely with many admirers and a strong character. She was a nurse in Belgium after the Battle of Waterloo (described in "Web of Love") and you'd think that whole profound experience of hers would've come up in this book, but it never does. I kept thinking someone would tell James about how brave and committed Madeline was, and that would help deepen James' feelings for her, but no, it's just forgotten. Very weird.
James and Madeline have very cold sexual encounters -- the first time they have sex, there's no romance or affection shown at all, and he ends it with, "OK well now you have to marry me, and you have to obey me, etc etc" and she just goes along with it (though she knows she could have gotten out of it.)
Actually, pretty much every time they have sex, there's no romance or affection. It's just bizarre.
James is a terrible, terrible "hero." Almost as bad as the psychopath from "Whitney, My Love," who is the worst person ever. James is so cold and hard to be with, it's amazing Madeline stuck it out with him for as long as she did. He never responds to her with kindness, he berates her and mocks her, he has ZERO sense of humor, he's suspicious ... There is NOTHING about him that is lovable.
And it NEVER gets better. They finally have a screaming match at the VERY end of the book, and it seems like they still won't figure it out until she admits she's pregnant ... and he responds with the classic, "Is it mine?" which makes Madeline (and me!) apoplectic with rage. He seems to accept her insistence that it is indeed his child, and then he's happy and kind and loving to her, and then they're happy. The end.
WTF did I just read???? This book has given me PTSD. Also, I am FURIOUS that it takes a magic baby to make the dickhead hero into a nice person. GGGGODDDDD that SUCCCCCKKKKKS.
I kept reading because I thought it would get better and IT NEVER GOT BETTER. EVER.
December 8, 2012
If I had not loved other books by M. Balogh, this book would have convinced me to never ever read another one of her novels again.
This was NOT a romance novel. It was a novel of abuse, some kind of obsession/lust, maybe even codependency... but NOT love! Both characters were sick-in-the-head and cruel to each other. There was a rape scene (and yes, it WAS rape) despite the almost MORE disgusting mental revisions of the pathetic wife.
Just because they admit their love (and on what basis was that "love" formed on??) at the very end - - does NOT excuse the previous FIVE YEARS of misery they put each other through.
I wanted to put them both out of their misery and thus end mine as well.
I also disliked the first web book w/ James' sister and the father -- but I can't just excuse it as being her "early work" because I've enjoyed some of her shorter novels written around the same time.
This was NOT a romance novel. It was a novel of abuse, some kind of obsession/lust, maybe even codependency... but NOT love! Both characters were sick-in-the-head and cruel to each other. There was a rape scene (and yes, it WAS rape) despite the almost MORE disgusting mental revisions of the pathetic wife.
Just because they admit their love (and on what basis was that "love" formed on??) at the very end - - does NOT excuse the previous FIVE YEARS of misery they put each other through.
I wanted to put them both out of their misery and thus end mine as well.
I also disliked the first web book w/ James' sister and the father -- but I can't just excuse it as being her "early work" because I've enjoyed some of her shorter novels written around the same time.
October 7, 2016
This one is tough to review. The story was deep, thoughtful, full and serious.
Madeline and James met in a prior book. They didn't like each other much. Circumstance throws them together repeatedly to make bad decisions about one another.
The book takes place over roughly a year or more. The relationship grows and crumbles and changes. James is mean - for a reason. Madeline is likable, but she lets him get away with some annoying shit.
As always I loved the side stories. And all of the series was neatly tied up here. I may later decide this was a 4 star read, but some of James's behavior left a bad taste in my mouth. Still adore MB for characters that are so incredibly vivid - this book felt real for me.
Madeline and James met in a prior book. They didn't like each other much. Circumstance throws them together repeatedly to make bad decisions about one another.
The book takes place over roughly a year or more. The relationship grows and crumbles and changes. James is mean - for a reason. Madeline is likable, but she lets him get away with some annoying shit.
As always I loved the side stories. And all of the series was neatly tied up here. I may later decide this was a 4 star read, but some of James's behavior left a bad taste in my mouth. Still adore MB for characters that are so incredibly vivid - this book felt real for me.
August 16, 2023
A powerfully compelling read and the most heart wrenching of the Web books. Hero James Purnell is probably one of the most complex characters I've read in an HR. Splendid enemies to lovers angst that had me cheering for the MC's to get on with it 😉 The HEA is truly hard won and the book is beautiful.
So ends the amazing Web series. Bold, emotional, intriguing stories that belong on every regency HR fans' keeper shelf🩷📚🩷
So ends the amazing Web series. Bold, emotional, intriguing stories that belong on every regency HR fans' keeper shelf🩷📚🩷
Read
August 17, 2008I'm an avid reader and a very stubborn one, so there has never been a book that would make me put it down after a few pages and never pick up again. I always fight to the end.
Not with this one.
I came to the half of the second chapter and just couldn't read more.
It started well enough. A man who left it all behind four years before, was coming home. He had mixed feeling about it, though, who wouldn't. Apparently his father was a real pain to live with, and the only person he was looking forward to seeing was his sister. Which was nice.
Said sister was also married to the brother of the woman James has been trying to forget - no, sorry, he has forgotten her, because she was shallow and vain and blah-blah-blah.
Okay, so that was a touchy subject. It always is.
But then, there was James' weird obsession with kissing a girl, fresh out of Catholic church, who was traveling with him, and though her age wasn't specified, it was still a little too creepy for my taste.
So we move into a London parlor, where Madeline, the woman James has forgotten, holds her niece in her lap, talking with her twin brother. Apparently she's fallen in love again and is thinking of getting married at last.
There is a bunch of people present, which could make for a nice family scene, but the narration was so bad I couldn't tell who was talking. Also the relations between the players were never explained, so the following became tedious after a few sentences.
James' sister waltzes into the parlor, yakking about her brother returning and pushing Madeline back four years into a moonlit garden where she let the man in question kiss her and fondle her...
And apparently they've just met. She fell in love with him on the spot, offered herself to him on a silver platter, and when he had her in any way possible, except the biblical one (still in that short escapade in the garden), he left her - rejected her, and she hated him.
I cannot continue. The beginning was so utterly stupid and the narrative so contorted in places, I just couldn't bring myself to read any further.
So I skipped to the end, and even that didn't inspire me to persevere. This one is definitely going on eBay.
Not with this one.
I came to the half of the second chapter and just couldn't read more.
It started well enough. A man who left it all behind four years before, was coming home. He had mixed feeling about it, though, who wouldn't. Apparently his father was a real pain to live with, and the only person he was looking forward to seeing was his sister. Which was nice.
Said sister was also married to the brother of the woman James has been trying to forget - no, sorry, he has forgotten her, because she was shallow and vain and blah-blah-blah.
Okay, so that was a touchy subject. It always is.
But then, there was James' weird obsession with kissing a girl, fresh out of Catholic church, who was traveling with him, and though her age wasn't specified, it was still a little too creepy for my taste.
So we move into a London parlor, where Madeline, the woman James has forgotten, holds her niece in her lap, talking with her twin brother. Apparently she's fallen in love again and is thinking of getting married at last.
There is a bunch of people present, which could make for a nice family scene, but the narration was so bad I couldn't tell who was talking. Also the relations between the players were never explained, so the following became tedious after a few sentences.
James' sister waltzes into the parlor, yakking about her brother returning and pushing Madeline back four years into a moonlit garden where she let the man in question kiss her and fondle her...
And apparently they've just met. She fell in love with him on the spot, offered herself to him on a silver platter, and when he had her in any way possible, except the biblical one (still in that short escapade in the garden), he left her - rejected her, and she hated him.
I cannot continue. The beginning was so utterly stupid and the narrative so contorted in places, I just couldn't bring myself to read any further.
So I skipped to the end, and even that didn't inspire me to persevere. This one is definitely going on eBay.
January 9, 2014
When reading this one I was heavily reminded of Wurthering Heights, but only for one reason. The myth goes that Emily Bronte's sisters wagered her that one could not write a love story that featured an utterly unlikable hero and heroine. Well, Balogh seems to have taken up that wager as well. And succeeded. Although, in her defense, the hero and heroine this case are complete train-wrecks. They're mostly unlikable to each other.
I loved this story because the hindrance to the romance (there always is one) was legitimate and not some irritating contrivance: a severe personality conflict. They flat out can't get along. There are reasons for their behavior, of course, but I certainly won't ruin the story by spending too much time on that.
As a hanging note, I will say that I don't particularly care for this recent string of series that Balogh has been putting out in loo of stand alone novels. This is because the series format requires us to constantly digress into scenes with sub-characters merely because they were in the series or they will be, if you aren't reading the last book, and it gets irritating. I want to go back to the isolated character development that was in her stand alone novels. Her only recent stand alone, A Matter of Class, was wonderful. I want more like that!
I loved this story because the hindrance to the romance (there always is one) was legitimate and not some irritating contrivance: a severe personality conflict. They flat out can't get along. There are reasons for their behavior, of course, but I certainly won't ruin the story by spending too much time on that.
As a hanging note, I will say that I don't particularly care for this recent string of series that Balogh has been putting out in loo of stand alone novels. This is because the series format requires us to constantly digress into scenes with sub-characters merely because they were in the series or they will be, if you aren't reading the last book, and it gets irritating. I want to go back to the isolated character development that was in her stand alone novels. Her only recent stand alone, A Matter of Class, was wonderful. I want more like that!
May 13, 2019
This book was a challenge in some ways. I wanted less pain and more gain in the relationship between Madeline and James. The inner dialogue kept me going. The ending is a cliffhanger until the last few pages. The resolution includes some completely satisfying wrap ups for secondary characters.
July 21, 2025
3 stars for how dark everything felt, they fought each other to the bitter end even though they acknowledged within themselves they they loved each other but never voiced it. For once the misunderstanding was feasible but they never had a decent conversation once. Too frustrating to be enjoyable.
Pages about all the previous couples
Pages about all the previous couples
July 10, 2020
Would rate zero if I could.
Warning: this review probably contains spoilers, but seriously, if it keeps people from reading the book, I’m doing them a favor. Also, this book has enough depictions of emotional abuse, sexual assault, and domestic violence that it might be extremely triggering for some readers.
I tend to enjoy Mary Balogh’s books, but have hoped against hope since the first book in the Web series that this pairing would never come to fruition.
First, let me straight up admit that I don’t love Madeline as a heroine. She’s codependent in the extreme. However, I don’t dislike her as much as I dislike her vapid twin Dominic, so I was willing to give this book a try. Alas, for reasons I will never understand, Balogh decided that the perfect hero for Madeline was James.
James is a bitter, abusive piece of shit, who lusts after a girl of 17 or 18 (he’s 30) and is thinking of marrying her, even though in his internal dialogue he goes on and on and on about his love (and hatred) for Madeline, and let’s not forget Dora who was the love of his life when he was much younger, but “fate” kept them apart.
James is pleasant enough to to every other character in the book, except for Madeline. In my book, this just goes to prove that he’s choosing to treat her like dirt.
The two never, ever, ever communicate or open up about their feelings. There is ZERO underlying friendship, and neither one of them even LIKES the other one. This NEVER changes. The whole f***ing book is just more of the same until he physically assaults her (shakes her violently in rage) and rapes her after they’re married. And then we listen to Madeline’s internal monologue as she twist and distorts that into the the best sex of their marriage. GROSS!!!
And let’s not forget that their first sexual encounter (which “forced” Madeline into marrying him) was 100% about his needs and left me feeling ragey and sad for Madeline, because no one’s first sexual encounter should be that unpleasant.
I disliked these characters more and more with every page, and had hoped that when Madeline left him, she’d stay the fuck away from him, but of course, they end up together even though James is an emotionally abusive, self-pitying POS with zero redeeming qualities (except perhaps his love for this sister).
Do yourself a favor: Don’t read this book! If you really want to read it, at least read every 1 star review of this book before you decide to read it, so you know what you’re getting into. It isn’t pretty and it sure as hell isn’t romance.
Warning: this review probably contains spoilers, but seriously, if it keeps people from reading the book, I’m doing them a favor. Also, this book has enough depictions of emotional abuse, sexual assault, and domestic violence that it might be extremely triggering for some readers.
I tend to enjoy Mary Balogh’s books, but have hoped against hope since the first book in the Web series that this pairing would never come to fruition.
First, let me straight up admit that I don’t love Madeline as a heroine. She’s codependent in the extreme. However, I don’t dislike her as much as I dislike her vapid twin Dominic, so I was willing to give this book a try. Alas, for reasons I will never understand, Balogh decided that the perfect hero for Madeline was James.
James is a bitter, abusive piece of shit, who lusts after a girl of 17 or 18 (he’s 30) and is thinking of marrying her, even though in his internal dialogue he goes on and on and on about his love (and hatred) for Madeline, and let’s not forget Dora who was the love of his life when he was much younger, but “fate” kept them apart.
James is pleasant enough to to every other character in the book, except for Madeline. In my book, this just goes to prove that he’s choosing to treat her like dirt.
The two never, ever, ever communicate or open up about their feelings. There is ZERO underlying friendship, and neither one of them even LIKES the other one. This NEVER changes. The whole f***ing book is just more of the same until he physically assaults her (shakes her violently in rage) and rapes her after they’re married. And then we listen to Madeline’s internal monologue as she twist and distorts that into the the best sex of their marriage. GROSS!!!
And let’s not forget that their first sexual encounter (which “forced” Madeline into marrying him) was 100% about his needs and left me feeling ragey and sad for Madeline, because no one’s first sexual encounter should be that unpleasant.
I disliked these characters more and more with every page, and had hoped that when Madeline left him, she’d stay the fuck away from him, but of course, they end up together even though James is an emotionally abusive, self-pitying POS with zero redeeming qualities (except perhaps his love for this sister).
Do yourself a favor: Don’t read this book! If you really want to read it, at least read every 1 star review of this book before you decide to read it, so you know what you’re getting into. It isn’t pretty and it sure as hell isn’t romance.
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November 17, 2022I'm trying to write less on Goodreads, but I do want to recommend this book really quick.
It is certainly the darkest romance from Balogh I've read, who I would never have characterized as dark before. There are elements of a bodice ripper, though I would say it falls just outside that subgenre, and the characters are really angst-driven.
But what I really loved was Balogh's use of POV. She doesn't always use this structurally in a way that I notice as particularly interesting, but this one, like The Proposal, a Balogh favorite for me, does the thing where we get a few scenes twice, once from each MCs perspectives. Additionally, this is the romance novel I've read that attempts more directly a free-indirect discourse style at times, where we can jump into other characters perspectives, outside of the POV characters, most intentionally. Sometimes when authors do this, I find it sloppy, especially when united with a strong structure of dual POV as the main set up.
Also: no family reconciliation, though it is attempted.
It does suffer from normal Balogh flotsam and jetsam--too many named side characters! I know this is the third book in a series, so maybe that is my fault, but there are only four books in this series, it isn't like the Westcotts! I just had to let my eyes glaze over and not try to remember anybody's name until they actually spoke.
And there are two secondary romances, one that is much more interesting than the other, but the other is given more weight. She just loves an older couple getting a second chance at happiness, which I can't begrudge, but it was so tonally different than the angst I signed up for and that kept me reading, I didn't really care about the sweet older couple.
It is certainly the darkest romance from Balogh I've read, who I would never have characterized as dark before. There are elements of a bodice ripper, though I would say it falls just outside that subgenre, and the characters are really angst-driven.
But what I really loved was Balogh's use of POV. She doesn't always use this structurally in a way that I notice as particularly interesting, but this one, like The Proposal, a Balogh favorite for me, does the thing where we get a few scenes twice, once from each MCs perspectives. Additionally, this is the romance novel I've read that attempts more directly a free-indirect discourse style at times, where we can jump into other characters perspectives, outside of the POV characters, most intentionally. Sometimes when authors do this, I find it sloppy, especially when united with a strong structure of dual POV as the main set up.
Also: no family reconciliation, though it is attempted.
It does suffer from normal Balogh flotsam and jetsam--too many named side characters! I know this is the third book in a series, so maybe that is my fault, but there are only four books in this series, it isn't like the Westcotts! I just had to let my eyes glaze over and not try to remember anybody's name until they actually spoke.
And there are two secondary romances, one that is much more interesting than the other, but the other is given more weight. She just loves an older couple getting a second chance at happiness, which I can't begrudge, but it was so tonally different than the angst I signed up for and that kept me reading, I didn't really care about the sweet older couple.
October 26, 2016
Yes!!
I cannot agree with the other reviewers that said this book is too dark or the hero too dark or the heroin too weak, life is not just about roses and sunshine. and skip to my loo rainbows, it about real people with real problems and their very real reactions to their past and how it shapes them. It's about how the grow and learn and forgive, and I'm grateful to this author for writing about them and giving us real characters with flaws and all.
It get tiresome to read novels that are predictable because the characters do not have any depth to them and yes even in my romance novels I like real flawed characters and I love brilliant authors who can create and write about them flawlessly
I cannot agree with the other reviewers that said this book is too dark or the hero too dark or the heroin too weak, life is not just about roses and sunshine. and skip to my loo rainbows, it about real people with real problems and their very real reactions to their past and how it shapes them. It's about how the grow and learn and forgive, and I'm grateful to this author for writing about them and giving us real characters with flaws and all.
It get tiresome to read novels that are predictable because the characters do not have any depth to them and yes even in my romance novels I like real flawed characters and I love brilliant authors who can create and write about them flawlessly
December 31, 2009
I'm a little surprised I stuck with this one to the end, but I did. I haven't had much patience for less-than-enjoyable books lately. In fact, I stayed up late reading it, I think perhaps because I was dying for the tension and unhappiness to end. There had to be a happy ending, right? But the main characters were not likeable, and I'm never fond of books where the h/h refuse to communicate openly and honestly. And the happy ending felt rushed, false and not at all satisfying. I'm glad I know Mary Balogh has written much better books, otherwise I probably wouldn't read any more after this one. Two stars because I finished it and wasn't quite frustrated enough to throw it at the wall.
November 30, 2024
den började så sjukt bra, men sen i mitten bara förstördes allt😭😫
December 9, 2020
“While our minds and our wills have warred,” he said, “our bodies have accepted the truth. And our love has created life, Madeline.”
April 1, 2016
Did not finish. I had to put this book down on pg. 9.
You do not, under any circumstance, have the man desire another woman after he's met the heroine. The writing was already boring and uninteresting, so it's not like I was giving anything good up, but when "a light and welcome voice broke in on his thoughts, and he turned to watch the careful and somewhat unsteady approach of a small, slim girl" I knew I was in for it. Of course a woman has to be on board the ship, but since he called her a girl I thought for sure nothing was going on. He's 30, she's clearly too young for him. But I read on, and sure enough, my suspicions were proved correct.
He's admiring her, "her presence on board ship had been like a breath of fresh air. Her spirits had not been dampened either by the tedium of the long days or by the indisposition of her chaperone, Miss Hendricks, a schoolmistress who was returned to England to keep house for a recently widowed brother. Jean Cameron had spent a great deal of her time with her brother and with him. She treated him almost as if he were another brother, but he was not sure he could see her as a sister. On several occasions he had resisted with some effort the urge to kiss her.
He must resist. A kiss to so young and strictly brought up a young lady would seem very little different from a proposal of marriage."
Oh helll no. He is not going to desire another woman--especially a young girl--and want to kiss her, when he has a history with another woman. That is so screwed up and I'll never forget or forgive him for wanting someone else. Then right after that he's thinking of Madeline, who'd told him he couldn't run away from himself--she sounds about as interesting as James--and how he'd carried the burden of her for 4 years. He's calling her talkative, frivolous and empty-headed, or so he tells himself to convince himself what he felt for her was only physical. "Nothing serious. Nothing lasting. Only enough to haunt his every waking moment and his every dream for four years." Yeah, I can really tell he's hung up over her, the way he's practically lusting after this dumb girl. And he's saying he needs to see her again, convince himself there's no substance to his dreams and to rid himself of this obsession, and that he isn't free to love, free to marry perhaps, but not to love. She's 26 and he's expecting her to be past her beauty and prime, knew from his sister that she'd been engaged last year but had broken it off, calls her shallow though maybe she isn't and he only called her shallow so he wouldn't love her, actually wishes she'd married him to he'd be over her--perhaps. At this point I don't even care and nothing would redeem him. Stupid Jean Cameron is interested in the balls in London. "But he felt again the tenderness of her youth and eagerness that he was finding hard to resist." He tells her he'll take her with him if he's invited to a ball. "Her face lit up so that once more he had to hold himself aloof, prevent himself from bending forward and brushing her lips affectionately with his own." Screw him and this author for writing this crap. Even though the book looked old, I liked that there was a history between them, because that plot is different from other books. But oh well, I see no reason to read this author again.
You do not, under any circumstance, have the man desire another woman after he's met the heroine. The writing was already boring and uninteresting, so it's not like I was giving anything good up, but when "a light and welcome voice broke in on his thoughts, and he turned to watch the careful and somewhat unsteady approach of a small, slim girl" I knew I was in for it. Of course a woman has to be on board the ship, but since he called her a girl I thought for sure nothing was going on. He's 30, she's clearly too young for him. But I read on, and sure enough, my suspicions were proved correct.
He's admiring her, "her presence on board ship had been like a breath of fresh air. Her spirits had not been dampened either by the tedium of the long days or by the indisposition of her chaperone, Miss Hendricks, a schoolmistress who was returned to England to keep house for a recently widowed brother. Jean Cameron had spent a great deal of her time with her brother and with him. She treated him almost as if he were another brother, but he was not sure he could see her as a sister. On several occasions he had resisted with some effort the urge to kiss her.
He must resist. A kiss to so young and strictly brought up a young lady would seem very little different from a proposal of marriage."
Oh helll no. He is not going to desire another woman--especially a young girl--and want to kiss her, when he has a history with another woman. That is so screwed up and I'll never forget or forgive him for wanting someone else. Then right after that he's thinking of Madeline, who'd told him he couldn't run away from himself--she sounds about as interesting as James--and how he'd carried the burden of her for 4 years. He's calling her talkative, frivolous and empty-headed, or so he tells himself to convince himself what he felt for her was only physical. "Nothing serious. Nothing lasting. Only enough to haunt his every waking moment and his every dream for four years." Yeah, I can really tell he's hung up over her, the way he's practically lusting after this dumb girl. And he's saying he needs to see her again, convince himself there's no substance to his dreams and to rid himself of this obsession, and that he isn't free to love, free to marry perhaps, but not to love. She's 26 and he's expecting her to be past her beauty and prime, knew from his sister that she'd been engaged last year but had broken it off, calls her shallow though maybe she isn't and he only called her shallow so he wouldn't love her, actually wishes she'd married him to he'd be over her--perhaps. At this point I don't even care and nothing would redeem him. Stupid Jean Cameron is interested in the balls in London. "But he felt again the tenderness of her youth and eagerness that he was finding hard to resist." He tells her he'll take her with him if he's invited to a ball. "Her face lit up so that once more he had to hold himself aloof, prevent himself from bending forward and brushing her lips affectionately with his own." Screw him and this author for writing this crap. Even though the book looked old, I liked that there was a history between them, because that plot is different from other books. But oh well, I see no reason to read this author again.
October 22, 2014
I first read this book nearly six years ago, during winter break of my senior year of college. It was a total change of pace for me. I was in the middle of an honors thesis for an English degree, and trying to become motivated to finish my graduate school applications. This was my first romance novel -- and there was some confusion at first because I hadn't read the first two of this trilogy. But I liked this story then. It's a story of violent passion between two people who love each other so much they hate each other. Are the characters likable? Rarely. Is there a sketchy angry sex scene that makes everyone uncomfortable? Definitely. But James Purnell and Madeline Raine are soul mates -- that's clear even when they meet for the first time in Edmund and Alexandra's story.
I finished reading this for the second time a few minutes ago. There were things I liked better and things I liked less. Having read a fair number of Balogh books in the past six years, I see now that The Devil's Web has some below-average writing. Some scenes seem familiar because they are almost identical to other scenes. The book could have been cut 200 pages and the reader wouldn't have missed anything. Balogh's point of view is a little shaky too as she jumps from character to character. But I still enjoyed the book in an extremely "guilty pleasure" sort of way. I liked the romantic tension, which was extremely intense leading up to that, er, hillside encounter. And damn it all, I liked James -- not as a person, don't get me wrong, but as a literary creation. He was dark, he had major issues (MAJOR issues), including wanting to hurt the person he loved. It was this darkness in him that made him real, that made him crave the light in Madeline. I used the word "violent" before, and I meant it literally and figuratively. There is a fair amount of grabbing shoulders and shaking. And there is also that breathless, searing knowledge between them that they have to choose one of two miseries. If you've read the other Web books, you probably won't be surprised by the ending, because you'd have to be dead inside to not pick up on this pair's entanglement. Still -- no spoilers.
I've taken to comparing romance novels to desserts. I don't know why. Probably because I enjoy both. This one is like a messy dark chocolate brownie that I felt extremely guilty for consuming, but not enough to regret it in the end. So I'll clean up the crumbs and be okay with the fact that I liked this messy story more than the clean tales of Madeline's brothers, much as I would like more to live at Dunstable Hall than Amberley.
I finished reading this for the second time a few minutes ago. There were things I liked better and things I liked less. Having read a fair number of Balogh books in the past six years, I see now that The Devil's Web has some below-average writing. Some scenes seem familiar because they are almost identical to other scenes. The book could have been cut 200 pages and the reader wouldn't have missed anything. Balogh's point of view is a little shaky too as she jumps from character to character. But I still enjoyed the book in an extremely "guilty pleasure" sort of way. I liked the romantic tension, which was extremely intense leading up to that, er, hillside encounter. And damn it all, I liked James -- not as a person, don't get me wrong, but as a literary creation. He was dark, he had major issues (MAJOR issues), including wanting to hurt the person he loved. It was this darkness in him that made him real, that made him crave the light in Madeline. I used the word "violent" before, and I meant it literally and figuratively. There is a fair amount of grabbing shoulders and shaking. And there is also that breathless, searing knowledge between them that they have to choose one of two miseries. If you've read the other Web books, you probably won't be surprised by the ending, because you'd have to be dead inside to not pick up on this pair's entanglement. Still -- no spoilers.
I've taken to comparing romance novels to desserts. I don't know why. Probably because I enjoy both. This one is like a messy dark chocolate brownie that I felt extremely guilty for consuming, but not enough to regret it in the end. So I'll clean up the crumbs and be okay with the fact that I liked this messy story more than the clean tales of Madeline's brothers, much as I would like more to live at Dunstable Hall than Amberley.
June 1, 2022
There are some spoilers below, so beware.
***
Unfortunately, I did not like this book, at all. The “Web” series is difficult to read in general, but of the three books, this is the worst. The intense hatred James Purnell has in this book and in The Gilded Web (the first book in the series) is quite ridiculous. He wants to make everyone around him miserable and can’t just tell Madeline how he feels all because of some tryst with a young lady when he was younger? It seemed like a whole lot of build up for nothing. Each and every character is completely overblown and out of the ordinary. And why do we get into the heads of every character we meet? I felt like I was trying to keep 10 different stories going on at once in my head throughout the book.
I also have to say that, quite honestly I expected a lot more of Mary Balogh than to use rape as a story arc in her books, only then to have that character forgiven at the last moment because the woman somehow still loves her rapist. It’s just ridiculous. Poor, silly Madeline just gives up on life and agrees to James’ marriage proposal because he *kinda* rapes her after his father's death and she fears she might be pregnant as a result. This doesn't really make sense to me, but okay, I can understand the fear given the time period this is taking place. But then, in an effort to explain her reasoning to...herself, she exclaims that maybe she is trying to punish herself too, and that’s why she accepted the proposal. So, which is it? The fear of pregnancy, a desire to punish herself, or somehow, that she loves James despite not being kind to her at all and being a general ass the entire time she has known him? And later, when James, her now husband, does actually rape her, how does she find it within herself to forgive him in the end because she really is pregnant this time? Given her actions immediately following the rape, this makes no sense.
By the end of the book, it felt like Balogh was just trying to wrap things up in a neat little bow, but felt no need to go back and make her story make any sense whatsoever. I just don’t understand what was trying to be achieved here. I’m glad this is the last book in the series because I don’t think I’d be able to finish any others, even to find out what became of the many side characters.
Would I recommend this book to a friend? Heck no, don't bother, but do give her other many series a chance. I think you should start with The Proposal, the first book in the Survivor's Club series.
***
Unfortunately, I did not like this book, at all. The “Web” series is difficult to read in general, but of the three books, this is the worst. The intense hatred James Purnell has in this book and in The Gilded Web (the first book in the series) is quite ridiculous. He wants to make everyone around him miserable and can’t just tell Madeline how he feels all because of some tryst with a young lady when he was younger? It seemed like a whole lot of build up for nothing. Each and every character is completely overblown and out of the ordinary. And why do we get into the heads of every character we meet? I felt like I was trying to keep 10 different stories going on at once in my head throughout the book.
I also have to say that, quite honestly I expected a lot more of Mary Balogh than to use rape as a story arc in her books, only then to have that character forgiven at the last moment because the woman somehow still loves her rapist. It’s just ridiculous. Poor, silly Madeline just gives up on life and agrees to James’ marriage proposal because he *kinda* rapes her after his father's death and she fears she might be pregnant as a result. This doesn't really make sense to me, but okay, I can understand the fear given the time period this is taking place. But then, in an effort to explain her reasoning to...herself, she exclaims that maybe she is trying to punish herself too, and that’s why she accepted the proposal. So, which is it? The fear of pregnancy, a desire to punish herself, or somehow, that she loves James despite not being kind to her at all and being a general ass the entire time she has known him? And later, when James, her now husband, does actually rape her, how does she find it within herself to forgive him in the end because she really is pregnant this time? Given her actions immediately following the rape, this makes no sense.
By the end of the book, it felt like Balogh was just trying to wrap things up in a neat little bow, but felt no need to go back and make her story make any sense whatsoever. I just don’t understand what was trying to be achieved here. I’m glad this is the last book in the series because I don’t think I’d be able to finish any others, even to find out what became of the many side characters.
Would I recommend this book to a friend? Heck no, don't bother, but do give her other many series a chance. I think you should start with The Proposal, the first book in the Survivor's Club series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 8, 2023
(First impressions) It's been some time since I first read this in 2009, so my comments might be somewhat incoherent ... All I can say about the book is that the story is horrible - the "hero" mistreats the heroine dreadfully, even though she deserves only the best from him because of the way she keeps her faith in him (until she can no longer stand it and runs away). The way the hero behaves over the years towards the heroine (starting in "The Gilded Web") makes me doubt that there is any sort of a happy ending possible for the couple, even if the hero does admit that he was wrong to mistrust the heroine.
(Impressions after a re-read) Well, there's almost a complete 180 degree turnaround in my opinion of this book. The hero James is surely one of the most believable depictions of the "tortured hero" type I've ever read, both in his character and in the reasons for his being that way. Yes, he treats the heroine Madeline horribly (but not violently, with one exception, and that one exception is part of the reason she leaves him), but she gives back as good as she gets. They both have a lot of emotional hardship and change to endure before they can have their HEA, and this time I could believe that they can achieve it and keep it. My only niggles would be that the book is slightly too long and drags in the first half, especially with the boringly detailed descriptions of the courtships and social lives of some unimportant characters (e.g. Anna Carrington and her parents, who could surely have been left out of this book). The chapter where James and Madeline get back together is a fantastically intense emotional ride and the highlight of the book.
(Impressions after a re-read) Well, there's almost a complete 180 degree turnaround in my opinion of this book. The hero James is surely one of the most believable depictions of the "tortured hero" type I've ever read, both in his character and in the reasons for his being that way. Yes, he treats the heroine Madeline horribly (but not violently, with one exception, and that one exception is part of the reason she leaves him), but she gives back as good as she gets. They both have a lot of emotional hardship and change to endure before they can have their HEA, and this time I could believe that they can achieve it and keep it. My only niggles would be that the book is slightly too long and drags in the first half, especially with the boringly detailed descriptions of the courtships and social lives of some unimportant characters (e.g. Anna Carrington and her parents, who could surely have been left out of this book). The chapter where James and Madeline get back together is a fantastically intense emotional ride and the highlight of the book.
May 26, 2014
I haven't read this book in ages, but you know what I remember? Wanting to PUNCH SOMEBODY. There was a moment in my romance-reading life when I loved Mary Balogh, but oh my God, this book was the worst. The plot was implausible, the characters were detestable, and I do not understand how these MCs could possibly have been in love. Unless you enjoy taking mental showers after enduring a book about years of emotional abuse (and no, it's not even a little bit sexy), avoid this book like you would your landlord if you were broke and the rent was due.
June 9, 2021
I don't think I have ever spite-read a romance novel until this one. I like Mary Balogh's more recent works, but OH BOY did this have me spitting mad. The characters are awful to each other in ways that really make them seem like terrible people, there's no clear demonstration that they're capable of being together in a healthy way, and frankly the only reason I didn't chuck this book across the room is that I was reading it on my phone and didn't want to have to buy a new one. Read a different series and spare yourself the rage.
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