What do you think?
Rate this book
The Devil His Due
Why had it taken an enemy to set her heart ablaze?
The last time Seth had seen Kate he'd made it clear he couldn't wait to see the last of her. So why now, six years later, had he insisted that Kate handle the renovations to Montstowell, his family's home in the English countryside?
Kate's openhearted nature found it hard to fathom Seth's brooding arrogance, but this time he wasn't going to win. She would fight his devious manipulation with every ounce of her fiery nature--and she'd revel in the sparks. This time the devil would get his due!
The last time Seth had seen Kate he'd made it clear he couldn't wait to see the last of her. So why now, six years later, had he insisted that Kate handle the renovations to Montstowell, his family's home in the English countryside?
Kate's openhearted nature found it hard to fathom Seth's brooding arrogance, but this time he wasn't going to win. She would fight his devious manipulation with every ounce of her fiery nature--and she'd revel in the sparks. This time the devil would get his due!
- GenresHarlequin Presents
184 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 1991
About the author
Diana Hamilton
318 books78 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.
Diana Hamilton was born in a English town. Wanting to be a country child, her imagination came into play at an early age, transforming a neighbor’s tree into a forest, a hole in a stone wall into a gingerbread house, a gas puddle into a fairyland, complete with mountains, lakes and flower meadows. She loathed housework but made to do her share, to lessen the boredom, she told herself stories, in a very loud voice, featuring princesses and flower gardens, discovering that telling herself stories was almost as good as reading them in a book.
She loathed school with an equal passion and got through it by pretending to be somewhere else. Even so she left grammar school with respectable grades... And was sent to art college when she wanted to study to be a vet. This was nowhere as bad as it had seemed because it was there, at age 18, she first saw Peter. He had returned from two years’ active service in Korea to resume his studies, and Diana immediately fell in love with him.
Gaining a degree in advertising copywriting, Diana worked as a copywriter and married Peter. They moved to a remote part of Wales after the birth of their second child, Paul, when their daughter, Rebecca, was three years old. There, Diana enjoyed pony trekking and walking in the mountains; and her third child, Andrew, was born. Itchy feet brought them back to England to the beautiful county of Shropshire four years later and they have been there ever since, gradually restoring the rambling Elizabethan manor that Diana gave her heart to on sight, creating a garden out of a wilderness of nettles, brambles and old bedsteads.
In the mid-'70s Diana took up her pen again to write stories to read to her three children at bedtime. These were never offered for publication but the bug had bitten. Over the next 10 years she combined writing over 30 novels, published by Robert Hale of London, with bringing up her children, gardening and cooking for the restaurant of a local inn—a wonderful excuse to avoid the dreaded housework! In 1987 Diana realized her dearest ambition—the publication of her first Mills & Boon romance, Song in a Strange Land. She had come home. And that feeling persists to this day as, around 30 Harlequin/Mills & Boon romantic novels late, she was still in love with the genre.
Sadly, Diana Hamilton passed away on May 3, 2009, at her home in Shropshire, surrounded by her family. She will be sorely missed by her fans and everyone at Mills & Boon/Harlequin
Diana Hamilton was born in a English town. Wanting to be a country child, her imagination came into play at an early age, transforming a neighbor’s tree into a forest, a hole in a stone wall into a gingerbread house, a gas puddle into a fairyland, complete with mountains, lakes and flower meadows. She loathed housework but made to do her share, to lessen the boredom, she told herself stories, in a very loud voice, featuring princesses and flower gardens, discovering that telling herself stories was almost as good as reading them in a book.
She loathed school with an equal passion and got through it by pretending to be somewhere else. Even so she left grammar school with respectable grades... And was sent to art college when she wanted to study to be a vet. This was nowhere as bad as it had seemed because it was there, at age 18, she first saw Peter. He had returned from two years’ active service in Korea to resume his studies, and Diana immediately fell in love with him.
Gaining a degree in advertising copywriting, Diana worked as a copywriter and married Peter. They moved to a remote part of Wales after the birth of their second child, Paul, when their daughter, Rebecca, was three years old. There, Diana enjoyed pony trekking and walking in the mountains; and her third child, Andrew, was born. Itchy feet brought them back to England to the beautiful county of Shropshire four years later and they have been there ever since, gradually restoring the rambling Elizabethan manor that Diana gave her heart to on sight, creating a garden out of a wilderness of nettles, brambles and old bedsteads.
In the mid-'70s Diana took up her pen again to write stories to read to her three children at bedtime. These were never offered for publication but the bug had bitten. Over the next 10 years she combined writing over 30 novels, published by Robert Hale of London, with bringing up her children, gardening and cooking for the restaurant of a local inn—a wonderful excuse to avoid the dreaded housework! In 1987 Diana realized her dearest ambition—the publication of her first Mills & Boon romance, Song in a Strange Land. She had come home. And that feeling persists to this day as, around 30 Harlequin/Mills & Boon romantic novels late, she was still in love with the genre.
Sadly, Diana Hamilton passed away on May 3, 2009, at her home in Shropshire, surrounded by her family. She will be sorely missed by her fans and everyone at Mills & Boon/Harlequin
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
August 6, 2016
Kate Jones, working at the interior design company she founded in London, is asked to handle the renovations of a large home (Montstowell) in the English countryside. Kate is hesitant to accept the job. Six years ago she was living at Montstowell. Her father was the gardener and she lived with him in a cottage on the estate. But after the son of the house, Seth Presteigne, found out she was getting too close to his brother, Ralph, he ordered her off the estate.
Now, six years later, though still angry with Seth, she decides to go back. This job could be good for her business, and it would serve Seth right to see what a success she's become. And also, to surprise him, since she thinks he's unaware of who he's hired for the job. But it seems he knew all along.
I liked Seth. I didn't like how he ordered Kate off the estate, but it was apparent throughout the book that he really did care for her. I liked how he was kind to her when she was young and her mother died, and how he looked out for her throughout the years. He was also a jealous hero, which I always enjoy. I liked Kate, she was a feisty and spirited heroine. She was no doormat. I also liked how this book was set in England with a British hero. There aren't that many British heroes in recent "Presents" books. This was an enjoyable read by Diana Hamilton.
Now, six years later, though still angry with Seth, she decides to go back. This job could be good for her business, and it would serve Seth right to see what a success she's become. And also, to surprise him, since she thinks he's unaware of who he's hired for the job. But it seems he knew all along.
I liked Seth. I didn't like how he ordered Kate off the estate, but it was apparent throughout the book that he really did care for her. I liked how he was kind to her when she was young and her mother died, and how he looked out for her throughout the years. He was also a jealous hero, which I always enjoy. I liked Kate, she was a feisty and spirited heroine. She was no doormat. I also liked how this book was set in England with a British hero. There aren't that many British heroes in recent "Presents" books. This was an enjoyable read by Diana Hamilton.
November 17, 2017
Re The Devil His Due - Diana Hamilton's contribution to old skool HP month is the familiar, but hopefully fading out soon trope of "Yes Love, I was sampling the smorgasbord of the HP Lurvley Lady Buffet, but it was always YOU in my heart."
Which can be hysterically funny if done right. Not that DH has a HUGE sense of humor, this is HPlandia after all and DH is on the more pastel side of it, but this was quietly amusing after a consult with the Captain or two.
So the Aries h, (and so that we don't forget this fact, DH refers to Aries attributes every few pages,) is the child of a gardener on a big estate. The H is the elder scion of that estate and he had a kinda snooty mum and a younger brother who had more hair than brain when he was in his teens.
The h grew up with both brothers. Then when she was 19, the younger brother had a little mental moment and announced to all and sundry at his big party that he and the h were engaged. The h wasn't really into that, but her mum had raised her to be kind and polite before she sadly moved to a higher plane. So the h just smiled at the announcement and hoped she wouldn't lose the ring, while mentally resolving to have small break the engagement talk with the younger brother in a more private moment and give the rock back. Hopefully when the young man was actually sober and all his friends and acquaintances weren't around to see his dismissal.
The news was very unwelcome amongst the other members of the family tho. The H calls the h into the Lordly Library to lecture her on the folly of teen marriages. The H's mother was hyperventilating into a paper bag to sooth the woozy feeling she got when she heard about the gardener's kid aspiring to marry into the family and having a restorative brandy or twenty.
The h was trying to focus on the lecture, but really she had been crushing on the H for AGES, so his lips were REALLY distracting. Apparently that kind of focused lip eyeballing struck a cord, cause the H was suddenly roofie kissing the h like there was no tomorrow and the HP Angels Wept.
Then the H's little brother walked in and there was an unholy storm as the HP Devils Danced. The outcome was little brother was swept off to be coddled and cosseted in his heartbreak over the ungrateful tramp tart h and the H ordered that same tramp tart off the estate.
The h, who has all the classical fiery attributes of her star sign, swept herself off in a passionate rage and then became an up and coming notable interior designer. She even won a big business loan and some great publicity from one of the interor accouterments firm she occasionally uses.
Six years later, the h gets the opportunity to refurbish and display her considerable talent at the H's English Manor estate. She thinks the H is clueless as to who he is actually offering the contract to, but she hates the H and figures this will be a fine opportunity to show the H that she is way better than him or his mother and extremely talented to boot.
The h avows that even tho he deliberately set her up to hurt both her and his little brother, she is nothing at all like the tramp tart he insisted she was when he kicked her out and she will show the arrogant nematode just what is what. Especially since the H's lady lurve exploits make regular appearances as major inches in the gossip columns and the h is a pure and virtuous designer.
The h doesn't really have any bad feelings towards the little brother, she figures he was just as much a victim as she was and so the great dance on the fine line between love and hate begins.
The H actually does know who the h is, mainly cause he has been shadow stalking her since he kicked her out. He owns the company that gave her her big business loan and the huge publicity promotion and he has been quietly smoothing the way for the h for years.
As these things are foreordained in HPlandia, the H and h working together to restore his ancestral home leads to the demolition of locked up ovens and the restoration of mighty lurve mojo clubbin's.
The h and H become attached, the house is refurbishing beautifully and all is right in the HP heavenly sunlight.
Then little brother comes home with some really exciting news of impeding fatherhood with his real lifetime love and the H walks in on the h and lil' bro hugging excitedly. The H loses his mind and starts shouting, cause the h was fresh out of the bath when lil' brother burst in and she wasn't wearing anything but a smile and towel- which she promptly lost in the aftermath of excited hugging.
Obviously the H doesn't see things that innocently and more shouting, tramp tart accusations and vindictive flares of verbal skillets are heaped upon the h's head. She leaves, the H burns and hisses and the obligatory HP mopey Hell moments begin.
The h finds out about the H's behind the scenes financial scheming and starts working all hours of the day and night to repay the loan that the H's company made her. Her fiery Arian temper just will not let her rest until she can erase that devil completely from her life, even if she has to keep her self in purgatory.
Then lil' bro calls up again and tells the h that the H is declining dramatically and she should go sort things out with him, because really it was his mother who set him up to walk in on the H and h roofie kissing each other to pieces six years earlier. The H was totally innocent in the situation - except for the impromptu roofie kissing part.
So the h does, cause all that overwork isn't helping her misery. She goes to see the H and he doesn't seem very excited to see her, nor is he really sorry that he did not chase after her when he found out the truth his lil' bro explained a month later. The H says it was because she had to love him enough to come back and yell at him, but really it was cause he was too prissy and had too big a stick inserted to come down off his high horse and apologize. This H just hates to put himself out there.
He does the love the h tho and she loves him back. He claims he has loved her for years and when the h asks about the well publicized Lady Buffet, the H says they were only for show - well mostly, there were a few that could have gotten more serious than they were, but even tho he was lurvin' those other beauties' charms, it was always the h in his heart.
With a tear in her eye and a happy smile on her face, the h gladly lets him know he no longer has to substitute a catcher when he is at bat and with wedding plans on the offing, we leave the two scoring a big run for the fluffy purple magenta nirvana bliss HEA.
This one was a standard HP day at the office. The H's explanations at the end of how he REALLY only always loved her and that stopped him from proposing to other women were fairly entertaining - or I was fairly buzzed on Captain, cause I was laughing and so deem this one to be a basically entertaining HP outing.
Which can be hysterically funny if done right. Not that DH has a HUGE sense of humor, this is HPlandia after all and DH is on the more pastel side of it, but this was quietly amusing after a consult with the Captain or two.
So the Aries h, (and so that we don't forget this fact, DH refers to Aries attributes every few pages,) is the child of a gardener on a big estate. The H is the elder scion of that estate and he had a kinda snooty mum and a younger brother who had more hair than brain when he was in his teens.
The h grew up with both brothers. Then when she was 19, the younger brother had a little mental moment and announced to all and sundry at his big party that he and the h were engaged. The h wasn't really into that, but her mum had raised her to be kind and polite before she sadly moved to a higher plane. So the h just smiled at the announcement and hoped she wouldn't lose the ring, while mentally resolving to have small break the engagement talk with the younger brother in a more private moment and give the rock back. Hopefully when the young man was actually sober and all his friends and acquaintances weren't around to see his dismissal.
The news was very unwelcome amongst the other members of the family tho. The H calls the h into the Lordly Library to lecture her on the folly of teen marriages. The H's mother was hyperventilating into a paper bag to sooth the woozy feeling she got when she heard about the gardener's kid aspiring to marry into the family and having a restorative brandy or twenty.
The h was trying to focus on the lecture, but really she had been crushing on the H for AGES, so his lips were REALLY distracting. Apparently that kind of focused lip eyeballing struck a cord, cause the H was suddenly roofie kissing the h like there was no tomorrow and the HP Angels Wept.
Then the H's little brother walked in and there was an unholy storm as the HP Devils Danced. The outcome was little brother was swept off to be coddled and cosseted in his heartbreak over the ungrateful tramp tart h and the H ordered that same tramp tart off the estate.
The h, who has all the classical fiery attributes of her star sign, swept herself off in a passionate rage and then became an up and coming notable interior designer. She even won a big business loan and some great publicity from one of the interor accouterments firm she occasionally uses.
Six years later, the h gets the opportunity to refurbish and display her considerable talent at the H's English Manor estate. She thinks the H is clueless as to who he is actually offering the contract to, but she hates the H and figures this will be a fine opportunity to show the H that she is way better than him or his mother and extremely talented to boot.
The h avows that even tho he deliberately set her up to hurt both her and his little brother, she is nothing at all like the tramp tart he insisted she was when he kicked her out and she will show the arrogant nematode just what is what. Especially since the H's lady lurve exploits make regular appearances as major inches in the gossip columns and the h is a pure and virtuous designer.
The h doesn't really have any bad feelings towards the little brother, she figures he was just as much a victim as she was and so the great dance on the fine line between love and hate begins.
The H actually does know who the h is, mainly cause he has been shadow stalking her since he kicked her out. He owns the company that gave her her big business loan and the huge publicity promotion and he has been quietly smoothing the way for the h for years.
As these things are foreordained in HPlandia, the H and h working together to restore his ancestral home leads to the demolition of locked up ovens and the restoration of mighty lurve mojo clubbin's.
The h and H become attached, the house is refurbishing beautifully and all is right in the HP heavenly sunlight.
Then little brother comes home with some really exciting news of impeding fatherhood with his real lifetime love and the H walks in on the h and lil' bro hugging excitedly. The H loses his mind and starts shouting, cause the h was fresh out of the bath when lil' brother burst in and she wasn't wearing anything but a smile and towel- which she promptly lost in the aftermath of excited hugging.
Obviously the H doesn't see things that innocently and more shouting, tramp tart accusations and vindictive flares of verbal skillets are heaped upon the h's head. She leaves, the H burns and hisses and the obligatory HP mopey Hell moments begin.
The h finds out about the H's behind the scenes financial scheming and starts working all hours of the day and night to repay the loan that the H's company made her. Her fiery Arian temper just will not let her rest until she can erase that devil completely from her life, even if she has to keep her self in purgatory.
Then lil' bro calls up again and tells the h that the H is declining dramatically and she should go sort things out with him, because really it was his mother who set him up to walk in on the H and h roofie kissing each other to pieces six years earlier. The H was totally innocent in the situation - except for the impromptu roofie kissing part.
So the h does, cause all that overwork isn't helping her misery. She goes to see the H and he doesn't seem very excited to see her, nor is he really sorry that he did not chase after her when he found out the truth his lil' bro explained a month later. The H says it was because she had to love him enough to come back and yell at him, but really it was cause he was too prissy and had too big a stick inserted to come down off his high horse and apologize. This H just hates to put himself out there.
He does the love the h tho and she loves him back. He claims he has loved her for years and when the h asks about the well publicized Lady Buffet, the H says they were only for show - well mostly, there were a few that could have gotten more serious than they were, but even tho he was lurvin' those other beauties' charms, it was always the h in his heart.
With a tear in her eye and a happy smile on her face, the h gladly lets him know he no longer has to substitute a catcher when he is at bat and with wedding plans on the offing, we leave the two scoring a big run for the fluffy purple magenta nirvana bliss HEA.
This one was a standard HP day at the office. The H's explanations at the end of how he REALLY only always loved her and that stopped him from proposing to other women were fairly entertaining - or I was fairly buzzed on Captain, cause I was laughing and so deem this one to be a basically entertaining HP outing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 4, 2018
Taming of the shrew trope. So annoying. The heroine jumped to so many wrong conclusions and was so stubborn that she ruined the romance. I still read on in spite of her.
The storytelling was choppy. It felt forced in its telling And the constant dropping of the Scorpio and zodiac mythology was a distraction. I didn't give a damn about the details of the heroine's work. I wanted to see the romance grow. It didn't because the heroine was a shrew 90% of the time.
In the end, The Devil His Due was ok.
The storytelling was choppy. It felt forced in its telling And the constant dropping of the Scorpio and zodiac mythology was a distraction. I didn't give a damn about the details of the heroine's work. I wanted to see the romance grow. It didn't because the heroine was a shrew 90% of the time.
In the end, The Devil His Due was ok.
March 16, 2024
The heroine was the gardener’s daughter and both brothers loved her, the hero is 10 yearsolder than her and his brother was the same age. At 18 lil brother announced his engagement with the heroine and the hero basically banned the heroine from his house.
He paid for her college and after six years and many women he came back for her, but he only ever loved her even if he shagged tons of women and one of them was quite serious. Oh the romanticism.
In the end the hero finds her in what he considers a compromising situation with his now married brother and basically insults her and throws her out of his life, six months later is the heroine to go back to him, because you know, he was waiting for her to come back since she’s an Aries and she’s very determined and if she loved him she should have come back and fight for him, even if he always treated her like shit and basically cheated on her with multiple women and in the end never trusted her. Oh be still my heart what a priceless shhhhheeee…ahem hero! The bs about him being a Scorpio and she an Aries and justifying all their idiotic behavior with zodiac signs was the cherry on top.
He paid for her college and after six years and many women he came back for her, but he only ever loved her even if he shagged tons of women and one of them was quite serious. Oh the romanticism.
In the end the hero finds her in what he considers a compromising situation with his now married brother and basically insults her and throws her out of his life, six months later is the heroine to go back to him, because you know, he was waiting for her to come back since she’s an Aries and she’s very determined and if she loved him she should have come back and fight for him, even if he always treated her like shit and basically cheated on her with multiple women and in the end never trusted her. Oh be still my heart what a priceless shhhhheeee…ahem hero! The bs about him being a Scorpio and she an Aries and justifying all their idiotic behavior with zodiac signs was the cherry on top.
May 18, 2020
Why had it taken an enemy to set her heart ablaze?
The last time Seth had seen Kate he'd made it clear he couldn't wait to see the last of her. So why now, six years later, had he insisted that Kate handle the renovations to Montstowell, his family's home in the English countryside?
Kate's openhearted nature found it hard to fathom Seth's brooding arrogance, but this time he wasn't going to win. She would fight his devious manipulation with every ounce of her fiery nature--and she'd revel in the sparks. This time the devil would get his due!
The last time Seth had seen Kate he'd made it clear he couldn't wait to see the last of her. So why now, six years later, had he insisted that Kate handle the renovations to Montstowell, his family's home in the English countryside?
Kate's openhearted nature found it hard to fathom Seth's brooding arrogance, but this time he wasn't going to win. She would fight his devious manipulation with every ounce of her fiery nature--and she'd revel in the sparks. This time the devil would get his due!
January 6, 2021
Ok... the zodiac mentions here & there were so random...like a random fun fact. Btw she’s an Aries?! What, I don’t recall reading about her sign at all. Well that’s not important anyways but about the book... A bit of tension/chemistry but a bit dried for my taste. Not enough sizzles. I was waiting for something to happen, then I was waiting for just ANYTHING to happen. & when something did happen I was so bored I couldn’t care anymore. There was potential but also very poor execution.
August 3, 2025
I stopped reading after she and the H’s brother (the OM, her ex-fiancé) were seen by the H while she and his brother were lying on a bed and she was naked.
She is full of self-pity that the H doesn’t give her the benefit of doubt. Who is she kidding. Most people would be upset finding their partner completely naked in bed with an ex.
The h and the H’s brother were both annoying. Poor H. He should run.
Anyway, too many page were spent on her thoughts. I like more action, less thinking.
She is full of self-pity that the H doesn’t give her the benefit of doubt. Who is she kidding. Most people would be upset finding their partner completely naked in bed with an ex.
The h and the H’s brother were both annoying. Poor H. He should run.
Anyway, too many page were spent on her thoughts. I like more action, less thinking.
February 28, 2023
this was a standard HP - heroine thinks hero does not like her because she is poor, hero thinks heroine does not love him because she likes someone else (in his story - his brother).
however, the way Aries and Scorpion traits were often mentioned and given reason as to the behavior of the characters was funny to me. and this was done often.
overall, a fairly okay read.
however, the way Aries and Scorpion traits were often mentioned and given reason as to the behavior of the characters was funny to me. and this was done often.
overall, a fairly okay read.
September 17, 2023
He’s the oldest brother of the wealthy estate and she’s the gardener’s daughter. She became close friends with his younger brother of her same age. Misunderstandings on her 18th birthday lead to her being banished from the estate. 6 years later now he has hired her to come remodel his estate.
May 28, 2017
A typical romance story domineering guy, and Stubborn, misinformed woman. Finally, reaching the correct conclusions. Happy ending.
May 2, 2024
This was a mess! Terrible written, things combined and overlapping. Terrible. The hero was mean all the time and a jerk. Skip this rats nest.
June 19, 2023
A super short read and somewhat interesting although we don’t explore much outside of the experience of the two main characters.
Read
August 23, 2015just ok
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews