Till Dawn with the Devil (Lords of Vice, #2) (2024)

I really enjoyed this book, but then again I love a good scandal with a devilish hot wicked man, so this one hit the spot. This book gave me a mystery, emotions, excitement and lots of suspires. I just really wish I would have read the first novel, because the first part was a little confusing, then I caught on and I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough.

Some spoilers
What I loved most about this book was as I kept reading, I really found Reign and Sophie was really made to be together. Sophie has a small problem she was hit in the head when she was a child and lost some of her eye site and had to use a walker to get around. She is staying with her brother Stephen in London and goes to a dance, she meets Reign there. She knows the gossip about his late dead wife and doesn’t believe them, but her bother does. When Reign is found alone with her Stephen goes nuts and tells her never to see Reign again. Ya right, like that’s going to happen, as you know she does see Reign again and things goes well until, her so called brother gives Sophie away in a card game for marriage to another man. Well you’ll have to read to find out how Reign and his devilish ways comes to save the day for Sophie. Let me tell you she needs saving the way her bother treats her grrr!

The book does drag a bit, but was well worth the read for me, so much so I will be reading the first and book three now.

So... wow. This one was slightly better and slightly less-squicky than the first in the series, although there's still the problem of the one-dimensional heroes. There are seven of them, Reign, Sin, Frost, *insert ominous-sounding word as a name here*, and I can't tell any of them apart. The scenes when they're all together and bantering are a mess of who's who.
Anyway, this was okay. Just barely, maybe okay... until the end. They get married quickly under duress, which is fine, and then there's this abrupt departure for the country estate. Then this dissolute rake suddenly finds himself needing to be out of the house for hours and hours at a time for "work", which is really just a vehicle to unfold the denouement of this story, which is so far-fetched and ridiculous that I nearly quit. Turns out that his mother, who he thought died when he was a child, was really alive this whole time (a madwoman locked in the attic a la Jane Eyre). Her husband got bored with her, locked her up and faked her death. Okay. The HUGE problem with this is that his FATHER has been dead since the hero was a teen and HE'S been head of the family. So somehow, someone has been paying these servants to take care of the mother and keep her locked up and nobody told him, the new head of the family? He never noticed he was paying for this? Exactly who was in charge of keeping up this ruse after the father died?
Anyway, blah blah blah, it takes pages and pages for this all to get revealed and for all the contrived drama to sort itself out and I quit caring well before the end.

I skimmed the second half of the book and will not be continuing the rest of the series.

Reign Housely, is a man of charm and wealth, and he enjoys the pleasures of London, but there is a scandal attached to his name. Reign once fell in love with his first wife, who broke his heart, betrayed him, and was killed in a accident, but the Ton believes him to be involved somehow. Lady Sophia, is beautiful, and has finally been able to make it to London, despite the protests from her brothers. Sophia suffered from a accident as a child, when her parents were killed, and has suffered from partial blindness, and blurred vision. While at a ballroom, she meets Reign, who treats her differently than others with her certain struggles. He treats her as a real human being, and shows her kindness and desire. But when they are involved in a scandal ,they marry, but Reign may be the key to saving Sophia from a horrible fate.
Till Dawn With The Devil is a wildly entertaining read that sucked me into the story from the first page. Not many authors can pull me in like Alexandra Hawkins. This is a newer author for me, and when I read the first book in the series a few months ago, I fell in love with her writing. Her style is very compelling and endearing, and you can’t help but admire the sizzling chemistry she implements in her stories.
In Till Dawn With The Devil, the second book of Lords Of Vice, we have Reign’s story. This story encompasses a variety of issues. In the beginning of the story, we see how strong our heroine is. She is beautiful and passionate, and stubborn, she is determined to make her own way and fight her battles. She isn’t afraid of what others think of her, especially Reign. Reign is addicted to Sophia, he can’t resist her, and for the first time since his first wife’s betrayal, he feels desire and can’t stay away from her. I loved how these two came together, and their story was sweet and romantic, and such a lovely story of true love and how one night of desire and passion can change your life forever.
I found that Till Dawn With The Devil a stunning romance set in the regency period, a time of balls and parties, of scandal and formal parties, of a love found in a ballroom…a tale of intrigue and mystery, a romance that is sexy and smart….EXCEPTIONAL!!!

This was much sweeter than I anticipated....

In actuality, this book had all the recipe for revenge, and yet none of that happened. The entire opposite did. I liked both leads as well.

Our Lord Gabriel Rainscourt is a unlucky man with love. His first wife betrayed him, and mystery surrounds her death. His father is also accused of killing Lord & Lady Ravenshaw over a lovers row before killing himself. The entire history & story of what really occurred is shrouded in mystery.

And yet, one other soul was there that night. Six year old Lady Sophia Ravenshaw.

She did not come out unscathed however. Someone knocked her out with the blunt of a pistol, leaving her half blind.

She’s a fantastic character. To have been thru so much! We’re talking 1821 here folks. She has learned to live with her impairment. She relies on a walking stick as she can only focus on things close up. She’s learned to dance, has friends, and is an all around beautiful soul!

Imagine that.....,she’s never thought herself a victim and embraced her life.

All that and the author pairs them up for a sweet redemption love story. They were great with each other, loving and forgiving. Truly could of been written the complete other way. It wasn’t, it was kinda refreshing. I wasn’t expecting it at all.

I will say, not all is meets the eye. Mystery of that night unfolds in regards to Raines first wife, the murders of their parents and it’s a bit suspenseful at the end.

Alas......

Like the prior book. I was left unsatisfied on a major supporting character! Ugh. It’s a theme or something. What happened to Stephen? Sophia’s brother? Did he pay his debts? Why was he with Raine at the end? What was settled? Where was the apology he oh so very much owed his sister?

So yeah......I’m wary to invest in the supporting characters with any interest because Ive now been left twice in 2 books wondering as to what happened to them. Grrrrrrr......

Gabriel Housely, the Earl of Rainecourt, or “Reign” is welcome at ton events, but that doesn’t stop people from gossiping about him. Eight years ago, his pregnant wife was found dead in her room, with a broken neck. Although most believe it to be a tragic accident, there are those that think Reign is guilty.

Lady Sophia is tired of feeling like a burden to her two brothers Henry and Stephan. Her parents were murdered when she was six in an apparent murder-suicide and during the attack, she was struck in the head, and her eyesight has been very poor ever since.

It is at a ball, that Sophia’s beauty catches Reign's attention. Normally not one to dally with the ladies, he asks her to dance which throws the shyer Sophia off guard. When getting some air, they realize the sad history they share – it was Reign’s father who murdered Sophia’s parents and then killed himself. Her brothers want her to have nothing to do with him, but soon, her brothers get in way over their heads in the gambling halls, and Reign may be her only saving grace.

I was very disappointed with Til Dawn With the Devil. Right off the bat Reign and Sophia both realize that Reign’s father murdered Sophia’s parents and caused a punishing blow to her head and yet hardly anything comes of it. I understand Reign is an innocent party pertaining to his father’s actions, but that is a lot of baggage to deal with. The hurt and anger of losing her parents is still surrounding Sophia, but nothing is made of Reign’s family connections. No opportunity is taken to explore this very fragile history that has intertwined their lives.

There are also nasty rumors swirling around Reign that he murdered his first wife and unborn child. Again, Sophia has 100% confidence he is an innocent. Sophia is about ready to be auctioned off by her brothers to cover their debt and Reign swoops in. Here is a man that she really doesn’t know all that well with a very sordid, mysterious past and she not only accepts his proposal with ease, but their marriage is smooth sailing too. With the emotional distress Sophia has overcome with her murdered parents and her own assault, coupled with Reign’s horrid marriage, the two of them got together too easily!! Where is the drama? The angst?

The book ends with a very dramatic, action packed event, but overall, it lacked conflict, and it missed the mark in confronting the hero and heroine’s emotions that should have played a big role.

buku ke 2 lords of vice

Gabriel Housely, the Earl of Rainecourt, atau reign bagi keluarga & teman2nya.
another rake.....
keluarga raincourt terkenal oleh skandal2nya ketambahan pernikahan reign terdahulu dengan beatrice yg berujung bencana & bunuh diri beatrice membuat reign memandang hidup & cinta dengan sangat sinis.

lady sophia northam, karna kecelakaan masa kecilnya membuat penglihatannya tidak sempurna.
sophia, cantik lembut & naive & sangat dilindungi oleh ke 2 kakaknya.
sophia selama ini hidup terasing di desa juga ingin menghadiri ball, pesta, bertemu pangeran tampan tapi ke 2 kakaknya menolak mentah2.
dengan bantuan ke 2 sahabatnya sophia menghadiri pesta secara diam2 & hanya duduk di bayang2.

duduk di bayang2 eh masih juga ketemu dgn seorang pria, pria yg walau sophia tdk dapat melihat jelas tp bisa mendengar kesinisan dlm suaranya. pria yg menarik.
reign begitu bertemu dengan sophia lgs tertarik tanpa mengetahui jati diri sophia yg sebenarnya.
ciuman mereka malam itu begitu membekas baik bagi reigh maupun sophia.
reign tau sophia adl buah terlarang baginya tp entah kenapa bayangan sophia tak mampu dienyahkannya.

sebenarnya kenapa sophia adl buah terlarang bagi reign???
dulu keluarga reign & sophia dekat, saking dekatnya sampai earl of raincourt terdahulu berani berselingkuh dengan istri sahabatnya sendiri (pd dasarnya earl of raincourt terdahulu emang tukang selingkuh).
perselingkuhan yg akhirnya diketahui & membawa bencana bagi keluarga housley & northam.
earl & countess northam meninggal juga earl of raincourt, si kecil sophia mengalami kecelakaan yg mengakibatkannya kehilangan penglihatannya.
bencana yg membuat 2 keluarga terpecah.
ditambah penghianatan beatrice, lengkaplah sudah skandal dlm keluarga housley & yg membuat reign tidak percaya pd cinta.
well, satu2nya wanita yg diijinkannya dekat & mendapat perhatian lebihnya adl regan, adik frost.
tapi....bertemu dengan sophia membuat reign merasakan sesuatu yg hangat.
sophia yg naive & innocent mampu membuat reign memikirkan hubungan lagi, well cukup untuk memutuskan akan menjadi sophia's white knight.

(weleh aq lupa ceritanya xixixixixixxi)

Gostei muito da forma que a autora escreveu , visto que foi o primeiro que li dela, e a leitura me agradou. Corria um boato que Rainecourt (que casara apaixonado pela mulher) tinha matado sua esposa. Ela morrera em circunstâncias estranhas, mas como não puderam provar que fora ele e portanto ele não fora a julgamento.
Depois de alguns anos afastado da sociedade, quando ele vai a um baile, se sente atraído justamente pela filha do homem que segundo era corrente seu pai havia matado os pais dela e se suicidara e ela, Sophia presenciara a morte deles e recebera um golpe ficando quase cega.
Os irmãos tentam impedir que ele se aproxime dela, e o mais velho, Stephan, endividado, tenta forçá-la a casar para pagar uma dívida. Ela se recusa e durante a fuga o encontra. Ele, no entanto, já está sabendo da história, vinha resgatá-la. E logo propõe que ela se case com ele.
Eles se casam e tem um bom relacionamento, embora Raincourt tenha lhe dito que lhe daria e faria tudo por ela, menos amor.
A autora dá um toque sensual e de mistério ao romance, pois não se sabe como a esposa dele foi morta. E logo circunstancias estranhas começam a ocorrer na antiga mansão onde ocorreu a tragédia que deixara ela quase cega. Havia um inimigo a espreita o qual me surpreendeu bastante.
4/5 estrelas por conta do extenso capitulo onde tudo é resolvido e descoberto.

Maybe I'm boring, but I like the plots my HR novels to be character-driven, and not pushed forward by some long-dead relative risen from the dead to strike terror in the main characters. Also, every time someone gets shot, I get nervous. Don't you know penicillin hasn't been invented yet, and you may die a horrible gangrenous death?

Anyway, I found the sentence structure of this one a bit awkward, which lessened my enjoyment.

Gabriel, Lord Reineford, aka Reign kapok menikah lagi setelah kematian istrinya Beatrice 8 tahun yang lalu , dan dia di gosip kan yg membunuh istrinya, walau pun ga terbukti sih. Tetap aja dia kapok, karena ternyata dia ternyata ga di cintai istri nya, dan anak yg di kandung istrinya ternyata anak orang lain.
Reign juga ga bersih dari gossip, karena ayah nya juga dianggap membunuh suami istri Ravenshaw 15 tahun yang lalu.

Sophia Ravenshaw, putri bungsu keluarga Ravenshaw yang setengah buta, melakukan debut pertama nya di usia 21 tahun malam itu, di pesta yg di hadiri Reign..
Bisa di tebak kan apa yg terjadi? Yup, sodara2, Reign jatuh cinta pada pandangan pertama setelah menjatuhkan tongkat Sophia, saat Sophia sedang di rayu musuh besar nya, Lord Enright. [image error]

Satu dansa paksaan, dan satu ciuman di teras, membuat Stephan,kakak Sophia berang, apalagi itu Reinford gitu lho...Tapi Sophia belain Reign tuh dan menegur kakak nya kalo Reign ga bermaksud jahat.Reign juga kaget saat tahu Sophia adalah gadis kecil yg selamat saat kejadian waktu itu.Sempat baku hantam lah si Reign dan Stephan malam itu.Dan Sophia dilarang ketemu Reign lagi.

Galau. Reign bersungut2 di klub, bahkan menolah saat di tawari perempuan sama Frost.Dia malah naik ke kamarnya..dan ..ehm...mengkhayalkan ciuman dengan Sophia tadi, dia jadi melakukan hal2 yg di inginkan hihihihii....sambil bayangin Sophia dalam khayalannya, dia merogoh beng2nya dan yah koco*k2an arisan sendiri ddeh si Reign... [image error]

Stephan kalah judi beberapa minggu kemudian,dan menjual Sophia pada Lord siapalah,lupa namanya, buat di jadiin istri.Sophia ngamuk berat dan bermaksud kabur.Tapi di kurung di kamar sama stephan. Frost yang mendengar kabar ini buru2 ngabarin Reign,yg dia tau sangat tertarik pada Sophia. Malam itu juga Reign menghubungi teman2nya,menyusun rencana, dan menculik Sophia ! hm,ga really menculik sih, Sophia berhasil kabur di tolong maid nya waktu itu, sudah di tunggu Reign di kebun belakang.

Jadilah mereka kabur ke rumah Sin dan Julianna, disana mereka sudah di tunggu, untuk menikah. [image error]Sophia heran,kok so easy? Kok semudah itu menikah? Dan reign dengan entengnya bilang,kalo dia ga mau Sophia menikah dengan orang lain, sama dia aja, karena , biarpun dia ga bisa janjikan cinta, dia janjikan faithfulness, loyalty, dan dia akan menghormati dan menyayangi Sophia seumur hidupnya.

Sophia yang tau trauma Reign heran,tapi mau juga sih dia, biar pun mereka perlu juga berguling2an di rumput supaya Sophia keliatan ruined gitu, jadi emang terpaksa kawin...

Jangan khawatir buat pecinta SAM,mereka ga ngapa2in kok...malam pertama mereka lumayan seru dengan Reign yg merasa bersalah sudah "menyakiti" Sophia sampai berdarah2 hahhahhaa.....*by the way,Reign ga punya pengalaman sama sekali dengan Virgin, kan beatrice waktu itu udah ga virgin, dan dia cuma main2 sama perempuan pengalaman sblm ini*....
Lovemaking nya lumayan seru biarpun malam pertama, dan di jelaskan dengan cukup detail...ada oralit segala,dan Sophia yg masih virgin itu,dengan beraninya memegang John Thomas nya Reign hahhahaha [image error]

Stephan akhir nya tau,dan minta Sophia pulang,tapi di halangi oleh Reign.
Takut di teror lagi,Reign malah bawa Sophia ke desa, tempat kejadian perkara 8 tahun lalu..mana gossip nya rumah Reign di desa itu ada hantunya pula... [image error]
Ternyata "hantu" nya memang ada, taklain dan tak bukan adalah mami nya Reign, Lady Colleta yg ternyata ga mati (padahal papi nya Reign bilang kalo maminya mati)

Ternyata Colleta di kurung alm papi nya Reign karena ternyata dialah yg bunuh orang tua Sophia dan menembak Sophia sampai nyaris buta.
Sophia sempat di sandera dan diikat Lady Coletta, mau di tembak,karena dia ga rela anaknya disakiti perempuan lagi, tapi aneh nya,dia juga mau nyakitin Reign (ini yg bikin aku bingung dan jadilah aku kasih bintang cuma 4)... [image error]

Untunglah Reign dan Stephan yg sudah gencatan senjata berhasil menyelamatkan Sophia.Walaupun reign dan Sophia sempat ketembak...setelah di bandage, mereka masuk kamar, eh malah uhuk2 denganserunya sampe ada doggy style yg cepat dan kasar, dengan gigitan,cakaran segala wakakkakakkakak [image error]
Hm ini ga boleh di lewatkan satu katapun ya bacanya,soalnya seruuuuuuu...dan mendebarkan hahahahhaha......

Ending nya asik,dengan Sophia akhirnya ketahuan hamil dan mereka berdua berhasil mengalahkan gengsinya buat bilang "I Love You"

Aku suka sekali sama cover buku ini, Reign coco*k sekali dengan gambaran model nya...sering aku balik2 sendiri saking suka nya,sayang Sophia nya ga cantik ya di cover ini,malah keliatan judes hehhe...Uhuk2nya sering dan keren dan tentunya..membara .. !!! [image error]

Cuma, kayaknya memang agak terlalu di paksakan ya, jatuh cinta nya terlalu cepat,secara Reign trauma berat sama pernikahan dan playboy berat...khas sekali HR deh, tapi gaya penceritaan Alexandra Hawkins aku suka dan suka banget sama ketujuh Lord of Vice ini, sayang bukunya baru 3...ga sabar nunggu baca tentang Frost yang super duper brandalan nya...

4.25 stars... I liked Reign and Sophia's story even more than Sin and his Juliana. Passionate, twisty, filled with smart and sassy characters and long lasting love.

Frost remains a total douche but I imagine he will only get worse as his mates find love ubtil he falls himself into he end. Looking forward to the rest of this series for sure.

This is the second book in Ms. Hawkins’ Lords of Vice series, and sometimes second books are a bit of a letdown after a great start by the first out of the gate. Not so in this case. I actually like this book better than the debut of the series, All Night with a Rogue. The characters are intriguing and I really like the storyline behind our hero and, thus, our heroine as it’s unveiled how they are unfortunately connected through tragedy.

Reign is tired of being shunned and gossiped about since his wife’s death years before. Her parents have never believed their daughter accidentally died, that Reign had to have been involved, and they keep the gossip alive. So taking his life back during a ball, a blue-bowed dress catches his fancy. Finally spying the woman and her bows, he finds her in conversation with a nobleman he despises, getting rid of the man in short order to have the beauty to himself.

Nearly losing her sight in an accident when she was very young, Sophia has grown up as normal as possible, considering her disability. Dancing is not one of her favorite things, and when the Earl of Rainecourt ushers her to the dance floor, their encounter goes awry from the beginning. Sophia leaves him behind with a sigh of relief, because of his high-handed behavior and because she knows who he is.

What Reign doesn’t know is Sophia is the lone survivor of the horrible night her parents died at the hands of his father, who then ended his own life. Vowing to keep his distance at his realization, he discovers that’s easier said than done, Sophia is a woman a man just can’t forget.

Unbeknownst to Sohpia, her brother has made marriage arrangements for her, not allowing her to choose her own husband, all to take care of his gambling debts. Refusing to be used in such a way, Sophia turns to Reign instead, the lesser of two evils for her at that point. But that changes very soon.

Reign and Sophia are an intriguing pair. They come together despite their common past, an attraction between them neither can deny. Trust comes early, which is a breath of fresh air, because trust and love usually come very late for heroes and heroines in romance.

Reign thinks he will never marry again, his first wife’s deceit and anger more than enough to entice him to remain single for so long. But Sophia sneaks into his heart before he realizes it; her intelligence and zest for life making him look at her much differently than any other man before. And she just inherently knows he never could have murdered his wife, feels his pain and frustration at how society has viewed him over the incident.

Just when love is in the air, life deals them another blow, and Ms. Hawkins throws in a curve ball you don’t see coming. The intertwining of Reign’s and Sophia’s lives is much more complicated than anyone thought, and it’s a doozy when all is revealed.

TDwtD is a terrific second book in this series. I had it read in a day and then bemoaned the fact it was over. And now waiting for After Dark with a Scoundrel, out sometime next year, is going to be torture.

Loved it!! This is the second book of the Lords of Vice series, Reign's book and I thought it was fabulous!

The Earl of Rainecourt, dubbed Reign by his fellow Lords of Vice, has had a dubious life. When he was a child, his mother died leaving him to grow up with a volatile and sometimes abusive father. But not only that, Reign had to live with the scandal of his father killing off two friends, the Northrams (Lord and Lady Ravenshaw) before killing himself. But life doesn't get better for Reign after he marries, as his wife threatens to leave him and is found dead the next day. All signs indicated it was an accident but the members of the ton form their own opinion that Reign did away with his Countess. So Reign allows the perception of him to grow as his reputation as being a devil follows him and suits his needs.

Fast forward 8 years and Reign attends a ball where he's instantly intrigued by Lady Sophia. Little does he know that she's the daughter of the Northrams, who was injured when his father supposedly hit her over the head the same night he slain her parents. Due to the injury, Sophia's sight was compromised and it caused her brothers to give her a sheltered life, raised in the country. But Sophia is determined to enjoy a season in London in spite of her limited vision.

And after meeting, Reign is not only intrigued but determined to spend time with Sophia despite the objections of her brothers and certain members of society. When Sophia's oldest brother, Stephan, tries to force her into marriage to cover his increasing debts, Reign uses that excuse to claim her as his own bride. When Stephan tries to interfere and take Sophia back, Reign decides it would be safer to take Sophia back to his homestead Addison Park and away from London - but that soon poses it's own problems.

Addison Park is where the infamous murder/suicide took place and where Sophia had been injured all those years ago. Some claim there was a ghost living there and what they found was not just a ghost but that of Reign's mother. Instead of being dead as was claimed since he was a child, his father had merely removed her mother to a secluded tenant farm and paid off servants to take care of her. She escaped and lived within the secret tunnels and passageways of Addison Park watching over her son. When she makes herself known by kidnapping Sophia, they all finally learn the awful truth. In her madness, she convinced Sophia's father that her husband had betrayed them all with Sophia's mother. When she concocted a plan for Sophia's father to confront her husband, she was the one that ended their lives and in fact, injured Sophia. After it was revealed there was a struggle and Lady Collette finally died a real death and Sophia was saved by Reign and her brother, Stephan.

I was thoroughly entertained by all aspects of this book. Sophia was a strong, spirited woman despite her injuries while Reign was an absolute devil with a heart of gold. Their chemistry was undeniable and so entertaining. I'm going to love catching up with the rest of the Lords of Vice!

I loved this story. OMG, I dropped everything the moment Till Dawn with the Devil arrived on my doorstep. I began reading it the moment I tore through the manila envelope and didn't stop until I finished every single solitary delicious and seductive word six hours later. I know what you're thinking. The woman is crazy. I would tend to agree but for the sheer fact that I can almost guarantee that once Till Dawn with the Devil is in your hands you will devour every sexy and intriguing morsel of this divine read. Then you'll come back and claim that you are as much in love with Gabriel Addison Housely, fifth Earl of Raincourt--Reign to his friends and Lady Sophia Northam's story as I am! I absolutely adore Sophia!! Alexandra Hawkins had me crying. This story is not only romantic but it touches your heart--in a way I was completely blown over by it.

The fact that Sophia is partially blind but can see through Reign's defenses and has no time to pity him is what sold this story for me. Reign who was devastated by love when he was nineteen; professes he will never let love into his heart --but falls completely in love with Sophia the moment he meets her and fights it all the way.

Sophia is strong, courageous and full of love that she is so willing to give. The truth is Reign wants her love desperately but is petrified of repeating the past. I for one am in love!

Till Dawn with the Devil is a poignant love story gripping your heart at times with emotionally charged intervals seems to be Ms Hawkin's forte. Her flesh and blood characters make you root to the very end for them to have their Happily Ever After. Alexandra Hawkins' has done it once again and does the Regency era proudly like no other. Her second installment in her Lord of Vice series, “Till Dawn with the Devil" has every thing a romance aficionado needs. Intrigue, mystery , desire with overtones of a grand and fated passion that burns up the pages quicker than a reader can turn them. "Till Dawn with a Devil" is grounded in a full and lush plot twist that keeps her readers glued to their chair with breathless anticipation. Hawkins has a unique way of engaging her readers that always serves up with the WOW factor and proves time and again that she knows what her readers want, long for and desire most--True Love in the face adversity. Simply put--Till Dawn with the Devil is one of those 'can't put it down' reads.

I have to say that regency historical romance author Alexandra Hawkins-R-O-C-K-S!! :)--and that is strictly my opinion!..:)

Past and present crossed in unexpected action of the fate.

Sophia loses parents tragically and ends with after-effects of the accident. Despite the loss of parents and the almost total vision, she never blamed Reign for what happened when they met at the ball. Instead, she was worried how he would react to know that the current state of her health was his father fault.

Reign thought he married for love years ago, and was the biggest disappointment of his life to find out that his wife not only never loved him, as she was pregnant with another man, Theodore Mr. Enright. Still had to endure being accused of a crime that despite his drunkenness, not thought to have committed against his unfaithful wife.

But his former in-laws were making his life a living hell and messing up his social life if he had to drop a ball every time his ex-mother-in-law made a fake scene.

When he saw Sophia at the ball, he just thought she was the most beautiful of the night. And even then to know whose daughter she was, he did not think to avoid her. In country party when he teaches her how to use the bow and arrow, he realizes how happy she was doing, after a long time, something "common" for any person present there.
Her gentle and determined way to be captivated him completely.
Knowing that she had to make a forced marriage, already completely charmed by her, he takes it upon himself to save her from that fate. If she had to marry someone by force it would be with him, as they had affinity.

But there was a secret involving his past that Reign didn't know and when he takes Sophia to the house where all that tragedy happened, it turns out to discover the most terrible truths and need, at all costs, save Sophia from the same sad end of Beatrice.

5 stars

Rainecourt, or Reign, is shunned by London society for two reasons. First, as a child, his father murdered Lord and Lady Northam and then killed himself and because he is suspected of killing his pregnant wife 8 years earlier. While at a ball, he encounters Sophia Northam, child of the couple his father killed and who was injured (she has vision problems) in the incident. They connect, but her brother catches them together and he finds out who she is. When her nasty brother sells her in marriage to pay off his debts, Reign abducts Sophia and marries her. When it looks like her brother isn't accepting the marriage, Reign takes Sophia to his home in the country, where both of the "incidents" took place. There, Sophia feels like she's being watched and that the past is haunting her.

In comparison to the first book, the characters in this one are SO much more likeable. Reign still has an edge to him that makes him feel dark, but he's not a complete asshole (like the previous hero Sin was). He also appears to have some morals. Sophia is pleasant, with an interesting vision problem, but I couldn't help but wonder exactly how bad her vision was. I wish it had been more clearly defined. Not blind, but not perfect vision either. The mystery was good too, I couldn't quite figure out who really killed his wife and at times wondered if he hadn't actually done it himself, even accidentally I'm also kind of torn on how this author doesn't do the long, detailed historical. This tends to be fairly short and sticking to the basic plot details without going into flowery language. In this book, I appreciated it.

This is what you get from the Target romance section.

Loved it.

4 Stars

Another good romance....more like 3 1/2 stars.

I was excited to pick this up when I saw that the heroine has a disability. But this book was super hard to find as it is out of print and only available in ebook format on some platforms. This is fine to pick up as a standalone, I didn't read the first book.

TW: Death of parents, suicide, abusive parent

Twenty one year old Sophia Northam sees in blurs of shapes and colour, she lost most of her vision when she was hit on the head as a child. Wanting more in life because her family is overprotective, she attends a ball with her friends and meets the notorious, Gabriel, Lord Rainecourt "Reign", one of the Lords of Vice.

The bad rep Reign has is because of the rumours that he killed his former wife when she was pregnant. But for all rumours, he protects and cares for Sophia once he meets her. He was nicer than her old brother and offers to marry her when her brother promised her to another because of his debts. I liked how he challenges her to try things she thought she could not do like dancing and archery.

There are times at the beginning where he says hurtful things or is too rough. But I did like their dynamic and humour. The identity of his first wife's lover was obvious but the way the author ties the death of their parents with his mother's apparent suicide was well done.

Tropes: experience hero-virgin heroine, older hero-younger heroine, height difference (taller hero), marriage of convenience

I love this authors writing, Her book are always some romance and adventure I love her books on the lords of vice.

This story is about Sophia and Reign. Their past was a tragic one. When Sophia was just a child her parents were killed and she was hit on the back of the head and her site was impaired due to the injury that almost killed her. He brothers in their own way have been protective of her but keeping her in the country.

Reign once married for love but was deceived by his wife as she was caring the child of another person but his wife was greedy and wanted his title and money. Reign was drunk from fighting with her and he thought that his wife and her child died from a tragic accident.

Than at a ball he spots Sophia and not knowing who she is steels her from the man he hates to share a dance and than to the garden where he steels a kiss. Sophia's brother appears and he finds out who Sophia is which should prevent him from courting her but he cannot stay away.

Can Reign keep her safe from their past can he save her from her brothers? Will be confess that he has falling in love when he has vowed to never marry and never for love? This is where the adventure begins for me

DNF just a few pages in. First of all, the silly names feel like they are trying way to hard to make the men seem “dangerous.” And since I don’t really find “dangerous” rakish men attractive, and they are over done in this genre, that was a detractor from the beginning. Reign, Vane, Frost, Sin (oh, come on!), etc etc bleh. Then, the writing felt rushed and amateurish to me. There was just no hook, no spark. And then the “hero” noticed the heroine because of her “blue bows” across her shoulders and immediately becomes obsessed with her. Literally all we hear about for a few pages is the blue bows and so when he finds her he immediately rudely removes her from the presence of the man she is speaking with (insert unexplainable and unforgivable random obsession and jealousy here) and then alpha male forces her into dancing with him against her will. Ugh. So ridiculous. I prefer romances in the genre to have more focus on emotions, communication, connection, relationship and character building rather than “me Tarzan you Jane” alpha domination. No thank you.

The sudden back and forth changes in the character’s point of view was annoying and confusing! I didn’t not care much for the hero. He was a jerk. While I liked Sophia at the beginning, she became a wilting damsel in distress later. It was great how her blindness was being acknowledged at the beginning. Then it became insignificant. I didn’t get it really. Was she completely blind. Could she see people’s faces? How was her blindness not an issue in the later part of the book and she went on smoothly without any difficulty?

I hated the first book in this series. I hated Frost even more. Always meddling into matters that are none of his concerns! In the previous book, he interfered in the couple’s relationship. Same here. What’s wrong with him? Why do they even keep him around?

In the last review I thought I’d give this series another go and then I’ll decide. Well, I have decided. I am abandoning this series. Boring writing style and unlikable characters. Each and every one of them! So no, this series is absolutely not for me and I’m gone.

3.5

Got about 85% of the way when I decided to move on. There were some parts that were really enthralling, but there were mostly missed opportunities for setting up future plot points.

For example, the “ghost” of the house could have been explored a lot more instead of just being dropped in when Sophia was tied to the chair. It felt more like a deus ex machina than something that could’ve risen organically from the plot.

It was also a bit hard to see that Reign actually wanted Sophia beyond bedding her by the time they married. There were many times where I thought I missed something of their relationship by having the time jumps, and other times where I thought the scenes were lasting too long. It was just difficult for me to see their relationship actually growing at a believable pace instead of spiking up about half way through the book.

Note- I write reviews mainly for me - so I can remember what books I read

Good book. Heroine was half blind due to hero's family.
Heroine goes to a ball and meets the hero there. He grabs her and drags her to the dance floor after seeing her from afar, not realizing she is not dancing because of her blindness.
Her brothers freak out, because they hero's father is responsible for their parents death and her partial blindness.
Her brothers are wastrels who gamble everything the family owns, and try to force her to marry to get out of debt..
There is a villain that no ones realizes and a good ending
violence- slightly more then fist a cuffs
sex level- moderate

4⭐️
Although this book was 300+ pages, it felt too short and rushed. I did like it a lot though, I just felt like there was so much going on at all times. Reign was so delish, it took me a second to warm up to him, but I really did come to love him. Sophia, I liked her… but, she didn’t really have much depth to her. The whole killed parents plot was a little confusing and I wish that Sophia’s brother got some sort of punishment for the way he treated her, it was unforgivable and yet, his character kinda just got off the hook. This is my first book by Alexandra Hawkins and it definitely won’t be my last!

This was a quick read and I enjoyed it for what it was. Are the characters super fleshed out? No, but the interaction and chemistry between the leads carried the book. Throw in some soap opera type twist and I was all over this.
If your wonder what the twist was, it turns out that Reign's mother that was thought to have died when he was a child, was actually locked away by his father and is now crazy. And she's actually the reason behind Reign's previous wife's death. She was also responsible for the murder suicide of Sophia's parents, and Reign's father.

I liked Sophie for the most part as well as Reign. However, this book doesn’t have the passion of the first of the series. I just didn’t feel as connected to the characters of the story. Sophie’s vision impairment confused me. It’s like she couldn’t see, but then she could. So, it just kinda depended on if was convenient for her to see or not.

I loved this installment of the lords of vice. This was a great plot line, I was wondering what the big issue was going to be and was very surprised at what actually occurred! I love these characters and the way they came together. I am enjoying this series very much, I can’t wait to see who frost is paired up with and what he might have coming to him