Devil In Disguise, by Rosalind James

 Review of "Devil in Disguise"

Football Romance Meets Geek Chic

Devil in Disguise is the 4th installment of the Portland Devils series, and I had a little bit of a hard time getting into it, mainly because the lead character, Dyma is so young in the story, and it took a long while to get the story moving along at a faster pace..However...it does get better. This is a beautifully written story, with scenic backdrops from a small ranch on the plains of North Dakota to metropolitan Portland, and the college town of Seattle. This sweet love story will capture your imagination and the characters will capture your heart. We met them in a previous book in the series, Shame the Devil, as the main female character Jennifer, is Dyma's mother in that book. This story is for Dyma and Owen. 

Owen, a Portland Devils NFL center, and also owns a ranch in rural Wyoming - divorced and has been (platonically) dating his best friend's girlfriend's 19 year old daughter, Dyma. Dyma is worlds apart different from a farm-girl rancher type. She's loud, opinionated, a feminist vegetarian, science and math geek that looks more like a punk rock star, rather than a rocket scientist in training. She's edgy, she's confident, and yet vulnerable and ready to rumble. Owen is a gentle giant, a romantic young gentleman who has high standards, honor code and traditional values/work ethics. He really sounds too good to be true. He's almost too perfect, really.

They met under unusual circumstances out at Yosemite National Park, where the previous book kicked off. Dyma was too young (in high school) at the time and Owen was a gentleman (also not interested in going to jail or losing his NFL career). We pick up the story though, where Dyma is bit older and finished with high school and is still very much attracted to Owen, who is 6 years older than her. Neither one had any long term plans for a relationship, but somehow that is what might be forged out of a very deep case of like for one another. Owen is star struck by her dynamo energy and sparkly personality and is holding himself in check because she's just turning 19 now and just barely finished with high school. These two can't wait to become more than just friends, but in order to work, their relationship still must develop slowly, and they go through some adjustments along the way. There are some embarrassing and hilarious 'firsts' in here, but I won't spoil it for you. Be prepared to laugh, sit back, and remember what it was like to be young and in love.

I loved these characters, their maturity, their sense of humor and their energy between each other as they grew closer and realized they were falling in love.  I love how Rosalind showed how they grew close to each other over time, and developed the relationship, as nothing long-lasting ever really happens overnight. Though technically a standalone, this book is best read after another one in the series, "Shame the Devil" as it will make more sense with the references to other characters previously mentioned.

Enjoyed this book very much! Now I will have to recover from book hangover!

Fabubulous book!! Book review - Kiwi Strong, by Rosalind James

Title: Kiwi Strong (New Zealand Ever After, #3) 

Fabubulous book!! I couldn't stop reading- great escape book!
By Rosalind James
6/27/2020

Absolutely amazing book! This is one with multiple heroes and is my all-time favorite book of Ms.James now. I didn't think it was possible - I was not expecting the depth of this story. The strong male lead is not the only one bad-ass enough to be the hero here! Daisy is smart, funny, a survivor of a cult upbringing and she needs help to rescue her younger sisters who were left behind ten years ago. Gray is kind, patient and wise - a gentle giant of a man who has been hurt and shut himself off from romantic relationships but will give the shirt off his back for a friend in need.

Daisy and Gray meet on a dark road one night when he accidentally runs her off the road into the river. Her car has completely been submerged and he attempts to rescue her but discovers she has already rescued herself. The next several hours set up the rest of the story in a magical way that takes you on a journey of discovery to learn about two amazing heroes and their family members, secondary characters and a villain or two.

Calm before the storm...
After helping Daisy rescue her sisters, she learns just how much love and care another human can have. Gray is a beautiful, sweet, caring soul who blows her away with his continual strength, kindness, and giving nature. He sees past all her walls and brings her out of her shell, one step at a time. He teaches her to trust and have faith in another person, and falls in love with her before she even recognizes that she has fallen for him too.

This is a remarkable story, one that spans the journey of Daisy's family declaration of independence (quite appropriate, I think, given the time of year this book is released in). It is also a story of Gray learning that he can open up, trust and lean on a woman like Daisy, who is an amazing healing force in his life. She truly is his yin to her yang.

You will meet some really funny, sweet secondary characters in the story, and you will quickly want to cheer them on too. I loved Daisy's sisters and Gray's mom. They are like super cool people you wish you could meet and you want to be friends with. I was sad when the story ended, and hope we get another glimpse at their lives down the road, as Rosalind often writes into her future books some of the past characters she had introduced in earlier ones. I would love to hear more about Daisy's sisters down the road.

The obstacles the pair face are realistic and the villain is scary. The story has a very satisfying conclusion (not giving anything away, but it's good. Get your tissues out and keep them handy!) Daisy is a force to be reckoned with

Rosalind James is a wonderful American writer and has spent a considerable amount of time in New Zealand and Aussie-land. She shares her amazing experiences with the New Zealand culture (and imaginative, creative story-telling) with us and we are lucky indeed to enjoy the results of her work. Another great one - and my new favorite. This one will check off all of your boxes for a great romantic story! A job well done!

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated for my review, and I was not required to write a positive review. The opinion expressed here is my own.

All the best,

Esther