This book just became one of my favorite historical romances of all time. I've been enjoying the Roxton Family series a lot; they're very well-written with lots of excellent historical details and characters. The Roxton family has a lot of complex characters, and I've loved reading through their romances. But Dair and Rory - my favorite kind of hero and heroine.
Alisdair FitzStuart is the heir to an Earldom, a war hero, and a spy, but is totally misunderstood, partly because he plays his part in all of those roles so well. Rory is retiring, partly because she has a club foot and also because her grandfather is over-protective. But she's not afraid to have an adventure, so when she's tossed into one of Dair's madcap scenes, she goes with it, much to Dair's delight.
This is the start of a sweet and lovely romance beset with a lot of obstacles. Dair has an illegitimate son which he's acknowledged. Rory's grandfather is England's spymaster and not necessarily a nice man. He expects that Rory will be his comfort in his dotage and doesn't take kindly to Dair's interest in his granddaughter.
Simply Love by Mary Balogh is a book I love and often point to as the best historical romance in my opinion, but I have to add Dair Devil now in a tie as they're both so wonderful. This is a book to reread over and over again. ( )

Audiobook Review:

When a novel is not just a story, but an experience, it is such a delight. We move with the characters, sharing their emotions, feelings and experiences, not told a story but living one.

The story begins with a scene truly hilarious, a scene with tongue in cheek frolicking of the nobility’s pranks. Alisdair is known for his outlandish behavior and his willingness to take on a bet. He involves his friends in this prank. One such friend, is Rory’s brother, Lord Gasby, a bundle of energy and a brother with deep love for his sister. This prank doesn’t exactly end the way Alistair thought it would. He holds a woman in his arms tightly wrapped in drapery. Simply ludicrious and had me laughing. There was no putting this listen down!

When the flame of interest is sparked for none other than the Spymaster General’s granddaughter (the gal he held while wrapped in drapery), he knows his chances of gaining her hand will fall on deaf ears. Under the façade he uses to hide his inner self, is a person with a heart he knew not beat.
Alistair has a champion, his cousin, Her Grace the Duchess, a woman of great feeling, high spirits and enduring love. Secrets long hidden and best forgotten must be unearthed to give well deserving youth a chance of happiness.

I enjoy the saga Ms. Brant unfolds. Characters we’ve come to love from earlier in the saga take secondary positions in this story. Frankly, this wonderful saga with a narrator of such talent will remain with me for many years.

I highly recommend this series by Lucinda Brant. A saga of depth, passion, and loves of such fervor, your heart swells.

Note: I found I enjoyed the speed of the complete saga at speed 0.75x. It allows the words and divine voice of Mr. Wyndham time to appreciate. ( )

In this fourth book in the Roxton series - Dair Devil - Lucinda Brant continues the saga of the Roxton family and delights her fans with another passionate romance, the story of Alisdair ‘Dair’ Fitzstuart and Aurora ‘Rory’ Talbot, granddaughter of Lord Shrewsbury, England’s Spy Master General. Set in the 1770s, the story encompasses politics and intrigue, both at home and abroad, and also the secrets and lies a great and powerful family perhaps needs to conceal. Dair Fitzstuart has justifiably earned his nickname ‘Dair Devil’ because, to all concerned, he appears to be the epitome of a reprobate and a womanizing scoundrel. Amazingly, he has emerged unscathed from his exploits on the battlefield and his exploits in society keep tongues wagging incessantly. With a history of past mistresses, he is the most unlikely person to find Aurora attractive. She is unmarried, and despite her fair, understated charms, she has neither the ravishing beauty nor great fortune that would more than make up for her physical deformity, a twisted foot. Their first meeting is particularly inauspicious. A prank that Dair engages in to help a friend win the affections of a lady goes disastrously and scandalously wrong. Against a background of military espionage, unrest in the colonies, hints of treason and double crossing, this seemingly doomed romance blossoms. But trouble looms and various people are not too pleased with the idea of a union between Dair and Rory.

What a sensuous read, with Dair himself oozing sex appeal on every page. One word that epitomizes this book is passion: the passion and tumult of the times in which the Roxtons live; the passion of love, and also the passion of ambition, both thwarted and realized. From the elegant swish of satin skirts to the flutter of a flirtatious fan, readers will be transported into a world of vivid detail, and will emerge knowing more than they could ever have imagined about this colorful and vibrant era. The author takes readers right into the heart of this wonderful romance, and they will experience each heartbeat and thrilling moment as Dair and Rory discover and explore their love. There are also brilliantly drawn lesser characters, with their pettiness, spite and narrow-mindedness, as well as others altogether much more appealing. Readers who have been avidly following the Roxton series will be delighted to pick up on clues from previous books. Ms. Brant has a gift for intertwining those threads into a constantly developing tapestry. This series has created a superb niche readership of the Georgian era. I have read all the books from Book One, so it was a delight to connect with familiar characters. For readers coming new to this series, I would recommend starting at the beginning, although the author’s skill in weaving in back story means this book can be read as a stand-alone. Highly recommended. 5 Stars. ( )