This book was a bit unconventional for a romance novel, and that was the reason I read it from beginning to end. I typically read a lot of regency romance and fantasy romance, so the fact that it was set some time long ago in Italy was different, even if it was a bit hard for me to visualize. This book was also written in the first person, which was a surprise as most romance novels I have read are in the third person. This typically means the narrator is unreliable, and in this case the narrator does not endear the reader to the love interest. She knows that he is cruel, arrogant and "incapable of love," but she loves him anyway. For the entire book you will be scratching your head trying to figure out what the hell she sees in him. He never earns or becomes worthy of her love. In other ways the story is entirely too conventional because this is another Cinderella story-if Cinderella fell in love with a borderline sociopath who kidnaps and rapes her. He also rapes another important character who later kills herself, which is pretty irredeemable to me. However, I don't get the impression the reader is supposed to see his inner heart of gold, which is another unconventional approach this book takes: having little to no likable characters besides the main character. The writer should at least make an effort to make us understand where he is coming from, but many of the excuses the narrator gives boil down to "well I pity him because I see the lonely abandoned child he once was." He is a grown man who is a full ten years older than the main character. Being an emotionally stunted prick does not excuse his behavior. This would have worked a lot better if the love interest had a character arc and learned that there are consequences for treating women the way he does. This is why the book is too unconventional for its own good because it would have been fixed as a romance book if the author leaned into the reformed rake trope more instead of avoiding it at every turn. Granted, he does change a little bit, but because of the pacing it is not drastic, nor necessarily believable. If not, this book could have actually been a pretty good tragedy where the love interest ends up losing the girl somehow. ( )

DNF. Got about 1/3 of the way through.

I read this book on a recommendation from a reviewer on another book, who said this was their favorite dark romance. Sorry, reviewer, but we'll have to agree to disagree.

This book bored me out of my mind. It's set in Dark Ages Naples, with all the ugly clothes and religious fervor that comes with it. I could deal with that if the writer's voice didn't seem like a cloistered monk writing a history in an abbey somewhere.

There's also pretty much no romance to speak of. It goes like this. Guy sees girl hanging out of a window at a parade, guy kidnaps said girl from her bed in the middle of the night, almost killing her, then guy proceeds to rape girl for days on end. After said raping, girl falls madly in love with guy with no romantic moments or relationship building at all.

I love dark romances because it makes me believe that people with any background or bad memories can find love, but this one just made me believe in Stockholm Syndrome. ( )

what a journey!

not to say that dominico is a good man, not at all, but i thought his cruelty would be directed at felicia more than it was. he punishes her by hurting others, which is still very cruel, but she is not really physically injured so much as she is emotionally abused by him. (other than him forcing himself on her and kidnapping her, nbd)

this is my first time reading an old school bodice ripper, and i was overall pretty pleased! i got bored with a lot of the politics, but i suffered through and ultimately had a good time ( )

This book is not bad per se, the tale is interesting and well-spun, but I have a few major issues with the characters.

I was aware this is a (historical, to boot) romance novel of the late '70s and since the genre is much a product of its time, I knew it was likely the relationship portrayed could be at odds with my contemporary sensibilities.

However the blurb was interesting enough and I delved in.

The male lead has little or no redeeming qualities: he's violent, possessive, manipulative, completely self-centered and unapologetic for tortures or kidnappings. Of course he had a troubled past and experienced his share of tragedies, he's also the ruler of a fictional besieged Duchy in XVII century Italy (women abuse and dynastic quarrels aplenty), but he's truly repulsive.

The heroine falls helplessly in love with him and I still wonder how that came to pass. Even her courage and acts of defiance are defined by her unhealthy attraction to him, and she's usually passive and has no self-respect, breathing and living social norms with conviction. I couldn't despise her though, given the circumstances.

I decided to rate this three stars instead of two because of the quality of the narrative, the researched historical setting and the overall drama; all the elements together compensated for the unpalatable characters. ( )

Wow. I have had The Silver Devil on my 'to-read' list forever. I didn't really think I would get ahold of a copy, much less enjoy it as much as I did. It is definitely intense and I'm not sure that this book is really classified as a romance. The writing is so good, that I am totally rooting for the diabolical hero and his loving (but subservient)heroine by the end. It's five stars for me. ( )