Review: There is a lot about A Devil's Thief  that was awesome, but there were also a few things that were disappointing
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 10 1, 2013
The Devil's Thief by Samantha KaneThere is a lot about A Devil's Thief  that was awesome, but there were also a few things that were disappointing. Overall, I liked the story, I wasn't bored, it flowed, the potential was all there, it just didn't quite deliver☹ On that basis, I have found it really hard to write this review.Characters√ On the plus side were the characters and their interactions. In fact, if Samantha Kane lined up her characters with little descriptions, much like the cast section of a play; and if upon reading that list you were to visualise each character and how they should look and act, on the whole, you would not be disappointed.√ I thoroughly enjoyed the friendship between the three main gentlemen who somehow managed to maintain a modicum of nobility and respectability through their weird concept of honour. They achieved this despite consorting with criminals, scandalising women and losing their inheritance. I can't explain how it worked, it just did!√ The developing relationship between Julianna and her step mother, was also nicely done. This was especially evident in the misconceptions one can get when they are thrust into a living arrangement with someone previously unknown to them. Again, Samantha Kane was quite proficient in outlining their evolution from rivals to their almost familial relationship.√ Wiley and Blackman the two notorious blackguards of the tale were also brilliant. Wiley reminded me a lot of a how Oliver would have grown up had circumstance not turned in his favour. Blackman was hopeless, totally irredeemable but necessary to the story. I could almost hear his voice, not his dialogue, his voice. On the down side regarding the characters, was Alasdair Sharp, the hero. He just seemed, I don't know... ignorant? And a little inconsistent. He didn't seem to grasp the logic behind the events as they unfolded, he was volatile, he behaved eratically. Occasionally, I found myself thinking Julianna would be better of with someone else. Perhaps in an effort to highlight loves first angst, Samantha Kane went too far with the emotional highs and lows?  It somewhat tarnished the inevitability of destiny between Julianna and Alasdair.Plot and Pacing The story itself seemed to run along a little bit and I had to remind myself that what I was reading was an ARC, it's not a finished product. The optimist in me wants me to believe that those little wrinkles would be ironed out before the final product was determined.√  Despite my negativity in some of the above points, I want to say that The Devil's Thief was really quite a lovely novel. It had a enough drama, plenty of light hearted moments, some wonderful if absurd characters and regular heated exchanges between our heroine and her beau (both passionate and fiery). It certainly wasn't a hardship to read.My Rating❀❀❀-DisclaimerI obtained an ARC from the publisher with a view to providing an honest review. The thoughts expressed above, are entirely my own. I don't really like the concept of rating novels as they are subjective and subject to change. A five star book today, may be re-evaluated when compared to future novels.