I suspect that the reason I like this series so much is that I want to find out about the lives of the street urchins. They all have noble spirits and I want to read more about them. Why mention it? Well, because I asked myself why am I rating the book highly. I suppose it is because I like the characters and am curious as to what happened to them. Frankly, I can't pinpoint why I'm reading them. It isn't as low as a 3.5 but isn't as high as a 4...well whatever.This story is about Frannie Darling. Her moniker is actually a cute story with a hint of tragedy. She grew up on the streets under the care of Feagan. Feagan is really her father but does not admit it because he wants better for her. In her childhood, she faced many adversities that helped shape her into the caring and loving woman she is at present. She is building a home for orphans to give them a better life. It is a social reform of such but she cares about them individually. If she has the means to help, she will do so. At a young age, she had been brutally raped by Luke's uncle, which set in motion Luke's grandfather's discovery of him. She also was party to Feagan's crimes when they swindled people out of their valuables by posing as an impoverished soldier with his daughter. When they were taken into their homes, they robbed them of their possessions. Frannie never did feel right repaying kindness with thievery but she did so because she loved Feagan. As an adult, she sought to repair that imbalance by giving back. She travels alone in the dark streets of London collecting young boys to house in her orphanage. She earned a reputation as the Red Angel, giving those in need a shelter. To her enemies, she had the appelation of the devil.She met Sterling at Catherine and Luke's wedding. He made an impression because he looked at her as a man does to a woman he wants to bed. This was a foreign concept to her because she surrounds herself with Feagan's lads, who love her but not in that way. They see her as a fragile butterfly and sought to protect her. But in their protectiveness, they only box her in limiting her experiences. Sterling acts like an ass for their first few meetings. He is interested in her but has a preconception of the lower classes. He thinks she will agree to his propositions in exchange for money but was soon disabused of that notion. For her part, Frannie was flattered. She was desired for herself and none other. She considered it but ultimately declined. They spend time together much to the dislike of Feagan's lads. They sought to protect her and in that endeavour, they threatened Sterling. They had to do it several times and the last was with Claybourne, who revealed Frannie's past. Sterling was understandably furious because he came to care about Frannie a lot. He wanted to kill Luke's uncle but he was already dead. Sterling undergoes transformations in his character. He sees the other side of the story. He has more compassion with the poor. Rather than seeing their crimes as a flaw in character, he sees them more as a result of their circumstances of birth. Frannie illustrated this by asking him about his past transgressions in which he stole an apple. It was a game to him but unlike him, the street urchins who committed the same crime were punished severely. He helps out with Frannie's cause, particularly with Jimmy, Sykes' son. At first, he wanted to call the constable but reconsidered and called for Frannie. She was grateful and took Jimmy in. He slept in the orphanage but went back to the streets the morning after. They have several more encounters with him, the last major one being when he denied knowing Sterling to save his life. When Sykes asked whether Jimmy had seen Sterling before, he said no and left, thus saving Sterling from Sykes' suspicion. They later arrest him for murder and other crimes. Sterling was hurt that night but recovered. He spent some time with Frannie after but promptly said goodbye. He left for the country and Frannie's heart broke. However, she knew it was coming because she was a realist. They reunited again at a benefit in Catherine's house. Sterling confessed about his condition and Frannie dismissed it. Given the choice between having a blind man or not having him at all, she chose being with him. He proposed that night and they lived happily after. They had three children who they saw into adulthood. Their daughter married Henry, the duke of Lovingdon. They saw their grandchild. As much tragedy there are in the book, there are also sweet moments. I especially loved Feagan's scenes because you really get a sense that he tries his hardest to provide for his kids. He cares for them in his own way. His seeing off Frannie get married to Sterling was particularly bittersweet. It was sweet since he was talking to the love of his life but sad also because he did so in a distance. He knew her life would be better in the respectable part of the world and so he lurks in the distance. I think I know why I like this series as much as I do, I really sympathize with the characters. They are fleshed out. I know their background, their present, their person, and I am swept into their story. Frannie is a sweetheart. I disliked her in the first book because she stood between Luke and Catherine. Luke was cruel in bringing up his desire to marry Frannie all the time but that isn't really Frannie's fault. It is just in her nature to care. I hope James' book doesn't suffer the same flaw as Luke's. She is a strong person and an angel in every sense of the word. She takes in children and gives them a better future than what they would normally have. She knew what it was like to live in the streets and knew the limitations it had on their lives, she sought to expand them to give them a better life. She was really nice. Normally, I really dislike super nice characters but she was alright. I cried for her when Nancy dismissed what happened to her as a trifle. It really hurt her inside and is one of those experiences that break your spirit. She is a person too despite her nice nature. Another incident that enhance her character is when she spent an afternoon with the ladies who proceeded to make something innocent, her sleeping with the boys which is mainly for comfort, into something dirty. The affection between Feagan's children are really innocent. They have a strong bond between all of them and I get why they are all so close. Sterling...he was alright. He was in danger of being irredeemable. Like Olivia, he suffered from narrow-mindedness that did not give credit to his character. He is looking for a wife to perform his duty to the dukedom. Before that happened, he vowed to have Frannie. He regarded her as just another woman in the beginning but as they grew to know more about each other, he developed affections for her, which grew into love. At first, he did not consider her for marriage because of her lower station in life but later, it was because she was too good for him. He is slowly going blind and did not want to saddle her with a blind husband. She disregarded this issue though and reassured him love is all that matters. In the book, you can really get a sense of Sterling's growth. He starts off narrow-minded and grows into a caring man. He learns to see beyond his aristocratic world and look at the underbelly of London.It's a nice book. "Surrender to the Devil" is a continuation of Lorraine Heath's series following Feagan's children. Two familiar characters - Frannie and Sterling - finally get their romance, though not without some trial and tribulation. Frannie, the only girl among the orphaned brood, was painted as a special character in the previous books. Her childhood trauma played a central role in the group's back story and every hero in the series thus far has acted as her champion and protector. Their well-intentioned desire to shelter her is suffocating and Sterling becomes her secret escape - a man who doesn't treat her like she will shatter at the slightest touch. Although I loved her selfness nature and gentle spirit, I felt Frannie's ability to "get over" her fear of intimacy to be highly unrealistic. She fell too quickly for the duke, especially considering her tragic incident and insecurity among the aristocracy. If it was enough to deter her from accepting Luke's offer, I felt that it should have posed as more of an obstacle when coming from someone that is not "one of them".Sterling's secret came as a surprise, though I should have expected a compelling reason for his estrangement from his family. He is slightly different from the generic ducal archetype, where instead of being self-possessed with a sense of entitlement, he explored the world as an adventurer in defiance of the duties that would come with his title. His fear and shame is what causes him to seek out a loveless marriage - until he meets Frannie. She has a profound effect on how he views the people and children who fall between the cracks, and his character gradually evolves from just another ignorant noble to someone who joins Claybourne in the push towards reformation among the House of Lords. I felt that the difference in the couple's stations should have been played out more, but since this is a romance novel first and foremost, I find it difficult to complain that the couple finally do get their Happily Ever After.The epilogue was very sweet and gives the readers a sense of closure, especially in regards to Sterling's fears. Now I wonder if we will ever see Feagan and Mags' story!
What do You think about Surrender To The Devil (2009)?
Love love Frannie's story. She's a favorite character of mine.
—Alan_Snape
