DEVIL IN DISGUISE
Genre: Historical Romance
Series: The Ravanels #7
Author: Lisa Kleypas
Release Date: July 27, 2021

New York Times bestseller Lisa Kleypas returns with an enthralling and steaming romance between a Scot with a mysterious past and strong-willed lady looking for adventure—and love. 

“The devil never tries to make people do the wrong thing by scaring them. He does it by tempting them.”

Lady Merritt Sterling, a strong-willed young widow who’s running her late husband’s shipping company, knows London society is dying to catch her in a scandal. So far, she’s been too smart to provide them with one. But then she meets Keir MacRae, a rough-and-rugged Scottish whisky distiller, and all her sensible plans vanish like smoke. They couldn’t be more different, but their attraction is powerful, raw and irresistible.

From the moment Keir MacRae arrives in London, he has two goals. One: don’t fall in love with the dazzling Lady Merritt Sterling. Two: avoid being killed.

So far, neither of those is going well.

Keir doesn’t know why someone wants him dead until fate reveals the secret of his mysterious past. His world is thrown into upheaval, and the only one he trusts is Merritt.

Their passion blazes with an intensity Merritt has never known before, making her long for the one thing she can’t have from Keir MacRae: forever. As danger draws closer, she’ll do whatever it takes to save the man she loves . . . even knowing he might be the devil in disguise.

AMAZON

Your name is carved so deep in my heart, a million years could no’ erase it.”

Oh Lisa, I see what you did with the title there, you genius you, and I love it!

With just a few words, she had taken ownership of him from head to toe.

Lisa Kleypas was THE author that began my obsession with historical romance, and it all started with Devil in Winter. So the particular plot twist in this book seriously hit the spot for me and just brought things a full circle. Also helps that we’ve had quite a few books in between, because I’m not sure I would have felt the same had I read this sooner. *sheepish grin* But I digress.

Now look, I’m not typically a reader that enjoys insta anything; insta love/connection mostly. And this book had it. In spades. But much such is the genius that is Lisa Kleypas writing, because just when you think you’re neck deep in a super syrupy sweet romantic story, she turns it on its head. And this girl? I was so here for it.

It’s impossible not to love Merritt from page one. She’s a widow who now runs her late husband’s shipping business and does so well. She’s strong willed, smart, and has a heart of gold. It’s hard not to love that about her. Keir MacRae is a rough around the edges whisky distiller who feels he’s not good enough to be the dirt beneath lady Merritt’s feet.

What I loved about this story was Merritt. This is a woman who knows what she wants and even though she has a skittish Scott who’s determined to fight the attraction between them, she doesn’t shy away from going after it. I loved this. But just when you think this is all there is to a book, an attempted murder and some amnesia get thrown into the mix and suddenly you have the plot twists to beat all plot twists. Someone wants Keir dead, my beloved Sebastian makes a lengthy cameo, and I can’t put the book down.

The first 30% of this book was a bit slow, but then it took a twist and I couldn’t turn the pages quick enough. There’s a mystery, a stunning love story, and an epic revelation that I simply inhaled. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of this world or the spin offs. If you loved Lisa’s Wallflowers series than you’ll definitely appreciate the cameos here. And if you loved Devil In Winter, you definitely don’t want to miss this one.

It was a dreamy romance with steam and heart and I can’t recommend it enough.

CHASING CASSANDRA
Series: The Ravenels #6
Genre: Historical Romance
Author: Lisa Kleypas
Release Date: February 18, 2020

Everything has a price…

Railway magnate Tom Severin is wealthy and powerful enough to satisfy any desire as soon as it arises. Anything—or anyone—is his for the asking. It should be simple to find the perfect wife—and from his first glimpse of Lady Cassandra Ravenel, he’s determined to have her. But the beautiful and quick-witted Cassandra is equally determined to marry for love—the one thing he can’t give.

Everything except her…

Severin is the most compelling and attractive man Cassandra has ever met, even if his heart is frozen. But she has no interest in living in the fast-paced world of a ruthless man who always plays to win.

When a newfound enemy nearly destroys Cassandra’s reputation, Severin seizes the opportunity he’s been waiting for. As always, he gets what he wants—or does he? There’s one lesson Tom Severin has yet to learn from his new bride:

Never underestimate a Ravenel.

The chase for Cassandra’s hand may be over. But the chase for her heart has only just begun…

AMAZON

He kissed her for all the midnights and mornings they would never share. He kissed her with a tenderness he would never be able to express in words, and felt her response in his blood, as if her sweetness had sunk into his marrow.

This book. This book right here is exactly why I love historical romance. If you’re not a reader of the genre, this book will make a converter out of you. It was sweet, quirky, funny, and oh so swoony! Lisa Kleypas can simply do no wrong for me, and this series only continues to get better and better with each new installment. But I really think this was my favorite in the series so far.

My wife expects me to join her upstairs for a nap.”
“How could a grown man sleep in the middle of the day? Why would you even want to?”
“I wasn’t planning to sleep,” Devon said curtly.
“Oh. Well, I would like to have my own wife to nap with. In fact, I’d like some good, hard napping on a regular basis.”

What if you took Sheldon from Big Bang Theory and made him into a quirky, dreamy and handsome historical romance character? That’s precisely what Tom was. I simply don’t have a better way to describe his unique personality. Tom is very black and white. He doesn’t believe in messy entanglements like love and romance and feelings. He’s ridiculously smart, incredibly so. His whip smart mind and ability to learn to do practically anything just by seeing or reading about it has allowed him to be the rich man that he is. Having come from nothing, Tom is one of the richest men now and known for his ruthless negotiations and no holds barred when it comes to doing business.

The second he lays his eyes on Cassandra, he knows he wants her. A marriage is the logical next step for a man like him. But a lady like Cassandra hasn’t been holding out with marriage for as long as she has for no reason. She wants a marriage formed from love and devotion, and that’s just one thing that Tom isn’t willing to give. He believes himself incapable of it.

Feelings are inconvenient,” Tom said. “It’s why I decided to limit mine to five”

I cannot even begin to describe to you just how satisfying it was watching Tom unwittingly fall for Cassandra as the story progressed. I loved his quirky and unique personality almost as much as I loved Cassandra’s softness and loving nature. She’s the perfect balance to a man as cold and aloof as Tom. But Tom isn’t quite as cold as he believes himself to be. And the more time he spends with the beautiful Cassandra, the more that becomes evident.

The story is perfectly paced and wonderfully crafted. It draws you in from the very first page and keeps you riveted until the very end. A beautiful, swoony, and memorable romance between two polar opposites that couldn’t be more perfect together. I absolutely loved this book!

DEVIL’S DAUGHTER
Series: The Ravenels #5
Genre: Historical Romance
Author: Lisa Kleypas
Release Date: February 25, 2019

New York Times bestselling author Lisa Kleypas delivers a scintillating tale of a beautiful, young widow who finds passion with the one man she shouldn’t…

Although beautiful young widow Phoebe, Lady Clare, has never met West Ravenel, she knows one thing for certain: he’s a mean, rotten bully. Back in boarding school, he made her late husband’s life a misery, and she’ll never forgive him for it. But when Phoebe attends a family wedding, she encounters a dashing and impossibly charming stranger who sends a fire-and-ice jolt of attraction through her. And then he introduces himself…as none other than West Ravenel.

West is a man with a tarnished past. No apologies, no excuses. However, from the moment he meets Phoebe, West is consumed by irresistible desire…not to mention the bitter awareness that a woman like her is far out of his reach. What West doesn’t bargain on is that Phoebe is no straitlaced aristocratic lady. She’s the daughter of a strong-willed wallflower who long ago eloped with Sebastian, Lord St. Vincent—the most devilishly wicked rake in England.

Before long, Phoebe sets out to seduce the man who has awakened her fiery nature and shown her unimaginable pleasure. Will their overwhelming passion be enough to overcome the obstacles of the past?

Only the devil’s daughter knows…

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“If you have any misguided thoughts about taking me into your bed, you would find it a vastly mediocre experience. I’d be on you like a crazed rabbit, and half a minute later the whole thing would be over. I used to be a proficient lover, but now I’m a burnt-out libertine whose only remaining pleasure is breakfast food. Speaking of which—”

Phoebe reached for him, brought herself up hard against him, and interrupted him with her mouth. West flinched as if scalded and held very still in the manner of a man trying to withstand torture. Undeterred, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him as passionately as she could, touching her tongue to his stiff lips. The feel and taste of him was exhilarating. Suddenly he responded with a primitive grunt and his mouth clamped on hers, wringing sensation from her with demanding pressure. Forcing her lips apart, he searched her with his tongue the way she remembered, and it felt so good, she thought she might faint. A whimper rose from her throat, and he licked and bit gently at the sound and sealed their mouths together in a deep, insatiable kiss that involved his lips, breath, hands, body, soul.

Whatever it might be like to go to bed with this man . . . it would be anything but mediocre

He kissed like a man who had lived too fast, learned too late, and had finally found the thing he wanted.

I feel myself fall into a perpetual state of bliss each time I crack open a Lisa Kleypas book. And this time was no different. I’ve been eagerly anticipating this book, and now that I’ve finished it, quite frankly, I don’t know what to do with myself. Devil’s Daughter was everything I had hoped it would be, and trust me when I tell you that I hope a GREAT DEAL.

Devil in Winter was my very first historical romance. So of course Sebastian will forever hold a special place in my heart not only because of that, but because he also happens to be one of my favorite historical heroes. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this book to see his daughter get her HEA. And my what a ride it was!

There’s nothing wicked about you, except your kisses.”

Phoebe, Lady Clare was a phenomenal heroine. She has a sweet and caring disposition, but beneath all that is one incredibly strong woman. Ever since she was a little girl, she knew that she’d marry Henry. Even knowing that their time together would be short, it was worth it. After losing her beloved husband to his illness, Phoebe is left to their slowly crumbling estate with their two children.

West Ravenel was a name she was all too familiar with, since he was the boy bully that made Henry’s life miserable at boarding school. Meeting the man is nothing what Phoebe expects. West is no longer the bullying scoundrel but a man that tempts her at every step. I adored the slow burn between Phoebe and West. It was a perfectly paced, swoony, and angsty ride that I couldn’t put down for even a second. West was everything that Phoebe needed and nothing what she expected. He was sweet and caring, protective and playful, and effortlessly charming.

And while you see Phoebe’s slow decent into love with West, he struggles with his feelings. Not because he denies it, but because after his past he feels himself underserving of someone like Phoebe. My heart ached for him and everything he’s been through. And I simply adored the way that Phoebe and her sons slowly but surely thaw his heart.

Of course one of my favorite parts of the books were getting more of Sebastian. I loved seeing him as a husband, father, and grandfather. Age does nothing to diminish his intensity and playfulness.

I, meddle?” His brows lifted, and he looked positively indignant. “Evie, what can you be thinking?” “That you’re meddling.”
“From time to time, I may adjust a situation to achieve a desired outcome for the benefit of my children, but that’s not meddling.”
“What do you call it, then?”
“Parenting,” he said smugly, and kissed her before she could reply.

This book had everything; romance, emotion, angst, and humor. It was everything I’ve come to expect from this incredibly talented author. I love getting snippets of some of my favorite characters from previous books. And of course I love the way she’s able to weave the Ravenels and the Wallflowers together.

West was this amazing combination of vulnerability with a side of broken. This is a man that continues to struggle with the demons of his past and it takes a strong woman to get him to see beyond what he thinks he deserves. And some meddling from her well-meaning father doesn’t hurt either.

I loved this book from start to finish and I’m already itching for my next fix in this series.

New York Times bestselling author Lisa Kleypas graduated from Wellesley College with a political science degree. She’s a RITA award-winning author of both historical romance and contemporary women’s fiction. She lives in Washington State with her husband Gregory and their two children.

Connect with Lisa

Website: https://lisakleypas.com/

Facebook: @LisaKleypas

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