Review - - Devil in Disguise

Devil in Disguise

by Lisa Kleypas

Ravenels - Book 7

Publisher: Avon

Release Date: July 27, 2021

Reviewed by PJ

 

 

“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.

PJ's Thoughts:

As a long-time Kleypas fan, I have to say that these second-generation stories are giving me all the joy. Merritt embodies qualities passed down from both of her parents (American Lillian Bowman and Marcus, Earl of Westcliff from It Happened One Autumn) and puts them to good use both in business as well as her personal life. She's strong, independent, stubborn, and about to fall for a man who is all wrong for her. But, what if he isn't?

If Merritt doesn't want Keir MacRae, she can send him my way. A gruff Scotsman with a mysterious past, a whisky distiller with the weight of his clan on his shoulders, a man who matches wits with Merritt during the day and sets her body aflame after dark? Yes, please! 

Kleypas uses danger, passion, family secrets, humor, sparkling banter, heart-tugging emotion, and unexpected twists to bring this story to life and I was with her every step of the way. It is perfect? No. Do I care? Not in the least. Devil in Disguise is one of those books I'm going to turn to in the future when I need a good comfort read. It's everything I love about Lisa Kleypas and the characters she brings to life. I hope she has more second-generation stories in the works because I am here for them!

Though this is the seventh book in the Ravenels series, it stands exceptionally well on its own. Long-time fans will enjoy the cameo appearances of first-generation heroes and heroines from the Wallflowers series but readers new to Kleypas should be able to jump in here without any confusion. I enthusiastically recommend adding this one to your summer reading list.

Review - - Chasing Cassandra

Chasing Cassandra
by Lisa Kleypas
The Ravenels - Book 6
Publisher: Avon
Release Date: February 18, 2020
Reviewed by Santa
 

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 . . .

Santa says:

I must confess that I kept piling book upon book on my TBR pile before reading Chasing Cassandra by Lisa Kleypas. I really am not sure why. I told a friend that having plowed through that pile and, with a few stellar exceptions, what I read was mostly tepid to me. That is not to say that they weren’t hot enough but rather that they did not spark anything in me as a reader.

How could I have doubted you, Lisa Kleypas! She has always been one of my GO TO authors for more than 15 years! Chasing Cassandra is by no means a tepid romance book -far from it! THIS is a 5 star romance novel! I was engaged and all in from the very first pages to the very end! 

First, let me say that I love the Ravanel family! I loved the references to all the interconnected families here, as well. What better vehicle than a wedding to reintroduce them all. That’s where we find Tom Severin, a wildly but calculatedly successful businessman attending the wedding of Pandora Ravenel to the Viscount St. Vincent. This is where his frozen heart stops at the sight of Pandora’s twin sister, Cassandra. Tom is a man who knows what he wants and sets off to pursue her. The emphatic NO that he gets from her cousin and his brother both is delivered in such a deadpan manner much as a dogged parent might respond to an equally dogged child. And that is when I laughed out loud.

Cassandra’s guardian, Devon Ravenel is best friends and business associates with Tom Severin. He knows how he operates and how he has no heart or room for love. Tom admits this. He only has five feelings which he acknowledges and love is not one of them. Dev knows that Cassandra wants and needs love, especially given how she was raised. Cassandra, for her part, cannot help noticing Tom as a more than handsome man and knows that his heart is not as frozen and useless as Tom thinks it is. 

And so the chase is on, with Cassandra and a street urchin named Bazzle slowly but shortly melting Tom’s frozen heart. I wished this story could have gone on and on. I am adding this one to my keeper shelf alongside the rest of the Ravenels and my beloved Wallflower series.

Avon Tour Review & Giveaway - - Devil's Daughter

Devil's Daughter
by Lisa Kleypas
Publisher: Avon
Release Date: February 19, 2019
Reviewed by PJ

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…

My thoughts:

Halfway through the first book in this series, I was already begging for West to have his own story. By the time his book went up for pre-order and I discovered his heroine would be Phoebe, Evie and Sebastian's widowed daughter, I was over the moon with anticipation. I am happy to report that Devil's Daughter met all of my expectations...and then some. 

I've always had a soft spot for reformed rakes and Kleypas creates some of the best with Derek Craven, Sebastian (St. Vincent), and West Ravenel all near the top of my list. I wanted to hug young West and tell him everything would be okay and hug grown-up West and tell him how proud I was of how he'd turned his life around. I fell hard for his humor, his heart, his respect for those working his brother's estate, and his willingness to roll up his sleeves and work alongside them. I loved his playful side, evidenced in his relationship with Phoebe's two young sons, his sexy side, when his desire for Phoebe was given full reign, and his heartfelt apology for the actions of his youth. His vulnerability made me ache for him and want to jump into the pages of the book so I could fix everything. Luckily, for West, he had another reformed rake in his corner to help put things on the right path and wasn't that delicious. I do love it when one of my favorite heroes meddles in the life of another!

Phoebe is a wonderful blend of her parents and just what West needs in his life, as West is exactly what she needs in hers. I loved her hands-on relationship with her young sons and the lively interactions with her siblings. I enjoyed her humor and her stubborn determination and I appreciated her ability to forgive. It was fun watching her evolve from a grieving widow with uninspired sexual experience and little knowledge of her son's inheritance into a self-assured woman eager to explore her own sensuality and ready to take charge of her world. She's a great character on her own but I adored her with West. They have "meant to be" written all over them. 

Of course, a bonus of Phoebe being the heroine of this novel is that Kleypas gifts readers with plenty of delicious page time with Evie and Sebastian. Especially, Sebastian. No complaints here. I'll happily take all I can get!


Are you reading this series?

Do you enjoy revisiting characters from a previous series in new books?

Who is your favorite Lisa Kleypas hero?

One person who leaves a comment on this post before 11:00 PM, February 24, 2019 will receive a print copy of Devil's Daughter. (U.S. only)

Connect with Lisa Kleypas

Website: https://lisakleypas.com/

Facebook: @LisaKleypas

Twitter: @LisaKleypas

Instagram: @LisaKleypas

Buy links for DEVIL’S DAUGHTER:

Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/yd3aftfc

IndieBound: https://tinyurl.com/ycr862mk

Barnes & Noble: https://tinyurl.com/ydhwzv3f

Books-A-Million: https://tinyurl.com/yahfn6su

iBooks: https://tinyurl.com/yapuz923

GooglePlay: https://tinyurl.com/yarh9xp9

Tour Review & Giveaway - - Hello Stranger

Hello Stranger
By Lisa Kleypas
The Ravenels - Book 4
Publisher: Avon
Release Date: February 27, 2018
Reviewed by PJ

 

Fans of The Ravenels series will recognize Dr. Garrett Gibson as the pragmatic, dedicated doctor who cares for Winterbourne employees and their families during the day and spends the rest of her time treating those in the poor sections of London who cannot afford her services. She is determined to use her hard-won medical knowledge and skills to educate and care for as many people as possible, especially the women of England who have been taught that to have an interest in their health or bodies is shameful. Her course is set and it doesn't include time for frivolities such as balls and soirees or love and romance. But then Ethan Ransom re-enters her life and brings with him flutters and desires that refuse to be denied. 

Ethan Ransom is not the man for Dr. Garrett Gibson. He knows that someone as special as the lady doctor deserves a much better man than he but, even knowing that, he can't seem to keep his distance. Ethan is a man of the shadows, with rough origins, lethal skills, and a secret government job that could bring deadly danger to Garrett's door. He does his best to stay away, while still watching over her, but fate conspires to bring them together time and again and each time their fascination with one another and desire for one another grow deeper. Garrett is confident she can indulge in her body's desires without emotional consequence while Ethan has already fallen hard. He wants her with every beat of his heart but fears what could happen to her if she's pulled into his deadly world. 

This is the deeply romantic Lisa Kleypas storytelling that I fell in love with years ago. From beginning to end, Hello Stranger is my favorite book so far in The Ravenels series.

I wasn't sure what to expect of Garrett when I started this book. In previous books in this series we've been shown a no-nonsense doctor who hasn't much of a life outside of her career but she really evolves throughout this story. I loved her strength and determination, her courage to pursue her dreams in the face of monumental odds and to take control of her happiness at the risk of damaging her reputation and endangering her livelihood. 

"I have to go," he said shortly, and pulled back while he was still able.
But Garrett moved with him, her hands reaching up to grip his head on either side, the way he'd taught her at Baujart's. The strength of her fingers electrified him.
"Kiss me," she commanded, "or I'll break your nose."
The threat startled a ragged laugh from him. He shook his head as he looked at her, this fearsomely capable woman who loved geese and was afraid of spaghetti, and could either wield a scalpel in a complex surgical procedure or use it as a throwing-knife.
There had always been a cold streak in him, but he couldn't seem to find it now, when he needed it most. He was breaking apart inside. He would never be the same after this.
"Christ, you've ruined me," he whispered.

It was a pleasure to watch Garrett learn to embrace her softer, emotional side without sacrificing any of the strength inherent in her scientific pragmatism and determination. Even when faced with near insurmountable odds to save someone she loves she rolls up her sleeves and marches into the fray, doing what she had been trained to do and refusing to allow emotion or fear to overtake her until every possible medical procedure has been completed. She has enormous strength of will. I admired her, liked her, and happily cheered her on throughout her journey. She is a heroine I will not soon forget.

What can I say about Ethan? ::sigh:: I really fell hard for this hero with his well-hidden Irish accent and caring, protective nature. He has so many layers and I savored the unveiling of every one of them. The scars of his childhood run deep and the bitterness he harbors for the Ravenel family is not without merit. He's convinced the best thing he can do for Garrett is put as much distance as possible between them but outside forces as well as his need to protect her continue to bring them together. He can be cold, ruthless, and lethal when necessary yet beneath the hard exterior lives the soul of a poet and a heart that yearns, as evidenced by this declaration to Garrett during a particularly dire scene:

"The first moment I saw you, I knew you were my share of the world. I've always loved you. If I could choose my fate, I'd never be parted from you. Acushla...pulse of my heart, breath of my soul...there's nothing on this earth more fair and fine than you. Your shadow on the ground is sunlight to me." 

::Sigh:: Added to that, he has an innate sensuality and a heart that beats solely for one unconventional woman not in spite of her intelligence and skills but, in large part, because of them. I mean, really, how could I not fall in love with him?

One of the things I most enjoyed about this book was how good Garrett and Ethan are as a couple. They bring out the best in one another, complement each other's strengths and weaknesses. They are each strong individually but stronger together. Neither is diminished by the other and while there are times in the story when Garrett is rescued by Ethan there are others where Ethan is rescued by Garrett. Their love is deep and enduring but they also like one another, admire one another, desire one another, and, in the end, they save one another. 

For fans of the series, West Ravenel has a fair amount of page time in this book. The scenes between West and Ethan were some of my favorites in Hello Stranger and have upped my anticipation for West's story. I hope we'll be seeing more of Ethan and Garrett in future books as well. I haven't had nearly enough of them! 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Have you read Hello Stranger yet? What did you think?

Who is/are your favorite Lisa Kleypas characters?

Are you as excited for West Ravenel's story as I am?

One randomly chosen person who posts a comment before 11:00 PM (Eastern), March 10 will receive a print copy of Hello Stranger from the publisher. U.S. and Canadian addresses only.

 

Danielle Barnum Photography

ABOUT LISA KLEYPAS

New York Times bestselling author Lisa Kleypas graduated from Wellesley College with a political science degree. She is a RITA award winning author of both historical romance and contemporary women’s fiction. Her novels are published in fourteen different languages and are bestsellers all over the world. She lives in Washington State with her husband Gregory and their two children.

A woman who defies her time
Dr. Garrett Gibson, the only female physician in England, is as daring and independent as any man—why not take her pleasures like one? Yet she has never been tempted to embark on an affair, until now. Ethan Ransom, a former detective for Scotland Yard, is as gallant as he is secretive, a rumored assassin whose true loyalties are a mystery. For one exhilarating night, they give in to their potent attraction before becoming strangers again.

A man who breaks every rule

As a Ravenel by-blow spurned by his father, Ethan has little interest in polite society, yet he is captivated by the bold and beautiful Garrett. Despite their vow to resist each other after that sublime night, she is soon drawn into his most dangerous assignment yet. When the mission goes wrong, it will take all of Garrett’s skill and courage to save him. As they face the menace of a treacherous government plot, Ethan is willing to take any risk for the love of the most extraordinary woman he’s ever known.

Connect with Lisa Kleypas

Facebook: @LisaKleypas

Twitter: @LisaKleypas

Instagram: @lisakleypas

BUY LINKS for HELLO STRANGER:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2mGsuAd

IndieBound: http://bit.ly/2mRfLvD

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/2EQPLH5  

Books-A-Million: http://bit.ly/2BckeNI

iBooks: https://apple.co/2DJ339o

GooglePlay: http://bit.ly/2rjQ37l