Devon Ravenel is quite happy with his life. He and his
younger brother Weston live comfortably, are reasonably
well off, and are popular with the ladies. So, Devon is
less than overjoyed to learn that his not-so-beloved
cousin Theo has died, leaving him as heir to the
Trenear earldom. The late earl was a newlywed, married
just three days before being killed in an accident. In
addition to his widow, he has three sisters, dependent on
the debt-ridden earldom. As Devon is bemoaning his fate
to Weston and telling how he plans to sell the estate
and send the widow and sisters packing immediately, he is
unaware that Kathleen (the widow) has entered the room
and heard every word he said. Rather than slink away,
she boldly confronts him, telling him that she and her
sisters-in-law will plan on departing the estate as soon
as possible, leaving him to "loot and pillage in an
organized fashion." (Oh, how I love that line!)
Kathleen believes she loved Theo when she married him,
but quickly became disillusioned with his behavior and
drunkenness after their wedding. Now she doesn't even
have a place to call home. She plans on finding a small
cottage for herself and her three sisters-in-law, and
she hopes they are able to survive on her small income if
they live frugally. She is infuriated that the selfish
Devon will destroy the earldom and the lives of all the
tenants and servants who depend on it for their
livelihood. Devon's investigation of the state of the
earldom only confirms what he suspected - it's debt
ridden and sadly in need of major improvements. Yet,
instead of immediately selling, he goes back to the
estate. Kathleen's scorn of him, not to mention her
beauty and her boldness, affected him on some level. He
begins to have crazy thoughts of actually restoring the
earldom, and recruits Weston to assist him.
COLD-HEARTED RAKE is an apt description of Devon in the
beginning. He is incredibly selfish, as well as a love
'em and leave 'em womanizer, with Weston following in his footsteps. I loved
watching the change in
Devon as he actually began to care for someone and
something. He has feelings for Kathleen that he's never
felt before. It did my heart good to see him mature and
become a man worth admiring. I loved Kathleen from the
get go. She is strong and not afraid to state her
opinions, yet she does so while remaining a lady. She is
generous, as evidenced by her willingness to take on the
support of her in-laws of only three days duration. She
is also willing to admit that people can change, and
takes another chance on love, despite being so recently
and bitterly disappointed.
I am so happy that Lisa Kleypas is back to writing
historical romance, and she does so in fine fashion here.
She takes a character I can't imagine as a hero, and
totally redeems him. There were several charming lesser
characters, two of whom are going to be the subject of
the next book in this new series, Helen and Rhys. The
glimpse we get into their story is tantalizing, but the
stars are Kathleen and Devon, and their developing love.
This wonderfully written book flowed so smoothly, and
ended in one of the most romantic and touching
declarations of love that I have read. Welcome back,
Lisa!
Lisa Kleypa is back with a stunning new historical
romance!
Readers have long waited for the return of New York Times
bestselling author Lisa Kleypas to historical romance and
now she's
back with her most breathtaking yet.
A twist of fate . . .
Devon Ravenel, London's most wickedly charming rake, has
just inherited an earldom. But his powerful new rank in
society comes with unwanted responsibilities . . . and
more than a few surprises. His estate is saddled with
debt, and the late earl's three innocent sisters are
still occupying the house . . . along with Kathleen, Lady
Trenear, a beautiful young widow whose sharp wit and
determination are a match for Devon's own.
A clash of wills . . .
Kathleen knows better than to trust a ruthless scoundrel
like Devon. But the fiery attraction between them is
impossible to deny and from the first moment Devon
holds her in his arms, he vows to do whatever it takes to
possess her. As Kathleen finds herself yielding to his
skillfully erotic seduction, only one question remains:
Can she keep from surrendering her heart to the most
dangerous man she's ever known?
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