DEVIL IN DISGUISE is the much anticipated seventh installment of Lisa Kleypas’s Ravenels series, and you better believe I was one of the ones awaiting this book's release. In this offering, we get the story of Lady Merritt, Lillian and Marcus’ daughter. IT HAPPENED ONE AUTUMN (Lillian and Marcus’ story,) was my favorite Wallflowers book, so this book had expectations that were through the roof. And maybe a bit unfairly, as it’s been a long time since I’ve read its predecessor.
Lady Merritt is running the shipping company that belonged to her late husband, and she is a force to be reckoned with, that’s for sure. Keir MacRae is a whiskey distiller from Scotland, and from the time he hits the shore, his entire delivery process goes awry. When he meets Lady Merritt Sterling to iron things out, sparks immediately fly. I will say that I had a lot of concerns about this story as it went on, because there were a lot of tropes here that I’m not a fan of. To my surprise, Lisa Kleypas really put my preferences to the test, because she resolved almost every one of them in a way that left me not only satisfied but rather pleased. My biggest concern going in was how progressive the heroine would be, as I’m not a fan of anachronistic historical romance. And while she was progressive, she was surrounded by people who warned her about society's standards and the like, and I was glad to see that. Like it or not, it was common sense for the time, and I’m glad Merritt had people she could rely on to be honest with her in her life.
I enjoyed seeing some of the Wallflower characters throughout DEVIL IN DISGUISE. It made me very nostalgic for the series, and now, of course, I want to reread them. I thought Merritt and Keir had great chemistry and realistic hurdles to overcome, and I loved their wounds from the past and how they shared them. I even found myself coming around to the twist. Although there were a few concerns, like I mentioned, the author handled them wonderfully. Unfortunately, there was a major event at the end of this story that I found utterly disappointing, and it made me question my love for the story as a whole.
I would recommend reading DEVIL IN DISGUISE as a part of the series, because (pardon the pun,) it is not without its merits in the grand scheme of the Ravenels. But I would caution the reader to hold their expectations close to the vest.
Audiobook Narration: When it comes to Historical Romance with English accents, Mary Jane Wells is the cream of the crop as far as I’m concerned. And she did a fantastic job here, as expected. I will say that I had a hard time understanding Keir’s accent at times, but I think that is due more to the Scottish accent than Mary Jane Wells’ performance. I would still recommend you listen to this book; I’d just suggest having the book next to you so you can follow along if you need to.
New York Times bestseller Lisa Kleypas returns with an enthralling and steaming romance between a widowed lady and a Scot on the run—who may have connections to one of London's most noble families.
“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 his secret connection to one of England’s most powerful families. 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.
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