Giveaway, Excerpt, & Review of Devil's Daughter (The Ravenels #5) by Lisa Kleypas

Devil's Daughter

by Lisa Kleypas

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…

“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.

Connect with Lisa Kleypas

Website: https://lisakleypas.com/

Facebook: @LisaKleypas

Twitter: @LisaKleypas

Instagram: @LisaKleypas

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.

Title: Devil's Daughter: The Ravenels meet The Wallflowers 
Classification: Adult Fiction
Genre: Historical Romance
Series: Ravenels
Format: Paperback; 384 pages
Publisher: Avon (February 19, 2019)
ISBN-10: 0062371932
ISBN-13: 978-0062371935
Author's Website: https://lisakleypas.com/
Notes: I received an eARC loan from the publisher for review purposes. I must also admit I  am a HUGE Lisa Kleypas fan.


Lady Clare, Pheobe to friends and family, is just coming out of mourning and back into society two years after her husband's death. The marriage had been a love match, and while she's open to the possibility of love, she has no delusions as to how rare a second chance at it would be. When she meets the man who tormented her husband in his youth, she instantly dislikes him, but as she gets to know him things get...complicated. He's not at all what she pictured. He is handsome and charming with a devilishly wicked sense of humor. He draws her out from under the rain cloud that's been hovering over her since her husband's death. Would falling for the man who bullied her husband all those years ago be a betrayal???

West Ravenel parents died when he was you and was sent off to boarding school when none of his relatives could be bothered to raise him or his older brother. Truth be told, he had been a holy terror. Later he gained a reputation for being a rake. Somewhere along the way, however, he grew up and became a man to be admired, but he still feels as thought he's someone who just doesn't quite fit in. When he meets Lady Clare he is instantly enamored by the beautiful, warm young widow, but being as she is a Duke's daughter, he believes she's way too good for him and well above his reach . But is she...

"It's an unfair fact of life that the worst men end up with the best women."  

This is the fifth book in the Ravenels series and I think I just died and went to heaven. Lisa Kleypas is one of my favorite authors and I adore her stories. She tends to expertly entwine love, passion, family, and friendship into her novels, and this one was no exception. How did I love this book?  Let me count the ways...

First, I love that Ms. Kleypas included characters from one of her previous series. While you can read this book as a standalone I truly recommend that you don't. There are some scenes in this book between Sebastian, the Duke of Kingston, and his lady wife Evie (who were the prevalent characters in the Wallflower series) that you cannot possibly fully appreciate unless you've read the "Devil in Winter" first. I absolutely loved those scenes, and knowing Sebastian still loves his wife as much as he did when we were first introduced to the couple just brought a smile to my face and warmth to my heart. Plus, there are some parallels that Sebastian, Pheobe's father, sees between himself and West Ravenel that you won't pick up on unless you've read "Devil in Winter". So definitely read it, if not the whole Wallflower series, before this one. You'll be glad you did.

Second, I loved seeing Sebastian play matchmaker. I adored watching as he oh, so subtly pelts West with questions aimed at determining the man's character. I think I fell in love all over again with Sebastian as he watched out for his daughter, and had only her best interest at heart. It was so fun to see what kind of father he turned out to be. 

Third, I loved how West was with Pheobe's children. The scenes where the kids and West interacted were just so precious. You could just feel any doubts you may have had about the man just melt away as he displayed both patience and care when he played with the children and diligently answered their questions. It was utterly charming.

Fourth, and probably the most important. I loved how Pheobe and West were together. The chemistry between them was phenomenal, but it was more than that. You could just tell these two would fall madly and deeply for each other. It felt like the reader was watching two soul mates finally find their other halves. It was simply swoonworthy.    

Fifth, I love it when an author uses parallelisms to convey a certain thought, message, moral lesson, or idea to the reader. It's sort of like a verbal underlining used to emphasize something going on in the story by pairing it with another similar yet less obvious situation. It highlights what the author wants the reader to grasp on to and/or see. In this story Ms. Kleypas uses a cat to create the parallelism. See if you can figure out what it is the author is emphasizing. (Yes, I'm being very vague because I'm trying not to give too much of the story away.)   

I could go on and on about this one, but lets just say I equate reading this book to eating warm ooey gooey chocolate chip cookies that just hit the spot without all the calories. It's like indulging in a guilty pleasure without any of the guilt. Basically, it's like partaking of comfort food for the soul that warms your heart all while making you believe in the magic of love and the power of forgiveness. 

If you haven't figured it out, I gave this one 5 out 5 roses. I absolutely loved it. The characters were engaging and extremely three-dimensional. The romance was sweet, charming, and sexy as all get out. Additionally, there was a nice dose of humor mixed in with an interesting look at life during an era in the midst of change. On the Lisarenee Romance Rating Scale, this one earned a STEAM rating--too hot for a fan, but you still have a handle on things. You should use extreme caution when reading a book with this rating in public. People may inquire as to why you looked flustered and flushed. I HIGHLY recommend this one. It's Kleypas at her best. Who could ask for anything more? Um, well, er, except for another book and another and....  Well, you get the picture. *SMILE* 

Order of The Ravenels series by Lisa Kleypas:

Order of the Wallflower series by Lisa Kleypas:

Buy a copy at one of the following book retailers:

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Giveaway, Excerpt, and Review of Hello Stranger (The Ravenels, #4) by Lisa Kleypas

New York Times bestselling author Lisa Kleypas delivers a scintillating tale of an unconventional beauty who finds passion with the spy who can’t resist her

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.

He heard her muffled chuckle. She continued to lean against him while the trio of constables expressed sympathy for the unfortunate patient. Eventually the men departed with a chorus of hearty farewells. Ethan discovered that his other arm had stolen around Garrett. Making himself let go of her was like trying to uncoil a steel spring.

“You should go up to your father now,” he said with difficulty.

“Eliza will look after him while I take a few minutes to show you some slides. I have insect wings . . . pollen grains . . . flower petals . . . What would you like to see?”

“The inside of a hansom cab,” he said softly. “I can’t be alone with you, darlin’.”

Garrett touched the edges of his vest, fingers clamping on the thin leather. “Ethan.” A blush rose in her face, like light glowing through pink frosted glass. “I don’t want to end this. We . . . we could meet in secret, now and then. No one would have to know. We would make no claims on each other. We’ll just . . . do as we please.”

The way she fumbled with the words, so unlike her usual precise way of speaking, devastated Ethan. He could only guess what it cost her to lay open her pride like this. He wasn’t certain what she was offering, or even if she knew. Not that it mattered. He wanted, craved, needed anything she was willing to give. But he had to make her understand that it was impossible. And even if it were, the idea was beneath her.

“Have you had that kind of arrangement with a man before?” he brought himself to ask.

Her eyes were the green of deep summer and lush growing things. “I’m a woman who makes her own decisions and handles the consequences.”

“That means no,” Ethan said softly. At her silence, he continued, “You’d be risking your reputation. Your career.”

“Believe me, I understand that better than you.”

“Have you ever shared a bed with a man? Even once?”

“Why is that relevant?”

Her evasive response sent a pleasure-pang down to the pit of his stomach. “That means no,” he said again, his voice even softer than before. He took a slow breath, trying to steady himself, while his blood sang with the knowledge that she’d been waiting for him. She was meant to be his. God, he wanted her beyond any reckoning of earth or heaven. But her well-being mattered a thousand times more than his own desires.

“Garrett . . . I’m a man full o’ trouble. When I vowed to let nothing harm you, I included myself on that list.”

A frown crimped her forehead. She closed her grip on his vest until her fists were tight as pine knots. “I’m not afraid of you, or your trouble.” Her green eyes were narrowed and intent as she tugged him closer. “Kiss me,” she urged in a whisper.

“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.

His arms went around her, one hand gripping the heavy silken mass of her braided chignon. She guided his head down, and he lost the battle, all his will vanquished as he began to kiss her as if the world were about to end.

For him, it was.

Lisa Kleypas

Connect with Lisa Kleypas on:

Facebook: @LisaKleypas

Twitter: @LisaKleypas

Instagram: @lisakleypas

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.

Title: Hello Stranger: The Ravenels, Book 4
Classification: Adult Fiction
Genre: Historical Romance
Series: Ravenels (Book 4)
Format: Paperback; 496 pages
Publisher: HarperLuxe; Large Print edition (February 27, 2018)
ISBN-10: 0062792113
ISBN-13: 978-0062792112
Author's Website: http://lisakleypas.com/
Notes: I received an ARC from the publisher for review purposes.



At a young age Garrett Gibson fell in love with science and decided to become a doctor. She believes there will always be people who will say your dreams are impossible, but they can't stop you unless you agree with them. When she was barred from studying in England, she studied abroad. She got her degree and went back to London and began practicing there. The only thing she thought she might never be able to have is a family of her very own. She believed no man would ever let her do what she does. When she meets the mysterious Ethan Ransom, however, she thinks maybe, just maybe, she was wrong...

Ethan Ransom has been fascinated with Garrett since the first time he met her. She's like no one else he's ever met. He's never really thought about marriage, but as he gets to know her there's something about her that keeps drawing him back. He has done things in his life that he's not proud of, but somehow he thinks Garrett may be the one person to accept him as he is--faults and all.

I will confess to being a huge fan of Lisa Kleypas. Of all the novels she writes I feel her historical romances are the most magical. My favorite types of historical romances delve into what life was really like for woman in historical times, and then creates a heroine that defies her station and manages to find a man who allows her to be true to herself.

Now you may think Ms. Kleypas stretched reality a bit by creating a female doctor for a book which takes place in the 1800's, but there was such a doctor at that time. Elizabeth Garrett Anderson, the first female doctor in England, was the inspiration for Garrett Gibson. As a nod to the real life doctor, Ms. Kleypas used Elizabeth's maiden name for her character's first name. Garrett, of 'Hello Stranger', is a smart, strong, independent, and courageous woman. Taking a wild guess, I imagine her namesake couldn't have achieved what she did in the time period she lived if she didn't possess all those same qualities. I  recall a couple of years ago seeing information about Elizabeth Garrett Anderson in a Google Doodle celebrating her 180th birthday. I'm curious if that is what inspired the idea for this character in Ms. Kleypas' mind?

Ethan is a man of mystery, quite literally. He's a secret agent for the crown, although no one but a select few knows it. He is a very fun, smart, sexy, and complex individual with a lot of baggage. His first appearance in this book has him following Garrett. Now, this could be seen by some as being stalker like behavior, but I didn't get that vibe. He sees this beautiful woman entering time and time again a bad section of town at night to help out her patients and he wants ensure nothing bad to happens to her. He does his best to go unnoticed and lurks in the shadows. He never intends to make contact with her, but after three randy, drunk, young men plan to assault her, he takes action. I rather loved this, and I think it both charmed and maddened Garrett in equal measures.

The song that was playing in my mind was Johnny Rivers - Secret Agent Man from 1966...

'There's a man who leads a life of danger
To everyone he meets he stays a stranger
With every move he makes another chance he takes
Odds are he won't live to see tomorrow
Secret agent man, secret agent man
They've given you a number and taken away your name'


I couldn't help but give this one 5 out of 5 roses. I absolutely loved it and all the little details Ms. Kleypas incorporated into the story. I felt I passed through a looking glass and came out in a different time period. There was plenty of suspense, drama, and romance with a couple of twists and turns thrown in. I rather enjoyed seeing these two get to know one another and fall in love. I adored how each saw marriage as something they dare not wish for, but secretly wanted. I also loved how each managed to help emotionally heal the other.  On the Lisarenee Romance Rating Scale, this one earned a STEAM rating--too hot for a fan, but you still have a handle on things. You should use extreme caution when reading a book with this rating in public. People may inquire as to why you looked flustered and flushed. I HIGHLY recommend this one.

Order of The Ravenels series by Lisa Kleypas:

Notes to keep you in the know:
Check out 'A Short History of Blood Transfusion' by Phil Learoyd. It mentions Dr. J. Roussell who  was the chief authority on blood transfusions in 1865 and whose invention, the Roussell transfuser, is mentioned in 'Hello Stranger'.
http://www.sld.cu/galerias/pdf/sitios/anestesiologia/history_of_transfusion.pdf

Check out this interview with Lisa Kleypas done by Entertainment. It discusses the creation of 'Hello Stranger'.
http://ew.com/books/2017/09/13/lisa-kleypas-hello-stranger-cover-interview/

Check out the information that was provided by the Google Doodle back in 2016 on Elizabeth Garrett Anderson:
https://www.google.com/doodles/elizabeth-garrett-andersons-180th-birthday


Buy a copy at one of the following book retailers:
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2mGsuAd
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Books-A-Million: http://bit.ly/2BckeNI
iBooks: https://apple.co/2DJ339o
GooglePlay: http://bit.ly/2rjQ37l

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Early Review of Marrying Winterborne (The Ravenels #2) by Lisa Kleypas

Title: Marrying Winterborne
Classification: Adult Fiction
Genre: Historical Romance
Format: Paperback; 544 pages
Publisher: HarperLuxe; Lgr edition (May 31, 2016)
ISBN-10: 0062467387
ISBN-13: 978-0062467386
Author's Website: http://www.lisakleypas.com/
Notes: I bought this one.

Once upon a time a sheltered, bookish young lady agreed to marry a beast...

Rhys Winterborne is a self made man. He's a little rough--okay, extremely rough to the point of being jagged--around the edges, but is a good man at heart. He's had to fight his way to the top, and his marrying Lady Helen Ravenel will be seen by most as a maneuver to work his way into polite society. He's the kind of man who once he sets his mind on something tends to be unstoppable.

Ever since the last time she's seen him, Helen Ravenel has been haunted by thoughts of the strikingly handsome, sophisticated, and keenly intelligent man with a hint of danger smoldering beneath the surface. When she finds out her sister-in-law, Kathleen, has ended her engagement to Rhys, she decides to take matters into her own hands and do the unthinkable. She walks into a lion's den unescorted.

"You've read the fairy tales. you know what happens to little girls who visit wolves."

Helen turned in his arms. "I do indeed," she whispered, and lifted her smiling lips to his.

 

I had no idea (but was looking forward to seeing) how Ms. Kleypas would make me go from despising Rhys to being okay with him marrying Helen. One thing she did, which I thought was a brilliant move, was not to return to the nasty scene in 'Cold-Hearted Rake' where he acted so atrociously. I was glad the scene wasn't fresh in my mind as I read or it may have been a little harder to like the man. Rhys is used to going on the defense and, when needed, being ruthless in his dealings with people. Intimidation is his tool of choice and he doesn't always think before wielding it. So explains the scene with Kathleen which led to the dissolution of the original engagement between Rhys and Helen. He verbally lashed out in a very ungentlemanly manner.

One of the things I liked about this couple is that Rhys seems to bring out the best in Helen without holding her back. At one point she wisely states, "I've spent my entire life reading about the lives other people are having," she continued, "My world has been...very small. No one believes I would thrive if I weren't kept secluded and protected. Like a flower in a glass house. If I marry one of my kind, as you put it, no one will ever see me as I am. Only what I'm supposed to be."  After spending the better part of a month getting to know one another as Rhys recuperated from the train accident, Helen had a good feel for how things would be with him. I was rather hoping Ms. Kleypas would revisit that period of time in this book, but alas, it didn't happen. Perhaps she'll write a short story of the two getting to know one another in the future? I would so love that and am crossing my fingers.

As I'm writing this review, it would seem that I've given a lot away, but I really haven't. All that I mentioned above happened either before or in the first quarter of this book. Rhys and Helen still have a lot to learn about each other and, in true Lisa Kleypas fashion, a hurdle to overcome. In this case, one that neither knows anything about at the start of the novel.

Some of my favorite quotes/moments:

- "I went uninvited to the store yesterday and demanded to see Mr. Winterborne. I told him that I still wanted to marry him (...) and then I--I had my way with him. She paused realizing how that sounded. "Not in the store, of course."

  Straight-faced, Kathleen said, "Dear me, I hope he didn't put up a struggle."

- "Every hair on your head. Every part of you was made to be loved by me."

- "Love me for who I am...just as I love you for who you are...and our bond will last until the stars lose their shining."

Overall, I gave this one 4 1/2 out of 5 roses. It was a charming, sexy (yes, Ms. Kleypas upped the heat level a bit in this one), and humorous read. It reminded me a touch of Beauty and the Beast as well as Little Red Riding Hood with the big, bad wolf. Additionally, the image and metaphor, "and the Lion will lie down with the Lamb" came to mind as I was reading. Rhys definitely has a hard outer shell, but once you cracked the exterior he was a yummy marshmallow (okay, maybe marshmallow is a little over doing it, but you get what I mean) on the inside. I admit, however, I love when an author can change my opinion of a character as drastically as Ms. Kleypas did with this one. She is truly a talented one of a kind author. On the Lisarenee Romance Rating Scale, this one earned a STEAM rating (too hot for a fan, but you still have a handle on things. You should use extreme caution when reading a book with this rating in public. People may inquire as to why you looked flustered and flushed.) bordering on a SHOWER rating (a cold shower is necessary (need I say more?). Some books should come with a warning - make sure your significant other is handy or your shower is in working order. lol)

Order of the series: