Review - Devil in Disguise by Lisa Kleypas

Devil in Disguise by Lisa Kleypas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Lisa Kleypas can do no wrong, honestly. Devil in Disguise is a fun, witty book that was a joy to read. This is the seventh book in the Ravenels series, and I really don't think you need to have read any of Kleypas' previous books to enjoy this one, it definitely helps.
Widowed Lady Merritt Sterling is happy enough running her late husband's shipping company, and is doing a fantastic job. Until, that is, she meets Keir MacRae. The big, burly Scotsman shouldn't be so darn tempting, but something about him invites Merritt in, and sparks fly. Quickly, though, they learn someone is out to kill Keir, and Merritt must do what she can to keep him safe.
I really loved this book. There is an amnesia plot done so very well, and the dynamic between Merritt and Keir is exquisite. I also loved all the Wallflowers characters that made an appearance, although I admit it felt like maybe a little too much Kingston? Overall wonderful though, and I can't wait to see what she writes next!

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Review - Worth Any Price by Lisa Kleypas

Worth Any Price by Lisa Kleypas
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The final book in Lisa Kleypas’ Bow Street Runners series, Worth Any Price, focuses on Nick Gentry, the infamous thieftaker and underworld mogul turned Runner. Nick was previously introduced in Lady Sophia's Lover as Sophia’s believed-dead brother. Having survived the prison hulk he was sentenced to at fourteen, Nick has done what he must to create a place for himself in the world. When unscrupulous choices compel him into becoming a Bow Street Runner and complying with the law, Nick aims to and becomes the best on the force. A private assignment to recover a missing young woman leads him to discover Charlotte Howard. Rather than marry the man her parents have promised her to, she’s been in hiding for two years. Rather than return her to her erstwhile betrothed, Nick decides to marry her himself. Now the two must learn to live together and discover what kind of relationship they could have.

As always, Kleypas weaves an interesting and compelling story that is hard to put down. The book is both deeply erotic and starkly emotional. The hero, Nick, has studied all forms of lovemaking with an eminent madam, and is eager to put his lessons to good use - leading to some very steamy bedroom scenes. Nick’s past, however, becomes a major hurdle that both he and Charlotte have to struggle to overcome. It seems as though it is difficult to write a brooding, mysterious main character when he is one of the point-of-view protagonists, but Kleypas manages to illuminate enough of his character while keeping some shrouded in mystery that it works. Overall a great read, and a satisfying ending to the trilogy.

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Review - Lady Sophia's Lover by Lisa Kleypas

Lady Sophia's Lover by Lisa Kleypas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Lady Sophia’s Lover is the second book in Lisa Kleypas’ Bow Street Runners series, and focuses on Sir Ross Cannon, the stern head magistrate of the Bow Street court system, and Sophia Seymour, a young woman he hires to be his assistant and housekeeper. Sophia has a vendetta against Ross and is determined to make him fall in love with her, and then break his heart. However, she finds that she can’t gain his heart without losing her own.

This book is quite a departure from the previous book in the series, where the male protagonist at times seemed a bit unlikeable. Both Ross and Sophia are both interesting, compelling characters, and their story is both engaging and erotic. As far as romance novels go, this one is especially steamy, with blatant desire burgeoning at their first meeting in the opening pages of the book. Kleypas expertly transformed the staid Sir Ross, introduced first in Someone to Watch Over Me, from a fairly boring side character into a passionate hero. There is a surprise twist that occurs in the second half of the book, and Kleypas executed it and its conclusion admirably. Overall this is an excellent read!

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Review - Someone to Watch Over Me by Lisa Kleypas

Someone to Watch Over Me by Lisa Kleypas
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Someone to Watch Over Me is the first in Lisa Kleypas’ Bow Street Runners series. In it, readers are introduced to the Bow Street Runners, an elite police force in London. One of the premier members of the unit - Grant Morgan, is alerted to a body found in the Thames. Upon investigating, he finds that the person, a young woman, is actually very much alive, and also someone he knows - Vivien Duvall, a prominent courtesan. Grant takes Vivien to his home, where he discovers that she has no memory at all of who she is. Determined to get revenge for a wrong she has done to him, Grant tells Vivien that she is his mistress and must stay with him, while he searches to find out who might have wanted to kill her. In the meantime, she tries to reconcile what he’s told her about herself with what she feels to be true inside.

The plot in this story is very interesting and engaging, although it seems to move pretty slowly at the beginning. The characters feel slightly undeveloped - it felt as though we didn’t really understand their thoughts and motivations, and if that understanding was necessary then it was shoehorned in at that point. One of the characters is confused about a decision that must be made, and beyond the dialogue the reader isn’t given much information about why the character is confused about what seems like an obvious choice. Later another character says something to the effect of “oh, this is why you always feel this way” in reference to a situation that the reader was never made aware of, so what was supposed to be a revelation was in fact entirely new material. Nonetheless, it was a good book and worth the read.

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Review - Love in the Afternoon by Lisa Kleypas

Love in the Afternoon by Lisa Kleypas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The final book in Lisa Kleypas’ Hathaways series, Love in the Afternoon, focuses on the youngest Hathaway sibling, Beatrix. In a family of unconventional characters, Beatrix has always been singularly peculiar. She has a great love of nature and animals, and a great amount of empathy. When her friend receives a letter from a soldier of their acquaintance, she can’t overlook the plea for connection that he writes. So she begins writing to Captain Christopher Phelan under the guise of her friend’s name. When simple letters turn to something more, she knows she can’t continue the charade. However, when Christopher returns from the war, he is set on finding the author of the letters, who has stolen his heart.

Kleypas does an outstanding job addressing modern issues in a historical setting in this book. The hero suffers from severe post-traumatic stress disorder, and she tackles this head-on. The main characters must find a way to deal with it amid a burgeoning romance.

The story was good with a satisfying conclusion, although it seemed very self-contained. As the final story focusing on this family, it would have been nice to see more of the characters from the previous books as well. Overall, a great read.

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Review - Mine till Midnight by Lisa Kleypas

Mine Till Midnight by Lisa Kleypas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Mine Till Midnight is the first book in Lisa Kleypas’ Hathaway’s series. Readers are introduced to the slightly eccentric Hathaway family, headed by wayward Leo and his four younger sisters. Amelia, the eldest, has stepped in to take care of everyone. In doing so she meets Cam Rohan, a mysterious manager of an upscale gaming club and half Romani (Gypsy). Cam has found himself unsettled with his life and vows to give it up - until he meets Amelia.

In this book Kleypas introduces a lot of fun new characters that promise to have interesting stories to share, while also bringing back some familiar faces from her previous books. While having read the Wallflowers series is helpful in understanding some of the interplay between characters, it isn’t necessary to enjoy this book. Kleypas also does an excellent job of setting the stories - returning to Stony Cross Park, home of Lord and Lady Westcliff feels like coming home.

The protagonists of this story, Amelia and Cam, are both compelling characters in their own right, and together they are electric. Both must put aside long-held beliefs about themselves in order to be together, but Kleypas does an excellent job of it. Also interesting is her attention to detail in describing an oft-maligned group of the Romani - it is clear that she has done a lot of research in order to accurately portray them and their beliefs. It will be interesting to see if that continues in future books.


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Review - Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas

Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Devil in Winter, the third in the Wallflowers series by Lisa Kleypas, focuses on Evie Jenner, a horribly shy member of the group of four women who have dubbed themselves the Wallflowers and vowed to help each other find husbands. Evie’s temerity and stammer have made her chances at a match almost nonexistent, and her mother’s strict family refuses to allow her to see her ailing father. Desperate, Evie turns to the one person she knows to be equally as driven to change his circumstances, Sebastian, Lord St. Vincent, possibly the most dissolute rake in London.

In this book, rather than focusing on social disparities as she has in the past two books in the series, Kleypas examines the relationship between two people of far different temperaments and expectations of life. Interestingly, the reader asks how two such different personalities could possibly make a relationship work. In what ways may they influence each other, and if they change for the other can they still stay true to themselves?

Evie and Sebastian are both endearing characters who you can’t help but root for. The book is fast-paced and introduces some interesting new side characters, while including some from the previous two books as well. It directly follows the events of the second book, It Happened One Autumn, and draws very heavily on many of those events and relationships.


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Review - It Happened One Autumn by Lisa Kleypas

It Happened One Autumn by Lisa Kleypas
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The second book in Lisa Kleypas’ Wallflowers series, It Happened One Autumn, is a delightful read. The story follows Lillian Bowman, American heiress, and Marcus Marsden, Lord Westcliff. Lillian’s parents have brought her and her younger sister, Daisy, to England to find husbands among the peerage. Their American attitudes have made their hunt fruitless, since they lack the necessary poise to attract a noble gentleman. Marcus knows that eventually he will have to marry and fully expects to wed an English woman who can fill the role of his countess. Both Lillian and Marcus must examine their own personalities and expectations in light of their unexpected attraction to each other.

In this book Kleypas does an excellent job of putting a new twist on the old adage of “opposites attract”. The interactions between the two lead characters are fun and playful, and the romance seems to evolve very naturally. The ending of the story contained an unexpected but exciting twist. Kleypas does a good job showing the story from multiple perspectives, which gives readers insight that would otherwise be lacking. Her descriptions of the setting, Stony Cross Park, are so vivid that it feels like a real place.

Overall this was a fun book with enjoyable characters.


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Review - Secrets of a Summer Night by Lisa Kleypas

Secrets of a Summer Night by Lisa Kleypas
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In Secrets of a Summer Night, by Lisa Kleypas, we are introduced to the Wallflowers, a group of four young women who make a pact to help each other to find husbands. This book, the first of the series, focuses on Annabelle Peyton, whose advancing age and dire financial circumstances have made her desperate to find a husband before the end of the Season, or else be subject to an even worse fate. Her attempts at wooing a member of the peerage are thwarted at nearly every turn by Simon Hunt, an entrepreneur whose significant wealth and financial savvy have given him an (albeit small) inroad into the aristocracy. After Simon makes an indecent proposition to Annabelle, she is determined that he is the worst man of her acquaintance, but can’t quite stifle her growing attraction to him.

This book is an interesting look at the changes faced by the aristocracy in light of growing industrialism in mid-19th century England. Kleypas captures the inherent hypocrisy of the peerage faced with a decline of the way of life they’ve always known, while still scorning the new modes of trade. Her characters straddle this line and are constantly faced with the pulls toward both the “old” and “new” ways of things.

The story was told primarily from Annabelle’s point of view, there were very few times the reader was presented with Simon’s viewpoint or inner monologue, which would have been very enlightening at several points in the story. Otherwise the book was able to convey its points with aplomb. Looking forward to reading more from this author!


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