Devil’s Daughter by Lisa Kleypas
The Ravenels #5
Historical Romance
February 19, 2019 by Avon

New York Times bestselling author Lisa Kleypas delivers a scintillating tale of a beautiful, young widow who finds passion with the one man she shouldn’t…

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…

I distinctly remember the happy sigh that breezed across Romancelandia when news was released that the next installment in the Ravenels series by Lisa Kleypas would pair West Ravenel with Phoebe, Lady Clare, the daughter of Sebastian and Evie from Devil in Winter.

Phoebe is a young widow with two small sons. She and her husband were childhood friends and sweethearts and there was never a question that they would marry, only how long their marriage would last as Henry was sickly for most of his life. She remains loyal to her first love and that means holding on to her dislike of his childhood bully, West Ravenel.

West Ravenel started out this series as a disreputable rake and wastrel, but has slowly morphed into a wonderful, hardworking, loyal brother and friend. He runs his brother’s estate and isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty working alongside the tenants and farmers. He’s smart and capable and unable to let go of the mistakes he made in the past. When he meets Phoebe and realizes just who she is and who he was to her husband, he is full of regret and apologies. But he can’t hide his desire for her.

This book was surprisingly less angsty than I expected. West apologizes immediately and sets out to make amends and Phoebe only holds on to her anger for a short time. West’s chemistry with Phoebe and her boys was such a beautiful thing and I love watching heroes fall in love with not only a love interest, but with her children as well. He was playful and fun, as well as a strong, steady hand and interesting teacher at times. He and Phoebe have a gentle understanding that becomes a passionate love affair. I adored how supportive they were with each other. One of my favorite scenes is when Phoebe sends for him to help with her estate and he shows up first thing the next morning. Oh my goodness, my heart.

Phoebe was the best heroine. Kind, brave, vulnerable, but not hiding away from the world. I loved her openness and ability to read a situation and have compassion. Of course she comes from an amazing family, who feature prominently in this series as her brother, Gabriel, is set to marry Pandora Ravenel. Their story is told in Devil in Spring.

If I have any gripe about this book its that it kind of ends abruptly and I would have loved an epilogue. That’s really the only thing I can think of. There wasn’t enough of West and Phoebe. Regardless, this is another wonderful addition to this series. Highly recommend.

Final Grade- A

Favorite Quote:

“There is nothing wicked about you, except your kisses.”

Kindle * BN * Kobo * Audible *Goodreads * Author’s Website * Series List