I read Lisa Kleypas for the first time earlier this year with her book, Suddenly You. It was a solid reading experience but not a favorite. I really enjoyed that her heroine was a career minded older woman, my first in historical romance.
Suddenly You was a stand alone book and after hearing so much about her series, I knew I wanted to try one of those next. I jumped into the middle of the Ravenels with the third book, Devil in Spring. This is sort of a crossover book because it also features a descendant from her Wallflower quartet.
The Rundown
Lady Pandora Ravenel is different from most debutantes. Rather than dreaming of marriage, she has ambitions to create her own board game business. Pandora fully intends to leave the husband searching to her sister until she finds herself caught up in a scandal.
After coming to Lady Pandora’s aid outside a ball, rakish Lord Gabriel St. Vincent finds himself caught in a marital trap. When Pandora is even more horrified by their predicament than Gabriel is himself, he finds her rebellious spirit irresistible.
Striking a deal to convince her to marry him is only the beginning of their journey as they learn to respect each other’s differences, face a dangerous conspiracy, and perhaps discover there is more between them than a suitable arrangement.
Rating and Review
Rating: 4 stars
Steam Level: 2
Devil in Spring was sexy and romantic but I did not find it to be all that steamy compared to my previous Kleypas read. I listened to the audio version of this book and really enjoyed the narration. Mary Jane Wells’ accent was delightful. Also I can’t get over how gorgeous the cover of this book is!
Pandora stole the show!
I was immediately sucked into this story with the meet cute incident outside the ball. It was such an innocent and hilarious encounter that was blown out of proportion of course! Along with Gabriel I was intrigued by Pandora’s personality and spirit.
I loved that her dreams, character, and preferences were supported so much by her family and guardian. Nobody was willing to let her end up with someone who wouldn’t understand her just to avoid a scandal.
Books like Devil in Spring make me excited to check out more recent historical romances. I’ve always enjoyed some regency romances but Pandora and her sisters aren’t like the heroines I remember reading about when I was younger. These heroines are independent and career minded with dreams beyond having husbands and families.
Getting to the altar is only half the fun
I’ve noticed a trend lately with the historical romances I’m reading. A wedding often takes place halfway through. Maybe it’s a common trope within this subgenre or maybe it’s just the ones I’m picking up.
I found the first half of Devil in Spring to be stronger than the second. The dangerous twist that makes up the second half’s conflict was predictable but still entertaining. I did enjoy peeking into their married life as Pandora and Gabriel worked through their issues.
A series full of family antics
I’ve been looking for historical family series similar to Johanna Lindsey’s Malory novels. Perhaps this could be it.
Pandora and Gabriel’s story stood on it’s own without reading the previous books. Still I’m very intrigued by both of these families and their close group of friends thanks to the legends surrounding them and shenanigans that were hinted at.
The secondary characters in this book were wonderful! I hope Garrett has her own story as the only female doctor in Britain. The sisterly dynamics between Pandora, Cassandra, Helen, and their sister-in-law Katherine were fun too. I’m excited to go back to read their stories!
What’s your favorite Lisa Kleypas series? Do you have any recommendations for historical romance featuring a legendary family?
