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Hiatus Book Review-Devil In Disguise by Lisa Kleypas

by | Aug 11, 2021 | Book Reviews | 10 comments

Hiatus Book Review-Devil In Disguise by Lisa Kleypas

Hiatus Book Review-Devil In Disguise by Lisa KleypasDevil in Disguise by Lisa Kleypas
Also in this series: Cold-Hearted Rake, Marrying Winterborne, Devil in Spring, Hello Stranger, Devil's Daughter , Chasing Cassandra
Series: The Ravenel's #7
Published by Avon on July 27, 2021
Genres: Historical Romance, Regency Era
Pages: 384
Format: Paperback
Source: Self Purchased
ISBN: 0062371975
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four-half-stars

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.

*This review contains spoilers, so be warned before reading this review*

Devil In Disguise is the newest installment in the Ravenels series and I will say that I was SO nervous for this book but I also kept my expectations lower on this one. When it comes to this series, it seems like the lower my expectation the better I tend to enjoy the read. I honestly never know what I will get with this series, since quite a few have been a hit or miss for me, but there was also a sense of eagerness with this one. And no I didn’t receive the ARC on this one. This book actually is on the shelf of Barnes and Noble way early, so I recommend going out and grabbing it up. And after seeing some other romance readers I trust just cling in love to this book, I knew I had to read it and I honestly read this one in one sitting, it just drew me in so completely and loved the ride that Kleypas takes us on.

Devil In Disguise starts off with our hero, Keir MacRae, who storms into the office of Merritt Sterling, who is a whiskey distiller, and has major issues with his shipment. Merritt is the type of woman that is the solver and calms tensions, having taking care of her siblings, she knows how to cool a hot temper but Keir is a man she hasn’t ever been faced with. He has the Scottish blood that fire hot, but Merritt is drawn to Keir in a way that she has never experience, not even with her late husband. She wants to explore the chemistry between herself and Keir, but eyes are on her and her family just waiting for a scandal to happen. But when Keir’s life is put in danger, Merritt is determined to stand by his side, no matter the rumor or scandal. But when Keir suffers and Merritt is put in a certain position, she will have to be crafty to make sure that she and Keir have their chance, but fate may have other plans for them, including reveals from Keir’s past that could change their dynamic completely…

Devil In Disguise is a story that truly packed a punch and there were some elements that I just wasn’t expecting to happen at all. I was really excited for Merritt’s book, but this book especially really ties the Ravenel series to the Wallflower series, and its all tied around Keir. Now I don’t want to spoil too much, but lets just say that our delicious hero is the KEY to tying all the bonds together. I actually found Keir and Merrit’s relationship to be sweet perfection. At first, you wonder, but honestly, their instant connection is breathtaking, and only Kleypas can write such sweet sexy chemistry you want more of. Normally instant connections such as these don’t always work for me, but Kleypas really worked her magic in this book. From the beginning, you know that Keir and Merritt will have a battle, but their bond is strong enough to stand the tide ahead. And boy does Kleypas really throw some mountains in their journey. My heart just broke for these two, but most especially Merritt who is put in such a position but her strength and courage is truly admirable and she had my heart from beginning to end. She deserved to find her happy ever after, and even though she finds it, it will take perseverance on her part to find it. Keir was such a delightful hero, he definitely is the type of alpha hero that was so beautifully written. I loved his protectiveness of Merritt, his fighting for what he believed in, and his standing for his culture and background. He definitely has a spine and will fight for those he loves. I love how he is always watchful for Merritt, even in the most confusing moments of the plot. His attention and focus is solely on her and his character is steady and strong all the way through. And seeing his background come to light, and seeing his connection to the others was a journey I was all the way in for.

This is a story I didn’t know what to expect at all, but it’s a romance that captivated me all the way through. Surprisingly I couldn’t be this book down, and I was swept away by their beautiful story. Its a story that while it capture the sweet perfection of intimacy, also builds in its depths of secrets that become clear, shines truth into the darkness and stuns you into silence with its powerful emotion. I won’t say that this is the best book this author has ever written, or that its the most perfect one, but it worked for me in every way. The only downside to this book is the lack of stepback ….yep SO SAD. I am not sure why Avon didn’t include it in this one when they have done the whole series, and I was looking forward to it all YEAR.

Overall I found Devil In Disguise to be a captivating read that stuns me in retrospect, a tale that offers depths of intimacy, secrecy revealed and connections unsuspected, a romance that is utterly enriching in his concepts, and a story you will cheer on from beginning to end.

About Lisa Kleypas

LISA KLEYPAS is the RITA award-winning author of 21 novels. Her books are published in fourteen languages and are bestsellers all over the world. She lives in Washington State with her husband and two children.

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10 Comments

  1. Michele H

    So happy you enjoyed this as well! The depth of Merritt & Keir’s love really took me by surprise, but I adored them as a couple. It seemed like they brought out the best in each other. And that plot twist about Keir…!!!!! Lovely review 🙂

    Reply
    • Lover of Romance

      Yes I adored their story so much Michele. And yes that plot twist I was like WHOAH!! haha And Keir and Merritt were just right for each other and loved the way they fought for each other, so precious.

      Reply
  2. Silvia

    It’s been a while since I read one of her books, but I can tell you that I really love Kleypas’ writing style! Her stories are magical, and I just adore plot twists!! I haven’t tried this series yet, but I definitely will 😀

    Reply
    • Lover of Romance

      Yes I definitely agree Silvia. Her books are pure magic. Hope if you pick this one up you will love it as much as I did.

      Reply
  3. Mary Kirkland

    I haven’t read this one but it’s not really the genre I read anymore. Sounds good though.

    Reply
    • Lover of Romance

      Wow! Really? You have yet to read Lisa Klepas? Get to it girl haha She is so talented

      Reply
  4. Nadene

    It has been awhile since I read one of her books. So many books so little time.

    Reply
  5. Rachel

    As you know, I loved this one, too, but I loved the entire series. I think listening to the audios really enhanced my enjoyment. I applied for an ARC a long time ago and got approved the day of release, which was odd. I’m not sure what stepback means, but I’m curious. You’ll have to let me know. Fab review, Renee!

    Reply
    • Lover of Romance

      I haven’t ever listened to the audio narration of these books although I hear great things about those. Its always odd when they grant approval for an ARC on release day, like what is the point?? haha

      A stepback is a cover behind the front cover. Its very common in many historical romances (although some PNR and Contemporary have had them as well) . The Ravenel series has them except for this book. If you go to Goodreads, to any of the titles of the series (other than this one) right below the main cover there is a link to “more photos” where you can see the stepback cover. Or if you have Instagram there is a famous tag “stepbacksaturday” and you can see all the stepback love from romance readers.

      Reply

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