Chasing Cassandra by Lisa Kleypas
Series: The Ravenels #6
Also in this series: Cold-Hearted Rake, Marrying Winterborne, Devil In Spring, Hello Stranger, Devil's Daughter, Devil In Disguise
Published by Avon on February 18, 2020
Genres: Historical Romance, Romance
Pages: 384
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased
Add to Goodreads
Buy on Amazon

Everything has a price.

Railway magnate Tom Severin is wealthy and powerful enough to satisfy any desire as soon as it arises. Anything—or anyone—is his for the asking. It should be simple to find the perfect wife—and from his first glimpse of Lady Cassandra Ravenel, he’s determined to have her. But the beautiful and quick-witted Cassandra is equally determined to marry for love—the one thing he can’t give.

Everything except her.

Severin is the most compelling and attractive man Cassandra has ever met, even if his heart is frozen. But she has no interest in living in the fast-paced world of a ruthless man who always plays to win. When a newfound enemy nearly destroys Cassandra’s reputation, Severin seizes the opportunity he’s been waiting for. As always, he gets what he wants—or does he? There’s one lesson Tom Severin has yet to learn from his new bride: never underestimate a Ravenel.

The chase for Cassandra’s hand may be over. But the chase for her heart has only just begun . . .

As you may or may not have figured it out by now, I am flying through Lisa Kleypas’s books at a speed that honestly surprises me. I rarely read two books of the same genre in a row, so the fact that I’m on my 8th Lisa Kleypas historical romance in a row really says something about these books! I was so, so excited to read Cassandra’s love story and Lisa Kleypas has delivered. Again. As always, my main points are bolded.

1. Ok, so Cassandra is the last member of the Ravenel family to fall in love. She’s Pandora’s twin sister, and is the quieter, sweeter of the two of them. She’s been so kind and caring and loving towards her family and, of course, deserves the very best man in the entire world. I loved learning more about her and seeing more of her personality. She’s so understanding with Tom, yet she also calls him out when she needs to.

2. Tom Severin completely stole this book for me. I will admit that I was initially concerned about Lisa Kleypas’s choice for Cassandra. Tom has been mentioned in passing throughout the books in this series, but all I’ve ever really known about him is that he’s a rich railroad tycoon and he’s got a love-hate friendship with the Ravenel men. Actually, it’s mostly been hate because Devon and West haven’t said much good about him at all. I thought he would be cold and unfeeling but I really, really loved him. He’s super serious and not at all socially savvy. He’s of the opinion that money will get him whatever he wants in life, so when Cassandra doesn’t immediately fall all over herself to be his bride he’s downright confused. Like, literally surprised and confused by this situation. I loved watching him fall in love and learn how to navigate something like this. He is so thoughtful and considerate, and Cassandra quickly becomes the most important thing in his life.

3. The meet cute is adorable (seriously one of my favorites ever), and the progression of the romance is so unbelievably sweet and swoony. Tom and Cassandra have the best banter, and they are so cute together! Tom comes up with the idea of a marriage contract so they can both ensure they’re happy! My goodness, how cute.

4. Chasing Cassandra is relatively low-angst, low stakes and I loved every second of it. Lisa Kleypas knows how to put her characters through stuff. I was expecting a little danger, maybe some conflict, but this was just light and flowy and all smiles for me. It made for the most wonderful reading experience!

So basically, you need to meet Tom and Cassandra. They’re great as individuals, but even better as a couple. And that’s what makes a great love story, right? Queen Lisa Kleypas’s writing is, as usual, flawless. I love her books so much! Just go get all of them.

Devil's Daughter by Lisa Kleypas
Series: The Ravenels #5
Also in this series: Cold-Hearted Rake, Marrying Winterborne, Devil In Spring, Hello Stranger, Chasing Cassandra, Devil In Disguise
Published by Avon on February 19, 2019
Genres: Historical Romance, Romance
Pages: 375
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased
Add to Goodreads
Buy on Amazon

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.

*happy sigh* Can I just say that my Lisa Kleypas-a-thon is doing wonders for my mental health? I am enjoying her books so much that I literally want to read nothing else right now. I can easily say she’s my favorite author, and that’s crazy to me because I’ve had favorite authors before but I’ve never loved every single thing an author has written. Ever. Lisa Kleypas is that author for me. I just can’t find anything wrong with her books! I don’t know why it took me until this year to finally jump into her stories, but I guess it happened at just the right time for me. Devil’s Daughter is book #5 in the Ravenels series, and we finally get West’s love story!! I knew I was going to love it, and I did. As always, my main points are bolded.

1. WEST. West appears is introduce in the first Ravenels book, Cold-Hearted Rake, and he’s very unimpressive at that point. He was a spoiled brat who thought only of himself, but he quickly transformed into a hardworking, caring, and compassionate man when he moved to Eversby Priory to help his brother, Devon. If you’ll remember, Devon inherited a title and an estate (with tenants) after his brother died in a freak accident. He was also thrust into the position of taking care of his brother’s widow, Kathleen, and his sisters: Helen, Pandora, and Cassandra. Devon sends for help and all of a sudden, West has a purpose, a family, and many people depending on him. He has continued to evolve and warm my heart, and quickly solidified his position as my favorite member of the Ravenel family (although, don’t quote me on this because I love them all and will deny such an accusation). He is whip-smart, flirtatious, dependable, loyal, passionate, caring, loving, etc. All the good things.

2. Phoebe arrives at Eversby Priory to attend Pandora’s wedding to Gabriel, Lord St. Vincent. Their love story is told in book #3 of the Ravenels (Devil In Spring). Phoebe is a widow and mother of two adorable little boys (I usually don’t love kids in romance, but these two stole my heart), and I really loved how sweet and strong she was. She married her childhood best friend, Henry, who suffered his whole life and ultimately perished from a wasting disease. That kind of devotion to a person, and that willingness to essentially sign up to be their caretaker until the end of their life, shows you the kind of person Phoebe is. She’s selfless and wonderful. Henry’s death left her to raise two young children on her own, plus manage an estate that is sort of being swindled away from her by her late husband’s friend. Oh, and she lives with a witch of a mother-in-law who would rather turn the family home into a mausoleum for her son than allow for enjoyable, happy living. Phoebe is a saint, really.

3. The romance is *chef’s kiss*. Phoebe has suffered recent and very real loss, so she guards her heart closely.  She’s also aware of a past between Henry and West–one that West does not remember–so she has already thrown all her walls up against West before she even arrives at the wedding. When they inevitably meet, West is captivated by her beauty and her sweet disposition. That charming, flirtatious, smooth-talking, smirking West would be hard for anyone to resist, but Phoebe does a great job of it. This cat and mouse game quickly turns into a genuine friendship as West works slowly and patiently to garner her trust. He offers to help teach her how to run her estate and maximize productivity among her tenants. He is so, so sweet with her boys that I nearly lost all my teeth. I loved watching him wiggle his way into that family. I also loved watching him give Phoebe the tools necessary to manage her estate, secure inheritances for her sons, and stand up for herself in the process. And then… then comes the love story. What a beautiful, tender, slow-burning romance. There are so many sweet and poignant moments between these two that pierced my heart and made me swoon. The care West shows Phoebe gives her the safe space she needs to tear down her walls and fall in love again. I loved watching it all happen.

4. Lisa Kleypas has a knack for writing amazing dialogue. It’s always full of love, romance, swoons, and humor. 

5. As I always say, I loved seeing the other members of the Ravenel family pop up and it was even better that it was for a wedding! And of course, Sebastian St. Vincent is there to see his son get married and I LOVE Sebastian. I love all the opportunities Lisa Kleypas gives us to catch up with him. And now he’s this salt and pepper grandpa to Phoebe’s children, which I just loved! In addition to the Ravenel family, I loved the other supporting characters. I loved reading West’s interactions with the people who work on his estate. I LOVED Phoebe’s older son, Justin. He’s precious!

6. A random side note, but something I love that needs to be pointed out: I love that every book where Sebastian plays any type of role in the story has “Devil” in the title. Devil In Winter is his story, Devil In Spring is his son’s story, Devil’s Daughter is his daughter’s story, and there’s one more devil Ravenel book on the horizon, Devil in Disguise, that I’m nearly done with and I won’t spoil the role he plays in that one!

All in all, is it any surprise I loved Devil’s Daughter? I’m just going to lie to myself and pretend that Lisa Kleypas is going to write a million more books in this series. I never want it to end!

 

 

Hello Stranger by Lisa Kleypas
Series: The Ravenels #4
Also in this series: Cold-Hearted Rake, Marrying Winterborne, Devil In Spring, Devil's Daughter, Chasing Cassandra, Devil In Disguise
Published by Avon on February 27, 2018
Genres: Historical Romance, Romance
Pages: 400
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased
Add to Goodreads
Buy on Amazon

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.

I’m continuing on with my Lisa Kleypas reading, and I keep finding myself amazed by the fact that I’m not tiring of Lisa’s books. Usually I finish a book and then need a change in genre or writing style or whatever, but as soon as I shut a Lisa Kleypas book I immediately reach for the next one! This has never happened before, and I think I’ve found my new favorite author. Hello Stranger is the 4th book in the Ravenels series, and probably my next favorite after Marrying Winterborne! I love Dr. Garrett Gibson’s story of falling in love with the ever mysterious and suave Ethan Ransom! As always, my main points are bolded.

1. First and foremost, Garrett is an amazing character. I have loved her since I first met her in Marrying Winterborne, and was so excited when I discovered that she was going to get her own romance. She’s the only female physician in England, so she is strong, confident, and a force to be reckoned with. I loved reading about her career, her home medical office, her medical knowledge, and her caring personality. She uses her medical profession for good and goes out to help those who need her. She’s passionate about her career, independent in every sense of the word, and will not hesitate to beat a man with a cane if he underestimates her power as a woman and tries to take advantage of her. She tirelessly fights to be seen as an equal, and I love her. I saw her as a little cold and standoffish in the previous books, but she completely melts and shows a vulnerable side with Ethan.

2. Speaking of Ethan… Don’t ask me to choose my favorite Kleypas man (boy, does she write good ones), but Ethan is a favorite. He’s very much the sarcastic, flirtatious, mysterious type who toes the line between right and wrong (as far as the law is concerned). He was born a bastard child and grew up having to fight for everything he had. He used to work as a detective, but now he’s a bit of a spy and possibly an assassin, who lives a life of unattached solitude. It’s dangerous and lonely, and he never really knows if he’s going to live to see another day. I also met Ethan in Marrying Winterborne when Winterborne himself hired Ethan to secretly shadow Garrett on her medical rounds to more dangerous parts of town. Unbeknownst to readers at the time, Ethan falls into a sort of unrequited love at first sight thing that has continued into this book when we discover he has continued keeping an eye on Garrett and watching out for her safety. After popping up a time or two, Garrett realizes this herself and begins to reciprocate his feelings. He gives her a whistle to blow if she ever needs him and he’ll come running. How incredibly romantic is that? She watches out for him on her evening rounds and sometimes blows the whistle just because she misses him. Of course, he tries hard to keep her at arm’s length for her own safety but it doesn’t work so well for him.

3. As I said before, the romance is so romantic. The very nature of Ethan’s work means he has a lot of enemies, so the stakes are high. Ethan finds himself in quite a situation and Garrett has to decide very quickly if she wants to entangle herself with a man so many people want dead. Ethan has to quickly figure out if his love for her is worth risking her life to be with her. I love stories like this, where both partners would rather be dead than apart. It makes for a very intense and passionate romance. Even though things happen quickly, it felt real. There’s a lot of obstacles for Garrett and Ethan, and they are tested a lot. Ah, it was so enjoyable to read!!

5. You get a very big dose of the sickbed trope, which I didn’t know I loved until I started reading Lisa Kleypas. She loves to have one love interest take care of the other love interest, and it was done so well in Hello Stranger.

4. DANGER. So much danger and tension. I flew through the pages so quickly. 

5. I loved, LOVED seeing the other Ravenels that I’ve grown to love so much. We are taken back to Eversby Priory, where the first book in the series takes place, and Devon and Kathleen are there. I loved seeing them again. West plays a huge role in this book, which made me love him even more. The evolution this man has gone through is stunning. I can’t wait for his book.

Ok, so I’m just going to say you need to read this book. Actually, you need to read this series. I am having so much fun following this family of people, who love each other so much. And they love their people so much. Lisa Kleypas writes the best characters, the best dialogue, and the best stories. Her writing is flawless. I’m a fan for life.