NAMED OF THE BEST ROMANCES BY OPRAH MAG!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 … 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…
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Lisa Kleypas is without a doubt one of my favourite authors. I listened to the audiobook of this title after chomping at the bit, waiting for it to come out. I was not disappointed. Kleypas’ signature attention to detail and laugh out loud humour was wonderfully brought to life by the ever-awesome narration of Mary Jane Wells, that woman could read the telephone directory and make it entertaining. With Kleypas however, there’s a wealth of material for her to work with and this was every bit as delightful as I expected. A must read/listen as always. Highly recommended. My only gripe … it was over too soon!
FINALLY. I read it on release day! I’ve been waiting (along with, you know, the rest of the world) for West’s book! He’s the best kind of hero–a heart of gold but a sharp tongue and a past to live down. I did an entire podcast about how well Lisa Kleypas set up this book, and you can hear it (along with the entire first chapter!) right here: https://www.storybitespodcast.com/show-notes/2019/2/1/episode-11-devils-daughter-by-lisa-kleypas
Another great read from Lisa kleypas! I loved both West and phoebe and in early books both characters interested me. The writing was flawless as usual,but this was not a typical kleypas love story. Their Was some great intimate moments,but no passionate heat scorching, fan yourself moments that I’ve come to expect from this writer. I have read just about everything that Lisa kleypas has written and this series has been one of my very favorites. I will say that this a great historical romance and I did enjoy reading this book,I just wished their has been more passion and sensuality like the other books in this series. Until next time luvs
I adored this book for all the reasons I love Lisa Kleypas–it’s romantic and a page-turner and the story is fantastic. The cherry on top is that the heroine of this book is the daughter of the most notorious rake of all time (Sebastian, Lord St. Vincent), from Kleypas’s Devil in Winter, and seeing him in this book, as well as the nods to the Wallflowers, was fantastic. Awesome book! Highly recommend!
I fell in love with West Ravenel in the first Ravenel book and I was so excited when he was paired with Phoebe. Happy to say this book did not disappoint. I loved both characters and it was fun to get a glimpse of Sebastian and Evie.
West Ravenel might me my new favorite hero.
There may be some spoiler below…
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This book did not have many unexpected events or surprised twists as the previous books in the Ravenels series did. But it was full of emotions, sweetness, tenderness and love. West is my new favorite book hero! I’ve always liked him since book 1, and this book is just about him so you get to see him deeper with all his charm and humor as well as his vulnerability. He became a father figure to Phoebe’s sons naturally while harboring fears that he might not fulfil the expectations or might hurt them later. That alone made me fall/swoon for him so hard . Phoebe has a heart of gold, a beautiful soul, and a capability of loving without boundaries. No doubt about the sparks between West and Phoebe! He has won over her heart and earned her forgiveness just by his honesty, humility and sense of humor. The interactions between West and the children, or West and Sebastian were so refreshing and real. Of course I cannot go on without mentioning Sebastian! Oh my… I’ve fallen in love with him again for the 3rd time! Still handsome and charming with his noble charisma, now as a father and a blatant matchmaker … His love for his family is pouring over the pages, and I’ve found myself smile every time he appeared.
Here are some parts where I found very cute and funny:
Justin to Phoebe: “… Granny always smells like cake. If you smelled like cake, Uncle West would want to marry you.” -> That says something about West and his (two) insatiable appetite(s)
Sebastian to West: “I’ve never liked Larson’s involvement in Phoebe’s personal life or financial affairs, but I’ve held back to avoid accusations of meddling (*apparently by his wife Evie*). Now that there’s an opportunity, I’ll meddle as much as possible before I’m put back on the leash.” -> Poor Sebastian
Sebastian to West: “It’s an unfair fact of life that the worst men end up with the best women.” -> They are the best men!
Last thing, I NEED an epilogue! Their wedding, their children, anything… I felt a bit bereft with the abrupt ending. I wish there were more… But that’s the only complaint I have about it, and I’ve enjoyed it thoroughly, as much as I had expected.
You need to read this book!!
One thing I love is when an author understands their readers and gives them an update on characters that we love and the wallflower series holds
a special place in my heart. To read about their kids and to see that no matter what their love is still as explosive as their story was is amazing. Author Lisa Kleypas delivers and she takes her time you can tell she puts a lot of hard work to each of her books. I have read all her books and will continue to always
Kleypas is one of my favorite writers and no one writes historical romance like her. DEVIL’s DAUGHTER features strong, interesting characters and a compelling plot that makes you truly want the happy-ever-after for these two. A fantastic romance and beautiful writing makes this easy to recommend. 5 stars!
How long I’ve waited for Phoebe and West’s story! Lisa Kleypas is simply spectacular in her newest book. It’s so good that I read it twice. My dears, that is how much I loved it. The first time I read through for the story-the second time for the beautiful language. Hope you give this one a try. XO
What a great book!
West and Phoebe’s story was positively beautiful! I loved the role reversal with Phoebe taking her future by the horns! There’s also no denying Phoebe’s parentage with her cunning mind and empathetic heart!
And West, he’s rough around the edges, with a huge heart, self deprecating sense of humor, and such an abundance of love…this man was complicated and I loved him! West also just squeaked past Derek Craven and Sebastien to the top of my list of favorite Kleypas books. He was that good, lol!
The smattering updates of the Wallflowers and their families was an added bonus! Just hopefully thinking about potential future stories is making me giddy. Not to mention the extra scene with Cassandra I unexpectedly found in my copy of the paperback version from Wal-Mart!! ( yes, I missed the big red circle on the front cover saying exclusive bonus content, haha) I’m gleefully squealing in anticipation of her story!
Lisa Kleypas has a knack for adding extra layers of mischievously loaded innuendos and scorching chemistry so seamlessly, I never really notice until I’m finished with the story. However, it’s the level of raw emotions she pulls from her characters that gets me every.single.time.
Devil’s Daughter is the 3rd in the Ravenel family historical romance series. It is also a romance that ties into Lisa Kleypas’ Wallflower series, so you get to revisit favorite couples from previous books. I’m really enjoying re-reading Lisa Kleypas’ English historical romances, and I highly recommend them.
West Can Balance My Ledgers!
One of my favorite parts of Lisa Kleypas’s historical novels is how they are all connected. They are standalone but characters crossover throughout all of the various series. Having read most of her back list, I love that I get to see updates on different people.
Other things I love include the terrific banter, some intrigue to be sussed out, toe-curling kisses, and (usually) anticipated vows. I will say that this book has all of those elements and so much more! West Ravenel can light my fire! Woo-wee!
Phoebe is a widowed mother of two who has a heart of gold (much like her mother who was spotlighted in “Devil in Winter”, Phoebe’s father being the devil represented in both book titles) but slowly realizes that her ignored instincts need to be followed. Trouble does brew as a result.
Her chemistry with West is fantastic but I wish we could’ve had more time with the couple once they came to their senses, even if only a dirty epilogue. So much of the book was spent on the past and the disdain held by her late husband that she carried in his honor. I’m not complaining about it as it often lead to some interesting moments – sometimes hot, sometimes sweet – but as a result, the latter part of the book seemed a tad bit rushed.
Mary Jane Wells is the narrator. While I always prefer a second voice when there are multiple POVs, I did enjoy Mary Jane.
Story: 4 stars
Narration: 4 stars
Audiobook Review
Overall 4 stars
Performance 5 stars
Story 4 stars
I’ve been waiting for West’s story since meeting him at the beginning of the series. He’s undergone such a transformation and it was wonderful to see him finally get his own happily ever after. Phoebe was such a perfect partner for him and I loved how they took the jagged and painful pieces of each other and made something so much stronger. I appreciated that there wasn’t a ton of angst in this one and that the history of how they were connected wasn’t drawn out. I loved seeing West and Phoebe’s friendship and mutual respect for each other shift and grow into so much more. The scene with the long lost book as well as pretty much any scene where West interacted with Justin or Stephen touched my heart so much. I knew that there would be the eventual push away, but the ending unfortunately felt very rushed and anticlimactic. I would have loved to have an epilogue or even just a bit of them further down the road enjoying themselves. I did laugh quite a bit though at the last line in the novel. 😉 Mary Jane Wells does a fantastic job with this series and I wish she would narrate everything! She has such wonderful comedic timing and she delivered West (and Phoebe’s) jokes and barbs so perfectly. I’m excited for Cassandra’s book next and it will be interesting to see a different side of Tom Severin.
CW: death of spouse, mentions of childhood bullying and physical abuse
Wes was a particular favorite of mine- bad boy turned good. I’m glad he got his own story. This was a great way to bring 2 families together in the series! And Lisa’s characters will warm your heart- you’ll want to visit them over and over again and read each one’s stories!
4.5 stars rounded up.
Young widow Phoebe, Lady Clare, has never even met Weston Ravenel, but she knows him to be her enemy, nothing but a bully who made her late husband’s time at boarding school miserable. She can never forgive him for it. Yet, when a wedding brings their families together, Phoebe finds herself immediately charmed by a handsome stranger who awakens feelings of attraction she thought were over for her. Until he introduces himself and turns out to be West Ravenel.
West makes no excuses and doesn’t try to hide the blackened reputation of his past. The instant he meets Phoebe he’s struck by his need for her and also just as aware of how unattainable she is for him. He’s not prepared for the rather fiery demeanor just waiting to be uncovered behind the trappings of a widow.
As Phoebe sets out to take the reins of the estate her son will one day inherit, she realizes she needs some help and West is the only man for the job. Soon, she’s determined to seduce the man who has helped her rediscover her true self, but the smoldering attraction between them may not be enough to overcome the various obstacles in their way.
West is quite possibly the most humorous, genuinely charming hero I’ve ever read. His charm and self-deprecating sense of humor hid a heartrendingly deep well of pain and inadequacy along with vulnerability and a rather low sense of his own self-worth. Phoebe had to grow on me as she initially came off as willfully naïve and stuck in the past, but she did prove herself willing to listen to reason and put West’s knowledge and advice to use by changing her thinking. I was glad to see her grow as a person and begin to form her own opinions and return to her true self out from under the shadow of her late husband’s illness and his family’s overbearing tendencies and insistence on underestimating her. West’s good-natured affability and sense of humor made him the perfect match for Phoebe’s tendency to be a bit too serious. I loved that it was ultimately Phoebe who pursued West and helped convince him of his own worthiness. Along those lines, I found the conversations they each had with Phoebe’s father, the widely beloved Sebastian, to be delightful ways to advance the plot and add that warm, family feeling I’ve come to expect from the Ravenels. Phoebe wasn’t exactly my favorite, but she did grow on me and West’s charm stole the show, especially in his interactions with Phoebe’s children and his coming to the rescue when she needed him. I do wish we’d had more scenes expounding on the resolution of Phoebe’s estate issues on the page. I also would’ve loved an epilogue or just a bit more time with West and Phoebe together after their relationship had been solidified, though I expect to see some of this in Cassandra’s book given that these stories are all occurring relatively close to each other in time. Overall, I found myself thoroughly charmed by West and am looking forward to Cassandra’s story now.
Blog link: https://mustreadalltheromance.blogspot.com/2021/04/devils-daughter-by-lisa-kleypas-audio.html
There are two things I look for in a romance novel, well three, actually. One is well written, two is steamy love scenes, three is humor. And Lisa Kleypas writes well, has steamy love scenes, and definitely writes with great humor. Want an example? Look at chapter 8 of this book. Oh. My Good. Lord.
I enjoy many of the romance authors, but frankly, she has risen to one of my favorites. Thank you Lisa Kleypas!
Finally, West’s story! This was an incredible book, bringing back all of my favorite Kleypas characters once again.
Wonderful Story With a Loveable Hero!
This book was hard to put down. It’s a well-written combination of poignant moments, witty dialogue, and heartwarming storyline. A couple of events were a bit unlikely but did little to lessen my pleasure in reading in this story. I highly recommend!