Review: Devil’s Daughter by Lisa Kleypas

When I saw Devil’s Daughter pop up on Edelweiss for review, I clicked request immediately. I honestly did not think I would be approved though. Fortunately I was and well, I started reading immediately. I was not a fan of the Ravenels book four, Hello, Stranger. It was just an okay read for me. But the excerpt for Devil’s Daughter had me excited immediately and for the most part, this book lived up to my hopes and expectations.

This is the story of widowed Phoebe, Lady Clare. She is raising two young sons after taking care of her deceased husband during a lingering illness. Phoebe is not looking to fall in love again as she already has a pact in place with her husband’s cousin. Kleypas has used this type of storyline in previous books (my favorite being Where Dreams Begin) so I already knew of sorts what the outcome of this would be. She would definitely be marrying West Ravenel. (As if any romance reader expects anything else!) Phoebe is attending her brother’s wedding where she runs into West Ravenel. Phoebe has never officially met West but she already knows his reputation via her husband. West is a bully. He is unkind and cruel.

Or at least, that is what she thought. As Phoebe spends time at the Ravenels’ home before the wedding, she soon realizes West is much more than she thought. He is kind to her sons. He is very good to the tenants on the land and pitches in all the time. He has improved land management and made things better for the people living on the family land. In short, he has grown up and changed, as many people do. Phoebe loses her preconceived notions of West quickly enough and becomes attracted to him. But West will not let anything happen between them, though he does offer Phoebe his help on her estate that she is managing for her young son, Justin.

And of course, once West arrives at the estate, things escalate quickly between them. Theirs is an attraction that really pops off the page. I liked both Phoebe and West and in particular, liked them together. I also found the the insertion of farming techniques and information to be really interesting. It is clear Kleypas did her research. West is knowledgeable without being a know it all. He shares his knowledge readily and is doing his best to help Phoebe. Unfortunately, West has one trait that drove me bonkers.

He consistently underestimates himself over and over again. He tears himself down and finds himself unworthy of any love that Phoebe wants to share with him. It really drove me up the wall. He was making himself a martyr for no good reason. Everyone in his life tells him time and time again that he has changed for the better and that the past is behind him. Do you think he takes their advice? NO! West drags his feet up until the end of the book on his worthiness for Phoebe and that in some ways marred the romance for me. He clearly admires Phoebe. I wish he would have respected her feelings in regards to him and their future a bit more.

With all that being said, I really did enjoy Devil’s Daughter. I liked revisiting Phoebe’s family (the infamous Lord St. Vincent from The Devil in Winter and Evie). I liked getting to know Phoebe and seeing her care for her sons (who do not take up too much of the story for those who aren’t fans of kids in romance books). I enjoy the world of the Ravenels and look forward to whomever Cassandra falls in love with.

Devil’s Daughter felt like a bit of a return to classic historical romance Lisa Kleypas and for that alone, this book to me deserves high praise. I’ve already re-read if that gives you an idea of my enjoyment factor.

Devil’s Daughter is available on February 19, 2019.

ARC provided by Edelweiss and Avon.

Tagged: Lisa Kleypas