Cold-Hearted Rake
The Ravenels, Book 1
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4.3 • 743 Ratings
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- $7.99
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- $7.99
Publisher Description
Lisa Kleypas is back with a stunning new historical romance!
Readers have long waited for the return of New York Times bestselling author Lisa Kleypas to historical romance—and now she's back with her most breathtaking yet.
A twist of fate . . .
Devon Ravenel, London's most wickedly charming rake, has just inherited an earldom. But his powerful new rank in society comes with unwanted responsibilities . . . and more than a few surprises. His estate is saddled with debt, and the late earl's three innocent sisters are still occupying the house . . . along with Kathleen, Lady Trenear, a beautiful young widow whose sharp wit and determination are a match for Devon's own.
A clash of wills . . .
Kathleen knows better than to trust a ruthless scoundrel like Devon. But the fiery attraction between them is impossible to deny—and from the first moment Devon holds her in his arms, he vows to do whatever it takes to possess her. As Kathleen finds herself yielding to his skillfully erotic seduction, only one question remains:
Can she keep from surrendering her heart to the most dangerous man she's ever known?
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
This Victorian romance from Kleypas (the Wallflowers series) is dripping with period flavor and beautifully written depictions of the peculiarities of running a foundering estate, but its hero is less than heroic. Devon Ravenel inherits an earldom, a rotting estate, a houseful of female relations, and a mess of debt when his cousin is thrown from a horse and killed. Devon initially wishes to sell the property and get back to his bachelor ways, but his passion for his cousin's widow and his dedication to rescuing the estate both sneak up on him. That passion, however, takes an ugly turn, with many of the more physical scenes pushing the boundaries of consent. At times the story feels more like a case of Stockholm syndrome than a blossoming romance, souring the enjoyability of an otherwise well-crafted story.
Customer Reviews
Really good!
This was such a good book that I found it very hard to put down. Devon Ravenel has inherited an earldom and a house full of family that he does not want and wants to unload it all and soon. Kathleen the widow has made it her job to stop Devon at every turn. Devon sees Kathleen as the only plus of the whole mess and vows to have her. They have great chemistry but defiantly have a love hate relationship for half the book. Kathleen was left to care of her husbands sisters who by far are three of the brightest stars of the book. Helen and the twins, Cassandra and Pandora were a joy and the antics of the twins had me laughing out loud. I can't leave out West, Devon's brother who was quite the charmer.
The only thing that I did not like was that for most the book I really wanted to kill Devon. He did redeem himself in the end but it was touchy there for a while. I understood Devon's problem. He was handed the one thing he never wanted and didn't realize it was the only thing that would give him a life of selfworth and meaning.
I recommend this and all of Lisa Kleypas' book you can't go wrong.
Origin stories of multiple characters
I read this book after I finished all the others, which I found superb. Like some other reviewers, I had an issue with both of the main characters. I could not get invested in Kathleen or Devon. Since I read reviews that recommended staring with the second Ravenels book, that’s what I did. Now that I’ve finished all of them, I could overlook my issues with Devon & Kathleen and enjoy coming back to the beginning and seeing all the other characters’ “origin stories.” Like most all of the author’s books, it kept me reading with a strong story line. If you loved the other books and/or want to see how it all began, it’s absolutely good for what it is.
What a great beginning!
It’s my second time reading this series so I can already tell you it worth your time. I love it. Lisa Kleypas never disappoints me. I hope you like it too.