Cold-Hearted Rake by Lisa Kleypas is the first book in The Ravenels series, set in the late 19th century. The story follows Devon Ravenel, a charmingly wicked bachelor who inherits an earldom with a lot of debt and complications. Sparks fly between Devon and the beautiful widow, Kathleen Lady Trenear, amidst family dynamics and societal restrictions. The plot unfolds with a mix of romance, societal challenges, and character growth, all set against the backdrop of a rapidly changing society.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Content warnings include themes of grief and the trauma associated with sudden death.
Has Romance?
The book is filled with a high level of romance, characterized by intense chemistry and development between the main characters.
From The Publisher:
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?
Ratings (41)
Incredible (6) | |
Loved It (10) | |
Liked It (19) | |
It Was OK (3) | |
Did Not Like (3) |
Reader Stats (69):
Read It (43) | |
Want To Read (15) | |
Not Interested (11) |
3 comment(s)
Questo sarà il mese degli historical romance già lo so.
Il fatto è che quando entro in un determinato mood è difficile poi uscirne e iniziare una nuova serie di Lisa Kleypas sicuro non aiuta.
Possiamo affermare che lei sia la regina dei romance storici? SÌ! perché, anche con una trama letta e riletta come quella di
Cold-hearted rake, lei riesce sempre a intrattenermi.
Banter, balli, sotterfugi e brughiere saranno il mio pane quotidiano questo mese
Apparently I didn't write a review for this one the first time around, back in 2016. I'll just do a brief one now.
It's a lovely book, with two surprisingly hot-tempered leads trying to come to terms with their attraction. I enjoyed it very much, and am surprised it took me this long to re-read.
Bear with the beginning - Devon (MMC) is an absolute asshole. But it is extremely brief, and forgivable only because taking the title as a distant cousin and inheriting the shambles of that estate had to be a horrible shock. I mean, it's not like being surprised with something good...it's like "surprise! Here's a massive pile of debt and decaying real estate. Good luck to you!" How awful. So yes, he's callous in the beginning, but it is very, very brief. Bear with it.
Lisa Kleypas is the reason I started reading romance novels. Her historical series The Wallflowers made me love the genre. Some of her recent contemporaries left me feeling cold, so I was glad to see such a strong return with
Cold-Hearted Rake.
First of all, if all the books in this series are named after Paula Abdul songs the rest will automatically get five stars. I don't think you understand how important "Cold-Hearted Snake" was to twelve year old me.
However, this book doesn't have the slightly corny humor of its title. There's not much corny here. Kleypas has always done well at taking the rules of whatever historical era she is working in (usually Regency England) and working within them to create compelling characters. Of course women don't wait until their thirties to marry for love, as so many of us do in the 21st century. Women in their late teens to early twenties are married off for money, property, or some other form of power. Kleypas has always used these rules to her advantage, and even though the central romance here is between Kathleen and Devon, the secondary "sequel-bait" plotline between rich businessman Rhys Winterbourne and Kathleen's genteel but poor sister in law, Helen, is what really shines under these restrictions. As much as I enjoyed seeing Kathleen and Devon learn that they are more than they were raised to be, I think Helen and Rhys have a more compelling vein of emotion to mine. And West and the twins! This is going to be another great Kleypas series, I just know it.
What can you read after
Cold-Hearted Rake?
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