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We were all hoping for a high grade for Devil in Disguise weren’t we? Well, good news friends! This longtime Kleypas fan was well pleased by the story and the romance, and I couldn’t read it fast enough. There are some problems – instalust really isn’t my jam; I think our hero might be skirting a fine line between character and caricature (lots of slang that I’m not sure is always necessary to show that he’s Scottish); and our heroine doesn’t do a ton of work despite her characterization as a savvy businesswoman. But despite these complaints, Kleypas kept me entertained from the first page to the last. I fell in love with this pair and I’m happy to recommend Devil in Disguise to you.
In this book, the devil is in the details. If you’re a Kleypas fan and you pay attention to pesky things like book titles and book blurbs, you probably already guessed the big surprise in this story. But if you haven’t, or you still can’t guess what it might be, read on – I won’t be giving it away in this review.
After her husband perished at sea, Lady Merritt Sterling (daughter of Marcus, Earl of Westcliff and Lillian (It Happened One Autumn)) stepped in to run his successful shipping company. With help from her younger brother Luke (who agreed to take over management of the company once he learned the ropes), the pair managed to grow the business and prove skeptics wrong about Merritt’s business acumen. Beloved by her employees, tough but fair, Merritt enjoys her work. But on this day, things get off to a rough start. When Luke knocks on her office door and reports he’s got an angry client on the dock and he needs her help to calm him down, Merritt is both alarmed and amused by his response when she asks what happened. Apparently, MacRae Distillery’s cargo (twenty-five thousand gallons of extremely valuable single-malt whisky) was delivered to the wrong location, and then a cask of whisky slipped from the hoisting gear, broke on the roof of a transit shed, and poured all over MacRae. After informing a laughing Merritt that she’s good with big and mean, Luke tells her MacRae is ready to murder someone—which is why I brought him up here to you. Unfortunately, she isn’t prepared for the wrathful Scotsman who bypasses Luke and plants himself on the other side of her desk. He’s soaked and scowling, big and sexy and strong and astoundingly good looking, and very angry.
Keir MacRae is pissed. He’s hungry, covered in whisky, worried about his shipment, and unprepared for the beautiful widow who coolly greets him and assures him Sterling Enterprises can fix the problem with his shipment. After accepting his condolences on the loss of her husband, Lady Sterling calmly responds to each of his questions, sends Luke out to ensure the work is done, and then offers to escort him to the company flat so that he might change. Much to his chagrin, she ignores his concerns about accompanying him unchaperoned and insists on escorting him to the flat. Lady Sterling, he soon discovers, is used to getting her way. She somehow manages to cajole him into several cups of coffee, a bite to eat nearby, and a change of clothes before delivering him to the docks. Keir tries to ignore how she smells, how she looks, how capable and knowledgeable she is, and what he’d like to do to her if they were alone in bed (ahem!), all the while desperately reminding himself that he’ll forget all about her once he gets back to work, but friends, the struggle is real. Oh, you poor Scottish fool. It’s already too late.
You see what I mean about instalust? Yep, don’t you doubt it, Merritt is feeling it, too. I know what you’re thinking. Really? A couple of hours in each other’s company – a handsome and twice soaked Scot gruffly muttering slightly hilarious Scottish slang and trying not to be managed, and a beautiful – good smelling! – widow deftly ignoring said Scotsman – cannot possibly lead to true love. You’re wrong! It does! And all this lovely foreplay is merely a delicious prelude to the dinner date wee bully Merritt insists they have two nights hence. Fist pump for Merritt. Get it, girl! (wink, wink: she does!)
But wait! There’s more. Before the dinner date, Keir has to sell his whisky, and after several successful meetings with local buyers, he heads to a meeting with Horace Hoagland, the managing steward of Jenner’s (Devil in Winter), to sell a special batch of single malt he discovered after his father’s death. Hoagland has tasted MacRae whisky once before, and is familiar with its quality, and impresses Keir with his appreciation of the samples he provides. The two have just struck a deal when Hoagland spots the Duke of Kingston (who owns Jenner’s). After a brief conversation, Hoagland offers a dram to His Grace and starts to introduce Keir to the duke. Kingston is in the midst of refusing when he spots Keir. And then things get awkward. Keir isn’t sure why the duke is acting so strangely – asking after his family and his upbringing, and the steward seems equally confused. He’s relieved when Hoagland returns their conversation to the whisky sale and the duke departs.
Keir and Merritt each spend the interim before The Dinner Date trying to stay focused on their actual lives – he selling whisky; she running a shipping concern – but all they really do is think about each other. A lot. And we wait expectantly for the sexy times to commence and wonder how this love affair will sustain a full length novel. But then Keir is assaulted on his way to Merritt’s for dinner and nearly killed. Um, what? Yep, Kleypas sets in motion a parallel suspense plot that unfolds just as Merritt and Keir begin to fall in love. It’s not the strongest part of the story, but it works!
Oh, reader. I loved the chemistry between this pair and Kleypas does a wonderful job juxtaposing Keir’s gruff, slightly rustic persona with the lovely, dazzling (not averse to a potentially scandalous love affair), Merritt Sterling. Devil in Disguise features two mature adults who adore each other from the moment they first meet, and aren’t too shy to admit it. She deftly shows how overwhelming and intense and wonderful and surprising and confusing these feelings are for both principals, but readers are never left in doubt these two are meant for each other. Keir and Merritt spend a passionate, extremely sexy night together before Kleypas pulls the rug out from under them, and this reader WAS HERE FOR IT. The heat level in DiD is a bit higher than other Kleypas novels, and reader, it’s a treat. Keir is a capable, enthusiastic lover and he’s so, so good to Merritt. I loved everything about this pair and their steamy love story.
What I didn’t love? The altogether too chummy and smug and oh so perfect Wallflower character cameos. One of these devilish characters is a bit too ever present in the Ravenel series, and his late life perfection grows tedious. We get it, he’s reformed; he’s the greatest father/husband/duke/businessman/friend/everything. Enough. No one – not the wallflowers and not their husbands – is perfect, and neither are their marriages. Characters are allowed to have flaws and readers will still love them. So, no need to gild the lily every time, Ms. Kleypas. We’ll still like them. Probably. Oh, but don’t change Ransom or Garrett. They’re great just the way they are.
Devil in Disguise is a terrific addition to the Ravenel series, and I’m happy to recommend it to Kleypas fans old and new. It even inspired me to start listening to the series, too! Look, this trout was happy to be guddled by this author… and I’ll be eagerly anticipating whatever she comes up with next.
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Grade: A-
Book Type: Historical Romance
Sensuality: Warm
Review Date: 26/07/21
Publication Date: 07/2021
Recent Comments …
Yep
This sounds delightful! I’m grabbing it, thanks
excellent book: interesting, funny dialogs, deep understanding of each character, interesting secondary characters, and also sexy.
I don’t think anyone expects you to post UK prices – it’s just a shame that such a great sale…
I’m sorry about that. We don’t have any way to post British prices as an American based site.
I have several of her books on my TBR and after reading this am moving them up the pile.
I love romance novels - all kinds.
I love music - some kinds.
I have strong opinions about both and I like to share them.
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I am enjoying this AND I am finding the Sebastian plot a bit heavy handed….
The two feelings are not mutually exclusive for sure. I think that sums up the experience for many of us!
Last night after finishing this book, I realized I had enjoyed all the inside connections to the previous books just as much as the current plot. This felt like a gift for reading all of the Kleypas novels (most more than twice). Merritt’s flashbacks to her childhood, the 30 years later conversation between Lillian and Sebastian, and all the memories and emotional investments paid off.
What a delightful review!
I have to say: I can believe instalust, I mean, who hasn’t bellied up to a bar seen a delicious someone and wanted to rip off their clothes there and then?
Instalove, on the other hand, is just creepy.
It sounds like Kleypas did a good job of showing the lust transitioning to love? (I haven’t read the book yet, I don’t want to assume.)
I have to say I had a *moment* when I read who Merritt’s parents are. A child of characters I enjoyed many years ago is all grown up. Sniff… I had a “they grow so fast” moment. Ha!
Such a fun review! I agree- I was guddled too, lol.
I finally got to read this and I was charmed by it. I thought both the main characters were so appealing and likeable. There was definite heat between them as well.
If I had any criticisms (and they are minor) it’s that it shares several plot similarities to “Hello Stranger” which is a favorite of mine -and I agree with your assessment that the Wallflower cameos were indeed a bit “chummy and smug”. I enjoyed them anyway.
Overall it’s one of those books that’s like a cup of cocoa and a soft snuggly blanket. Lots of nice people, some hot love scenes and just enough drama to keep the plot moving.
Again, I’m saving the review until after the book loads on my Kindle (I can see it may be an all nighter for me). I’m so excited for this book. I’ve really enjoyed this series.
I have also come to realize that Kleypas, overall, due to the number of her books and the quality of her writing, has probably provided me more romance reading joy than any other author. Even her books that aren’t my absolute favorites I still enjoy more than almost any other author and she has so many novels that I absolutely love and re-read often.
I feel like I don’t always give her the credit she deserves from me. She keeps putting out books and series that I really enjoy repeatedly.
I feel that way about Julie Anne Long.
I feel like I give people like Joanna Bourne all the praise, and she is wonderful, but she’s written a handful books.
Kleypas has kept me entertained for literally decades at this point. And her quality hasn’t suffered like some authors who are still producing like Jayne Ann Krentz- who is really hit or miss in her work.
Kleypas gives me the warm fuzzies too. I’m glad you have an author that works like that for you!
Bourne and Duran are both amazing writers but neither of them are warm fuzzy authors!
I feel the same about Lisa Kleypas. And if we are looking at historical romance authors who have consistently entertained me for decades, I would add Mary Balogh to the list.
Totally agree about Lisa Kleypas as well as Julie Anne Long. I also feel this way about Jo Goodman.
I love a lot of Jo Goodman and Caroline Linden’s work as well.
I SO agree. I haven’t been able to find any other author I like as much as Lisa Kleypas. There are others I enjoy, but none who match her or that I re-read as often.
I enjoyed this review and I very much enjoyed the book. Merritt is believable as Lillian and Marcus’ daughter – there’s no way they’d have a daughter who was a shrinking violet! And Keir’s struggle to stay true to who he was brought up to be AND accept the new realities of his life was well done. I didn’t find the Sebastian plot too much at all – I’ll take as much of Sebastian as I can get! :-) (Wish there was a little more of Evie, though.) And since the whole suspense plot involves Sebastian, it makes sense that he’d figure prominently.
I’d love to see some Wallflowers/Hathaways crossovers – after all, Stony Cross Park and Ramsay House are in the same neighborhood!
I would love to see some Hathaway/Wallflowers crossovers too. Those two series are my go to comfort reads and I would particularly enjoy seeing how the children of Cam/Amelia and Kev/Win are faring in society.
I really enjoyed Merritt as well and was glad she wasn’t just a clone of her mother. She had physical attributes of both, but more towards her father and the business acumen of her maternal grandfather. I loved her as a little girl with the “bad tempered” doll and the “horsie” toy that poor Beatrix lifted. Keir was absolutely lovely as well. It was fun to picture a young double of Sebastian raised in the exact opposite way he was.
Hooray! I’ll be reading this soon.
What a great review, Em! I can’t wait to buy it. And I loved your subtle clues.
The sad news is that I hear this is the last in the series! I was super bummed when my editor mentioned it.
Hope you enjoy it, too, Trish!
Nooooooo! Are you hearing anything about an all new series from her?
Well, I’m assuming it’s the last – I mean Merritt isn’t even a Ravenel, is she? So it’s a bit of a stretch to include this book under that banner!
I had that same thought! Thanks.
I’m wondering if Kleypas will do something with the Hathaway offspring and maybe a crossover with some other Wallflower children as part of her next series? I would love to see the children of Amelia and Cam grown up.
I wonder if she’ll write some contemps.
This is just my speculation because I don’t have the numbers, but I’ve always suspected her contemporaries didn’t do the sales that her historical romances do.
Are there any stats on that you know of? I’d be curious.
Well, her HRs continue to sell like hot cakes, even older ones.
I assumed the same thing. I did enjoy Sugar Daddy and Blue-Eyed Devil. Lisa Kleypas is an auto-buy for me and I will read her in any subgenre!
I thought Chasing Cassandra was the last of the Ravenel series. The way it ended seemed final so I was surprised that there was to be one more. I just got my copy of Devil in Disguise and am excited to read it soon. It sounds like there will be recurring characters from Ravenels/Wildflowers that I will enjoy seeing again.