DNF. I really liked the premise but the writing did not work for me at all. It wouldn't be fair to the book if I finished reading and gave it a low rating.

After absolutely loving The Heiress Gets The Duke, I had really high hopes for the follow up and I was not disappointed! Part road trip romance/part sick bed romance, we follow Violet Crenshaw as she hightails it out of London in a carriage heading north with the deceptively helpful Lord Leigh in an attempt to escape an arranged marriage. The Devil And The Heiress was an absolute delight to read and I will be recommending it to romance readers as much as I can! I'm completely hooked on The Gilded Age Heiresses series and am looking forward to more from Harper St. George!

The Devil and the Heiress is the second book of St. George's The Gilded Age Heiresses, featuring August's younger sister, Violet Crenshaw, and Evan's best friend, Christian Halston, Earl of Leigh.

With August's marriage with a duke, Violet thinks that her parents no longer plans to marry her to one of the English peerages for business purpose. Alas, she is wrong on that account. So Violet, who plans to be an author, decides to run away. Except, unknown to her, Christian is ready to intercept. Christian is attracted to Violet but to be honest, he also needs Violet for her money to save his beloved house. And yes, Christian is determined to make Violet his wife.


First of all, I need to say this... I will probably doomed to despise majority of the parents in historical romance that I read. I mean, the way that the Crenshaws thinks they can just 'give away' their daughter for mineral rights!! What the hell, parents?!? Do you really just see your daughters as assets to sell? Urgh!! 😠

But in overall, I really enjoyed this one. Yes, Christian was hiding his initial intention (you know, marrying Violet because he needs her money) but I believed that he truly cared for Violet. There were sparks already happening between them in the first book.

It was easy for me to root for their relationship, despite the rather short timespan and I thought Violet being very young as a heroine. Though probably her age is considered mature in the 1800s and not like she had a lot of options to be independent like in the 'modern' era

It helped was that I knew Violet could handle Christian. When she found out about Christian's plan, Violet wasn't shy to show him how much it hurts. It made the ending pretty sweet (I always love grand gesture in romance 🤭).

In The Heiress Gets a Duke, I already stated that I loved the older Crenshaw brother, Max, who cared for his sisters and didn't side with the parents in any case. I thought that this series would focus on the sisters, so I am so happy to know that he WILL get his own book next... with a widow! I look forward to that one next year.

Harper's books do not disappoint. They are warm and witty and oh-so-romantic and she is an expert at weaving real history into the narrative. A definite must-buy author for me!

I don’t know what magic was done to line up The Heiress Gets a Duke to release RIGHT after Bridgerton gripped us all, but thank the Gods for that. And now, we’ve got the sequel–The Devil and The Heiress-all about Violet Crenshaw and the devilish rogue Lord Christian Leigh. There’s the usual Gilded Age romance tropes, hidden lust, a runaway young lass, a misunderstanding, attempts at an arranged marriage, all that jazz.

Now that August Crenshaw is off to marry the Duke, you think her parents would be over trying to marry the Crenshaw daughters off…not so fast. Violet, August’s 19 year old sister, dreams of being a published novelist and has no idealizations of marriage, but her father is already negotiating her marriage contract with a less than desirable nobleman.

So she does what any reasonable young lady would do, and plans to absolutely FLEE. On her way though, she runs into Lord Leigh, who offers to escort her. Violet doesn’t see the harm in it, but she also doesn’t see the scheme he’s running on her. Of course, illicit travel plans go EXACTLY how you would anticipate in this romance novel, so get ready for Bridgerton-level pining, lots of inns and only one bed, and learning more about the other than you ever expected–and learning to trust again.

This novel has some pacing issues, and of course some ridiculousness at all times because it’s a Gilded Age romance and we live in 2021, but it was punchy and saucy at times and I overall liked it. It reminded me a lot more of Bringing Down the Duke than Bridgerton, especially compared to the first one, but if you like EITHER of those books, you’ll enjoy this series.

The Devil and the Heiress by Harper George is on sale everywhere June 29, 2021.
ALSO, by the end of this book, the 3rd pairing is CLEAR and it’s confirmed–The Lady Tempts an Heir is out February 2022!

The Devil and the Heiress is the second book in The Gilded Age Heiresses series by Harper St. George. A delightfully entertaining read, rich with romance, glamour, and lush Victorian detail. Between that cover and the synopsis,  I could not put this one down!

Exciting, enchanting and expertly executed, THE DEVIL AND THE HEIRESS, is an outstanding series! Ms. George's second novel stars Violet Crenshaw, a stunning American heiress who is determined to be a published romance author. Her parents want her to marry an English lord that Violet finds boring. She has no intention on wedding him. So, she rebels and runs off only to have her plans thwarted by a delectable, dashing man, Christian Halston, Earl of Leigh. Be still her beating heart!

Christian is smitten with the intoxicating Violet. However, he requires funds to rebuild his estate, marriage to her would greatly benefit it and schemes to offer Violet transportation during her dash to freedom to possibly win her heart. During their ride, Christian and Violet open up to each other. Instantaneous attraction and desire develops between them but trust issues hold them back. Violet's beauty and vivacious personality warms his heart, peeling back the layers of his shuttered heart. He is quite taken with the lovely lady and balks at the notion of another man marrying her. His body desires her and she completes him. He is known as a scoundrel and Violet is understandably hesitant to offer him more. Christian devises a plan to gain her hand in marriage. Will he succeed?

A dangerous love, a daring escape and more fill the pages of Ms. George's new story, THE DEVIL AND THE HEIRESS. This is a sparkling gem of a love story, filled to the brim with Victorian wit, romance, and heart-stopping heat. Road trips in a carriage don’t get much steamier than this! A runaway heiress and a wickedly handsome Earl conspire to flee a marriage of convenience only to fall in love along the way. This sexy, touching book joins two brave, conflicted souls who are navigating emotional turmoil and delivers them to the redemptive powers of love. Ms. George has the gift of making a relationship seem utterly real and compelling. I absolutely adored Violet's personality and rooted for her all the way! Plus, Christian's adoration of Violet's bravery and determination to make her own way in the world, touched my heart. He is truly a brave, brilliant man! Loved, loved this book! THE DEVIL AND THE HEIRESS is like a delicious candy bar, it just keeps getting better and better!

🥊 As co-owner of a gaming/sporting hall, Christian is a master in vice. What better than a pro to charm you out to your corset strings?
🔥 While manipulation and slight kidnapping aren’t the greatest ways to win a lady’s heart it just goes to show his sense of adventure in pursuing what he is passionate about.
❤️‍🩹 Beyond his deception and bravado, Christian is a flawed but tender man in desperate need of some TLC.

When I tell you that Christian gave me Harry Rutledge (Tempt Me at Twilight) vibes, I wasn’t exaggerating! He is a ruthless scoundrel but there is something so genuine and tender about his feelings toward Violet that took the sting out of his deception and made his arc into one of love and redemption.

I am really smitten with Christian and Violet and their story. I loved Violet as she is a woman of ambition and heart, wanting to be more than just a bargaining chip for her family and society. There was something refreshing about her character that was a good protagonist to Christian and his scheming.

I started this book and read straight through with no breaks. I was so caught up in Violet and her writing, Christian and his feelings towards Violet that made him want to be a better man. He is truly a good example of rakes making the best husbands, because his growth as an individual really made him a sympathetic antihero.

There was plenty of steamy moments that kept this fast paced book and left me in anticipation. If you love tropes like marriage of convenience, kidnapping the heiress, reformed rakes, bluestocking women, The Devil and the Heiress has all of the elements of what I adore in historical romance books and this was a home run for me.

I am hopeful that we will get a book about August and Violet’s brother, Max, because the tension between him and Lady Helena was off the charts and there is a story to be told..

Having a challenging time getting to like the characters, they are forced and not well written. Somewhere the writing forgot the steamy and was too slow pacing of the plot.

This was a nice story, interesting, but probably one I won't re-read. I usually enjoy the American heiress marrying the penniless lord trope. I did enjoyed the hero. Violet, on the other hand, didn't seem consistent throughout the book. Sometimes naive, sometimes knowing, sometimes a bit "to stupid to live", all over the place. Pick a personality for her and keep to it. If she changes, chronicle why she changes, what's going on in her head.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I adored Christian and Violet’s story! This was a fast-paced, passionate, and extravagant wild ride of a novel! The dynamic connection between the couple was off the charts sizzling. The journey complete with lust and deception resonates with the reader.

Christian Halston, the Earl of Leigh, is an impoverished nobleman searching for a wealthy heiress to fill his coffers with her dowry. At first sight, Violet catches his eye and he becomes obsessed with her. Yet his suit for her is dismissed by a greedy father. Christian seeks more nefarious means to pursue. He wants Violet. Violet’s passion is writing. She is getting inundated with pressure to wed the suitor her father has picked to be her husband. All Violet wants is the ability to write and be free from a dominating male. Violet falls under Christian’s spell, but is he the man he claims to be? The physical connection between the couple had an ebb and flow. Their relationship is complicated and multi-faceted. The romantic element wasn’t formulaic or standard. It had a flare and was unpredictable. Their relationship kept the reader guessing as to where it would lead next. The couple’s emotions were messy and confusing; this made their confrontations resonate as organic and believable. The couple's issues were not easily reconciled, and it took the majority of the book to work through them. Christian and Violet had to learn to trust each other even when there was no reason to trust. The leap of faith the couple takes was breathtaking. Their happily ever after was hard-fought yet beautiful in its resolution.

The plot had so much happening; I felt I was on a rollercoaster in the best possible way. The fast pace grabbed me and was relentless. The action was mixed with the emotional to create a well-rounded story. I cared deeply about these characters; they were vibrant. The storyline was fresh and imaginative. The secondary characters were well-rounded and contributed to the story.

I had a high expectation for this novel, as I didn’t think anything could overshadow the first book, which I gave five stars. I was wrong. I enjoyed this novel more than the brilliant first one. The sisters in these two books have a brother, and I can only hope he gets his book, as I do not want this saga to end! Christian and Violet’s love story outshines the usual stories of this time period. The story was a unique, fascinating, romantic read. I advise reading the first book in the series before this one to get a more well-rounded experience, yet it is not necessary as the book stands well on its own. This adventure is a romantically turbulent ride to all-consuming love.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book via Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I simply adored the first book in this series, The Heiress Gets a Duke, and couldn’t wait to get my hands on a copy of the follow-up, which features the younger Crenshaw sister Violet, and Lord Leigh. An aspiring author heroine fleeing her parent’s marriage trap and a disreputable rouge out to win her heart? Yes, please.

Violet Crenshaw isn’t as invested in the family business as her older sister August, but she has dreams of her own. She desperately wants to become a published author. Although she is a bit more biddable to her parent’s whims than her sister, she absolutely does not want to be a bargaining chip in her father’s power-hungry quest to build his business in England. Especially to the man her parents have picked out for her, without her input.

Christian, Lord Leigh, wants Violet for his own for many reasons. Partially because he needs her dowry to pay for some repairs to his Scottish estate, but mainly because he has been taken with her since she appeared on the social scene when she first came to London. He’s asked her father for permission to court her, was rebuked, and now he will do just about anything to keep her out of the dreadful Lord Ware’s clutches and win her for himself.

When she runs, he magically appears as her savior (he’s not, awful man), and they set out to get her out of town and away from her parents. She thinks she’s going to a writer’s retreat in the North, but he has plans to whisk her away to Scotland and talk her into marrying him.

As you can see, Violet’s parents have not learned a damn thing since The Heiress Gets a Duke. In fact, I think they may be worse. Oh, how I dislike the Crenshaw sister’s parents! But Violet isn’t as eager to please as they believe and she gets the heck out of London as soon as she realizes what their plans for her are. She and Leigh had an attraction in the previous novel and their chemistry only builds with each page. The getting to know you is interrupted when something bad happens, but it does force this couple into closer proximity which leads to them getting to know each other a whole lot better.

I didn’t love that Leigh had ulterior motives and wasn’t honest with Violet for quite a bit of the book, but I liked how he proved himself to her in the end. The thing I loved most in the first book was how honest the main characters were with each other and to see Leigh being deceptive, in a way that is so common in historical romance, just left me a bit grumbly. But like I said earlier, I enjoyed this couple and their HEA, so I guess it worked out in the end.

Max, August and Violet’s brother, makes another appearance and I’m keeping my fingers crossed that he gets his own book. Maybe with Helena? (Pretty please!) I was happy to hear that there will be a third novel in this series featuring Camille. I’m guessing she will be paired with Jacob, Leigh’s brother, and I like this very much.

Harper St. George is a bright new voice in the Historical Romance genre and I look forward to reading more of her work.

I was pleasantly surprised with my first book from HSG so when I saw this one coming up I grabbed it - mostly because I was intrigued by the Earl of Leigh in the first book of this series. I really really enjoyed this and will definitely be checking out HSG's backlist!

I loved the chemistry between Violet and Christian. I loved how fierce and completely fed up with her parents Violet was. Is it wrong to say I hate them? Because MAN - I really loved her brother's support and how he rushed to get to her, we rarely see that.

I am very excited to get his story! Thank you for the early copy!

Everyone believes that Violet Crenshaw is the most biddable of the Crenshaw sisters. But Violet has a dream, and a plan. This American heiresses doesn't need an English lord as a husband. And when her parents, arrange a marriage despite their promises that she would be consulted, Violet sets out to leave London and live at an artist commune to become a published author.

Christian Halston, Earl of Leigh, needs the Crenshaw money to restore his estates, specifically his Scottish one. With his spy in the Crenshaw house, he knows that she is leaving, and intercepts her on the way to the train station, offering to take her by coach instead.

Why I started this novel: I eagerly searched Netgalley after reading [book:The Heiress Gets a Duke|53283742] and loving it.

Why I finished it: Fun book with a proactive heroine. She's found her own solution, made plans and it's only the lying actions of the hero that derail them. So refreshing in a historical novel. I'm putting [author:Harper St. George|7771362] on my automatic read list.

I read and fell in love with The Heiress Gets a Duke at the beginning of this year, so I was so thrilled when I got an e-ARC of book 2 in the series, The Devil and the Heiress. I love Gilded Age reads and am so fascinated with “dollar princess” heroines, the term coined for American heiresses who married into British aristocracy between 1870-1910. This series has been such a delight and I think I even love Violet & Christian’s story more. 🤩

The Crenshaw family made their fortune in the iron and railway business but are still considered new money amongst the old New York families and often not let into established ballrooms on Fifth Avenue. Violet’s parents decided to take their two daughters to London and marry them off to aristocracy to open those New York society doors. With her older sister August set to marry a Duke (book 1 is their romance), now it’s Violet’s turn for an advantageous marriage...if her parents have any say over her life.

Violet is an aspiring writer and has no plans to marry a man she doesn’t love. When she learns her parents are going to push her into a marriage while they are still in London, Violet decides her best plan is to run away. She just conveniently happens to run into Christian, Earl of Leigh, during her getaway and he offers Violet a lift in his carriage as he’s headed out of town as well. Christian is in need of an American heiress, while he doesn’t have any outstanding debts like most of the ton men in need of heiresses...he does have a Scottish estate that recently had a fire and is need of extensive refurbishment. After meeting Violet through his friend Evan, the Duke of Rothschild & hero from book 1, Christian was taken with Violet immediately and his plan is to seduce her to marry him on their shared-carriage journey north.

This book was so much fun, I love a roadtrip-forced proximity romance and this delivered. Violet knows what she wants, and doesn’t want in the case of her parents trying to force her into a marriage, and was such a great heroine. And I really loved Christian, he didn’t have the greatest of upbringings and after his father left him with debts Christian made changes and actually earns a living on his own. He goes after what he wants and when that becomes Violet, he does everything to woo and show her he cares.

Thank you to the publisher (Berkley) for an e-ARC via NetGalley in exchange for my honest thoughts & review. The Devil and the Heiress has a publish date of June 29, 2021.

Like the first book in the series, The Devil and the Heiress is an exemplary take on the fortune hunter romance. Christian and Violet are appealing, well-suited characters, and their road trip romance is enjoyable to read. The story takes off, however, after a bit of a bump in the road - a small twist that definitely surprised us and added a little fun to the romance.

But of course "the course of true love never did run smooth," so once the wheels come off of the relationship, we needed to see how our characters came back together. We love a little groveling from a hero, and when it's public groveling combined with feminist political action, we really love it - and we get it here.

If you're looking for a basic fortune hunter on a road trip romance with some "pretend to be married" and a dash of hurt/comfort, this is a well-put-together exemplar that will check all your boxes.

The Devil and The Heiress by Harper St. George
I am most smitten with this wonderful Historical Romance book.
Harper St. George has nailed a book filled with historical facts and multilayered characters that make a reader feel immersed.
The Devil and The Heiress is most definitely a striking and attention grabbing title. One might not know what this story will actually entail. But, my loves, do not fret. No demonic beings make appearances. In order for the title to make sense let me introduce to you Violet Crenshaw.

Violet is our leading lady, she is an American in England and the second daughter (but third child) in the Crenshaw household. The family is in England during the season, securing marriages to continue to build the family's legacy and foundation. The Crenshaw's are very well off and are owners of an iron mine/factory back in America. After Violiet's older sister has been successfully married, all attention is on her to now court and seal a business marriage.

That is if only she could conform. Violet is my hero in this book, she is head strong and intelligent, she is currently writing a book after years of reading Ausitn, Eyre, Bronte, and such. She has vivid characters and story lines in her mind, and is determined to write and publish a novel. Currently she is writing a novel called and American in England and its all about and American beauty falling for a "Lord Lucifer." A dashing but dangerous duke that is inspired by an actual devilishly handsome duke Violet tries to deny attraction for.
Enter, Christian Halston the Earl of Leigh. Due to many hardships in life (in which the book goes over), Christian owns a VERY naughty, private club. Owning and running said club is now his sole income. Because of his entrepreneur endeavors his financial standing is not ideal, so he has set his eyes on Violet. But wait! Do not fret, her beauty and demeanor is what truly captivated his attention at first, finding out the information is what set a fire to his efforts.

Violet then using her observations of the Earl for her Lord Lucifer, and truly being busy writing her novel, totally missed that her parents are closing on a marriage deal with her and some other wierdo named Lord Ware. In her final attempt at fighting for her freedom, she packs her things and plans to run away. She wants to publish her novel, make a name for herself, and possibly after the success of her novel, come back and show her parents she did it.

But Christian, ever an opportunist finds Violet as she is running away and offers his assistance to take her wherever she asks. Out of the kindness in his heart, says he. (YEEEAAAHHH RIGHT!)

Christian's plans are to woo her and end up married to her along the trip to her "freedom." What none of them guessed is how their attraction and chemistry would play into the escape/plot.

I absolutely adored The Devil and The Heiress by Harper St. George. I fell for Violet harder than I fell for Christian. Harper is truly a wonderful leading lady, she has her wits about her. She's also got such a fierce drive to pursue her dreams. The chemistry between her and Christian during their travels is so palpable and magnetic. I was truly enraptured by their banter and sparks!

I highly recommend this wonderful Regency/Historical Romance, The Devil and The Heiress by Harper St. George. It technically is book 2 in The Gilded Age Heiresses duo logy, I believe book 1 is about Violet's older sister. The details elaborated in this book were so well done, I felt caught up on the previous couple's drama. But I am purchasing book 1 to be able to own both. These books are so worth the hype!!

Wow! I am clearly a Harper St. George fan, as this book was everything I had hoped for and MORE. I was head over heels in love with The Heiress Gets a Duke and didn’t think that anything could really top it (I enjoyed it way more than Bridgerton 😉). August & Evan were such strong characters and their love story is something I still think about.
BUT Violet & Christian... oh man 😍😍😍
Not at all like her sister, August, but she thoroughly surprised me throughout the book. Without giving away too many spoilers, this book simply blew me away. It was very easy to read and Harper’s writing was purely enjoyable. Much like The Heiress Gets a Duke, I love how the male character isn’t afraid to show vulnerability and the female character shows tremendous strength. Two things that were very uncommon during this time period. Once released, I will be immediately purchasing a physical copy for my library to loan out to all my friends. This book broke my heart but then immediately sewed it back together. ♥️
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I wish I could give it more than 5 stars.

This book follows Violet, a young American heiress who does not wish to be forced into a marriage by her parents, and Christian, the Earl of Leigh who wants to marry Violet for her fortune to rebuild his Scottish estate. When Christian offers Violet a ride to her destination after she runs away, she accepts and off they go.

I absolutely love that this book was written from the perspective of both characters. Being able to read, see, feel what they were both thinking the whole way through gave an immeasurable amount of insight into their character. I absolutely adored both of them. The growth and development that they underwent on their journey was so amazing to read, and it had me falling in love with their love. The chemistry was PERFECT, the romance was PERFECT... I mean it was just written so well! Cheers to the author for knowing exactly how to hit readers in the feels!

Even when things could have gotten too dramatic, it absolutely was not. The author wrote particular scenes with tact and grace and just enough drama for it to be completely believable. I was stunned, honestly. And the supporting characters were fantastic as well - I suspect the next installment in the series will feature the brother Max, and I am SO excited to read it. I would also love to get more of Camille's story.

Overall, I think this was an amazing read and a fantastic addition to the historical romance genre as a whole. Every single character had a place in the book, and every one elicited strong emotions, both positive and negative. There was not one forgettable character, scene, or plot twist. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves this genre, and really an romance fan as well! I will be keeping my eye out for any books put out by this author in the future.

The Devil and the Heiress is a romance novel full of adventure. Violet and Christian continue to have amazing chemistry that we caught glimpses of in The Heiress Gets a Duke, and I loved how their story unfolds. Both characters have strong development, but Christian really has the most while learning what it means to love and to be loved. The angst between the characters was delightful and the romance was super steamy. Hopefully we get to see Max Crenshaw's love story next. One thing that bothered me: historically, I know it was common for time period, but I wish Violet was aged up a little to make the age gap less since Christian is nearing 30.
TW: minor mention of childhood abuse