Give me anything Lisa Kleypas wants to write and I'll devour it.

I'm not sure why this was categorized as a Ravenels book because it had absolutely nothing to do with them, but I've never turned down the chance to have more Sebastian in my life.

Devil in Disguise by Lisa Kleypas is a wonderful addition the Ravenels series. I enjoyed Merritt and Keir's story. I especially like how strong of a heroine Merritt is. Enjoyed immensely.

Welp, this book was all over the place. We meet Merrit, a widow who is now in charger of a shipping company, something that is not really something woman do in her time but she is doing a good job. Keir is a Scotsman who has taken over his deceased father whiskey distillery and it super angry because said shipping company messed up on his order and some other things.. bing bang boom they meet and fall in love/lust.. he does not want to mess up her name-she is a lady, he is a lowly Scotsman, has nothing to offer her, however he can't stay away, but lets get it on, boom they sleep together, even though she knows that if anyone finds out she will be ostracized, but hey, lets live a little. He leaves, but someone try's to kill him, kaboom! he's hurt she flips out doesn't care if there is scandal and has him brought to her house so that she can nurse him back to health, because she loves him so. He finally wakes up, but has amnesia, yup... A duke appears and guess what, he Keir's father, so we have people trying to kill him to try and keep him from what is owed him. Keir doesn't want to believe this, but can not deny the similarities of him and the Duke. He doesn't remember the explosive night he had with Merritt, and is back to the we can't have anything, and so will leave her, but when he does, memory of their night together appears, and he runs back to her.. and decides that they can make it after all and they decide to be together and trap the killer....totally believable, not

Devil in Disguise is the first novel I've ever read by Lisa Kleypas and zomg! why haven't I read her before? I absolutely loved the characters in this novel and can only assume that many of the secondary characters have had their own novels.



Merritt, our heroine, is such a strong and progressive character who comes from a strong and progressive family. She's loved and supported in all of her 'unconventional' pursuits and the community at large seems to have nothing but respect for her. There are so many things to adore about her, but I think that I really loved how capable and calm she was in every situation that seemed to cross her path. She's astute, patient, kind, and wonderfully stubborn and therefore makes the perfect match for Keir.



Keir, our lovably gruff Scotsman, is our hero and he's also easy to love. He's grumbly and surprisingly traditional even though he's open and accepting. His inability to resist Merritt is fun and his eventual capitulation is everything.



Their love story was very easy to get caught up in and the dialogue, comedic banter, and, well, everything, made this novel hard to put down. I really can't wait to read more of Kleypas's backlist; I have no doubt I'll enjoy reading more of these characters.

Note: Since we had fun reviewing Chasing Cassandra together, Janine and I decided to do a joint review of Devil in Disguise.

Jennie: Before Janine got me into reading the two most recent Lisa Kleypas historical series (the Ravenels and then the Hathaways—Kleypas had a couple of contemporary series in between these), I hadn’t read one of Kleypas’ historical romances since 2006. I checked my book log; I read Devil in Winter in March of 2006 and gave it a B-. (I did read a couple of her contemporary romances a few years later.)

I enjoyed my recent return to Kleypas historical romanceland – I gave most of the 11 books in the Ravenels and Hathaways series B range grades, which isn’t bad for me.

I will confess that I had to think hard about how this book, #7 in the Ravenels series, *was* a Ravenels book. I have some ideas about how it might be tangential to the Ravenels series, but Janine, possessor of a mind like a steel trap, will know.

Janine: Ethan Ransom, a Ravenel by blood if not by surname, his wife Garrett, and Phoebe Ravenel, a member of the Ravenel family through marriage and Merritt’s close friend, have roles to play in this book, but I agree that Devil in Disguise is at least a squint and a half away from being a Ravenels book. It should really be considered part of a series called Children of the Wallflowers, except that that would be a clunky series title.

Jennie: The story opens in London in 1880. Lady Merritt Sterling is a widow running her husband’s shipping company. She encounters Keir MacRae, a Scotch whisky distiller (he’s of the *aggressively Scottish* genus of Scotsmen) when there’s a problem with the off-loading of his very important, very expensive barrels of whisky, which he’s come to London to sell.

MacRae is upset about the delay that may mean he has to pay duties upfront, which would be financially disastrous for him. Merritt’s brother Luke, who works for her, has been dealing with the situation, but Merritt steps in to smooth things over and make sure that Keir suffers no penalties for a delay that isn’t his fault.

(MacRae is also angry because an accident on the dock has resulted in some of his whisky being spilled, and he is one of the things the whisky has been spilled on.)

Merritt and Keir fall into lust at first glance, which annoyed me a bit at first. I got over it quickly, maybe because it did somehow manage to feel more organic than insta-lust usually feels to me.

Janine: Agreed on both counts. At first, the instantaneous mutual attraction made me feel the romance was unearned but my irritation dissipated quickly. Their attraction didn’t seem forced for long.

Jennie: Merritt takes Keir to her office, gives him coffee and shows him her secretary’s new-fangled typewriter, on which they each type their names. Keir impulsively pockets the piece of paper that their names are typed together on.

Later, when she shows him the room above the warehouse where Keir can stay while his whisky is unloaded, they start kissing but stop themselves before things go further. By the end of the evening, Merritt has invited Keir to dine privately with her at her home the next evening (he does not agree, but two guesses as to whether he goes).

Devil in Disguise is at the heart an across-the-tracks romance. Merritt is the daughter of an earl, used to the finer things in life. Her decision to run her late husband’s business marks her as unconventional, but she’s still very much a lady. Keir is the only child of an older couple, both now deceased. He was raised in his father’s whisky business on the remote Scottish island of Islay, and he is a rough-hewn man focused on growing his business. Both of them are aware that the attraction between them can’t really go anywhere.

Complications arise when it appears that someone is trying harm Keir; first, he’s attacked on the street by a stranger and stabbed, and then a fire sweeps through the warehouse, with Keir deliberately trapped inside. Are these incidents tied somehow to Sebastian, Duke of Kingston’s, seeming interest in Keir? Sebastian is the hero of the aforementioned Devil in Winter and family friend of Merritt’s.

Janine: Merritt and Keir are winsome and their personality characteristics well-defined. Merritt possesses a maternal trait of managing things to her satisfaction but for good ends—making others feel comfortable and relaxed.

Jennie: I did like Keir referring to her several times as “a wee bully.” That was cute.

Janine: Kleypas’ hand is light enough with this that Merritt isn’t obnoxious. She’s also uncomplicated—a lack as well as a charm. Keir is charismatic; even sharing scenes with Sebastian, he isn’t overshadowed. He too is straightforward but his fish-out-of-water circumstances keep him from boring. I liked how his natural ease came up against situations that would make anyone uneasy.

But though their personalities are clearly delineated, Keir and Merritt’s backstories aren’t filled in enough and that keeps them from having real depth. Keir’s past doesn’t have equal power or poignancy to Devon, West, and Tom’s in earlier Ravenel books. That’s also true of Merritt’s backstory relative to Helen, Pandora, and Phoebe’s. The protagonists don’t get to stretch much so a full personhood doesn’t emerge for them. However winning and likable they are, they aren’t as engaging as most Kleypas protagonists.

Jennie: Yes – neither Keir nor Merritt were all that interesting to me. Both were nice, decent people, and well-deserving of an HEA. But Keir’s main conflict isn’t even with Merritt, and honestly it resolves itself pretty painlessly. Merritt has some lingering guilt and regret over her husband’s death, but I didn’t get the sense that she was unhappy and unfulfilled in her life before Keir came along.

That makes me wonder – do I need the characters to be unhappy when they meet for a romance to be compelling? I don’t usually think in those terms, but I do think in terms of the h/h making each other’s lives better and completing each other in some sense (this is not a concept I extend to real life, but it works for me in romantic fiction).

Janine: A certain degree of personal unhappiness in characters’ pasts is helpful in all genres. It’s a basis for characters’ goals, internal conflicts/tension, and (if they have them) growth arcs. All things that can give characters depth and make them interesting, as well as add momentum to a plot.

To your point about how Keir’s main conflict isn’t even with Merritt—indeed, there’s a bigger problem: Keir’s main conflict barely even affects their romance.

Spoiler: Show

Jennie: Keir and Merritt seemed to have a strong physical attraction (which is good, in a romance!), but beyond that, I didn’t feel a really strong connection between them.

Janine: The sex scenes were really sexy. Particularly the first two (the third had a slightly dicey aspect). And it’s unusual for Kleypas historical romances to have experienced heroines; the sexual initiation fantasy is part of Kleypas’ author brand.

I agree the good chemistry is based largely on sex (their being good-natured people and caring about each other are factors too). I liked Merritt but I wasn’t sure why Keir was so taken with her. I wish their shared understanding of business management had been touched on more.

Jennie: Agreed – that was a connection that could have been expanded upon. There’s not a lot of h/h conflict in this book – there’s the tension of the unsuitability of their connection, but that connection is so present from the beginning that the HEA feels more inevitable than usual.

Janine: Agreed.

Jennie:

Spoiler: Show

Janine: The external plot about Keir and the Challons has been hugely controversial with Kleypas fans and I’m astounded by that.

Spoiler: Show

Janine: Since their characters interact in this book, I would have liked a deeper and more heartfelt apology from Sebastian to Lillian for the past; the one he tendered her in Devil in Winter was one he underplayed and a bit grudging. Too, we’re living in the #metoo era now. But I was glad to see Lillian and Sebastian’s past conflict alluded to.

Jennie: I read It Happened One Autumn in 2005, and remember nothing about it, so I was a little confused by the Sebastian/Lillian rapprochement and its significance.

Janine: I loved Sebastian in this book otherwise. He’s become wittier and more captivating with each Ravenels series appearance. He’s always been sexy in a slinky and sleek, preening way, but there’s something about his maturity now and the slightly subversive way he occupies the role of patriarch that rocks.

Jennie:

Spoiler: Show

Devil in Disguise ended up feeling a bit blah, and I think it’s because I just didn’t find Keir and Merritt that compelling as individuals or as a couple. Ultimately, this was a pleasant romance about two nice people finding love, and I’m giving it a B-.

Janine: It’s a C+ for me.

I loved Merritt so much. I loved her fire, her stubbornness, her passion and that she didn’t hesitate or question her attraction to Keir. She was portrayed as the perfect mix of Marcus and Lillian!

Oh Keir... we all had our suspicions about whose you were! But your character exceeded my expectations. I loved that you met fire with fire in your interactions with Merritt but never once did you extinguish hers! I love that your love for her was immediate and all encompassing!

I adored our glimpses of some of our other favorite characters. I love that Lisa remains faithful to how she has created each character and they stay steadfast in who they are. This book definitely pays homage to her favorite characters… which just happen to be my fav’s too!

Obviously, I’m a big fan and am so thrilled that we got a chance to go back into this world! I honestly would probably be satisfied to read about the Wallflowers and their progeny forever and ever! I can’t wait to reread and savor this story!

Thank you NetGalley, Lisa Kleypas and Avon Books for this advanced copy!

A lovely rags to riches style romance.

It's been a while since I last read a Lisa Kleypas novel and I truly enjoyed this one!
Merritt is a strong heroine running her own business in London when she meets Keir, a whisky distiller from Scotland. They come from different walks of life - she's a proper lady (who enjoys added freedom on account of being a widow) while he's a rough around the edges bloke who grew up on a remote island.
When someone tries to murder Keir questions are raised, not only regarding the would be assassin's identify but why anyone would want Keir dead.
An impossible love romance built around class differences that can easily be read without knowledge of the previous books. Thoroughly enjoyable.

Delightful, steamy goodness! If you love the Wallflower series, this book will make you swoon - it's nostalgic and wonderful, in all the ways that Lisa Kleypas shines: witty, charming, utterly winning, I loved it all! Highly recommend, especially if you've read the Wallflowers! Westcliff, Lillian, Evie and Sebastian....ooo, to be young again!

This book has the right balance of action and romance and callback to other books in the Kleypas universe. I adored the tension and the wild drama. I do recommend reading her Wallflowers series before reading this one - at least It Happened One Autumn and Devil in the Winter - for full context.

Lisa Kleypas does it again delivering a wonderful love story. Love at first sight for Merritt and Keir.
At first I wondered if I was going to enjoy the story, especially since there was a twist that involves another beloved character. Kleypas did marvelous work in this aspect. I enjoyed the way that Merritt and Keir slowly kept on working on their HEA each fighting for it.

I LOVE Lisa Kleypas and seeing more of the Wallflowers and their charges makes me exceedingly happy.
Devil in Deguise is a beautiful and humorous historical romance that introduces a new character to the series-Keir MacRae. Keir comes to London to sell his whiskey only to find himself caught in the dazzling web of Lady Merritt Sterling.
Mystery, intrigue, and a steamy romance kept me entices to the very end. I loved this couple; their chemistry was so intense and Macrae didn't play games when it came to how he felt about Merritt. It was so sexy. The circumstances of his birth played brilliantly into the storyline and offered readers many cameos of beloved favorites.
Once again, Kleypas manages to delight and I look forward to the next in the series.

Lisa Kleypas is my all time FAVORITE romance author. She writes amazing historical and contemporary novels. This was did not disappoint! I am always looking forward to another Kleypas Romance.

The moment a Lisa Kleypas Historical Romance is released, I drop everything, and I did exactly that when this tender love story between a strong-willed young widow in charge of her late husband’s shipping company and a handsome Scottish whisky distiller whose mysterious past has put him on the run from deadly danger came out last week. Both equally smitten at first sight, they seem to be ill-matched for a real relationship, but their attraction is raw and powerful, and once the hero’s life comes under attack, the heroine will do anything within her power to protect the man she loves, even help him slowly unravel the deadly mystery surrounding his birth. The chemistry betwen the main characters is off the charts, and coupled with a few of my favourite Romance tropes, I devoured this book in a single sitting.

Is it enough to say this is classic Kleypas? It has everything we love and expect from a Kleypas book: the characters are original and real, the dialogue is witty, the story intriguing, and the descriptions of food mouth-watering. Some interactions between old characters felt slightly gratuitous but that didn’t mean I wasn’t happy to see them. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed meeting Merritt.

Devil in Disguise, by Lisa Kleypas.I absolutely loved this book from this author. I enjoyed that the writer went with the direction of creating the heroine with spunk, sass, and a intellectual mind. Merritt and Keir were dynamic. The plot certainly held my attention. Not only did the plot offer me entertainment, but the romantic part explored some steamy moments that left me wanting more. This was a great book.

Devil in Disguise is an absolute delight. It is everything I have come to expect from a Lisa Kleypas novel and more. Merritt and Keir are an exceptional pair of characters and the reader cannot help but fervently cheer them along as their plotlines play out. The romance between the two is absolutely sizzling, however, even more than red hot romance, Kleypas does a remarkable job of showing the tenderness, respect, and admiration that these two develop for each other over the course of the novel. This is a tender, heartwarming story that will leave you yearning for another ten novels featuring this feisty pair.

The widowed Lady Merritt Sterling has done a brilliant job of managing a vast shipping company in the wake of her husband's death. She has been guarding her own future interest, her investments, and her heart as she builds a reputation as a shrewd businesswoman. London society can't quite decide what to make of this woman, who has no plans of remarrying, and waits with bated breath for her to make a mistake noticeable enough to cast her down from her position as proprietor of her business. Lady Merritt has always been one step ahead of the busybodies, however, and has never even thought of indulging in scandalous behavior, until she meets the handsome, strapping Scotsman, Kier MacRae.

When Kier arrives, drenched, on her docks, Lady Merritt finds herself instantly enamored of the rough and tumble whiskey distiller, and ready to throw all caution to the wind for the chance at even a single evening with him. It quickly becomes apparent to both Merritt and Kier, that there is more than fate conspiring to keep the two apart as Keir is attacked on the street. Now the pair find themselves in a race against the clock, not only to find a way to remain together but also to keep Keir alive.

So, I started reading Lisa Kleypas' books out of order. I loved them so much, I have continued. With the mention of the name of our heroine, Merritt, I thought.... wait.... I know this lady--she's a child of an earlier couple! So, I had to go back and start each series from the beginning. I am loving this. So now, I am looking at this book with fresh eyes... our heroine, Merritt, I now know is the daughter of our beloved WALLFLOWER, Lillian Bowman, and the Earl of Westcliff, Marcus. (Do please read their romance in "It Happened One Autumn (Wallflowers-Book 2)"). She widowed and is successfully running a shipping company. She fierce, independent, and doing just fine. Then... she meets a Scot. Well, darn! He is Keir and she is doomed. I loved these 2. Do not miss this one!!!!

ANOTHER HIT BY KLEYPAS!! BRAVO!!! :) Romantic, spicy, and a perfect addition to the series. Definitely read the rest of the series as it will help your understanding of the book a wee bit more. Still enjoyable though!

Lisa Kleypas can do no wrong, honestly. Devil in Disguise is a fun, witty book that was a joy to read. This is the seventh book in the Ravenels series, and I really don't think you need to have read any of Kleypas' previous books to enjoy this one, it definitely helps.
Widowed Lady Merritt Sterling is happy enough running her late husband's shipping company, and is doing a fantastic job. Until, that is, she meets Keir MacRae. The big, burly Scotsman shouldn't be so darn tempting, but something about him invites Merritt in, and sparks fly. Quickly, though, they learn someone is out to kill Keir, and Merritt must do what she can to keep him safe.
I really loved this book. There is an amnesia plot done so very well, and the dynamic between Merritt and Keir is exquisite. I also loved all the Wallflowers characters that made an appearance, although I admit it felt like maybe a little too much Kingston? Overall wonderful though, and I can't wait to see what she writes next!

Lisa Kleypas, as usual knocks it out of the park. A romance book that is the perfect combination of Victorian backdrop with strong female characters and realistic expectations. A fun and easy read.