This was my first in this series and my first Kleypas so I am PUMPED to go read all of her work. I loved this one. There is drama and tension and steam. And my favorite parts of romance books lately- great side characters. I love when families are involved and fun and add to the story.

I've seen some Kleypas fans not happy about a certain reveal, but I enjoyed the depth of situations and communication this book continuously showed.

Book by book, the Ravenels series--now, the Ravenel/Wallflowers crossover series--gets better and better. And Devil in Disguise is no exception.

The romance is lovely: Merritt Sterling (nee Marsden, daughter of Lillian and Marcus from It Happened One Autumn) is the widowed owner of a shipping line who develops a quick and powerful passion for Kier MacRae--one which he reciprocates. That's where the fun begins, because from there, the plot widens to incorporate two Wallflowers families, which loyal Kleypas readers could likely guess from the devilish title. It's got the appropriate blend of action and romance, and the short introduction of a wee bout of temporary amnesia helps to slow the romance so it can simmer and develop.

What makes this book phenomenal are all the small moments between parents and their adult children, between siblings, and between longtime friends (even those, like Lillian and Sebastian, which began acrimoniously thirty years before). There's a small, quiet scene of just a few paragraphs between Merritt and Phoebe Ravenel that is just a brief moment between close friends but which is devastatingly effective both in addressing the insta-love between Merritt and Kier and in showing the deep, abiding friendship between this two women. There are exchanges between Kier and his father that add complexity to both their characters, and it's wonderful to see--after thirty years--how Sebastian still counts the minutes when he's apart from Evie; how Sebastian and Marcus still count themselves best friends, and how the wallflowers mentality carried through to the next generation of females in both families.

On its own, this is a well-crafted romance that is elegant in its economy of plot details and characterizations; there is a reason that Lisa Kleypas is considered the master. But what make this book (and you might say the Ravenels series from Devil in Spring and on) so special is that it is a love letter to readers who have followed this world for generations. (That includes Sara and Derek Craven from the iconic Dreaming of You, whose antagonist is the father of Evie.)

If none of these names sound familiar to you...first, don't worry. You can still enjoy this delightful romance without having read the Wallflowers series or the rest of the Ravenels. Second, congratulations: you now have a whole reading list of some of the most compelling historical romances. You will probably enjoy this book more once you've read prior books in the Wallflowers and Ravenels series (for sure, It Happened One Autumn, Devil in Winter, Hello Stranger, and possibly Devil's Daughter), but if you are eager to get started, you won't get lost in the backstory.

All in all, I can't wait for the next book. Guess I'll have to read this one (or the whole series) again while I wait.

Devil in Disguise just didn't hit the spot for me. I LOVE Lisa Kleypas but, for me, the passion was missing in this book.

Fans of the Ravenels and the Wallflowers will love Devil In Disguise, the eagerly awaited new release from Lisa Kleypas. If you haven't read those books, I'm afraid you might be a little lost, as this novel spends a lot of time with returning characters at the expense of its hero and heroine. To enjoy Devil in Disguise, you need to already be invested in the larger Kleypas universe.

As a huge fan of Sebastian St. Vincent, I adored this continuation of his story and the chance to see more of the lives of his extended network of friends and family. But if you didn't love Sebastian and Evie's romance, you'll be annoyed by it here. This does not feel like a stand alone romance.

I would have given this five stars if it weren't for the classic bait-and-switch infertility epilogue, which is dated and a bit boring. Let women have happily ever afters that don't include pregnancy, please and thank you!

Merritt is a woman who “manages” the people around her. Right from the beginning Keir see’s that managing and declares her a “wee bully” and he is charmed by her kind of toughness and is riveted by her passion. These two were engaging, fun, and very romantic falling instantly in serious like. The only hiccup being their different places in society and the fact that someone is trying to kill Keir.

As this is book #7 we do get to welcome a few of our favorite past characters into this story, which I always welcome. Funny enough, I started my love affair with Lisa Kleypas’ earlier Ravenal novels and have just gotten into the Wallflower series. Merritt’s mother is one of those previous wallflowers and it’s fun to see those characters in a different light. I had not yet read the Duke’s (and his Evie) novel but now can’t wait to dig in!

If you like historical romances you will really enjoy Lisa Kleypas and her novels and Devil in Disguise does not disappoint! This can be read as a stand alone, but I think you’ll be curious about some of these other characters and will seek them out just as I have. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley and the publisher for my honest review and it was honest.

Merrit is the oldest daughter of Marcus & Lillian (It Happened On Autumn) and a widow. She meets a Scotsman and distillery owner Keir MacRae through her late husband’s shipping company that she now runs.

I liked both Merrit & Keir perfectly fine, but their story was overshadowed for me by nostalgia and subplots.

I always love returning to the wallflower world but with this one, I was always looking more forward to the next scene with Sebastian & Evie (Devil in Winter) and Marcus & Lillian than I was the scenes without at least one of them. (Those scenes were delightful though.)

There is suspense subplot that takes place throughout the book, and at 90% when still nothing had been settled, I was a little worried. It was ultimately rushed and brought to an abrupt, too easy conclusion in the last 3% of the book.

Finally, super bummed this couple’s HEA included biological children. Merrit’s infertility is discussed several times, and Keir is adopted. He specifically mentions how happy he’d be to adopt children. Disappointed to see another author decide that an HEA must include biological children rather than take the opportunity to celebrate other paths to parenthood or the validity of a child-free HEA.

Still, it’s LK. It’s a solid, good book with enjoyable characters (old and new). Just wasn’t my favorite.

This was the perfect wrap up to the Wallflower series. Merritt and Keir’s romance was breathtaking. Lisa Kleypas knows how to make someone fall in love within pages of starting one of her books!

The new long awaited Lisa Kleypas novel did not disappoint!! It started out a little slow and had me wondering where the story was going but I loved the twist and the resulting story. The male lead was sweet and romantic which was nice (rather than the typical gruff man)

It started off great but felt rushed, too many pages devoted to sex and a very dull ending that even I with my very limited talent could have written a better one, again felt rushed. Trying to decide between 3 and 4 Stars and I think if it was any other author I would give it 3 Stars so I will try to put away my love for her other works and give this the 3 Stars it deserves sadly. It does have a great story and a great romance but the author took a great romance and spent a lot more time on the erotic portions than was required by this story. You would have thought they were rabbits. So 5 Star story with a 3 star delivery and a 1 star ending IMHO gives me a 3 Star overall in what I fear is a very forgettable novel.

A historical novel with distinctly modern elements in the story line. It raised a few eyebrows as I read but by and large I just went with the swing off things and took it in stride.  Merritt is definitely a modern woman. She's a widow and running her husband's shipping business though her younger brother is the public face. She's determined to seize life with both hands and take her happiness where she can find it even if it's a gruff gorgeous Scot who tries to maintain a proper distance between them.
Our introduction to Keir MacRae is interesting to say the least. The poor gentleman is soaked and reeking of whisky when one of the barrels of whisky is dropped by Merritt's crew who are unloading the cargo. Merritt is brought in to charm him out of his bad temper of which she does a stellar job soon having him fed, bathed and back out to the docks in record time. 
From there the story takes a few interesting twists and turns that have readers a little lost trying to figure out what's happening other than the sexual tension and release of it between the two protagonists. The next twist finds Keir's cargo destroyed, him suffering from amnesia and Merritt and Keir guests at a country estate where Merritt nurses Keir back to health.
More secrets are revealed. It appears that Keir is not who he has believed himself to be all his life. Most devastating of all he might not even be Scots when that is a large part of his identify. I'm glad his new family finds some obscure Scottish roots to appease him and all's well that ends well.
It's a great summer read which I definitely enjoyed.

When Keir MacRae goes to London to deliver his whiskey, he never believed he'd meet Lady Merritt Sterling or be the target of a murder plot. Merritt is everything he'd ever want in a woman, but she's too far above his station for him to court her except the heart wants what the heart wants. On his way to share a meal with her, he's attacked and injured, but that's not the last time someone tries to kill him. The next time he's seriously injured and Merritt takes him to her uncle Kington's seaside manor. As Keir recovers, he learns about his mysterious past.

This was the first book I've read in the Ravenels series and thoroughly enjoyed it especially that the story takes place far from the glittering ballrooms of the ton. Merritt was a strong, independent woman who took pride in running her dead husband's shipping business. I have to say that while I liked Merritt, I loved Keir. Who wouldn't fall for a tall, broad-shouldered Scot with an irresistible brogue? He was so honorable. I'm sure I'd enjoy the story more if I had read some of the previous books in the series especially Kingston's story. The pace of the story moves along nicely and read the book in one sitting.

Well... Lisa Kleypas has done it again, Devil in Disguise was such a delight!

Keir and Merritt were just such wonderful characters and I could have read a 700 page book about them and been happy. They were the perfect match and I truly felt like they were meant to be. Keir's Scottish accent did not hurt either-swoon! He was the perfect alpha male hero while still giving her so much respect and acceptance.

A couple falling this quickly for each other doesn't always work for me but in this case, Kleypas made me feel like they were just meant to be and I completely bought it! They complimented each other perfectly and every scene they were in together just had me riveted!

This book brings back some familiar favorites and I loved seeing Merritt's family as well as some fan favorites. I'm such a sucker for this type of thing and seeing nostalgic favorites just makes me feel all warm inside.

One of my favorite things about this was that there wasn't a dramatic event at the end that totally ripped the couple apart again. They worked through the issues, got together and then stayed that way for a good little chunk at the end of the book. I always really appreciate when an author can do that with a romance.

I'm so sad to see the end of the Ravenel series but as always super excited to read what LK does next!

An ARC copy of this book was provided by NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed are my own.

I absolutely love Kleypas and this is no different! I adored Merritt and the added bonus of a Scottish lover - SWOON!

2.5⭐

Unfortunately this book was a bit of a miss for me and definitely my least favorite in the series. But lets start with what I liked first!

I love the Ravenel family and it was really great getting a little glimpse of them in the future. However this book is definitely heavier on the Wallflower characters so if you love that series, this is a really fun peak at their futures! I love getting to revisit characters down the line and seeing where they're at - especially in cases like this where we get to see their children as adults!

The chemistry between the main characters was fantastic and super steamy. Despite my issues with this book, this was really romantic and I found myself rooting for their relationship.

I liked the exploration of family. Keir does not come from a "traditional" household and I really appreciated how that was discussed.

Sadly that's about where the "pros" end...

My biggest complaint about this is the absolute INSTANT insta-love. They essentially speak once and are exclaiming forever. While I thought they had great tension and chemistry, sexual attraction does not a long lasting love make. These characters knew literally nothing about each other and were ready to lay down their lives for the other. But on top of that, they kept referencing these long discussions they had that happened off page. It was hard to truly believe and become invested in a romance when all the substance happens off page...

On top of that there was the epilogue. I'm going to mark this as a spoiler but it really has no bearing on the plot. (view spoiler)

But overall this plot was just kind of weak. I liked Keir's tie to Sebastian but the murder plot felt contrived and not well explored. And the final outcome was lackluster and disappointing.

While I absolutely adore the rest of this series, this addition just didn't work for me.

Expectations are always high when you start a book by one of your top favorites. We measure and compare them to their best works which may be unfair because the standard is so much higher. And so a lower rating does not mean that they aren't as good. Because, honestly, if this had been my first book by Lisa Kleypas I may well have rated this 5 stars.

This was in Lisa Kleypas standards very low angst. The hero and the heroine fall in insta-lust and not long after in love with one another. For some readers this may not work, I'm not complaining though. Merritt went with a rather analytical mind about her first marriage because she didn't want to get hurt. Her falling in love with a beautiful Scot was the exact opposite of it and to me it actually made sense. I loved her portrayal as a headstrong, independent woman of the era. An educated, noble business woman who is also kind and sweet beyond words but also a kickass shot.

His pleasures were simple and straightforward. Lady Merritt, however, was neither of those things. She was an altogether different kind of pleasure. A luxury to be savored, and not by the likes of him.


Keir never stood a chance when he fought the sizzling chemistry between them. He is gruff but sweet and the typical Lisa Kleypas hero with a golden heart and integrity. Being adopted with his real lineage in the dark he doesn't think that Merritt is for him to love. But that changes fast, as mentioned.
I’ll be the extra rib that protects your heart.
You can’t. You are my heart.


The whole story long Keir's secret past puts him in grave danger. When it came to the showdown I found it a little anticlimactic. There is also the fact that Merritt can't conceive and we were deprived of what could have been a very sweet and emotional scene. That said, we get LOTS of Sebastian (from Devil in Winter) who is still one of my most beloved HR heroes of all times.

With DEVIL IN DISGUISE Lisa Kleypas gives us a solid story in her Ravenels series that I enjoyed immensely, despite the niggles which has a lot to do with being reunited with the Wallflowers and there significant others. If you're on the fence and haven't read LK's Wallflowers series go back and do that. You'll love this one so much more.

“Life can be understood only by looking back, but has to be lived forwardly.” - Søren Kierkegaard

I had such a good time with this book! I have been a huge fan of Lisa Kleypas’s writing for a very long time. I haven’t read everything that she has written but I have liked all of her books that I have read so far. This book is the seventh book in the Ravenels series but it can easily be read as a stand-alone. I was drawn into this story early on and I found it hard to put it down until I had reached the final page. This really was a fantastic book!

Merritt is a widow running her late husband’s shipping company when she meets Keir. Keir is in the process of moving whiskey from Scotland when things go horribly wrong. These two are drawn to each other from the start but Keir doesn’t think that he would be good for her, especially after he realizes someone is trying to kill him. Merritt would have none of it and their bond only grows stronger as they spend more time with each other. I loved the chemistry between this pair and thought they really were perfect for each other.

This book was pretty exciting. I was thrilled to see so many familiar characters play important roles in this story, especially key characters from The Wallflowers series. You don’t have to be familiar with that series to enjoy this book but Sebastian, Evie, Marcus, and Lillian all make an appearance in this book. I really liked that there were some pretty big issues in the book that Keir and Merritt had to deal with together and I thought that the way that they handled everything made their relationship stronger.

I would highly recommend this book to others. I think that this was a very well-written historical romance filled with memorable characters. I will definitely be reading more of Lisa Kleypas’s work in the future.

I received a digital review copy of this book from Avon Books via NetGalley.

Lady Merritt runs her late husband's business and that is where she meets Keir MacRae. Mr. MacRae keeps having bad luck with his shipment and she offers him a place to stay and dinner.

After more run ins with bad luck that seem more like someone is attempting to murder him.  Lady Merritt's relatives investigate. All the while Keir and Merritt have this growing chemistry that is getting very steamy.

There is a family secret that I'm sure comes up in other books that is revealed in this book and an injury that makes a relationship a little more complicated.

Lisa Kleypas is the Queen of historical romance and I thoroughly enjoyed this one! I see her recommended everywhere. Which of her books is your favorite?

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

Thank you @avonbooks and @netgalley for the E-ARC for the honest and voluntary review.

Lisa Kleypas is a MASTER at historical romance and my go to author. Devil in Disguise is Kleypas at her best. If you're looking for a steamy and sweet, emotional romance sure to tug at your heart and make your pulse race, Devil in Disguise is for you!

I love the wallflowers and Lisa Kleypas. The main characters were so easy to love and root for. I loved their story.

I will never get tired of Lisa Kleypas novels. She is an auto-buy for me. Her novels are always romantic, poignant, sexy, and emotional. I could go on and on. She's wonderful.

This is Merritt's story, and to be honest, I haven't finished Kleypas's entire back catalog, so it was a little confusing to follow both the Wallflowers storyline AND the Ravenel's storyline. However, I know enough of the characters to sort of follow my way through it. I love when the Hero and heroine run businesses (they're fiery!). Keir is such a wonderful hero. I LOVE anything Scottish and a Scottish hero is my catnip. Merritt is also an amazing heroine: strong and independent. Together, the MCs are destined for love.

Thank you to Avon Books for allowing me to read this awesome ARC!