Cold-Hearted Rake

I am so disappointed. I love Lisa Kleypas and was extremely excited when this book downloaded on my kindle. I thought I was getting solid gold and found out this was only gold plated! I kept wondering in the beginning if someone else started the first few chapters because one of my top authors would never write these sentences. I could not connect with Devon or Katherine. In fact, I could not stand Katherine. After three days of marriage, she acted like her husband's home had been her childhood estate. The twin girls acted like they were ten instead of nineteen and their antics bordered on idiotic. Devon was a weak character and I still can't figure out how he could change his attitude about the estate and Katherine so quickly. I did enjoy Winterbourne's character and I think Helen has a lot going for her. That being said, I have ordered the second book, hoping that Lisa will deliver another amazing story like her books of old.

A true Lisa Kleypas novel! It was wonderfully written and it introduced us to the characters from the next 4 books in this series without seeming slow or forced. It all flowed beautifully while not taking away from the primary love story in this book. You could read it as a stand-alone, but honestly it left me waiting for the next one in May of 2016! Lisa never disappoints!

If Lisa Kleypas wrote a historical grocery list, I would read it. Devon was sweet - not too cold hearted - and discovered so much about himself. The supporting characters were amazing and I have a feeling this series will build up nicely just like her Wallflowers series did. 4.5 swoony stars.

I like many others preordered this book but I didn't read it until now. The reviews were so bad and it sounded awful but I forgot to return it for a refund. My TBR folder is running low so I decided to give this a try without any expectations. I actually enjoyed it - honestly. That's when I thought that the thing that does us all in, is our expectations. Ms Kleypas is a great author and all of us have many favourites of hers in our collections of books to be read again and again. This HR is different from what she's written before and I commend her for mixing it up a bit. Both main characters were flawed but they were so well suited in my opinion. The title warns us what to expect from the H but truthfully I saw hints of his enchantment with the h from their first encounters. I love that he told her about midway in the book that since he'd met her, there hadn't been anyone else. I felt like I could see his love for her but he had to wake up an realise that's what it was. We realise from the beginning that this self-indulged, selfish and arrogant man is in desperate wanting of reform. I disagree with other reviewers where they said that it happened too quickly - the book is set over at least 6 months. He grudgingly began to learn to take responsibility and found himself liking it and finding a sense of fulfilment. I didn't find the h unlikeable - I saw her as desperately wanting the H to take responsibility for his family and the tenants - something he never expected to have to do. She does argue and fight with the H but I never found her to be too feisty. There weren't dozens of sex scenes padding the story out either - unlike lots of modern HRs today. This is the start of a series and so there is the introduction of several secondary characters and I look forward to reading their stories.

I've been waiting so long for another historical by Kleypas, and this one delivers in all the ways that made me become a fan of historical romance in the first place.
The hero, Devon, is a cad, but in the first chapter, we learn why he is like he is. The heroine, Kathleen, is a self-righteous little snip, but, again, in the first chapter we gain insight into why. The wit, the situation--an unexpected, unwanted earldom and a guilt-ridden widow in residence--plus the hero's decadent brother, West (think Rupert Everett's character in The Importance of Being Earnest), all propel the story forward. It wasn't long before I was as enthralled as usua,l and my dislike of the characters' personalities quickly changed to sympathy and a hope they could overcome their unwarranted opinions of themselves.
Kleypas took her time getting to the really steamy parts, but once she got there, it was as hot as one expects from her. Unlike many Kleypas fans, I don't read her for the steam, but I did find the first encounter, in particular, to be quite erotic, though not in an explicit way.
As usual, Kleypas's secondary characters are every bit as well-drawn as the primary ones, The twins seemed silly for girls their age, but I know a girl that age who's led a fairly sheltered life and she's just as immature, so they were believable. Unfortunately, so was Winterbourne, the department store magnate with a chip on his shoulder the size of Rhode Island. He was a jerk, but, then again, pain can make anyone become a jerk.
Also as usual, she crafts a story with unexpected, but not unbelievable or contrived, events that are pivotal in character development. Of course, an evil person is not going to become good because something happens to them. But a damaged person can certainly be healed--or put on the path to recovery-by a major event in their life. Thus, the term "life-changing."
What struck me about Kleypas' writing when I first read her books were the depth of the characters, the witty banter, and mostly the plot twists. So many times I've thought, "Geez, I'm only halfway through and they're already together. I'm happy. They're happy. What else can happen?" And there it comes: one of her plot twists that makes me breathe a sigh of relief that I get to keep reading.
Cold-Hearted Rake met all my expectations: believable characters, believable plot twists, fascinating and seamless interweaving of historical fact, and inimitable wit.

My idol, Lisa Kleypas, has finally graced us with a great historical romance. I've so missed her in this genre and she did a great job with this book. I can't wait for the next book in her new series.

I'm so happy that LK is returning to historicals, and though I enjoyed the book I felt like it wasn't all it could be. The book spent a great deal of time setting up other characters for future books rather than spend time with the Hero and Heroine, when it probably should have spent that time building up the main characters relationship, perhaps softening up the heroine who was very stiff most of the time. In fact the the Devon and Katheleen spent much of the first bit of the book apart! We spent a great deal of time on other characters and the struggles of running land and tenants.

I really enjoyed the secondary romance of Helen and Mr. Winterbourne, but I think adding in that budding romance story was a disservice to the main romance of Devon and Katheleen, simply because it was more interesting and the heroine(Lady Helen) much softer. I found myself really wanting to get back to their story every time the narrative turned back to Katheleen and Devon.

That's not to say this was a bad book, it was enjoyable and worth reading, it just feels like the two main protagonists had to compete against a much more interesting couple/storyline.

I really look forward to the next book in the series with Lady Helen and Mr. Winterbourne.

I love Lisa Kleypas, her books are well written, have characters that you can connect with and believe. This story didn't lead you right to the conclusion, but had you guessing a little to the ending. I'm glad that the story ended the way it did!

I especially like Ms. Kleypas' character development. The romance between Kathleen and Devon was fascinating, as is the developing relationship between Helen and Winterbourne. This promises to be another great series

I love Lisa Klepas' historical novels. So far, it's a great start to a new series. The Hathaway and Wallflower series are my favorites, but I really enjoyed reading this series start! I can not wait until the next one comes out!!

Loved this book. Loved all of the characters, especially Kathleen and Devon. Have always found Kleypas's dialogue to be just right, but in this book it was deliciously perfect. This book had everything that I love about Kleypas's writing, only more of it!

I cared about almost everyone in this story more than the hero and heroine. Neither developed into particularly likeable people and the ending seemed about three chapters short. Anything that might have been a true source of conflict wasn't addressed and overall I felt like each chapter was a repeat of the last; I started skimming more than I would have liked to for a full priced novel. Ultimately this book serves more as a prequel to Helen and Rhys' story - which I've already pre-ordered as Lisa Kleypas on a bad day is still a very talented author.

For the fans, remember how we were introduced to Westcliff in past books like Worth Any Price and Again the Magic? We couldn't stand him and his friends, then slowly they won us and provided us with great stories. This feels like that.

In my opinion what makes Kleypas stand out from the rest of the pack is her ability to evoke romance in a way that feels natural. The background of her characters are things that are familiar to us. On the surface the characters seem blessed, then we see they aren't and how much they have to struggle to get anywhere in life. She frequently shows us the importance of community and having a support system. Yet also how disconcerting it can be when we finally get something wonderful in our lives to those of us who faced adversity, since we either pretend it's too good to be true or overlook it. To live in fear is a punishment itself, and we should try to live with an open mind and open heart.

I am a big fan of Lisa Kleypas' work. Her writing is rich, flowing, and positive, she's constantly reminding us readers to live in the moment and hope for the best. To take chances and be consitent in our course. Before you know it, life does turn out better. And while those messages are still there, I think she lost track a bit with all the characters. So much packed into one story and while informative, all the troubles and action of the tale left very little romance for ys to enjoy. Like eating cake without frosting, it's nice if you like it, but not as satisfying. The book reads a bit slow, but I'd like to think it is because this is the first in an entirely new story and time. We must go through the details in order to understand later. We also have to keep in mind that going back and forth in writing two genres is no easy feat. So in that respect the "voice" is quite different. If I had to rename this, it would be "Reluctance" or something along those lines. The characters, in their pain, have taken an approach to life akin to feeling nothing. Accepting life as it was. When they meet, they realize that life could be so much more and Lisa did a great job in showing us their efforts to get to that. Which is why many will find this a bit heavy and weighted compared to Lisa's past work. The story overall wasn't as vibrant and may I say, radiant, compared to It Happened One Autumn, Lady Sophia's Lover and Suddenly You but it has that je ne se quoi of Again the Magic, Someone to Watch Over Me, Then came You, and Only with Your Love. The latter group being my absolutely favorites of hers. I can't wait for more.

All in all, I enjoyed it. I didn't love it like most of her other work, but Lisa's worst tends to be most writer's best.

Words cannot convey how excited I was to hear that Lisa Kleypas was finally publishing another historical romance. I loved Blue Eyed Devil but the rest of her contemporaries were not my cup of tea. Historical romance, in my opinion, is where Kleypas shines and Cold Hearted Rake is a perfect example of her insane talent.
Devon Ravenel was a rake, a wastrel and a scoundrel and he saw no reason to change those descriptors. Until one day his cousin took a drunken tumble off a horse and made him the next Earl of Trenear. His lucky break turned out to include a ramshackle estate, mounting debts, three unmarried girls and the prickly widow of the previous earl. The attraction between Devon and Kathleen is not immediate but comes gradually and then all at once. Suddenly Devon finds that he's not as heartless as likes to believe and his newfound conscience won't let him wash his hands of the enormous responsibility he has inherited. He is unwillingly charmed by his cousins, intrigued by the challenge of turning the failing fortunes of the Ravenels around and captivated by the poised and proper widow.
Everything I love in a Lisa Kleypas HR is here: charming, unconventional relatives, characters I cannot help but fall in love with, sparkling dialogue, humor, scorching love scenes and an Alpha hero with a mushy, melt- your- panties- he's-so-darn-sexy heart. Kleypas heroes are unequaled. In fact, three of my top five all time favorites are hers (Sebastian, Derek and a tie between Hardy and Westcliff) they are invariably Alpha, domineering, unyielding and stubborn but hiding an untapped reserve of tenderness and love that gets unleashed all over the lucky heroine. Devon is a Kleypas hero through and through and so of course he (and his brother who steals every scene he appears in) is my favorite thing about this book. Devon was sexy, domineering, sometimes clueless and so stinking sweet I got choked up a few times. I also loved the introduction to the second book in the series Devon's cousin Helen and another classic Kleypas hero, the self made commoner Rhys Winterborne. So much in fact that in the middle of the book I actually became more engrossed in that story and lost interest in the main story which brings me to my main quibble: Kathleen. She ruined the last half of the book for me. At first, she seemed the perfect foil for Devon's uncaring, cold rake. She was prickly and a bit shrewish but her behavior had a good explanation. Then halfway through she turned into a bit of a hypocrite, a meddler and a real shrew. Her concern for Helen and her future with a man like Winterborne was understandable at first. But her continuing opposition to the match and her idiotic concern for reputation and propriety when she herself was being anything but proper smacked of hypocrisy. Her unauthorized meddling which resulted in a broken engagement went beyond the pale. I also thought the end was a bit rushed and Devon's epiphany a tad sudden. That being said, this is still one of the best books I've read this year. I am so excited for the next book in the series Marrying Mr. Winterborne. The epilogue left me breathless and I have no doubt that book will be another stellar effort. Highly recommended.

Lisa Kleypas’s long-awaited return to historical romance is cause to celebrate! And she’s done it in fine style with Cold-Hearted Rake.

Kathleen is caring, protective, with a keen sense of responsibility toward both her sisters-in-law and the estate’s tenant farm families. Fostered out as a child by her uncaring parents, she tries diligently to maintain the proprieties, even when they grate upon her. The rakish Devon, on the other hand, has never worried overmuch about either responsibilities or social strictures. On discovering that he has inherited, along with the title, an estate that is deeply in debt and a house in dire need of repairs, his first impulse is to wash his hands of it: throw the widow and the former earl’s sisters out, sell off what he can and ignore the rest. His dissolute brother Weston agrees.

Kathleen, of course, does not, which puts the determined young widow at odds with the apparently ruthless new earl from the start. Of course there is also a strong attraction between them, and I loved that Kleypas neither rushes their relationship nor minimizes the differences between them. I also appreciated that it’s actually West who reforms first (or at least, most obviously); given responsibilities of his own and a familiarity with the people and the land, he becomes a genuinely likable young man–without losing his sense of humor and enjoyment of life. (I need West to have a book of his own. Luckily, this is the start of a new series, so hopefully we’ll get one eventually.)

I thoroughly enjoyed Devon’s growing obsession with Kathleen. Kleypas has always written emotional and sexual tension with consummate skill; watching Devon fall for Kathleen without recognizing the real nature of his feelings was delicious. As for Kathleen, she has her own reasons to avoid getting involved, but her heart and her body have other ideas.

There are a few scenes and situations that I was uncomfortable with, but for the most part they stem as much from the societal attitudes of the time as from anything in the writing. For instance, arranged marriages were very common among the aristocracy, so the fact that one is contemplated for one of the former earl’s sisters isn’t so surprising. In another instance, Devon comes a little too close to not taking “no” for an answer in one scene, when he’s in the grip of the infamous Ravenel temper, but it’s more in words than in action; it’s clear he would never harm Kathleen.

This series has the potential to rival the Wallflowers and the Hathaways in my affections, and I can hardly wait for the next book! But be forewarned: The epilogue deliberately leaves the next Ravenel’s romantic situation quite unhappily unresolved, and you'll have to wait until next spring for the second book.

FTC disclosure: I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are entirely my own.
REVIEW ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED at The Bookwyrm's Hoard: bookwyrmshoard.com

LISA KLEYPAS IS BACK!!!

Cold-Hearted Rake was everything I hoped it would be. Ms Kleypas has the remarkable ability to make you want to step back in time and live it. You forget about the lack of modern conveniences, medicine and rights of women. You don't mind the idea of no phones or computers and instead have communication that takes hours or days instead of seconds to deliver. It seems extravagant to have someone dress you and set your hair to attend breakfast, instead of seconds to slip on a t-shirt and shorts. The indulgence of a man to hold your hand as you are helped into a vehicle, instead of him hitting the button on the remote and expecting you to open your own bloody door. Lisa Kleypas reminds me that acting and being treated like a lady can seem like a fairytale.

Our Cold-Hearted Rake Devon, has been lumped with the title of Earl, a crumbling estate and huge debts. He doesn't want it and at first makes attempts to sell off whatever he can. He has no desire to manage the estate or the tenants who live there. Modernization hasn't been introduced, which means both the servants and tenants have to work extra hard to do their jobs. He knows that lives would be improved if a few thing were upgraded, but he also knows that funds are needed that he just doesn't have. Surprisingly, his attitude changes when a little, spitfire widow named Kathleen lifts her mourning veil, looks him in the eye and gives him hell.

Kathleen meets Devon and doesn't like what she sees...actually, she likes what she SEES, she just doesn't like what she sees in him. The two of them butt heads frequently and struggle to agree on the best course of action for the estate and the people who live there.

Kathleen was made a widow when her husband of 3 days falls off a horse that he shouldn't have been riding in the first place. Theo, her deceased husband, and Kathleen had been having a disagreement when he went off in a huff. She feels a huge amount of guilt when he dies, and is traumatised because she witnessed the event. Theo's three sisters have been left in her care and she feels responsible in helping them move on. She doesn't like the idea of leaving them with a man who doesn't seem to take their well-being into account.

I enjoyed watching this couple come together. The passionate way they love and the fiery way they clash, makes every time they come together exciting. Devon is stubborn and selfish, while Kathleen can be narrow minded and judgemental. Both of them must learn to curb their impetuous behaviour and think before speaking, to avoid hurting each other.

I enjoyed meeting Devon's brother West, the three sisters, Helen, Pandora and Cassandra and Devon's friend Rhys. Even though he acted wrongly at the end, I felt that Rhys may have been judged too harshly. I hope we haven't seen the end of Rhys and Helen together.

I loved Cold-Hearted Rake from start to finish. Lisa Kleypas has a talent for taking me out of my reality and placing me in a time where men stand when a lady walks into a room and department store shopping is new and exciting. I can't pinpoint the exact reason why her historical romances are one of my favourites, but it's kind of like my first cup of coffee in the morning. Puts a smile on my face, leaves me content and hopeful that there will be more in the future.

When I began reading historical romance novels after a 20 year absence, Lisa Kleypas was one of the first authors I discovered. To say she has mesmerized me with "The Hathaways" and the "Wallflower" series with the most awesome rakish story by far being, The Devil in Winter (The Wallflowers, Book 3), is it any wonder, I've been waiting with bated breath for this long awaited story.

Perhaps I was expecting too much. Or, perhaps not. At any rate, I've struggled between 3 to 5 stars, even though I'm certain beyond any doubt, this book is not a 5 star read for me when compared to most of her books. It's more like a 3.5 star read. I liked most of the characters in the book and totally disagree that the hero, Devon Ravenel, was heartless. In fact, he continually disproved that fact early on and during the course of the book. Even with his "less than loving" background with parents who cared more about themselves than their children, he was a good brother to West and decided very early on to offer his protection to the young women left in his care, after his cousin, Theo, passed - leaving the "less-than-thriving" unwanted earldom in Devon's hands.

Regarding his cousin Theo's widow, Kathleen, there were fireworks from the very moment they encountered one another and, "No, Devon didn't always act like a gentleman." But... most of the time, Kathleen gave as good as she got - deciding that if push came to shove, she would take her three young sisters-in-law, Helen, and twins, Pandora and Cassandra, move into a small cottage and live off her widow's jointure. When Devon realizes he can actually sell all the properties of the formerly entailed earldom, that's exactly what he considers doing. His true character is revealed when he considers all the people who will be impoverished if he goes down that road.

We have some excellent supporting characters in this storyline - my favorite by far being West, Devon's younger brother who goes from being a dissipated, ne'er do well alcoholic to a healthy, toned up responsible assistant to Devon at lightning speed. In truth, this transformation seemed too easy somehow, because it basically transpired in a single day which seemed totally unrealistic. Even though he had the potential to be a bright shining star, his character wasn't given quite the sparkle we all know he deserved. Then, there was a secondary romance going on toward the end of the book - just enough to give us a glimpse of the next book in the series in which Helen and Mr. Winterborne will apparently be featured.

As far as Devon and Kathleen, I found I didn't care for all the sexual encounters between the two of them. A very descriptive lovemaking session can often seem "less" when "more" is described. And, if memory serves, we had three or four scenes with quite descriptive sex and I found myself just not caring for that much description. There were some other scenes that I absolutely loved including how he held Kathleen in his arms early on in their relationship and simply let her cry all over him; another favorite is when Devon grabs Kathleen after the "accident" and keeps kissing her. I was also charmed by the way he spoke to her of his enduring love when he finally realized he loved her. After all, words and simple caring action are often way more romantic than the detailed and explicit sex. Too bad some authors don't appear to realize this fact.

I do look forward to more books by this author.

I have enjoyed every one of Lisa Kleypas books that I've read. This promises to be another series that will be worth reading.All her books have a sense of humor, clever banter and incredibly wonderful love scenes and underlying love stories.

Lisa Kleypass has always been delivering love passion and funny encounters in her stories. this one is not an exception to the rule. Love, and funny situation are a good match in this story. Can wait to read the following stories to come from the family!

This one started off promising, but I wound up feeling a little misled. The last 3rd of the book abruptly shifts focus to the secondary love story (a pushy plug for the next book in the series). The primary story only gets a rushed, token resolution that is overshadowed by a cliffhanger for the next book.

I've been anticipating Lisa Kleypas' return to historical romance for a long time and I pre ordered this title as soon as it was available. Thankfully her writing is still as polished as ever and the secondary characters left me wanting to read more about them. In fact I am highly anticipating Lady Helen and Mr. Winterborne's story. However I had some issues with the main characters Devon and Kathleen. The hero pursues the heroine from the start with little reason, then at the end balks at the thought of marriage and children. I found this to come out of nowhere and used as a means to add conflict. My biggest gripe was with the heroine Kathleen. Another reviewer said that she inserted her opinions in situations that didn't concern her, I did not find this to be the case but I do think that she was awfully high handed in her treatment of Helen and Rhys, overly judgemental, and hypocritical. She assumed far too many liberties with the girls and one would think that she was 20 years older than them instead of just a few years. She acted too rashly and was highly unlikable. I only hope the next book brings the charm that most of Ms. Keypads' characters possessed in her earlier works

I have loved many of Ms Kleypas’s historical romance books. I was so excited to see her latest offering and preordered it for my kindle. I have to say I am disappointed with this latest story and it was almost solely because of the heroine.

Heroine Kathleen is a young widow only married three days before her husband dies. She is only a few years older than her sisters-in-law who are twenty-one and nineteen, yet she acts as if she has the wisdom of forty, believing she knows so much more than everyone else. Kathleen loves her Arabian horse and loves her estate that she has lived on for all of three months (it belongs to her husband's family) but you would expect that she had been raised there for all her twenty-three years. She is in every way in charge of absolutely everything and everybody.

Hero Devon Ravenel finds himself the new earl to a crumbling rundown estate. When he ventures with his brother to view his new holdings, he meets his cousin’s widow, a very snippy Kathleen. At first he is cold heartedly going to send everyone packing but he rethinks this after meeting the lovely Kathleen and his three female cousins who are by far the best characters of this book.

Kathleen is the kind of heroine I dislike; she is prickly, prissy and above all self-righteous, and she loves to tell people what to do. She is combative and challenging, charging in without all the facts. Just when I think I am starting to like her she will get angry and say something cutting to the hero, (like wishing he had drowned) or go off in a huff. She is the epitome of moody. She cares way too much what people think, droning on about the proper behavior for a widow and the rules expected of everyone in her orbit.

The reader can see changes in the hero almost from the beginning. Sometimes he acts selfishly but usually he recognizes the error of his ways fairly quickly. He is by nature generous and self-sacrificing. Somehow the heroine misses this. He is also pragmatic, a trait the heroine lacks along with genuine understanding of money matters.

There is a budding romance between one of the cousins and a friend of Devon’s and I have to state I was more excited about their interactions than about the lead's romance which was on the roller coaster of the heroine’s moodiness. It looks like the next book in the series will be about this couple and I can hardly wait to read their story. Cousin Helen is kind and sincere but lonely and Winterbourne is bold but uncertain, a man who is self made but also one who wonders about his worth. I am rounding up to three stars because the secondary romance with cousin Helen and her love interest was absolutely compelling and unpredictable, much more intriguing than the primary couple's story.

Delicious, vintage Kleypas. I loved the chemistry between Devon and Kathleen, as well as another cast of supporting characters with whom to fall in love and anticipate as future heroines and heroes. Seamless interweaving of historical facts with plot.