| Title | : | Devil in Winter (Wallflowers, #3) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Mass Market Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 368 |
| Publication | : | First published February 28, 2006 |
| Awards | : | All About Romance (AAR) Annual Reader Poll Best Europen Historical Romance & Best Hero & Best Heroine & Honorable Mention for Guiltiest Pleasure Romance & Most Luscious Love Story & Best Couple (2007), RITA Award by Romance Writers of America Short Historical Romance (2007) |
Desperate to escape her scheming relatives, Evangeline Jenner has sought the help of the most infamous scoundrel in London. A marriage of convenience is the only solution.
No one would have ever paired the shy, stammering wallflower with the sinfully handsome viscount. It quickly becomes clear, however, that Evie is a woman of hidden strength—and Sebastian desires her more than any woman he's ever known.
Determined to win her husband's elusive heart, Evie dares to strike a bargain with the devil: if Sebastian can stay celibate for three months, she will allow him into her bed. When Evie is threatened by a vengeful enemy from the past, Sebastian vows to do whatever it takes to protect his wife . . . even at the expense of his own life.
Together they will defy their perilous fate, for the sake of all-consuming love.
Devil in Winter (Wallflowers, #3) Reviews
-
Oh.
Your.
GOD.
Sebastian St. Vincent?
Yeah.
That's really all I can say. I keep rereading parts of this book because the man just...he's just...I mean...words are just...not...how can I....express...no...
-
What a truly beautiful, romantic book, with so many sigh-worthy moments, so many humorous moments, lots of wickedly sexy dialogue...and featuring some very satisfying emotional growth from both the hero and heroine. I've always loved the stammering, shy, yet beautiful red-headed 'Wallflower' character of Evie Jenner, and could hardly wait to read her story. But when the hero of this book, 32-year-old Sebastian, Lord St. Vincent was introduced in
It Happened One Autumn, I had my doubts about him. Sure, he was wickedly handsome (and he knew it!) with his blond, 'fallen angel' looks, and he was funny and charming, but he seemed to have no ambition in life except to go about seducing anything in a skirt. ****spoiler ahead*** And then when he betrayed his best (and only) friend, Marcus, by abducting his fiancee Lillian, I was so pissed at him!***end of spoiler*** Now how was Lisa Kleypas going to redeem this devilish rake and make me fall in love with him? And how was he ever going to find love with shy, timid Evie?
Well, after reading
It Happened One Autumn and seeing how she transformed Marcus, Lord Westcliff from a stuffy, uptight arrogant know-it-all, into a sexy, to-die-for-hero, I should've had a little faith--I totally fell for St. Vincent! I knew after his sad past was revealed that all he needed was a little lovin', a little 'mothering' a little encouragement, and a whole lot of expectations from the right woman to be all the man that he could be. And the formerly shy, timid Evie was just the right woman to turn this bad boy around! Sure the transformation at times seemed slow, and painful, but fascinating to witness. Sebastian went from uttering lines like ...I rarely like to bed a woman more than once. A crashing bore, after the novelty is gone..." to saying after a few month's time My God. I love you so much that I'm drowning in it. I can't defend against it... Now that's progress!
A little plot summary here: Evie (23) is the shyest of the four looking-for-a-husband wallflowers (Annabelle, Lillian, Evie, Daisy) and is about to inherit the gambling hall owned by her infamous (but on-his-deathbed sickly) father, Ivo Jenner (
Dreaming of You). But Evie's dastardly relatives want the inheritance for themselves, and have been doing everything in their power (even keeping her locked up) to keep her under their thumb and away from her father. They have plans to marry her off to her corpulent (and repulsive) cousin just so they can keep the money 'in the family'. Evie is desperate to break free from her abusive relatives, and figures if she marries a man who is powerful yet in dire need of her money, she would stand a chance. That's when she thinks of Lord St. Vincent--he's so desperate for money (his father has squandered their fortune) that he may agree to marry her. She doesn't care about his reputation as a skirt chaser (she wants nothing to do with him once they're married)--she just needs his protection from her greedy relatives. So she propositions him, he accepts, and then we the reader get to see whether this will be a marriage of convenience only, or maybe something will happen...and these two lost, lonely souls will find the greatest happiness in their lives.
Some of my favorite moments in the book:***possible spoilers***
**the interesting story behind Gretna Green, Scotland, and why so many English marriages occurred there
**the Scottish marriage ceremony, with the joining of the wrists/hands
**when we get a glimpse of Sebastian's compassion--carrying Evie over the threshhold; bringing the warming brick on the coach for her cold feet
**the inscription on the wedding ring--you know we'll see that again
**Sebastian's treatment of Evie on their wedding night (*sigh*)
**the care he shows towards her dying father
**the jealousy over her relationship with her friend Cam
**his protectiveness of Evie
**Evie coming into her own, showing tremendous strength of character
**Evie getting St. Vincent to agree to a 3 month period of celibacy--how did she ever manage that?
**Sebastian finally getting off his duff and working at something other than bedding oh-so-willing women
**the sexual entendres throughout the book (the pool cue stick, etc.)
**Evie's utter devotion when Sebastian needs her the most
**the renewing of the friendship with Marcus
**the bedroom scenes (steamy), especially when Evie takes the initiative
**seeing St. Vincent totally fall under Evie's spell
**Evie's refusal to take no for an answer, forcing Sebastian to face his feelings for her
And finally, some of my favorite lines:
**No one could fail to observe that whenever Evie entered the room St. Vincent practically vibrated like a tuning fork.
**Evie, putting her cold feet on the hot brick that St. Vincent provided: "Oh...n-nothing has ever felt so good..." St. Vincent: "Women say that to me all the time."
**Evie's declaration to St. Vincent: "You can s-send me away, but you can't stop me from running back to you. I want to spend every day with you. I want to watch you shave in the morning. I want to drink champagne and dance with you. I want to mend the holes in your stockings. I want to share a bed with you every night, and to have your children."
**Sebastian: "My love is upon you..." (*sniff*)
To sum up...romance lovers everywhere, do yourselves a favor and read this book--no--read this series! The writing, the plot, the little tidbits and factoids about 1840s England (the food, the dress, etc.) the wonderful characters, the smokin' hot love scenes...so far I've enjoyed each book of this wonderful series! What makes me sad is that there's only two more to go.:( This one rates another 5 big stars!
St. Vincent...
-
Colour me baffled. Why does everyone love this book?
At least finally we have a genuine rake here – meaning a total selfish, overbearing asshole. He is a rake alright. He is also a rake in need of money. And then we have a shy, stuttering, abused heroine who has grown up in a family that can be described as dysfunctional. In a way it all makes sense, she would gravitate towards overbearing assholes, while he enjoys being one AND getting praise for being a little better than her fucked-up family.
So the shy, stuttering heroine (who slips in and out of her character throughout the whole book) approaches the vicious rake and makes him an offer he can’t refuse. She would share her inheritance if he promises to marry her and take her out of her messed-up domestic situation. So far, so good.
And then, inexplicably, England’s number one playboy falls in love with her. Why? Honestly, fuck knows, The book hardly makes it clear. It is finally his best friend who makes a guess that it is because the heroine is ‘so sweet and innocent’ (or something along those lines). I think I just threw up a little in my mouth. Please spare me this virginal nonsense, I beg you. So he whored around for the better part of his life but now he wants to settle down with an innocent flower. He never knew love because how could he love those slutty women he banged. They were spoilt goods. But there is his virgin and he is gonna love her the best he knows how, meaning, by being a controlling, overbearing asshole. Ideally he would lock her up in a country house, where she could be ‘safe’, you know. How romantic!
Because there are men out there who take a rich heiress, drug her, try to rape her and force her to marry them. Oh wait, that’s the hero of this book in the previous instalment of this series. But he apologized in this novel, so it’s all good (even though he apologized to the woman’s husband, not the woman herself, but that’s normal, as women belong to their husbands). -
5 Reformed Rake Stars
*Spoilers*
Devil in Winter was AMAZING! I loved it. It's my favorite book of the series! Evie and Sebastian's story was even better than I expected and I expected a lot. From beginning to end it captivated me. The plot was entertaining. The hero and heroine charming and their love epic! Devil in Winter is now tied with
Seduce Me at Sunrise for my favorite Lisa Kleypas book.
“I’m offering to marry you,” she said. “I want your protection. My father is too ill and weak to help me, and I will not be a burden to my friends. I believe they would offer to harbor me, but even then I would always have to be on guard, fearing that my relations would manage to steal me away and force me to do their will. An unmarried woman has little recourse, socially or legally. It isn’t f-fair…but I can’t afford to go tilting at windmills. I need a h-husband. You need a rich wife. And we are both equally desperate, which leads me to believe that you will agree to my pr-proposition. If so, then I should like to leave for Gretna Green tonight. Now. I’m certain that my relations are already looking for me.”-Evie
Sebastian was absolutely delicious and swoon worthy in every way. My God he was perfect. He was a sexy, charming, dirty talking beast. OMG the things he would say... Damn but he could melt the panties off a nun! Sebastian wasn't just a sexy rake there was so much depth to him. I loved how protective, possessive, and caring he was with Evie. He tried to act like he was a villain that didn't care for nothing but his actions always showed what a great guy he was. Evie was a perfect match for Sebastian. I loved the growth she goes through in this book. A super shy, stuttering wallflower at the start Evie really comes into her own. Evie discovering her self worth and being brave enough to love Sebastian was a wonderful thing to read.
Sebastian and Evie's love story was a beautiful one. It's one of those stories that sticks with you long after you have finished the book. There was such a strong connection between them. Watching them both slowing lower their walls, and start to love and respect each other. I loved the way Sebastian supported his wife and took care of her. Even from the start he set out to make her feel special and protected her. And I loved how Evie made him work for it. She didn't just fall into bed with the sexy rake. She let him know she wasn't just going to be one of his many bed partners.
“I want to fill every part of you…breathe the air from your lungs…leave my handprints on your soul. I want to give you more pleasure than you can bear. I want to make love to you, Evie, as I have never done with anyone before.”-Sebastian
"You can s-send me away, but you can't stop me from running back to you. I want to spend every day with you. I want to watch you shave in the morning. I want to drink champagne and dance with you. I want to mend the holes in your stockings. I want to share a bed with you every night, and to have your children."-Evie
Besides the awesome relationship between Evie and Sebastian in this book you have the supportive and sweet friendship of the wallflowers. I loved how all the women stand by one another. The way the other women came through for Evie even thought they didn't like her husband. I also loved how Westcliff and Sebastian started to rebuild their friendship. You know after Sebastian kidnapped Westcliff's wife. Pff water under the bridge lol. I enjoyed this book so much I think I have a touch of book hangover. I am on to Daisy's book and though I'm sure I will enjoy it I think this book will go down as my favorite of the series!
“Ah, Evie,” she heard him say softly, “I must have a heart, after all…because right now it aches like the devil.” “Only your heart?” she asked ingenuously, making him laugh. He lowered her to the bed, his eyes sparkling wickedly. “Also a few other things,” he conceded. “And as my wife, it’s your duty to ease all my aches.” -Sebastian and Evie -
''How is Sebastian St. Vincent today?'' This was the text message I had received this morning after my boyfriend had left for work.
''He's fine thank you.'' - was my reply with a huge grin on my face. Fucking bastard.
''Are you moaning his name?'' - was his next reply.
''No, boyfriend, just yours with his picture on my mind.''
''He's blond, you don't like blonds.'' This was beginning to look like a full attack on my fantasies.
''I'm on models.com trying to find myself a face for him.''
'':) Have a nice day sweets, I love you very much, don't forget to eat your lunch.''
Yeah, this book really is that good. -
Sebastian is one of the sexiest heroes ever written. Gosh the man just makes me melt. Out of all the Wallflowers, Evie is my favorite, hands-down. I thought she was an interesting character and I wanted to know more about her, although she didn't seem to say much. But what she did and didn't say sparked my curiosity about her. I knew I was eager to read her book. I was overjoyed that Ms. Kleypas paired her with Sebastian. I saw a possibility there between them, don't ask me why. Literally, I said, "Yes!" when I read the excerpt for this book and saw that they would be paired together. I loved how at first Sebastian kind of didn't see Evangeline, but when he saw her, he really saw her. He is the most considerate, divine husband for such a former rake. He is crazy about Evie and can't seem to keep his hands off of her. He sees to her every need and is very honest about his shortcomings. I was glad that Evangeline didn't just give herself away lightly to Sebastian. She treated herself with worth and that was what Sebastian needed from a woman, for a rake who could have any women he wanted (except for Lillian, a lesson he learned well in Autumn).
This book has a very wonderful transition in character. Sebastian doesn't all of a sudden become a golden boy. He'll always be acerbic, and devious. But he puts those traits to excellent use. I believe that he had the ability to be a decent person deep
inside, but he just needed purpose. St. Vincent found that purpose in marrying Evie and taking over her father's gambling establishment. And it was great to see that incredible mind of his, and his energy, and creativeness go to work. His keen eye sees the opportunities in things, and good comes of it. One of the reason that Lisa Kleypas is one of my favorite authors is the way that she can write such wonderful heroes. They are not just dukes and earls, and even if they are peers, they still have an industrious core and the desire to be about something. They have depth and integrity and a core of strength that I find very attractive. Another reason is her divine touch with romance. This woman understands the power of a love story. Both traits of hers are clearly evident in this story. We also see Evie grow and become more self-confident. She went from being the shy type with a stutter (although she had to have a lion-heart to approach the worst rake in London and proposition him into marriage. Go Evie). We see how she has supported her friends and been there when they needed her. It's great to see her get something for herself and be cared for in return. Evie sees something in St. Vincent, and isn't afraid to work toward bringing that out. Watching this relationship unfold between these two very unlikely people was a divine pleasure for me. If there was any shortcoming with this book, I wish it had more love scenes (the passion is fiery between Evie and St. Vincent, I wanted more of those scenes), but otherwise this is a wonderful book and my favorite in the series.
Evie
[image error] -
2022
You know how you re-read your favorite romance novel years later and you realize that it's sort of cringy or gross in ways you didn't catch the first time around?
Well, thank god that didn't happen!
Nope, this is still my favorite trashy romance novel of all time. Sebastian is my guy, Evie is my girl, and the audiobook version read by Mary Jane Wells is wonderful.
But let's face it, mostly it's Sebastian.
It's no wonder Kyeypas has a whole bunch of books dedicated to their kids that allow us to get cameos with older St. Vincent.
Who is still smokin hot, btw.
Sebastian. Mmmmm.
2009
This one is one of those books that I knew I was going to love as soon as I finished the first page. It was perfect! I was rooting for the hero and heroine the entire time. Maybe not the entire time. A tiny part of me wanted to throw Evie off a bridge and steal Sebastian for myself, but...
whatever. -
greatest romance novel hero. possibly of all time.
-
mmmm… better than last time (likely because i enjoy historical romances more now) but still wasn’t great. i know many people consider this lisa’s best but i don’t agree. the characters were absolutely fantastic but the plot was a snooze fest imo. didn’t help in making the romance swoon-y. and tbh i normally love caretaking tropes but this felt like a cheap way to end a certain conflict idk.
————————————
january 2019- dnf @ 22%
yeah gotta say, not really understanding the hype and the swoon gifs associated with reviews of this book. maybe i've been spoiled by Tessa Dare but this had absolutely no heart.
and sure, i can take a dastardly hero and a timid heroine. i'm not too sophisticated for tropes and cliches if they're done fairly well. but she was bland and boring. he called her a bitch. and despite some of his caring behavior towards her i just literally felt nothing for the characters.
i sort of wanted to push through since i'm in the middle of so many books and i thought this one might be one that i could actually finish. but in 2019 i'm not punishing myself with books that are sub par. -
TOP 5 TRAITS OF A GREAT ROMANTIC HERO:
Like Sebastian, Lord St. Vincent in Lisa Kleypas' Devil in Winter.
#5: A Great Romantic Hero Doesn’t Share His Heroine.
“I can’t think clearly. I’ve got knots in my stomach, and constant pains in my chest, and when I see you talking to any man, I go insane with jealousy… Do as you please. But when you’re with Rohan or any other man, keep in mind that you belong completely to me.”
#4: A Great Romantic Hero Views Sex With His Heroine As A Life Changing Event.
“He felt as if he were the one who just lost his virginity instead of Evangeline. He thought there was nothing new to experience. He was wrong. For a man whose lovemaking was a practiced blend of technique and choreography, it was a shock to find himself so mindless with desire that he’d been unable to control his body. That never happened before. He experienced the longest, hardest climax of his life… memories of other women were banished permanently from his mind… there was only Evie, her playful fingers and frolicsome mouth causing him an agony of pleasure like nothing he ever felt before.”
#3: A Great Romantic Hero Knows His Heroine Is Unique & Irreplaceable.
“I’m tired of countless evenings of repetitive gossip and tepid flirtation. I’m tired of meaningless encounters with women who bore me senseless. They’re all the same to me. I’ve never given a damn about anyone but you.”
#2: A Great Romantic Hero Makes Love For The First Time In His Life.
“I want to fill every part of you… breathe the air from your lungs… leave my handprints on your soul. I want to give you more pleasure than you can bear. I want to make love to you, Evie, as I have never done with anyone before.”
#1: A Great Romantic Hero Loves His Heroine Beyond Reason.
“I love you so much that I’m drowning in it. I can’t defend against it. I don’t know who I am anymore. All I know is that if I give in to it entirely—” He tried to control the anarchy of his breath. “You mean too much to me.”
BOTTOM LINE: If you’re looking for a romance with depth… you won’t find it here. If you’re looking for a romance with originality… you won’t find it here. If you’re looking for a romance with drama… you won’t find it here. However, if you’re looking for a low angst, sweet romance featuring a leading man that possesses all the traits you dream of in a romantic hero… then The Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas is the romance for you.
The Devil in Winter (Wallflowers 03) by Lisa Kleypas: 4 “Perfect Romantic Hero” Stars. -
Re-read 6/26/21:
This is my third time reading this book and it's still one of my all-time favorite romances. I listened to the audiobook version this time and it's narrated fabulously by Mary Jane Wells. I especially loved how she voiced Sebastian, Lord St. Vincent. Still a big 5+ star favorite!
Re-read 10/12/19:
Still just as wonderful as I remember from almost 10 years ago!
Original read/review Jan'2010:
5++ stars – Historical Romance
It’s no wonder that Devil in Winter is a Kleypas fan favorite and historical romance reader’s dream. The beautiful, touching, and evocative love story of awkwardly shy wallflower with profound, quiet inner strength, Evangeline Jenner, and dashing libertine and unscrupulous, villainous rake Sebastian, Viscount St. Vincent, is absolute magic. Verrry big 5 stars for this remarkable, beautifully romantic, top favorite, keeper!
I think this quote from Marcus, Lord Westcliff, in Devil in Winter, pondering the mystery of Evie and Sebastian’s romance, explains it best.
“The situation was extraordinary. How someone like Evangeline Jenner could have wrought such a change in St. Vincent, the most worldly of men, was difficult to understand. However, Westcliff had learned that the mysteries of attraction could not always be explained through logic. Sometimes the fractures in two separate souls became the very hinges that held them together.” -
5 StarsAUDIO book review
Sometimes the fractures in two separate souls become the very hinges that held them together.
Why? Why have I not read more historical romance? Because if they're anything like this book? *happy sigh*
A ruthless, immoral rake that does whatever he wants no matter the cost. A beautiful wallflower in a desperate situation, willing to make a deal with the devil. This book was absolute perfection.
The narrator was fantastic with doing various accents and intonations, which I loved. My biggest complaint is when she did Sebastian's voice. She made him sound like some sort of pompous ass villain from an episode of Monty Python. It did manage to kill the mood at times, admittedly.
However, I adored this story so much that I couldn't even be bothered to mind that. I loved everything about it. Watching Sebastian slowly and unwillingly fall for the beautiful Evie. Watching Evie slowly grow into her own and become a strong and completely endearing heroine.
I'm going back and reading (yes reading. I don't think I can handle another pompous ass voiced hero LOL) every other book in this series and the spin-off because I need Cam's book.
If you haven't read many historicals like me and want to dip your toes in the genre, you really can't go wrong with this one. A beautiful, touching and wonderfully written romance that will stay with me for a long time!
Find me on:
-
Thank you my dear, Anne!! 😘
4.5 Stars and I loved it
At first I was all mad that Sebastian was a big time jerk, but he won me over as Evie won him over and all the sweet goodness ensued! Oh, and the narration is wonderful and want to get the Audible version as well!
PS - I’m ordering the mass market paperback from Amazon. It’s only $4 and some change! I’ll want to read these characters many times over!!
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾 -
I went into this knowing that this book was hyped, but I didn't know anything about the plot. I also have only read book one of the series and that was over two years ago, so I didn't remember anything about this world or the characters.
When this started, I felt like I was missing more about Sebastian's character. I am assuming we got a lot of him at the end of book two, but I did get enough that I understood he was definitely a devilish character who wasn't afraid to go after what he wanted. I loved how Evie is normally a shy wallflower, but at the beginning of this book, she decides to go after what she wants and ask Sebastian to marry her since she wants out of an arranged marriage and he needs money. The moment they agree, I was SWOOOOONING over this romance. Seriously. Their trip to Scotland to get married, her taking care of her father, and Sebastian running the gaming hell...everything was perfection.
I will say, I do think this went on a little too long and got dragged out by the end, but I loved Sebastian's journey towards loving Evie and how Evie was so confident and strong-willed around Sebastian. The romance took center stage in this book and I couldn't get enough of the development of the romance between Sebastian and Evie. -
Instagram ||
Twitter ||
Facebook ||
Amazon ||
Pinterest
I've heard about the "polarizing" event in the previous book that caused so many people to hate Sebastian, Lord St. Vincent. I also agree with what others are saying; that despite all the other characters in the book telling the readers, repeatedly, what a villain he is, he sure doesn't walk the walk (apart from that one incident). If I'm going to suck it up and read a book about a rake and a virgin, then by God, I want a man who is in desperate need of reformation. That's one of the reasons
I liked Elizabeth Hoyt's DUKE OF SIN so much. Valentine Napier played every single jerk card in his hand.
Our story kicks off with Evangeline Jenner demanding an audience with notorious rake, St. Vincent. She has an offer he can't refuse. Her father is on his deathbed, and plans to leave her all the money from his gaming den, Jenner's. Knowing this, her greedy relations have been keeping her prisoner, starving and beating her, and refusing to let her visit him. Their plan is to force her to marry her cousin so that her inheritance will be in his control, and then, Evie suspects that their plan is to arrange her death in some way so that they can spend the money freely.
The only way to escape this fate is by elopement. She proposes a marriage of convenience. In exchange for her money, St. Vincent will grant her freedom - freedom from her relatives, freedom to visit her father, freedom to live with the protection of his title. Obviously - it's not a love match.
Lisa Kleypas can be hit or miss with me. I like her writing style a lot - it's very clean and spare, she really has a sense for how much description to give and how to balance dialogue and narrative. The problems are her characters. Sometimes her "strong" heroines are just plain bitchy, and sometimes her "sweet" heroines are just spineless doormats that people use for sh*t-sticking practice. Also, her alpha heroes are sometimes just Grade-A jerks who make me hate them. Irredeemably so.
Evie was an okay heroine. Nothing too special. She's a stammering virgin - literally - who ends up redeeming a rake with her meekness and her humility and her innocence. *cue eye roll here* Been there, done that, gotten the t-shirt, honey. What else you got? She has a couple more vertebrae than other heroines cast in her mold, and I did like that she at least tried to stick up for herself and for the most part, spoke her mind when it counted. Evie won't be topping any of my favorites lists by any means, but she isn't on my sh*t list, either. Let's just say that she's...inoffensive.
My feelings about St. Vincent are a little more complicated. I don't really like that he's hanging out in alpha limbo. He's a bit too...courtly to be straight up gamma/alpha, but he's way too rapey and chauvinistic for me to accept him as a "nice" hero. His constant bragging about his prowess definitely garnered an eye-roll or two from me. That said, he had some great lines. Sexy lines. He's the perfect example of a character who you might find sexually attractive but would make a sh*tty boyfriend.
On that note, the romance is pretty slow-burn, although the sex happens early on in the story (instead of that magical 3/4s point that so many books insist on adhering to). Towards the end, I found it hilarious, the lengths that St. Vincent would go to deny his attraction to Evie. They bickered too much, though, and when their arguments started getting redundant, I began to eye the page count.
Also, what's with Kleypas and her fondness for attempted murder subplots? >_>
DEVIL IN WINTER is a decent romance. It kind of reminded me of The Gamblers duology (which is appropriate in more ways than one, because she makes reference to Craven's in here, which made me happy). In particular, DEVIL reminded me of DREAMING OF YOU, because St. Vincent is like a "well-bred" version of Derek Craven - and both of them are just as stubborn as mules when it comes to dragging their heels about admitting their feelings. Nothing will surpass the love I feel for THEN CAME YOU, though: Alex, Lord Wolverton is the OG of Lisa Kleypas love interests. #SorryNotSorry
3.5 stars. -
3.75 stars
After reading the previous book, nobody could blame me for having my doubts about Sebastian. However, I totally enjoyed how Lisa Kleypas managed to redeem him and how he started to slowly find love with sweet timid Evie.
I just loved how it all started with Evie, who was always just so shy, going after what she wants and asking Sebastian to marry her. This was a really bold move! And then I find myself enjoying everything from there; their strange marriage situation, funny banter, how Evie kept trying to run the whole thing, and how Sebastian kept strongly denying his feelings (the measures he would take to deny his feelings was just so funny), their little bet, and how Evie started to grow a spine and show some character growth. This was just both sweet and fun at the same time. -
3.5 stars
Nature had squandered an unreasonable quantity of male beauty on this undeserving creature.
This was a re-read for me, having first read it when it came out in 2006, it was a little different this time around.
The Devil in Winter is amazingly popular. It has been often voted as readers' most popular romance novel. And its hero, Sebastian, Lord St Vincent readers' favourite romance hero. Ever. Its popularity, I think, is due almost entirely to its hero, Sebastian, and the pairing with the shy, stuttering wallflower, Miss Evangeline Jenner.
I hadn't planned on reviewing, but felt I needed to explain my rating to all my friends who love this book. I won't rehash the plot. There were some minor issues I had regarding plotpoints, lack of characterisation, etc but nothing major. My main problems with The Devil in Winter were that it wasn't quite as wonderful as I remembered, mainly due to my disappointment that St Vincent wasn't really the villainous hero I'd thought, the sometimes flowery writing, and the lack of remorse and apology from the hero to Lillian.
The Badboy...More Boy than Bad
Ah, no...unfortunately not.
When I'm told all sorts of deliciously bad things about him, I expect to see the evidence. Except for the incident in the previous book, I never saw anything that would really make me believe that this guy was dangerous.
There was a lot of talk about how very bad he is, but very little action. He did say a few things to Evie that were...mean. But I'd thought of him as an unrepentant, tormented, whoring predator. Instead, I found St Vincent just adorably naughty and boyishly charming.
Touted as a golden, fallen angel, he was more angel than fallen. And for an ice-cold, cynical reprobate who supposedly did unspeakable things, he folded pretty quickly. Evie basically had him whipped soon after the nuptials. For a man who ate virgins...he,he...for breakfast, and whose sexual appetites and conquests were legion and legendary, his sex scenes with Evie were pretty conventional.
St Vincent is actually a delightful hero, but just not the dark, untamed antihero I'd remembered and expected.
Purple Prose
Here are some examples, mainly from the love scenes, that had me raising my eyebrows. This light shade of purple just isn't for me.
Forgive Me?
So...
I liked The Devil in Winter, but didn't love it.
Maybe I've read too many historical romances since this was released, but there was nothing new here. I did like the pairing of Sebastian and Evie; and St Vincent was charming, but for me, not outstanding. And I honestly never noticed before the purple descriptors that Lisa Kleypas uses, especially in her love scenes. I intend re-reading her The Hathaways series and the Travises. I'm kind of interested to see if it truly is me, and for some reason I've moved on from Ms Kleypas's writing. Or, if it's simply this series that hasn't wowed me.
With an average rating of 4.27 and 25 000+ ratings, and some of my close friends whose views I normally share, who have loved this book, I think it's safe to say though...
Steam: 3 -
4 stars!
“Mysteries of attraction could not always be explained through logic. Sometimes the fractures in two separate souls became the very hinges that held them together.”
Devil in Winter is probably the most hyped historical romance novel I’ve ever come across, and while I really enjoyed it, I didn’t love LOVE it like everyone else did.
This is the story of Evie the wallflower, cursed with a stutter she has spent much of her life on the side. Once her home situation becomes life threatening she approaches Sebastian St. Vincent with a proposition: marriage. St. Vincent needs money and Evie needs a way out and the two run off in the night and elope. Sebastian realizes quickly that he desires Evie very much, but with his reputation Evie won’t do more past the consummation of the marriage. So they make a deal, if he can go celibate for three months, Evie will succumb to him.
“It’s impossible,” he snapped.
“Why?”
“Because I’m Sebastian, Lord St. Vincent. I can’t be celibate. Everyone knows that.”
I think this is one of the best historical romances I’ve read, but as I said before I didn’t love it quite like everyone else. It had too much instalove for me and Sebastian’s sudden interest in only Evie didn’t really convince me, I wish I had seen him getting to know her more along the way. Basically more character development between the two main characters.
Positives were I couldn’t put this book down, from the very first page I needed to read it straight through. I also thought it was interesting that Kleypas placed this book primarily in a gentleman’s club instead of all the English estates and manors we have become accustomed to in this genre. I can tell Kleypas did her homework and I found the setting just as interesting as the plot.
I was able to read this without having read the first two books and while there were moments were it took me a moment to put everything together this book can be read as a standalone. I am definitely intrigued by the other characters and want to check out their stories asap!
“I want to fill every part of you, breathe the air from your lungs and leave my handprints on your soul. I want to give you more pleasure than you can bear.”
-
4.5 Stars
Everything has already been said about this top favourite, and there are already tons of great reviews here on Goodreads covering both ends of the scale, so I won't go into storyline details, but as you can see by my rating, I happily fall in the category of readers who have utterly loved Devil in Winter.
The "marriage of convenience", the "opposites attract" and the "reformed rake" tropes are probably as old as the genre itself and have been done innumerable times before, though rarely as engagingly as I've found here. The storyline is nothing new and, frankly, the suspense sub-plot is not particularly well-structured, but the characterisations of the leads, the chemistry and the romance—oh, perfection!
Evangeline is a great heroine, quietly strong and smart, but this is really Sebastian's book. His debauched days are at an end as the novel starts, more due to a shortage of funds than goodwill to tell the truth, so we don't get to witness firsthand all his despicable proclivities though, if this aptly serves to make him more readily believable as a hero, the aftertaste of his rakish past is nonetheless present in the rightful suspicions surrounding him and in his ambivalent reactions to what probably are the most genuine feelings he has ever experienced in life. There's an endearing and ironic self-awareness in this charming roué that, together with a stark loneliness hidden behind a skilfully cultivated insouciance and a natural magnetic sensuality, makes for an irresistible mix, but from the moment Evie gives him purpose and has him glimpse flickers of his own potential worthiness there's no turning back. And it's not an overnight change, thankfully.
The inspired writing, each banter, every playful dialogue, all the touching interactions and meaningful love scenes splendidly do the rest."Because I'm Sebastian, Lord St. Vincent. I can't be celibate. Everyone knows that."
Ahh, Sebastian. -
Nuestra reseña en A la cama con... un libro
#CUARTA RELECTURA#
(Por qué no tengo yo notas de ninguna de mis lecturas de este libro?!?!? Que, por cierto, son más de las que figuran aquí XD)
Me cansaré en algún momento de este libro??? Mira que lo dudo, porque cada vez que lo leo lo disfruto un poco más. Adoro a Sebastian y el viaje emocional por el que Lisa Kleypas lo lleva es absolutamente fabuloso, desde ese inicio de rake desencantado, frío y egoísta hasta el intenso final, con ese hombre que no sabe gestionar sentimientos que le son extraños... Todo me encanta hasta el infinito y más allá. Hay historias y personajes que te atrapan y a mí me pasa con esta siempre que la leo. De nuevo ha sido un goce total. -
10 Second-Favorite-Book-of-all-Time STARS!!!!!!!
My love is upon you.
This isn’t your ordinary romance. It’s real. It’s dry. It’s cold….like winter. The perfect book for curling up in a big comfy chair with some English breakfast tea (my favorite) while it’s raining or snowing outside (or you can just read this book all year long, like me).
Sometimes the fractures in two separate souls become the very hinges that held them together.
Lord Sebastian St. Vincent is not a good man. He is a man whore. He is a spoiled rich boy. He is selfish. He is mean. His is penniless and must marry for money. He is desperate enough to attempt to kidnap a friend of Evie’s to force her to marry him (the previous book in the series). After this attempt fails, Evie realizes that Lord St. Vincent is as desperate as she. Thus begins the Devil in Winter.
He looked like a fallen angel, replete with all the dangerous male beauty that Lucifer could devise.
Sebastian has a dirty mouth, and I love it. He is sex on a stick. I just want to run my face up his body and purrrrrrr. He broods and smirks at the same time (swoon!). He doesn’t just walk….he prowls (yum!). Everything he says is sarcastic and hilarious (oops! My panties just fell off!).
My Sebastian:
Evangeline Jenner (Evie) has been physically abused by her Aunt and Uncle since she was a little girl. She stutters and is considered a wallflower. Her father is a gambling club owner and is dying, but her Aunt and Uncle refuse her wishes to see him. Ever since she was promised to her cousin for marriage, she is desperate to get away from her abusers and will do anything necessary to see her father before he dies, including asking Lord St. Vincent to marry her.
Evie is a fabulous heroine. She is shy but also strong and intelligent. She has had to depend on herself her whole life. I love that she is the one to make the marriage proposition to Sebastian, knowing that it would only be a marriage of convenience. She does what she has to do in order to survive.
My Evie:
The story begins with Evie and Sebastian fleeing to Gretna Green, Scotland to get married in haste. Because they are traveling from London, it is a long trip. This trip is very significant because Ms. Kleypas quickly shows us a side of Sebastian that we had not seen in the previous book, a softer side while still keeping his callous, sarcastic side. When they return as husband and wife, they hurry to Evie’s father before he passes. The rest of the book takes place in the gambling club in the streets of London.
If my love can hold you, I’ll keep you with me.
This is not your typical story of man-whore meets innocent and they fall in love and she doesn’t think twice about his past and he doesn’t think twice about his past. Trust me. It’s so much better than that. This book is much like Jane Eyre (which is my favorite story of all time). It has a darkness to it, and when you are least expecting it, a ray of light shines through. It shines through the characters as they grow and learn and love.
As high as the fire in me burns, Evie, I will stoke it in you.
I want to fill every part of you…breathe the air from your lungs…leave my handprints on your soul. I want to give you more pleasure than you can bear. I want to make love to you, Evie, as I have never done with anyone before.
I love you so much that I’m drowning in it. I can’t defend against it. I don’t know who I am anymore.
My prize…my pleasure and pain…my endless desire.
If you are looking for epic love, this is the book to read!!!!
Find me on
-
Devil in Winter is, no surprise here, another winner in Lisa Kleypas' Wallflower series.
In my opinion, this story was a deeper, slightly darker installment as we watch Evie escape the clutches of her horrid aunt and uncle, and take the necessary steps to remain free of them. It was a pleasure watching her overcome her shyness and learn to stand up for herself and fight for what she wants - to be with her father who is dying of consumption and to ease him through his final days. Ms. Kleypas wrote these moments with such tenderness, it was impossible not to shed tears right along with Evie.
We also see Sebastian, Lord St. Vincent - yes, the Lord St. Vincent, villain extraordinaire from It Happened One Autumn - as he struggles to hold his defenses against the woman who has, despite his best efforts, found her way into his heart. What had started out as a marriage of convenience became oh, so much more. Watching the transformation from the man he was, to the man he became is both heartbreaking and heartwarming. I loved how he cared for Evie, stumbling and fumbling his way through understanding these new, frightening emotions and learning how to act on them.
For me, the true joy in this novel came as the self-deprecating St. Vincent and the timid wallflower, Evie, cast off their pasts and took a chance for a future filled with light, love and happiness ever after. -
TEN STARS...because I can 😉
A re-read of one of my favourite books is something I will always enjoy. Now that I'm a fan of audiobooks, it has become even more enthralling. I'm experiencing the book through another's eyes. If the narrator is good, they can portray the highs and lows exactly the right way. Rosalyn Landor has become my favourite narrator in historical romances. Her voice is soothing, her ability to change characters is seamless and accents seem no obstacle. I am carried away while listening to the story and she makes me see things I miss when reading.
Devil in Winter is one of the BEST stories I've ever read/listened to. The metamorphosis of both Evie and Sebastian is remarkable. Normally, we may be treated to a wallflower turning into a butterfly or a rake turning into a dutiful and loving husband, but in this case, we get both. I loved seeing them grow and become better people.
It was a five-star read and it's a five-star listen, so I'm giving it a 10-star rating...because I can. 😁
-
Greatest romance novel of all time.
-
Sooooo good! I loved St. Vincent in the last book and in this one he actually gets more swoon-worthy.
St. Vincent, who was more than a little intimidating, with his golden beauty and wintery ice-blue eyes , and a mouth made for kisses and lies. He looked like a fallen angel, replete with all the dangerous male beauty that Lucifer could devise.
Along with his gorgeous looks is a wicked sense of humor about his own depravity. When he tells Evie that he doesn't want her living in the apartments over the gambling club:
"You have no idea of what you'll be exposed to...the obscenities and lewd comments, the lecherous gazes, the groping and pinching....and that's just at my house. Imagine what it would be like here."
I'd like to come to your house, please!
He's a bad-boy and totally owns it.
Of course the sweetest and most timid wallflower, Evie, ends up with him. They marry to save her from her abusive family and him from his debts, but her innocent sweetness melts his hardened heart. I loved watching him soften up as he got to know her. She is like an abused kitten that needs shelter and protection and it brings out the best in him.
Oh my gosh, I can't say enough about how much I loved this book. I feel this strange need to gush or something.
Just read it!! -
Sebastian should be castrated. What a vile shallow character.
-
4.5 Panty Melting, Silver tongued Devil" stars
Oh who'd have thought that Evie and St. Vincent could be this freakin hawt!
"I want to fill every part of you...breathe the air from your lungs...leave my handprint on your soul. I want to give you more pleasure than you can bear. I want to make love to you, Evie, as I have never done with anyone before."
St. Vincent
St. Vincent is a rake and the worst kind of scoundrel. He's beautiful and sexy as sin and doesn't give two shits about anyone but himself. He has no purpose in life except to enjoy all its pleasures.
He seduced the first woman Westcliff, his best friend, ever showed an interest in. And recently kidnapped Westcliff's finance, Lillian, to force her to marry him because he wanted her dowery. Totally selfish in every way possible.
"...your romantic history, to put it politely, is like that of a dog who goes to every back door on the street, collecting scraps at every threshold. And I won't be one more door."
Evie also brings out a protective side in St. Vincent that surprises and scares him. St. Vincent bonds with her on a level he never has with any woman. He respects her and is intrigued by her innocence. St. Vincent has lived a jaded life and she's very different from the his easy women of his past. He has never had to pursue a female before Evie.
"You don't need respect. You need comfort, and holding, and possibly a good long tumble in bed with me."
Evie
Evie is one of the wallflowers. Her major flaw is her shyness and her stammer.No one knows that Evie has lived an abused life. As St.Vincent learns more of her past, he is determined to protect and keep her safe.
She makes him desire to be a better man! Can I just say how much I love a reformed Rake!!!
"I wish I were anyone other than me."
"Why?" she asked, her voice muffled.
"Why? My past is a cesspool, Evie."
"That's hardly news."
"I can't ever atone for the things I've done. Christ, I wish I had it to do again! I would try to be a better man for you."
The passion, desire, and longing between these two is palpable! St. Vincent has no defense for the intense feelings Evie provokes.
"My God. I love you so much that I'm drowning in it. I can't defend against it. I don't know who I am anymore."
What a total surprise this love story turned out to be! I never imagined that the dirt talking, carefree scoundrel, St. Vincent would become one of my favorite male characters!
"My love is upon you," he whispered...and she knew then that she had won. This imperfect, extraordinary, passionate man was hers, his heart given over completely to her safekeeping. It was a trust she would never betray. -
I did it. And I'm not sorry. I think I needed a little something to prove there's a reason to read this author after the disappointing Ravenel series thus far. Not sure this is gonna help when it comes to Phoebe and West though.
********Original Review***********10/23/17
Where to begin?
I'm not sure...I was intrigued during his scenes when we met St. Vincent in
It Happened One Autumn. He was menacing and seductive...and it continued through the epilogue. I tried to wait to read this, and then as I mentioned in an update, determined I could just, ya know, read it again instead of delayed gratification.
Considering I highlighted about 2/3 of this book, I'm thinking that's a pretty solid chance.
And a quick warning...I'm rambling. Likely because my review did not start forming in my head until I had dealt with my swooning and fainting spells from this perfect book.
Sebastian has just enough self-control, self-involvement, and desperation to make him a very interesting character. Instead of being the cold, calculating jackass, Kleypas made me think from the get-go that his facade was actually masking some pretty vulnerable intensity & fear. Even his words in cruelty (which there were several) to the heroine were essentially protective of him or her. And basically, he wasn't fooling anyone. I found his irritability to be the most telling trait about him. You can't get irritated if you don't feel, no matter what everyone, including yourself, says about you. You also probably don't keep friends for 22 years. Basically what I'm saying here is that Sebastian was clearly more like burning embers that just needed to be fanned to give light to the passion underneath...As a bonus, he unexpectedly cracked me up. I adored his quips and his exasperation in equal measure.
Evie. I loved her.Her "whatever you jackass, I've had worse" strength, her nurturing, and her willingness to be exactly how vulnerable Sebastian needed. Kleypas gave us a pretty good sense in the series that she was no weakling, and executed it in this flawlessly. She went in with no expectations, and continued to outsmart Sebastian and protect herself as a result. Until she realizes, of course, it's time for her to be the one who puts herself out there because she has a better understanding of their relationship than he. Only someone as brave and tough as Evie could've taken him on for multiple reasons.
As a couple, they were utterly delightful in their growth-while he teaches her to care less (and damn, I love that about him) she teaches him to care more. It works out without being heavy-handed. I love a marriage of convenience...And what works in this one is their outright honesty.
At the risk of more babbling, I'll go ahead and illustrate with quotes what it was for me...
"Are you..is it possible...you're jealous?"
Sudden bafflement flickered across his features. "Yes," he said gruffly.
"It would seems so." And throwing Evie a glance of bewildered annoyance, he left the room.
And lovely..
Hard to sum up, I'll just say so many happy sighs for the execution & characters in this book. -
Read this in less than 24hrs. No regrets
_____
Upon my reread I dropped from 5 to 4 stars bc the plot just wasn’t my favorite (the attempted murder was just annoying really because Evie never took it seriously (a personal pet peeve)) and I hadn’t read Scandal in Spring when I first read this and knowing how much I love that, they’re just not equal in my heart. I loved the character growth though.
My main takeaway was “damn I want to reread scandal in spring again” when I just reread it yesterday!
I also think I originally thought this was spicier than Scandal in Spring? But in my opinion the opposite is true but maybe I just didn’t pay enough attention this time around. -
Reread 26/2/2019
"My love is upon you...
Another amazing book by Lisa Kleypas. Evangeline surprised me with her dynamic in this. She sure didn't seem to be this strong all will-powered in the previous stories. As for Sebastian, Lord St. Vincent, he became one of my favorite book-boyfriends because after all his misconducts and wrongdoings he managed to redeem himself and find love in sweet Evie.
What a perfect story to end my 2016 book count.
