Devil in Spring

Starred review from February 1, 2017
When two strangers are found alone in a summerhouse during a ball in Victorian London, they're forced into an engagement neither of them wants--at first.Lady Pandora Ravenel is a social disaster. She can't dance, she despises small talk, and she has no interest in finding a husband. She's also very clumsy. So no one is surprised when she ventures out to a summerhouse during a ball to look for a friend's lost earring and gets stuck while reaching under a piece of furniture. Gabriel Challon, Lord St. Vincent, happens along to rescue her. They're discovered by the host of the ball, and Gabriel is forced to propose. Pandora is horrified. She's a budding businesswoman and has no intention of ceding control of her life and all her future earnings to a husband. Slowly, Gabriel's horror over being leg-shackled to this unconventional girl turns into physical temptation and then a burning desire to make her his wife. Pandora keeps her head and demands alterations in the wedding ceremony and various legal protections before she agrees. Pandora's oddities are a bit overwritten, and in many scenes she appears naive to the point of being unbelievable. Gabriel is a more successful character, possessing enough intelligence and self-control that it's satisfying to watch him lose his mind slightly over his inability to control his bride. Aside from the slightly disappointing heroine, though, Kleypas (Marrying Winterbourne, 2016, etc.) is in good form in the third novel of her series about the Ravenels. Her signature formula, the suave and sexy hero falling for a frumpy wallflower, still produces a captivating read. Fans will appreciate cameos by some of the author's most beloved characters, and the world of Victorian England is drawn with Kleypas' usual sharp wit and well-researched political nuances. A funny and charming story that will delight readers from the first page to the last.

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Starred review from February 15, 2017

Lady Pandora Ravenel has plans--business plans--for her future, and they don't include marriage. But when she agrees to do a risky favor for a friend, she ends up stuck in a summerhouse and rescued by Gabriel, Lord St. Vincent, one of the ton's most eligible bachelors. Now Pandora is faced with scandal or marriage, and her choice is definitely not marriage. It isn't Gabriel's first choice, either. Yet with her unconventional ideas and quicksilver mind, Pandora is as irresistible as she is independent, and Gabriel realizes that he would do just about anything to get her to agree to marry him--even remove obey from the vows. Spot-on historical detail, hilarious dialog, and an exquisitely appealing heroine make this book a winner. VERDICT Quirky, witty, and sexy, this compelling romp is absolute bliss. An addictive tale that readers won't want to put down. Kleypas (Marrying Winterborne) lives in Washington State.

Copyright 2017 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from February 15, 2017
Blast the stupid settee for ruining her future! Pandora Ravenel was this close to retrieving her friend's sapphire earring when she found her gown had become tangled up in the sofa's scrollwork. Upon hearing her exclamations of distress, Gabriel, Lord St. Vincent, immediately proceeds to the summerhouse to do what he can to free Pandora. Unfortunately, before Gabriel can completely extract Pandora from her furniture predicament, several other guests at the ball stumble across their tableau. Forced by his sense of honor into proposing to Pandora, Gabriel can't believe it when the eccentric wallflower says she has no desire to marry him. Which leaves Gabriel, society's most notorious rake, with no other option than to find a way to woo Pandora into becoming his bride. As always, the seductive elegance of Kleypas' prose is more than matched by her brilliant gift for richly nuanced characterization. Devil in Spring, the third in the author's exceptional Ravenels series (Marrying Winterborne, 2016; Cold-Hearted Rake, 2015), will be quickly snapped up by discerning fans of superbly crafted, sublimely sensual historical romances.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)