The main roadblock to romance - at least for West - is his belief that he's not good enough for Phoebe, and it's an idea that's somewhat overused in romance novels - the I'm-not-good-enough-to-marry-you-trope. (Although his charm, his physique, his beautiful eyes, and friendly manner make him difficult to hate.) When Phoebe meets West for the first time as an adult, she can't escape her past opinions – he's an absolute piranha, as far as she's concerned. But then she meets West Ravenel, the bully who taunted her late husband mercilessly when they were at boarding school together.

A widow with two small children, she is fragile and sheltered, seemingly satisfied to wallow in grief until hell freezes over. When the story begins, our heroine isn't all that devilish. Lisa Kleypas accomplishes this with zeal. And for me, the perfect storm is a story in that style, one that keeps all the witty dialogue, social commentary, and skilled plotting, while taking the romance to the next level. One of my favorite comedies of manners is Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest. The result is a delightfully smart and sensual historical romance that had me thinking about Moliere, Oscar Wilde and other masters of the comedy of manners.

Phoebe, Lady Clare - the Devil's Daughter herself - is a determined, uncompromising heroine who will delight almost as much as her scandalous hero tantalizes.Īuthor Lisa Kleypas combines two of her series here, with the Victorian-era Ravenels coming up against Phoebe, who descends from one of the Wallflowers, heroines of an earlier saga. Your purchase helps support NPR programming. Close overlay Buy Featured Book Title Devil's Daughter Subtitle The Ravenels Meet the Wallflowers Author Lisa Kleypas

Devil's Daughter by Lisa Kleypas