Cold-Hearted Rake.  Finished 7-1-17, rating 4/5, historical romance, 402 pages, pub. 2015

The Ravenels #1

Charming rake Devon Ravenel inherits an earldom. But the decrepit estate is deep in debt, and the late earl’s widow and three sisters still occupy the house. His drunken brother West rides the land while Devon seeks financing in London. Kathleen, still Lady Trenear, knows better than to trust a ruthless scoundrel like Devon. But their fiery attraction is undeniable.

I’m always looking for a go-to historical romance writer and I thought I’d give Lisa Kleypas a try.  I’ve seen trusted bloggers love her and the covers of this series are hard to resist.  I was not disappointed.

Devon, like most alpha males, rubbed me the wrong way at first with his rakish past and disregard for anything resembling hard work.  Kathleen, the widow, was so responsible and loyal to her new sisters that she was bound to go toe-to-toe with the new lord of the manor.  The sparks didn’t disappoint.

This was a great start to a new series.  The three sisters plus Devon’s brother West were all fleshed out in this one.  And the cliffhanger?  Well, I finished the second book a week after this and I just picked up the third from the library today.

Perfect for lovers of 19th century English romance.