Title: Devil in Winter
Series: The Wallflowers
Author: Lisa Kleypas
Genre: Historical Romance
Published: February 28th 2006
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Pages: 368
Reread: Two Times
Devil in Winter Book Review -
If you have been looking for Historical Romance Recommendations, you’ll probably see Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas pop up quite a lot. It’s a very hyped book in this genre, and I, for one, enjoyed it. As I followed the series, I was excited to see how the story of the hero (who was also a villain in the previous book) pan out.
The Devil in Winter is the third in The Wallflowers series, and although it can standalone, it’s more fun reading the previous books–so you understand how Evie as a character was before, and Sebastian’s villainous role before the author gave him the chance to redeem himself.
He looked like a fallen angel, replete with all the dangerous male beauty that Lucifer could devise.
Evangeline ‘Evie’ Jenner is the daughter of the notorious gaming hell owner Ivo Jenner, who is on his deathbed. As she will receive a large amount of inheritance after his death, Evie’s secluded by her family and forced to marry her cousin, to gain all that wealth.
Evie doesn’t want to subject her life to the constant torture and abuse by them, and barges into the house of the devilish Sebastian, Lord St. Vincent one night, hoping that his mercenary attitude will help her gain a husband and a protector.
"A man's vanity is more fragile that you might think. It's easy for us to mistake shyness for coldness, and silence for indifference." - Sebastian, Lord St. Vincent
In the second book, It Happened One Autumn, Sebastian played the role of the villain. He had kidnapped Evie’s friend, who was also the fiance of Sebastian’s best friend (and was thwarted, obviously). Imagine his surprise when Evie bargains with him despite everything he has done.
Sebastian, although uninterested in the female, wants her wealth, and they make a deal. She will have some of her money to live a good life and take care of her father till his last breath, and Sebastian gets access to her fortune.
Both elope to Gretna Green and travel in unfavorable conditions. And here’s where I started to fall for Sebastian. He cares for the heroine throughout the journey. He has always portrayed himself as this uncaring and reckless rake, but you see glimpses of his true self.
Even after they return to London and resume their lives, Sebastian takes care of Evie and her father.
For me, Sebastian MADE the book. His character transformation is fantastic. After marrying Evie and moving into the Gaming Hell, he develops an interest in running the business, and as he gets to know Evie, starts to fall for her.
Sebastian is one of the perfect book boyfriends – he is caring, thoughtful, loving, intense, and very protective of his wife. He wants the best for her and as you read the book, you’ll understand what I mean (Can’t give away the entire story in the review haha).
“I won’t apologize for my past. A man is supposed to have experience.”
“From all indications, you’ve acquired enough for ten men.”
Talking about Evie Jenner, I loved her character development. From the first book, you see her as a shy, stuttering girl who can never hold up a conversation. Having been adopted by the other three wallflowers, she has opened up, her stammering reducing as she got more comfortable with them.
When her unscrupulous family decides what her fate is going to be, she picks up the courage to go after what she wants. And after marrying Sebastian, he brought out more of her courageous self, and she wasn’t afraid to bring him down a notch. She is more fun and daring with him.
She finds the hidden pieces of Sebastian’s heart and cares for him even when he pushes her away.
With all the right people in her life, she got that self-confidence and eventually started believing in herself.
“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.”
It’s like their broken pieces together formed a beautiful bond. They have a slow-burning chemistry.
They have walls around their heart. Evie’s distrustful of him, and Sebastian doesn’t want love, but with every interaction, they open up more and eventually fall for one another. Their banter is so fun to read.
Sebastian and Evie are one of my favorite romance book couples. I am a fan of unlikely pairs, in this case, a charming devilish rake and a stuttering wallflower.
The romance is heart-warming and deliciously toe-curling.
“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.” - Sebasian
You’d think that with the cliched–bad boy (rake in this case) and good girl, the story would have the same old stuff. But what I loved about this, other than how unique the characters are, is the writing style of Lisa Kleypas. She makes us love the villain, root for the heroine, and get sucked into the world of the wallflowers.
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The Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas is hands down one of my top favorites in Historical Romance. I cannot recommend it enough. It has the right mix of everything a romance book should have.
And if you want to read a Historical Romance? This is it.
Looking for Bad Boy Recs? Here are some:
- Twisted Love (Contemporary Romance)
- Beautiful Disaster (New Adult Romance)
- Deviant King (Dark Romance)
Devil in Winter Blurb:
A devil’s bargain.
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.
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About Lisa Kleypas:
Lisa Kleypas is the author of a number of historical romance novels that have been published in fourteen languages. In 1985, she was named Miss Massachusetts and competed in the Miss America pageant in Atlantic City. After graduating from Wellesley College with a political science degree, she published her first novel at age twenty-one. Her books have appeared on the New York Times bestseller lists. Lisa is married and has two children.
More in the Wallflower Series:
