Friday, August 6, 2021

Book Review: The Devil and the Heiress by Harper St. George


 
Pages: 304
Genre: Adult Fiction/Romance
Pub. Date: June 29, 2021
Publisher: Berkley
Source: Publisher for review
Other Books By Author: The Heiress Gets a Duke
My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
 
 
 

Goodreads says, "Sparks fly when a runaway heiress bargains with a devilish rogue to escape a marriage of convenience.   No one would guess that beneath Violet Crenshaw's ladylike demeanor lies the heart of a rebel. American heiresses looking to secure English lords must be on their best behavior, but Violet has other plans. She intends to flee London and the marriage her parents have arranged to become a published author--if only the wickedly handsome earl who inspired her most outrageously sinful character didn't insist on coming with her.  Christian Halston, Earl of Leigh, has a scheme of his own: escort the surprisingly spirited dollar princess north and use every delicious moment in close quarters to convince Violet to marry him. Christian needs an heiress to rebuild his Scottish estate but the more time he spends with Violet, the more he realizes what he really needs is her--by his side, near his heart, in his bed. Though Christian's burning glances offer unholy temptation, Violet has no intention of surrendering herself or her newfound freedom in a permanent deal with the devil. It's going to take more than pretty words to prove this fortune hunter's love is true..."

Violet Crenshaw doesn't want to just get married and do what is expected of her. She has high hopes and aspires to be published author.  For the time period, the Gilded Age, this isn't the norm for women, except she has her sister, August, who also is a non-conformist and she has paved the way for her.   In Violet's book she has a naughty aristocrat as a possible love interest and she based this character off of the notorious Earl of Leigh. As time goes by, she discovers that her father plans to have her marry an aristocrat she doesn't like as it would benefit the family company. Cue the drama. Violet, inspired by her sister, runs away to avoid a marriage that she doesn't want. Strangely enough, Christian, the Earl of Leigh, decides to help her run away.  Christian has always had his eye on Violet. He genuinely likes her; plus, it does help that she's rich and he, like many British aristocrats, has bills piling up. While on the run, their awkward friendship blossoms into something more.  Fans of The Gilded Age Heiresses series won't be disappointed by the second installment, The Devil and the Heiress.

Violet, while she is an interesting character and an aspiring author, wasn't as compelling as her daring sister, August. As The Devil and the Heiress progressed, I did feel she became more interesting as she really started to come into her own.  She doesn't need to go along with whatever life her father planned for her; she has options....except that spending all this unchaperoned time with Christian will lead to its own problems.

Christian is your typical bad boy in The Devil and the Heiress. At first, I didn't like him at all and found him to be too much of a cliche, but as the story evolved, he does redeem himself.  The whole idea of him helping Violet run away seemed a bit far fetched, but I found myself enjoying their time away together and the excitement of being on the run. They definitely have chemistry!

I am not your traditional romance novel reader, but I really liked The Devil and the Heiress. Yes, it is steamy, but it is also filled with thoughtful moments, a lot of historical details, and characters that you end up caring about.  I think St. George really brought to life The Gilded Age and I was happy to revisit it.

So, if you are looking for a new romance to throw in your bag this summer, look no further! While I did enjoy the first book in the series a bit more and liked August better than Violet, The Devil and the Heiress was still a lot of fun.  I definitely think I will be reading book three in this series which comes out this winter; I can't wait to read what St. George comes up with next!

So, what do you think of The Devil and the Heiress? Are you a romance genre fan? Have you read book one? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

 

4 comments:

  1. I really need to start this series, I love these covers so much! And I'm still really into reading romance, so this is the perfect fit!

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    1. You'll have to let me know what you think! Thanks for visiting, Angela!

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  2. I have both of the books in this series sitting on my shelf - really looking forward to starting them!

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    1. I hope you enjoy them! They were a nice escape! Thanks for dropping by, Michele.

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