The romance is delicious as West’s best intentions to stay clear of Phoebe battle her resolve to get what she wants, and that push-pull drives the narrative. The reformed bad boy is a staple of the genre, and West is just the sort that readers adore. His regrets and overwhelming feelings for the heroine make him an unforgettable hero. Add in cameos from Kleypas’ beloved Wallflowers (Phoebe is the daughter of Devil in Winter’s Evie and Sebastian), and Devil’s Daughter is a must read.
I’ve been chomping at the bit for Devil’s Daughter ever since I read the excerpt of its opening, but I really worried that I’d built up my expectations so much that I would be disappointed in the book when I finally read it. Instead, I ended up enjoying it greatly. I don’t know if the book would be equally satisfying to readers who haven’t followed West’s growth throughout the Ravenel series. I have been following it, though, so I loved him going in. However, here my love for him expanded further ... West is hands down my favorite Kleypas hero ... Phoebe is a lovely character, too ... there was some great repartee in this book ... I did have a few issues with the book, however. A couple of anachronistic word choices felt out of place. There was a little more sequel and prequel-baiting than I wanted ... Even on my second, third and fourth reads, Devil’s Daughter remained a delightful book–sweet, sexy, tender, and romantic. Even the scenes that bothered me the first time around have grown on me.
Long-time fans of RITA Award-winning Kleypas will relish the cameo appearances of so many of her beloved characters, while readers new and returning alike will revel in her stylish prose, sharp wit, and swoon-worthy sensuality as she successfully merges the worlds of her Wallflower and the Ravenels series in a splendid Victorian-set historical romance.
...[A wedding in the novel is] an exquisite, transporting scene of small intimacies spanning two chapters in which Kleypas...is at the top of her game. Readers will enjoy revisiting beloved characters from both the Wallflowers series and from earlier installments of the Ravenels, although West’s protestations of low worth ring hollow when surrounded by happily married friends and relatives with similarly debauched pasts. A widow emerges from mourning with the help of a reformed rake in a truly romantic tale that stands well on its own.
