Devil in Spring: The Ravenels, Book 3 Mass Market Paperback – February 21, 2017

"You do not want to marry me, my lord. I would be the worst wife imaginable. I'm forgetful and stubborn, and I can never sit still for more than five minutes. I'm always doing things I shouldn't. I eavesdrop on other people, I should and run in public, and I'm a clumsy dancer. And I've lowered my character with a great deal of unwholesome reading material." Pausing to draw breath, she notice that Lord St. Vincent didn't appear properly impressed by her list of faults. "Also, my legs are skinny. Like a stork's."FINAL DECISION: So rarely does a highly anticipated sequel live up to expectations. While not as good as DEVIL IN WINTER, this book is a worthy successor. Will take a place on my favorites' shelf.THE STORY: Gabriel, Lord St. Vincent has accidentally compromised an unusual young lady, Lady Pandora Ravenel. Neither, however, wants to marry -- Gabriel because he sees that Pandora is completely unsuitable to be the type of dignified wife he needs; Pandora because she has no intention of allowing any man to control her fate and life. Gabriel is fascinated with Pandora and finds himself drawn to her. Pandora finds in Gabriel a man who listens to her and respects her opinions, but the risk of becoming essentially his to control is something she doesn't want to risk even as she falls for him.OPINION:"No matter how she had tried to make herself want what she should want, she knew she would never be happy in a conventional life."Pandora is an amazing creation. She is neurotic, opinionated, intelligent, oh so clever and yet sweet in a unique way. I loved just about everything about her. She is a different kind of wallflower. A woman who is so brilliant that she has difficulties with the social niceties that society demands. Always the odd person in the group, she has managed to forge a future for herself as a game designer. (I absolutely loved her devotion to her budding career). Everything about her character felt fresh and new and oh so lovely, especially for all of us who feel out of step with what people expect from us.Gabriel is a hero who is so different from his father and yet has the best qualities of both his parents. He manages to be so incredibly caring and supportive of Pandora. She is a special person and Gabriel knows exactly how to care for her. He is kind and so so dreamy. Sexy and definitely a man in charge, he also has the gentleness of his mother and the benefit of having grown up in a loving family. He is a man who doesn't need to be reformed to be a wonderful man -- he just is."Your problem," his sister continued, "is that you're too good at maintaining that facade of godlike perfection. You've always hated for anyone to see that you're a mere mortal. But you won't win this girl that way." She began to dust the sand from her hands. "Show her a few of your redeeming vices, dear. She'll like you all the better for it."I rarely love a book as much as I loved this one primarily because Gabriel was such a warm loving man and he made it his mission to balance out all the jagged edges of Pandora's life. His giving nature and willingness to put his own needs and desires aside to help fulfill Pandora was so wonderful to read about. He finds Pandora incredibly charming and she brings something to him that makes him want to protect her. And yet, he cannot crush her by forcing her to conform and be "safe"."It was insane to let a creature so perfectly beautiful and artlessly spirited and vulnerable as his wife venture out into the world that could crush her with casual unconcern, and he had no choice to but allow it. For the rest of his life, he would feel a stab of dread every time she walked out the door, leaving him there with his heart wide open."I loved this book and if I liked it a smidgen less than the book on Gabriel's parents it is only because the timeless trope of that book -- wallflower and rake -- is probably my favorite. But this one is original and fresh and very wonderful."Their marriage would be a partnership, just like their waltzing...not perfect, not always graceful, but they would find their way together."Just incredibly lovely!WORTH MENTIONING: I would buy this book for the Prologue alone where Evangeline and Sebastian from DEVIL IN WINTER are most prominent. One of my all time favorite books and the prologue shows why.CONNECTED BOOKS: DEVIL IN SPRING is the third book in the Ravenels series. This book is much better if read as part of the series, but a new reader should also include DEVIL IN WINTER which is from Kleypas's Wallflowers series. This book is a direct sequel from that book as it tells the story of the son of the DEVIL IN WINTER couple (who make appearances of their own).STAR RATING: I give this book 5 stars.

What’s it About? Lady Pandora Ravenel would rather be working on her ideas for her business than at a ball doing nothing but watching others dance from the sidelines. Always a good friend, it is Pandora’s willingness to help others that lands her in the middle of a scandal with none other than Gabriel, Lord St. Vincent who has managed to avoid being trapped into marriage. Now he has no choice but to marry Pandora only she is vehemently against marrying him, or anyone else! Having never met anyone like her before, Gabriel is soon determined to get her to say yes to his proposal as he finds himself falling for the very unique Pandora. But marrying her is only half the battle when she’s determined to still be as independent as possible even after she’s married.Gabriel was so different from his father and yet there were times his behavior screamed Sebastian’s son! While he may have looked more like his father, he definitely had Evie’s compassionate and calm nature which defined him as his own man. Getting to know and fall in love with Gabriel wasn’t difficult, it was all in the way he treated the people around him, his gentle nature with his youngest brother and nephew, or his teasing with his sisters. The most telling had to me the way he treated Pandora though. He was always kind and considerate of her even when he was angry that he was caught in a compromising situation with her, he never blamed her or treated her badly. Gabriel was irresistible with his quiet humor and patience that by the end of the book I wanted to marry the man! And he said some of the most deliciously romantic things too.I’ve had a soft spot for Pandora Ravenel ever since she burst onto the pages of Cold Hearted Rake. She always had this frantic energy about her that got her in and out of trouble. Between her and her twin Cassandra I found Pandora to be the livelier, more blunt, and independent one so naturally she became my favorite. Kleypas did an amazing job of taking a sheltered, naïve, but unique young woman and making sure that she kept the traits that made her so likable while giving her the chance to grow significantly. I loved the way Pandora’s mind worked; she had a different thought process than most but saw things in a clearer, more logical way than everyone around her. Pandora brought so much life to every scene and she never failed to make me smile or laugh out loud at the things that she would say. She was so strong willed and it was a joy to know that she remained that way even after she married Gabriel. She changed the way a heroine in a historical romance is expected to behave. I loved her.Gabriel and Pandora were so well matched and I loved the progression of their romance from admiration and attraction, to respect and love. Pandora had a willful personality and she didn’t compromise who she was just to fit the mold of Gabriel’s wife. She didn’t let society or marriage take away her independent spirit, her dreams, or her ambitions. Gabriel didn’t try to do it either which was refreshing. He didn’t battle with her throughout the book only to realize he was in the wrong later, from the start he admired her and while he may have had some reservations, he never tried to crush Pandora’s spirit which made these two all the more romantic and memorable as far as couples go.Pandora and Gabriel both come from close knit families although Pandora’s is a bit unconventional. I loved the inclusion of almost all the family members on both sides but the it was the reappearance of Sebastian, formerly St. Vincent now the Duke of Kingston and Evie, now the Duchess of Kingston. It was hard not to fawn and drool over the scenes with these two, they were and will always be my favorite couple ever and I know many readers feel the same. The challenge in having this larger than life couple come back was making sure that they didn’t steal the attention away from the real stars of Devil in Spring. Kleypas managed to give this diehard fan the reunion I wanted but also gave Gabriel a chance to shine on his own. Having Sebastian and Evie around didn’t detract from the Ravenels though. I don’t think anyone could overtake them. Seeing how much Pandora’s family loved and supported her definitely made me emotional. I loved seeing Dr. Garrett Gibson again, and hope she gets a story soon. The same for the mysterious Ethan Ransom who appeared in the previous book.Kleypas writes historical romance like no one else. Devil in Spring reminded me how much I love her talent for creating an enchanting setting, charismatic characters and a swoon worthy romance. Gabriel and Pandora are a couple like no other, progressive while keeping to the times, passionate without being dull, and strong enough to take on the world. The story flowed so smoothly that I literally became cranky whenever I was pulled out of it. Who needs to eat anyway!? My only complaint is that a conflict with a person from Gabriel’s past was never resolved, it was just left hanging and this person had such a venomous attitude towards Pandora that I find it unbelievable that they would let her and Gabriel walk away and be happy. That was a pretty big loose end to me.Click It or Skip It? Click It. Whether you’re a longtime fan whose love for the Wallflowers is unsurpassed, or a new reader who is has yet to step into this series, Klepas is unmatched and doing what she does best, writing unforgettable historical romances and leaving readers with smiles on their faces and a yearning for more.