This is a historical fiction to rival Bridgerton! I enjoyed this one just as much as the first. Such a fun sequel!

I adored Violet and Christian's story! It was so much fun watching these two on their adventure! I just didn't want it to end!

Hello,

Apologies for the late notice, but I have decided not to review this title.

While I am certain it's obvious by now, I wanted to also clear this off NetGalley, so it's not showing as open for either of us.

I look forward to continuing to work with you in 2023 and beyond.

Laura

Really loved this book!

It’s original, fresh and fun!

I really like how strong the heroine is in this story. The plot moves quickly and keeps the reader engaged.

If you love Regency romance, this one is not to be missed!

Nouveau riche Americans, the Crenshaw family, have taken temporary residence in London. Like many families in their position, the Crenshaws seek to solidify their position among the upper echelon of society. Without titles, however, their social position remains begrudgingly but politely tolerated by the long-established elite. As luck would have it, the Crenshaws have daughters -- highly desirable daughters of a marriageable age. Marriage to a titled gentleman would open doors for the Crenshaws in both business and society. There’s only one problem. The Crenshaw daughters aren’t exactly willing brides. They’re smart and independent and unwilling to be led like lambs to the slaughter without a fight.

The Devil and the Heiress is the delicious follow-up to book one, The Heiress Gets a Duke. August Crenshaw has left London with her suitor Evan Sterling, Duke of Rothschild. Still in London, younger sister Violet Crenshaw spends her days writing while eschewing the matrimonial machinations of her parents. Violet is determined to become a published author. She does not wish to marry for her family’s benefit. At least not now.

Christian Halston, Early of Leigh is a rake with a truly sinful reputation. Violet is both intrigued and repelled by the dark and handsome Leigh, he’s the inspiration for Violet’s fictional character, Lord Lucifer after all. Leigh is devious and calculating and has his sights firmly set on Violet. When Violet is backed into a corner, Leigh is only too eager to set a dastardly plan in place. The earl offers Violet an escape, promising to safely deliver from her parents and would-be husband to a remote writing retreat. Only Leigh has no intention of letting Violet go.

And so connection is born in a carriage. Delightfully agonizing days pass while Violet and Christian become inextricably entwined. The romantic tension is truly intoxicating. While Christian is devious, he’s ultimately redeemable. He’s confident and assured and never intimidated by a woman’s intelligence or need for independence. His position on the outskirts of polite society makes him the perfect partner for a headstrong, woman with ideas and aspirations.

I adore this series. St. George masterfully builds addictive angsty tension. Her characters are appropriately contemporary in a period setting, making them relatable and relevant. I cannot wait for the next installment.

This is definitely a case of mismatch between reader and book. The trope? love it! The characters? Likeable. And yet, I found it difficult to get through this book. Definitely the right book for someone else.

After falling in love with The Heiress Gets a Duke (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3642239581), I couldn't wait to dive in to The Devil and the Heiress! I was hoping the second book would cement St. George as a new favorite historical romance author. Thankfully, this was another delightful read! I was so happy to be back with this family -- for all their flaws -- and was charmed by this couple. I wasn't crazy about how the hero withheld important information from the heroine, but I was still rooting for him in the end. This was a fun, swoony romance that hit the spot. I loved the glimpses of the next couple, too! I So Enjoyed It overall and need more Gilded Age Heiresses, please and thank you.

I think this was a me issue, rather than an issue with the book. The characters felt flat to me and the writing felt clunky. I couldn't get into it and didn't really care what happened to the characters.

Heiress is a great read for fans of historical romances. It has everything you could possibly want. The main couple is one you can route for once they start really being honest with one another.

Another enjoyable addition to the Gilded Age Heiresses series! Violet Crenshaw is desperate to avoid an arranged marriage, knowing how much autonomy she will lose when she's married. What she doesn't know is that Christian, the Earl of Leigh also wants her to avoid the marriage her parents have arranged for her because he wants her for himself. When she runs away, he conveniently is in the right place at the right time to aid her escape. While Christian has his own agenda, he soon comes to rue the deception as he realizes when Violet finds out the truth, her feelings for him will turn from affection to distrust. Having to overcome that will require Christian to prove to Violet that his feelings are genuine. I really liked both these characters and seeing them develop a friendship and have a steamy love affair only to have to backtrack to fix the relationship had me rooting for them from start to finish. The comments on society and the rights of women in this era make one appreciate for far we've come and yet how far we have yet to go, especially for women of colour. Christian is progressive in this thinking and is a worthy partner for Violet. The worldbuilding is well researched and believable. I'm enjoying the series immensely and will have to look up more of this author's backlist!

Absolutely loved this book. I’ve adored the way that Harper St. George brings the Gilded age to life! Her romances are beautiful and this was the perfect sequel to book one.

Loved this book so much! I really loved Gilded Age American Heiress and this series is. a favorite of mine.

I really enjoyed the pairing in this one! There's just something about a rake/bluestocking romance that will always be my catnip, but what made this one really special was that Christian had such an admiration for Violet from the beginning; he didn't have to be persuaded to like her or even fall in love with her when that was all there from the jump. Plus anything that turns a historical into a road trip romance (whether by train or in this instance, carriage) is forever going to be irresistible to me. The only thing I wasn't a great fan of was the placement of the dark moment and resolution in the story; after spending so much time apart after initially getting married (MONTHS' worth), they make up within a single chapter and then... the book ends. (Not to mention she's been pregnant with his child through all that time.) I think I would've preferred maybe one or two more chapters dedicated to their reconciliation rather than the book ending right after that reunion.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I cannot stress how much I LOVE THIS SERIES! Harper St. George is an author to gobble up if you are a historical romance fan. I typically don't like to read about Americans in my historical fictions or the Gilded Age really but she had such great female characters and the men who win their hearts. RUN to pick up all of this series!

I haven't read a historical romance in a while and The Devil and Heiress made me want to read more. While I don't always love being reminded about how women were treated then, a good story and a man who tends to be sympathetic to the plight of the women help.
I love both Christian and Violet, and though Christian's intentions were not entirely honorable, I was rooting for them the whole time. It was so fun watching these two fall for each other, after what starts out as a physical attraction grows with the more time they spend together,
I also have to admit that this book is on the steamier side for a historical romance, which I very much enjoyed. It wasn't over the to and it was done well.

I met both Violet and Christian in THE HEIRESS GETS A DUKE, book one of the series. I was so excited to see how these seeming opposites worked together and it did not disappoint! Christian starts off scheming to make Violet his wife, while Violet thinks he’s doing her a favour by escorting her away from an unwanted engagement in London. In close quarters, feelings emerge that ruin all their plans and make revealing the truth perilous to both of their hearts. Enjoyed all the twists (and turns and historical tidbits) on the way to this story’s happy ending.

Initial Thoughts
I knew I was going to like this book. I loved the first book and it reminded me so much of Downton Abbey. I love the time period and the Crenshaw siblings reminded me of the mother on Downton.

Some Things I Liked
The tropes. I love enemies to lovers and it was so fun in this story. Violet and Christian were a great match in THE HEIRESS GETS A DUKE and they were even better in their own story.
Violet as a writer. I also loved that Violet had her own interests and she was a strong female character. August wanted to be a businesswoman and Violet had her own dreams. I loved that we got to see snippets of her writing throughout the story.
The romance. Christian was basically stupid when he concocted his plan but I loved seeing him really fall in love with Violet. I loved their love story.

Series Value
I am ready for so many more books in this series. I can't wait for Max's book and I will definitely keep reading.

Final Thoughts
It's very hard for me to say if I liked this book better than the first. But, I definitely really enjoyed it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Violet's parents, wealthy Americans who brought their daughters to England to marry men with titles, aren't satisfied her sister married a duke (book 1). Now, they've set their energy on Violet, determined to sell her to the best candidate. In this case, a horrible man who has mineral rights her father wants for his company. Christian, an Earl, also wants her money but her father rejects his offer to marry her. So Christian hires a spy to be her lady's maid and learns Violet plans to run away. She is a very young 19. He is a worldly 28. He pretends to happen along on the day of her escape, offering to take her to her destination in his carriage. He knows she is infatuated with him and plans to get her to marry him along the way. Violet falls deeply in love only to learn of his deceit. I really didn't like Christian at first and I didn't like him all that much at the end either. Violet is trapped at a time when laws were against women. She wants to be an author and have independence with her own money which is impossible as a married woman. I liked that there wasn't instant forgiveness. Christian needs to see how much he hurt her, and Violet needs to decide if she can ever trust him again. I was disappointed Violet bought his Scottish home back at the end. So he ends up with everything he wanted in the first place? I guess I'm too vindictive!

This was such a good historical romance! I'm a sucker for the marriage-of-convenience trope, and this one definitely delivered. Violet and Christian had so much delicious sexual tension that it was practically bouncing off the page. I can't wait to read more from this author!

After adoring The Heiress Gets a Duke, I couldn't wait to read another Harper St. George novel. Once again, class and privilege of the Victorian Era are joined together in transactional matrimony with the excess and opulence of the American Gilded Age in the story of a rebellious heiress who, in order to avoid arranged marriage, finds herself on the run across the British countryside with a wickedly handsome earl in tow. Long travel days and close sleeping arrangements at night create the perfect conditions for two strangers to fall in love, but once the earl's true motives are revealed, everything they've become to one another is suddenly put into question. Featuring another strong-willed heroine who craves independence more than romance in life, and an aristocrat who finally meets his match, this book is pure nirvana for any lover of Historical Romances, and this one just happens to be exquisitely written, too.