Devil in Disguise is the latest addition to Kleypas' Ravenels/Wallflowers saga, and it is just as charming, witting, and fun as its predecessors. We are introduced to a brash Scots whiskey distiller, Keir MacRae--who, it seems, has a secret connection to the Duke of Kingston (who will be immediately familiar to fans of the series). Lady Merritt is a widow running her husband's shipping company, and the two fall suddenly in love--just in time for Keir's shadowy past to rear its head and put them both in mortal danger.

Though Devil in Disguise contains all of the usual loveliness of a Kleypas novel, it also trots out two tropes that I hate: insta-love and amnesia/lost memories. And to top it all off, Merritt takes advantage of Keir's concussion-induced amnesia to claim that they're engaged. So, while I enjoyed the characters (lack of honor aside) and the writing very much, I was not a fan of the plot line. That said, I was so interested in the whole Ravenel bunch that I kept reading even after stumbling into the aforementioned flaws.

Lady Merritt Sterling is a widow, the head of a shipping company, and the daughter of Lillian and Marcus from It Happened One Autumn. Merritt meets Keir MacRae, a whiskey distiller from Scotland. Keir is drawn to Merritt, but he feels that she is too good for him. When there are multiple threats towards Keir's life, Merritt and her family attempt to help him discover who would want him harmed. I enjoyed the scenes with Merritt' and her Uncle Sebastian, Duke of Kingston. I enjoyed the slow burn attraction between Keir and Merritt, but I felt that the book's ending was rushed. Fans of Kleypas' Wallflower Series will enjoy this book.

Lady Merritt Sterling has settled into an unconventional life as a widower running her late husbands shipping company. She is bending the rules of upper class London, but a strong family name as well as good behavior on all other fronts has allowed her this small bit of freedom. Lady Merritt leads a life of content knowing she has much more freedom than most. It is only when confronted by an irate Scotsman, Keir MacRae, that Merritt begins to question what she wants from life. Although her first marriage was not an unhappy one, she has never before felt such a strong and irresistible pull towards a man as she does MacRae and it makes her want to throw caution to the wind. MacRae feels the the same powerful attraction, but he has no time to fall for a woman, especially as it seems like someone is out to kill him. Merritt refuses to be sidelined as MacRae's life comes under attack and will do anything within her power to protect this strong Scot's body, mind, and soul if he will let her get close enough.

As always, Lisa Kleypas delivers. I will always read and recommend her novels for fans of historical romance. I quite like that we have seen several widows emerge in The Ravenels series. Merritt is strong and feisty and although MacRae calls her a "wee bully" it is truly a compliment. The tension and attraction between Merritt and MacRae is hot and strong from the get go and is sustained over time. It's fun to see a story in which the two main characters embrace their physical attraction to each other so quickly and then have to overcome other obstacles to build a relationship.

This novel mostly works as a standalone read, however, fans of Kleypas will revel in the cameos and tidbits from characters in the Wallflower series.

I've read all the previous books in The Ravenals series and absolutely loved them. Of course, this story was amazing as well. This book introduces a new couple, Merrit Sterling who is Lillian and Westcliff's widowed daughter and Keir MacRae, the mysterious Scotsman whose familial roots come as a bit of a surprise.

I'm not usually a fan of historical romance books that feature widowed heroines but Lisa Kleypas never disappoints with the crafting of her characters. Merrit was definitely likeable because of her independent spirit and zest for life. Usually, she is as practical as her father, thinking about the pros and cons before taking any decisions that could affect her life. However, Keir manages to throw her practical senses into turmoil as she finds his charms irresistible. So, when it comes to him, she goes after what she wants no matter what the consequences are.

On the other hand, Keir feels that he is a commoner who is not good enough for a blueblooded girl like Merrit. Marriage with a respectable girl like her is almost impossible so tangling with her would be a mistake in the long run. He tries to resist his attraction to her at first but soon, their  passion for each other captivates them and becomes hard to deny.

Lisa Kleypas has done it again. She has created a beautiful story about people from different backgrounds who come to love each other even when the odds are against them. This is a fantastic book. I cannot recommend it enough to lovers of historical fiction!

The "Devil in Winter" fans will love this book because Sebastian St. Vincent is in it quite a lot (AKA Duke of Kingston). I will not spoil it by going into too much detail but just enough to say the "gangs all here!"

Lady Merritt, Lillian and Wescott's widowed daughter, runs her late husband's shipping company with the help of her brother. When an error happens with Scottish whiskey owner and client Keir McRae, Merritt steps in to smooth things over. There's an instant attraction and a mystery when Keir's life is threatened. It's love at first sight.

It was so nice to see Wescott and Kingston - and their lovely bromance 30 years later. Evie and Pheobe also make an appearance.

The first chapter has a very dull start, with too much description of the shipping business. But that's as much as the book goes into it; the rest is about the couple and their families. There's a mystery, a villain, some amnesia. Overall, it was excellent, and those who love Kleypas's previous characters will love this book.

Lady Merritt, a widow, is running her late husband's shipping company. Keir, a Scottish whiskey distiller uses her company to ship his whiskey. They meet when there's a glitch in delivery. It's insta-lust and they spend the night together. If only Keir could remember it! Amnesia, fire, stabbing, it's all there. We get to revisit many characters from previous books (The Wallflowers and Ravenels) 30 years of interconnection. Ethan Ransom investigates the attempts on Keir's life, his wife Garrett is Keir's doctor when he is stabbed. Sebastian plays a large role, with his wife Evie and daughter Phoebe making a brief appearance. Of course Marcus and Lillian, Merritt's parents join the fun too. It's so comfortable somehow to reunite with characters we've come to know so well. There are SO many characters from previous books, I think you would miss a lot of the nuances and references if you haven't read the other books first.

I have been waiting not-so-patiently for this book to be released since I finished the last book in the series. This installment in the Ravenels series was entertaining and I did have a difficult time putting it down, but I think this one is probably my least favorite in the series. The MCs were awesome, and I liked the story overall, but this one felt rushed, especially the ending. I was also very disappointed in the epilogue, which didn't even feature the MCs at all. At this point, I almost feel like the Ravenels series should have ended and there should be an additional series linked to St. Vincent, or something. A solid four stars, but easily the worst in the series.

This book is awash in an original plot. Leave it to Lisa Kleypas to give us originality, along with sizzling chemistry that builds up smoking hot sexual tension and characters and romantic prose that lingers long in our minds after the book is over.

Merritt is the daughter of Marcus and Lillian Westcliff who were first introduced in Kleypas's Wallflower Series. They make an appearance in this book along with Sebastian and Evie from the same series. I'll say no more so I don't give away any spoilers, but fans of that series will love this reintroduction of these people years later.

There is lots of action, suspense and some violence in the pages of this book. I've already indicated that the romance is sublimely sensual. There is an evil villain and a surprise or two to keep the pages turning. This is the summer read you will truly enjoy.

Any Kleypas book that brings Sebastian back into the plot and conversation is always going to be a 5 star for me. The 2 new characters, Lady Merritt and Keir MacRae, have instant chemistry. I loved the mystery element, though the conclusion was a bit of a let down. Still enjoyed the book as a whole and highly recommend.

I love Lisa Kleypas books. I especially enjoy that she uses characters from her older books so you learn their story.
This book is about he oldest daughter of Lillian and Armstrong from the Wallflower series. I love that she keeps the parents involved in their daughters life and the parents are still madly in love. the books about Merritt who is a widow and running her dead husbands shipping business.. she needs to help a vey angry customer who happens to be very handsome and so much more.....

I haven't read much historical fiction lately but I've always enjoyed books by Lisa Kleypas. What a great story! I was captivated instantly by Merritt, a widow running her late husband's shipping business and her relationship with Keir, a Scotsman having problems getting his cargo of whisky unloaded on the docks and delivered to a warehouse. He's surprised by her warmth and ability to fix the problem quickly and she's struck by his rough good looks and strength. The mystery of why someone appears to be trying to kill Keir adds suspense and action to the story and their romance is sweet and hot. Highly recommended.

Kleypas’ books are ones to treasure. Lush detail, great plots, and ties in characters from various books very well. Very romantic, but the characters have an equal partnership. This series has been a little formulaic in that someone gets majorly injured in every book.

I read all of Lisa Kleypas book and I was super excited to read this one. I was excited to read about Merritt and her life. She has a romance with a Scottish whiskey distiller named Keir. It's an instant attraction trope, which isn't always my favorite, but I really enjoyed this book. I like Keir and Merritt and through circumstances that I won't Spoil, there is a lot of Sebastian aka Lord St. Vincent in the book. The only disappointment I had was that Marcus was not in the book as much as I hoped.

DEVIL IN DISGUISE was a good read, actually, a lot of fun. I don’t read much HR anymore, but Lisa Kleypas is an author that I still read fairly consistently. A number of favorites from the Ravenals and Wallflowers were mentioned, and several played larger roles (Garrett and Ethan), and Kingston played a prominent role in the story. (Merritt, of course, all grown up). The plotline was good, but Kleypas pulled out a number of well worn and creaky historical romance tropes. It was all written so well, however, the reader doesn’t really mind.

Despite the feeling of déjà vu throughout the story, this was one of LK’s more enjoyable efforts. Leave it to Ravenal to fall into a messy situation and come out smelling like a rose. I don’t know how long she plans to do the Ravenals, but she’s still doing it well.

Dear Historical Romance Friends-

I feel a little bit guilty gushing about a book that doesn’t come out until July but OH.MY.GOODNESS it’s so good.

I loved it.

A whiskey distilling Scot, Keir MacRae, is in the running against Derek Craven and Sebastian Lord St. Vincent as my favorite Kleypas hero.

The attraction is instant, the steam level is (fans herself) high and the dialogue is sweet and tender.

The heroine, Merritt, is headstrong, confident, and unwilling to sacrifice her needs.

I loved seeing characters return from the Wallflowers and Ravenel series.

Without getting “spoilery”, there are interconnected storylines that totally worked. You get the romance but so much more.

I inhaled this book in one sitting last week and I’ve already gone back to it. I can’t remember the last time I was this emotionally captivated by a historical romance. Some of the scenes were so well imagined that I found myself soaking up every word.

Pre-order or place holds now.

Some books just bring joy to your soul - this is one of those books. I'll admit I was predisposed to love it - but independent of my love of the Wallflowers or the Ravenels, this book stands on its own. Keir and Merritt are 100% #couplegoals and Keir may come close to beating out other favorite Kleypas heroes for the number one spot in my heart. A title that is current shared by Derek Craven and Rhys Winterborne. Only time will tell...

Lady Merritt Stirling is the oldest daughter of Marcus and Lillian, the Earl and Countess of Westcliff. Her late husband owned a shipping company, and following his death - Merritt and her younger brother Luke have been running the business. Keir MacRae is a whiskey distiller and 100% Scottish. He is using Merritt's company to ship and store his Whiskey for distribution. Once Keir arrives in London nothing is ever the same for him or for Merritt. Merritt is such a wonderful combination of her parents - and a force of her own. She is smart, funny, and so, so fierce. But Keir. Keir is such a gem. He is definitely something of a poet - and clearly has a deep well of feelings and emotions. How could you not love a man who says things like this:

"Bide for a while, and let me love you longer."

or

"How could it be late, when you're the sunrise? There's no morning sky or lark-song before you appear. No butterfly would dare unfold its wings. The day waits on you, my heart...."

SIGH

As you'd guess from the title, Keir is very much connected to the most famous Devil in the Kelypas lexicon, Sebastian Challon - now Duke of Kingston.

"Dear, are you claiming Mr. MacRae is the devil in disguise?"

It is an incredible joy to see Sebastian and Evie (as well as Marcus and Lillian) . Years later, with so many children (no surprise when you have as much adult fun time as these guys have), their relationships and viewpoints have matured and changed somewhat. To see them as loving partners and parents is wonderful. If you haven't read their books, you 100% don't need to understand what is happening or to get a sense of their characters.

"Don't be absurd, Westcliff. If I wanted to murder someone, I'd never deny myself the pleasure of doing it personally."

Overall - I can't recommend this highly enough. Fans of Lisa Kleypas won't be disappointed. New to Lisa Kelypas? You won't be disappointed either.

I feel incredibly blessed to have received an ARC of this book, but these opinions are all my own.

I just started this much awaited book by MS Lisa Kleypas. I’m simply smitten by the first three chapters, the title should give a clue to the link to the Wallflowers. I can’t wait to read on. TGIF and I’m sure after my dinner with friends thus evening I’ll be staying up late.
I can vouch for sure that Ms.. kleypas is on top of the game.

Full review to come once I’ve relished the book and caught my breath :)

After a week-

Can the series get better? An absolute YES if the author is Ms Lisa Klepas.

We had a glimpse of Lady Merritt Sterling, oldest daughter of Lord Westcliff and American born Lillian Bowman (check out the wallflowers series if you have not yet done so) in West Ravenel and Lady Pheobe’s book, The Devils Daughter. About 2 years later she is now a widow and runs her late husband’s shipping business with her younger brother Luke Marsden.

Due to some logistics issue a ship loaded with vintage single malt whisky is not able to dock and unload the cargo and the very irate Scottish brewer Kier McRae demands some answers as his future investments is based of off this delivery. We are introducing to the smooth and savvy business lady Merritt, who resolves the issues without much difficulty and also takes care of the whiskey drenched MacRae’s boarding problem by offering a room on her business premises. She is also attracted to handsome Scot and likewise MacRae is charmed by the lovely smart and kind Merritt.
She invites him to dine with her. Before heading over, he stops at Jenners to offer samples for his 40 year old single malt and runs into none other than Sebastian, Duke of Kingston, the former rake turned wealthy peer after his own marriage to Evie Jenner. This is a clue to the unraveling of the mystery as the story unfolds. On the way MacRae is attacked and knifed. He assumes it is a mugging, but unfortunately it not the case. He heads back to his lodging at the Sterling warehouse, after an interlude with the passionate lady Merritt, who knows exactly what she wants from the relationship, Kier is attaked and his cargo is burned down as well. The injured LacRae is rushed to the Sterling home.

From here the story gets intense and Sebastian plays a formidable role and takes Kier (along with Merritt) to Essex to recuperate from the injuries and his partial memory loss for he does not remember the past few days, thereby no memory of Merritt.

I absolutely can’t give away the mystery surrounding Kiers attacks as that is the basis of the novel.

It’s worth the long wait for a Kleypas novel, esp when Wallflower families are part of the narrative. A fan of Ms Kleypas’ audiobooks, I can’t wait to get the audio version narrated by Mary Jane Wells.
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Please pardon typos if any.

Another great showing in the Ravenels series: cozy, delightful, and honestly everything you would want from its description

There was a lot of buzz over who Kier is, since all the other titles Kleypas has written with “Devil” in them are related to Sebastian, Duke of Kingston (formerly Lord St. Vincent). I was worried he’d end up being Sebastian’s son born out of wedlock, and that was correct. It happened pre-Evie (obviously!!!) but I wasn’t convinced I could ever see it not as a betrayal of her, which is ridiculous.

Of course Lisa Kleypas delivers. There’s a wonderful, almost slice-of-life quality to this installment, as it necessarily involves Sebastian and Evie coming to terms with meeting Kier, Marcus and Lillian worrying about their daughter, and the two couples deepening their friendship as their children fall in love. I was totally charmed by the way Kier and Sebastian developed their relationship as father and son. Even the amnesia subplot worked for me, which I usually find totally hit or miss.

There were some things I just waved away, plot-wise. Is it true that the demonstrable illegitimate son of a lady would still be her husband’s legal heir? No idea. And the ending here was really too neat and too quickly wrapped up. I wouldn’t have minded one more slightly more harrowing brush with death, “Secrets of a Summer Night” factory explosion style. But this was an absolutely delightful chunk of time spent back in the Kleypas universe and I can’t wait for my next visit.

Devil in Disguise by Lisa Kleypas is the seventh book in her very popular The Ravenels Series. Devil in Disguise is such a delightful book. Fun, steamy, and fast-paced, I tore through this book and it left me wanting more. More books by Lisa Kleypas!

Lady Merritt Sterling, a widower is running her late husband’s shipping company in London instead of sitting home and grieving. Keir MacRae, is a whiskey distiller from the tiny island of Islay, in northern Scotland. When his shipment of whiskey barrels gets misdirected and an entire barrel of whiskey is dumped all over Keir, he marches to the head of the shipping company to complain, but he doesn’t expect the beautiful Lady Merritt Sterling as the head of the shipping company.

Merritt and Keir have an immediate attraction, but he’s a small island man, and she loves the hustle and bustle of London. When Keir is almost killed in her warehouse, Merritt knows she must help him heal from his wounds.

This book is fun, intriguing, and beautifully written. Merritt is a strong, beautiful, and determined woman, who has loved and lost and doesn’t want to love again. I like a strong female lead who is not full of insecurities and instead is decisive and knows what she wants.

These characters are likable and well-developed. I was rooting for them both throughout the entire book. They are both very passionate, but also very giving and loveable.

Lisa Kleypas is a master at dialogue. While I was reading this I could hear Keir’s Scottish Brogue in my head because the dialogue was so detailed with the accent. I also liked that this is such a dialogue forward book, without long passages of description, but you still get a very good idea of the scenery around them.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I loved Devil in Disguise! I thought the connection between Kier and Merrit was wonderful and I loved Merrit’s take-charge attitude. As a widow who is efficiently and effectively running her deceased husband’s shipping company, she is very used to being in charge and getting her way. And I love it! When she sees Keir, she knows exactly what she wants - him.

I really liked Keir’s respect for Merrit and her authority as well as how he always tried to do the right thing by her and society. When he falls in love, he does so hard and fast. Do I think their connection seemed kinda fast? Yes. Do I care? Not really. It’s an instant attraction romance, followed by deep conversations and love.

I will say that I liked this book much more than her last release, Chasing Cassandra. I think the characters were better developed and had a better connection. I will say that I’m not sure how it connects to the Ravenel’s series. It’s about Merrit, Marcus and Lillian’s daughter, and Keir, a Scottish whiskey distiller. It’s definitely in the same world as the Ravenel series, but I wouldn’t call either of them a Ravenel. Overall, a very swoony, very sweet, very good read.