A unique, and fun historical romance. Delighful characters that will keep you guessing with just the right amount of spice.

This is the second installment of The Spinster Society and includes all the elements I look for in a historical romance with a twist of mystery: clever banter, sizzling chemistry, a bold heroine, and a deliciously dangerous hero.

Kitty is a bookseller with grit and wit, determined to save her sister from a cruel marriage—even if it means stealing from the Devil himself. Their reluctant partnership to solve a murder mystery while navigating blackmail, debt vowels, and more than a few stolen kisses was pure entertainment.

The dynamic between Kitty and the Devil crackles with enemies-to-lovers tension, and the plot clips along with just the right mix of romance and suspense. Kitty’s sharp tongue and fearless heart make her one of my favorite heroines in recent reads, while the Devil is every bit as swoon-worthy and morally gray as you'd hope.

If you like your historical romance with a dose of danger and a heroine who isn’t afraid to punch a lord, then look no further for this is one read that is sure to satisfy! A devilishly delightful romp through scandal and suspense!

I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley and Dragonblade Publishing and am voluntarily leaving my review.

This book was an absolute blast! If you’re into clever heroines, brooding (and slightly dangerous) heroes, and a sizziling romance full of tension, *Devil and the Spinster* is totally worth the read.

Kitty is a firecracker — funny, bold, and not afraid to take big risks, especially when it comes to protecting her sister. The girl literally steals from the most feared man in London (our MMC of course, “the Devil,”) and uses it to blackmail him into helping her. Iconic behavior.

And Devil? He’s dark, mysterious, and 100% the kind of morally gray hero you fall for against your better judgment. The banter is hilarious, chemistry is off the charts, and every scene between them is so entertaining. He’s used to people begging for his mercy, and Kitty would rather punch him than flatter him (we love to see it ladies!!!) — which makes their dynamic even more fun to watch unfold.

The plot has a nice mix of romance, mystery, and action, with a few twists that kept things interesting without getting too heavy. Plus, the setting—bookshops, literary tours, scandalous novels — is a total treat for any book lover.

It’s smart, fast-paced, and has just enough edge to keep you hooked while still delivering all the warm fuzzies you want from a good romance. And even though it’s got some serious stakes (like murder and blackmail!), it never loses its sense of fun.

Bottom line: this book is flirty, fierce, and full of heart. If you're into strong-willed heroines, devilish heroes with hidden soft sides, and a story that keeps you smiling *and* swooning, definitely give this one a go.

A really intriguing premise and an innovative idea! The writing was also excellent. I did not finish in time but I thoroughly enjoyed what I did read! Really looking forward to finishing this.

Lord Birmingham, known as Devil (Rhys), rules over Devil's Night and is feared by any one who crosses his path. Kitty Caldecott owns a bookshop for women selling naughty novels and clapbooks. She is barely able to keep her family above water because of her father's contant gambling. Stealing a marker from Devil gives her an idea and an opportunity to make a deal. Her father and aunt are forcing her younger sister to marry Lord Portsmouth, rumored to have murdered his previous wives. Kitty must protect her sister and prevent the wedding. Devil has the power to work against Lord Portsmouth. Kitty is very smart at keeping Devil flummoxed and entertained. I was constantly laughing. This is a fast paced feel good read with a very strong heroine, including her antics, who constantly challenges a man society fears.
Explicit sex
I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book from NetGalley.

I was on a roll with reading books one by one at the beginning of this year, but I was also lazy with my reviews, so now I'm stuck with writing them two months later.
I'm glad I got to read this ARC; it was my first read by this author. I don't remember much of it, but I rated it five stars, so I must have liked something if not loved. Hopefully, my next read by this author will be reviewed sooner.

Jumping back into historicals and Deal with the Devil was a delight.

Kitty’s father is selling her sister into marriage to a cruel Lord with three dead wives. Kitty decides to steal something from the real known as Devil to blackmail him into helping her sister. Devil decides to help but Kitty might not like everything he requires.

Kitty is such a strong character and a bookseller of romance novels to boot! I loved her banter with Devil and the cast of characters under Devil’s protection. I didn’t love that as a second book there were a few parts of the spinsters society and previous actions/arguments that were hinted at but never explained or were vague in this book and the ending seemed a little rushed.

This book does make me want to grab more historicals from the library!

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5

Thank you @dragonbladepublishing and @netgalley for the eARC.

#book #bookrecommendations #historicalromance #adealwiththedevil #netgalley #romancebooks #romancereader #novelsandneedlework

Stealing the Devil’s Heart

Kitty picks Rhys’s pocket, but they don’t call him the Devil for no reason. There are consequences for stealing from the Devil. Except, when it comes to matters of the heart, things are never simple. Not only does Kitty steal a vowel from the Devil’s pocket but also his heart. She blackmails him to help her with a ruthless man intent on marrying her sister, but does she need to resort to blackmail? Rhys is on her side. Will he and Kitty stop a murderer from marrying her sister?

In this story, there is one villain, and it is not the Devil. It is a man who buried several wives. Did he kill them? Could Rhys and Kitty protect her sister from a similar fate? For the answers, you might want to read this lovely story. I enjoyed it and would recommend it to those who like historical romance.

this was a strong sequel in the Spinster Society series, it had that element that I was looking for and was engaged with what was happening in this historical romance novel. I was invested in what was happening and thought the romance was really well done. The characters worked well in this series and setting. Alyxandra Harvey wrote this well and was glad I got to read this. I hope to read more from this series and from Alyxandra Harvey.

This was a great story beginning to end. Kitty is the least likely person to offend or hurt someone but she has no choice but to help her sister.. she goes to great lengths to help her and stand up to the one man she shouldn't. Can't wait for the next story!!

This book two in The Spinster Society was a very captivating and such a fun read. I enjoyed the characters who are strong-willed, complex, and determined. Their humorous and witty banter was very delightful. This story was very engaging with so much drama, action, gambling debts, theft, a book store, a spinster, a devil, a forced marriage, a runaway bride, attempted murder, kidnapping, a dastardly villain, a terrible family life, shootings, stabbings, amd so many other plot twists and emotional issues fhat kept me very entertained. I loved how beautifully this love story ended. I highly recommend reading!

I have just recently discovered Alyxandra Harvey’s books and have become a big fan. She has a wicked sense of humour and her descriptive passages are second to none. This story is very fast moving with lots of twists and turns that kept my interest until the very last page.

DISCLAIMER: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book is hands down my favorite Regency Romance I’ve read. I loved this story so much!

I adored the main characters. Kitty’s strength, tenacity and loyalty to her sister shines throughout the whole book and her inner (and outer) monologues had me dying with laughter! Devil… I want to marry that man! He’s built a reputation of being ruthless and feared; but with Kitty, he would hang the stars for her, and threaten those who dare treat her with disrespect!

I loved their banter! I loved how protective of Kitty, Devil was. I really liked the side characters we meet in this story and wonder if we will see them again in future books.

Alyxandra wove an incredible story with A Deal with the Devil that was fun, spicy and filled with intrigue! I can’t wait to read more from her! I will definitely be reading her other Regency Romance books, including the first book in The Spinster Society, as I anxiously await the next!

Even though this is the second book in The Spinster Society series, you can definitely read this one without having read the first.

Thank you NetGalley and Dragonblade Publishing for the advance copy!

I loved "A Deal with the Devil." Devil/Rhys and Kitty have such great chemistry, and I adore Kitty's relationship with Evie. This is the second entry in Harvey's "The Spinster Society" series but can be read as a standalone (though I do think a reader's enjoyment/understanding might be slightly enhanced by having read the prior book). Kitty is the proprietress of a small bookstore, infamous for selling 'naughty' writings. Her father is a degenerate gambler, her aunt a remorseless social climber, and her sister her best friend. Trying to prevent her sister from being sold into marriage with a likely murderer, Kitty steals from Devil. He is...not pleased. And then he becomes obsessed, ending up agreeing to help Kitty prevent her sister's marriage.

Kitty is a favorite amongst recent FMC. She is smart, independent, (head)strong, and intelligent. She more than holds her own with Devil, and their banter is excellent. She is sex-positive and invested in helping women in unfortunate circumstances. Devil is the first person in years, maybe ever, to take care of Kitty, to prioritize care of her. But he is able to do so in a way that also prioritizes her independence and the other things she values. The spice is spicy and well-written, and the side characters are excellent additions to the overall book. I highly recommend this book, as well as Harvey's previous historical romances.

4.5 stars rounded to 5. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a complimentary copy of this book. These opinions are my own.

Harvey is a new-to-me author (her books came highly recommended by a friend) and I was captivated by her writing from the start! Witty dialogues (and internal monologues), funny moments, a hint of angst (like the icing on a cake!) and an intriguing plot, all made this book a unputdownable read for me. Now I’m certainly going to follow this author and this series in particular with some eagerness!

This was such a fun book! Kitty and Devil were such strong, unusual characters; their banter and interactions made this book. 5 stars!

Another installment of the spinster society. This time it's former spinster Clara's friend Kitty. Kitty makes a deal with Rhys, known as Devil, to save her sister from having to marry a very bad man.

The dialog and banter between Kitty and Rhys is electric. The fact that she pick-pocketed him early on was an extra added touch. The romance was very scorching. A lot of "good girls". This book reminded me of Miranda Neville's "The Wild Marquis", so that puts it in very good company.

I received this book as a gift from the publisher. Opinions are my own.

I don’t really know what makes these spinster society books stand out among all the other historical romances I read. The vibes are just excellent. The plot feels meaningful, and the dialogue is witty. Everything is just… fun. And all the romance novel easter eggs got a lil grin from me, not gonna lie!

A fabulous historical romance with wonderfully wicked characters.
This is part of a series, so you might have met some of the characters in the previous book, but not enough to spoil this one. Also this one doesn't spoil the first if you haven't read it yet.
This author does like to give us exceptional heroines and heroes who are not intimidated by them.
Our heroine this time will do anything to protect her sister.
Our hero is used to being able to scare anyone into to doing what he wants. That will soon change.
This is a steamy read with lots of danger and giggles.
Great fun.

Tropes: class difference; MC's team up to solve a mystery; fake engagement
Steam level: 3
Part of a series, but works as a standalone for the most part.

This writer always brings refreshing elements to her HR's. Here you get a non-princessy, contrary bookseller of smut in Kitty and a gaming hell owner earl nicknamed Devil who terrifies the Ton, but never Kitty. Plenty of snappy banter between them, the chemistry is super hot, and there's wry to dark humor throughout. The author also does a great job of developing the secondary characters and Devil's Sins establishment; I could perfectly picture Devil and his crew in their den of iniquity. The world building around Kitty's bookshop is good too. Her aunt and father are your stereotypical Bad Guardians who do everything but throw rotten vegetables at her store themselves while they steal her money, but they get an appropriate comeuppance (yes, I'm a vengeful reader). And I absolutely loved Devil's protectiveness of Kitty as the book went on.

Quibbles:
--If you haven't read the previous book, Kitty's past with Clara and Lady Priya is confusing at first.
--A bit repetitive in places and I had to re-read a few sentences for clarity, particularly in the first quarter of the book. The editing gets tighter as the storyline unfolds.
--There are a couple scenes that could have been more realistic, played a little less for humor, and it would have upped the tension. In the escape scene at the beginning of the book, for example, Kitty and her sister run across London in the early morning hours wearing just their nightgowns in the freezing rain, and Kitty has on no shoes. Not only are the sisters never accosted and they don't cause a stir in public, they don't even get bruised or scraped up; at least it's not described on-page. In fact, Kitty just has to wash her feet in a basin once they find safety and she's fine.
--As in a previous book by this author, you don't get much of the MMC's POV until later, about the 30% mark. I tend to prefer books that are consistent with the dual POV from the beginning; it draws me into the romance more. Also, I wanted Kitty and Devil to spend more "quality time" earlier on. It felt like some descriptions and scenes could have been trimmed down to focus more on their relationship.

Overall, though, this is a fast, funny, and very sexy HR.