Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas

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Title: Devil in Winter
Author: Lisa Kleypas
Series: Wallflowers #3
Published by: HarperAudio
Release Date: June 15, 2021
Format: Audiobook
Narrator: Mary Jane Wells
Length: 9 hours and 35 minutes
Genres: Historical Romance
Source: Libro.FM
Reading Challenges: Lenoreo's 2021 Audiobook Challenge, Lenoreo's 2021 COYER Summer, Lenoreo's 2021 Diversity Reading Challenge, Lenoreo's 2021 Historical Romance Book Bingo
Find it: Goodreads ✩ Amazon ✩ Google ✩ Kobo ✩ iTunes ✩ Libro.FM
My rating:

Blurb:

"I'm Sebastian, Lord St. Vincent. I can't be celibate. Everyone knows that."

Desperate to escape her scheming relatives, Evangeline Jenner has sought the help of the most infamous scoundrel in London.

A marriage of convenience is the only solution.

No one would have ever paired the shy, stammering wallflower with the sinfully handsome viscount. It quickly becomes clear, however, that Evie is a woman of hidden strength—and Sebastian desires her more than any woman he's ever known.

Determined to win her husband's elusive heart, Evie dares to strike a bargain with the devil: If Sebastian can stay celibate for three months, she will allow him into her bed.

When Evie is threatened by a vengeful enemy from the past, Sebastian vows to do whatever it takes to protect his wife...even at the expense of his own life.

Together, they will defy their perilous fate, for the sake of all-consuming love.

My Review:

4.5 stars — After reading Devil in Spring, I knew I needed to go back and read Evie and Sebastian’s book, and it didn’t disappoint.

I can’t believe how much I enjoyed this one, considering that Sebastian could be a real dick at times.  I will admit I wish that we had learned a bit more about his upbringing and what made him the way he was.  Because he was clearly protecting his heart with his callous indifference, but without that background, it could be hard to figure out *why* he was this way.  There was just an element of background missing.  Like why did the club spark his interest?  Why did that finally draw his brain into something?  It wasn’t just Evie, he genuinely was fascinated and wanted to make the club work.

Evie was a delight, so much stronger than she gave herself credit for.  I appreciated her patience, and that she didn’t allow Sebastian’s pushing away to work…she foiled him basically.  She was smart, tenacious, kind, patient…not at all what you would expect, and totally underestimated by everyone who knew her.

The chemistry between Sebastian and Evie was definitely palpable, and surprising in some ways.  They balanced one another out — the perfect opposites attract.

There was a LOT of action in this one.  I also ended up learning a lot about how certain diseases and ailments presented themselves at that time, and thank god that science keeps trucking along and keeping us safe and healthy.  Cause wow, there were so many horrible ways to die back then.

I also think I need to start calling my morning rituals “ablutions”.  It’s so sophisticated sounding.

Really loved Cam.  Was surprised to see that Daisy wasn’t with Cam, and so desperately searched and eventually found that Cam gets his own story, thank goodness.

Totally called Joss.  Well, why he was resentful/angry anyways.  Not the rest.

Am now intrigued by the wallflowers, and guess I’ll have to go back and read Annabelle and Lillian’s stories now too.  Really enjoying Ms. Kleypas’s stories.