Mine Till Midnight - Lisa Kleypas (St Martin's - Oct 2007)

Series: Hathaways (Book 1)

THEIR LIVES DEFY CONVENTION.

When an unexpected inheritance elevates her family to the ranks of the aristocracy, Amelia Hathaway discovers that tending to her younger sisters and wayward brother was easy compared to navigating the intricacies of the ton. Even more challenging: the attraction she feels for the tall, dark, and dangerously handsome Cam Rohan.

THEIR DESIRE CONSUMES THEM BOTH...

Wealthy beyond most men's dreams, Cam has tired of society's petty restrictions and longs to return to his "uncivilized" Gypsy roots. When the delectable Amelia appeals to him for help, he intends to offer only friendship--but intentions are no match for the desire that blindsides them both. But can a man who spurns tradition be tempted into that most time-honored arrangement: marriage? Life in London society is about to get a whole lot hotter....

Fantastic story. The Hathaway family is a bit different than the usual HR. They are of noble birth but without the usual type of society background. There is Leo, the oldest, who recently inherited a title, followed by our heroine, Amelia, and her sisters Win, Poppy, and Beatrix. There is also a not quite family, not quite servant Gypsy man named Merripen who is an integral part of the group. Life has been difficult for the Hathaway family recently. A scarlet fever epidemic killed their parents, Leo and Win nearly died, Leo's fiancée did die. Leo has been so devastated by Laura's death that he is doing his best to kill himself with dissipation. The man that Amelia loved threw her over for another woman. As Leo has no interest in anything but his own misery, Amelia has taken over the running of the family.

As the story opens, Amelia is searching for Leo, who has disappeared once again. She is determined to take the family to their estate in Hampshire, away from the memories and pitfalls of the city, where they can begin again. Amelia is stubborn, independent, and convinced that she is the only one standing between her family and disaster. In her search for Leo, she encounters Cam Rohan, the half-Gypsy/half-Irish manager of a gambling establishment. Though he has no intention of interfering in their family issues, Cam finds himself unable to refuse to help Amelia find Leo. Once he does, he thinks that the end of it. Fate has other plans, and they meet again in Hampshire in a most unusual manner.

Amelia was impressive and frustrating. I loved her determination and her protectiveness toward her family. She will do anything for them. However, she is a bit overprotective and controlling, especially when it comes to Win and Leo. She tends to take charge, steamrollering over any objections. She also exhibits a very human side. I loved that she wasn't always cheerful and unflappable, but shows the effects of bad days, frustration with her siblings and others, and the occasional loss of her temper. There was also a hysterical scene involving a lizard and a dinner party where her behavior was not what I expected.

Cam was wonderful. We get a little bit of his background, and I have high hopes of learning more in later books. He was taken from his Gypsy family at the age of ten and went to work for the gambling house. As an adult, he is the right-hand man to the club owner and extremely (and unwillingly) wealthy. He has a bit of an internal battle going on between his Gypsy and Irish sides, which has made him rather restless. One of my favorite things about him is that he is comfortable with who he is. He has accepted that he is considered an outsider by both Gypsy and non-Gypsy folks, that he has the respect and friendship of those who mean the most to him and doesn't care about anyone else's opinion of him. He thinks about walking away from it all and returning to the Gypsy way of life until he meets Amelia.

I enjoyed the development of Cam and Amelia's relationship. There were sparks between them from the start, though they initially try to resist. Cam quickly became very protective of Amelia. Once he realized that she was the perfect woman for him, Cam was pretty relentless in his pursuit of her. I loved his way with words as he would tell her of his intentions. He also did not suffer from "I'm not good enough for her," that society could deal with them or not. Amelia was a little harder to convince. She did not doubt the power of their attraction, as shown by the flames that erupted between them whenever he touched her. But she was afraid that a half-Gypsy man would never be content in a traditional marriage, and would begin to resent her instead. I loved that Cam didn't give up on making her see that they were meant to be together.

There were also some secondary stories going on. First was the whole issue with Leo and his dissolute attitude. I was very frustrated with his whole "poor me" attitude. Losing his fiancée sucked, but he still had four sisters that he was responsible for. He redeemed himself a little at one point where he supported Amelia during her encounter with her ex, but that was a very small moment. I ached for him at the end, when Cam made him face his past and make a decision.

There was also something going on between Win and Merripen. Merripen's background is very mysterious, and there appears to be some connection with Cam, outside of them both being Gypsies. He is also very protective of Win and sensitive to her moods. I loved the whole cleaning scene and the solution he came up with that satisfied both her and Amelia. It is quite obvious that Merripen is in love with Win, but he does feel unworthy of her. It is hard to tell at first if Win feels the same way about him. Things get very interesting after the fire in which Merripen is injured, and I loved how the fragile Win comes out on top. I am looking forward to their story.

Cold-Hearted Rake - Lisa Kleypas (Avon - Nov 2015)

Series: Ravenels (Book 1)

A twist of fate . . .

Devon Ravenel, London's most wickedly charming rake, has just inherited an earldom. But his powerful new rank in society comes with unwanted responsibilities . . . and more than a few surprises. His estate is saddled with debt, and the late earl's three innocent sisters are still occupying the house . . . along with Kathleen, Lady Trenear, a beautiful young widow whose sharp wit and determination are a match for Devon's own.

A clash of wills . . .

Kathleen knows better than to trust a ruthless scoundrel like Devon. But the fiery attraction between them is impossible to deny -- and from the first moment Devon holds her in his arms, he vows to do whatever it takes to possess her. As Kathleen finds herself yielding to his skillfully erotic seduction, only one question remains:

Can she keep from surrendering her heart to the most dangerous man she's ever known?

Very good book, though I did have my doubts at the very beginning. Devon has inherited the title and estates after the unexpected death of his cousin. Both the debts and the responsibility are unwelcome, and he plans to sell the properties to pay off the debts as soon as he can. The opening conversation between Devon and his brother West shows two men who are focused on their own pleasures and avoid anything that hints of respectability. Devon even states his intention to turn his cousin's widow and sisters out of the house as soon as possible. Unfortunately for him, he is overheard by Kathleen.

Kathleen has not had an easy life. At the age of five her parents sent her to live with relatives. They were not loving, and were very focused on appearances. She learned early to keep her emotions to herself and to rely on herself for everything. She had married a man she hoped would give her the family she craved, only to have him die in a drunken accident three days after their wedding. Now she discovers she's about to lose her home too.

There were sparks between Devon and Kathleen from the beginning, mostly of the adversarial variety, but with an underlying attraction. Devon's callous decision to sell everything grated on Kathleen's sense of responsibility. She tore into him over his disregard for the effects his actions would have on so many people. He made it plain he didn't want the headaches that came with keeping the place. But something she said went to work on the conscience he didn't even know he had, and he found himself deciding not to sell. His brother's reaction wasn't complimentary, but when it came down to it, West agreed to help.

By this time, Devon has decided he wants Kathleen, but she isn't cooperating. She's attracted also, but is mindful of appearances since she is still in mourning.  There are some pretty amusing exchanges between them over the next few weeks, as Devon is in London attempting to find ways to save the estate, and Kathleen remains in Hampshire. Devon makes the occasional visit, and the chemistry between them burns hotter.

At the same time, West is in Hampshire, unwillingly helping Devon. West has been even worse than Devon, with his careless behavior and heavy drinking. But a confrontation with Kathleen causes unexpected changes in him. I loved how she stood up to him. It was amazing to see the transformation he went through in both appearance and attitude. It also created a change in the relationship between West and Devon.

Devon's return to Hampshire created further tension between him and Kathleen. He hasn't given up on his plans to seduce her, and Kathleen is still desperately trying to resist. When Devon invites a friend for the holidays Kathleen is angered by his plans.  Then a devastating accident makes both of them admit that whatever is between them is growing. But even giving in to the desire between them doesn't guarantee a future. Devon is adamant that he will never marry, and Kathleen doesn't want someone who avoids commitment anyway. It was fun to see her stand up to his plans for them with her own conditions. I loved Devon's "aha" moment, when he realized just how he felt about her, and how he finally convinced her of those feelings.

Though I didn't like Devon at the beginning, I really enjoyed seeing him change from irresponsible rake to a man who could be relied on. It wasn't an easy transformation, and he fought it each step of the way. It started with a protectiveness he didn't recognize, and his desire to stay near Kathleen. I had fun with their confrontations as the sparks flew between them. His protectiveness and jealousy at the end surprised them both. Though I liked Kathleen from the start, she too had her issues. I liked the way she looked out for the sisters, and how she was determined to keep them safe. Her upbringing had her very concerned about appearances, and there were times I was definitely on Devon's side to get her to lighten up. I liked the way she stood up for the people of the estate and opened Devon's eyes to his responsibilities. Her experience with her late husband made it difficult for her to trust Devon with her heart. I also got a bit angry with her interference in Helen's life, even though her intentions were good.

There was also a secondary relationship between Devon's friend Winterbourne and Kathleen's sister-in-law Helen. Devon had planned to set the two up as a way to marry off Helen and gain financial assistance from Winterbourne. The railway accident that badly injured Winterbourne gave he and Helen a chance to get to know each other a little. But Winterbourne is a blunt and rough around the edges man, and Helen is a very sheltered, innocent and shy young woman, and things don't go smoothly between them. A misunderstanding, and interference from Kathleen, puts their fledgling relationship at risk. At the end of the book, Helen takes her courage in hand to talk to Winterbourne about what happened. It's an interesting lead in to the next book, which is their story.