Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas

Genre:: Romance
Pages: 368
Publisher:March 1st 2006 by Avon

"My father, the duke, has failed in his one responsibility in life: to keep the family fortune intact so that he can pass it on to me. My responsibility, on the other hand, is to pass my time in profligate idleness and wait for him to die. I've been doing my job splendidly. The duke, however has not. He's made a botch of managing the family finances, and at the present he is unforgivably poor, and even worse, healthy."

Sebastian, Viscount St. Vincent, is the most infuriating, insufferable, philandering, debauched reprobate a girl could ever hope to entertain. He's devilishly handsome, his reputation deplorable, his affections easily and frequently given and he excels in doling out heartbreak. He's also, poor, lazy and desperate, making him the ideal man for Evangeline Jenner.

Evie is the opposite of Sebastian in almost every way. She's a quiet, plain little wallflower with a less than prestigious lineage and a nervous stutter that sends any would be conversationalist running for someone far less frustrating to talk to. She's also about to inherit a rather sizable fortune. She shares one similarity with Sebastian though- she's desperate. Evie needs a husband and quickly before her horrid aunts and uncles marry her off to her odious cousin so that her father's fortune will fall under their control. St. Vincent's champagne tastes have landed him deeply in debt and he needs money now. When Evie sneaks into the house of the notorious rake and stutters a proposal of marriage to him, he simply can't turn her down. He'll get her money and she'll get the safety and protection that the viscount's name can provide- and Evie will need it. Her family has banked on getting their hands on that money and now that it might be out of their reach, they can't wait to get their hands on Evie.

_______

The Viscount St. Vincent? Oh man. He's hot. He's horrible. He's rude. He's selfish. He's an insensitive ass- no wait. He's not! He's wonderful and caring and warm and charming and sooooo sexy- wait, not. He's a shit again. He's a wonderful villain and hero. You never know where you stand with him as he is all at once everything you despise and everything you love in a leading man.

"My lady,

This tray will be returned for my inspection within the hour. If everything on it is not eaten, I will personally force-feed it to you.

Bon appetit,
S."

So he only marries Evie for her money. It's what she wanted. She didn't expect a love match. She only hoped that the marriage would give her the chance to care for her ailing father, in his last days, safe from the uncles who raised her and ruled her with an iron fist. She was desperate and scared and she did what she had to do. We shouldn't feel sorry for her. She knew what she was marrying. Yes, she knew, and when our smart, sassy girl only agreed to one night with Sebastian, the one necessary to consummate their marriage she told him it would be the first and last time. She didn't want his love, only the protection of his name and once she had it and he had her money he could do what he pleased with whoever he pleased so long as it wasn't her. A woman that wasn't pining after him, hanging on his every word, begging for his affections? Sebastian just doesn't know how to handle that and for the first time in his life, he's faced with a harsh reality. There's something, someone, he really wants and now he'll have to work for it!

I adored this book. It was charming and funny. Kleypas gives us two characters who couldn't be less alike and puts them through so many trials and tribulations of the heart that they do something quite unexpected and completely flip roles. Sebastian is a marvelous character and our Evie is such a doll- the manipulative, stubborn, impish kind. The evolution of their relationship is delightfully entertaining, and well, did I mention that I just LOVE Sebastian?

"He's not going to die, you know. It's only nice, saintly people who suffer untimely deaths." She gave a quiet laugh. "whereas selfish bastards like St. Vincent live to torment other people for decades."

This is the 3rd book in The Wallflowers series by Lisa Kleypas and I have been assured and can assure that it is not necessary to read them in any order. I have however, picked up the other three books and I fully intend on devouring them.

Visit Miz Kleypas @ http://www.lisakleypas.com/. She's written lots of things that you and I both will want to read.


I read this book because Sarah MacLean blogged about it and she said it was wonderful.