Blue-Eyed Devil

There was a time when my life goal was to devour absolutely everything penned by Ms. Kleypas. I loved her work so much, that I would willingly humiliate myself by asking for her books in one of Dublin's larger bookstores. And let me tell you, there are few things more embarrassing than having two guys loudly recite things like Tempt Me at Twilight, Seduce Me at Sunrise or Mine Till Midnight with a faux-poker-face. I was a fan with a mission!

That said, M/F romances have since all but lost their appeal for me... except for Blue-Eyed Devil: the first book of the genre I've read. I can still see myself waking up at 7 am, scoot into a corner of the couch, having successfully nicked borrowed my BFF's copy of the book.

Haven Travis is the show more daughter of filthy rich Churchill Travis, but she fervently wishes she were disenfranchised. So when her father opposes her relationship with the less "financially endowed" Nicholas Tanner, she all but jumps at the opportunity to go against him. But not before having a sizzling tryst with her sister-in-law's ex. By accident. During said sister-in-law's wedding reception...

Unfortunately for our intrepid heroine, married life doesn't agree with her, especially when her loving husband turns into a controlling maniac intent on getting his share of the Travis fortune by any means (i.e. pregnancy) necessary. Luckily for Haven, she has three older brothers ready for rescue... often times even when she doesn't want them to.

It might just be my preference for more light-hearted subjects, but I haven't seen many romance books handling marital abuse. I loved every single pep-talk that Haven would get from her family, friends, or therapist. Every step of her rehabilitation, moreso when she almost immediately stumbles on yet another sociopath. Even after the 10th reread, I never get tired of any of it.

And the cherry on top of everything, is that even now I still swoon at the mere thought of being swept off my feet by Hardy Cates. I mean Haven getting swept off her feet, of course. *cue embarrassed cough*

Score: 4/5 stars

I'm not sure I'll ever be able to properly explain, why this particular romance novel stayed with me, when many similar others didn't. It's not without its cliches, both story AND character-wise, but I still pick it up from time to time, and reread my favorite passages with just as much enjoyment, as I did the first time around.

For all of you who dislike Hardy after meeting him in Sugar Daddy, I have to admit that I read this book first. So knowing how much he'll do for Haven, made it easier to overlook his past "misdemeanors", when I finally got around to reading the previous book. show less

Well, you guys, I mother-f-ing hated this book. I'm about to unleash spoilery spoilers, but I will start with a few status updates to illustrate:
Oh the mansplaining....
-First the overprotective, boundary-less brothers & father. Because they are Texas Men. No. (Although one it's well-established why). I don't know, trust your sister and empower her maybe after her life events (Adding: Haven is the victim of an abusive marriage. And it's brutal. LK deserves credit for her vomit-inducing first 1/4 of this book. I felt it, I was there, I had a physical reaction.)
-Second the scene in the stairwell, Hardy says "There's a word, Haven, for a woman who does what you're doing." And "Like hell I was pushing you, you wanted it" Congrats Hardy, on show more being the worst hero ever. ADDING: THIS IS THE MOTHER FUCKING HERO. GIVE ME BACK TEENAGED HARDY CATES, PLEASE. WHO IS THIS STUPID ASSHOLE? To set the scene, they were getting hot & heavy and then of course Haven has a loss of desire and a mild freakout. Good luck recovering in my eyes, you jackass. Editorializing: No woman should be subjected to that judgement ever, because we all know this happens with relative ease. "Oh, I just thought of my grocery list." If you are victim of sexual assault, like so many women, well I guess I don't want the hero implying the survivor is a tease. I wish I was gif-talented, because this deserves a few choice ones.

If I thought it was over, I was sorely mistaken, enter stage right the best friend (MALE):
"You know if a woman's ready, aroused, it's not going to hurt. Especially if the man knows what he's doing, which I have no doubt Hardy does." Again Todd, I think you should definitely tell this woman how sex works for her. That's cool. (Adding):And also, PSA, not necessarily. Thanks and bye.

So what else?

Maybe this isn't as spoiler-y as I thought. But I just didn't get them. Eyes meet at Gage & Liberty's wedding, great stuff happens, then a few years pass and boom they are loving each other. I didn't see any evidence of an actual relationship outside the bedroom save for one thing that he listened to her about.
Or there is the scene where she's drowning in an elevator and Hardy comments no woman would handle it like she did without being hysterical. Oh, swoon. No woman huh?

A lot of things had me thinking, "What is this sexist piece of shit I'm reading." And also, the first 1/4 of the book? I was all for a gentle build in the trust between the characters after Haven's first marriage. I was all for the subtle rescuing from the ambitious hero (who I kind of adored & rooted for at the beginning of Sugar Daddy) what I was not prepared for was a heroine like Haven - I missed my Liberty (fierce & determined & loving as I recall) and the way the story centered her around her character. Haven felt passed from one patriarchal relationship to the next including her HEA. (Oh, right the first 1/4 of the book served very little purpose, we didn't really get to know Haven because of it just what she'd been through and the book may have been much better with little reveals in the relationship pointing us to her traumatic past. Because really, the last 3/4 felt like one incident after another with a whole lotta getting down....

I guess maybe it wasn't that spoiler-heavy....But I'm disappointed. Gage was cool, but otherwise, I am pretty much left with the feeling these are the types of men I'd like to run over. And oh, shit, I didn't even get around to the bullshit drunken rough sex scene.

tell me friends, is the third more of the same? show less

Nearly perfect. I loved the first in this series, and loved this even more. Anyone who thinks romance is one dimensional, read this. So many books pretend that the impact of trauma evaporates when we meet the right person, but here its a process. Also, I loved spending time with Haven and Brody. I wish they hadn't made Haven"s boss such a textbook bitch who preys on other women, but it wasn't enough to cost a full star.

Haven Travis is surrounded by powerful men; her dad and her brothers. All her life she has struggled to find her niche in the Travis family and more often than not, what Haven wants and chooses, ends up singling her out, or causing a rift.

Such is the case when Haven marries who her family warns her is the wrong man. Two years later, tail between her legs, Haven comes back to the family after that marriage ends. Coming home with more emotional and physical scars than one woman should carry, she struggles, once again, to find her niche in the Travis family. All that looks to be shaky again when she finds herself falling for Hardy Cates, the Travis family enemy number one.

Haven is a heroine you can really admire and cheer for. She makes show more some mistakes, owns up to her share and does what she can to better herself. She doesn't make excuses and goes for what she wants. She is a smart and determined young woman that even after getting her spirit stomped on, lifts her chin and keeps on keeping on. I adored her.

Falling for Hardy Cates in Sugar Daddy, I was thrilled to see him matched up with Haven. We finally get some insight into what makes Hardy tick and Lisa Kleypas makes him even more delicious and desirable than he was in the previous book. Considering his appeal broke the loveability scales for this reader, I didn't think it would be possible to like him more, I was wrong.

The exciting sequel to Sugar Daddy did not disappoint at all. I flew through both books this past weekend and was treated two very well rounded and different tales about fabulous characters. There are some frightening and very emotionally challenging moments in this book; a few parts had me holding my breath in shock and shedding some tears. But there was also a lot of humor and the chemistry that smoldered between Hardy and Haven and the witty repartee they treated us to made it all worth while.

This book has easily shot up the ranks to one of my all time favorite reads and it is one I will revisit again and again. Enjoy! show less

If you have read my review of Sugar Daddy, you will know that I didn't like the book much. I am glad I hadn't given up hope on Lisa Kleypas's contemporary series. I loved Blue-Eyed Devil and despite a little nudge in my head, I think it deserves the five stars I gave it.

When I was reading the time period where Haven was married to Nick I thought that she should have gotten out the moment he started abusing her and I was angry at her for staying. Later, though she made me see what it is like from the victim's perspective and I finally got a sense of why the women are staying in an abusive relationship. A reason I love to read the book is because I get knowledge about things without having to live through them in real life and I get more show more open minded (yes Ty and Zane, I am talking about you too).

I couldn't help, but love Hardy despite his betrayal in Sugar Daddy. He respected Haven and was very comforting to her. The few doubts I had for him disappeared from an early part of their relationship. I liked how the whole thing about the betrayal and Hardy's past with Liberty was handled. I loved the wedding proposal and I was happy that Haven initiated it.

Haven has developed a lot during the curse of the story. She is a broken woman who can't even bear the touch of her brothers and swears off marriage and children to someone who is doing the proposal and is actually happy. I am hoping women do that in real life too.

Somehow reading about what happened to Hannah was weird to me and it made me feel as if I had missed something. I don't know why, but I felt sad. While in Sugar Daddy we see how Chirchill's love life is going, in Blue-Eyed Devil we barely see him due to his restrained relationship with his daughter. I want to see in the third book what happened to him.

The book is from Haven's point of view only, which was a little frustrating, but I still feel as if I had read Hardy's intentions correctly. I am guessing the next books will also be this way, so I should probably get used to it. show less

I had been looking forward to this one so much that I decided to do a different kind of review. This one is done in 'real time'

Well, I’m 102 pages into Blue Eyed Devil so far and whew has it punched me in the gut so far! This one, like Sugar Daddy is told in the first person rather than in the third person. While I didn’t used to like this style, the Stephanie Plum books softened me up and as you may (or may not) remember I loved Sugar Daddy.

This book is told by Haven Travis, Sugar Daddy Gage’s sister. It starts out with a bang as Haven mistakes Hardy, the hero/anti hero who didn’t get the girl in Sugar Daddy, for her boyfriend Nick in the wine cellar at Gage and Liberty’s wedding. She turns out the lights and kisses him only show more to discover much to her dismay that she has just locked lips with her family’s enemy. Although gob smacked by the kiss they share, she still goes on to marry her boyfriend.

This is where the book starts punching me in the gut. Nick, you see, is an abuser. Ms Kleypas (or I guess I should call her author Lisa) details it one step at a time how Haven is slowly stripped, one piece at a time, of her very self. It’s powerful, it’s real, it’s heartbreaking and it’s very believable! It’s superb!! Just the other day I read on DA that many romance books don’t tackle real life issues – which some authors just skim over tough issues. Not so this one.

But I’ve got past that part and now Haven is just starting to reclaim her life back – scarred and different, but she is on the road to recovery.

I have to take a break – one for relief and also ‘cause I’m having company and I have to get ready. But let me say, I am ITCHING to get back to this book!!!!

I managed to get a few pages in before company came. I’m at the part where she runs into Hardy at the bar! So what the heck am I doing writing this instead of reading more of the book?!?!?! I don’t know – except to say Haven has herself between a rock and a hard place with her new boss. Now – back to reading!

I’m on a bit of a break time but I’m anxious to get back to the book but I stopped here to write a bit more. I am loving this book! Haven and Hardy have reconnected and not wanting to say too much and spoil it for everyone – Haven is very conflicted at the moment. She’s still very emotionally damaged, yet she is very attracted to Hardy – and it seems vice versa. And her brother Jack who’s also her boss isn’t to happy at the moment that they are contact with each other.

Now – back to the book!

I had to take a dinner break – It was tough letting this book go I tell you! I’m over halfway done now and Hardy has entered Haven’s life with a bang. I don’t know Texas men at all, but if they are like Hardy – well – you lucky Texan women. He is one mighty fine hero. He’s after Haven and he ain’t takin’ no for an answer. Can I say I like that in a guy? She’s interested too, but she has a lot of baggage. What I’m really liking is the banter between them. It’s cute and it’s funny and it’s making me chuckle. And I hate, hate, hate her boss. Luckily I’ve never been faced with workplace harassment but I’m feeling for Haven. Her brothers though are bossy and adorable. If I had brothers like them I’d want to hug them, then brain them, then hug them again. They clearly love their little sister. And I like that we get to see Gage and Liberty again. They are integral to it but they aren’t overwhelming the story. But I have to get back the book now. Someone from her past has just made an appearance and I need to read what happens!

She made it through that, but I have a feeling it’s not the last we are going to see of this person. I’m headed to bed – to read so this will be my last ‘thought’ for the night. But once again Hardy - *shiver*. He’s just saved Haven’s life and then turned her down for a night of hawt lovin’ ‘cause he thinks that she’s not in the right frame of mind and doesn’t want gratitude sex. I love it when a hero does this!

Well – I finished it and I just had to turn the computer back on.

I’ll say this right off the bat. This one’s a fiver. At the end of Sugar Daddy – for those who haven’t read SD yet – read no further – Hardy did a pretty rotten thing to Liberty and Gage. One would think him unsalvageable at that point but Writer Lisa has a way of turning not so good guys into terrific good guys. She did it with Derek Craven. She did it with Sebastian St. Vincent. She did it with Nick Gentry. And she has done it with Hardy Cates. He is one heck of a good guy in the end, even if he did have a TSTL moment – the kind we usually equate with heroines. But she made me believe in the reason why he did. Now as wonderful and terrific Hardy is, because this is written in the first person, the one who we feel the most for is Haven Travis. Ms. Kleypas takes us on a wonderful and totally believable journey with Haven from a beaten down, unsure of her own thoughts woman to one who at the end of the book is strong, capable and ready to take on the world. This is really her story and a wonderful one it is. And for anyone wondering – yes this one is nice and steamy – very steamy.

For all those anxiously waiting for this book – for me the payoff is worth it. I loved it!

~~~~~~~~~~~

OK – now it’s the next day and I’ve had time to ponder and absorb this book. I’ve been dwelling on it all morning now and I reiterate what I said earlier. Ms. Kleypas takes a real life issue and deals with it realistically. Although the book is told from Haven’s point of view only, she manages to make Hardy a real, larger than life character and we don’t even miss not seeing his point of view. He had his flaws – we saw that from Sugar Daddy, but by the end of the book we sympathize with and cheer for him. For those who loved Sugar Daddy, I’m thinking you will love Blue Eyed Devil just as much if not more. show less

Blue-Eyed Devil
4 Stars

After hearing about this book for years, perhaps my expectations were too high. Yes, Haven's story is well-written (obviously, it is Lisa Kleypas after all); her journey is intense and emotional, and her romance with Hardy is captivating - that man is simply yummilicious!

While the reading experience is enjoyable overall, there are a couple of problematic issues. First, is Haven herself. Although she is a sympathetic and likable heroine, she has absolutely no backbone! Yes, there are reasons for her inability to stand up for herself (her mother's systematic erosion of her self-esteem, battered wife syndrome), but this does not make it easier to relate to a woman who is, in essence, a victim of her own making.

Second show more is the portrayal of the abuse Haven suffers at the hands of her sociopathic narcissist of a husband. Yes, the descriptions play an important role in understanding Haven's character, but ultimately, she fails to internalize the lessons learned from the experiences, and as such, their harshness is not warranted, especially in a romance novel. Thankfully, this episode in the book is short-lived as I might have DNFed otherwise.

Overall, Blue-Eyed Devil is a heartbreaking story and well worth the effort. However, readers with triggers for abusive relationships should be forewarned. show less