Tuesday, June 29, 2021

Review: The Devil and the Heiress by Harper St. George

The Devil and the Heiress by Harper St. George
Series: The Gilded Age Heiresses, Book 2
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Historical Romance 
The Devil and the Heiress cover
ISBN: 9780593197226
Release Date: June 29, 2021
EBook Source: Publisher
Paperback Source: Purchased by Reviewer
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Sparks fly when a runaway heiress bargains with a devilish rogue to escape a marriage of convenience.

No one would guess that beneath Violet Crenshaw's ladylike demeanor lies the heart of a rebel. American heiresses looking to secure English lords must be on their best behavior, but Violet has other plans. She intends to flee London and the marriage her parents have arranged to become a published author--if only the wickedly handsome earl who inspired her most outrageously sinful character didn't insist on coming with her.

Christian Halston, Earl of Leigh, has a scheme of his own: escort the surprisingly spirited dollar princess north and use every delicious moment in close quarters to convince Violet to marry him. Christian needs an heiress to rebuild his Scottish estate but the more time he spends with Violet, the more he realizes what he really needs is her--by his side, near his heart, in his bed.

Though Christian's burning glances offer unholy temptation, Violet has no intention of surrendering herself or her newfound freedom in a permanent deal with the devil. It's going to take more than pretty words to prove this fortune hunter's love is true…

A devilish lord in need of funds meets his match in an American heiress determined to escape a betrothal that would crush her spirit. The Devil and the Heiress is an engaging romance that charmed me thanks to its roguish hero who has a marshmallow heart and an optimistic budding writer with a spine of steel.

Violet Crenshaw has seen firsthand what can happen to a woman who is essentially sold for a title. Though her sister made a love match with an English lord, that doesn’t mean the same will hold true for Violet. In fact, her parents are determined she marry a man who will undoubtedly cage her. Determined to take charge of her own life, Violet flees London and is surprised to find a helping hand in the form of the Earl of Leigh. Except Christian has his own plans and it wasn’t chance that made him appear when Violet needed aid. He needs funds to save the one home that means anything to him and Violet is the answer to his prayers. She also intrigues him as no other woman has. The forced proximity allows them to get to know one another in a way they never would have within the confines of society’s rules. I thoroughly enjoyed their trip and watching Christian and Violet get to know each other. Their mutual attraction quickly becomes something more, but what happens when Christian’s initial plot is revealed (as it must or where would the conflict be?) I will leave readers to discover for themselves.

Christian and Violet have great chemistry and the pages of The Devil and the Heiress practically flew by. There are elements of this story that remind me of Lisa Kleypas’s Wallflower quartet and as that’s one of my favorite series it’s a definite compliment. But Christian and Violet are their own selves and they won me over. Violet can be naïve but her spirit and openness charmed the daylights out of me. And Christian made me smile and sigh. He definitely is wrong in lying to Violet, but the man has the softest heart and I could have melted over him. I adored them both as individuals and as a couple.

The Devil and the Heiress is the second book in Harper St. George’s Gilded Age Heiresses series but having not yet read The Heiress Gets a Duke I can safely say Violet’s book stands on its own. That being said, I enjoyed Violet and Christian so much that I cannot wait to go back and read August Crenshaw’s book as I wait for more Gilded Age Heiresses stories.



FTC Disclosure: I purchased the paperback and received the EBook for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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