BLUE-EYED DEVILby Lisa Kleypas
Series: The Travises #1
Genres: Contemporary
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: March 25th 2008
Source: Bought
Rating: ★★★★★
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MEET THE BLUE-EYED DEVIL - His name is Hardy Cates. He's a self-made millionaire who comes from the wrong side of the tracks. He's made enemies in the rough-and-tumble ride to the top of Houston's oil industry. He's got hot blood in his veins. And vengeance on his mind.
MEET THE HEIRESS - She's Haven Travis. Despite her family's money, she refuses to set out on the path they've chosen for her. But when Haven marries a man her family disapproves of, her life is set on a new and dangerous course. Two years later, Haven comes home, determined to guard her heart. And Hardy Cates, a family enemy, is the last person she needs darkening her door or setting her soul on fire.
WATCH THE SPARKS FLY....Filled with Lisa Kleypas's trademark sensuality, filled with characters you love to hate and men you love to love, Blue-Eyed Devil will hold you captive in its storytelling power as the destiny of two people unfolds with every magical word.
Blue-Eyed Devil is quite possibly one of my favorite books of all-time. I've re-read this book countless of times and it never gets old. With every re-read, I fall a little more in love with this magical and romantic story. I decided to read Blue-Eyed Devil again a couple of weeks ago and I loved every moment of it.
The first 30% or so of the book is very hard to stomach. It tackles domestic violence in all forms and watching the protagonist, Haven, suffer through the cycle of abuse from her husband was painful. As an onlooker, I wanted to shake her shoulders and force her to leave the monster that Nick, her husband was. I don't think I realized just how emotionally hard it is to break away from that cycle until I read Haven's story. Haven was a character that I had so much love for. She may have been a rich heiress, but she had withstood so much. I felt for her and my heart would ache once she was on her journey to healing. It wasn't easy. She fell down a lot, encountered a ton of obstacles, but Haven was also willing to stand up from her failures and her desire to get better made her a strong character. Even though I have never gone through what Haven did in this book, I felt an intense connection to her, particularly to her longing for love, respect and acceptance. Throughout Blue-Eyed Devil, the character growth that Haven underwent was beautiful. I cheered for her and couldn't wait for her to become comfortable in her skin again.
On her road to recovery, she reconnects with Hardy Cates, a man she had a super swoony moment with in a wine cellar at her brother's wedding. My goodness. Hardy Cates is the kind of hero that turns you into a mushy and envious reader. He was manly, rugged and so sexy. Behind the rough exterior though, was an incredibly ambitious man with a heart of gold. He may have oozed power, but he was gentle, caring and so compassionate. The combo was deadly and utterly devastating. For me though, what really made Hardy stand out, was his treatment of Haven. The gentleness that he exhibited towards her, even when she pushed him away because of her abuse (he didn't know about her abuse for a long time), made me swoon so hard. Their romance was slow, because Haven was afraid and had a lot of healing to do, but the chemistry and sexual tension between them was palpable all throughout. They fit so well together and brought about each others' better sides which made for a beautiful relationship development.
There's no doubt that Lisa Kleypas is a phenomenal author and by now, I know that Blue-Eyed Devil, especially, is one of those rare books I will never tire of no matter how many times I've already read it. It's poignant, breathtaking and so so romantic. I can't recommend this book and this author enough.
Are you a Lisa Kleypas fan? What are some books that you never tire of no matter how many times you've re-read them?
Let me know in the comments below!
