The Devil in Winter (The Wallflowers)

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I am not an expert in anything, but just a person with access to the internet who is trying to learn and make sense of the world! Her "whatever you jackass, I've had worse" strength, her nurturing, and her willingness to be exactly how vulnerable Sebastian needed. You know how you re-read your favorite romance novel years later and you realize that it's sort of cringy or gross in ways you didn't catch the first time around? I love all the little romantic subtleties in this book as affection grows between the pair, Kleypas is a master at this. My main takeaway was “damn I want to reread scandal in spring again” when I just reread it yesterday!

The only thing about her that I thought could have been better was, once again, a deeper characterization.Evie won't be topping any of my favorites lists by any means, but she isn't on my sh*t list, either. However, as the story moved on, Sebastian began to take care of her, boosting her confidence and being her champion, there he became the true hero.

I can’t get enough of her books, and I’ve turned my blog into a real-time chronicle of my Kleypas reading adventure. I tried to wait to read this, and then as I mentioned in an update, determined I could just, ya know, read it again instead of delayed gratification. However having read the other two titles from the wallflower series I was eager to read this one but found that I was rather disappointed. Determined to win her husband's elusive heart, Evie dares to strike a bargain with the devil: if Sebastian can stay celibate for three months, she will allow him into her bed.

When Evie is threatened by a vengeful enemy from the past, Sebastian vows to do whatever it takes to protect his wife.

I have read book 1 and book 2 of the Wallflower series and although I enjoyed them, this one seems to have that Wow factor. Sebastian's discovery that he has unwittingly found an occupation that he both wants and is good at is so uplifting, while Evie, away from her ghastly relations, steps out of her shy and retiring nature, enough to give Sebastian a run for his money. We hear characters talk about horribly he has treated women, but as we read him on the page I doubt he ever left a woman unsatisfied and intentionally hurt anyone (again, if we are to forget the kidnapping and threats of rape… honestly, Kleypas, why? These are things that he does very early on that seem to come from an innate desire to make her comfortable, as well as self-restraint, which is at odds with his outward persona of a thoughtless hedonistic rake.

I mean, the entire plot of this book is that Evie’s choice was to marry her horrible cousin and probably be murdered by her family, or marry a complete stranger who objectively would make an awful husband (and also kidnapped and threatened to rape her friend…). yeah gotta say, not really understanding the hype and the swoon gifs associated with reviews of this book. He also literally put his life on the line for Evie which definitely showed he cared for her on some level, but in the end, he just didn't exhibit enough warmth and vulnerability to make me believe in the sincerity of his love and his claims that he wanted nothing more than a lifetime of fidelity with her.