Very enjoyable and cute. I like that the feminist themes weren't written like a: #girlboss like some writers regretfully characterize strong women. Pandora was actually strong in her personality and decisions and wasnt just strong because the author told us so.
Some things that do make me smile is that Gabriel's "lust-full sins" were so vanilla lol. It was such a large part of his "faults" that i thought they would at least be more spicy haha

2nd read: This was my first lisa kleypas book. Because I didn't have anything to compare it too (especially because this was my first historical romance book) I definitely didn't appreciate this book enough. I reread and I love it even more than the first time. I just really love reading about men adoring their women more than anything in the world, what can I say.

If you like historical romance you will LOVE this book. We’ve got the ultimate mixture; quirky wallflower that embodies a strong and independent woman and the rakish man who fall in love with her so completely.
It is forced marriage without being forced marriage. Let’s just say neither family is pushing the protagonists to get married if they truly don’t want to…however they have a week to just “get to know” one another.
Enjoy the trope where the guy falls first…well you’ve got it here!
The spice is excellent and just the right amount.

This is another home run for Kleypas!

Honestly didn’t know how I’d feel about this one. Originally, given Pandora’s personality, I didn’t think her book should be placed so soon. But it’s maybe my fave of the series so far? Both Pandora and Gabriel are unexpected and perfect. I APPRECIATED that there was no Misunderstanding nonsense. Both of them are very straightforward which allows for plot other than the Inane Misunderstanding.

Pandora was one of my favorite supporting characters from the previous two books. Brilliant meet-cute and a lovable heroine with a disability, but the hero is a little 2-dimensional. Charming bonus appearances by now-middle-aged characters from her Wallflower series. Recommended for Kleypas fans, read the series in order.

This was cute. I liked Pandora as a heroine, and I liked Gabriel's parents' relationship, and I liked Dragon the footman-turned-bodyguard. Gabriel was okay, but it irritates me when men think they need to be possessive/controlling in order to "protect" their women, so he loses points for going behind her back and making decisions for her and denying her agency, especially after such a big to-do in the beginning about how Pandora didn't want to be married for specifically that reason.

3.5 stars

My anticipation level was off the charts for this book because Sebastian's son and heir is the hero. Unfortunately, Devil in Spring is the weakest Ravenel book so far. This book is not as meaty as the first two books and the characterization of the hero and heroine is watered down so much that it is practically nonexistent. I enjoyed the first half of this book, but the second half left a lot to be desired.

Pandora and Gabriel's love story grew from cute to steamy in a very organic way. Their exchanges were entertaining and hilarious. I actually laughed out loud many times throughout, especially at Pandora’s unique and fascinating view of the world. She was an absolute delight...at first, that is. The first half of this book was playful and engaging, with Gabriel and Pandora getting to know each other because of the compromising situation they found themselves in. Despite himself and despite knowing that Pandora would not be a conventional bride/future duchess, Gabriel was enchanted by her liveliness. He never found her boring. He was never annoyed with the way she was, the way she thought, and the way she acted. He listened to her as no one else had and was engaged in their conversations, easily following her train of thought. Despite knowing that Gabriel was unlike the other men in society, Pandora still had valid reservations. Being a staunch believer in married women’s legal right to property, Pandora did not want her future company to belong to her husband.

While I absolutely loved the playful exchanges between the two and the way they got to know each other at his house, what drew me in was the way they both agreed to make compromises before and after marriage. For example, Gabriel made several compromises, from finding legal loopholes in property law so Pandora would have some degree of authority, to amending the “obey one’s husband” aspect of their wedding vows. Pandora accepted that she would not be granted absolute control over her company and most importantly, Gabriel irrevocably supported her in her professional pursuits. He never demanded things from her and let her ease in her new role as his wife. She accepted to be escorted by Drago, or as she liked to call him, Dragon. Granted, a lot of these compromises were reached after many discussions, but what was important was that they learned to communicate and eventually made decisions that satisfied both of them. There were no secrets between them. The use of their slow waltz as a metaphor for their marriage was beautifully done.

However, I finished the book feeling as if Gabriel contributed a lot more to their relationship than Pandora ever did. In fact, the uniqueness that made her endearing in the first half actually made her super annoying in the second half. I think that it would have been interesting to see Pandora actually practice for her role as an aristocratic wife. It was great reading about her entrepreneurial pursuits and having Gabriel support her, but I would have liked to have seen her support Gabriel as well. Instead, she just came across as childish at times, which was very irritating. More importantly, there was zero character development with Pandora. She stayed the same from beginning to end. She never really put in as much effort as Gabriel did. We never see her trying or struggling to adapt in Gabriel's world. I can't help but compare this lackluster character development to the incredible journey that Annabelle went through as a character from Secrets of a Summer Night. Annabelle is proof that Lisa Kleypas can do better than what she did with Pandora.

I enjoyed revisiting Sebastian and Evie. Like his father, Gabriel was silver tongued and had an overzealous sexual appetite, although Sebastian never struggled with concealing that part of his nature. Gabriel was more of a perfectionist, striving to meet society’s expectations of the future Duke of Kingston, while Sebastian did not care for society’s opinions. Understandably, Gabriel was not a notorious rake like his father. This essentially encompasses the differences between Sebastian and Gabriel.

Unfortunately, Sebastian completely overshadowed Gabriel in this book. Sebastian is the reason why so many of us were so excited for this book, and it's disappointing that he stood out more than his son did. I also did not appreciate the blurb and the title making Gabriel sound like a "devil" and a "cynical rake," when it is obvious that he is neither. It feels like a cheap strategy from the publisher to overhype the book with the constant reminders of Sebastian, when he's not even the hero of this book. Moreover, Gabriel's "dark side" was overemphasized so much that I was underwhelmed when I found out his dark side is light bondage lol what even. I also never quite understood why Gabriel could only find a married woman to suit his "dark side." I expected him to be into some weird kinky shit because of his brooding. Light bondage is not a good enough explanation for this. Plus, keeping a married woman as a mistress is so out of character. None of that made any sense to me. It is painfully obvious that Lisa Kleypas had trouble writing Gabriel as a character. This flimsy excuse for character depth is ridiculous and quite frankly, very disappointing. I expect a lot better from a writer like Lisa Kleypas.

Overall, I liked the first half of Devil in Spring a lot more than the second half. The lightheartedness and humour was well done, but ultimately, Gabriel and Pandora ended up being bland and unappealing characters, with zero depth and development.

Next book:
When I started reading this, I was very excited about Pandora and Gabriel, but I have to admit that a BIG part of my excitement was also because I wanted to finally find out who Dr. Gibson will end up with. When Dragon mentioned his detective friend, I immediately suspected that it would be Ransom. He was actually my first choice for Gibson because he wasn't sexist or condescending towards her. Their interaction in Devil in Spring made me more excited now that I know for sure their story is next. Theirs will be a fresh story, different from the other Ravenel books, and I am already dying for sneak peeks and excerpts.

Good heroine, a bit struggling against the confines of the genre. Overall better than the last one.