The Devil and the Heiress by Harper St. George

Many thanks to Berkley Romance for the review copy of The Devil and the Heiress by Harper St. George.

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….

Who doesn’t love a reformed rake? Regulars here know, I am super picky about my historical romance. I love romance, but historicals have really been a struggle for me. Certain elements need to be *just so* for me to get into them. So when I read The Heiress Gets a Duke earlier this year, I was pleasantly surprised and delighted by how much I enjoyed it. And ever since, I’ve been looking forward to the follow-up, since the groundwork for these two characters was definitely introduced in that first book.

Well, The Devil and the Heiress definitely lived up to my expectations and then surpassed them. I loved Violet’s plucky spirit and determination, and loved seeing the rogueish Christian completely fall apart over her. Their story took some totally unexpected plot twists and I loved seeing it all unfold. What a treat, this book! It’s out now, and I am already clamoring for the next book, which features Violet and August’s brother.