"One of the blessings human beings take for granted is the ability to remember pain without re-feeling it.
The pain of the physical wounds is long gone …
and the other kind of hurt, the damage done to our spirits, has been healed.
We are careful with those scarred places in each other."
The pain of the physical wounds is long gone …
and the other kind of hurt, the damage done to our spirits, has been healed.
We are careful with those scarred places in each other."
--Lisa Kleypas, Blue-Eyed Devil
Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance
Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffni
Pages: 326
Publication Date: March 25, 2008
Source: Borrowed from Library
Previous Books in Series: Sugar Daddy
Goodreads Description
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.
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.
The Story
After Sugar Daddy, I won't lie, my expectatins for this book were low. I knew Alexa and Raquel LOVED Hardy and he is actually the reason Alexa rec'd me this series, but let's be real here, Hardy is a real asshole when Sugar Daddy ends. He had a lot to prove. And prove he did. Hardy is compassionate, gentle, understanding and the perfect yin to Haven's yang. Haven is our narrator and we learn her story starting with her ill-fated marriage to Nick. What starts off as a clandestine elopement, ends in a horrific string of abuse. Haven is a broken woman when she finishes with Nick but what she does to pick up the pieces will have you rooting for her 100%.
Haven and Her Journey
Like Sugar Daddy, while I love the men (GAGE!! *HEART EYES*) it is the women who make these books real. They are emotionally raw, flawed, and beautiful, just like all of us. Haven has severe trust issues after Nick, understandably, and is skittish around men. Hardy comes in and for the first time in forever she feels like she feels sexual attraction to a man. Hubba hubba. Not a bad pick, Haven. You go girl. What I loved about their relationship is the patience Hardy had with Haven and the vulnerability Haven was able to show with Hardy. I looooooved how they worked together to make their relationship work and move forward through Haven's fears. It was tender and loving and all kinds of right.
I also loved how Kleypas deals with the aftermath of abuse. Haven's thoughts and fears were totally believable and dealt with in a sensitive manner. The addition of a therapist and that Haven wanted to get help gave this book it's extra brownie points. The scens with the therapy sessions were some of my favorites becasue while this may be classified as a romance, it is so much more than that and Haven's journey back to self-acceptance is a huge part of it.
The Travises
I'd be lying if I said I didn't love the moments with the Travis family. We see Churchill in an entirely new light as well as memories of his wife and Haven's mother Ava and while it wasn't something I necessarily enjoyed, I understood it. Seeing Gage and Liberty and Carrington and baby Matthew warmed my heart. Seeng Gage with his son *ALL THE FEELS*, all my clothes melted. OH and while they tried to be meddlesome and got in the way sometimes, the protectiveness all the Travis boys had for their sister made me swoon. Gage, especially, sue me I'm biased. Like I give a shit, I love him. Before this book, I still felt like I didn't know the other Travises that well but since BED (heh heh bed is the acronym), I'm pretty excited for Jack's story! I hope we get a little bit more Joe in the next one because I still don't really know him at all. We shall see!
After Sugar Daddy, I won't lie, my expectatins for this book were low. I knew Alexa and Raquel LOVED Hardy and he is actually the reason Alexa rec'd me this series, but let's be real here, Hardy is a real asshole when Sugar Daddy ends. He had a lot to prove. And prove he did. Hardy is compassionate, gentle, understanding and the perfect yin to Haven's yang. Haven is our narrator and we learn her story starting with her ill-fated marriage to Nick. What starts off as a clandestine elopement, ends in a horrific string of abuse. Haven is a broken woman when she finishes with Nick but what she does to pick up the pieces will have you rooting for her 100%.
Haven and Her Journey
Like Sugar Daddy, while I love the men (GAGE!! *HEART EYES*) it is the women who make these books real. They are emotionally raw, flawed, and beautiful, just like all of us. Haven has severe trust issues after Nick, understandably, and is skittish around men. Hardy comes in and for the first time in forever she feels like she feels sexual attraction to a man. Hubba hubba. Not a bad pick, Haven. You go girl. What I loved about their relationship is the patience Hardy had with Haven and the vulnerability Haven was able to show with Hardy. I looooooved how they worked together to make their relationship work and move forward through Haven's fears. It was tender and loving and all kinds of right.
I also loved how Kleypas deals with the aftermath of abuse. Haven's thoughts and fears were totally believable and dealt with in a sensitive manner. The addition of a therapist and that Haven wanted to get help gave this book it's extra brownie points. The scens with the therapy sessions were some of my favorites becasue while this may be classified as a romance, it is so much more than that and Haven's journey back to self-acceptance is a huge part of it.
The Travises
I'd be lying if I said I didn't love the moments with the Travis family. We see Churchill in an entirely new light as well as memories of his wife and Haven's mother Ava and while it wasn't something I necessarily enjoyed, I understood it. Seeing Gage and Liberty and Carrington and baby Matthew warmed my heart. Seeng Gage with his son *ALL THE FEELS*, all my clothes melted. OH and while they tried to be meddlesome and got in the way sometimes, the protectiveness all the Travis boys had for their sister made me swoon. Gage, especially, sue me I'm biased. Like I give a shit, I love him. Before this book, I still felt like I didn't know the other Travises that well but since BED (heh heh bed is the acronym), I'm pretty excited for Jack's story! I hope we get a little bit more Joe in the next one because I still don't really know him at all. We shall see!
VIP
If you love Texans, strong women, and the journeys they take...this one's for you.
If you love Texans, strong women, and the journeys they take...this one's for you.
HARDY CATES FOR LIFE <3
ReplyDeleteThat's a legit comment to leave on this post. Right? Right. (But I love your review. I love that you pointed out Haven's journey, which is something I also talked about in my review. It's totally a journey worth experiencing with her.)