Blue-Eyed Devil

January 28, 2008
Scenes of domestic abuse and the journey to recovery make Kleypas's modern romance anything but fluff. A Wellesley grad and daughter of a Houston energy baron, Haven Travis is an unlikely romantic heroine until her brief but ardent encounter with a man who turns out to be Hardy Cates, the East Texas roughneck from Sugar Daddy
who worked his way up from poverty and then outmaneuvered the Travis clan in a business deal. Haven's engaged to Nick Tanner—a man her dad thinks is unfit for her—and though she and Hardy have a charged interaction, she elopes with Nick, and her father cuts her off. Nick turns out to be a bad guy, and a beaten and bruised Haven returns to Houston, where Hardy's still at odds with her family. Their passion proves as fervent as ever, but demons from Haven's recent past—as well as strife with her family and troubles at work and in bed—stand in the way. Kleypas isn't a literary stylist, but she delivers a page-turning, formula-breaking romance that takes on social issues and escalates passion to new heights.

March 15, 2008
Hardy Cates, introduced in KleypasSugar Daddy (2007), kisses Haven Travis in the dark at her brothers wedding. She thinks she is kissingNick Tanner, who shetruly loves, and nothingnot even a sexy blue-eyed devil whose soul-searing kiss Haven cant forgetis going to stop her from marrying Nick. Two years later in Houston, a recently divorced Haven runs into Hardy again. The last thing Haven wants is to be involved, but Hardy isdetermined to provethat he truly is the only man for her. Kleypas second poignant, passionate, and perfectly written contemporary romance is richly emotional and sinfully sexy.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)