Devil in Winter wrap-up

Well!! Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas turned out to be every bit as enjoyable as everybody says. Especially the character development and interaction. I also learned sort of interesting things about the period in London, and it was a thrill to have Sebastian St. Vincent pay a visit to Ms. Bradshaw, who I remember from my time reading about Nick Gentry in Worth Any Price, the one other Kleypas historical I’ve read.

One of my favorite things for a historical to do

One of the things I most admire in a historical, or really any romance, is when the hero and heroine complete each other, bring out the best in each other and push each other to grow in really character-based ways.

I know that’s sort of duh! and the whole point, but I don’t feel like I fully experience it all that often. Lord of Scoundrels is, to me, one of the most memorable examples of it being done so beautifully: bright, discerning, Jess recognizes and appreciates the hidden goodness in Dain, and beastly-but-wounded-boy Dain brings out the romantic side and softness in Jess while challenging her in a new way, and they don’t just fall in love, they move to a higher place for knowing each other.

I thought Devil in Winter did this really well, too. Idle, rakish Sebastian, a man who's wasted his charm and intelligence on social puffery suddenly has something new to live up to with Evie, someone to take care of, a woman who isn’t jaded and trusts in him, (or, at first, is at least forced to trust in him). And wallflower Evie is forced to utilize her inner strength and is drawn out of her shell by her being with him, and comes into her own. You can see it early in the loss of her stammer, and later in the difficult choice she has to make [trying not to do spoilers] regarding the doctor’s advice, and in her standing up to Sebastian in so many ways.

Back to the ring thing
I’m glad now that I did that post on the ring thing about whether a man would truly get extra lusty from the glint of his wife’s wedding ring (see Men, arousal and the ring thing below). The whole MINE trope.

Looking backwards from the end, I feel like it kind of worked for Sebastian, because he’d never been in a position to care for anything or anybody, and his involvements with women, including his mother and sisters, had always been fleeting. As his pal Westcliff puts it, "Sometimes the fractures in two separate souls became the very hinges that held them together." Which brings me to…

Another thing I like in novels: friendships
Westcliff provides a great character foil for Sebastian, deepening our understanding of the hero here by his observations. I love when they are in the carriage going to [I won’t say] and Sebastian gets into talking about the club and finances and things, and it’s obvious that both men are aware of this change: Sebastian used to prattle on about scandals and so forth, and now he’s involved in real things. Evie’s friends also remind us of Evie’s journey, with their protective instincts and their surprise.

On a side note, men's friendships are just a world I like to read about it because I don't know it. Maybe they're not represented accurately in Romance, but what do I care? As long as they have the ring of verisimilitude, I'm in.

One thing I wonder
How did this cover happen? Don’t get me wrong, I really like it, and I can take it places without getting sideways look. No embarrassing man-titty or half-undressed woman.

Images from Wikimedia commons.

Resolution + my rockin' New Year's Eve with Sebastian, Lord St. Vincent!!!

First, my new resolution (see yesterday's post): The EGG timer!! It's running now, so I must be quick.

Rule 1: I get an hour in the morning to answer emails and do bloggy stuff etc, and then straight to work!

Rule 2: Once I am at work, I am using KB's suggestion of setting it for hour intervals where I go totally dark from email and online, and I can attend to pressing things during breaks. Of course this goes out the window if I have hot client deadlines. Thanks, everybody for your great suggestions. Oh, and if you have a Mac, google egg timer widget and you can get one, too. The bell is very lovely and satisfying, too.

Great Moments From Last Night's reading:

Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas
Page: 54
Spoiler level: low

I am already so INTO this book. You know what I love in a book? Where I have lots to look forward to. I think that's part of the magic of these first 54 pages I read last night.

Looking forward to them getting to know each other!

The character array is super enticing: Sebastian is the debauched rake, Evangeline's the stubborn, determined, in-trouble, slightly naive girl, bent on a mission to escape her family. They're at odds, but I'm greatly looking forward to them understanding and really seeing each other. There was this lovely moment where he told Evangeline about losing his doting mother and sisters as a boy, and this chunk of understanding fell into place for her.

Looking forward to Sebastian going beyond his old boundaries

Can this book be any more well done? Sebastian and Evangeline are on this hurried, difficult carriage ride for two days to escape the family and elope (he wants her money, she wants freedom from her family, they're both up front about it.) Evangeline has been starved and maltreated by her family, and is really run down by the ride, and he's forced to go beyond himself and care for somebody else. People a lot of times rise to something greater when they're called to, and Kleypas paints this so beautifully!

Looking forward to the family finding out she eloped!

The family sounds so evil. It will be delicious when they discover what she's done. I hope Sebastian fights them.

Looking forward to you know what

They have only returned from the Blacksmith's. Like the newly betrothed couple, I was too tired for anything more last night.   

Confession: bell rang like 15 minutes ago! Uh oh. Quick: spellcheck.

Added later: Okay, on that too tired for anything comment, I meant I was too tired for more READING!