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Blue-Eyed Devil (Travis Family #2)

by Lisa Kleypas (Goodreads Author)

4.22 of 5 stars 4.22 · rating details · 13,124 ratings · 796 reviews

The New York Times bestselling author of Sugar Daddy is back with her most breathtaking, hot-and-bothered novel yet!

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 h...more

Paperback, 352 pages

Published March 19th 2009 by Piatkus (first published January 1st 2008)

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May 06, 2009 Shawna rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary-romance, lisa-kleypas, 2009-reads, cowboy-stud-fever, made-me-cry, favorites, i-read-own-faves-keepers, hero-im-gaga-over, hero-abused-scarred-tortured-angst, hero-alpha‎, best-top-favorites, favorite-romance-series, heroine-abused-traumatic-past-rape, reunions-are-sweeter-second-chances, series-travises, austin-texas-rocks, hero-stud-mantel-hall-of-fame, favorite-romance-couple-hh-pairings, first-person-pov, angsty-dark-heavy-lotsa-drama, chick-lit, enemies-to-lovers-opposites-attract, star-crossed-lovers, hero-commoner-self-made, hero-cold-cruelbrute-dark-dangerous, hero-bad-boy-playboy, aar-top-100-romances-2007-2010, hero-redeems-himself-reformed, 5-stars-or-higher, hh-across-the-tracks, hero-brooding, hh-social-class-wealth-matters, hh-sweet-nice-paired-vs-gruff-cynic, hh-post-traumatic-stress-disorder, hh-love-commitment-marriage-phobic, hero-daddy-warbucks-wealthy, hh-rags-to-riches, hero-attractive-handsome-heartthrob, hero-southern-boy-charmer, brothers-sisters-cousins-family, hero-bad-guy-ruthless-villainous, hero-i-wanna-marry, a-all-time-fave-hero, hero-entrepreneur-mogul-tycoon, a-all-time-best-of-best-fave-dik, hero-flirt-charmer-ladies-man, hero-affable-lovable-rogue, hero-black-sheep, hero-bedroom-bad-boy, a-all-time-best-top-50-fave-dik, heartbreaking-gutwrenching-romance

5+ stars – Contemporary Romance

I wanted to read “Blue-Eyed Devil” because Hardy Cates seemed like such a sexy and magnetic bad-boy character. I mainly read “Sugar Daddy” in order to have the necessary background on him to read this, so color me surprised that I wound up not liking this as much as “Sugar Daddy”.

Don’t get me wrong, Hardy Cates is everything I thought he would be and then some, but to me, this book is seriously inhibited by not having his point of view. It’s told strictly from the...more 5+ stars – Contemporary Romance

I wanted to read “Blue-Eyed Devil” because Hardy Cates seemed like such a sexy and magnetic bad-boy character. I mainly read “Sugar Daddy” in order to have the necessary background on him to read this, so color me surprised that I wound up not liking this as much as “Sugar Daddy”.

Don’t get me wrong, Hardy Cates is everything I thought he would be and then some, but to me, this book is seriously inhibited by not having his point of view. It’s told strictly from the first person point of view of heroine Haven Travis, and she’s just no Liberty Jones folks. I thought this was Hardy’s story (I mean the title refers to him after all), but it’s actually Haven’s, and I just couldn’t get over being somewhat disappointed about that.

I empathized with Haven’s painful ordeal: she endures domestic violence by her narcissistic husband, including a brutal rape (thank you Tammy and Kim for the warning), and I was moved by her struggle to survive the aftermath and to build a new life for herself. I just couldn’t relate to her, and the first part of the book was difficult for me to get through.

When Hardy finally enters the picture and the sparks fly between him and Haven, that’s when things get interesting. Hardy is the ultimate bad-boy hero and impossible to encapsulate: he’s sexy-as-sin, devilishly charming, crude, arrogant, self-built and self-reliant, bold, flirtatious, and volatile. He’s so complex, and unfortunately without having his point of view, we never get enough insight into his thoughts, emotions, motives, and struggles and are left to wonder what’s really lurking behind his haunting blue eyes.

Also, the story ended way too abruptly for me and when things were finally coming together, felt rushed and left me wanting more of Hardy and Haven, especially more Hardy!

When reading about Hardy, I couldn’t help but daydream and do some imaginary casting. I kept picturing actor Josh Lucas from the movie Sweet Home Alabama or actor Josh Holloway, Sawyer from LOST, because both of them have the cocky swagger and sexy blue eyes.

Overall, “Blue-Eyed Devil” is a great read and saved by Lisa Kleypas’s masterful writing. I just can’t help being a little disappointed because it had the potential to be even better with a beguiling character like Hardy Cates, but just doesn’t fully deliver without giving us his side of the story. We are left to ponder too much and he remains an elusive mystery, which is just a shame because damn, the boy is smoking H-O-T! Even so, it's a terrific story, and I can’t seem to rate it less than 5 stars.

******Revised after finishing the series and completing a reread******

After reading so many contemporary romances, this is still a favorite keeper and definitely worth a 5+ rating!

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Sep 16, 2011 Annie (Under the Covers Book Blog) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Contemporary romance fans

Shelves: author-lisa-kleypas, genre-contemporary-romance, ebooks, books-i-go-rabid-over, drinks-on-me, favorites, king-of-the-harem, read-in-2011, my-hottie-harem, keep-a-spare-pair-of-knickers, series-travises

Posted at Under the Covers

Her name is Haven. But it’s her last name that gets her noticed. Being the only girl in a family of men can be tough sometimes. With three overprotective brothers plus a meddling father, Haven has a difficult time finding a guy who can stand up to her family name, let alone her family. Haven falls in love quickly with a man who she thinks she knows. But, in the end, being married to Nick isn’t what she thought it would be.

Blue-Eyed Devil made me bawl like a baby. I’m...more Posted at Under the Covers

Her name is Haven. But it’s her last name that gets her noticed. Being the only girl in a family of men can be tough sometimes. With three overprotective brothers plus a meddling father, Haven has a difficult time finding a guy who can stand up to her family name, let alone her family. Haven falls in love quickly with a man who she thinks she knows. But, in the end, being married to Nick isn’t what she thought it would be.

Blue-Eyed Devil made me bawl like a baby. I’m not ashamed to admit it because it was such a rollercoaster ride. The events of this book shocked me and I couldn’t help but sympathize and go through various emotions. It was this part that seriously broke my heart:

His arms closed around me tentatively, unlike his usual firm grip, and I realized he was trying to keep from hurting me. I felt the trembling beneath his stillness.
Overwhelmed with relief I laid my good cheek on his shoulder.
“Gage,” I whispered. “Love you more than anybody.”
He had to clear his throat before he could speak. “Love you too, baby girl.”

Haven was an amazing character. I loved her strength and courage throughout this entire book. Writing her character must have been difficult. Kleypas had to make her vulnerable and show her fear without making her become a spineless woman. In the end, I thought Haven still possessed that fire she had before she was with Nick and perhaps even more so when she was with Hardy.

Hardy Cates is pure, undiluted lust. He’s just so masculine and sexually potent, it was no wonder Haven pounced on him when she got the chance! I don’t blame her. I liked that Kleypas kept his hell-rising personality. She’s good in that she doesn’t suddenly change a character’s personality now that he’s the hero of the book. Hardy is ambitious and he would do anything in his power to achieve what he wants, even it means selling people out. Kleypas didn’t erase his determination in this book and I’m glad for it. In fact, I think it made Hardy even more appealing, more sexy if that was even possible. The fact that he was so keen on having Haven, no questions asked, was a turn-on. Is it just me or does anyone else think that Kleypas writes the best heroes?

I’m not sure if it’s the change in genre or if it’s the hero’s personality, but I find the sex scenes in her contemporary series a lot hotter than in her historical romance novels. My palms got sweaty a couple of times while reading this!

A few friends have mentioned their everlasting love for this book, being one of their all-time favourites and I think that Blue-Eyed Devil will be one of those books on my keeper shelf that will be bent and ripped from so many rereads. It was that good! I always fall in love with Kleypas’ books and this one was no exception.

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May 28, 2012 Baba ♥♥♥ Marcus, Tyler, Tate, Dan, Ty, & Hunter rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: memorable-favorite-heroes

FULL REVIEW NOW POSTED

"Just you," Hardy said when he got his breath back. "All I want is you."
"I love you enough to try and deserve you. I would do anything, be anything, for you."

Candy Gandy may not be the perfect Hardy. But. Let's face it: he's the perfect man for anything (pun intended).

THANK YOU, Dhes, for some great pointers. You popped my pics cherry, my lovely! ((Hugs))

That's romance. Gut-wrenching. Thoughtful. Beautiful.

Ah, it's like a dream come true, isn't it, when you give a "new" au...more

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Jun 01, 2012 Diana~ rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary-romance, author-lisa-kleypas

If you must know, there were quite a few people that I wanted to strangle while reading this book. Two of these people were Nick, Haven's ex husband, and Vanessa, Haven's boss. God, these two people made me so mad because they kept on abusing Haven in every single way. But nonetheless, they both got the ending that they deserved and I am happy for that! It definitely took me awhile to finally read Blue-Eyed Devil by Lisa Kleypas, and I'm really glad that I did. Even if I did read the series out...more

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Sep 01, 2011 Lady Danielle aka The Book Huntress rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Fans of sexy southern heroes

Shelves: favorite-or-autobuy-author, mainstream-contemporary-romance, chick-lit-or-women-s-fiction, hero-to-die-for, heroine-i-loved, abused, bad-boy-rake-or-rogue, hero-i-want-to-lick, sigh-worthy-hero, heroine-not-virgin-but-inexperience, set-in-texas, self-made-hero, hot-and-steamy-romance, 1st-person-pov, 2011-reading, angsty-read, funny-read, poor-little-rich-girl, bad-first-marriage, i-want-a-southern-boy, hero-in-pursuit, favorites

Okay. How to write this review without the whole thing turning into a Hardy Cates droolfest. It's going to be very hard, because I love the man!

One Upon a Time, There was a Guy Named Hardy Cates...:
I met Hardy Cates in Sugar Daddy, and I have to say that I sure did fall hard for him. Big time! Hard as a young Liberty Jones did. I could see that beneath that mind-numbingly sexy bad boy veneer was a sensitive, loving, good-hearted person. My feelings never changed for him. (view spoiler)...more

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Jan 11, 2010 Miss Kim rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: any CR fan

Recommended to Miss Kim by: Teryl, continuation of a series

Shelves: 2009, contemporary

Blue Eyed Devil was an awesome follow up to Sugar Daddy. I was disappointed that Hardy didn’t end up with Liberty in that one, especially after all of the background we get on him. Then he just leaves town, and comes back to pull a total a-hole move in order to get Liberty back.
In BED, we get to know Haven, the youngest daughter of the Sugar Daddy, Churchill. She first meets Hardy at Liberty and Gage’s wedding and they have the classic moment. “Their eyes meet across a crowded room….causing hea...more Blue Eyed Devil was an awesome follow up to Sugar Daddy. I was disappointed that Hardy didn’t end up with Liberty in that one, especially after all of the background we get on him. Then he just leaves town, and comes back to pull a total a-hole move in order to get Liberty back.
In BED, we get to know Haven, the youngest daughter of the Sugar Daddy, Churchill. She first meets Hardy at Liberty and Gage’s wedding and they have the classic moment. “Their eyes meet across a crowded room….causing heart palpitations and damp undergarments”. Later she follows a guy who she thinks is her boyfriend into a wine closet and makes out with him, and gets pretty darn close to closing the deal. Suddenly she realizes its not her boyfriend, Nick, but Hardy instead. I do find it hard to believe you can be making out heavily with someone and not know its not your intimate partner. Not by his smell, the way he kisses, the size of certain things? But it’s a novel, and I chose to believe it at this moment, anyway. She leaves the closet and doesn’t see him for a few years.
She marries, Nick, a total a-hole who abuses her progressively until he ends up beating the shit out of her and then eventually raping her and leaving her to die. It’s pretty brutal.
She gets away from Nick and reconnects with her family, and ends up running into Hardy again. He remembers her too, and starts to pursue. He has no idea what she’s been through. She’s very attracted to him, but doesn’t want a relationship. She’s trying to change herself, and not let her brothers, father, boss, run her life and make decisions for her.
I felt Haven grew throughout the book, and of course fell for Hardy big time. His eyes are mentioned so much, I started to picture his eyes like young Paul Newman. Her ex shows up the picture again creating added strain and danger. I don't want to give anything else away. I was happy with the HEA, and I know you will be too.

Warning: There is spousal abuse, and a rape scene that may be uncomfortable for some readers.

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Apr 21, 2009 Tammy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2009-reads, chick-lit, contemporary-romance

Blue-Eyed Devil would have earned a solid 5-star rating from me if it had been written from Hardy Cate's point of view.

Don't get me wrong - I liked Haven Travis. I sympathized with her during the abuse scenes with her narcissistic, whack-job of a husband. But Haven was not the sort of person I could see myself becoming friends with. In spite of all the horrible things that happened to her and the way she started to turn her life around, her character still smacked of the poor little rich girl c...more

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Sep 08, 2012 Ronyell rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Lisa Kleypas fans!!!

Shelves: 1st-person-pov, aar-top-100-romance-books-2010, adult-books, american-hero-or-heroine, best-books-of-2012, book-series, books-i-want-to-own, chapter-books, contemporary-romance, drama, favorites, family-situations, humor-satire, lisa-kleypas, my-blog-reviews, read-in-2012, reviewed-books, sexy-bad-boy-hero, sexy-good-girl-heroine, strong-heroine, strong-hero, ronyell-s-epinions-reviews

Wow! Can I officially say that “Blue-Eyed Devil” by Lisa Kleypas has now become one of my top contemporary romance novels of all time next to “Kiss An Angel?” “Blue-Eyed Devil” is the second book in Lisa Kleypas popular “Travises” series and this time, it stars the sister in the family, Haven Travis and the former bad-boy, Hardy Cates! “Blue-Eyed Devil” is a truly mesmerizing book that has drama, secrets and forbidden love rolled into one novel!

Haven Travis is the only sister in the famous and f...more Wow! Can I officially say that “Blue-Eyed Devil” by Lisa Kleypas has now become one of my top contemporary romance novels of all time next to “Kiss An Angel?” “Blue-Eyed Devil” is the second book in Lisa Kleypas popular “Travises” series and this time, it stars the sister in the family, Haven Travis and the former bad-boy, Hardy Cates! “Blue-Eyed Devil” is a truly mesmerizing book that has drama, secrets and forbidden love rolled into one novel!

Haven Travis is the only sister in the famous and filthy rich Travis family and she is known to have a mind of her own. However, when Haven ends up marrying a man named Nick who she believed was her true love only to discover too late about his abusive ways, she believes that she may never find true love ever again. However years later, Haven meets Hardy Cates, her sister in law Liberty’s former love interest and enemy of her family and she will soon discover that not only does she start developing feelings for him, but she will soon uncover his dark past that will change her world forever.

Oh my goodness! This book really set my heart up in flames! “Blue-Eyed Devil” is certainly a huge improvement from the first book Sugar Daddy as we get to learn more about the characters in this book (especially about Haven Travis!) Lisa Kleypas has done a brilliant job at developing a story that was quite unusual for any romance novel, but was still able to produce enough drama and romance that really made my heart flutter! What I mean by how this novel was quite unusual for a romance novel is that the story starts off with Haven being abused by her former husband Nick and this was the first romance novel that I had read that dealt with the subject matter of domestic abuse and it really made this story much more relatable to any reader who had also suffered through domestic abuse. I also loved the fact that Lisa Kleypas provided facts and helpful websites that would help the reader really understand the nature of domestic abuse and how to deal with them, which really helped me understand more about domestic violence. Now, onto the characters of this book! Haven Travis was just an amazing heroine throughout this book as she had to go through domestic abuse caused by her former husband and for awhile, she could not trust anyone with her issues and was afraid to get close to any man she had contact with. I actually found myself sympathizing so much with Haven’s situation as domestic abuse happens so much in real life and I was hoping throughout this story that she would find someone who can truly understand the horror she been through and be able to heal her pain. I also loved the way that Lisa Kleypas made Haven Travis into a strong and independent woman as she may have suffered through a terrible ordeal, but she still tries to move on with her life. Now, I am going to start getting all flirty whenever I am talking about Hardy Cates, the hero of the story, since he has become one of my most favorite romance heroes of all time! Hardy Cates has come a long way from the first book “Sugar Daddy” as he was Liberty’s former love interest and had become an enemy of the Travis family after his stunt in “Sugar Daddy.” However, Hardy Cates was probably the best character in this book as he may be the dangerous and sexy bad-boy that people would warn you to not get near, but he truly shows how much he cared about Haven and how he tries to help her through the ordeal she went through. Also, it would not hurt to mention that the fact that Hardy Cates is muscular, large and sexy all around just really makes me feel all giddy inside!

Sexy Cowboy

Since this novel discusses about domestic abuse and gives vivid detail about the abuse that Haven has suffered at the hands of her former husband, some readers who do not like reading about such subject matter might feel a bit uncomfortable reading this novel and they might want to see if they can handle such subject matter before reading this book. Also, this book has many scenes that detail explicit sex and they might want to skim over these sex scenes if they feel uncomfortable about them.

Overall, “Blue-Eyed Devil” is definitely one romance novel that you have to check out and I am definitely looking forward to the next book in the “Travis” series Smooth Talking Stranger!

Review is also on: Rabbit Ears Book Blog(less)

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Feb 26, 2012 ✿Alyssa✿ rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: EVERYONE!

Shelves: favorites, lisa-kleypas, travises-series

This review was posted at My Secret Romance

To sum it up: 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.

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 dangerou...more

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Feb 09, 2010 Lady Jayne *~*The Beach Bandida*~* rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance-contemporary, series, author-lisa-kleypas, reviewed, owned-read, favourites

5 Stars

Blue-Eyed Devil is the story of Haven Travis and Hardy Cates. I really enjoyed this one compared to Sugar Daddy. I flew threw it! Hardy Cates?! *siiiighs* He’s one sexy blue-eyed devil! Every time he appeared on the page, I felt an electric buzz go through me. LOL Seriously! He’s kind of a contemporary St. Vincent who manages to redeem himself from some bad choices. And even though Sugar Daddy was nothing like Kleypas’ trademark historicals, I’m glad I read Sugar Daddy first, to get to kn...more 5 Stars

Blue-Eyed Devil is the story of Haven Travis and Hardy Cates. I really enjoyed this one compared to Sugar Daddy. I flew threw it! Hardy Cates?! *siiiighs* He’s one sexy blue-eyed devil! Every time he appeared on the page, I felt an electric buzz go through me. LOL Seriously! He’s kind of a contemporary St. Vincent who manages to redeem himself from some bad choices. And even though Sugar Daddy was nothing like Kleypas’ trademark historicals, I’m glad I read Sugar Daddy first, to get to know Hardy as a young man. He was intriguing from the beginning. I definitely wanted more Hardy and I got it in BED! *snickers* BED as in Blue-Eyed Devil, of course. :-) And I was also really glad that I got a bit more of Gage in BED, too. ;-) My main issue with Sugar Daddy was there was not enough of Gage! (And Hardy, of course). I really loved Gage and loved seeing his relationship with his sister, Haven. The double entendres relating to the oil business in a particular scene in here were hilarious! :-)

**Potential Spoilers**

I thought this book dealt with the issue of domestic violence and bullying very well. I went on a difficult emotional journey with Haven, and as the “outsider” looking in, I was so angry with the abusers/bullies. There was one violent scene, in particular, that was very difficult to read. I loved how this book also dealt well with the issues of healing and moving on with the scars of the past. I love Lisa Kleypas' writing.

My fave quotes from this book:

“If you don’t already see it, nothing I say could make you see it.”

“The bad memories had been woven into the fabric of my body, threaded through every nerve.”

“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."

"I no longer believed in the idea of soul mates, or love at first sight. But I was beginning to believe that a very few times in your life, if you were lucky, you might meet someone who was exactly right for you. Not because he was perfect, or because you were, but because your combined flaws were arranged in a way that allowed two separate beings to hinge together."

"His love came with no strings attached, which I thought was the greatest gift one human being could give another."

"You know, I'm just as much me when I'm with you, as I am without you."

It would have been awesome to have Hardy's POV, too. For a little bit of a taste of Hardy's POV that Lisa Kleypas wrote, but was not in the book - Yowza!:

http://www.mylifetime.com/lifestyle/e...(less)

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Feb 24, 2012 Wendy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-romance, kindle, favorites

What can I say? I've been sucked in, into the wonderful world of the pure bliss that LK has created. Alpha males that are just too good to be true and wonderful heroines.

This is my favorite, so far. Hardy you are a gem and you have found a beautiful heroine in Haven, who is such a sweetheart.

A special thanks to Karla, for providing this wonderful image of Hardy, that is just sublime. Thank you my friend, it really enhanced my reading experience. *waggles eyebrows*

Hardy Cates

Thanks again Karla...more

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Nov 27, 2012 cEe beE rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: couldn-t-put-down, epic-love, alpha-male, my-kinda-hero, spirited-heroine

Kudos to Lisa Kleypas using her amazing story to educate readers about abusive relationships (the victim and the perpetrator) and narcissistic personality disorder. I've never seen this topic dealt with in a CR, heck, not in any fiction books that I've read unless it's about FBI profiling and serial killers.

Meanwhile, I love Haven Travis and Hardy Cates, they are the perfect embodiment of Ms. Klaypas words:
"...a few times in your life, if you were lucky, you might meet someone who was exactly ri...more

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Sep 11, 2010 Mollie *scoutrmom* rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: fans of the series

Recommended to Mollie *scoutrmom* by: the ladies in the Dangerous Hero Addict Support Group

Shelves: romance, read-in-2010, read-in-2012

I do not recommend anyone begin this book who has not already completed Sugar Daddy. The character of Hardy Cates is a complex one, and Lisa Kleypas' trick of telling the entire story from a single point of view does not give us as much insight into other characters' motivations as one might hope.

Because of the priveleged upbringing, and because of the plot, I did not connect to Haven Travis very well. I sympathized but was unable to empathize. I do not think what she endured diminishes her, bu...more

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Aug 23, 2008 Eliza rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book not a fairy tale romance. This an unusual one. The evil that the woman faces isn't a vampire or serial killer. It's real and it's something that happens thousands of times a day, all over the world.

Many romances center around a woman who has triumphed over difficult experiences. Yes it was a bad time, but it's in the past. This book starts before the abuse begins. We get to experience that scary, horrible time with her. We see the the profound changes in her and her efforts to rebuild...more

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Feb 20, 2013 Sanaa rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, books-i-own, fav-fictional-dudes, part-series-but-can-be-standalone

ALL-TIME FAVORITE!!! Prepare yourself for one of the best books you will *ever* read. This story has the most memorable opening scenes. There are so many facets to this treasure of a novel. You really feel the heroine's struggle with abuse & trust. This book made my heart race, made me cry and definitely made me smile. This is hands down one of my all time faves.

" The truth is, I've wanted you ever since I met you in that damned wine cellar. Because I got a bigger charge out of that five m

...more

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Nov 02, 2010 Carol *Young at Heart Oldie* rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 5-star-books, stellar-5-star-books

As a huge fan of Lisa Kleypas' historical romances, I was curious to know how her contemporary novels would compare. I enjoyed ‘Sugar Daddy', the first book in the Travis series, but to me it lacked that indefinable quality that makes her historical novels so memorable. I, therefore, started reading the second book, ‘Blue Eyed Devil' with some apprehension but found that Ms Kleypas had crafted a wonderful book with unforgettable characters in Haven and Hardy.

Haven Travis and Hardy Gates come fro...more

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Nov 06, 2009 I ♥ Bookie Nookie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: genre-romance, zz-reviewed

In the first book in this series, Sugar Daddy, I fell in love with Hardy Cates--then by the end of the book, I hated the man he had become. His actions at the end of the book were not the actions of that handsome, southern gentleman we saw at the beginning of the book. I actually didn't think I would like him in this book either. Of course, his charm won the heart of the only Travis sister as well as her family and finally Liberty.

I really liked this book, the only thing that was a little annoy...more

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Jul 13, 2011 kari rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011

A romance novel with depth.
The heroine, Haven, endures domestic abuse (not from the hero, rest assured since this is a romance after all) with most of the book being about her recovery.
This subject is handled very well, I think. It shows how the abuser slowly takes control of her life, closing off family and friends other than the friends he chooses, asking her to be quit her job, putting her down for little things. It shows a pattern that becomes more clear and ends with full out beating. It's...more A romance novel with depth.
The heroine, Haven, endures domestic abuse (not from the hero, rest assured since this is a romance after all) with most of the book being about her recovery.
This subject is handled very well, I think. It shows how the abuser slowly takes control of her life, closing off family and friends other than the friends he chooses, asking her to be quit her job, putting her down for little things. It shows a pattern that becomes more clear and ends with full out beating. It's presented so well that you can see how it can happen. I know it's easy to say that would never happen to me (and hopefully that is true), but this shows how a smart, attractive woman can become a victim as it all simply sneaks up on her until she's living in fear.
So, that's the beginning and if you're thinking I don't want to read about that, I need to clarify that it's the starting point, but the book isn't about that, it's about what happens after and how Haven rebuilds her life and builds her personal boundaries for the first time in her life.
So, where the heck is the romance you're asking.
Hardy Cates. Isn't that the perfect name for a roughneck, Texas all-male hero?
Hardy is a self-made millionaire, still rough around the edges and still struggling to be accepted by the moneyed society. Haven comes from the center of that society and her family and friends are wary of their attraction, particularly after what she's been through.
I like the interaction of their characters and the way he manages to help her with her problems. Their dialoge with each other is crackling with chemistry and you can just see Hardy sauntering away after some wry comment.
My one tiny complaint is that I would have liked Haven to save herself in the end. I'd have been happy with all that occured if only Haven could ultimately brought it about. I get that in romance novels the hero is, well, the hero, so that's expected, but in this instance I do wish she could have saved herself and Hardy.
I don't read a lot of romance novels, but Lisa Kleypas novels always have such fun livley characters and dialogue that they are great for a change of pace for me. All in all, it's a really enjoyable read and I'd recommend it for those who enjoy a well-told romance.

*note* The listing says this is #2 in the Travises series and I didn't know that when I picked it up. But it doesn't matter as the story is complete start to finish. There's no cliffhanger and you aren't tossed into the story without being told what's going on. It's more a related books than a series of one long story. Each book centers on a different hero and heroine and the characters from the other books also appear.

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Apr 21, 2012 Kseniya Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Sin Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: e-book, friends-recommended, contemporary-romance, favourite

Let me start by saying that these books just get better and better! Just when I thought that Sugar Daddy was an amazing story, Blue-Eyed Devil has blew me away completely!

Having had her heart quite recently broken - and her body battered and bruised by the man she thought she had loved - Haven Travis is through with men. Until she discovers that the temptation of a tender-hearted, blue-eyed devil, Hardy Cates, is hard to resist. Hardy is an old enemy of the family and Haven knows best to stay aw...more

Let me start by saying that these books just get better and better! Just when I thought that Sugar Daddy was an amazing story, Blue-Eyed Devil has blew me away completely!

Having had her heart quite recently broken - and her body battered and bruised by the man she thought she had loved - Haven Travis is through with men. Until she discovers that the temptation of a tender-hearted, blue-eyed devil, Hardy Cates, is hard to resist. Hardy is an old enemy of the family and Haven knows best to stay away. But that's not how Hardy was brought up and he never lets go of what he wants, and this time he wants Haven.

Hardy is a man to die for! He's confident, gorgeous and rich! But what makes me love him even more is that he has achieved everything on his own. He wanted to be successful and he worked hard to get there. His determination was incredible. But behind it all he still needed to be rescued by Haven. They were perfect for each other. Wouldn't you be happy to know you found the man you can rely on in the worst of the circumstances and be confident that he will help and understand...everything. Hardy was that man!

Haven is an amazing character! It hurts to think what she went through and still came out a normal woman after all. Some people can live their whole life and never know what it's like to be hurt, but for Haven just two years of her life have turned into the worst nightmare from which she wanted to but was scared to death to get out. Being in a violent relationship is probably one of the worst and most traumatic experiences for a woman to go through. You would have to learn to trust people again, especially men, to let them into your life and try to be normal, when all the terrifying memories of your past can still haunt you forever.

What she did for Hardy despite her own panic is beyond words. I was amazed by how strong her feelings for him were to be able to step over her worst fears to help him after he met with his dad.

I was worried that Haven would always be number 2 for Hardy, but I'm glad that he has let go of Liberty and left it in the past, giving an opportunity for a new start in love. Haven deserved to have a man like him after everything she went through.

There is no need to say that this book is FANTASTIC ! I would highly recommend it! The way this book is written gives us an opportunity to step into another person's shoes and see what it's like to be hurt, terrified and finally happy.(less)

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Nov 17, 2010 Suzanne the Mighty ~Satin Seductress~ rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-romance, author-goddess-lisa-kleypas, 1-would-sell-my-firstborn-to-posses, girlies-i-would-take-for-a-tequila, 1-series-i-am-rabid-about, hot-male-in-my-harem, kings-of-the-harem

I enjoyed this book immensely, and in my opinion it was better than “Sugar Daddy”, as it seemed to have the elements that were missing or rushed over in the previous book.

This book continues the Travis saga but this time from Haven Travis’s, the youngest and only girl in the broods point of view. I was actually quite surprised by this, because you see so little of her in the previous book, I expected it to be from Hardy Cates, the blue-eyed devil in questions POV. The pairing also surprised me a...more I enjoyed this book immensely, and in my opinion it was better than “Sugar Daddy”, as it seemed to have the elements that were missing or rushed over in the previous book.

This book continues the Travis saga but this time from Haven Travis’s, the youngest and only girl in the broods point of view. I was actually quite surprised by this, because you see so little of her in the previous book, I expected it to be from Hardy Cates, the blue-eyed devil in questions POV. The pairing also surprised me as I didn’t see it coming, but I am glad that this book gave us a more intimate look into Hardy Cates. He is another deliciously sinful creation by Lisa Kleypas, who, it seems excels at creating hot male leads that melt you at the knees with their devilish charisma, tormented pasts and a big physical presence. But he was also more than that, for anyone who has read her historical romances, he fits the Derek Craven mould of hero (although no one beats Derek Craven!)

As for Haven, I really liked her, I enjoyed seeing the world through her eyes and I found myself tearing up in places, especially when she finally walks away from her abusive marriage. I liked watching her grow more self confident both with Hardy and also her family. This book does have the issues of rape and abuse going through it as Haven recovers from her marriage, but I felt it was dealt with sympathetically and wasn’t just marginalized, it showed Haven living with the scars of the abuse both physically and mentally, from her self-loathing to her fear of men.

What I found lacking in “Sugar Daddy” was the lack of a big romance, but this book very much delivers on that score. The relationship between Hardy and Haven is passionate, romantic and sweet; it also has a tension filled build up, rather the kind of springing it on you as it does in “Sugar Daddy”. Although it did seem to end rather quickly, I was definitely left still wanting more, the romance was resolved nicely with an action packed HEA.

I really loved this book, it is keeper, as was “Sugar Daddy” But I found I liked this one a lot more, not only was the romance more developed, but the characters other then the narrator were also more filled out. You even got a better sense of Gage in this book and a different side to Churchill Travis, also you see more of Jack Travis, who I believe is the hero of the last book of this series.
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Aug 02, 2011 Kathrynn rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Auntee

Recommended to Kathrynn by: Kim

Shelves: own, romance-contemporary, 2011, favorite_couples, reviewed, theme-abused_heroine, theme-hero_heartthrob

Wonderfully written! There were many places in the book that the way the words were strung together made me stop and think, "Nicely written." This author can sure weave a tale.

Set in Dallas and Houston, with many references to East Texas, Conroe and other places I felt like I was reading a book about my neighbors. :-)

Two excellent characters, Haven and Hardy (it irks me when the H/h have names that begin with the same consonant, but in this case it worked). Haven came from the very well off Tr...more

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Oct 15, 2011 Lily Bart rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

There's nothing steamier in romance than a privileged miss with a cool and cultivated exterior who's got a secret craving for rugged men from the wrong side of the tracks.

Haven Travis is a different kind of romance heroine. As a modern feminist, and a graduate of the prestigious Wellesley College (author Lisa kleypas' real alma mater) she's at first reluctant to admit how attracted she is to rugged and blue-eyed Hardy Cates. But after a bad marriage and some intensive therapy cause her to rethi...more There's nothing steamier in romance than a privileged miss with a cool and cultivated exterior who's got a secret craving for rugged men from the wrong side of the tracks.

Haven Travis is a different kind of romance heroine. As a modern feminist, and a graduate of the prestigious Wellesley College (author Lisa kleypas' real alma mater) she's at first reluctant to admit how attracted she is to rugged and blue-eyed Hardy Cates. But after a bad marriage and some intensive therapy cause her to rethink her priorities, she takes the incredibly brave decision to give love a try with a man who is definitely not of her background.

Of course, it helps that Hardy Cates is a man on the rise -- worth millions, shrewd and aggressive, he takes on Houston's old guard with the same self-confidence that he uses to make Haven shed her prim, cool facade and to gradually loosne up all of her inhibitions in bed!

This exciting contemporary romance is sexy, touching, and even funny in places. There were only a couple of minor thematic issues I would have liked to see clarified or handled differently.

Haven's "feminism" is never really developed in a way to engage the reader. She says she was the type of little girl who always wanted tool kits and not dolls, but as an adult she never shows the slightest sign of savvy or guts or know-how in any technical field. When she gets stuck in an elevator, all she can seem to do is grab her cell phone and scream for Hardy to come and rescue her! As Shakespeare once said so eloquently, feminism should be made of sterner stuff. Haven always reacts to danger by looking for a big strong man to turn to. This would be fine in a Victorian historical, and Kleypas has written some very good ones. But it is not a feminist attitude. Lisa Kleypas seems to want her heroine to be called a feminist without having to do any of the nasty, dirty stuff feminists have to do, like stand up for themselves or do gunky boy stuff with tools.

Hardy Cates is also not fleshed out as much as he could have been. Lisa Kleypas is very much in love with the idea of powerful, "ruthless" men. But she tends to be very squeamish about describing the business world honestly. There are no Willy Lomans, no decent men who believe in the system only to be shattered by the rise of the rich and ruthless. Only Horatio Alger stories of hard-driving heroes who beat the system without having to hurt anyone in the process.

If Hardy is really "ruthless," what rules does he break? Is there blood on his hands, or only oil? How exactly does a welder with no education at all rise to become a multi-millionaire while still having time for a sexy social life and lots of four hour workouts at the gym?

Lisa Kleypas is a brilliant writer at the crossroads of her career. Part of her wants to be taken seriously as a writer, which is why she's getting her feet wet in weighty topics like feminism and domestic abuse. But part of her still wants the easy fantasy of hitting the jackpot, marrying the rich guy with the big muscles, and living happily ever after. There are conflicts here that could make for great literature, but they need to be explored more honestly than they are in BLUE EYED DEVIL. (less)

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Nov 01, 2012 Bri rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: chick-lit, romance

3.5 stars

This was my first foray into Kleypas's writing. I was going to start with Sugar Daddy, the first in this series, but after reading reviews saying the first half dragged and could have been omitted entirely, I decided I wasn't in the right frame of mind to kick off a series with a less than stellar book.

So, I dove into book 2, and I don't think not reading the first hurt me (though I guess I'll never know, huh?). From what I can tell from reviews, we got slightly more information on Hard...more

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Mar 29, 2009 Wendy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: contemporary romance lovers

Shelves: contemporary-romance

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This book wasn't exactly what I thought it would be. When I picked it up I thought that it would be a fun little romantic read. It turned out to be way more.

Haven is a woman in love for the first time and brings home her boyfriend to meet her family and to attend her brothers wedding. While taking a break from the celebration she sees her boyfriend go into the family wine celler and follows him for a little romantic interlude. Turns out that it isn't her boyfriend, but a handsome guy that she s...more

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Jan 13, 2010 Mahlet rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance, series, audio

Although Sugar Daddy's heroine, Liberty, was a more likeable character than Haven, Blue-Eyed Devil had plenty of Hardy Cates, the gorgeous, mischevious Texan I fell for in Sugar Daddy. I loved this book a little more than the last one for the following reasons: Hardy Cates, was just absolutely delicious and delivered more lines than I can count that will make you melt; the sex scenes were hotter and more plentiful than Sugar Daddy; the tramautic beginning involving spousal abuse from a narcassis...more

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Jun 26, 2012 Kristin rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

Yup. Still my favorite book! I swear it felt like reading it for the first time! I had forgotten huge details :) Still very in love with Hardy Cates!

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Feb 21, 2012 Zumbagirl rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, abused-heroine, close-siblings, emotionally-scarred, evil-ex, favorite-author, favorite-couple, h-and-h-flawed, hero-adores-heroine, love-or-lust-at-first-sight, rape, secrets, self-made-man, super-beautiful-handsome-couple, spousal-abuse

Lisa Kleypas, you did it again - it was hard to imagine you could woo me again after Sugar Daddy and write another story that stole my heart. Hardy and Haven are now one of my favorite couples, they really complimented each other so well. While no couple is "perfect," these two come close. Sugar Daddy had so many quotes that I loved, but my favorite one from this book illustrates how much these two needed each other: I no longer believed in the idea of soul mates, or love at first sight. But I...more Lisa Kleypas, you did it again - it was hard to imagine you could woo me again after Sugar Daddy and write another story that stole my heart. Hardy and Haven are now one of my favorite couples, they really complimented each other so well. While no couple is "perfect," these two come close. Sugar Daddy had so many quotes that I loved, but my favorite one from this book illustrates how much these two needed each other: I no longer believed in the idea of soul mates, or love at first sight. But I was beginning to believe that a very few times in your life, if you were lucky, you might meet someone who was exactly right for you. Not because he was perfect, or because you were, but because your combined flaws were arranged in a way that allowed two separate beings to hinge together. Both Hardy and Haven had baggage and issues that they needed to resolve, but together, with good communication and trust, they persevered and came out better people, a better couple because of it.

This is Haven's story, in first-person POV, and different from most of the contemporary romances out there. I'm not a fan of reading about domestic abuse/sleeping with the enemy books. It is a fact of life that many women have to deal with and it just makes me very upset to think about, so I generally avoid it. Even though that's a central theme here, what kept it balanced was that Haven had a great support system, ie, her brothers, Gage and Liberty especially, and she didn't let herself get dragged back into the mire. She worked extremely hard to be positive and got into therapy to address the serious demons in her past. I felt sad for her that her parents did not give her the foundation as a child/young adult to make better choices in her life. Even in the present day, I was disappointed with her father, Churchill, and the lack of humility and love that he showed her. For whatever reason, some parents cannot get on the same page with their children - even when they are adults - and respect them and support them through the good times and bad. Unfortunately, Churchill was just deficient in his relationship with Haven.

Hardy was as delicious as he was before in Sugar Daddy, even more so. Lisa Kleypas writes the best heros! But Haven was pretty awesome too. I love this series and can't wait to continue with Jack's book. Plus, one day, maybe in a year, I want to re-read SD and BED. Having read them only once just isn't enough:) (less)

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Feb 17, 2012 Jana rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary-romance

I read in one Kleypas' interview that in a chaotic situation she reaches for romances. For me it wasn't a typical scenario. In the beginning I didn't reach for romances because I was in chaos, but I ended being in one. The biggest in my life so far. And I reached for her Travises series. For ten awful days that defined my life in a blink, and that will define my future because the post eruption and destruction are still roaring, Travis series were like a healing patch. They were exit. Because I...more

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Apr 25, 2011 Mitzi rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: writer-lisa-kleypas, heat-3-boiling, genre-romance-contemporary

Blue-Eyed DevilTo be honest…I didn’t start out liking this book. Haven meets the Blue Eyed Devil (Hardy) at her brother’s wedding. They kiss in the wine cellar, but then she elopes and marries her boyfriend Nick. They move away from her family (they don’t approve of the marriage) and then Nick starts to verbally and physically abuse her.

After a year or so….Nick beats her very badly and she leaves him. She then takes a job at her brother’s company, where she is once again the victim of abuse by...more

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Aug 09, 2010 Lady Rutledge rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, lisa-kleypas, where-can-i-buy-this-guy, widow, there-s-3rd-person, family, tortured-heroine, first-sight-love

After long read of Sugar Daddy. I was really curious about a guy named Hardy Cates, even dislike him at the same time (for what he did to Liberty & Gage).

The story plot is really different from Sugar Daddy, never got bored at the beginning-middle-end. I got new experience about mental illness. Psycho men is really scary. You never knew them well after you got into them. It was really freaky me out!

This couple, Haven & Hardy, are filled each other emptiness. They had their own traumatic l...more

2 likes · like · see review

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About Lisa Kleypas

LISA KLEYPAS is the RITA award-winning author of 21 novels. Her books are published in fourteen languages and are bestsellers all over the world. She lives in Washington State with her husband and two children.

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Books by Lisa Kleypas

Secrets of a Summer Night (Wallflowers, #1)

It Happened One Autumn (Wallflowers, #2)

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Quotes from Blue-Eyed Devil

“I no longer believed in the idea of soul mates, or love at first sight. But I was beginning to believe that a very few times in your life, if you were lucky, you might meet someone who was exactly right for you. Not because he was perfect, or because you were, but because your combined flaws were arranged in a way that allowed two separate beings to hinge together.” — 5,677 people liked it

“He liked cheap women, fast cars, late nights, and hard liquor, especially all together. In Jack's view, you are obliged to sin on Saturday night so you'd have something to atone for Sunday morning. Otherwise, you'd be putting the preacher out of business. ” — 114 people liked it

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