I’ve never read Vivenne Lorret before so “The Devilish Mr. Danvers” was my first book by her. Although it’s the second book in the (The Rakes of Fallow Hall #2) series I did not feel like I missed out by not having read “The Elusive Lord Everhart (The Rakes of Fallow Hall, #1).
The heroine of this book is Hedley Sinclair. I liked her but didn’t feel a huge connection with her. Hedley is all alone at Greyson Park. She couldn’t be happier. After having spent a large amount of time locked away in the attic she has inherited Greyson Park. Greyson Park is everything Hedley ever wanted and dreamed of, it’s a symbol of her independence. Greyson Park is also falling apart. It’ been badly neglected and Hedley really doesn’t have any means to fix it or to provide any comfort for herself. It’s also the home that Rafe Denvers has his sights on.
Rafe Denvers was engaged to Hedley’s sister and had Greyson Park added to her dowry because there is a treasure hidden in the attic that holds great value to his family. Hedley’s sister ends up breaking off their engagement when his family’s name is tarnished and Rafe hates the Sinclair’s since that moment. When he sees Hedley at Greyson Park he does not remember her because she was still very young.
Hedley didn’t have too many wonderful memories of her childhood but she remembered Rafe as one of the few people who actually saw her and paid attention to her. They quickly become enemies when they both realize that they want to lay claim to the same home.
I enjoyed this story and the characters. I liked the tension between Hedley and Rafe and also the way they tried to best each other but ultimately became friends. I was happy to see Hedley claim her destiny despite so many different odds that were constantly against her, not the least of which were her sister and mother. Even though I did not love this story I did enjoy the hero and the heroine and the mystery surrounding the treasure. Also, I didn’t find too many “devilish” characteristics in Rafe. He did seem a little jaded by his family’s fall from grace and his broken engagement but he was really a sweet guy. I really liked how he was always looking out for Hedley even when they were on opposite sides. I also plan to read the previous book in the series “The Elusive Lord Everhart” and the next one “The Maddening Lord Montwood.
**ARC provided by Publisher**
