Saturday, October 24, 2015

Etiquette with the Devil by Rebecca Paula

Title: Etiquette with the Devil (The Ravensdales #1)
Author: Rebecca Paula
Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance
Published: August 31, 2015

My Rating: 3/5

Source: NetGalley

Clara Dawson always followed the rules, until one terrifying night when her inheritance is stolen and the man responsible is left for dead. Desperate to outrun her troubles, she accepts a governess position at the crumbling gothic manor of the mysterious Ravensdale family. Caring for three orphaned children gives her a purpose, but her vulgar employer, Bly Ravensdale, holds dangerous secrets that may shatter Clara's newfound safe haven. Yet this stubborn brute compels Clara to abandon her etiquette at every turn, and she can't stay away.

Disowned by his family, Bly Ravensdale travels the globe as an explorer and agent of the British Crown until his brother’s passing leaves him saddled with three young wards. Charged with returning them to the family's vacant ancestral seat in the English countryside—the one place he wishes to avoid at all costs—Bly quits the role of spy to play family man. But a man nicknamed Devil rarely gets a clean start in life, even with the aid of the prudish yet lovely governess, Clara. Despite her cold exterior, Bly finds himself drawn to her, even as an enemy from his deadly past resurfaces seeking vengeance. Can he protect all that he has suddenly come to hold dear?


**I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**


Clara Dawson has applied for the position of governess at the house of the Ravensdale family, escaping from a past of mistreatment and solitude. She's a bastard, people have always looked down on her, so she tries her best to follow the rules and be appropriate, because that's all she has.

The governess' new home is full of secrets and adventure, and her employer, Bly Ravensdale, is as mysterious as they come.

Bly has been a spy of the British Crown for 15 years, until the day his brother and sister-in-law pass away and leave him with a rotting house and three uneducated children. Now it's Bly's mission to make the mansion an appropriate place for the children to live and secure their education, which is why he hires a new governess. But this proves to be a very difficult task, since enemies from his past are still following him and the people of this town hold a huge grudge against the Ravensdales, for leaving them to their own devices while going away to India.

I really loved both Clara and Bly, and also the children, especially little Grace. They were amazing characters with many secrets that we discover along the way. As the story begins, Clara has a lot of bruises and stitches, she also gets a lot of flashbacks from an attack, something I really wanted to know about. Bly also has a very dark past and, while we don't get too many details, we do get to know more about him and everything he's been up to.

Reading about the mansion was very fun. I mean, they even have a tiger! And I loved reading about Bly. He might not like his situation, but he's definitely great with the children and treats them so well. There's also his friend Barnes, who keeps them company, and it's very entertaining whenever they're together, especially if they're hanging from a balcony while swordfighting. Bly is just like a little boy, running around the house with a sword.

This book consists of two parts. I really loved the first one, it's very beautiful and a lot of fun! But then something happens and the second part starts, aaand... it kinda broke my heart.


But don't let that keep you from reading it, there is a happy ending to this. And the story is beautifully written, a really nice read for any fan of this genre.

Thank you for reading! Bye-Bye! ♥

18 comments:

  1. This book sounds so good :) I'll shall add to my list! I have nominated you for the Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award and you can check out my post here: http://abookparadise.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/sisterhood-of-world-bloggers-award-2.html. Congrats and have nice day :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's very good :) although the second part was a little too heartbreaking for me haha
      Thank you so much! That's so nice of you!! ^-^

      Delete
  2. Oh sounds like an interesting book! And book with secrets is always a page turner for me, I cannot stop until I have guessed or figured out the twists :D
    Great review as always, Carla!

    Escaping Through Ink

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, that's exactly what happened to me! Haha :D
      Thank you!!

      Delete
  3. Ooooohhh, I already LOVE this book! It reminds me so much of "Jane Eyre", which is my FAVORITE classic novel!! It sounds like a retelling of that book, with some different plot twists added in, such as Bly being a spy for the British government,and having enemies. In "Jane Eyre", Edward Rochester, the male protagonist, has a HUGE secret that poor Jane doesn't find out about until very late in the novel....I highly recommend this novel to you, Carla, if you haven't read it!!

    I am definitely adding "Etiquette with the Devil" to my TBR!! Thanks for another great review!! : )

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I LOVE Jane Eyre too!! It's one of the best books I've ever read <3 and yes, this book did remind me of it :) Rochester's secret was the craziest thing!! Haha. I was in such a shock when I I finally found out about it! I hope you enjoy this book too! ^-^

      Delete
  4. Great post dear! Have a wonderful weekend:)

    irenethayer.com

    ReplyDelete
  5. Bruises and stitches? Well, that is really intriguing. I wonder how she got it...

    I've never heard of this book until now, so thanks for the review!

    Also, thanks for stopping by our blog!

    Poppy Fairy @ Musings of the Bookaholic Fairies

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes! Her story is very interesting :) I'm glad you liked it!
      You're welcome, your blog's amazing.

      Delete
  6. Glad to know you have enjoyed this one so much! I like the sound of a mansion where there is a tiger as well. I mean, that just sounds so cool ^^ I am glad this is another one you could enjoy and it really does sound like a book centered around family as well.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, it was very cool! :) And yup, it was really centered around the family, which is great since neither one of the main characters came from a loving family.

      Delete
  7. I don't really read historical fiction so I won't be reading this one but it does sound quite interesting. I'm glad you liked this even though it broke your heart. Some books that break our hearts are so worth it though :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Haha yes!! Books that kind of break your heart are usually amazing :P although this one really hurt haha.

      Delete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...