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As part of my quest to finish the Ravenels series by Lisa Kleypas, I picked up Cold-Hearted Rake, which is actually the first book in the series. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Because I’m reading the series out of order I already knew a bit about Kathleen and Devon’s story, but I adored it anyway! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Devon has inherited an earldom, but he doesn’t want it. He’s determined to shirk his responsibilities, sell the estate, and get back to his life — until he meets Kathleen, the late earl’s widow. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Kathleen came out of the gate swinging and I couldn’t stop laughing at how their bad first impression unfolded. Kathleen’s vulnerability after a lifetime of keeping it together and Devon’s determination to be a better man than his father gave me heart eyes. I’m a sucker for Character A holding Character B while they fall apart and the scene in this book was *chef’s kiss.* ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Getting to see the beginnings of Helen and Rhys’ relationship was fun, too. While it doesn’t always matter if you read a romance series in order, I really think I would have benefited from reading this series in the order it was intended — there’s a ton of overlap and character development from one book to the next! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ CW: child neglect, attempted sexual assault, sexual content ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ID: A mass market paperback of Cold-Hearted Rake stands in front of a stack of paperbacks with their pages facing forward so you can’t see the titles. There are trees and bushes visible in the background. via Instagram https://instagr.am/p/CY6fhszrWnA/