Title: Blue-Eyed Devil (Travis series #2)
Bookit #8
Author: Lisa Kleypas
Release Date: 2008
Medium: Kindle E-book
WARNING: This novel covers topics that may cause triggering effects on those who suffered from physical or mental abuse.
Blue-eyed Devil is the second novel in the Travis Series by Liza Kleypas. I was looking forward to this book, because Hardy had been one of my favorite characters in the first book I read, Brown-Eyed Girl, and he is the hero in this novel after being the one who lost in book 1, Sugar Daddy.
The main character in this novel is Haven Travis, the youngest sibling of the Travis Clan. It starts soon after the closing of Sugar Daddy in that they are attending Liberty and Gage (the couple from book 1)’s wedding. It is there she meets Hardy, and it leaves a lasting impression on her.
This book is a little different from romance novels that I have seen in the past, because it involves a couple who faced domestic abuse. It also deals with the problems children who have faced domestic abuse might have as adults. I was glad to see that for the most part Haven ends up saving herself, rather than her love interest. Often times I have seen this written as a ploy to get the two main characters together, and in this novel it’s not. She is also allowed to get help when she needs it, and not having it forced on her or denied her like some narratives are prone to do.
In fact, their romance, baring the moment at the wedding, doesn’t even start till after Haven removes herself from the abusive relationship. It also doesn’t look down on therapy, and has really good sibling relationships. One of the stronger themes in this series is the relationships between the main character (always female) and her siblings. Book one was about Liberty and her sister Carrington. This is about Haven and her relationship with her brothers. Brown-Eyed Girl (book 4) is about Avery and her half-sister Sophia.
This series also has a good record in showing mixed families. Not everyone’s family is perfect, and not every perfect family is a bad family. There are single parents, distant parents, parents who were both there, and parents who realised they couldn’t care for their children so they gave them up for adoption.
I also found this relatable because I have dealt with people who are narcissistic in nature, and I have seen the problems they cause for the people around them. I’m not sure I believe the therapist in this story who says abusers are always narcissistic.
Overall, I give this a A, because it had good pacing, the main character manages to save herself half the time, and people deal with their issues instead of having instant cures. However, this book has references to domestic abuse, both physical and mental, as well as rape. Therefore I suggest you avoid this one if any of those subjects might be triggering for you.
Sokorra Lewis 