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Une orchidée pour un parvenu: Les Ravenel, Vol. 2
Helen Ravenel devait épouser le richissime Rhys Winterborne, propriétaire du plus grand magasin de Londres. Puis, sur un malentendu, leurs fiançailles ont été rompues. Le cœur brisé, Helen ose aller trouver Rhys pour lui clamer son amour. Mais l'irascible Gallois sait que les Ravenel s'opposeront désormais à leur union. Pour leur forcer la main, il lance un ultimatum à la jeune fille : elle doit s'offrir à lui le jour même. Une fois compromise, elle ne pourra plus lui échapper. La timide Helen se surprend en acceptant ce pacte scandaleux. Dans les bras de cet amant fougueux, elle découvre des plaisirs insoupçonnés bien consciente de prendre un risque énorme. Car si Rhys venait à percer son lourd secret, il refuserait de faire d'elle sa femme…
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Published July 2, 2026
About the author
Lisa Kleypas
134 books32.4k followersLISA 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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RHYS and HELEN
I’ve read so many books over the years, but there is something special about a historical romance. This, right here is peak romance.
Rhys and Helen set the pages on fire, with longing, heat, love, passion, the glances, stolen moments, their yearning, and longing, his rake-ish behavior, her pure innocence, and their overall chemistry together.
Rhys has built his life and his reputation on sheer will, stubbornness, and heavy ambition, becoming one of the wealthiest and most success man in town, but what he lacks is aristocracy and pedigree, and that is where Helen came in, but we all know what happened in the previous book.
Rhys has always been a man who gets what he wants, no matter what. That’s why it’s a testament to his love, when despite wanting Helen, he broke the arrangement for her happiness, thinking that is what she wants.
Now he is like a bear caught in a trap, surly and angry at his ended engagement with Helen. He wants her, he even dreams of her, cursing himself for being impatient and aggressive, and giving her a glimpse of his desire, shocking Helen’s sensibilities and scaring her in the process.
He had fallen in love with her from the very first time he saw her, and she took care of him at Ravenel Home. She is everything he lacks in his life. She is cultured, innocent, shy, aristocratic. Everything he was not.
But when Helen walks into his home, unescorted, bent on explaining her feelings towards wanting their engagement to continue and them to be married, there is going to be nothing that stops Rhys from conquering her, and the sure-shot way of ensuring their marriage will happen, is to ruin her completely, so she is bound to him. He uses it as an ultimatum, knowing now she wants him.
The interaction between Rhys and Helen, is just teeming with sexuality, risqué-ness and wanting. The anticipation is so heavy you can feel it around you when you read. Rhys tried very hard to be rude and intimidating with her, but her gentleness, the pause in her eyes, the feeling pf peace she gives him, makes it so very hard.
“I can’t be a gentleman,” he said hoarsely. “Not even for you.”
“You don’t have to be a gentleman. Only gentle.”
When the misunderstanding is finally clear, Rhys waste no time to claim her, but for all his ruthless-ness and rake-ish behavior, he is beautifully gentle with Helen.
He understands her hesitancy, her innocence, her naiveness and her ignorance of what ‘ruining’ entails. His conduct is completely opposite to his usual comportment, and it’s *chef’s kiss*
“Because you’re very attractive and worldly, and I don’t wish for you to think me foolish. As for the other day, that . . . that was my first kiss. I didn’t know what to do, and I felt . . . quite overwhelmed.”
The intimacy is not just two bodies being bound, but two souls, its soft, sweet, hot, scorching and wonderous. The description makes you fall in love and blush with them and their moment.
(I don’t remember the last time I blushed when reading a sex scene)
Desire in these books is not described in blatant ways that we have seen in books now, but its so much more powerful and heated. Every word has a hidden meaning, has a hidden romance. Small gestures, that hold power to capture you.
Cariad . . . there’s nothing gentle about how I want you.”
“Just try,” he heard her whisper. “For me.”
Helen’s sweet words, without guile, purely expressed, win over Rhys in no time. He takes pleasure in her sweetness, coaxing her sexuality out of her, through her curiosity and his deft touch and love.
Hush, bychan, little one, my dove. Nothing is worth your tears.”
“You are.”
Helen finds herself completely enraptured by Rhys. He is everything she has been looking for, dreaming about. There is some edginess in him, that makes her fascinated. It doesn’t take her long at all to fall in love with him, seeing his little gestures of kindness and softness that he shows people around him.
He was sophisticated, keenly intelligent, but there was something not quite civilized about him. A hint of danger, a smolder beneath the surface.
Unlike the usual aristocrat men, he cares about all the people, from all walks of life and pedigree, not just the ones holding titles. He is a man who will even put himself in danger to save a street urchin, hire woman in managerial positions, defying the ‘rules’ set forth in society.
For someone who wants to be a part of them, he doesn’t care very much what they think of him. He knows the world is changing and money talks.
Helen starts opening to him, asserting her wants and her decisions and Rhys is so sweetly whipped, despite his objections, he succumbs to her, just to see her happy, see her smile. Their relationship is pure love, no ledge of give and take as were most of the marriages at the time in the ton.
Rhys desperation at wanting to elope, just so that she may belong to him as fast as possible is just swoon-worthy.
I regret every minute that you’re out of my sight. I regret every step that doesn’t bring me closer to you. My last thought each night is that you should be in my arms. There is no peace or pleasure in my empty bed, where I sleep with you only in dreams and wake to curse the dawn.
You’ve stolen my very breath, cariad. And now I’m left to count the days until I take it back from you, kiss by kiss.
Every dialogue, every moment between them is beautifully penned down. Her wishes, his desperation, her longing.
Helen going from the most obedient to the ones seeking his advances, going against propriety, and loving him, being with him. And a man who lived for his work, only thinking of the next acquisition, could not think of anyone but Helen and her safety, her heart, and her feelings.
Their journey is exactly what it should be.
“I would begin by teaching you a Welsh word. Hiraeth. There’s no equivalent in English.”
“It’s a longing for something that was lost, or never existed. You feel it for a person or a place, or a time in your life . . . it’s a sadness of the soul. Hiraeth calls to a Welshman even when he’s closest to happiness, reminding him that he’s incomplete.”
They way he takes over very doubt, very secret of hers, giving her space to speak to him, making her feel comfort in him, but at the same time, making sure he keeps vigilance protecting her from the sidelines, letting her make her own choices, but safely.
But Helen has discovered a terrible secret, a secret that could bring the house of cards all over them, shatter her dreams, ruin her, and worst of all, loose Rhys, in fact he may even begin to hate her.
Her dilemma, confusion at doing what right and keeping her happiness, between being honest and selfish is heart-breaking. Every moment is teeming with tension and a what-if.
She had never expected how powerful the combination of physical desire and love would be. At some moments she was filled with melancholy, reflecting that her time with him was slipping through her fingers like fine white sand.
But Rhys is not the perfect hero for nothing. The way he erases her worries in one go, doesn’t even have to think about the scandal, the secret, the drama, is pure alpha man.
He accepts not just Helen, but even her half-sister, knowing the scrutiny and the gossip he is inviting, most likely completely erasing his chances at being looked at as a nobility equal.
(Men and women should take notes. This is what makes an alpha man.)
“Try to leave me, and see what happens. Go to France, go anywhere, and see how long it takes for me to reach you. Not five fucking minutes. I love you I’d let you stab a knife in my heart if it pleased you, and I’d lie there loving you until my last breath.”
Charity is such a sweet addition to the family. Her initial fear of her circumstances, of her fear and her attachment to Helen brings about a tear in your eyes for sure. Her relationship with Rhys is just so ‘father-daughter’ like. I absolutely loved her sass and sweetness all at once.
Her face. Exhausted relief had spread over her features. You’re here. You’ve come for me. I belong to someone.
Lady Berwick’s appearance is so much fun and tense all at the same time. She is such a lovely, but complicated character I loved how she was with Pandora and Cassandra and the vexation they often give each other.
Pandora and Cassandra bring their usual, much needed charm in the story. I loved how Rhys indulges their little traits, accepting their characteristics for what they are, even supporting Pandora in fulfilling her dreams to become and entrepreneur.
I cannot wait to read what kind of man will capture Pandora’s quirky, free-spirited heart!
The glimpses into the old and new characters of the Ravenel’s book is what makes it even better. It adds a continuation, and anticipation as to what will happen next, that keeps you coming back to this series.
Kathleen and Helen’s conversation about feelings, is my absolute favorite.
“I’m all pangs and palpitations, just knowing that he’s downstairs. I feel hot and cold, and I can scarcely breathe. Is that what love feels like?”
Thats infatuation. Its love when you can breathe.
Rhys has my heart and I’m sure he will have yours too when you read this book.
“Heart of my heart, you need no man to give you away. Just come to me of your own free will. Love me for who I am . . . just as I love you for who you are . . . and our bond will last until the stars lose their shining.”
RHYS and HELEN
I’ve read so many books over the years, but there is something special about a historical romance. This, right here is peak romance.
Rhys and Helen set the pages on fire, with longing, heat, love, passion, the glances, stolen moments, their yearning, and longing, his rake-ish behavior, her pure innocence, and their overall chemistry together.
Rhys has built his life and his reputation on sheer will, stubbornness, and heavy ambition, becoming one of the wealthiest and most success man in town, but what he lacks is aristocracy and pedigree, and that is where Helen came in, but we all know what happened in the previous book.
Rhys has always been a man who gets what he wants, no matter what. That’s why it’s a testament to his love, when despite wanting Helen, he broke the arrangement for her happiness, thinking that is what she wants.
Now he is like a bear caught in a trap, surly and angry at his ended engagement with Helen. He wants her, he even dreams of her, cursing himself for being impatient and aggressive, and giving her a glimpse of his desire, shocking Helen’s sensibilities and scaring her in the process.
He had fallen in love with her from the very first time he saw her, and she took care of him at Ravenel Home. She is everything he lacks in his life. She is cultured, innocent, shy, aristocratic. Everything he was not.
But when Helen walks into his home, unescorted, bent on explaining her feelings towards wanting their engagement to continue and them to be married, there is going to be nothing that stops Rhys from conquering her, and the sure-shot way of ensuring their marriage will happen, is to ruin her completely, so she is bound to him. He uses it as an ultimatum, knowing now she wants him.
The interaction between Rhys and Helen, is just teeming with sexuality, risqué-ness and wanting. The anticipation is so heavy you can feel it around you when you read. Rhys tried very hard to be rude and intimidating with her, but her gentleness, the pause in her eyes, the feeling pf peace she gives him, makes it so very hard.
“I can’t be a gentleman,” he said hoarsely. “Not even for you.”
“You don’t have to be a gentleman. Only gentle.”
When the misunderstanding is finally clear, Rhys waste no time to claim her, but for all his ruthless-ness and rake-ish behavior, he is beautifully gentle with Helen.
He understands her hesitancy, her innocence, her naiveness and her ignorance of what ‘ruining’ entails. His conduct is completely opposite to his usual comportment, and it’s *chef’s kiss*
“Because you’re very attractive and worldly, and I don’t wish for you to think me foolish. As for the other day, that . . . that was my first kiss. I didn’t know what to do, and I felt . . . quite overwhelmed.”
The intimacy is not just two bodies being bound, but two souls, its soft, sweet, hot, scorching and wonderous. The description makes you fall in love and blush with them and their moment.
(I don’t remember the last time I blushed when reading a sex scene)
Desire in these books is not described in blatant ways that we have seen in books now, but its so much more powerful and heated. Every word has a hidden meaning, has a hidden romance. Small gestures, that hold power to capture you.
Cariad . . . there’s nothing gentle about how I want you.”
“Just try,” he heard her whisper. “For me.”
Helen’s sweet words, without guile, purely expressed, win over Rhys in no time. He takes pleasure in her sweetness, coaxing her sexuality out of her, through her curiosity and his deft touch and love.
Hush, bychan, little one, my dove. Nothing is worth your tears.”
“You are.”
Helen finds herself completely enraptured by Rhys. He is everything she has been looking for, dreaming about. There is some edginess in him, that makes her fascinated. It doesn’t take her long at all to fall in love with him, seeing his little gestures of kindness and softness that he shows people around him.
He was sophisticated, keenly intelligent, but there was something not quite civilized about him. A hint of danger, a smolder beneath the surface.
Unlike the usual aristocrat men, he cares about all the people, from all walks of life and pedigree, not just the ones holding titles. He is a man who will even put himself in danger to save a street urchin, hire woman in managerial positions, defying the ‘rules’ set forth in society.
For someone who wants to be a part of them, he doesn’t care very much what they think of him. He knows the world is changing and money talks.
Helen starts opening to him, asserting her wants and her decisions and Rhys is so sweetly whipped, despite his objections, he succumbs to her, just to see her happy, see her smile. Their relationship is pure love, no ledge of give and take as were most of the marriages at the time in the ton.
Rhys desperation at wanting to elope, just so that she may belong to him as fast as possible is just swoon-worthy.
I regret every minute that you’re out of my sight. I regret every step that doesn’t bring me closer to you. My last thought each night is that you should be in my arms. There is no peace or pleasure in my empty bed, where I sleep with you only in dreams and wake to curse the dawn.
You’ve stolen my very breath, cariad. And now I’m left to count the days until I take it back from you, kiss by kiss.
Every dialogue, every moment between them is beautifully penned down. Her wishes, his desperation, her longing.
Helen going from the most obedient to the ones seeking his advances, going against propriety, and loving him, being with him. And a man who lived for his work, only thinking of the next acquisition, could not think of anyone but Helen and her safety, her heart, and her feelings.
Their journey is exactly what it should be.
“I would begin by teaching you a Welsh word. Hiraeth. There’s no equivalent in English.”
“It’s a longing for something that was lost, or never existed. You feel it for a person or a place, or a time in your life . . . it’s a sadness of the soul. Hiraeth calls to a Welshman even when he’s closest to happiness, reminding him that he’s incomplete.”
They way he takes over very doubt, very secret of hers, giving her space to speak to him, making her feel comfort in him, but at the same time, making sure he keeps vigilance protecting her from the sidelines, letting her make her own choices, but safely.
But Helen has discovered a terrible secret, a secret that could bring the house of cards all over them, shatter her dreams, ruin her, and worst of all, loose Rhys, in fact he may even begin to hate her.
Her dilemma, confusion at doing what right and keeping her happiness, between being honest and selfish is heart-breaking. Every moment is teeming with tension and a what-if.
She had never expected how powerful the combination of physical desire and love would be. At some moments she was filled with melancholy, reflecting that her time with him was slipping through her fingers like fine white sand.
But Rhys is not the perfect hero for nothing. The way he erases her worries in one go, doesn’t even have to think about the scandal, the secret, the drama, is pure alpha man.
He accepts not just Helen, but even her half-sister, knowing the scrutiny and the gossip he is inviting, most likely completely erasing his chances at being looked at as a nobility equal.
(Men and women should take notes. This is what makes an alpha man.)
“Try to leave me, and see what happens. Go to France, go anywhere, and see how long it takes for me to reach you. Not five fucking minutes. I love you I’d let you stab a knife in my heart if it pleased you, and I’d lie there loving you until my last breath.”
Charity is such a sweet addition to the family. Her initial fear of her circumstances, of her fear and her attachment to Helen brings about a tear in your eyes for sure. Her relationship with Rhys is just so ‘father-daughter’ like. I absolutely loved her sass and sweetness all at once.
Her face. Exhausted relief had spread over her features. You’re here. You’ve come for me. I belong to someone.
Lady Berwick’s appearance is so much fun and tense all at the same time. She is such a lovely, but complicated character I loved how she was with Pandora and Cassandra and the vexation they often give each other.
Pandora and Cassandra bring their usual, much needed charm in the story. I loved how Rhys indulges their little traits, accepting their characteristics for what they are, even supporting Pandora in fulfilling her dreams to become and entrepreneur.
I cannot wait to read what kind of man will capture Pandora’s quirky, free-spirited heart!
The glimpses into the old and new characters of the Ravenel’s book is what makes it even better. It adds a continuation, and anticipation as to what will happen next, that keeps you coming back to this series.
Kathleen and Helen’s conversation about feelings, is my absolute favorite.
“I’m all pangs and palpitations, just knowing that he’s downstairs. I feel hot and cold, and I can scarcely breathe. Is that what love feels like?”
Thats infatuation. Its love when you can breathe.
Rhys has my heart and I’m sure he will have yours too when you read this book.
“Heart of my heart, you need no man to give you away. Just come to me of your own free will. Love me for who I am . . . just as I love you for who you are . . . and our bond will last until the stars lose their shining.”
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