Etiquette with the Devil

The Ravensdales #1

by Rebecca Paula

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?

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Historical Fiction, Amazon, Gothic, Regency

402 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 1, 2015

About the author

**Stay connected. Sign up for Rebecca's newsletter for the latest release news, exclusive excerpts, and giveaways.**

Rebecca writes sexy, emotional contemporary and historical romances about flawed characters brave enough to live outside the lines and embrace the messy and complicated bits of life and love. Also, there’s kissing.

She’s a champion of Byronic heroes, a wanderlust connoisseur, a hopeless romantic, and is epically losing the battle of conquering her TBR pile (okay, TBR closet). Rebecca lives in New Hampshire with her husband and baby daughter.

When not writing or reading, she loves ghost hunting shows, hiking around New England, and scouring stores for a cute dress with pockets.

Reviews

[Janet Newport · Rating 1 out of 5]

When will I learn that it is NOT necessary to watch/read a train wreck all the way through the clean up??

[Nastassja · Rating 3 out of 5]

*This book was generously provided to me by the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

Real rating 3.4

Etiquette with the Devil is a debut novel and a very solid one. When I picked this book I did not expect it to be so poignant and heartfelt. I did not expect it to touch some strings in my heart and make me love this book. This is a story of two broken people. Broken by family and society, by the labels other people hanged on them. This is a story of survival and finding true family and love.

When I read a historical romance first and foremost request from my side is MCs. I need them to be the soul of the story, to have a voice that will convince me that this people deserve to be heard and sympathized with. I don't care much about plot in romance, because really how many books you have to read before you know all of them? So I won't talk about the plot, annotation describes everything the reader needs to know about it. This book is on top of the HR I've read, because it has the kind of characters I crave in my books. Instantly I connected with MC Clara and felt her pain and loneliness, the need to belong. It was so strong and clear, I couldn't stay indifferent.

Life was defined by two sets of people—those who followed the rules, and those who did not. Clara Dawson, having been born outside the realm of polite society, never had the luxury of belonging to the former, but she didn’t wish to belong to the latter, either.
It was an impossible place to be stuck, teetering on the edge of less and more, without providence to move one way or another.

Clara does not belong with high society but also she was raised and educated to be more than her birthright can offer. She wants to belong.

She could never explain the part she felt was missing her in her life, but it was constant. It came on as a child and was a soft, nagging type of pain that sat in the bottom of her belly, that pressed upon her chest, that made her fingers long for someone else to touch or hold. It was an emptiness that might have had another name if only she knew its cause.

Belonging, love, family - these are the main ideas of this book.

He was invincible, or so the stories went. He was the devil himself, or so everyone called him. It was difficult for a man like Bly Ravensdale to care much when he was constantly running for his life.

These are the first words that describe the hero to us. He is invincible, he is the devil and if you have a dangerous task to accomplish - Bly is the right man for it. But in reality he is as lonely as Clara. He just running from life, from legacy his whole life. He doesn't want redemption and just spends his life. He drinks, he smokes opium, he kills. A destructive way to live. A deeply tortured soul.

His world had always been larger than the one lived in by most. He could not settle in one place because his body did not know how. There was always another challenge to conquer, another border to cross, another prize to claim. Then there were the smaller pleasures too—the bottles of whiskey to consume, fine cigars to smoke, the feel of a woman’s body beneath his. He liked having mountains to climb, not ledgers to go over or children to constantly mind after.

When these two collide, sparks fly, they do, but honestly, this is one rare book when I enjoyed the conversations between characters more than love scenes. Don't worry, though, the hotness is in place)

“Why couldn’t Mr. Barnes help you with this task? You don’t seem to need me at all.”
That couldn’t be further from the truth. He wanted to kiss that furrowed brow of hers, prop her up on the crate and teach her all sorts of improper things that involved fingers and flesh and far less clothing.

Clara and Bly are deeply hurt and it was a wonder to see them cure each other step by step, forming a bond: from resentment to friendship to love. They will find each other, they will cure each other, they will hurt each other and they will learn how to create something that will belong only to them in a world of strict rules and unforgivable laws. I repeat myself: it is not often for me to meet such a deep complex characters in HR these days. Rebecca Paula did a wonderful job creating them and leading us through this journey.

BUT... this book consists of two parts. The first one was magic alive. I was sure I'll give this book 4 or 5 stars. But the second part was a cliche, everything the author has built in the first part crumbled down and never regained it force fully in the second part. The characters started to repeat the same mistakes, the plot turned into Santa Barbara. I know, I know, I said myself that the plot is not that important when you have two amazing characters, but when named characters started to act illogically, I just couldn't take it. I tried to accept what was happening, why MCs did what they did, but everything just felt rushed as if the author wanted to make this plot twist and nothing else mattered. Unfortunately, in the end I wasn't able to love MCs as much as I loved them at first.

But nevertheless, this book was amazing. The language was beautiful (my only problem that the book wasn't properly edited). Definitely a good start for Rebecca Paula. Definitely will read other books by this author. Highly recommend to read and find out how real characters must be written (in the first part).

[Carla · Rating 3 out of 5]

**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.


More reviews on my blog: Lipstick and Mocha

[Lillian ☁ Cloud 9 Books ☁ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a bit difficult for me to get onto. I liked the characters, but there were moments where it dragged. This also put me to sleep a couple times. Maybe the writing style just wasn't for me. I don't know.

[T from Istria 💛💚 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Frustrating read, difficult to rate, the writing style wasn’t for me and the characters and story...well, maddening. The story is about downtrodden governess, fleeing and hiding from something, gets position in gothic mansion caring for orphaned children who are deposited in the mansion by their uncle, the so-called “hero”.

He doesn’t fix the mansion, drinks and smokes opioids, beats men in the local tavern so they go lame, seduces heroine and leaves and isn’t heard from again.

She, now pregnant, can’t/won’t leave the children, so stays and has to take care of the mess he left. She stays and lives “in shame” in the attic with broken windows and rain pouring through the roof.
Three years later he comes back and she is mad for a bit but then “alright, ILY” and marries him. They don’t talk it out, he doesn’t explain anything, barely apologizes.

What he did was non redeemable and how he handled just about anything was bad so 🍳 on his head and bye hero diploma. Heroines gets to keep her “tormented heroine” diploma bc she was very tormented although she should’ve made him grovel more.
Left me mad.

[Alexandra G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Secret agent, spy, thief, jungle explorer - those are jobs Bly Ravensdale can do, but he might be in over his head raising his late brother’s children. On top of that, he has to do it at the family’s ancestral estate in England. A decrepit place, haunted by ghosts, bad memories and secrets. Set on returning to India as soon as possible, he gives himself three tasks : get the estate in order, hire a governess and wheel his aunt in to take over.

Running from a terrifying past, Miss Clara Dawson, finds herself governess of three little unruly orphans in an eerie crumbling Yorkshire estate. Determined these children will never suffer the way she had, she does everything in her might to give them stability, security and love. If only their uncle would cooperate!

She finds him rude, unkempt, with no sense of decorum. He finds her prim and proper, but also stubborn and brave. There's fear and pain in her eyes, yet she refuses to crumble. The bane of the other's existence, they take great pleasure in vexing each other. Soon, tension blends into attraction, and returning to his old life loses its appeal.
Sordid shadows of the past close in. Blackmail, attempt at murder and harsh decisions. One night of passion, broken hearts and a complication.

📚 An enthralling and thrilling tale of many secrets and great love. Jungles, deserts and misty old England. Polar opposites. Good intentions, bad decisions and grovelling. Lost souls finding together to make their own family. And a very satisfying and heart-warming happily ever after! The next books in this series are already on my TBR!
📚 Co-stars : a tiger, a parrot and a duke moonlighting as a footman
📚 Frenemies to lovers, steamy, open door, governess/boss, morally grey hero, slow burn, second chance

[SaturNalia · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 Clara is running away from a man who wants to hurt her, so she takes a position as governess to 3 Rivensdale children. Bly is an adventurer come home from India to take care of his brother's orphaned children. I liked the first half of the story but lack of communication between the leads ruined the second half. The first half was the couple slowly falling in love while renovating the dilapidated mansion and raising the children. The events of Clara's past are not revealed until the end. They never talk about their past so they don't know anything about each other. After Bly seduces Clara he is forced to leave her. He forgets about her for 3 years until someone tells him his niece is sick and dying. Bly returns home to find Clara and his niece near death, the servants ignoring them. He apologizes once and wonders why Clara is so mad at him, then offers marriage. Still no one is talking, he doesn't tell her why he had to leave or how he feels about her. How he was able to marry Clara 3 years later when the person who forbade the union was still alive, was not explained. Rushed ending, with all the bad guys being taken care of at once. No communication and some unanswered questions left me frustrated.

[Celestine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This historical romance veers into Gothic territory, but never lands there permanently because the characters are a little too non-mysterious to the reader (maybe because we know too much of the story), plus there are flashes of humor. However, there is a desperate situation that surrounds governess Clara and the motivations behind Bly Ravensdale's decisions are plenty murky. The antiquarian / adventurer aspect to Bly's "trade" adds a lot to the story. It is also nice that the H/h don't start with insta-lust. In fact, it was more insta-dislike, and it was an intriguing way to set up a romance. Clara and Bly are layered characters with plenty of flaws (particularly Bly). Unusual for a governess romance, the children are almost non-entities, and largely without issues or personality defects that run the plot. Nope, the plot belongs completely to Clara and Bly. I enjoyed the complexity of the characters and their situations. It might have bordered on angsty at one or two points, except that Clara was far too practical to indulge. Great period story, and I will look for more by Rebecca Paula.

[Jane H. Ring · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, if you want a complex plot as well as turns and twist, this may be a book for you. If you want characters with which you can relate, this may not be for you. While I don't demand that the hero or heroine be introduced as perfect people, I do want them to be admirable, misunderstood, or at least redeemable with in the first four chapters.
Furthermore the reader must be able to follow the dialogue and the action . I had to reread quite often to try to understand the conversation. There was often a disjunctive factor in the dialogue requiring me 1) to figure out who was speaking and 2) to determine why the person said it. Dialogue must be responsive. Sometimes it was as though the characters were not listening to each other. Also please work on your intonation cues in your novels.
Similarly, action sequences must be meticulously plotted. If a glass falls and breaks on the floor, please let the reader know who is/was holding the glass. It is difficult to follow an action scene if you are not aware that one of the characters is holding a pistol until you hear it go off. I read about one book a day, and I want the book to progress in a somewhat orderly fashion. Good examples of authors that do so are: Caroline Warfield (excellent action progression in the same historical settings), Lucinda Brant (wonderful evolution of a character from devil to hero), Denise Grover Swank (fantastic dialogue that promotes the character and the action), and Mary Kingswood (awesome plot lines that tie up all the loose ends).

[ECReads · Rating 2 out of 5]

*Toxic Relationship*
The hero in this book behaved like a self-centered, obnoxious jerk. The heroine was so emotionally needy she was attracted to him! This man was not a dashing rogue flaunting the rules of society. He was unnecessarily rude and disrespectful toward the h, yet in a relatively short time, she wanted him.

For a spy, the hero didn't seem very clever. He was too impetuous. He allowed himself to be bullied into making a reckless decision without much thought about the people affected by it. The heroine, for all her strength under the circumstances, couldn't manage to resist a man she couldn't even trust.

The book has some typos but reads well enough so that I read to the end. Even at the end of the book, I found very few redeeming qualities to improve my dislike of the hero.

[Greta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting

The story was a lot more in depth than I thought it would be. A lot of times we end up reading a typical governess book where the titled should not be involved with a servant. This book really delves into 2 tortured souls with very different stories who face more hardship even after they meet. I really enjoyed the story.

[Peyton · Rating 1 out of 5]

The second book I’ve ever DNF’d. I usually try to get through a book instead of not finishing it. This just dragged on too much and I couldn’t read another page. I won’t be losing sleep trying to figure out what happened in this book. There was no substance to it. The characters were flat and irredeemable. I didn’t feel any chemistry between the hero and heroine.

[Avdotja · Rating 2 out of 5]

Feels like a second draft. The pacing is weird, some major issues are kind of glanced over while too much time is spent on silly things.

[J Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

A hiding place in hell!

Miss Clara Dawson thought that her position as governess at Burton Hall, the Ravensdale ancestral seat, would provide an income as well as a much-needed place to hide. Little did she know that living there with Bly Ravensdale and his young charges would be its own taste of hell and chaos. Sword fights, tigers, and utter mayhem, as well as the hatred of the tenants and villagers were not at all what she was expecting.

Bly Ravensdale was hoping the young governess would be one more step to putting Burton Hall in order so that he could leave his nieces and nephew in good hands and return to India.

I really enjoyed this historical romance. There were some scenes that had me laughing and others made me want to cry.

[K YB · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid 2,5 weak 3 stars. I really liked the book since it had so many elements and deep-dived into the characters more than usual in the generic historical romance genre nowadays.

The slow burn and growing relationship between Bly and Clara were written nicely, you could feel the tension between them, her the etiquette master and him the breaker of rules. They were opposites who attracted, but as the book went along we got to explore that maybe they were not opposites but a facade they had to uphold because of society, especially Clara who was a bastard and had been put in school and was very serious. I hated the aunt who came to take care of the children, she was mean and extremely cold as were her staff. The first part of the book was mainly about Bly and Clara dancing around each other and then sleeping together once, and then Bly went overseas since his mentor Graham threatened him if he would not. Graham also threatened Clara and made things between her and Bly tense. Graham was also a mean and calculating figure and it annoyed me when it took Bly so long to stand up to him, it literally had to go to the lengths of death and threats until Graham was disposed of. The second part of the book was Bly coming back home since his niece was very ill after three years. So he had left Clara with his aunt to take care of the children but the mean aunt left for Italy and used the expenses for herself. Clara was shunned and as was the baby she had while Bly was away. Bly was extremely stupid when coming back, asking why Clara was upset and not getting that what he did was painful and unforgivable. He knew pretty early on then that Rhys was his son and he was adamant about getting Clara back. I liked that Clara was not open to it, and it took a while for her to be comfortable and trust Bly. However, what bothered me most among other things were the lack of communication especially from Bly's side. Why couldn't he just explain why he left and also about the "murder" of Clara's former employer?
Other things that bothered me:
- It took a long while and it still was not completely clear as to why everyone in town hated the Ravendales until the end and it still was not completely clear
- Things wrapped up too quickly at the end, the bad guys were killed as was Graham and the aunt who came back was kicked out. The tension between Bly and Clara vanished pretty quickly and the love between them resumed. I wanted more communication and airing things out better.
- Something fairly common in historical romance books is the typical stereotypes of others from "uncivilized" areas such as India, Persia, etc. It was quite evident in this book as well with Bly being savage because he did not adhere to English norms and how the others were described as uncivilized in other words was not tasteful. I do not get why this colonial stereotype must be included in most historical romance books. I know that the norm back then was pretty similar to this, however, there is no need to always uphold those stereotypes in my opinion.

[Martha B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Proper Fallen Angel and An Unrepentant Devil

Desperate and on the run, Clara is willing to take any position, even if it is working for the devil himself. Walking through the doors of Burton Hall, she literally stumbles into is a madness and chaos that will test all of her resolve and challenge her fears. Little does she know that she just stepped into her future.

Angry and feeling trapped, Bly only plans to take the least amount of time necessary to bring order to chaos, and then leave England for good. Then an annoying and stubborn etiquette angel turned his world upside down as she stumbles through the doors of Burton Hall. Little does he know she's the one who will alter his future.

Beautifully written, Etiquette with the Devil is an emotionally charged saga that spans an eight year period. Rebecca Paula weaves together a tender but messy love story with truly interesting characters. Although the plot moves a bit slow, still each scene propels this engrossing story forward to a very satisfying and smile-worthy conclusion.

Content alert: All in all, I really liked this book. However, this is an adult read due to the vulgarities, addictive use of substances, violence and sexual intimacy.

[Megan Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

The premise itself is quasi-Jane Eyre-esque. Girl on the run applies as a governess to a man recently returned from India and the nieces and nephew he has returned to care for. And at first, I was sold. The chemistry between the characters was great, the children cute and sincere, the secrets looming. I was waiting for those to come out and bite them most of the first half of the book. But there, I think, was the downfall.

The book goes, at the highest ( I hesitate to say climax both for irony and lack of applique) moment, to Part Two. And then it seems like the author was determined not to carry the story on, but to tie up every loose end the first part had created. Like some giant question and answer puzzle instead of a story. If you own the book already, read it. I think the book is well written and the characters relatable. I would however, suggest other books first, before I suggest this one.

Read the spoilers for my review here https://theresidentromantic.wordpress...

[Trudi Jorda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clara a woman with a secret in her past applies for a position as a governess to a man's children and finds a very strange welcome in store for her. The huge home is a a state of total disrepair and few servants. The man who hired her is the uncle of the children and he has his own secrets. With plenty of dangers and secrets upon other secrets these to argue their way into love but then Bly is threatened to someone that if he does not continue his secret missions in Africa, Egypt, India , China etc that the secrets of the governess will be exposed. He leaves to protect her but never tells her why he has to go. Things go from bad to worse like any melodrama . No spoilers. A good book but a bit to melodramatic for me!

[Lizette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intimate, realistic portrait of a love relationship

This story has much more depth than the typical Regency romances. It has:
- Wonderfully nuanced main characters, Clara and Bly.
- Excellent unfolding of their complex and eventually successful relationship.
- Steamy scenes that work as a natural part of the story and help Clara and Bly discover and develop their relationship.
- Believable supporting characters, some we like, and some we don't.
- A realistic picture of the social norms of the early 1800s in England.
- Suspense
- Surprises
- A beautiful ending

The only drawbacks were occasional missing words, repeated words, and the wrong prepositions (to, from, in, on, of, with, etc) for the meaning of the phrases.

[Kathleen Crowell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ll be generous with the 3 stars. I enjoyed the initial interactions between Bly and Clara. I always enjoy a relationship that develops at a good pace and not too quickly. So the first half was pretty good. Then it got choppy and kind of weird for me in part 2. I really didn’t understand how Graham had so much control over Bly...for a man who seemed especially strong-willed and self sufficient, Bly was out matched by Graham, and then Graham is simply arrested at the end...? The Aunt wasn’t really fleshed out for me either. Loved the kids and their role in the story. Was actually waiting to be “reunited “ with Lucy the tiger at some point! It was okay. Not great.

[Corinne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first I've read of Rebecca Paula and did not know what to expect.
Very gothic start - desperate woman traveling (in the rain) to take a position as governess and arrives soaking wet into chaotic living conditions. Interesting characters, not a boring moment. Even some amusing scenes. I especially liked the scenes with the 3 innocent young children, who help tame Blys.
I would have liked to have had more information regarding Clara's background and explanation of her flight. Towards the end some information is provided, but not enough for my taste.
4* - I really liked it.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Better than I thought

Although I really don’t enjoy it when women of this period are too independent and bossy, since I know the women of today would never fit in, this book wasn’t as unrealistic as I thought. I enjoyed the story. HOWEVER, this book needs to be re-edited as there were many verb tense errors, left out words in sentences, etc. Come on editors! Surely you can do better.

[Cait M · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars
Well-written, trope-heavy romance that ticks a lot of boxes. Governess and rogue, eerie gothic estate, enemies to lovers, second-chance romance, secret baby, marriage of convenience/duty, you name it.

I really enjoyed the story of Clara and Bly with all its twists and turns, told over the space of a few years and with an epilogue a few years after the final chapter takes place.

This book contains descriptive love scenes.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

I waivered between a 3 and 4 on this book, but since it was enjoyable a four it is! There were a few print errors that should have been caught. Also, their should have been more information regarding what happened with the outcome of her first employer (I felt that was just swept under the carpet). Anyway, I enjoyed the characters and plot.

[Bridget Love to read Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

The devil is in the details

Clara is a governess on the run! She comes to care for the children as she heals from wounds inflicted by her previous post! Bylthe is the Uncle that returned the children to England from India! The title does not do the book justice! There is betrayal, brutal attacks, bullet wounds and assassins! You won't want to put this one down!

[Keith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Refreshing read!

This was not your typical governess falls in love with employer romance. I liked that the characters took some time to get to know each other instead of Insta love. The storyline and characters were interesting and not as predictable as some books. Very refreshing read. There were a few editing errors but did not distract the flow of the story.

[Diane Horne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Etiquette with the Devil (Book 1) By Rebecca Paulaq

Five stars, Clara had baggage which she brought with her as a governess.. But her employer Bly had more baggage than she could handle.. This story has a lot of mystery and lot's of violence.. But it is truly a love story.. With a good ending.

[Judi Easley · Rating 4 out of 5]

First Thoughts: In spite of some areas that weren't ever well explained, this was a really good read. The characters were well matched, two strong people in a battle of wills. And they do get their HEA. I love their sidekick, the Duke. I want to read his story. I loved the aunt's exit scene. Recommended.

[Annette · Rating 5 out of 5]

ETIQUETTE WITH THE DEVIL: is one of the best historical romance books I’ve read. It’s in my top five ! A complicated story, a fierce heroine and a hero no one can kill, though they try. Love, honor, pain, all here for a happy ending.

[NF · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book needs a proofreader. The characters were unappealing.