• About Jess and the Dogs
  • The Books I Write
  • Contact Me
Books and dogs

Books and Dogs

A blog about books and dogs

  • Book Blog
  • In The Stacks
  • About Jess and the Dogs
You are here: Home / Historical Romance / Book Discussion: Marrying Winterborne by Lisa Kleypas

Book Discussion: Marrying Winterborne by Lisa Kleypas

Featured, Historical Romance

Marrying Winterborne by Lisa Kleypas on a tablet next to a basset hound

Marrying Winterborne by Lisa Kleypas is a Victorian historical romance that I would argue breaks the rules of historical romance. Here’s why.

Marrying Winterborne

We meet Mr. Winterborne, the owner of the majestic London department store of the same name, in Cold-Hearted Rake, the first book in the Ravenels series. We watch the sparks fly between Winterborne and Helen, the cousin of his friend, Devon, the new Earl of Trenear.

When I read Cold-Heart Raked I immediately purchased Marrying Winterborne and proceeded to read the entire Amazon Look Inside impatiently waiting for my paperback to arrive.

Winterborne’s brutish qualities clashed wildly with Helen’s quiet and innocent character, and I was left salivating, wondering what happens next. These two are the perfect set up for a historical romance in an opposites attract way. But that’s where the historical romance rules end.

The Ravenels

The thing about Lisa Kleypas’s Ravenels series is that it steps ever so delicately outside the historical romance footprint. The Ravenels are forward thinking aristocrats facing the end of an era. They negotiate leases with railroads and marry men in trade because the aristocracy is dying, and the titled must find a way to survive.

In years past, the historical romance genre has eschewed any mention of the eventual deterioration of the titled class in favor of the romanticized version of it. Kleypas does no such thing.

The Ravenels are fresh, exciting, and my favorite of all, living in a time period of abrupt and expansive change, embracing new technologies and social norms.

I find the Ravenels series to be Kleypas at her best in both plot and character development.

And this from someone who will forever argue that Sebastian, Lord St. Vincent, is the perfect historical romance hero.

Rhys and Helen

Rhys, the hero, is Welsh, low born, and works in trade. (*gasp!*) Helen is the daughter of an earl, has a courtesy title, and is the very epitome of the word innocent.

What drew me to this unlikely pairing was how each defied my expectations. I’ve read historical romances with an innocent heroine before, and I’ve mostly found them to be simpering and shy. Helen is not. While she is unschooled and somewhat cautious, it doesn’t stop her from taking what she wants. The very premise of this historical romance novel stems from the fact that she wishes to marry Winterborne, and through her former sister-in-law’s meddling, the engagement is broken. Helen strikes out to win Winterborne back.

And that’s just the opening of the book!

I think I’ve fallen victim to the sometimes crass but lovable heroes that have been popular of late (think Benedict Cumberbatch’s portrayal of Sherlock Holmes). When Rhys was first presented, I thought this would be more of the same, but it’s decidedly not. Rhys is warm and caring and thoughtful even if his character seems larger than life.

He is downright swoon-worthy, guys.

Who Should Read Marrying Winterborne

If you love:

  • Opposites attract romance
  • Victorian time period fraught with technological change and social upheaval
  • Historical romance that steps outside the norms in terms of expectations of heroes and heroines (à la Jennifer McQuiston)

Marrying Winterbourne is the historical romance for you.

Final Thoughts

Marrying Winterbourne was high stakes, fast paced, and dripping with the best historical romance has to offer. I’ve already queued up the rest of the series in my library app and can’t wait to discover of the rest the Ravenels have to offer.

Want more historical romance?

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
Share
Pin
Tweet
0 Shares

February 9, 2022 ·

Disclosure of Material Connection

Some of the links in the page above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Previous Post: « Book Discussion: Mr. Impossible by Loretta Chase
Next Post: Book Discussion: A Lady in the Smoke by Karen Odden »

Primary Sidebar

Welcome to the blog about books and dogs.

I'm Jess and these are the dogs. Come on in, and let's find your next favorite read. Read More…

Browse by Category

Subscribe to Books & Dogs via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Search

Let’s connect.

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • YouTube

Find Your New Favorite Author

a.g. riddle abby jimenez alex michaelides alex north beatriz williams camilla sten charlotte bronte christina lauren daisy prescott deanna raybourn diana gabaldon elle cosimano elly griffiths erica ridley j. ryan stradal jane austen jerry seinfeld joanna schaffhausen julia quinn karen odden karen white kate bateman katherine center kendra adachi laura dave laura zigman lauren willig liane moriarty lisa kleypas loretta chase lucy foley lynn kurland matt haig mike rowe nedra glover tawwab orson scott card rick riordan ruth ware sally thorne sarah maclean sarah pinborough shari lapena simone st. james teri wilson tessa dare
  • Privacy Policy
  • Copyright Policy
  • Disclosures and Disclaimers
Have I mentioned this really hot sale of steamy hi Have I mentioned this really hot sale of steamy historical romance novels? Maybe once or twice? ⁣
⁣
Time is running out to save big and fill your ereaders with historical romances that are sure to keep you warm this winter. Check out the sale now by following the link in my bio!⁣
⁣
#historicalromance #romancebooks #books #reading #hothistoricalromance #ebook
I'm so glad I gave Not a Happy Family by Shari Lap I'm so glad I gave Not a Happy Family by Shari Lapena a second chance. I had started it as an ebook and just couldn't get into it, but when I switched to audiobook, I was hooked. This is just another example of how changing a book's format may help the reader engage with the story. I definitely recommend this strategy if you're just not getting into a book you thought you might love.⁣
⁣
Not a Happy Family is a fantastic whodunit mystery with a delicious, unsavory cast that you can never trust. If you're looking for great, twisted mystery to curl up with, this might be for you. Check out the full discussion on the book blog. Link in my bio! ⁣
⁣
#whodunit #mystery #agathachristie #murdermystery #thrillers #psychologicalthriller #murdercase #cozymystery
Have you stopped by the Cold Nights, Hot Historica Have you stopped by the Cold Nights, Hot Historicals ebook sale yet? ⁣
⁣
You'll find When the Earl Falls in Love for only $0.99 for a very limited time in select markets. Get started on The Secret Matchmaker series before the next book in the series comes out next month!⁣
⁣
Link for the sale is in my bio!⁣
⁣
#secretmatchmaker #historicalromancenovels #romancenovels #amreadingromance #romancereaders #readers #readersofig #amreading #ebooksale #booksale #discountedbooks
FREE BOOK!⁣ ⁣ The Marquess She Loved is FREE f FREE BOOK!⁣
⁣
The Marquess She Loved is FREE for a very limited time! ⁣
⁣
She's loved him forever. But he only has eyes for someone else. But when fate throws them together, can they find their way to love?⁣
⁣
This is the second book in the Atwood Sisters series, and a friends to lovers historical romance. ⁣
⁣
Link is in my bio!⁣
⁣
#freebook #romancenovel #victorianromance #atwoodsisters #series #books #bookworm
Looking for some snowy reads to snuggle up with th Looking for some snowy reads to snuggle up with this winter?⁣
⁣
Definitely check out Ruth Ware's In a Dark Dark Wood. This is a locked room, Agatha Christie-type mystery of whodunit, and I love how Ware has constructed the story to unfold with the unreliable narrator in the present trying to remember the past. Brilliantly done to raise the stakes and ramp up the tension.⁣
⁣
Check out my full discussion at the link in my bio.⁣
⁣
#bookblog #mystery #thriller #bookstagrammer #booksta #booksanddogs #books #amreading #readers #mysterybooks #mysterynovels #thrillerbooks #suspense #agathachristie
Did you know my audiobooks are now on Spotify?⁣ Did you know my audiobooks are now on Spotify?⁣
⁣
Head on over and take a listen at the link in my bio!⁣
⁣
#audiobooks #dukes #romance #spotify #amlistening #audiobookstagram #wallflowers
It’s time to meet the Shadowing London series. It’s time to meet the Shadowing London series. 

This series remains a fan favorite, and it’s not hard to see why. Each story is full of the tropes you love, yes, but they’re also packed with mystery, adventure, and daring. If you’re looking for historical mystery with romantic elements, don’t miss the Shadowing London series.

#shadowinglondon #spies #spybooks #romancebooks #historicalromance #historicalmystery #mystery #thrillerbooks
Looking to warm up this winter? ⁣ ⁣ I've teame Looking to warm up this winter? ⁣
⁣
I've teamed up with some of your favorite historical romance authors to bring you Cold Nights, Hot Historicals. Check out this collection of discounted steamy historical romances and fill up your ereaders for those cold, winter nights!⁣
⁣
Link in bio!⁣
⁣
#historicalromance #booksale #ebooksale #ebooks #ereaders #kindle #nook #amreading #readers #readersofig #romancereaders
Here I am once again asking you to join my newslet Here I am once again asking you to join my newsletter. Here's why.⁣
⁣
1. You will be the first to know when something really cool happens like a pre-order, a sale, or behind the scenes things like pictures of my dogs napping. ⁣
2. Amazon only shows you my books that it thinks you'll like based on your purchasing history. It won't show you all of them. So to get the whole picture, you want to be a part of this club.⁣
3. I host incredible guest authors, and we have a lot of fun. Are you always looking for new authors to binge? You'll find them in my newsletter.⁣
4. Isn't 1-3 enough? I'm going to need far more coffee to come up with a fourth reason.⁣
⁣
Join today at the link in my bio.⁣
⁣
#authorlife #authors #authorsofig #writer #writerlife #amwriting #readers #readersrock #readersarecool #ilovereaders

Disclosure of Material Connection

Some of the links in the page above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Amazon Affiliate Disclosure

Books & Dogs is a participant in the Amazon Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and its affiliated sites. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Copyright © 2022 · Anchored Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in