We just can’t get enough of Lisa Kleypas here. Especially with series like the Ravenels. It’s a historical romance masterpiece, set in the same universe as her earlier series the Wallflowers. In this guide to the Ravenels by Lisa Kleypas, we go through the reading order, our fantasy cast and spoiler free synopsis.
Last updated March 2024
The Ravenels by Lisa Kleypas series guide
In this guide to the Ravenels by Lisa Kleypas we are going to dive into everything you need to know. We’ve put together our fantasy cast, the reading order, and an at a glance series synopsis so you can get a feel for the books. But, don’t worry, we’ve avoided all spoilers.
Here at Under the Covers Book Blog we are huge fangirls of Lisa Kleypas, so putting this together was an absolute joy – and an amazing excuse to reread the series. Kleypas wrote the Ravenels series after a successful sojourn into the contemporary romance genre, for us though she will always be queen of Historical Romance. So, we were glad to she was back working her magic on historical romance by bringing us the hot tempered and passionate Ravenel family. We love it. Not only does she manage to write some fantastic romances with a range of different and quirky characters, we also get to experience the warm embrace of familial love as all the families connections intertwine.
Read the series that started it all!
The Wallflowers Series Guide
The Ravenels by Lisa Kleypas is a spin-off of the Wallflower series, although you don’t need to have read it to start the Ravenels.
The Ravenels by Lisa Kleypas series synopsis
The Ravenel family is known for their hot tempers and this generation is no different. Theo Ravenel proves this after when his death leaves the title of Earl of Trenear vacant and with no children it gets handed down to a distant and entirely unsuitable cousin, Devon Ravenel. However, Theo also leaves behind his wife of three days and three sisters. The rakish and irresponsible Devon is now responsible for not only an ailing money pit of an estate, but the welfare of the ladies in the family.
With the family in shambles, with no money and very little reputation how will this generation of Ravenels navigate the dangers of high society and love? Find out in the Ravenels by Lisa Kleypas!
Read the Ravenels by Lisa Kleypas if you like…
The Ravenels by Lisa Kleypas reading order
- Cold-Hearted Rake (Book 1)
- Marrying Winterborne (Book 2)
- Devil in Spring (Book 3)
- Hello Stranger (Book 4)
- Devil’s Daughter (Book 5)
- Chasing Cassandra (Book 6)
- Devil in Disguise (Book 7)
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Ravenels Series Fantasy Cast
Devon Ravenel, Earl of Trenear
Who is he? Until Devon unexpectedly inherited the Earldom, he was a hedonistic rake who avoided all responsibility. He is also in possession of the (in)famous Ravenel temper, which he controls by taking regular exercise.
Family: His younger brother in Weston Ravenel and he is cousin to Pandora Ravenel, Cassandra Ravenel and Helen Ravenel
Book: First appears in Cold-Hearted Rake. Romance in Cold Hearted Rake
Romance: Kathleen Ravenel
Fantasy Cast: Clement Becq
Lady Kathleen Ravenel
Who is she? Kathleen is the widow of Theo Ravenel, the former Earl of Trenear; however, he died three days after their wedding leading Devon Ravenel to inherit the title
Family: Kathleen is the daughter of an Itish peer and the sister-in-law, and very close friends, with Pandora Ravenel, Cassandra Ravenel and Helen Ravenel
Book: First appears in Cold-Hearted Rake. Romance in Cold Hearted Rake
Hobbies: Loves horses, especially her finely bred Arabian horse Asad
Romance: Devon Ravenel
Fantasy Cast: Nathalie Emmanuel
Rhys Winterborne
Who is he? Winterborne is a self-made man who started off as a son of a Welsh grocer and is now an extremely wealthy man and owns the department store Winterborne’s
Friends: Friends with Devon Ravenel, West Ravenel and Tom Severin
Book: First appears in Cold-Hearted Rake. Romance in Marrying Winterborne
Employment: He is driven to succeed and doesn’t like to be inactive and is deeply involved in the running of Winterborne’s department store
Romance: Helen Ravenel
Fantasy Cast: Tom Ellis
Lady Helen Ravenel
Who is she? Until Devon Ravenel inherited the title Helen had lived an extremely sheltered life in Eversby Priory, the Trenear estate, with little contact with the outside world. She is quiet and shy, which can be taken as aloofness when in fact she is very compassionate and maternal.
Family: Eldest sister of Pandora Ravenel and Cassandra Ravenel. Cousin of West Ravenel and Devon Ravenel. Close friends with Kathleen Ravenel
Book: First appears in Cold-Hearted Rake. Romance in Marrying Winterborne
Hobbies: She enjoys taking care of the often tricky and difficult orchids and has a collection of over 200 of them
Romance: Rhys Winterborne
Fantasy Cast: Saoirse Ronan
Gabriel Challon, Lord St Vincent
Who is he? As the son of the Duke of Kingston he has huge expectations on him and is under constant scrutiny from those around, as such he ensures that he strives and succeeds at being perfect at everything he tried his hand at.
Family: He is the eldest son of Evie Jenner and Sebastian Challon, from Devil in Winter (Wallflowers #3). (See our Wallflower series guide to learn more!). Brother to Phoebe, Lady Clare
Book: First appears in Devil in Spring. Romance in Devil in Spring
Romance: Pandora Ravenel
Fantasy Cast: Lucky Blue Smith
Lady Pandora Ravenel
Who is she? Pandora is unconventional with boundless energy with a clever mind that often skips from one subject to another. She is also partially deaf in her left ear which means she has poor balance and cannot move around very well in the dark
Family: Twin sister to Cassandra Ravenel. Younger sister of Helen Ravenel. Cousin to Devon Ravenel and West Ravenel. Close and sisterly/maternal bond to Kathleen Ravenel
Ambitions: Is determined not to marry and instead have a board game company. She already has designed a game called Shopping Spree, which is near production. Rhys Winterborne predicts it will be a huge success
Book: First appears in Cold-Hearted Rake. Romance in Devil in Spring
Romance: Gabriel Challon, Lord St. Vincent
Fantasy Cast: Alexandra Daddario
Ethan Ransom
Who is he? Born of Irish parents, he is now in London doing mysterious and dangerous work for the government amongst other things. He is well suited for clandestine activities as he has a sharp mind with an eye for odd details.
Family: Now now, that would be spoilers!
Book: First appears in Marrying Winterborne. Romance in Hello Stranger
Romance: Dr Garrett Gibson
Fantasy Cast: Samuel Anderson
Dr Garrett Gibson
Who is she? Garrett is the only female doctor in England and works with the latest methods. Fierce and clever, she is also adapt at fencing and takes a cane around with her so she can defend herself when called for.
Employment: Works for Rhys Winterborne as a staff doctor for all of Winterborne’s employees and has since become close friends with Helen Ravenel
Education: Garrett went to medical school in Sorbonne, France because no medical school back home would admit a female, she is now the only female doctor in England
Book: First appears in Marrying Winterborne. Romance in Hello Stranger
Romance: Ethan Ransom
Fantasy Cast: Bianca Comparato
Weston Ravenel
Who is he? Known as West, he starts the series as a drunkard whose life of excess has led to his body being bloated and his face showing signs of excessive drinking. However, it can’t entirely disguise his sharp wit and intelligence.
Interests: Initially his only interests are hedonistic in nature, however, he soon develops an interest in innovative methods of land management and farming.
Family: The younger brother of Devon Ravenel and he is cousin to Pandora Ravenel, Cassandra Ravenel and Helen Ravenel
Book: First appears in Cold-Hearted Rake. Romance in Devil’s Daughter
Romance: Phoebe, Lady Clare
Fantasy Cast: David Giuntoli
Phoebe, Lady Clare
Who is she? Widowed with two young sons, she had a happy marriage with her childhood sweetheart Henry, Lord Clare until he died a few years ago. She is clever and kind and after her fog of grief, determined to make her own choices.
Family: Phoebe is the mother of Stephen and Justin. She is also the eldest daughter of Evie Jenner and Sebastian Challon, from Devil in Winter (Wallflowers #3). (See our Wallflower series guide to learn more!). Older sister to Gabriel Challon, Lord St. Vincent
Book: First appears in Devil in Spring. Romance in Devil’s Daughter
Romance: West Ravenel
Fantasy Cast: Elena Satine
Tom Severin
Who is he? Tom was forced to grow up young when his father abandoned him, now he believes himself heartless. He professes to only allow himself to feel five emotions to ensure he is not overburdened and swayed by feelings
Employment: Tom is a ruthless business man, even with his friends. His interests currently lie in the railway, but he has a variety of business interests, making him a very powerful man
Friends: Friends with Devon Ravenel, West Ravenel and Rhys Winterborne
Book: First appears in Marrying Winterborne. Romance in Chasing Cassandra
Romance: Lady Cassandra Ravenel
Fantasy Cast: Nicholas Hoult
All Things Kleypas
Best Books by Lisa Kleypas
Our list of the must read books by Lisa Kleypas. Such a hard thing to narrow down because she’s one of the best authors, in our opinion. But it’s definitely a good place to start.
Lady Cassandra Ravenel
Who is she? Cassandra is very different from her vivacious and outgoing twin Pandora Ravenel. She has far more traditional ambitions and longs to have a family of her own and is known for her warmth and kindness. She has a fondness for sweets and since the first book has become fuller figured, much to her chagrin.
Friends: Twin sister to Pandora Ravenel. Younger sister of Helen Ravenel. Cousin to Devon Ravenel and West Ravenel. Close and sisterly/maternal bond to Kathleen Ravenel
Book: First appears in Cold-Hearted Rake. Romance in Chasing Cassandra
Romance: Tom Severin
Fantasy Cast: Amelia Clarkson
Keir MacRae
Who is he? Keir is a proud Scotsman who’s a little rough around the edges, but kind and with a poetic turn of phrase when moved. He’s not used to being around nobility and the peerage and is more comfortable around his men.
Employment: Keir owns and runs the whisky distillery MacRae Distillery on the remote Scottish Isle of Islay. He inherited the business from his adopted father, and loves working with his men.
Family: Keir was adopted when he was a baby by an older couple who raised him and loved him deelpy. His birth mother and father are unknown
Book: First appears in Devil in Disguise. Romance in Devil in Disguise
Romance: Lady Merritt Sterling
Fantasy Cast: Unknown
Lady Merritt Sterling
Who is she? Lady Merritt Sterling, formerly Lady Merritt Marsden, is the widow of Joshua Sterling. She is vivacious, smarts and charming. She is adept at speaking to people of all walks of life and steering people, gently, into doing what she needs.
Employment: She runs her deceased husbands shipping company Sterling Enterprises with the assistance of her youngest brother Luke Marsden
Family: Merritt is the eldest child of Lillian Bowman and Marcus Marsden, Lord Westcliff, from It Happened One Autumn (Wallflowers #2). (See our Wallflower series guide to learn more!). She is also Phoebe, Lady Clare’s best friend.
Book: First appears in Devil’s Daughter. Romance in Devil in Disguise
Romance: Keir MacRae
Fantasy Cast: Zoey Deutch
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I love the cast choices for The Revenels series!
Thanks for the refresher course on the Ravenel family and their acquaintances.
love the casting for the Ravenels
While not my favorite historical romance author, I know I can rely on her for a decent read.
I haven’t had a chance to read the Ravenels series yet – but now I have to!
I love the cast choices for The Revenels series!
Thanks for the refresher course on the Ravenel family and their acquaintances.
What a fascinating series! Thanks for sharing the character summaries.
love the casting for the Ravenels
While not my favorite historical romance author, I know I can rely on her for a decent read.
Thanks for posting!
I love the Wallflowers series! I can’t wait to read this series!
Love the Ravenels series and your cast choices!
I haven’t had a chance to read the Ravenels series yet – but now I have to!
I’ve really been enjoying the Ravenels series, and I especially enjoyed Marrying Winterborne.
What a fascinating series! Thanks for sharing the character summaries.
Thanks for posting!
I love the Wallflowers series! I can’t wait to read this series!
Love the Ravenels series and your cast choices!
I’ve really been enjoying the Ravenels series, and I especially enjoyed Marrying Winterborne.
I can’t wait to catch up on the series, love your choices for the cast especially David Giuntoli as West!!!
I have not read this series, but I love the breakdown you did! Thanks!
I can’t wait to catch up on the series, love your choices for the cast especially David Giuntoli as West!!!
I have not read this series, but I love the breakdown you did! Thanks!
I’ve read the Walflowers series and loved it. Lisa is my go to author.
I’ve read the Walflowers series and loved it. Lisa is my go to author.
Adding to my wishlist.
Adding to my wishlist.
Where is a book on Cassandra Ravanel, where is her stoey
I love this series so much! Alexis Bedel is perfect for Pandora!
Thanks for the post, I haven’t read this series.
Hope you give it a try 🙂