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Hathaway Family

Love in the Afternoon by Lisa Kleypas

By Barb Drozdowich

ISBN: 0312605390

Publisher: St. Martin’s Paperback

Release: June 2010

Source: I purchased this book to read and review

As a lover of animals and nature, Beatrix Hathaway has always been more comfortable outdoors than in the ballroom. Even though she participated in the London season in the past, the classic beauty and free-spirited Beatrix has never been swept away or seriously courted…and she has resigned herself to the fate of never finding love. Has the time come for the most unconventional of the Hathaway sisters to settle for an ordinary man—just to avoid spinsterhood?

Captain Christopher Phelan is a handsome, daring soldier who plans to marry Beatrix’s friend, the vivacious flirt Prudence Mercer, when he returns from fighting abroad. But, as he explains in his letters to Pru, life on the battlefield has darkened his soul—and it’s becoming clear that Christopher won’t come back as the same man. When Beatrix learns of Pru’s disappointment, she decides to help by concocting Pru’s letters to Christopher for her. Soon the correspondence between Beatrix and Christopher develops into something fulfilling and deep…and when Christopher comes home, he’s determined to claim the woman he loves. What began as Beatrix’s innocent deception has resulted in the agony of unfulfilled love—and a passion that can’t be denied…

Love in the Afternoon is the 5th and final book in Lisa Kleypas’s latest series about the Hathaway Family.  This novel is about Beatrix’s story.  Beatrix is the youngest member of the Hathaway family, and the most beloved and protected of the group.  She is quite eccentric and more comfortable with animals than humans.  The hero of the story is Captain Christopher Phelan who is off fighting the Crimean war for the first part of this story.  He is one of the boys from the neighborhood who Beatrix has always known growing up.  He is from a wealthy family and is not only very good looking, but also very arrogant.

Prudence Mercer, a friend of Beatrix, has been writing to Christopher while he is at war.  Prudence is probably as self-centered as Christopher and is writing him letters to keep his attention on her as she intends to marry him when he returns from war.  When Christopher’s letters become too full of feelings, she loses interest  in keeping up with them.  Beatrix, who feels sorry for Christopher, offers to continue to write letters on behalf of Prudence.  In writing letters to Christopher, Beatrix shares quite a bit of personal information about herself before she feels too guilty about impersonating Prudence to continue.  Her last letter that is inadvertently mailed, begs Christopher to find her.

The Christopher that returns from the war is a different person than the one who left.  He is not only psychologically damaged by his experiences in the Crimean War, but he brings with him the dog he inherited that needs alot of TLC.  He is driven to find Prudence and marry her.  In his mind, her letters are what helped him survive.  When he finds Prudence, he finds a woman who is nothing like her letters!  He then begins his search for the woman who came to mean so much to him through those letters.

This 5th and final book brings this great series to a wonderful conclusion!  I have been waiting to hear Beatrix’s story since the beginning of the series.  I knew she would need a special man to complement her eccentricities.  She finds that man in the damaged Christopher.  He comes back from war so damaged that he can’t fit into the life that he once had.  Seeing him start to heal with the help of his true friends, was almost as fascinating as watching him fall in love with Beatrix.  He certainly didn’t want to have anything to do with Beatrix at the beginning, but she soothed him – a skill that she was proficient at.  The two of them complement each other so well that I just melted inside!!

Although each book of this series could stand alone if necessary, the set of 5 flow from one to another in a very smooth and satisfying way.  I am going to miss spending time with the Hathaway family.  They are a cohesive group of very different people who complement each other.  Spending time learning about their lives has been thoroughly enjoyable!  Although I haven’t always enjoyed Lisa Kleypas’s books, I certainly have enjoyed this series!

RTBookReviews labels Love in the Afternoon a top pick with 4.5 stars and has the following to say: “Readers have fallen in love with the Hathaways, eagerly anticipating animal-loving Beatrix’s story. Unconventional, delightful, touching and unforgettable are watchwords for this series and Kleypas provides a marvelous love story with its depth of emotion, timely themes and a deep-sigh ending.”

Dirty Sexy Books gave Love in the Afternoon a 4 out of 5 and said: “And so ends the Hathaway family saga.  I’m going to miss this historical romance series.  It was consistently charming, romantic, and funny from start to finish.  I blasted through each book like a blowtorch through butter, and that’s all thanks to Lisa Kleypas and her effortless writing style.”

As the above quote said, “And so ends the Hathaway family saga…”.  I enjoyed the series overall and look forward to what Lisa Kleypas writes next.  For more information have a look at her website.

This book counts towards my entry for the Historical Romance Reading Challenge.

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Tempt Me At Twilight by Lisa Kleypas

By Barb Drozdowich

ISBN: 978-0312949822
Publisher: St Martins paperbacks
Source: I found this book at my local library

Poppy Hathaway loves her unconventional family, though she longs for normalcy. Then fate leads to a meeting with Harry Rutledge, an enigmatic hotel owner and inventor with wealth, power, and a dangerous hidden life. When their flirtation compromises her own reputation, Poppy shocks everyone by accepting his proposal—only to find that her new husband offers his passion, but not his trust.

Harry was willing to do anything to win Poppy—except to open his heart. All his life, he has held the world at arm’s length…but the sharp, beguiling Poppy demands to be his wife in every way that matters. Still, as desire grows between them, an enemy lurks in the shadows. Now if Harry wants to keep Poppy by his side, he must forge a true union of body and soul, once and for all…

Tempt Me At Twilight is the third book in the latest series by Lisa Kleypas. I have enjoyed the books so far and started to read this book with great anticipation. I was not disappointed!

The story of the Hathaway family continues in this book with Poppy being the heroine of the story. She is the member of the family who wishes for normalcy. If you remember from the other books in the series, the Hathaway family is well known for being unconventional, to put it mildly! Our story begins with Poppy chasing her sister’s ferret, who is carrying her latest love letter in his mouth, through the halls of the Rutledge Hotel. Unlike other members of London society, the Hathaways do not have a permanent residence in London, and therefore they spend the season living in a suite in the hotel. The love letter comes from Poppy’s secret beau, Michael. Poppy is desperate to retrieve the letter before someone else finds it and a scandal results. During her hunt for the ferret she has a chance meeting with the reclusive Harry Rutledge. Harry knows who Poppy is as she has stayed at his hotel for the past 3 seasons, but she has no idea who she is chatting with.

Harry Rutledge is a hotel owner and inventor who is very intelligent, wealthy and powerful. He decides that he wants to marry Poppy and goes about securing her hand in a completely underhanded fashion. When she discovers this, just before she is about to walk up the aisle that she had been deceived, sparks fly!

Poppy then proceeds to teach Harry how to be part of a family. At the same time, Harry is realizing the he can’t control Poppy like one of his employees. The encounters between Poppy and the staff of the hotel are wonderful to read. I also like how Poppy’s completely unconventional family gathers around her and Harry to help their marriage survive. The only negative comment that I can make about this story is a part that is added at the end involving Harry’s kidnapping. I felt that it was unnecessary to put that section in. (or maybe it is important in the next book that I haven’t read yet)

Lisa Kleypas is the author of something like 34 books and regularly receives high praise for her books. I have enjoyed many of her stories, but I’ll put this one close to the top of my list! I am eagerly anticipating the next book in the series!

The Good, The Bad and the Unread loved Tempt Me at Twilight and said:  “I highly recommend Twilight for anyone who is a fan of historical romance or just romance in general.  It is a lovely, complex story about redemption, discovery, family, and love.  You shouldn’t miss it.”

The Romance Reader gives Tempt Me at Twilight 4 hearts and has the following comment: “Lisa Kleypas is a pretty dependable author for me – I tend to enjoy her stories, and Tempt Me at Twilight is no exception. Most intriguing is the hero, Harry Rutledge, a wealthy businessman whose normal methods of acquisition blow up in his face when he employs them to win a wife.“

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Seduce Me At Sunrise by Lisa Kleypas

By Barb Drozdowich

ISBN: 0312949812

Publisher: St. Martin’s Paperbacks


Win has been an invalid ever since she suffered a near-fatal case of scarlet fever. Merripen is a Romany Gypsy who was taken in by the Hathaway family when he was a boy. He has always kept his fierce passion for Win a secret, believing a romantic relationship would never be possible.
But Win goes to an exclusive clinic, far away from Merripen and the rest of her family, and makes a remarkable recovery. And when she returns two years later, a changed woman, the explosive passion between these long-denied lovers threatens their family, their future, and even their lives . . .

Seduce Me At Sunrise tells the story of Win, the most delicate of the Hathaway family.  She contracted scarlet fever as a child and although she survived, her lungs are significantly weakened by the disease.  The hero of this story is Kev Merripen.  He is a gypsy who has lived with the Hathaway family since they found him hurt and abandoned as a child.  Kev fills the roll of the family’s servant and general handyman, but the rest of the family always have seen him as one of them. Kev has always been Win’s protector and is secretly in love with her.  Cam and Amelia decide to send Win away to a clinic in France to be treated  by the controversial but renown Dr. Harrow who has performed miracles with other respiratory patients.  Her brother Leo accompanies her on her trip and the hope is that although he won’t be treated in the clinic, that Leo will find himself during his time in France.

Win returns a stronger, healthier woman and now hopes for an adult relationship with Kev – whom she has always loved.  Kev remains standoffish, unwilling to expose Win to the scandal of a relationship with a Gypsy man.  Both Kev and Win harbor secrets that add quite an interesting other dimension to the story.  Adds some mystery to their somewhat gentle love story.  The progression of both their love story, as well as the secrets that act to drag them apart, is a fascinating read.

I appreciate all the little details that Lisa Kleypas adds to the story.  The little historical facts, the words that Kev speaks in the gypsy tongue, all combine to make this a book that is difficult to put down.  As many other reviewers have pointed out, it tends to be one of the darker books of this particular series.  Lisa Kleypas takes us into a world where every action is scrutinized by society and scandal is something to be feared.  The modern medicine that we are familiar with doesn’t exist and diseases that are effectively dealt with today, cause lifelong disability.  You may find this book difficult to get through, but I found it to be the most rewarding of the bunch!  I’ve included some industry reviews…..

Romance Junkies give Seduce Me At Sunrise a rating of 5 and has the following to say: “Lisa Kleypas is one of the few historical romance authors who can sweep readers away into a different time and place. Her scenery comes alive, her descriptions make her story more authentic, but it is truly the romance that has made her such a living presence in the romance genre. SEDUCE ME AT SUNRISE will sweep you away into a turbulent and evocative romance.“

“Each member of the family is a delight to meet, and the depths of emotions and love they have for each other are shown magnificently…a spectacular story that continues the saga of the Hathaway family.” Romance Reviews

The Book Binge gives this book 4.25 out of 5 saying: “I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants to keep the party going after the beauty that was Cam and Amelia’s story.”

“Lushly sexy and thoroughly romantic…superbly crafted characters and an intriguing plot blend together brilliantly in this splendid romance.” Booklist

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