"In the fairy tale you mentioned last night, I would probably be the villain.
But it's possible the villain would treat you far better than the prince would have."
But it's possible the villain would treat you far better than the prince would have."
--Lisa Kleypas, Tempt Me At Twilight
Genre: Adult Historical Romance
Genre: Adult Historical Romance
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Pages: 373
Publication Date: September 22nd, 2009
Source: Bought
Previous Books in Series: Mine Till Midnight & Seduce Me At Sunrise
Goodreads Description
He was everything she'd sworn to avoid.
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.
And she was everything he needed.
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...
He was everything she'd sworn to avoid.
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.
And she was everything he needed.
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...
Mini Review
No, no, no, no, NO! I lied!! This…THIS book is my favorite so far!! Poppy is so totally me where I am at emotionally right now that I just GOT her! Ok but let me back up. *deep breath* Poppy has had several failed London seasons and after a chance meeting with Harry Rutledge, the owner of Rutledge Hotel, her chance at a fairy tale happy ending goes up in flames. Harry is manipulative, cunning, and all things sexy. She is attracted to him but doesn’t want to be because her heart lies somewhere else. Harry has never felt this way before and after circumstances *cough* bring them together, the infamous hate-to-love trope begins. I. Loved. This. So. Hard. I love Harry’s devious qualities, I found them completely endearing. But even more than that I loooooved his tenderness towards Poppy. When she is hurt he is just too adorable for words with how he acts. And Poppy? Her open heart to him warms my own cold heart. I adore how patient she is with him and how hard she works to understand and accept him. Before she meets Harry she goes through some heartbreak with feelings of inadequacy because of her failed seasons and my heart just felt for her. I understood her struggle so completely that my heart was just breaking for her. I was legit crying, tears running down my face because I could feel her pain so acutely. I love this. I love feeling on point with a character’s emotions and just when I think Lisa Kleypas can’t surprise she speaks to my soul and kicks me in the chest with feels. Amazing. Harry and Poppy’s dynamic and relationship is just delicious and I loved their banter and sarcasm and arguments. OH! And the staff of Rutledge? To die for. Love love love times a million.
Backstage Pass
"You seem to think you have a choice...
Love chooses you. The shadow moves as the sun commands."
Love chooses you. The shadow moves as the sun commands."
--Lisa Kleypas, Married By Morning
Genre: Adult Historical Romance
Genre: Adult Historical Romance
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Pages: 341
Publication Date: May 25th, 2010
Source: Bought
Previous Books in Series: Mine Till Midnight & Seduce Me At Sunrise & Tempt Me At Twilight
Goodreads Description
He is everything she wants to avoid...
For two years, Catherine Marks has been a paid companion to the Hathaway sisters—a pleasant position, with one caveat. Her charges' older brother, Leo Hathaway, is thoroughly exasperating. Cat can hardly believe that their constant arguing could mask a mutual attraction. But when one quarrel ends in a sudden kiss, Cat is shocked at her powerful response—and even more so when Leo proposes a dangerous liaison.
She is not at all what she seems...
Leo must marry and produce an heir within a year to save his family home. Catherine's respectable demeanor hides a secret that would utterly destroy her. But to Leo, Cat is intriguing and infernally tempting, even to a man resolved never to love again. The danger Cat tried to outrun is about to separate them forever—unless two wary lovers can find a way to banish the shadows and give in to their desires...
For two years, Catherine Marks has been a paid companion to the Hathaway sisters—a pleasant position, with one caveat. Her charges' older brother, Leo Hathaway, is thoroughly exasperating. Cat can hardly believe that their constant arguing could mask a mutual attraction. But when one quarrel ends in a sudden kiss, Cat is shocked at her powerful response—and even more so when Leo proposes a dangerous liaison.
She is not at all what she seems...
Leo must marry and produce an heir within a year to save his family home. Catherine's respectable demeanor hides a secret that would utterly destroy her. But to Leo, Cat is intriguing and infernally tempting, even to a man resolved never to love again. The danger Cat tried to outrun is about to separate them forever—unless two wary lovers can find a way to banish the shadows and give in to their desires...
Mini Review
The sexual tension between Leo and Catherine has been building for quite awhile now and I loved seeing it come to fruition--finally! While I have really come to adore Leo's snark and pseudo-aloof personality, it was Catherine who I really came to love while reading. Her past lends a major part to the story and her hesitation in getting close to Leo and I loved how this evolved. Leo needs to marry and while that is a pressing matter to him in order to keep his family at the home they all just built, his concern for Catherine outweighs that at the best of times. Unfortunately, while I love all the Hathaways, this book is the weakest to me. It's not bad by any means but when all the other books are so stellar and memorable, this one pales in comparison to its predecessors. I still enjoyed it but it just didn't shine like the others. But by no means don't NOT read it! Read it in succession and you might be pleasantly surprised.
General Admission
"I would never want to be a conventional person.
They're usually dull and superficial."
They're usually dull and superficial."
--Lisa Kleypas, Tempt Me At Twilight
Genre: Adult Historical Romance
Genre: Adult Historical Romance
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Pages: 332
Publication Date: June 29th, 2010
Source: Bought
Previous Books in Series: Mine Till Midnight & Seduce Me At Sunrise & Tempt Me At Twilight & Married By Morning
Goodreads Description
She harbors a secret yearning.
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?
He is a world-weary cynic.
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. .
She harbors a secret yearning.
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?
He is a world-weary cynic.
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. .
Mini Review
*le sigh* I loved this book. First of all, I've said this before but I love letters. There is something so inherently romantic about writing letters that I just wanna clasp my hands together, put them against my chest, tilt my head, and swoon. Seriously. I just die over letters!! Okay, I gotta calm down. *deep breath* Beatrix's story starts out with deception when one of her superficial, awful friend Prudence is leading on a man in the military who has written to her and she refuses to write back. Bea feels compelled to write him back and sign her friends name. From there we have a passionate set of letters between Beatrix and Christopher who both fall for the other one until Bea can no longer go on with the deception and breaks off writing. When Christopher comes back he is determined to find Prudence who he can only assume wrote the letters. He encounters Beatrix several times prior to finding Prudence and you can tell from their initial encounter sparks are happening. I really loved how this relationship played out. Christopher fights his feelings for Beatrix and her oddness, he searches for those same qualities in Prudence and obviously comes up blank, and meanwhile Christopher's sister-in-law who knows the secret slowly pushing him in the right direction to figure it out. I loved watching Christopher come up short with Prudence when he was so initially infatuated with her looks and finding out once he gets to know her she has nothing upstairs. I just loved this. I don't even know why but I loved the secrets and deception and the unveiling. While I usually am annoyed with secrecy, this just worked. Especially when Christopher was obviously falling for Beatrix before knowing she wrote the letters. But that is not the only obstacles our couple faces. Christopher is a man who spent years at war and comes back hardened, finding it difficult to adapt to society. His problems were handled so well and I just loved how Beatrix knew exactly how to comfort him. And on the flip side, Beatrix with all her love for animals and eccentricities, Christopher accepts and loves her just as she is, oddness and all. I thought it was amazing how unique and odd she was and I mean odd in the best way ever. Who wants to be normal? I don't. Their courtship and love for one another has a lot of bumps but every single one brought them together and I cried and sighed and just swooned like hell over how much I loved them and their story...*sigh*
Backstage Pass
The Hathaway series as a whole is one I would DEFINITELY recommend! It is fun, emotional, heart-warming, snarky, swoony, and 100% romantic. The characters are almost as beloved as my Wallflowers and that is saying a LOT! If you love historical romance, quirky characters, and strong women and men...this series is for you.
