Book Review: It Happened One Autumn by Lisa Kleypas

by Keira on November 25, 2010 · 2 comments

in 3.5 Stars, Book Review, Bride Stealing, Counts, Marquis, Viscounts, Dukes and Earls, Great Britain, Heiress, Kidnapping, Lisa Kleypas, Regency, Rogues and Rakehells, Virgin Heroine

bookreview

I had some unfamiliar and ear-wax color substances to avoid while reading this book; those are potential problems with any secondhand novel, though I must say I’ve never encountered anything quite like this. lol. Anyway despite the somewhat repulsive quality of my copy of It Happened One Autumn, I enjoyed the story. This Lisa Kleypas novel is number two in the Wallflower quartet. While reading I kept expecting something more, something a little extra. I didn’t get it and so I have to say it was a bit predictable, not that most romance novels aren’t easily predictable, but while the conclusion was good it wasn’t as satisfying as I had hoped it to be.

Lillian Bowman, is an upstart American wallflower and proud of it. She’s got a good nose in her head and can distinguish scents the way an artist can label all the colors on a canvas. However, good olfactory sense aside, Lillian is a bit of a hoyden. She won’t mold herself into one of the demure English ladies that litter the country. Her mother bemoans that this will ensure Lillian to never snare a husband of her own – especially that of a peer.

Her sister Daisy is in a similar boat and the two heiresses have got to figure out a way to wed Lillian off – what better chance will they get than the Earl of Westcliff’s month long house party? Before they go, Lillian purchases a flask of perfume made from her own recipe. The proprietor tells her he added a special ingredient, one that is sure to cause magic to happen. Scoffing at the superstitious idea, Lillian pays and they depart.

Well there must be magic in the perfume after all because Westcliff seems to have gone bezerk. He can’t take his eyes off of Lillian or for that matter his hands and lips. Once he captures her in his arms he doesn’t want to let her go. This is totally unusual behavior for Westcliff as he’s only ever shown Lillian amused contempt in the past. Still, in spite of the handsome earl’s attentions, Lillian refuses to ignore the noble Viscount St. Vincent who is also making a play for her hand. Vincent doesn’t seem affected by her perfume at all and while she longs for a little more passion in his arms, all she desires of Westcliff is that his passion is unaffected in the absence of the perfume.

Vincent is looking for an heiress as his father has squandered off all the family inheritance and property except what is entailed. He finds Lillian charming, pretty, and interesting. If he has to take a wife, he could not ask for a better woman.

Marcus Westcliff has been irritated, vexed, annoyed, dismayed, and amused by Lillian’s presence. He can’t seem to get her off his mind but he knows he will never marry her. It is expected that he wed a properly breed English woman of good bloodlines, and while that makes him sound like thoroughbred horse, it doesn’t change the facts.

So it comes as a surprise when they both ask her to marry them (I won’t say who asked first or how the second came about, that’s half the fun.) Now Lillian has to make a choice – but which one?

Rating: ★★★½☆

Buy: It Happened One Autumn (The Wallflowers, Book 2)

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This post was written by...

– who has written 1034 posts on Love Romance Passion.

Keira's favorite type of heroes are blind, scarred, and tortured... yes, she understands those should be separate, but all 3 at once is also nice! She enjoys historical romances best and adores audio books because great narrators turn books into auditory/mental movies (and she loves her romantic dramas like Pride and Prejudice/North and South!) Learn more about Keira in My Instant Turn Ons, Offs, and Ifs.

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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }

1 katiebabs October 1, 2009 at 5:30 AM

This book is one of my favorite in the Wallflowers series. I adore Lillian and Marcus’s relationship. My favorite scene would have to be the one where Lillian gets drunk and she can get her finger out of the bottle. And then one thing leads to another with Marcus.

*sigh*

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2 Kay Bolton November 27, 2010 at 3:12 AM

I’ve just skipped a large amount of this review, as I am actually about 1 third of the way through this.

I will be back tomorrow’ish to post an informed comment and read your review thorooughly. I just don’t want to spoil my reaction in the meanwhile.

Kay

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