Tempt Me At Twilight by Lisa Kleypas~~DIK READING CHALLENGE

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...

My Thoughts:

Poppy is a very down to earth person. She is extremely pretty, witty, and intelligent. So why has she experienced three London seasons without one proposal, her family doesn't have the bluest blood and they are rather odd for London standards. Each person has his or her quirks which endears them to the reader. I for one fell in love with the entire family. They are very protective of each other and very loving and accepting. So when Poppy is satisfied with a "secret courtship" from her gentleman they are only partially fighting it. They want Poppy to be happy and are willing to stand behind her in her decisions.

Harry's first meeting with Poppy leaves him breathless and with a desire so strong for this woman he would do anything to have her. He knows there is competition but he is willing to stoop to any level to have her. Harry's plan to seduce the breath taking Poppy has only gone slightly askew, seeing his one and only chance in securing her hand in marriage he jumps on the opportunity to completely ruin her, kissing her passionately on the patio in front of several people.


 I normally hate reading out of order, but I am finding more and more with historical romances that it is quite easy to do and still feel like you are reading a stand alone book. Yes, I could tell that there had to be a previous book or two because there are two sisters already married, and their husbands play such pertinent roles in the family dynamics... but I really felt as if I was reading an unrelated book. This is a big plus for me!!!

I found that Tempt Me At Twilight was a delightful book, one that I could not put down. With every story you have to have some sort of incident to cause problems, but I really think we could have gone without the abduction. I think that Poppy and Harry's relationship was riddled with enough strife to suffice, and with the strife there was plenty of banter and antics between the couple and the Hathaway family to keep the book moving at a really good clip. The abduction didn't take away but it didn't add anything either. Other than that one small complaint I loved the book.  Lisa Kleypas hits another one out of the park! I can't wait to read more of the Hathaways.

5 stars

Lady Sophia's Lover by Lisa Kleypas~~DIK Reading Challenge

Why is Lady Sophia looking for a lover?

And could she seduce the most marriageable man in London? 

Lady Sophia Sydney would do anything to ensnare the unattainable Sir Ross Cannon. Her goal -- to ruin his reputation and cause a scandal that would be the talk of all London. So she insinuates herself into his life by gaining his trust and living in his house. 

She knows he is falling more in love with her each day. But she never counted on falling in love with him. And she never dreamed he might very respectably ask for her hand in marriage... 

My Thoughts:

I love Lisa Kleypas! I don't think I have ever bought a book with her name on it that I did not absolutely love. And saying that I realize now that I always go into reading a Kleypas book with high expectations. Happily Lady Sophia's Lover held up to not only the hype but to my expectations. I know we always say we just could not put it down, but that was the case again.

 This is the second book in the Bow Street Runners series. I normally try to steer clear of starting a series in the middle but I have heard so many wonderful things about this one particular book and the title worked in two of the challenges I am participating in, I made the exception and I am so glad that I did.

Sir Ross, handling the job of several men, is the Chief Magistrate and the people either love him or they hate him. He is known to be a fair man and is willing to help anyone and everyone.  These traits are not what Sophia was expecting when she took on the job of his assistant at Bow Street. She was looking forward to meeting an aging bald man with added padding around his waist who exhibited awful character traits. 

His protective instincts come to the front almost immediately where Sophia is concerned. After years of celibacy and leading a lonely life of work and more work, Ross is shocked when he is faced with a rather uncomfortable condition and racy thoughts concerning the beautiful Lady Sophia. The sparks are flying from their first meeting and he knows that it is only a matter of time before he gets her into his bed.  Sophia's plans are falling apart around her with every day that she spends in Sir Ross's presence. She is most certain that she will be the one to suffer a broken heart when her plan comes to fruition...Make Sir Ross love her and leave him with a broken heart after she has ruined him.
 

I loved everything about Lady Sophia's Lover. There is a battle of wills, a saucy woman, a strong man who knows he can not do anything but fall in love with the beauty in his life, revenge, manly protective instincts...what is not to love. 

Rating 5 stars

 

Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas

Rating: 5 stars
Title#: 6. Book by Lisa Kleypas
Pages: 368
Published: 2006

Back Cover: Easily the shyest Wallflower, Evangeline Jenner stands to become the wealthiest, once her inheritance comes due. Because she must first escape the clutches of her unscrupulous relatives, Evie has approached the rake Viscount St. Vincent with a most outrageous proposition: marriage!
Sebastian's reputation is so dangerous that thirty seconds alone with him will ruin any maiden's good name. Still, this bewitching chit appeared, unchaperoned, on his doorstep to offer her hand. Certainly an aristocrat with a fine eye for beauty could do far worse.
But Evie's proposal comes with a condition: no lovemaking after their wedding night. She will never become just another of the dashing libertine's callously discarded broken hearts- which means Sebastian will simply have to work harder at his seductions... or perhaps surrender his own heart for the very first time in the name of true love.

Review: This is the third book in the Wallflower series. I have heard that it is by far the best of all. I wanted to be different so I went into reading this book with the thoughts that I thought It Happened One Autumn was the best and there was no way that Devil in Winter would top it. Boy was I wrong, I have fallen into the hordes of people who all believe that Devil in Winter is the best one!! After what Sebastian attempted in It Happened One Autumn I could not believe that he was going to be the hero of this book... surely Evie would come to her senses before reaching Gretna Green. I enjoyed watching Sebastian struggle with the unknown feelings and being brought to the brink of insanity by sweet little Evie. Who would have thought that this "tangle-tongue" mild tempered woman had it in her to tame the most notorious rake in London. I absolutely loved this book!

I must point out that I have read three books for this challenge and all of them have been top notch 5 star ratings... I must be on a roll this month!!

It Happened One Autumn by Lisa Kleypas

#2. Book chosen for the cover

Rating 4.5

The girls are back again in the second of the Wallflowers books. Lillian is the next in line to find a husband. From the moment she set eyes on Lord Westcliff there has been animosity bordering on hate between the two. Lord Westcliff thinks that Lillian is an ilreputable American husband hunter and Lillian thinks that Lord Westcliff is an unfeeling, stuffy, know-all. Could this actually be love at first sight? Lillian is head strong and hates to be told what to do. She is constantly at odds with Lord Westcliff who is trying to dictate what Lillian should do and how she should behave. These two are thrown together in some of the best and most scandalous ways. There is a perfume aphrodisiac, could this be why Lord Westcliff cannot control himself whenever he gets around Lillian?
There is a lot of humor in this book. Once I finally had the time to sit down and enjoy getting engrossed in Lillian's story I could not put it down.