WALLFLOWERS SERIES BOOK 4
“I want you to do everything you’ve ever imagined doing with me . . .” With those scandalous words, Daisy Bowman, the sole “Wallflower” yet to be married, seals her fate with the last man she ever expected to tempt her.
After spending three London seasons searching for a husband, Daisy Bowman’s father has told her in no uncertain terms that she must find a husband. Now. And if Daisy can’t snare an appropriate suitor, she will marry the man he chooses—the ruthless and aloof Matthew Swift.
Daisy is horrified. A Bowman never admits defeat, and she decides to do whatever it takes to marry someone . . . anyone . . . other than Matthew. But she doesn’t count on Matthew’s unexpected charm . . . or the blazing sensuality that soon flares beyond both their control. And Daisy discovers that the man she has always hated just might turn out to be the man of her dreams.
But right at the moment of sweet surrender, a scandalous secret is uncovered . . . one that could destroy both Matthew and a love more passionate and irresistible than Daisy’s wildest fantasies.
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This is the fourth book in Lisa Kleypas’s excellent Wallflowers series and is the captivating story of Daisy Bowman who finds love where she least expects it.
I think it’s a pity that Matthew is often overshadowed by the other heroes in this series because I really adore him. Not only is he dependable and honorable but his total devotion to Daisy and his acceptance of her just the way she is makes him so endearing. I admire his reasons for not wanting to marry Daisy because he believes she deserves someone honest and not someone who has built his life on lies.
In the business world, he is tenacious and assertive but, as Westcliff observes, he had a natural presence and confidence that people respond to and the ability to interact with people from all walks of life. By contrast, in his private life, he is warm and caring and I particularly like the scene where he improvises a teething aid for Annabelle’s daughter out of a handkerchief, some fishing line and crushed ice and cuddles her, much to everyone’s surprise.
I have a fondness for unconventional heroines, so I adore Daisy. She’s a romantic and a dreamer who likes nothing better than to curl up and escape into the world of one of her lurid romance novels. I really appreciate how hurt she must feel when her father refers to her as a parasite. He asks her how the world has benefited from her existence, or what she has done for anyone. She simply cannot give an answer! When she talks to her brother-in-law, Marcus, he has some profound words for her;
“Daisy”, Westcliff said gently, “most lives are not distinguished by great achievements. They are measured by an infinite number of small ones. Each time you do a kindness for someone or bring a smile to his face, it gives your life meaning. Never doubt your value, little friend. The world would be a dismal place without Daisy Bowman in it.”
Although Daisy might dislike Matthew, I can quite believe that she could be physically attracted to the mature man he has become. The realisation that Matthew may be everything she has always wanted in a man develops slowly; when she sees a flash of warmth in his smile, when she experiences her first passionate kiss, when she’s hurt and he murmurs endearments to her and when she discovers the treasure he has carried in his pocket all these years. I love the way she shows her love and steadfast support for Matthew when the details of his past are revealed. This is such is touching scene because he is so convinced that Daisy will reject him when she learns the truth.
This book is not lacking in the luscious love scenes which fans of Ms Kleypas have come to expect but my favourite is the one where Daisy decides it’s time to fight for what she wants, namely Matthew!
Daisy turned the key in the lock and carefully withdrew it.
The decisive click was abnormally loud in the silence of the room.
Calmly Daisy tugged the top edge of her bodice away from her chest.
She held the key above the narrow gap.
Matthew’s eyes widened as he understood what she intended. “You wouldn’t.”
Oh yes she would! Let the seduction begin…
I have to mention my favourite Wallflowers hero, Marcus, because, in this book, he’s just a tower of strength for everyone. He has great affection for Daisy and understands her nature so well and is willing to support her in any way he can. He is so attentive to the pregnant Lillian and the scene where he finds out that she’s in labor but no-one has told him is so funny because the primitive behaviour he displays is so out of character. He’s always an excellent judge of people and sees admirable qualities in Matthew when others don’t.
The only thing that marred this book for me was Lillian’s attitude. I just wanted to shake her (her condition notwithstanding) because she does a character assassination on Matthew without any knowledge of the man he has become. She should simply bow to Marcus’s superior ability when it comes to judging someone’s character!! However, the other former Wallflowers more than make up for Lillian’s bad attitude with their usual warmth and humor and my particular favourite is this gem from Annabelle:
“Obviously Daisy has slept with a handsome, young, wealthy, intelligent man who is apparently in love with her. What in God’s name can she be thinking?”
With its heart-warming story, delightful heroine, yummy hero and sensuous love scenes, this is historical romance at its best.
VERDICT: SUPERB, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
RATING: STELLAR ★★★★★
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