Love In The Afternoon [Kindle Edition]

Beatrix Hathaway has always felt more comfortable outside with the animals than in a ballroom crowded with people. Despite that, she still yearns for the kind of love and passion that will sweep her off her feet yet no man has ever taken her breath away or even seriously courted her.

Captain Christopher Phelan is a dashing, handsome soldier who has plans to marry Beatrix's pretty, flirtatious friend, Prudence, when he returns from fighting in the Crimea. But life on the battlefield has darkened his soul and he fears he is no longer the man he once was. The only light in his life are the regular, witty letters he receives from Pru. So much so that he's beginning to fall in love with his correspondent. So when he returns from the war, determined to claim the woman he loves, he's confused as to why he feels nothing for Pru and so much for Beatrix. But who really is his letter writing love and what will he do when he finds out he's been duped?

This is the last in the Hathaway series of books following Mine Till Midnight, Seduce Me at Sunrise, Tempt Me at Twilight and Married by Morning (Hathaway Series). As with the other Hathaway books, you could easily read this book as a stand alone but you're more likely to understand the characters and the history of the family if you've read the other books before reading this one.

The first half of this book was an absolute delight. The story was fast paced, exciting with so much tension and potential conflict - I could not put the book down as the story had me hooked. And then it just seemed to peter out. The story slowed as it seemed to shift to a more character driven storyline. It wasn't bad but after such an exciting start, I couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. The story picked up right before the end and it was nicely concluded which is always a good thing!

I loved both Beatrix and Christopher. Beatrix is such a free spirit and smart too and I really liked and could identify with her. Christopher is a handsome soldier who is haunted by his past and could really do with the love of a good woman making him the perfect partner for Beatrix. The pair had good chemistry and I liked reading about them as a couple. Despite Christopher's problems in the aftermath of the war, the book never got bogged down in gory or depressing war detail.

The other Hathaway's appear in the book, but for a last book in the series, perhaps not as much as I had hoped.

And, surprisingly for Lisa Kleypas, there were a couple of Americanisms that cropped up throughout the book which annoyed me a little as they pull you from the story.

Overall, this is an enjoyable book that despite a few flaws, is still a good read and a really good end to what has been an excellent series. If you're a fan of Lisa Kleypas, the Hathaway series or just fancy a romantic, Victorian read then I would recommend this book to you. 4 stars.

When I read Winn and Marripan story which was somewhat lacking emotional depath and Leo and Cathrine story in 'married by morning' I was beginning to despair the Lisa Kleypas lost her touch. I was not impressed and I didn't like Leo story but she proved me wrong and bounced back with vengeance. I bought this book in New York JFK airport bookshop coming back from my holiday and by the end of my flight I was finished two third of the story. I didn't even take a nap and it was a night flight. There squeezed in middle between an oversized man and sleeping lady that I found LK magic.

This is the story of Beatrix the youngest of the Heathway family and the animal lover. Reader of the series will recognise her from her consistent appearances the story and from her famous pet ferret and hedgehog. Beatrix start a correspondent with a Captain Christopher Phelan after the girl he wrote original to refused to corresponded with him for the fact he write about war and not fashionable. In simple terms she start writing letters to him under her friend's name but everything in the letter is Beatrix. Of course they both fall in love with each but after a while Beatrix start to feel guilty for the deception and send him a letter telling him that she is not who he think she is and asking him to come and find her. After the war Christopher come back from war a changed man and determined to find the women he fall in love with and marry her. As you can imagine everything unravel from.

I loved this story as Beatrix direct and honest emotion is the excellent foil for Christopher serious character. Christopher has to deal with the aftermath of the Crimean war, loss of his friends, his brother death and his love live. For the fans of Heathway there is a recurrence with the family in this book which bring this story full cycle. Also LK presented couple of new characters which I believe they will get their own story in the future.

This is the style I expected from LK. Very satisfying and deeply moving story. I found myself crying, laughing out load and cheering all the way and smiling for the big ending.

I can't recommend it enough

(this was originally posted on Book Lovers Inc)

Warning: This review is completely biased, I adore Lisa Kleypas' work and this series in particular, don't expect any reasonable arguments from me. No pigs were killed during this review. All *squee* emanated from this slightly deranged reviewer (AKA me).

*Squeeeeeeeeeeeeeee* <=====Me getting the book last Saturday (you were warned)

Love In the Afternoon is the 5th and last *sob* book in the Hathaway series. My heart is breaking knowing that this was the last book. I adore (<==see? I adding new words to my vocabulary) this series. You were warned, I'm a huge Lisa Kleypas fan, and to think that I read my fist book by her only 6 months ago'now I am truly and completely addicted! *squee* Every Historical romance I read is now compared to my new Lisa-Kleypas-standards. Every time I finish reading one of her books I have a hard time reading anything else afterward. (not fair for the poor book that has to follow lol). And I keep rambling about how great her books are to everyone (sorry Susi, she's my Megan Hart lol).

Let's go back to the gem that is Love In the Afternoon. I loved Beatrix ever since we met her in the first book. She's peculiar and can't help rescuing every wounded animal she finds. Beatrix is funny, adventurous, a bit wild (she wears trousers!!!) and does not care about social etiquette . She is surrounded by rescued pets, such as the hedgehog Medusa, Lucky the 3 legged cat or Dodger the ferret etc' But Beatrix is also very witty and intelligent! She can tell what 'animal' people are by observing them, FYI she sees herself as a ferret. Animals play a very important part in this book, for instance it all started with the mention of a dog in a letter'

At first I had a hard time realizing that Beatrix was no longer a 15 years old like in the first book. I was a bit worried I wouldn't enjoy the romance. Of course now I'm all reassured, she might be innocent but she is a 23 years old woman! (*squee* Hot Christopher helped a lot with that realization LOL). I just love this character, she took pity of the poor Christopher, alone and desperate, far away at war. Since her friend Prudence didn't want to answer him she decided to write him herself, signing with Prudence's name. I loved the letters between Beatrix and Christopher, you could see love creeping up on them a bit more with each letter, until the lie became to heavy to bear for Beatrix. Christopher didn't know she was the one writing to him, he wants Prudence.

When Christopher comes back from the war, he's broken and tortured. These years of violence destroyed him, he saw too many deaths and often the only thing that made him go on was his correspondence with 'Prudence'. He is a war hero and he's miserable, he doesn't want all the attention everyone keeps giving him. Of course as a war hero and heir to a title he's very sought after by the ladies (A Hot-Rich-heir-to-the-title-war-hero will do that to any unmarried lady). Before the war Christopher was not the same man, he was a bit haughty and 'insulted' Beatrix, saying she was made to be in the stables. Now that he meets her again he's different but he still find her peculiar.

The story is a bit darker than the usual Lisa Kleypas. Don't get me wrong I loved it, but it's harder to review without revealing to much of the plot. Christopher is scarred inside. I still laughed a lot while reading it though. Beatrix is very funny and most of all we get to see Leo a few times and he's HI-LA-RIOUS. The Hathaway family is very entertaining and it's never boring around them, that's for sure. The romance felt less rushed, no eloping to marry secretly, no kidnapping, no hurried wedding'.this was the ending we needed for this series. I loved all the characters to pieces. The Smex scenes were fewer than usual but they were very HOT. Christopher doesn't trust himself around Beatrix, the question is will she be able to save him from himself? (To Be Continued' lol)

Here are 2 of my favorite quotes about the family dynamics:

Leo looked at Cam expectantly. 'Well?'
'Well what?'
'Now is the time when you dredge up one of your blasted Romany sayings. Something about roosters laying eggs, or pigs dancing in the orchard. It's what you always do. Let's have it.'
Cam gave him a sardonic glance. 'I can't think of one right now.'
'By God, I've had to listen to hundreds of them. And Phelan doesn't have to hear even ONE?'

and

'I beg your pardon?' Catherine interrupted. 'Are you implying that women have poor judgment?'
'In these matters, yes.' Leo gestured to Christopher. 'Just look at the fellow, standing there like a Bloody Greek god. Do you think she chose him because of his intellect?'
'I graduated from Cambridge,' Christopher said acidly. 'Should I have brought my diploma?'
'In this family,' Cam interrupted, 'there is no requirement of a university degree to prove one's intelligence. Lord Ramsay is a perfect example of how one has nothing to do with the other?'

So in short, Love in the Afternoon is a delight. It's like the Cherry on top of the cake. It deals with darker matters than the previous books but still makes you laugh every so often. You will love to love the characters! Beatrix and Christopher, her menagerie and family'all of these are enough reasons for you to read it! I know it won't please every reader, but it pleased me immensely and that's the most important for me *wink* I LOVED it, Loved it, Loved it *mini squee* So'am I the only one who's sad the series's over? *sob*