Catherine Marks has spent the last few years carefully instructing the Hathaway sisters in the finer points of being a lady. As their paid companion, she really enjoys her job and it would be perfect, if not for her charges' older brother - the thoroughly exasperating Leo Hathaway. The pair bicker like cats and dogs but when one quarrel ends in a kiss, everything changes, especially when Leo makes a dangerous proposition.
Leo must marry and produce an heir within the year or he'll lose his family home. Despite her respectable demeanour, Catherine hides a secret that could destroy her and take the Hathaway's with her. But Leo is sure that Cat holds the key to his dilemma and can't help but find her intriguing and infernally tempting. But with Leo determined never to love again and Cat determined to keep her secrets, will the pair ever see eye to eye and realise that they may be perfect for each other?
This is the fourth book in the Hathaway series (after
Mine Till Midnight,
Seduce Me at Sunrise,
Tempt Me at Twilight: The Perfect Moonlit Love Affair and before
Love in the Afternoon). While I'm sure you could read this book as a stand alone, I honestly think it'll make more sense and you'll understand the characters and their back stories more if you've read the rest of the Hathaway series before you read this book.
I love a couple that bicker and have been looking forward to Cat and Leo's story for some time. While it didn't completely blow me away, it didn't disappoint either and I liked the way the pair continued their banter even after their relationship changed into something more.
Both characters were rich, interesting and never descended into stereotypes. With the past history of Leo, it would have been easy to take the story to the obvious conflict but I liked the way that the conflict was a little less obvious and therefore more real. It was also lovely to see the other characters from the previous books with Poppy and Harry taking up most of the cameos.
The writing was excellent, the story kept me hooked and I didn't want to put the book down. It's probably not the best Lisa Kleypas I have ever read but I'm still giving this 5 stars as it was so enjoyable that I can't fault it. I would recommend this to fans of the Hathaways' or those who like a rich, satisfying romance.
