Helpful Score: 1
I gave this book 3.5 stars, which was lower than most other Lisa Klepas books I've read and reviewed. I found it very enjoyable, but there were some weak points.
This is book 3 in the Wallflower series. Book 1 is Secrets of a Summer's Night and book 2 is It Happened One Autumn. You really need to at least read book 2 before this one, because it provides the back-stories for the main characters. Obviously the series is more enjoyable if read in order.
The plot of this one is somewhat poorly paced and most definitely cliched. Evie, a shy and socially awkward young woman marries a known rake, Sebastian, in order to be free of her abusive family at last. Sebastian agrees to marry Evie because her wealthy father is on his death bed, and he plans to use her money to replenish his dwindling fortune. The catch to the deal is that Evie wants nothing to do with Sebastian after the wedding night, sexually or otherwise, because she's afraid she will fall in love with him and end up hurt. Sebastian initially agrees to this with the assumption that he may still have many extramarital affairs, but soon realizes that he desires only Evie and seeks to seduce her. In addition to the main plot, we have subplots in which Sebastian takes over the running of Evie's father's club, and a disgruntled ex-employee has some grudge against Evie. All of this just barely comes together, and it's very rushed near the end, but for the most part it makes sense and it's entertaining. As for the cliches, they add simplicity and charm even as they make the story predictable.
Evie is a somewhat dry character in my opinion. She starts out shy and innocent, and grows a backbone over time, but even after all that there isn't anything to make her stand out from other heroines from similar books. Sebastian is a bit better--he's rough around the edges, but never abusive. He's conflicted, claiming with his words to care for nothing and no one while his actions demonstrate otherwise. I really liked this, and the way he treated Evie was incredibly sweet. The romance ends up being barely above average, though, because it's predictable and the heroine is like a hollow placeholder.
I was also a bit disappointed that the other wallflowers were mostly absent from this book. showing up only occasionally and not as a full group until the end. In the previous books part of what drove the plot and made the reading worthwhile was the friendship between the girls.
I still enjoyed this book for the fact that it continues a series I love. Kleypas has a very soothing, easy writing style which is demonstrated in this book. If you're a fan, it's worth reading.
This is book 3 in the Wallflower series. Book 1 is Secrets of a Summer's Night and book 2 is It Happened One Autumn. You really need to at least read book 2 before this one, because it provides the back-stories for the main characters. Obviously the series is more enjoyable if read in order.
The plot of this one is somewhat poorly paced and most definitely cliched. Evie, a shy and socially awkward young woman marries a known rake, Sebastian, in order to be free of her abusive family at last. Sebastian agrees to marry Evie because her wealthy father is on his death bed, and he plans to use her money to replenish his dwindling fortune. The catch to the deal is that Evie wants nothing to do with Sebastian after the wedding night, sexually or otherwise, because she's afraid she will fall in love with him and end up hurt. Sebastian initially agrees to this with the assumption that he may still have many extramarital affairs, but soon realizes that he desires only Evie and seeks to seduce her. In addition to the main plot, we have subplots in which Sebastian takes over the running of Evie's father's club, and a disgruntled ex-employee has some grudge against Evie. All of this just barely comes together, and it's very rushed near the end, but for the most part it makes sense and it's entertaining. As for the cliches, they add simplicity and charm even as they make the story predictable.
Evie is a somewhat dry character in my opinion. She starts out shy and innocent, and grows a backbone over time, but even after all that there isn't anything to make her stand out from other heroines from similar books. Sebastian is a bit better--he's rough around the edges, but never abusive. He's conflicted, claiming with his words to care for nothing and no one while his actions demonstrate otherwise. I really liked this, and the way he treated Evie was incredibly sweet. The romance ends up being barely above average, though, because it's predictable and the heroine is like a hollow placeholder.
I was also a bit disappointed that the other wallflowers were mostly absent from this book. showing up only occasionally and not as a full group until the end. In the previous books part of what drove the plot and made the reading worthwhile was the friendship between the girls.
I still enjoyed this book for the fact that it continues a series I love. Kleypas has a very soothing, easy writing style which is demonstrated in this book. If you're a fan, it's worth reading.
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