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Type of bind: Mass Market Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 813
EAN num: 9780061259340
ISBN number: 0061259349
Label: Avon
Manufacturer: Avon
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 384
Printing Date: December 01, 2006
Publishing house: Avon
Release Date: November 28, 2006
Sale Popularity Level: 16134
Studio: Avon
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Product Description:
Four young ladies enter London society with one common goal: they must use their feminine wit and wiles to find a husband. So a daring husband-hunting scheme is born.
Annabelle Peyton, determined to save her family from disaster, decides to use her beauty and wit to tempt a suitable nobleman into making an offer of marriage. But Annabelle's most intriguing—and persistent—admirer, wealthy, powerful Simon Hunt, has made it clear that while he will introduce her to irresistible pleasure he will not offer marriage. Annabelle is determined to resist his unthinkable proposition . . . but it is impossible in the face of such skillful seduction.
Her friends, looking to help, conspire to entice a more suitable gentleman to offer for Annabelle, for only then will she be safe from Simon—and her own longings. But on one summer night, Annabelle succumbs to Simon's passionate embrace and tempting kisses . . . and she discovers that love is the most dangerous game of all.
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Rated by buyers 
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I generally love Kleypas' books. I like her style of writing, I like the character-driven romances. But the hero and heroine in this book were a bit... flat, lacking a certain believable chemistry. I found Anabelle to be somewhat disagreeable, unlikable. A very shallow, snobby creature who seems somewhat insipid compared with Simon. His character had a depth that was lacking in Annabelle. I couldn't see why he was attracted to her in the very first place, and maybe that's why I didn't like the book. The secondary characters--the other three Wallflowers and Simon's friends--were better written characters, infinitely more likeable. I'm assuming the subsequent story will be about Lillian and Lord Westcliff, which I am looking forward to reading. But this book was somewhat unforgettable.
Rated by buyers 
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If I were a writer, this would have been a book I would have enjoyed writing. I suspect Ms. Kleypas smiled wholeheartedly after writing endearing scenes such as "rounders in knickers", "checkmate" or "champagne from slippers". And these are only three such scenes when there are so many I could mention. Overall the story was creative and novel in that it included funny, sad, tragic, loving and historically educational moments. If all's equal in writing style, these added themes have a far more likely chance of a successful book.
The growing interest and desire between Simon and Annabelle was enjoyable to track and watch unfold. I watched as our hero's grew in admiration and love for this young woman who surprised him in her frolicking playfulness, attempts to fit in where she felt unfamiliar and humbled by his notice. It's no wonder she fell in love with him as Ms. Kleypas drew out his many attractive qualities. He was romantic too. He murmured and whispered to Annabelle throughout the book; he invaded her personal space or locked eyes with hers far across the table. I literally watched Simon make Annabelle fall in love with him. It did help that Annabelle was a warm, empathetic, funny, straight forward, loyal, and an endearing young woman. A character like hers would not fail to realize his fortune was one of his least attributes (as she expressed later on in the story).
Some reviewers didn't like Annabelle's sole interest in marrying a "peer" and her thwarting Simon's ("in trade") attempts at appealing to her. They felt she was cold or spoiled. I didn't see it that way. Simon desired her as his mistress. Readers could have disliked this characterization but no mention was found in disguntled reader opinions. Baffling. Simon ignored and scoffed at most behaviors consistent with the gentry familiar to Annabelle which contributed to her reactions towards Simon, yet it was her character called into question by readers. In my opinion Annabelle's quick repartee with Simon was at times negative, daring definitely, darling certainly--blunt, for sure--but never cold, mean or hateful. I would have liked my daughter to be like her had I had one. If my boys turn out like Simon, oh would I be a happy mom watching the right woman fall in love with him!
On a side note, I completely related to Annabelle's reaction to her very first kiss with Simon in the Panorama: I too ran away, as far away as I could--not in proximity but emotionally--from the boy who very first kissed me. I was so shocked I couldn't think of him again. It makes sense then that Simon had to slowly maneuver Annabelle to consider outside her comfort zone.
Rent the four part adaption (movie) called, "North and South" by Elizabeth Gaskell. A brilliantly written love story depicting the same time period in history (Industrial Revolution in England) and the conflict between a middle class gentry woman and a misunderstood industrialist. 312 viewers give it a 5 star rating, it's that good! The book is better but see the movie first. I would normally never suggest seeing the movie very first but in this instance my friends and I agree. The screenwriter made a couple of significant changes (why?!) that changed my opinion about the movie after I read the novel. Yet prior to reading the book I couldn't have enjoyed a movie more!
Rated by buyers -
I really loved this book. The characters were all wonderful and I was hooked almost immediately. It was very refreshing to have a Hero fall very first and boy was he determined. My only complaint was toward the ending. Sex, sex, sex! I'm not a prude but I do read these books for the romance and there was just page after page of sex in the last chapters. After the excessive fornication Lisa Kleypas gave a very solid ending. Looking forward to the subsequent in the series.
Rated by buyers -
Annabelle's family financial standing is in dire straits. As a result for the last couple seasons she has been relegated to wallflower status despite her obvious physical appeal and charm. She's 25 and the clock is ticking as this is the last season she will have to land herself a husband. She and three other wallflowers make a bargain and a plan to help each other find husbands, the oldest first. Not adverse to a little scheming and manipulating, the girls will do whatever it takes to find suitable husbands.
What Annabelle doesn't count on is the affluent Simon Hunt. Rich and successful but not a member of the peerage, Simon is always on the outside of the inner London ton circle. Annabelle has been refusing his attentions for years, but suddenly saying no is getting harder.
I really, really liked this story. The main characters and their chemistry sort of reminded me of Rhett and Scarlett. The banter between Simon and Annabelle is often humorous and I found myself laughing out loud several times while reading. Their passion is titillating and their love affair memorable.
The wallflowers are hilarious and the antics they engage in are outstanding. I look forward to seeing what the four of them come up with subsequent in It Happened One Autumn (The Wallflowers, Book 2). This is a wonderful historical romance, very entertaining.
Cherise Everhard, August 2008
Rated by buyers -
As stated in my title, this novel is what a historical romance novel should be. Lisa Kleypas created an electrifying, mild love/hate tension between the leads.
Because I find the 'getting to know one another' part as the most important aspect of a relationship, I was extremely pleased that the talented Lisa Kleypas included a believable, thorough, well-drawn out acquaintance between the hero and heroine.
And unlike other authors in this genre, LK included plenty of details after the marriage, and not only of descriptions of the marriage night. There were some serious moments in the novel, but LK alsways managed to balance them out with witty humour from the leads and from the surprisingly great secondary characters. She also managed to set up a nice lead in to the following novels in this highly entertaining series.
I also loved the possessiveness, protectiveness and sensuality of the hero against the proper, somewhat lofty heroine.
One thing I really, really loved how LK subtly expressed the hero's actual infatuation with the heroine from day one; it is well hidden under a mask of cold, harsh, arrogant exterior.
This novel had everything from the fated meeting, to the two years pursuit, to the complexity of other suitors, and finally, to a satisfying conclusion.
**Trust me, this is very much worth the reduced price of five dollars.
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