"Delightful Victorian tale"

In 1843, American heiress Lillian Bowman, a card carrying member of the Wallflowers, sets her sights on marrying the "Ice Prince" Marcus. He rejects her advances as he sees her and her three Wallflower compatriots as uncouth barbarians, who think nothing about parading in front of him in their undergarments though he admits only to himself the colonist looked quite alluring.

With his aloof put downs, Lillian concludes that her beloved is a snob who needs to be yanked down a peg or two and she, the Yank, will do so. Marcus, in turn thinks her insolence is a case of poor breeding. With all that going on it is no wonder that Lillian and Marcus are falling in love with one another, but first must put aside the boxing gloves for a moment; an act neither wants to do first for fear of a low blow retaliation.

As she did with the first Wallflowers' historical romance (see SECRETS OF A SUMMER NIGHT), Lisa Kleypas provides her audience with a delightful Victorian tale starring two individuals in this case who detest one another at first sight. The theme is opposites might attract, but also expel as neither wants to desire the other in a classic case of reaction formation because deep inside their hearts they know they have met their soulmate, who is not the image of what they thought they wanted. The lead couple keeps the fun story line brisk as enemy combatants in love.

Harriet Klausner

Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Posted September 15, 2005

Summary

Four young ladies enter London society with one necessary goal: they must use their feminine wit and wiles to find a husband. So they band together, and a daring husband-hunting scheme is born.

Where beautiful but bold Lillian Bowman quickly learned that her independent American ways weren't entirely "the thing." And the most disapproving of all was insufferable, snobbish, and impossible Marcus, Lord Westcliff, London's most eligible aristocrat.

When Marcus shockingly—and dangerously—swept her into his arms. Lillian was overcome with a consuming passion for a man she didn't even like. Time stood still; it was as if no one else existed...thank goodness they weren't caught very nearly in the act!

Marcus was a man in charge of his own emotions, a bedrock of stability. But with Lillian, every touch was exquisite torture, every kiss an enticement for more. Yet how could he consider taking a woman so blatantly unsuitable...as his bride?