It Happened One Autumn

I enjoyed the clash of wills and sparks that were flying around. Another strong and original heroine by [a:Lisa Kleypas|27847|Lisa Kleypas|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1288899037p2/27847.jpg] that you will love. Especially when she gets in the trouble. ;) ( )

Beaucoup plus drôle que le premier tome de la série ;)) ( )

The Wallflowers series is turning out to be one of my favorites - and 'It Happened One Autumn' was a thorough delight.

The perfume was an excellent opening gambit, a very original twist on an old idea - and I loved the way that Kleypas carried through the theme of scent over the course of the novel.

I adored Lillian, although I definitely have my own very biased reasons for favoring mouthy, headstrong heroines. And I thought that Kleypas paced the book in the most excellent way - Lillian and Marcus fight a lot, and those fights are pretty damn sexy, but right from the beginning Kleypas writes in the most lovely, tender moments between the two - it's clear over the course of the novel that they're growing to understand one another and respect one another, to have fun together. More than in a lot of romances, I came to believe that these were two people who could have a long and happy marriage together.

I happened to really enjoy Marcus - he is exactly as described, an extraordinarily talented man who can be overbearing and arrogant. I think his flaws make him more rather than less appealing & Kleypas does a respectable job here of making a solid connection between his love for sports and his exceedingly well developed physique (a lot of romance heroes, I have noticed, really don't have the kind of devotion to exercise necessary to develop the kind of bodies they're supposedly blessed with...).

This is a series not to read out of order, and I'm glad. I like that Kleypas has continued developing characters from earlier books in the series - Annabelle and Olivia, Simon Hunt & Shaw - and does a lot of work fleshing out characters who will have their own books later.

I really cannot wait for the next installment... ( )

Book 2 in Lisa Kleypas's Wallflower Quartet - I would recommend reading them in order!

Lillian Bowman... *shakes her head*

Okay, so Lillian has this INCREDIBLE sense of smell... (Go with me here... strange as it may seem), so she goes to this perfume shop and has the perfume maker make a special blend... and he says that he's going to put something special in it that will help her get a husband, or something like that. So it's basically a love potion in perfume form.

SO, when Marcus Westcliff (Aline's brother from Again The Magic), who really doesn't like Lillian (as discovered in Book 1), says something like, "What's that smell?" and then starts making out with her, she's convinced it works. Except that she doesn't want it to work on HIM.

So anyway, the whole book is about Lillian and Marcus driving each other CRAZY until Marcus gets really jealous and says, "Screw this! I don't care what kind of girl I SHOULD marry--I want HER!"

Anyway, so I was like, "Ummm... there are still 75 (ish) pages left... what's gonna happen now??" And HOLY CRAP, I was shocked! I was even MORE shocked, since I read Book 4 first and knew that certain events would transpire.... It was crazy! I'm just glad... well... it all works out in the end! :)

And the epilogue makes you NEED to read Book 3, so have it handy!! :) ( )

It Happened One Autumn
5 Stars

Synopsis
It is hate at first sight for Marcus Marsden, Earl of Westcliff, and the brash American heiress, Miss Lillian Bowman. He sees her as brash and ill-mannered while she perceives him as arrogant and snobbish. The only problem is that they can't seem to keep their hands off each other. Will they be able to get past their differences and accept that they are perfect for one another?

Review
Delightful and fun.

The writing and dialogue is excellent and the influence of Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice is very much in evidence from the load and boorish parents to the slightly shady suitor (although St. Vincent is much sexier than Wickham) and the arrogant hero who is brought to his knees by the unconventional heroine.

Marcus and Lillian have an all-consuming passion and chemistry that sizzles the pages. Their opposites attract romance with its witty banter and steamy scenes is wonderful. Marcus is sexy in his stuffiness and struggles against his attraction to a woman he perceives as beneath him (Darcy anyone). Nevertheless, the vibrant and headstrong Lillian breaks through all of his barriers.

The perfume aphrodisiac motif was original and entertaining although the "secret ingredient" was obvious from the start.

The ending is unexpected and exciting, and it will be fascinating to see how St. Vincent redeems himself in the next book - the epilogue ensured that I would read the book immediately. ( )