When Lillian Bowman and Marcus, Lord Westcliff meet each other in Secrets of A Summer Night, their dislike for each other is palpable. Lillian finds Marcus arrogant, haughty and boring; Marcus views Lillian as loud-mouthed and improper. And quickly lumps her in with friend and fellow wallflower Annabelle as little more than a "husband hunter" -- one of the countless women on a quest to marry a rich, titled Englishman.

But things change in It Happened One Autumn. As Lillian -- the daughter of a wealthy Americans who made their fortune in the soap industry, but lack the "blue blood" so demanded in privileged circles -- returns to Westcliff's Stony Cross Park with her family, she begins to see Marcus more in his natural element . . . and he begins to let his guard down. While the two first avoid one another in mutual dislike, Marcus surprises Lillian and sister Daisy by joining them in a game of rounders. Shocked that Marcus could have fun for even one moment, Lillian's surprise gives way to interest . . . and quickly to infatuation. Marcus returns the sentiments, though he adamently refuses to acknowledge them. Until . . . another wealthy suitor shows an avid interest in her -- and she in him, hoping to get her parents' demands that she marry a wealthy man off her shoulders. And until Marcus realizes he could lose her forever -- if he doesn't just lose that stodgy, straight-lipped English demeanor and do something about his feelings.

Like Secrets Of A Summer Night, I really got into this story. I never thought I would get so into historical romance, but this series has totally changed my opinion of what a great romance novel should be. I loved the interplay between sisters Daisy and Lillian, and so enjoyed the constant banter between Lillian and Marcus. Readers can see from the get-go that for all their feigned indifference to one another, all they can do is stare at each other sidelong from across any room. But the build-up was great and believable, and I loved getting to know all of the characters from Kleypas's first novel better. I thought the dramatic turn of events toward the end was a bit odd . . . and had to chuckle a bit at the antics. But I guess it fit well into the greater whole, and I'm willing to suspend my belief a bit!

I'm looking forward to the next installment and seeing what's in store for another dear wallflower . . . and can't wait to see the progression of Marcus and Lillian's relationship from here. ( )

This story was fun, an American girl (feisty of course) has an English nobleman (a little stuffy but passionate of course) fall in love with her. There were some funny moments, and the hero's inability to resist sniffing her perfume was quite amusing.

Alas, the stereotypes bounce around the book - from the heroine, to the evil granny, to the rake in need of money, to the pushy mamma.

Also, this is definitely part of a series. There were way too many minor characters, each obviously read to star in a book of their own, but here, just cluttering up the scenery. If you're reading the series as a whole, it might sit better, but as a stand alone, it was very annoying. And of course the cliffhanger ending. ( )

I really enjoyed this book and loved the funny, yet steamy encounters between Lillian and Marcus. Plus, I love these sort of stories in which the aristocrat falls for the unsuitable American girl. I really liked Lillian and her sparkle and fearless personality. But, she has her downfalls, one scene was very funny over dinner involving calf's brains. Westcliff is irritated by Lillian and they're always squabbling, but at the same time, he is drawn to her and can't bear to see her with anyone else!

http://ktleyed.blogspot.com/2008/08/i... ( )

Stony Cross, Hampshire, 1843
The beautiful and free spirited American heiress, Lillian Bowman, needed to marry an English peer. She knew she needed a sponsor for her and her sister Daisy, the problem was finding one willing to take on the independent American girls. At Stony Cross, Marcus Marsden, Lord Westcliff knew his place and had his plans, he never planned on Lillian with all her interesting ways. After witnessing some of her antics, Marcus found his attentions being drawn to her in an uncomfortable and surprising way. Lillian thought she disliked Marcus for all his high handed orders and still she wasn’t able to forget the feel of his hands or his kiss.

This was not the best book in this series so far. This was a completely predictable and expected story, all the way up to the end. A very nice romance to bring the strong and confident Marcus to a point of laughter, nice to see that two strong characters can make a fun story without needing a real villain. ( * Spoiler * ) The twist of the ‘bad guy’ being St. Vincent was a little surprising. I had liked St. Vincent as a possible for Evie, then he went and played a part in Lillians abduction. I see St. Vincents point, he just needed the money and she was dropped in his lap. I am eager to see how Lisa Kleypas can recover St. Vincent to a position that he will be worthy of the shy Evie, since that seems to be the set up for the next book. ( )

I found this second installment of the Wallflower stories pretty bland. It wasn't bad, by any means, but nor was it shatteringly good. Lillian Bowman is the feisty American heiress destined to shake up and melt the heart of the deceptively stodgy, proper British aristocrat, Marcus Westcliff. Their romance is predictable, and I ended up skimming a lot - a bad sign. I'm beginning to become more familiar than I would like with what is rapidly cementing into a formula for Kleypas - the tone of the stories, the characters, and the events (the author seems partial to final climactic scenes in which either the hero or heroine is placed in and saved from grave danger) all are blurring together for me after reading a few of her books. Mine Till Midnight is still my favorite (mostly for Cam), but these others are sadly nondescript. ( )