I think this was one of my favorites of the Wallflower Series. I didn't expect it to be, Daisy was always the immature one, the one that I didn't really care about in the other books, and I have to really give Lisa Kleypas a hand - she did a great job with this romance!

http://ktleyed.blogspot.com/2008/12/s... ( )

EXPECTATIONS:
Like one of the other reviewers, I had thought that Daisy's romantic interest was going to be Rohan, though I do love Matthew Swift and found him wonderful (I can't wait for Rohan's book if indeed he is having his own). Throughout the series I liked Daisy and wondered what kind of man Kleypas would write for her, since she was such a free-spirit and so romantic in nature. I think that Swift was definitely the perfect man for her, as their natures balance each other out.

OVERALL:
I would recommend this book to anyone, no matter what. It is a wonderful read - that goes without saying. I don't know whether it's because I have so utterly loved other Kleypas books or whether the anticipation just ruins it, but for some reason her last few books seem to be not as good as some of her other ones. They're stellar on their own, but if you are an avid Kleypas fan, you may find something slightly lacking in this book, though it's hard to put your finger on what it is. As always, however, I am in admiration of her talent and greatly enjoyed the book - I mean, I DID wait outside B&N for 20 minutes for it to open so I could buy this book and ended up finishing it that same day - and I don't regret it!

WONDERFUL HUMOR (slight scene - but not plot - spoiling):
Many historical romances have either humorous scenes or funny secondary or primary characters, and I have to say that humor was definitely present in this book and gave my abs a total workout! These humorous scenes literally had me laughing out loud. 1) The scene where Lillian has just detailed all of Matthew Swift's faults and then he comes over and is wonderful, which Annabelle and Evie find quite amusing, has me laughing even now, just thinking about it. 2) Also, when Lillian is going into labor and what happens subsequently due to a lack of a doctor or mid-wife had my stomach hurting. There are some other funny scenes also; those are just two of the ones I really remember had tears in my eyes. So enjoy!

(Written July 31, 2006 on Amazon.com) ( )

another lacklustre, and thankfully the last, installation for the wallflower quartet. i don't know if i just can't take too much of this author in one sitting, (i did, after all, enjoy secrets of a summer night) but all Kleypas' heroes and heroines seem to blend together after a while. meagre attempts at individuality ultimately provide stereotypes: one's dreamy, one's fiery, one's shy, one's practical, etc. they all seem to fall in love the same way, make love the same way, and enjoy very similar happily ever afters. i felt in particular that this story's plot was a copout - the hero's "disreputable" past and his efforts to keep it a secret are supposed to provide conflict, but the author forces the plot through the most desperate contortions in order to make any kind of conflict evaporate on the spot. in Scandal in Spring, everything is perfect. the hero is and has always been perfect. his angst over his past seems exaggerated and misplaced considering his is innocent of the charges that are eventually brought against him. the cast of guardian angels from the previous books are perfect and have the amazing super power of making sure everything stays perfect. i don't have a problem with happily ever afters, but none of this was remotely believable. never did I doubt that lord westcliff would be able to save the day. everything simply fell into place too easily. kleypas writes well, which is a small blessing, but that wasn't enough to get me hooked. i guess this would be the kind of book that appeals to readers with emotional attachments to the characters from previous books, who are trotted out for no other reason that i can divine except to gratify these fans. i'm beginning to think that Kleypas just isn't my cup of tea. ( )

Faced with the ultimatum of finding her own husband or being forced to marry Mr. Matthew Swift, Daisy Bowman stopped reading her book to take a walk down by the wishing well. The wishing well had served her ‘wallflower’ friends well, each of them were now married to a man they each loved. If only that same wish could come true for her too. Matthew Swift had watched Daisy and her family together for ten years now, he knew how her father treated her, he also knew he had no rights to her. His past prevented him from anything more than his overwhelming desire to see her and be around her. Daisy had been in England for two years now, she never realized how much someone could change is such a short amount of time. Mr. Swift was at one time a bag of bones and just like her father, but now he was different. Daisy didn’t want to like him for any reason, that would make her father happy.

Another great Wallflower book from Lisa Kleypas. Daisy Bowman was a very complicated character, she loves to read her novels and she is shy but at the same time, she has such spunk and a strong will. Despite her fathers cruel treatment of her and her sister, they both are so self assured. Another strong female character. Matthews secret is well hidden till the right time, I had a few guesses, but the end result was better. The return of all the girls and their men to Stony Cross Manor was fun, to see the difference in them after marriage. Actually enjoyed seeing Lillians anger about Matthew and how everyone seemed to like him but her, hormones and her personality made for some good sparks. ( )

The last book in a well-written series by Kleypas. A look into the women who were wallflowers, not popular debutatnes, and the men who fell in love with them. ( )