Scandal in Spring

Light and amusing with just the right amount of romance and mystery to keep you entertained. ( )

The thing I liked most and the thing I liked least about Scandal in Spring were one and the same: the plot is almost completely determined by the ensemble characters.

Now, I was delighted to spend so much time with Lillian and Annabelle and Evie and Westcliff and Simon - although St. Vincent hardly appears at all. They're great characters, and the Wallflowers worked for me as a series that was about friendship as well as romance.

But the action - if you can call it action - in the story consists of little other than the ensemble characters deciding whether or not they approve of Matthew Swift. Since they're all so close, and care so deeply about one another, approval is a make-or-break issue. Is Matthew good for Daisy? Is he putting on a show to court her, or are his feelings sincere? Where will they live? Will Daisy be a good wife to Matthew?

This is fairly realistic, and when it's happening to you or one of your friends, it's even pretty exciting. It was fun to read about, sweet and amusing, and I finished the book the day i started it.

But the book is just an extended garden party, and it's not an exciting read, or an anxious read; nor is it particularly erotic. The action at the end really is tacked on, comes and goes too fast - like an epilogue when it could have been the whole book. That was really odd.

Matthew Swift blends pretty easily into the crowd of Kleypas heroes; he's tall, dark, handsome, self-made, gruff on the outside and gooey on the inside.

You probably won't regret reading it - but you also probably won't remember it very well in a week or two. ( )

This book is the fourth book in Lisa Kleypas's Wallflower Quartet. (Secrets of a Summer Night, It Happened One Autumn, The Devil in Winter, Scandal in Spring) Of course, I read this one first, so now I totally know who everyone ends up with (as if it's not obvious from the back of the book....)

Anyway, so Daisy Bowman is 21 and not married yet. Her dad, whose job it is to make lots of money, is upset that he hasn't recieved a good return on his investment. (The investment being all the fancy dresses and all that kind of stuff that he's bought for her to try and get her a husband.) Anyway, so he's like, "If you don't have a fiance by May, then you have to marry Matthew Swift!" (Matthew Swift is a guy who works for Daisy's dad--he's like the son Mr. Bowman wishes he'd had, and Mr. Bowman wants Matthew to marry into his family so he can take over the family company when Mr. Bowman dies.)

Anyway, so Daisy and her sister Lillian (heroine of It Happened One Autumn) are like, "Ewwwww!!! Matthew Swift?? GROSS!!! NO FREAKING WAY!!!" Apparently Matthew is this unattractive, far-too-much-like-their-father guy with no heart and all that jazz. Cold and calculating and basically everything that would be bad for fanciful Daisy.

Anyway, also apparent is that it's BEEN a while since either of them have seen Matthew. NOW (3-ish years later), he's a full-blown hunk. (He has strong features which he hadn't grown into before.) AND, it turns out Matthew has been in love with Daisy since he first met her, when she was 15, and he was 18ish. But he pretends not to be, because he feels like he isn't worthy of her. And, according to the back of the book, there is some kind of "scandalous secret" which isn't revealed until late into the story. It wasn't NEARLY as shocking as I thought it was going to be.

But anyway, the story was clever and original, and I didn't feel like I was reading a cookie-cutter story, which I REALLY appreciated. It was great! I'm going to buy them all! :) ( )

Scandal in Spring
4 Stars

Synopsis
After three years of failing to snare a husband, Daisy Bowman's father issues an ultimatum - find a husband by the end of the season or marry his protege, Matthew Swift. Daisy sees Matthew as cold and calculating, however, she soon learns that there is more to him than meets the eye when his slightest touch lights a fire in her blood. In fact, Matthew may just turn out to be better than her wildest dreams.

Review
Definitely the most hilarious book in the series. From the fish-tied goose to the bloodthirsty game of lawn bowls, the book had me gasping for breath.

Even though it is not as intense as Lillian and Marcus's or as sensual as Evie and Sebastian's, Matthew and Daisy's romance is sweet and endearing. Daisy is a delightful mix of whimsy and practicality. She is charming, witty and in possession of a huge heart. Matthew is the most romantic of the four heroes the button - need I say more and his mysterious past only adds to his appeal.

The nature of Matthew's dark secret is compelling but it should have been revealed earlier as the keeping secrets theme is not a preferred one for me. Moreover, the pacing here is off and the crisis feels contrived and the climax rushed.

The other Wallflowers all put in an appearance but it is Lillian and Marcus who continue to shine. There are moments where I could have throttled Lillian for her attitude towards Matthew but she comes through for him in the end so all is forgiven.

The entire series is simply amazing and I recommend it without hesitation. It is great that there is one more installment to look forward to - how will Rafe Bowman deal with the matchmaking wallflowers? ( )

I really enjoyed this story, especially since he was clearly in love with her from the beginning. I loved the dynamics between these two, and enjoyed how much they really got along. Daisy and Mathew made a great couple. ( )