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68 of 75 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
So Wonderful, and Yet, So Sad to See it End, July 30, 2006
This review is from: Scandal in Spring (The Wallflowers, Book 4) (Mass Market Paperback)
As I finished the wonderful conclusion in Kleypas's wallflowers series, I found myself wondering, where will she go from here? I can honestly say that she has penned one of the dearest series of books ever to come across these well-read romantic eyes. The detail of Daisy's story was a masterfully done wrap-up to a heartwarming group of reads.
Daisy Bowman is a fresh breeze amongst the rougher backdrop that is her family. Her innocent ways have done her no favors though, as she's looked on with much affection by her sister Lillian and friends, just not with much sense. When her father demands she choose a husband, or else marry a man she detests, not even her fellow wallflowers can save her. Not one to back down from a challenge, Daisy is rather dismayed when the very man her father wishes her to marry, Matthew Swift, appears on the scene. He's much changed from the man she remembers and she's not sure how to deal with the attractive businessman. Chance finds them often together in the following days and Matthew turns out to be far more than the money hungry employee of her father than she first thought. As all-consuming passion buds between them, a tragic secret from Matthew's past threatens their hopes.
What has carried throughout this entire series to date, the strong characters, still reins supreme as the most enticing factor in the last installment. Daisy has appeared before as the witty youngest amongst the wallflowers, a fierce supporter of them and their heart's desires. To see their fervent support of her this time solidified my admiriation for their friendship. Daisy is brought forth in her own story as a sweet innocent, a woman bursting with the hope of love and someone to share it with. She found her true love in the form of Matthew, a heart throbbing man who seemed very real and compellingly sexy. The other wallflowers, Annabelle, Lillian and Evie, all have recurring roles, along with their spouses, and that element of friendship is as strong in this installment as it is in previous ones, though not overpowering Daisy and Matthew's romance.
Romance that comes from a direction Daisy least expects, wonderful characters, poignant writing--it all meshed together perfectly. A very satisfying ending to a wonderful series, one I look forward to rereading for many years to come. Thank you, Ms. Kleypas, for a wonderful three years of romance.
K. Montgomery
Official Reviewer for The Mystic Castle
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13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Love this series..., August 22, 2006
This review is from: Scandal in Spring (The Wallflowers, Book 4) (Mass Market Paperback)
...of Wallflower novels. My favorite of the series is Secrets of a Summer Night; I don't think any of the others quite measures up to it, but they're all extremely enjoyable in their own ways. I am sorry to see this series end. Kleypas is probably my favorite romance author at this point; I always look forward to a new book from her. Hey, are any of you other fans thinking what I've been thinking...how about a book about the Gypsy Cam Rohan, who was enticingly introduced in Devil in Winter and never heard from again?? I thought he was a lot more interesting than the hero of this new book, and I was kind of hoping Kleypas would find a way to bring him and Daisy together. One can only hope....but back to the subject at hand; this is a book that is well worth your while, and I hope those who have not yet read Kleypas' wonderful books will check out the whole series.
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20 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A worthy wallflower conclusion., July 26, 2006
This review is from: Scandal in Spring (The Wallflowers, Book 4) (Mass Market Paperback)
Scandal in Spring, the final installment of Kleypas's wallflower series, (Secrets of a Summer Night, It Happened One Autumn, and Devil in Winter) tells the story of Daisy Bowman's search for love. The youngest of the four friends who once dubbed themselves the "wallflowers", Daisy is a wealthy American heiress who desperately needs to find an English husband before her father marries her off to his protegee Mathew Swift. Daisy remembers Mr. Swift as a cold, ambitious "bag of bones" with the same temperament as her domineering father, but when Mr. Swift arrives in England, Daisy is shocked to discover that he has grown into a handsome and thoughtful man. Through a series of touching encounters, Daisy realizes that the last man she ever wanted to marry is the one man she can't live without.
Unfortunately Mr. Swift is keeping a secret that he knows will destroy whatever tenderness Daisy might come to have for him. Though he has adored Ms. Bowman from afar for years, he cannot let himself act on his feelings for fear of dragging his love into the darkness that threatens to track him down. But the more time he spends with the whimsical and charming Daisy the more he comes to realize that love is worth the risk of discovery.
Kleypas does a wonderful job of giving the last "wallflower" her own special love story. Daisy's romantic nature and Matthew's practicality compliment each other nicely. Daisy manages to keep an open mind about Matthew and he never disappoints her, even when his "secret" is revealed.
As in all romance novels their needs to be SOME reason that the hero and heroine can't fall madly in love with each other in the first 10 pages. Daisy's prejudice against Mr. Swift based on her father's approval of him was a very legitimate reason. As for Matthew's part, his "deep dark secret" (which most readers will have figured out after the first time it is mentioned in the book) seemed somewhat contrived, though, as a literary device it served it's purpose.
Readers who enjoyed the first three wallflower books will enjoy seeing all of the friends back together again with their dotting husbands. As always, Kleypas has a true gift for writing likable and believable characters that deserve to fall in love and live happily ever after.
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