A Wallflower Christmas (Hardcover)

by Lisa Kleypas (Author)
Key Phrases: tree skirt, sable hair, Lady Natalie, Miss Appleton, Rafe Bowman (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
American cad Rafe Bowman goes bride shopping in London and must choose between love and money in Kleypas's coy Christmas romance. Rafe is wealthy in his own right, but his grossly wealthy father demands he marry the uninteresting Lady Natalie. Rafe, naturally, falls in love with someone else: Natalie's commoner cousin, Hannah. As his courtship of Natalie progresses, Rafe keeps returning to Hannah, who rejects his courtship because she thinks he is destined to marry her cousin. As Christmas draws closer, Rafe must choose between the woman he is falling in love with and his father's fortune. Throughout, veteran romancier Kleypas gracefully balances Regency mores, light humor and a dash of Christmas magic, and even if Rafe and Hannah hew too closely to genre archetypes, the book passes muster as a holiday bonbon. (Oct.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Product Description

The Wallflowers are four young ladies in London who banded together in their wild and wickedly wonderful searches for true love. Now happily married, they join together once again to help one of the world’s most notorious rogues realize that happiness might be right under the mistletoe.…

It’s Christmastime in London and Rafe Bowman has arrived from America for his arranged meeting with Natalie Blandford, the very proper and beautiful daughter of Lady and Lord Blandford. His chiseled good looks and imposing physique are sure to impress the lady in waiting and, if it weren’t for his shocking American ways and wild reputation, her hand would already be guaranteed. Before the courtship can begin, Rafe realizes he must learn the rules of London society. But when four former Wallflowers try their hand at matchmaking, no one knows what will happen. And winning a bride turns out to be more complicated than Rafe Bowman anticipated, especially for a man accustomed to getting anything he wants. However, Christmas works in the most unexpected ways, changing a cynic to a romantic and inspiring passion in the most timid of hearts. 

A Wallflower Christmas takes a trip to Victorian London, under the mistletoe, and on a journey of the heart. With her trademark charm, sensuality, and unforgettable characters, there’s no one like Lisa Kleypas to make you believe in the magic of Christmas.

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Product Details Hardcover: 224 pages Publisher: St. Martin's Press (October 14, 2008) Language: English ISBN-10: 0312533780 ISBN-13: 978-0312533786 Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.6 x 0.9 inches Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies) Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (85 customer reviews) Amazon.com Sales Rank: #12,204 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books) Popular in this category: (What's this?) #28 in  Books > Romance > Authors, A-Z > ( K ) > Kleypas, Lisa

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Inside This Book (learn more)

Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
tree skirt, sable hair

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Lady Natalie, Miss Appleton, Rafe Bowman, Lord Blandford, Lady Kittridge, Thomas Bowman, Lord Travers, Lady Blandford, New York, Lord Westcliff, Lady Westcliff, Samuel Clark, Stony Cross Manor, Christmas Eve, Stony Cross Park, Matthew Swift, Carefully Hannah, Daisy Swift, Annabelle Hunt, Simon Hunt, Christmas Carol

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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

	55% buy the item featured on this page: A Wallflower Christmas 4.0 out of 5 stars (85) $11.53
	14% buy Scandal in Spring (The Wallflowers, Book 4) 4.1 out of 5 stars (102) $7.99
	11% buy The Devil in Winter (The Wallflowers, Book 3) 4.5 out of 5 stars (133) $7.99
	10% buy It Happened One Autumn (The Wallflowers, Book 2) 4.5 out of 5 stars (107) $7.99

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Customer Reviews

85 Reviews 5 star:  (28) 4 star:  (37) 3 star:  (15) 2 star:  (5) 1 star:    (0)           Average Customer Review 4.0 out of 5 stars (85 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews 39 of 42 people found the following review helpful: 3.0 out of 5 stars A nice Wallflower series update plus an extra new romance -but at a price, September 25, 2008 By  Misuzmama (New York, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (What's this?) In order to secure an interest in his father's company Rafe Bowman, eldest brother of Lillian and Daisy, has come to England for a Christmas holiday to meet the English lady his social climbing parents want him to wed. The independently wealthy Wall Street mogul is a typical American -brash, crude and downright improper. And its Miss Hannah Applegate's opinion that the brutish rogue would never make as acceptable husband for her gentle and beautiful charge. He's entirely too outspoken, direct and has no manners. So the stubborn companion blocks all his efforts in courtship. But Rafe is up for the challenge and no managing miss, no matter how tempting and beguiling she may be, is going to get in the way of his financial goals. And soon Hannah realizes that she might have been in fact wrong about Rafe. Beneath his uncivilized exterior lies a lonely and wounded child looking for happiness. Much to her dismay Hannah is falling in love with this imperfect man. But this handsome enigmatic man could never want a poor relation with no social ties such as herself, especially if it meant forfeiting his stakes in his father's company. Or could he? After highly anticipating The Wallflower Christmas, I'm both happy and disappointed with the results. The book itself is *extremely short* merely 210 pages. So the romance, while excellent, reads more like those shorter anthology books (multiple stories by different authors) rather than a full blown historical romance. And while there's fair development of the delicious lovable rogue Rafe's character, Hannah's is sadly underdone. For example we find out barley anything about her family background. Happily though their romance is filled with the trademark Kleypas sexual tension with plenty of swoon worthy scenes. As far as the Wallflowers are concerned there are two very good parts with Sebastian & Evie The Devil in Winter (The Wallflowers, Book 3) and Marcus & Lillian It Happened One Autumn (The Wallflowers, Book 2), but they are very short (only a few pages each :( ). And Simon and Matthew might as well have been statues for all the attention they get. So while I enjoyed the romance and the Wallflower update (technically not an update since the book takes place a few months after Daisy's book and well before Mine Till Midnight (The Hathaways, Book 1)) I hesitate to recommend this due to the steep price. Her novels normally run $8 and this is nowhere near the caliber of novel Kleypas usually writes. And I feel like the publishers counted on the fact that the readers would fork over extra just to read updates about their beloved characters. OK -you can make me pay more BUT give me more! Thats just not the case here. Really a nice Christmas romance with a small treat for die-hard Sebastian and Marcus fans. And although its a very good short romance and frankly anything with Sebastian (*sigh*) is a keeper IMHO, I suggest checking this one out throughly at the bookstore or library before you buy. The reading order of Wallflower and Hathaway books- Secrets of a Summer Night (The Wallflowers, Book 1) It Happened One Autumn (The Wallflowers, Book 2) The Devil in Winter (The Wallflowers, Book 3) Scandal in Spring (The Wallflowers, Book 4) A Wallflower Christmas Mine Till Midnight (The Hathaways, Book 1) Seduce Me at Sunrise (The Hathaways, Book 2) 9 of 10 people found the following review helpful: 2.0 out of 5 stars Ok if you are a Kleypas fan - Skip if you are not!, September 30, 2008 By  Jill Guntur (New York) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)       (What's this?) I've enjoyed the Lisa Kleypas "Wallflower" series. I think because I have enjoyed following the stories of the women, this book became an extension of characters already known and was - therefore - just ok. Felt very much like a rush to get a Holiday story out and quality in storytelling suffered for it. Rafe Bowman comes from the rough and tumble Americas to win the hand of titled woman (Natalie Blandford) and secure a place for him in his family fortune. Hannah (Natalie's cousin) is absolutely certain this is not a proper man for Natalie. And so begins the hunt toward truth.... He is not the man for Natalie, but perhaps he is the man for someone else. Question is... will either of them realize it in time. It is an easy ready. It is good if you've read the rest of the wallflower series. Other than that.... I found myself disappointed at the way this book felt like it was phoned in for Christmas. 5 of 5 people found the following review helpful: 4.0 out of 5 stars All because of a tea cup, October 9, 2008 By  Holly Lewis "Free-Range Librarian" (Medina, OH USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)       (What's this?) While a little overly descriptive and flowery at the beginning, this book really got rolling the further you read. While I haven't read the other books in this series, Secrets of a Summer Night (The Wallflowers, Book 1), I was able to enjoy this installment once I got to know Hannah and Rafe. In one early scene the author actually had me laugh out loud while reading, which is a rare thing. I wish the book was longer, allowing for the characters to be fleshed out more but I did enjoy the tidbits of information on when & where Christmas traditions started in England and by whom.		Most Recent Customer Reviews 5.0 out of 5 stars Now I must go back.... I loved this book. The fact that I have not read any of the other books in this series didn't matter. The characters were great and the author is surpisingly funny at times!! Read more Published 26 days ago by sara girl 4.0 out of 5 stars It was good. I loved the wallflower series and couldn't wait to read this one as well. It was good. It wasn't great, it wasn't the most moving romance novel I have ever read. Read more Published 2 months ago by Jodi N. Swenson 5.0 out of 5 stars Thanx Thank you so much for sending this book, i got it and it was in really good condition. Published 2 months ago by Nina 2.0 out of 5 stars If this was my Christmas present, I'd want to sock Santa in the nose. Marketing a scant 200 pages as a hardcover "novel" could only be done with a big name author. Lisa Kleypas has loaned out her good name to make a quick buck on this pathetic... Read more Published 4 months ago by Rebecca Baumann 5.0 out of 5 stars (Too) short, but very sweet I won't waste anyone's time writing what the book is about; others have done already. I LOVE Lisa Kleypas, but not blindly, and some of her books are not a 5-star. This one is. Read more Published 4 months ago by GK 5.0 out of 5 stars Short but sweet! I was a little hesitant to buy this book due to some of the reviews on Amazon, but I'm so glad I did! Read more Published 4 months ago by Lauren W. 5.0 out of 5 stars A Wallflower Christmas Review (Novel and Audio Book) I've become a big fan of Ms. Kleypas' historical romance novels beginning with MINE TILL MIDNIGHT. I've since purchased all of the "historicals" and have enjoyed all of them -... Read more Published 5 months ago by M. Butler 5.0 out of 5 stars Throes of love There is nothing I love more than escaping from the day to day routine of one's life by falling into a deliciously steamy romance novel like A Wallflower Christmas. Read more Published 5 months ago by KK 3.0 out of 5 stars Pleasant enough...but main love story feels short-changed This is the love story of Lillian and Daisy's brother Rafe Bowman, recently arrived in London from America, and Hannah Applegate, the poor cousin/companion of Lady Natalie whom he... Read more Published 5 months ago by statengirl 4.0 out of 5 stars surprisingly enjoyable holiday treat I'll admit it: I was surprised at how good A WALLFLOWER CHRISTMAS was. We get a brief reunion with all four wallflowers, who have assembled for the Christmas holidays, and see a... Read more Published 6 months ago by mlle. x Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press (October 14, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312533780
• ISBN-13: 978-0312533786
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (85 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #12,204 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #28 in

  Books > Romance > Authors, A-Z > ( K ) > Kleypas, Lisa

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A nice Wallflower series update plus an extra new romance -but at a price, September 25, 2008

By	Misuzmama (New York, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

(What's this?)

In order to secure an interest in his father's company Rafe Bowman, eldest brother of Lillian and Daisy, has come to England for a Christmas holiday to meet the English lady his social climbing parents want him to wed. The independently wealthy Wall Street mogul is a typical American -brash, crude and downright improper. And its Miss Hannah Applegate's opinion that the brutish rogue would never make as acceptable husband for her gentle and beautiful charge. He's entirely too outspoken, direct and has no manners. So the stubborn companion blocks all his efforts in courtship. But Rafe is up for the challenge and no managing miss, no matter how tempting and beguiling she may be, is going to get in the way of his financial goals. And soon Hannah realizes that she might have been in fact wrong about Rafe. Beneath his uncivilized exterior lies a lonely and wounded child looking for happiness. Much to her dismay Hannah is falling in love with this imperfect man. But this handsome enigmatic man could never want a poor relation with no social ties such as herself, especially if it meant forfeiting his stakes in his father's company. Or could he?

After highly anticipating The Wallflower Christmas, I'm both happy and disappointed with the results. The book itself is *extremely short* merely 210 pages. So the romance, while excellent, reads more like those shorter anthology books (multiple stories by different authors) rather than a full blown historical romance. And while there's fair development of the delicious lovable rogue Rafe's character, Hannah's is sadly underdone. For example we find out barley anything about her family background. Happily though their romance is filled with the trademark Kleypas sexual tension with plenty of swoon worthy scenes. As far as the Wallflowers are concerned there are two very good parts with Sebastian & Evie The Devil in Winter (The Wallflowers, Book 3) and Marcus & Lillian It Happened One Autumn (The Wallflowers, Book 2), but they are very short (only a few pages each :( ). And Simon and Matthew might as well have been statues for all the attention they get.

So while I enjoyed the romance and the Wallflower update (technically not an update since the book takes place a few months after Daisy's book and well before Mine Till Midnight (The Hathaways, Book 1)) I hesitate to recommend this due to the steep price. Her novels normally run $8 and this is nowhere near the caliber of novel Kleypas usually writes. And I feel like the publishers counted on the fact that the readers would fork over extra just to read updates about their beloved characters. OK -you can make me pay more BUT give me more! Thats just not the case here.

Really a nice Christmas romance with a small treat for die-hard Sebastian and Marcus fans. And although its a very good short romance and frankly anything with Sebastian (*sigh*) is a keeper IMHO, I suggest checking this one out throughly at the bookstore or library before you buy.

The reading order of Wallflower and Hathaway books-
Secrets of a Summer Night (The Wallflowers, Book 1)
It Happened One Autumn (The Wallflowers, Book 2)
The Devil in Winter (The Wallflowers, Book 3)
Scandal in Spring (The Wallflowers, Book 4)
A Wallflower Christmas
Mine Till Midnight (The Hathaways, Book 1)
Seduce Me at Sunrise (The Hathaways, Book 2)

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Ok if you are a Kleypas fan - Skip if you are not!, September 30, 2008

By	Jill Guntur (New York) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

(What's this?)

I've enjoyed the Lisa Kleypas "Wallflower" series. I think because I have enjoyed following the stories of the women, this book became an extension of characters already known and was - therefore - just ok. Felt very much like a rush to get a Holiday story out and quality in storytelling suffered for it.

Rafe Bowman comes from the rough and tumble Americas to win the hand of titled woman (Natalie Blandford) and secure a place for him in his family fortune. Hannah (Natalie's cousin) is absolutely certain this is not a proper man for Natalie. And so begins the hunt toward truth.... He is not the man for Natalie, but perhaps he is the man for someone else. Question is... will either of them realize it in time.

It is an easy ready. It is good if you've read the rest of the wallflower series. Other than that.... I found myself disappointed at the way this book felt like it was phoned in for Christmas.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars All because of a tea cup, October 9, 2008

By	Holly Lewis "Free-Range Librarian" (Medina, OH USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

(What's this?)

While a little overly descriptive and flowery at the beginning, this book really got rolling the further you read. While I haven't read the other books in this series, Secrets of a Summer Night (The Wallflowers, Book 1), I was able to enjoy this installment once I got to know Hannah and Rafe. In one early scene the author actually had me laugh out loud while reading, which is a rare thing. I wish the book was longer, allowing for the characters to be fleshed out more but I did enjoy the tidbits of information on when & where Christmas traditions started in England and by whom.