Rating: A-
Setting: Historical
Hero: Simon Hunt
Heroine: Annabelle Peyton
Secrets of Summer Nights by Lisa Kleypas is the first of her wonderful Wallflowers series about four young ladies who enter the London society with one common goal: they must find a husband using their feminine wit and wiles and thus a daring husband-hunting scheme is born.
A girl, despite being a wallflower, can over-come any problem in her husband-hunting, other than the lack of a dowry! Annabelle Peyton represents Old World aristocracy, she's beautiful and genteel -- and desperately trying to maintain the appearance of wealth. She's determined to use her wits and beauty to snag a nobleman to save her family from total ruin. She would not settle for less than an aristocrate as it was unthinkable in those times for nobility to marry outside their circle. Simon Hunt, a butcher's son, who has made a fortune by investing in industry and railroads and is only marginally accepted by The Polite Society. He's also Annabelle's most intriguing and persistent admirer, who has made clear that he's willing to offer everything, other than marriage. Annabelle is determined to resist his unthinkable proposition... but it is impossible in the face of such skillful seduction. Annabelle attempts to trap a moneyed aristocrat into marriage--with the help of her vivacious fellow Wallflowers. But on one summer night, situation brings the two of them to altar ... and Annabelle discovers that love is the most dangerous game of all.The scenes involving Annabelle and the three other Wallflowers, two sassy and smart-mouthed American girls and a timid, stuttering English heiress, are almost as enjoyable as the ones in which Annabelle and Simon try to outmaneuver each other.
But my favorite thing about this book is that the book doesn't end when Simon and Annabelle wind up at the altar. It goes deeper touching on Annabelle's changing mindset (specifically, her growing admiration of Simon's working-class roots and her acceptance of everything he stands for) and Simon's insecurity over taking her away from polite society. A definite keeper!
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