I have a strange relationship with the Wallflowers series, in that I have only read one of the “official” books and haven’t quite read all of the “peripheral” books (the Hathaways). I read The Devil in Winter (the third Wallflower book) as soon as it came out, not because I was interested in the Wallflowers (obviously) but because I was intrigued by its connection to one of my all-time favorite books, Dreaming of You. The heroine of Devil in Winter is the daughter Ivo Jenner, the villain from Dreaming of You.
The idea of a book about the daughter of the villain is an awesome one, and Evie Jenner’s life and relationship with the world of London gaming hells lived up to all of my expectations.
A couple of book-sale finds meant that the first two Wallflower books would sit on my TBR shelf for months before the Disastrous Christmas Book Episode. I picked It Happened One Autumn to read first, even though it is the second book in the series.
What the ever loving eff? Well, I’m reading them out of order anyway, and It Happened One Autumn interested me more because of its connection to another of my all-time faves, Again the Magic. The hero of It Happened One Autumn is none other than Aline Marsden’s older brother, the unflappable Marcus, Lord Westcliff.
I suppose that terribly long introduction was to say that I didn’t particularly care whether or not I liked this book, and that’s why its taken me so long to getting around to reading it. All of its connections to other books, seemingly stand alone books, was downplayed to the point that if you had not read the prior books you would not be disappointed or left out of the loop. On the other hand, I would have loved to hear more about Aline and McKenna, would have loved to see them again, though I confess I was mildly placated when we heard about the birth of their son John.
But this book was not about Aline and McKenna redux. It was about Lillian Bowman, American New Money heiress who couldn’t find a respectable husband at home (ah, the perils of nouveau riche-iosity) and so has been dragged to Europe by her parents in the name of finding a titled husband. In the previous book Lillian, her sister Daisy, Evie Jenner and Annabelle (I only know her married last name because she is the subject of the first book. Just be satisfied with her first name, dammit) dubbed themselves The Wallflowers, and are trying to get each other married off.
This sounds rather cold blooded, but it’s not. None of the girls are fortune hunters (in fact, most of their problems stem from the fact that they are too well moneyed), and none of them is opportunistic. They just want to do what they’re supposed to do (get married), and not get screwed over while they’re doing it.
The chemistry between Lillian and Marcus is stunning in that the first part of the book, in which they are separate from each other and reflect on their feelings for one another, is spent with them both talking about how much they don’t like each other. And you almost believe them. Until you remember the line about protesting too much, etc., etc., etc.
When they have their first encounter behind a juniper bush, Marcus’ physical reaction is as surprising to the reader as it is to Lillian herself, and it’s that much more potent for it. The discovery of their mutual respect and affection for one another is a joy to read throughout the book, and it’s a testament to Kleypas’ New Skool writing that when Marcus’ truly evil mother starts to interfere with what she considers to be an unsuitable match, neither Marcus nor Lillian behaves like a dipshit.
Were there problems with this book? Negligibly. Marcus and Lillian are not what I would consider to be comfortable people; as individuals they were each a pain in the ass, and I’m not certain I could put up with either of them for a prolonged period of time. All that meant in the end, though, was that I do not doubt for a moment that they are perfect for each other and have a beautifully balanced relationship.
While these characters and their story were by no means earth-shattering for me, this was a solidly written historical romance, with no eye-rolling and no “who in the what now??!” moments. Devil in Winter is next in the series, but since I’m away on business and only brought Secrets of a Summer Night with me, I guess I’ll just have to continue back tracking and start at the beginning.
I get scared. When I have read. Books that you reference in your blog. (I`m hyperventilating, can you tell? And mostly because I loved Dreaming of You and will have to read it again before I give this copy back.)
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