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Love in the Afternoon

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(this was originally posted on Book Lovers Inc)

Warning: This review is completely biased, I adore Lisa Kleypas' work and this series in particular, don't expect any reasonable arguments from me. No pigs were killed during this review. All *squee* emanated from this slightly deranged reviewer (AKA me).

*Squeeeeeeeeeeeeeee* <=====Me getting the book last Saturday (you were warned)

Love In the Afternoon is the 5th and last *sob* book in the Hathaway series. My heart is breaking knowing that this was the last book. I adore (<==see? I adding new words to my vocabulary) this series. You were warned, I'm a huge Lisa Kleypas fan, and to think that I read my fist book by her only 6 months ago'now I am truly and completely addicted! *squee* Every Historical romance I read is now compared to my new Lisa-Kleypas-standards. Every time I finish reading one of her books I have a hard time reading anything else afterward. (not fair for the poor book that has to follow lol). And I keep rambling about how great her books are to everyone (sorry Susi, she's my Megan Hart lol).

Let's go back to the gem that is Love In the Afternoon. I loved Beatrix ever since we met her in the first book. She's peculiar and can't help rescuing every wounded animal she finds. Beatrix is funny, adventurous, a bit wild (she wears trousers!!!) and does not care about social etiquette . She is surrounded by rescued pets, such as the hedgehog Medusa, Lucky the 3 legged cat or Dodger the ferret etc' But Beatrix is also very witty and intelligent! She can tell what 'animal' people are by observing them, FYI she sees herself as a ferret. Animals play a very important part in this book, for instance it all started with the mention of a dog in a letter'

At first I had a hard time realizing that Beatrix was no longer a 15 years old like in the first book. I was a bit worried I wouldn't enjoy the romance. Of course now I'm all reassured, she might be innocent but she is a 23 years old woman! (*squee* Hot Christopher helped a lot with that realization LOL). I just love this character, she took pity of the poor Christopher, alone and desperate, far away at war. Since her friend Prudence didn't want to answer him she decided to write him herself, signing with Prudence's name. I loved the letters between Beatrix and Christopher, you could see love creeping up on them a bit more with each letter, until the lie became to heavy to bear for Beatrix. Christopher didn't know she was the one writing to him, he wants Prudence.

When Christopher comes back from the war, he's broken and tortured. These years of violence destroyed him, he saw too many deaths and often the only thing that made him go on was his correspondence with 'Prudence'. He is a war hero and he's miserable, he doesn't want all the attention everyone keeps giving him. Of course as a war hero and heir to a title he's very sought after by the ladies (A Hot-Rich-heir-to-the-title-war-hero will do that to any unmarried lady). Before the war Christopher was not the same man, he was a bit haughty and 'insulted' Beatrix, saying she was made to be in the stables. Now that he meets her again he's different but he still find her peculiar.

The story is a bit darker than the usual Lisa Kleypas. Don't get me wrong I loved it, but it's harder to review without revealing to much of the plot. Christopher is scarred inside. I still laughed a lot while reading it though. Beatrix is very funny and most of all we get to see Leo a few times and he's HI-LA-RIOUS. The Hathaway family is very entertaining and it's never boring around them, that's for sure. The romance felt less rushed, no eloping to marry secretly, no kidnapping, no hurried wedding'.this was the ending we needed for this series. I loved all the characters to pieces. The Smex scenes were fewer than usual but they were very HOT. Christopher doesn't trust himself around Beatrix, the question is will she be able to save him from himself? (To Be Continued' lol)

Here are 2 of my favorite quotes about the family dynamics:

Leo looked at Cam expectantly. 'Well?'
'Well what?'
'Now is the time when you dredge up one of your blasted Romany sayings. Something about roosters laying eggs, or pigs dancing in the orchard. It's what you always do. Let's have it.'
Cam gave him a sardonic glance. 'I can't think of one right now.'
'By God, I've had to listen to hundreds of them. And Phelan doesn't have to hear even ONE?'

and

'I beg your pardon?' Catherine interrupted. 'Are you implying that women have poor judgment?'
'In these matters, yes.' Leo gestured to Christopher. 'Just look at the fellow, standing there like a Bloody Greek god. Do you think she chose him because of his intellect?'
'I graduated from Cambridge,' Christopher said acidly. 'Should I have brought my diploma?'
'In this family,' Cam interrupted, 'there is no requirement of a university degree to prove one's intelligence. Lord Ramsay is a perfect example of how one has nothing to do with the other?'

So in short, Love in the Afternoon is a delight. It's like the Cherry on top of the cake. It deals with darker matters than the previous books but still makes you laugh every so often. You will love to love the characters! Beatrix and Christopher, her menagerie and family'all of these are enough reasons for you to read it! I know it won't please every reader, but it pleased me immensely and that's the most important for me *wink* I LOVED it, Loved it, Loved it *mini squee* So'am I the only one who's sad the series's over? *sob*