Love in the Afternoon by Lisa Kleypas

Beatrix Hathaway has always been considered the most peculiar of the Hathaway clan. More comfortable hiking through the woods around the family's home than in a drawing room. And she has no particular liking for Captain Christopher Phelan, one of the local golden boys who thinks her too peculiar for polite society.

But when Christopher goes to war and begins to write to Bea's friend Prudence, Bea sees a side of his soul that she had never even guessed he possessed and, since Pru had no intention to answer him, Bea does...signing Pru's name.

A world away from each other, they fall in love...but a love that has heartbreak written all over it, unless Christopher finds the true author of the letters that kept him sane during the war.

Beatrix has always been a favorite of mine, ever since the beginning of the Hathaway Series; I was half afraid that I expected too much of her book but my trust was well placed on Lisa Kleypas, and she delivered a beautiful story for Bea. Christopher was a good hero, sometimes he was Mr. Jerky Pants but he does redeem himself.

And Albert - his dog - was a great asset to him ('cause he revealed a lot of Christopher's character). And, by the way, as I expected there was lots of animals in Bea's book and that made it even more awesome. Oh and Cam and Amelia's son was Super Cute!

Love in the Afternoon was a lovely book and a very nice wrap up for the series, for the most part. I'm of the opinion that there were a couple of things toward the end that felt thrown in at the last second, and there was not enough Harry and Poppy for me.

Favorite Quote: "To err is human, to forgive, canine."

3/4