Retro Friday (23) - It Happened One Autumn by Lisa Kleypas

Retro Friday is a weekly meme hosted at Angieville and focuses on reviewing books from the past. This can be an old favorite, an under-the-radar book you think deserves more attention, something woefully out of print, etc. Everyone is welcome to join in at any time! 

I've slowly been making my way through re-reading The Wallflowers series, and this week I'm going tot talk about book two, It Happened One Autumn. 

At First Sight: Ever since they met, Lillian Bowman and Marcus, Lord Westcliff have been at odds with each other. Lillian sees Marcus as an stuff aristocrat who doesn't like her; and Marcus sees Lillian as an abrasive girl with no sense of propriety.

But, one of his best friends just married one of her best friends and he really wants to get his hands on her father's company, so they have to spend nearly a month together in Hampshire in the house party Marcus is hosting. And, as every romance reader knows, something always happens at house parties!

When a chance encounter makes Lillian and Marcus realize something about each other  - that they are overwhelmingly attracted to each other - things get complicated because that's the last thing they want to admit.

But with the help of a little magic perfume and the prodding of family and friends, these two are in way over their heads.

Second Glance:  I think this is a lovely addition to the wallflower series but it's also kind of my least favorite book of the series. While I adore Marcus as a hero, Lillian is my least favorite Wallflower. She's very stubborn and there is this scene near the beginning of the book that always pisses me off because it shows that Lillian sometimes is stubborn for the sake of being stubborn, which is kind of dumb to me.

She does grow on me as the book goes on, and I do see that she is what Marcus needs in his life. And, like I said, I like the book, it just isn't a favorite.

The wallflowers continue to be awesome - I seriously love the friendship aspect of these books - and Lord St. Vincent is also introduced (for a while there there is a tiny little love triangle, but not really).

Bottom Line: It Happened One Autumn is a very nice historical romance, I just have some issues with Lillian but its a story full of romance and friendship and humor.

Favorite Quote: "...what’s the harm in allowing for the possibility? I refuse to believe that we’re going to go through life without something magical happening" - Daisy
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