Retro Friday (27) - Scandal in Spring 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! 

And it's finally time to finish the Wallflowers series!

At First Sight: Daisy Bowman is the last Wallflower standing, as she has seen her sister and friends find love and happiness. As the youngest, she was the last to go, but now the Wallflowers are centering their efforts in her, particularly since her father has issued an ultimatum: either Daisy finds a husband by the end of May or she'll have to marry Mathew Swift.

Having known Mathew in New York, Daisy is sure he's the last man she could ever marry, as Mathew is her father's protegee in Bowman Enterprises and is widely renown as a cold sort who isn't very handsome or charming.

At least, that's the Mathew Swift Daisy remembers. The man he meets when her father ask Mathew to come to Hampshire is completely different. Mathew has grown into his looks and his accomplishments at work have made him confident; charm has harder but he also worked to get that. But there is one thing that never changed... the fact that Mathew has been in love with Daisy since he met her, almost ten years ago.

But knowing that the secrets of his past could destroy him any moment, and take her with him, Mathew had always avoided pursing Daisy, even with her father's scheme to get them married. He's determined to stay out of it, and he's fully prepared to let Daisy go. But, by then, Daisy has other plans once she realizes that all the things she ever wanted in a man... might be in-bodied in the least likely one.

Second Glance: Scandal in Spring is one of my favorite Wallflower books, because Daisy is my favorite wallflower. I have always loved how she embodies both the whimsical and the pragmatical. She's a romantic but she also has her feet on the ground.

And Mathew also holds a special place in my heart. I love how dependable he is and the fact he has so many feelings for Daisy but doesn't know what to do about them as he thinks they don't have a future together. I think a lot of people don't give him a fair chance since in the previous book it was sort of hinted Daisy would end up with Cam Rohan, who later went to find his HEA in Mine Midnight; and people sort of got attached to that idea.

I also loved seeing the other wallflowers and husbands around. I have to say I didn't like Lillian -again - for a large part of this book, but she does come around eventually.

Also, I love Westcliff, I believe he's the character that has hopped through the most books in the Lisa Kleypas universe and I always love how honorable a man he is.

Bottom Line: Scandal in Spring is one of my favorite comfort reads ever, though I'll admit the ending is a bit rushing, I still like it for the end of this lovely series.

Favorite Quote: There are so many scenes in this book that I love - like when Mathew comforts Anabelle's daughter when the poor baby is crying 'cause she's teething or when Daisy realizes he carries something of hers in his pocket all the time. And the lawn bowling scene - Not as good as Bridgerton Pall Mall but close!!!

But anyway, if I must pick a quote...

"She was the most provoking, beguiling woman he had ever met. Thunderstorms and rainbows wrapped together in a convenient pocket-sized parcel." - Mathew about Daisy

PS - I tried to listen to the Audio book of Scandal in Spring - as I listened to the audio books of the previous 3 books - but I didn't get very far into it. The narrator was very inconsistent with the voices, which made it very hard to follow as basically all the women sounded the same as did all the men.