Wallflowers series by Lisa Kleypas -> Restarting August 2nd, 2023

[Aly]

Four young ladies at the side of the ballroom make a pact to help each other find husbands . . . no matter what it takes.

Proud and beautiful Annabelle Peyton could have her pick of suitors—if only she had a dowry. Her family is on the brink of disaster, and the only way Annabelle can save them is to marry a wealthy man. Unfortunately her most persistent admirer is the brash Simon Hunt, a handsome and ambitious entrepreneur who wants her as his mistress.

Annabelle is determined to resist Simon's wicked propositions, but she can't deny her attraction to the boldly seductive rogue, any more than he can resist the challenge she presents. As they try to outmaneuver each other, they find themselves surrendering to a love more powerful than they could have ever imagined. But fate may have other plans—and it will take all of Annabelle's courage to face a peril that could destroy everything she holds dear.

[Ashlyn]

Going to finish up the other Lisa Kleypas series and then start this one. I don't like reading two books by the same author at the same time.

[Melanie]

Ashlyn wrote: "Going to finish up the other Lisa Kleypas series and then start this one. I don't like reading two books by the same author at the same time."

I'm also still working on her other series. Do you want to move the date for this one?

[Ashlyn]

Starting this next week

[Ashlyn]

Chapters 1-4 (view spoiler)[I'm enjoying this one so far. I really liked the letters in chapter 4, but it kind of reminded me of Cinderella with the fairy godmother. (hide spoiler)]

[Ashlyn]

Chapters 5-8 (view spoiler)[This is giving me Cinderella vibes so much. But I'm not sure how I feel about the characters yet. Her getting stuck in the ferns was kind of interesting? Not really, but it was the best part of these four chapters. (hide spoiler)]

[Ashlyn]

Chapters 9-15 (view spoiler)[I don't like Annabelle's character. I understand why she doesn't want to be a mistress, but still. I'm not sure if I like Hunt either. He just doesn't seem to get what Annabelle is looking for. (hide spoiler)]

Finished (view spoiler)[I did not love this one. The last chapter was the best. I liked how they made her ready to saw off his leg to save him a joke. (hide spoiler)]

[Melanie]

I'll be starting this one soon, finishing off a couple others first.

[Elizabeth]

Me too

[Ashlyn]

Will be continuing this series next weekend.

[Ashlyn]

Starting tomorrow

[Ashlyn]

Chapters 1-4 (view spoiler)[I loved seeing him show her how to bat. That was super cute. And I love their banter! (hide spoiler)]

[Ashlyn]

Chapters 5-11 (view spoiler)[I like that Marus knows that Lillian might not be the prettiest person ever, but I still want him to think she is beautiful and not just obsessed or whatever word he used with her. (hide spoiler)]

Chapters 12-18 (view spoiler)[I love that she doesn't want what her parents have and wants more for herself.

Umm... I'm pretty sure that kiss was sexual harassment. And now I dislike Marcus.

Her drunk in the library was hilarious! I mean her finger getting stuck and him trying to find some type of lubricant!

I didn't like that he had sex with her while she was drunk, but he was super sweet after so I almost forgive him. (hide spoiler)]

Finished (view spoiler)[ This is cute. I love how jealous he got of her. I like that his sister confirmed that he has a hard time with words. I was not expecting St Vincent to kidnap her! (hide spoiler)]

[Melanie]

I'm going to finish off the Ravenels book I'm in the middle of then I'll finally start this.

[Aly]

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RESTARTING AUGUST 2ND, 2023

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[Ashlyn]

Hopefully picking up the next book soon.

[Elizabeth]

23% (view spoiler)[McKenna is going to get caught in his own game pretty quickly. I thought the beginning didn't really set up their story the best because I didn't get their chemistry. But I can totally understand a lover scorned and looking to settle the score. (hide spoiler)]

[Elizabeth]

56% (view spoiler)[ McKenna's confidence borders on arrogance but it works for me. (hide spoiler)]

77% (view spoiler)[ I have respect for Livia for declining his proposal. They both deserve to be their best, and he needs to want that. (hide spoiler)]

100% (view spoiler)[The ending felt abrupt. On one hand, it made sense since her family (her father and brother) tried to keep her from McKenna. So it makes sense that her brother had to remind her that she has control. (hide spoiler)]

[Ashlyn]

Chapters 1-7
(view spoiler)[I’m enjoying this so far, but still not loving Sebastian from the last book. Hopefully I like him more soon. (hide spoiler)]


Chapters 8-13
(view spoiler)[Okay, that was sweet that he shaved her dad. And that was so sad how her uncle used to hit her. I kind of like how he is alpha and protective but still hasn’t made up for what he’s done. (hide spoiler)]


Chapters 13-18
(view spoiler)[It was cute him teaching her how to play pool. I love how Evie realizes that he isn’t heartless. Evie taking care of him was so sweet.
(hide spoiler)]

Finished
(view spoiler)[It was cute him teaching her how to play pool. I love how Evie realizes that he isn’t heartless. I still don’t love Sebastian, but the book wasn’t bad overall.
(hide spoiler)]

[Elizabeth]

I'll be starting with the second book in a few days

[Kira]

Prologue-Chapter 6: (view spoiler)[It's only the first few chapters and I am already annoyed. Annabelle is so deperate to marry yet she won't even consider marrying Simon just because he doesn't have a title to his name. I can never understand how marriages worked back during the day. Then the plan they came up with to trap Kendall is so shady, I honestly expected better from these four. I hope they don't go ahead with it (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 7-12: (view spoiler)[Starting to warm up to the characters now. I understand that Annabelle is simply desperate and they live in times where titled men are respected far more than any wealthy common man. I especially love Lillian and Daisy and their modern ways, they are helping Evie and Annabelle to open up more. Simon is a better character than I had pegged him to be and I liked how he helped Anna after the snake bite (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 13-16: (view spoiler)[Hodgeham is a vile person for trapping Annabelle and her mother but Annabelle herself is frustrating me so much. It's so obvious Simon is a good person yet she won't even give him a chance. And the way she spread the rumor about Constance was purely immoral. I certainly expected better from her. I am glad that atleast Evie pointed out it was the wrong thing to do (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 17-22: (view spoiler)[Dang they got married so quickly and Annabelle did go ahead with the plan for a while but atleast she didn't trap Kendall into marriage. The way she behaves around Simon feels like someone was given an opportunity to do everything they want after quite a while of restrictions, I don't know what to make of it. I hope their feelings become stronger than they are at present before the book ends (hide spoiler)]

Finished: (view spoiler)[That accident was a huge one, ofcourse I am relieved that everyone made it out okay. I somehow am still not convinced that the feelings developed were genuine, it just didn't happen as organically as I had hoped for but the ultimate declaration of love was a sweet one and I am happy that Westcliff accepted her as well. Judging by the epilogue, the next story seems to be of Lillian and Westcliff (hide spoiler)]

[Elizabeth]

21% (view spoiler)[ I know Simon is the male lead, but so far, he's not making himself someone to root for. The wallflower's plan is underhanded, but right now, I'm rooting for her. (hide spoiler)]

48% (view spoiler)[ Aww! So it looks like Simon's rough with how he speaks but he's good at gestures. (hide spoiler)]

72% (view spoiler)[I'm honestly surprised that Annabelle and Simon got engaged and married this yearly in the book. I was expecting a moment where Annabelle failed to get an engagement and would accept Simon's offer to be his mistress. Following this, I expected their disappointment with the arrangement as they figure out this feelings (mostly, Simon realizing he wants to marry her). (hide spoiler)]

100% (view spoiler)[ Did not expect an accident and near death experience.... but I guess it makes sense given the work Simon does. Annabelle's actions were a little reckless but I do think it's consistent with her character. I'm glad it managed to work out. (hide spoiler)]

[Elizabeth]

14% (view spoiler)[I love how he's falling fast for Lillian. Quite a steamy kiss. (hide spoiler)]

[Elizabeth]

56% (view spoiler)[ Marcus needs to make up his damn mind. Like he not only basically gave in to their desires but he also insulted Lillian in the process. No wonder St. Vincent looks like a better option right now. (hide spoiler)]

65% (view spoiler)[ Lillian can be brash, but I totally see why she jumped to conclusions about what Marcus discussed with her parents. While she and Marcus have chemistry, their last discussion had them on opposite sides of marriage. And with him having more power, technically, I think it's fair to expect he'd use it to force their marriage. (hide spoiler)]

100% (view spoiler)[ I did not expect her being kidnapped and threatened.... St. Vincent is the next love interest so I'm a little curious how he could be redeemed. (hide spoiler)]

[Elizabeth]

18% (view spoiler)[ No doubt Sebastian will want to repeat this and will be reminded of Evie's lack of interest past the consumation. I can't wait! (hide spoiler)]

31% (view spoiler)[ I couldn't have expected Sebastian to become a working man as part of his arc, but it suits him. (hide spoiler)]

67% (view spoiler)[ I understand Evie's perspective that the club is familiar and she doesn't spot danger, but sometimes, she's almost as stubborn as Lillian. Sebastian literally had to take a bullet for her to realize the danger out there. I hope he's okay and they can come together for a happy married life. (hide spoiler)]

100% (view spoiler)[ I don't know how I feel about Bullard coming after Evie twice. It feels a little like the first was enough; although his supposed death did not feel satisfactory, But after everything poor Evie and Sebastian went through, I was frustrated by another setup-- momentary as it was. (hide spoiler)]

[Elizabeth]

30% (view spoiler)[ Whoever can't see how the game was a big old flirt fest must be dense. I love Westcliff's commentary to his future in-law. Of all people, he would know how denying affection confirms it and how futile it is to fight against it. (hide spoiler)]

42% (view spoiler)[ Lillian went to far. She means well but she's being overprotective and overbearing. Daisy deserves to voice her feelings, even if they have changed and no longer reflect Lillian's. Matthew seems like a good man. It's no wonder Daisy got tired of trying to be heard. (hide spoiler)]

89% (view spoiler)[ Oh, damn. No wonder Matthew felt like something would haunt him from his past. I can see why he didn't want to marry Daisy, since this lie could affect their trust. (hide spoiler)]

100% (view spoiler)[ I'm glad everything worked out! Everyone who helped him clear up the legal trouble is awesome. Mr. Bowman sucks as a father, but at least to Matthew, he's dependable.

I can't decide which of the wallflowers had the oddest love story-- one jumped into a burning factory to save her husband, another was kidnapped, another was targeted by a potential half-sibling, and Daisy wanted someone who was lying about their identity and almost died. (hide spoiler)]

[Elizabeth]

23% (view spoiler)[ I understand but don't agree with Natalie. I do hope she and this Travers are end game. Hannah and Rafe have more chemistry. (hide spoiler)]

50% (view spoiler)[ Not sure what could explain Westcliff's conversations with another noblemwoman, but I hope it's explained soon. Poor Lillian must be fretting. With how her father was, it's obvious why none of his children feel adequate. (hide spoiler)]

80% (view spoiler)[ I love this scene! All the wallflowers are like "there's a secret. Come and let us tell you all about it." It's funny and also very indicative of how there are no secrets between them. (hide spoiler)]

100% (view spoiler)[It's a shame the epilogue is so short and to the point! I'm glad it worked out for Hannah and Rafe. (hide spoiler)]

[Kira]

Will read the second book today.

[Kira]

Prologue - Chapter 4: (view spoiler)[I did not really love the first book so it took me a long time to persuade myself to pick this one up, I am however surprisingly liking this one so far mostly because Lillian detests westcliffe almost as much as he detests her and I love enemies to lovers trope. Also, she is not actively trying to trap him into marriage which was a major theme in book 1, hence my dislilke. I do not want to believe that the perfume led Westcliffe to kiss Lillian in such a manner and am curious to see what happens when the 4 of them wear the perfume at the ball, does it have the safe effect again. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 5-9: (view spoiler)[This perfume certainly is mysterious and i am dying to find out why it worked on Simon and Westcliff. Lillian is quite a strong headed character and I am loving watching her clash with Westcliff in such a manner. He forbade her from approaching his stables which I am sure Lillian is going to defy. The way he saved her and Daisy at the dinner though was a very sweet gesture, the name he came up with for the butterfly even gave me a good chuckle (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 10-15: (view spoiler)[I must say I definitely do not like that Lillian is entertaining St. Vincent’s advances despite being clearly attracted to Westcliff but maybe it’s the time period, she does need to secure a good match and soon and Westcliff isn’t interested in marrying as far as anyone knows. Like i always say, it is not a historical romance until one of the MCs has some kind of daddy issues. I am curious to see how Lillian brings him to his heels and gets a proposal out of him (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 16-21: (view spoiler)[ooooh i loved Lillian in this segment, she didn’t just swoon at Westcliff’s proposal and readily agreed to marry him but is taking her time to think about the decision rationally. The way Marcus stood up for her in front of his mother made me respect him even more, it takes some guts to support the person you love through everything. Despite not being very vocal about his feelings, i like the fact that he is atleast trying to be more forthcoming with Lillian. I am wondering who St Vincent would end up with, i do not think this is the last we saw of him (hide spoiler)]

Finished: (view spoiler)[Yikes I could not have imagined that Marcus’ mother would go to such great lengths to prevent him from marrying Lillian. I am so glad he did not excuse her behaviour simply because she was his mother and exiled her to Scotland. His sister Livia is a sweetheart though and i was happy to see her bonding with Lillian. St. Vincent turned out to be more of a villain than i thought and although i was previously interested to see how he fares in the future, I am not entirely sure if i am still interested especially considering he is going to have a romance with the sweet Evie in the next book (hide spoiler)]

[Ashlyn]

Hopefully will be finishing this series soon.

[Kira]

starting book 3 now

[Kira]

Chapter 4: (view spoiler)[I am not liking this so far mostly because I cannot begin to ignore the fact that Sebastian was so desperate to marry an heiress that he literally kidnapped Lillian and threatened to rape her to get what he wanted. I am not sure how the readers are supposed to see him as a hero through this all and I feel really bad for Evangeline, I do sympathise with her and can understand why she needed to resort to marrying Sebastian but I simply can't adore their romance (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 9: (view spoiler)[It's a shame that the author chose to make Sebastian an unforgivable villain in the last book because if it hadn't been for his actions in the past, I guess I may have enjoyed this romance quite a bit. I like my fair share of tormented heroes and heroines but what Sebastian did was beyond despicable and I can't just look past that, atleast not until it has been properly recognised maybe (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 14: (view spoiler)[Nope he isn’t getting any better, i am wondering why the author did not go for a redeeming arc in case of Sebastian. The way he talks to Evie is simply condescending and I will never ever find it even remotely romantic in any sense. I feel like Evie would have been so much better off on her own, Sebastian demeans her, puts her down and him never raising his “hand” on a woman isn’t as much of an honorable quality as he thinks (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 19: (view spoiler)[As much as i hate him I don’t wish him dead obviously and I liked how Lillian took care of him just for Evie and not because she was benevolent enough to forgive and forget what he did to her. She really is the true embodiment of friendship and I am glad that Evie is surrounded by such amazing people who really care for her and love her. I am hoping that we get the much awaited apology from Sebastian for all he did once he wakes up eventually (hide spoiler)]

Finished: (view spoiler)[I did not like this one bit. If it hadn’t been for the sweet Evie i would have definitely DNFed this one in the first quarter. I did not end up liking Sebastian right until the end and I am also apalled by the fact that he did not apologise at all but rather Evie being the sweetheart she is, accepted him with all his flaws. She really deserved better imo , i am still trying to understand how was this book even nominated for any kind of awards. (hide spoiler)]

[Kira]

Chapter 1-4: (view spoiler)[I have high hopes for this one mostly because I have liked Daisy in all the previous books and Matthew is a new character so I got no reason to dislike him. Plus the banter between them is already kinda entertaining. Matthew secretly pines for Daisy which is making everything even more interesting and I am eager to see how these two end up together with Daisy vehemently refusing to even consider marrying him (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 5-7: (view spoiler)[I would have preferred something less silly than that weird game of animal sounds to bring Daisy and Matthew closer honestly but I did very much enjoy the lawn bowling game they played earlier. It really did bring out the competitive spirits in the two of them. I am getting just a tiny bit annoyed by how Lillian is so close minded towards Matthew, she won’t even consider that he might be a changed man. Her reaction to Daisy’s confession was awful (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 8-10: (view spoiler)[I am so curious to find out what exactly is this secret that is keeping Matthew from even thinking about marrying Daisy. He is clearly in love with her and she is falling for him too. Lord Llandrindon turned out to be such a fool, I can’t believe he would chase around Daisy like that even after she made it clear that she was unavailable. Now that Lillian has had her baby, I am hoping she would be a bit more rational towards everything because I hate seeing her act do immature (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 11-15: (view spoiler)[It is kind of frustrating that Matthew won’t trust Daisy enough to reveal all his secrets but the fact that he has given his word to Westcliff that he would be completely honest with Daisy before marrying her has given me hope. I finally understand that Lillian is coming from a good place and truly wants what’s best for Daisy , it was nice of her to have a direct conversation with Matthew, it was long overdue (hide spoiler)]

Finished: (view spoiler)[That …..was some huge secret Matthew was hiding. It made me like him a little less in a way because he should have been forthcoming with Daisy atleast before sleeping with her or forming any kind of relationship. I get that he did everything because he was literally pushed into a corner but I don’t know if i have it in me to look past the deception. It was a sweet ending though and I liked the way the series ended (hide spoiler)]

[Kira]

Chapter 1-5: (view spoiler)[I can already tell that I am going to love this book because Aline and John's relationship seems as pure and heartfelt as they come. I hate that the society's structure drove them apart and now that they meet again 12 years later, I am wondering if John has developed hatred for Aline believing the harsh words she spoke in the past or did he manage to see through her ruse and is back to claim their love once again (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 6-8: (view spoiler)[I am so curious to learn exactly what kind of accident Aline had after John left that gave her scars all over her legs and I think she is wrong about how John would react when he learns of the same. He is clearly still in love with her but hiding it under the disguise of hate. Their chemistry is exceptional, I am loving how sensuous their every interaction is. The side story involving Livia and Shaw is quite interesting too (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 9-12: (view spoiler)[I knew Aline was obviously a virgin since she truly loved John all those years ago, Adam is a good friend for encouraging her to go after what she wants and let herself be happy for a little while atleast. No matter how much John insists he hates her now, it is evident that he cares for her the same way he used to all those years ago. I am waiting for them to have the much needed conversation and sort everything out at last (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 13-16: (view spoiler)[Shaw and Livia are as much a part of this book as Aline and John and I love it for them. both of them have lived through something terrible in the past and it's only fitting that they find solace in one another. It was great that Livia atleast hinted it to Marcus that Aline is hiding something which I am hoping would act as an aid and persuade John to finally talk to Aline about what exactly happened after he left Stony Cross (hide spoiler)]

Finished: (view spoiler)[That was such an heartwarming end, this was definitely my favourite book in the series and it's a shame that it was not even a part of the main series/characters! Aline and John's romance tugged at my heart in all the right ways and I was truly rooting for them throughout the book. The author packed in a bonus romance in the form of Livia and Shaw's story quite nicely in the book as well. I was happy that both the sisters got their happy ending and found people who truly care for them in every way (hide spoiler)]

[Kira]

Prologue - Chapter 3: (view spoiler)[Rafe is most certainly the worst sort of rake imaginable considering it doesn’t seem like he has any particular inclination towards settling down. I did not think it’d be a romance between him and Hannah but was immediately delighted when he showed interest in her. Curious to see where this goes (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 4-6: (view spoiler)[Hmmm i am not sure i am liking Natalie mooning over Rafe tbh and his comment about how he’d make Hannah his mistress did not sit right with me. I enjoy sexual tension between the MCs but when it comes in the form of one party literally begging for a kiss, that is something i find to be icky tbh. Not giving up on this yet though (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 7-9: (view spoiler)[Natalie being so ungrateful to Hannah for accompanying her sure irked me a bit and i am liking her less and less with every interaction that she has with the people around her. Hannah on the other hand is a completely different story, i love the little squabbles she has with Rafe and i can see the two of them have an eventful life together (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 10-12: (view spoiler)[ugh i hate Rafe’s father for forcing him to marry a woman he has no desire to be wed to and the threat of disinheriting might just be the oldest trick in the book. I am eager to see how Rafe circumvents through this and is able to be with the woman he lives without earning his father’s wrath (hide spoiler)]

Finished: (view spoiler)[The author definitely saved the best for the last because the epilogue for this one was the absolute perfect way to end the series. The wallflowers playing cupid to Rafe and Hannah was entertaining, the happy ending warmed my heart and reading little tidbits about all of their future made me very happy to say the least (hide spoiler)]

[Melanie]

Finally starting this one.

[Ashlyn]

I’ll get to this one soon.

[Ashlyn]

Hopefully will finish this up soon.

[Ashlyn]

Will be reading this next week.

[Ashlyn]

Chapters 1-4 (view spoiler)[Well I'm enjoying this one so far. I like that Swift didn't just tell Westcliff that he wasn't going to marry Daisy. I'm really liking Daisy's character too. (hide spoiler)]

[Ashlyn]

Chapters 5-8 (view spoiler)[Still liking this one. I thought the games were a little silly, but I'm glad she called Swift's name and then they kissed after. And when she got hit by the pig, it was sweet how concerned he was for her. I don't love that Lillian doesn't like him, but it's understandable that she just doesn't think anyone can be good enough for her sister. (hide spoiler)]

[Ashlyn]

Chapters 9-11 (view spoiler)[Omg the baby was born!! How sweet!! Also I love how she tried to make him jealous and then hid the key down her dress. (hide spoiler)]

[Ashlyn]

Finished (view spoiler)[so this guy showing up wanting to arrest him was wild! And then the whole carriage accident. I’m glad Swift wasn’t seriously injured. The ending seemed a little rushed with most of it just in the epilogue, but I really enjoyed the book overall! (hide spoiler)]

[Shannon The Co-Captain]

I'm starting this in a couple of days.

[Ashlyn]

I'll continue the two others in this series soon.

[Shannon The Co-Captain]

Starting this

[Shannon The Co-Captain]

End of Chapter 4 (view spoiler)[ I love the comradery between the girls (hide spoiler)]

[Shannon The Co-Captain]

End of Chapter 8 (view spoiler)[ Ugh. I don’t like Annabelle. I’m not a fan or trying to trick Lord Kendall and she’s dreadful to Mr. Hunt (hide spoiler)]

[Shannon The Co-Captain]

End of Chapter 19 (view spoiler)[ So, I’ve read the third book in this series (Evie’s book) and I just don’t remember her like she is in this book. I don’t remember a stammer and she definitely seemed more bold in her book. I definitely like Simon more than I like Annabelle (hide spoiler)]

[Shannon The Co-Captain]

Starting Book 2