Title: A Wallflower Christmas

Author: Lisa Kleypas

Genre: Historical Romance

Stand Alone/ Series: In the world of the Wallflower’s series but can be read as a stand alone

Summary: Wealthy entrepreneur Rafe Bowman has come to London to marry Lady Natalie, an aristocratic bride who will help to further his ambitions. But two things stand in his way : Lady Natalie’s disapproving companion Hannah . . . and Rafe’s passion for a woman he should not want and can never have . . .

Why did we read the book: It’s a Wallflowers book! (*Ana says* : It has St Vincent!) and another chance to do a Powerpuff Girls review with KatieBabs!

Review:

First Impressions:

Ana: I had no idea what to expect when I got A Wallflower Christmas. For some reason I thought this was going to be an anthology and was surprised – and delighted – to find out that this is a full-length novel albeit a short-ish one (about 200 pages). I was absurdly pleased when the prologue sets the tone for a Christmas tale with an “Once Upon a Time” opening by reminiscing each of the Wallflower’s story and how they all found their happily ever after and reminding the reader that there is no shortage of wallflowers and this is to be a story about another one of them. From that moment on, I was captivated by the narrative, extremely happy to see the Wallflowers’ antics again and above all completely taken with Rafe Bowman and his heroine, Hannah. Well done, Mrs Kleypas.

Thea: Having read the Wallflowers books, I was very happy to discover this new, sleek and shiny volume in the mail. I didn’t even know another spinoff series was planned! And, given my great experiences with the first four books, Ana and I decided that we would most definitely do a powerpuff style review for this newest addition. Lisa Kleypas is true to form with this novel, in a light hearted, festive romance between a strong minded young companion, and the un-gentlemanly Rafe. As with all the other Lisa Kleypas books I have read, A Wallflower Christmas is a fun, well-written romance. While I don’t think it is as good as those first four novels, it still was nice to see all the girls together again, and meddling in other people’s affairs.

On the Plot: Christmas is approaching and Rafe Bowman – Lillian and Daisy’s brother – is coming from America to England to get married. As heir to their father’s fortune and with a keen eye for business, Rafe is ready to take over the European side of the business but his father imposes a condition – he has to marry into English aristocracy and the chosen bride is one Lady Natalie.

Not really caring about whom he marries with, Rafe is prepared to please and appease his father. The meddlesome Wallflowers, who are engaged in preparations for a huge Christmas party that is to take place at Lillian and Marcus’ country Estate are worried that Rafe would not know how to handle an English lady – and decide he needs to learn everything he can about her in order to woo her. They invite Hannah Appleton, Natalie’s poor cousin and companion for tea in order for her to tell them what are Natalie’s dislikes and likes. She goes, under great pressure form her uncle, who wishes for the marriage to happen. But Hannah who thinks Rafe is not the best choice for her beloved cousin is completely hostile to Rafe, at least at first. Sparks fly….witty conversation and angst ensue, a stolen kiss happens….

and…..you know how the rest goes.

Ana: From an extremely objective point of view, the plot of A Wallflower Christmas is not the most original out there: the callous rake with the daddy issues and the outspoken impoverished companion have been done a thousand times. And yet…..

… there I was, on my flight to Portugal and I open the book and I do not see the take off, nor the landing and I have this stupid smile of my face and I can not stop reading it, not even on the queue for passport control when I was nudged a couple of times by the annoying person behind me who fully expected me (the nerve) to be paying attention to my surroundings as if keeping my place in line was more important than to read about how Rafe and Hannah were falling in love with each other against all odds and how the wallflowers are amazing and help them and how OMG here comes St Vincent (as we know, THE BEST ROMANTIC HERO EVER) and he has jewels and he covers Evie in them and they have sex for DAYS and Marcus and Lillian have an amazing scene but it all goes back to Rafe and Hannah and all of a sudden, my perspective changes, the callous, cold yet humorous rake is an amazing hero with his sad, sad childhood and Hannah is this impulsive lady that calls on Rafe’s dreadful behavior but can’t help falling in love with him no more than I can’t help falling in love with the book.

And I can no longer be objective because so many wonderful things happen, from the first moment Rafe sets eyes on her and is rendered speechless for the first time in his life to the moment he realizes he loves her but can not have her; and there is heart, there is laughter and there is warmth in A Wallflower Christmas and it’s more than I expected and it’s Lisa Kleypas once again, taking romance novels to another level, departing from a well-worn premise, making it her own and granting me, us, whomever is smart enough to get this book, a few hours of romantic delight.

Thea: In this new installment to the Wallflower’s story, the plot follows Lillian and Daisy’s brother, Rafe Bowman. Rafe travels across the pond to marry Lady Natalie at his father’s behest–as part of a business arrangement, benefiting Natalie’s family with even more wealth, and the Bowmans with a noble title, while Rafe earns the full control of the European operations of his father’s business. Natalie’s cousin and companion Hannah vehemently objects to the betrothal, even before either of them have met. Hannah is set that Rafe, judging from his reputation, is no gentleman and certainly cannot make Natalie happy–and she is sent to meet the Bowmans and report back to her Lady with her verdict. And, of course, Rafe falls for the one unacceptable woman he should not care for–not Natalie, but Hannah. Interject their story with meddlings and help from the Wallflowers and their respective partners, and you have A Wallflower Christmas.

I cannot fault the plotting for this novel at all, it is what it is–Lisa Kleypas, doing her thing. The book is paced evenly and is a quick, light read. It certainly isn’t an original storyline, but in general (in my opinion, that is) most historical romance novels follow the same conventions. While there isn’t anything new or innovative in this novel, the quality of writing is up to Lisa Kleypas’s usual high standards. I will say that I highly enjoyed seeing the Wallflowers again, and appreciated that a good portion of the story was devoted to “catching up” with what they have been doing for the past few years–all the while keeping a steady focus on Hannah and Rafe’s budding romance.

On the Characters:

Ana: Starting with the original wallflowers: it was amazing to see them all again, to catch up with their happily ever after. Their interactions with each other are as endearing as ever as are their interactions with their significant others (St Vincent!) – there is a little bit of each of them in A Wallflower Christmas and it was like seeing old friends.

But really, as much as the wallflowers are amazing (and St Vincent!), the book belongs to Rafe and Hannah. From the get go when sparks fly and they have this incredibly witty banter – gotta love witty banter – that starts because Hannah can not stand the manners or the values (or lack of) of American ands considers Rafe wholly unsuitable for her cousin. Rafe is completely taken with Hannah and she may deny it but she is taken with him as well (as it should be). Their conversation are delightful, their repartee funny and yet every single one of them carry hidden depths and moments where they share almost unconsciously, their inner turmoil, their hidden secrets. They hear each other in what they don’t say.

Rafe is another worthy addition to Lisa Kleypas’ pantheon of heroes: rake extraordinaire, so callous when it comes to women, he merely expresses a “she’ll do” when he meets Lady Natalie. Rafe was an unhappy child, always alone, under the intolerable bowman parentage, a boy destined for great things, not allowed to play. His rebellion is to be a carefree rake even though he tries his best to please his father, but that is no pleasing Mr Bowman, not now, not ever. The more he sees Hannah , the more he wants her. One particular moment of enlightenment is when he realises how fascinating she is and thinks it would tale a lifetime to get to know her, whereas with Lady Natalie one hour was enough. He is drawn to her as a moth to the light and if there is one keyword for both these characters is “warmth” – Rafe for Hannah was like a sugared cup of tea and to him, she was like a ray of sunlight.

The major conflict comes from the consequences of one accepting their love for each other: for Rafe accept to his love for Hannah is also to accept that he can not, will not please his father ever and that brings a great sense of failure to a man that has accomplished much except the one thing that matters: the acceptance of his own father. Much has been said about the common-place that is for a hero to have “daddy issues” but truly, sometimes it works, when it is well done, as is the case here. Similarly for Hannah to accept Rafe’s love is also to understand that she is the wrench that will come between him and his father – and the prospect of losing his place in the family business which means a lot to him.

But alas, one can not stop the course of true love.

Thea: In my (granted, very limited) experiences with historical romance, the plot is often pretty cut and dry–which leaves it to the characters to make or break a book. Ms. Kleypas has a huge talent for creating wonderful characters, and A Wallflower Christmas reintroduces us to some of my personal favorites.

Each former Wallflower gets a spotlight here–from Annabelle talking things over with Simon, Evie and St. Vincent holing themselves up for a couple of days, Daisy quietly giving advice to her brother and mediating tensions, and Lillian causing a ruckus over Marcus’s strange behavior. Since the hero in this story is another Bowman, there was more time devoted to the Bowmans in general–which is just fine by me, as Lillian is my favorite Wallflower! Initially I found the storyline involving Lillian’s misgivings concerning Marcus to be strange–but given Lillian’s tough exterior fronting for her very vulnerable feelings, her mistrust feels true to her character. When she does learn what Marcus has been up to, it is a touching, awkwardly funny scene–and reminiscent of their shenanigans in It Happened One Autumn, where I fell in love with both characters in the first place.

As for Hannah and Rafe, the central pair in this novel, they are both likable characters. Rafe Bowman is a dashing man, who has daddy issues. In the previous Bowman stories, some of Daisy and Lillian’s troubles with their father emerge, and it was very interesting to see things from the perspective of a brother. Hannah is an endearing heroine; she’s broke but does not have a problem with her situation, as she loves her dear cousin and is happy to be able to live as a companion. I was not swept away by these two characters or by their romance, but still found them agreeable enough.

Actually, more interesting to me (from a writing standpoint) was the character of Lady Natalie! Spoiled, selfish, and immature, Natalie can hardly live up to the Wallflower girls–and this is the most appealing thing about the character. I love that Ms. Kleypas wrote a main character that is neither Eeeevil! nor perfectly sweet and likable (as most characters fall into either category, nowhere in between). Natalie’s selfishness is not born out of meanness or a desire to squash Hannah (as say Joyce from Dreaming of You)–she simply is what you might expect a pampered, beautiful heiress to be.

Final Observations, recommendations and rating

Ana: A Wallflower Christmas is one of those small treasures. A delightful read not only because of Rafe and Hannah but also because we get to see those characters we have come to love – specially my own all-time favorite hero, Sebastian St Vincent. I may be biased because of that but there is no denying that this is a feel-good story, a captivating romance, with a fairytale-like narrative. I had a silly smile on my face for most of the read because this was just like waking up on Christmas morning to find a tree full of yet-to- be-discovered presents.

Thea: I enjoyed this book, finishing it within 2 hours on the plane. While I didn’t find it to be as great as the other Wallflower books, it’s still a trademark Lisa Kleypas read–that is, compulsively readable! Not spectacular, but very, very solid nonetheless. I enjoyed this one thoroughly.

Notable Quotes/ Parts:

Ana: they are all decorating the Christmas tree. Rafe dares Hannah to sing a carol. She does, to his utter delight, and he is completely captivated by her voice, and by the woman herlsef. Because she took his dare, he ows her a forfeit. She asks for a possession of his, anything he was carrying in his pockets at that moment. He gives her a toy soldier. She is puzzled by the fact that he is carrying it around without realising that he has given her his most treasured possession. Awwww. I will not spoil it, but The Secret meaning behind it is so heart wrenching and the fact that he has given it to her is one of the most heart warming scenes I have ever read in a romance novel. The whole sequence involving this event was amazing and I think I will always remember it.

Thea: I loved the passage where a certain young ‘un has stolen a certain toupee, and has gotten it stuck up in the enormous Christmas tree. Enlisting Hannah’s aid, she climbs up the treacherous ladder to retrieve said toupee–when the ladder collapses, Hannah is stuck on a ledge until Rafe comes along to observe the ridiculous situation. It’s funny, and very sweet.

Rating:

Ana: 9 - this is one of those huggable books!

Thea: 6 – Good, A book I definitely would recommend for any Kleypas fan.

And this is Bubbles’ and Buttercup’s opinion on the book. Now, pop over to Katie’s (A.K.A Blossum ) to read her review of A Wallflower Christmas! Powerpuff girls: to infinity and beyond!

TOMORROW, FRIDAY 26TH SEPTEMBER: AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH THE ONE AND ONLY LISA KLEYPAS AND A CHANCE TO WIN A COPY OF SEDUCE ME AT SUNRISE!

In 2005, Lisa Kleypas started a new historical romance series. Four very different women find that they are routinely ignored and shunned by London society for various reasons. Annabelle is beautiful, yet destitute; Lillian and her sister Daisy are brash and American without a drop of blue blood for all their wealth; and Evangeline, while unusually lovely is incredibly shy and cannot speak without stammering incohesively. Alone, each of them have gone to balls and assemblies only to sit on the outskirts without any prospects–until they decide that they have had enough. Annabelle, Lillian, Evie and Daisy decide to combine forces to escape their permanent wallflower status and land themselves dashing husbands, one by one.

And, to celebrate the Wallflowers, we Smugglers will take on each of our favorites–Thea with Annabelle and Lillian, Ana with Evie and Daisy!

Secrets of a Summer Night

Annabelle Peyton is by all accounts a beautiful woman–the perfect English Rose. Unfortunately, she and her mother are in dire financial straits. Her father’s death has left her family in debt, and as women in Regency England, there is naught to do about it. Annabelle is determined to find a husband but has gone for seasons without a single proposal. For all her beauty, the Peyton financial situation is no secret, and rumors circulate throughout the ton about Annabelle–all the peers seem perfectly eager to wait for her to fall into ruin, and then keep her as a mistress.

Enter the intrepid Wallflowers. At one ball, just as every other for the previous seasons, the four women find themselves seated and without a partner in sight. Lillian, brash American heiress, comes up with the brilliant idea that they should work together, starting with the eldest–which would be sweet Annabelle.

Although they go through with some hare brained schemes to trap an unsuspecting suitor for Annabelle into a proposal, she finds herself inexplicably drawn to Simon Hunt–an obscenely wealthy ne’er-do-well, who seems intent on making Annabelle his mistress. You know how the story goes from there.

So, what’s cool about Annabelle? Perhaps I should have broken this down like a collectible card…

Name: Annabelle Hunt (nee Peyton)

Assigned Wallflower Status Because… Her family is flat-out broke. Why buy at full retail when you know it’s gonna go on sale in a few days? (AKA there’s no point in proposing to the beautiful Annabelle when she is bound to become a kept woman in a few months)

Why She’s Cool: Annabelle doesn’t have the snap of Lillian, or the fragility yet quiet strength of Evie, or even the imaginative sparkle of Daisy. What she does have, however, is a steely, admirable courage. Faced with ruin, dealing with her mother’s new ways of creating income, Annabelle feels the pressure of her situation fully, and yet does not despair and she does not whine and pawn her problems off on her newfound friends. Nor is Annabelle ready to accept her fate as a mistress (though it would be far easier for her to simply take the steady money and live with it).

If She Were an Ice Cream Flavor it Would be: Vanilla. Maybe bland to some, but always a classic.

What About Her Leading Man? Simon Hunt; dashing, roguish, and filthy rich. Simon has made his living with his own two hands, and is to some extent ostracized by the peers–with the exception of Marcus Westcliff, who respects and understands Simon. Tall, dark and handsome–not to mention crazy jealous, and protective of Annabelle.

Notable Moment(s): No one can doubt her courageousness in that final scene when Simon’s factory is ablaze and she rushes in to save her husband. Even Marcus, Lord Westcliff, is finally won over by Annabelle in this scene, as he had thought she was insincere and undeserving of his good friend Simon earlier.

It Happened One Autumn

As I’ve said before, Lillian is my favorite Wallflower, and one of my favorite Lisa Kleypas characters, period. This book begins as Lillian and her sister Daisy look for scents–that is, Lillian has a gift for scents, and is planning on concocting her own perfume. She would be an invaluable asset to her father’s soap manufacturing business had she been born a man. The shopkeeper sees Lillian’s talent, and offers her the last, perfect ingredient for her perfume–claiming it is a love potion.

From there, the girls–Lillian and Daisy, Evie and Annabelle (newlywed Mrs. Hunt) go to Lord Westcliff’s summer home. Lillian isn’t much looking forward to the trip as she and Westcliff seemed to despise each other on sight earlier that summer–he for his uptight domineering and judgemental behavior, she for her loud, unrestrained sauciness.

And…you know how the story goes from there.

Name: Lillian Westcliff (nee Bowman)

Assigned Wallflower Status Because… She is one of those dreadful, obnoxious Americans. Her family is filthy rich from her father’s successful business endeavors, but without a drop of blue blood to their name–they are seen as “new money” and social climbing pariahs in New York, and are similarly received in London. Mrs. Bowman’s pushy ambitions doesn’t do much to help things; she is insistent that her girls marry peers. And, then of course, Lillian herself is a wild child, speaking her mind, expressing her strong opinions, and sneaking off to play rounders with the stable boys.

Why She’s Cool: Lillian is a firecracker. She’s loud and opinionated, and hates to admit that she’s wrong. Her vivacity, her “oomf!” factor makes her irresistible. For all that she’s incredibly headstrong and often jumps to the wrong conclusions, she is so full of life that one can’t help but smile. She’s definitely not for everyone, as some readers might not like her crassness (or I suspect her treatment of the much beloved St. Vincent might have something to do with that–which, in this reader’s opinion is completely justified on Lillian’s part. After all, he did abduct her and planned on forcing marriage and other unmentionables on her). But underneath her thick, tough exterior, she’s surprisingly soft-hearted, and she will fight tooth and nail for her friends.

If She Were an Ice Cream Flavor it Would be: Oh, how about the aptly named flavor, “Rocky Road”? Sharp sometimes, a little nutty, a little soft and sweet, and very distinct.

What About Her Leading Man? Marcus, Lord Westcliff, is a staunch man, devoted to his convictions. Son of a cold father, raised by his horrid mother, Marcus has been groomed for Earldom since his youth. He expects to marry a lovely, quiet, traditional Englishwoman, as his station is expected. However, all that goes out the window when he meets Lillian, the one woman who is able to cause Marcus to lose his head to emotion–be it anger or desire. Marcus might seem a bit square and stuffy, but gradually we learn more of his past, his caring and protectiveness of his sisters, and his more progressive ideas. Hard to resist, really.

Notable Moment(s): The scene where she and Westcliff won me over–the infamous “Rounders in Knickers” scene. Lillian and Daisy convince the girls to go for a game of Rounders (similar to baseball) on a quiet field on Lord Westcliff’s grounds. Hilarity ensues when Westcliff and Hunt ride into the game–Hunt cannot keep his eyes off of Annabelle, and Westcliff cannot control his anger at the uppity impertinence of Lillian Bowman. Both Lillian and Westcliff seem to hate each other on sight…but we know how that tune plays out. Technically this scene is from Secrets of a Summer Night, but it’s my favorite. To be fair, my favorite scene in It Happened One Autumn is when Lillian is in Marcus’s library, getting completely wasted off pear brandy to take the edge off worry, anger and rejection. When Marcus stumbles in on her (completely blitzed, having finished the bottle), the scene is both funny and incredibly sweet.

Devil In Winter

Evie Jenner is in dire straights. When she was a child, her father, who is the owner of a gambling club (you might remember him from Dreaming of You – he was Derek Craven’s rival), sent her to be raised by her mother’s family so that she could have a modicum of respectability. But her relatives are abusive and see her purely as a mean to get her father’s fortune. When they decide she should marry her piggish cousin, she flees and decides her only course of action is to get a husband of her own choosing. As time is of essence here, the only possible choice is the devil himself: Sebastian St Vincent, the man who had kidnapped her best friend because he too, is in financial trouble.

The shiest of the Wallflowers walks into his house and makes an offer he cannot refuse – they are to elope and he would have his money and she would be free from her family and be able to go to her father who is dying. There is one condition – they will consummate the marriage so that it would be legal but they would not sleep together again. But their wedding night is a complete surprise for both of them, and they start to realise that appearances can be deceiving…
And…you know how the story goes from there.

Name: Evangeline, Lady St Vincent (nee Jenner)

Assigned Wallflower Status Because: She is extremely shy. Even though she has considerable fortune, her father’s money comes from his gambling club –she is not aristocracy. She also stutters which makes potential suitors wary of approaching her.

Why She Is Cool: She has endured an abusive childhood with her relatives and came out stronger for that – she may not be outspoken or spunky but she is determined and extremely loyal to her friends and father. Once she makes up her mind, there is no turning back. She is one of those quietly strong heroines. She is extremely perceptive and can see through other people’s BS quite easily. And one that can wrap the most dashing, beautiful, sophisticated rake around her little fingers.

If She Were an Ice Cream Flavor It Would Be: Strawberry – she’s a redhead, she’s someone that people overlook a lot of the time, and yet she’s definitely original. Tangy, sweet, not to everyone’s tastes, but distinct on her own.

What About Her Leading Man? Ah. Now. Sebastian, Lord St. Vincent. I don’t even know where to start – he is put simply, my all time favorite romance hero. Described as the most beautiful man in England, with is golden hair and blue eyes, a sex god, callous, infamous, manipulative, crude, witty and extremely sophisticated lord, the ultimate reprobate rake who on top of everything, starts out as a villain. In It Happened One Autumn – because he is an impoverished aristocrat who needs money to maintain his dissipated life style, he kidnaps his best friend’s fiancée, Lillian Bowman to force her to marry him. How could someone like this ever be redeemed? Well………all it takes is a red-headed with her quiet ways and will of steel to bring him down to his knees. Quite possibly the most improbable pairing in all romanceland, but one that absolutely works. His transformation is amazing – it starts out in their wedding night when he is shaken to the core after sex with Evie turned out to be a surprisingly amazing experience which alarmed him to no end; and continues when he realizes he has a brain which he can use, by running the gambling club that belonged to Evie’s Father. He turns quite murderous and protective when he learns of her abuse and little by little, starts falling even though he fears to love as much as he fears to be loved. When someone tries to kill Evie, he throws himself in front of the bullet aimed at her, without a second thought and as he lies there thinking he is going to die, his only concern is for her safety. He learns the meaning of sacrifice, the meaning of caring for someone and most of all he learns he is worth more than his looks and charms. And the best thing? He is redeemed but without ever losing his edge, his bad-boy persona and he carries on being rather depraved, but only with Evie. The lion who has been tamed by the lamb and is extremely satisfied about it. I better stop now, I could go on and on, believe me.

Notable Moments: I think Evie’s best moment is the one that sets things in motion. You would never expect her to just walk into the lion’s den right after Sebastian has been beaten to a pulp by Marcus and everyone thinks he is the devil, to make him an offer he can’t refuse: to marry her, so that he can have money and she can be freed from her family. It takes a lot of guts but she will prove over and over again that if there is someone that can handle the devil, it’s her.

One last thing: Devil In Winter is one of my favorite romance novels. Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase is my number one, but Devil in Winter is the one I re-read over and over again.

Scandal In Spring

Daisy Bowman is the only Wallpaper that it’s still single. Sick and tired of waiting for his daughter to choose a husband, her father takes matters in his own hands and decides she is to marry his protégée, Matthew Swift.

Matthew has loved Daisy since he first saw her but he has a secretive past that could jeopardise their happiness so he decides to keep away. But Daisy, who was at first horrified at the prospect of marrying cold, ambitious Matthew , all of a sudden realises he is everything she ever wanted in a man and decides to make him jealous to get him to come out of his shell.

And…you know how the story goes from there.

Name: Daisy Swift (nee Bowman)

Assigned Wallflower Status Because: She is Lillian’s sister and therefore, another one of those dreadful Americans; heiress to “new money”, off to marry a peer as per her father’s determination. She may not be a spitfire like her sister, but she is her best friend and companion on her adventures.

Why She’s Cool: She is intelligent and inquisitive but also a dreamer and a romantic, always with a book in her hands. Her dream man would be someone quiet and well-read –not someone that is perfect, but someone that is just right for her. She is not as abrasive as her sister – quite the contrary; out of all the wallflowers she usually is the voice of reason and the most approachable one.

If She Were An Ice-Cream Flavour It Would Be: Neapolitan. she’s dreamy, kind of “in between” and taking the best of all worlds–chocolate, vanilla and strawberry together. Subtle flavors when mixed, but oh so yummy.

What About Her Leading Man? Matthew Swift is her father’s protégée who he worships above even his own sons and whom he chooses as a husband for Daisy when it’s clear she can’t get a British peer to marry her. Matthew is a self-made, self-confident ambitious American, who has wanted Daisy FOREVER. Even though he would love nothing more than to marry Daisy, he has a Secret in his Past that is an obstacle to their relationship. Attractive, strong and utterly masculine, he knows every single thing about Daisy. And he carries around a button with a lock of her hair in his pocket so that he can possess at least a tiny piece of her.

Notable Moments: The lawn games Daisy and Matthew play which starts friendly enough and turns into a fierce competition. Or when they are having The Talk when they both acknowledge how much they want each other but Matthew refuses to make a move. Daisy is furious at this decision that seems so illogical so she takes charge, locks the door and tucks the key inside her bodice. Impossible for Matthew to resist. And the rest as they say, it’s history.

So, these are the original wallflowers and their original books. But every season sees new wallflowers forgotten in the corners of London’s ballrooms. One such wallflower is Hannah Appleton and her story and how the wallflowers will help her getting the man of her dreams is in the upcoming novel A Wallflower Christmas (release date October 14th).

Come back later today to read our take in the new book! We will be posting our joint review here and Katiebabs will post hers at her place – it is another one of our infamous Powerpuff girls’ joints!