ISBN 0060091290 - Not following too many of the generic rules of romance novels has worked for Kleypas, making her one of the few romance authors I would read from again of my own choice.

Since her father died, Annabelle and her family have fallen on hard times, financially, when she discovers that her mother has taken a different fall of her own - assuming the role of mistress to a pig of a man to help pay the bills. Annabelle feels the pressure of the need to marry well, which will save her mother from Lord Hodgeham and keep her brother in school. Landing a man with a title and money isn't just an issue of snobbery, it's a must. Her upbringing has taught her that she should marry a peer and her families dire straits requires that he be wealthy enough to help them. Unfortunately, Annabelle doesn't have a dowry and without a dowry, she's just a pretty face, more likely to end up someone's mistress than the wife of a peer. After almost 4 seasons without an offer of marriage, Annabelle's on the verge of becoming a spinster.

Decidedly not the right man, Simon Hunt is the son of a butcher. He's wealthy, but in the low-class way of having worked for it. Worse, he likes to talk about work and making money. Some of the peerage invites him to places he really doesn't belong, throwing he and Annabelle in each other's way. She admits she finds him attractive, but she's got her mind set on marrying a certain sort of man. And she has a plan.

As the season began to draw to a close, Annabelle found herself sitting with 3 other girls. They'd sat together often, watching others dance, but never spoken. One night, however, that changes and the four girls make a pact to help each other find husbands. They've all got their own reasons for ending up wallflowers: Evie's family is wealthy but common and the Bowman sisters, Lillian and Daisy, are American and a bit too rough around the edges. They're only accepted at all into society because their father is very rich. The four become fast friends and the husband hunting begins with Annabelle's plight, since she is oldest.

The story of the girls' friendship is given more ink than the usual romance novel drivel, which is a huge plus. The girls are funny and real and I hope Kleypas realizes, through the next three books, that the romance isn't nearly as interesting as they are and keeps them centerstage. Simon and Annabelle don't follow the standard romance novel pattern too closely, either, with no other man/woman thrown between them and no major misunderstandings to muddy up the romance. That alone makes this one worthy of a quick read.

- AnnaLovesBooks

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Great start to a great series. I actually read the first book last, as I wasn't able to get it until I found it at PBS. These are 'keepers' (Lisa Kleypas's Wallflower series).

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Love Lisa Kleypas! Another good one by her, the 1st of 4 in a series. My 2nd fav of the 4 (Devil in Winter is fabulous).

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This book has you hooked from the very first page! I never used to like historical romances and this was the first one I had ever read and now I can't put them down!

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Loved it. First book I read by this author and will now have to read them all.

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