He went from viewing Poppy as a curiosity (a valuable must-have curisioty) into a person he could not live without but I never fully understood why. I felt like Harry was a bit inaccessible. Harry wanted the unusual, unique because it lent stature to his position. Poppy only really wanted Bayning for the traditional English life she had always longed for. For both parties, it is learning to understand and accept people beyond the surface. Poppy isn’t in love with Harry and Harry isn’t in love with Poppy but they both must navigate the marriage in different ways to find their way to the loving marriage. I do appreciate that this story is all about what happens after the marriage. Beatrix is often around like a Hathaway Yoda offering up cryptic statements at just the right moment such as you can trust anyone that a hedgehog trusts which, of course, means Poppy is to throw away her impressions that Harry is a scandalous and untrustworthy man.

The story relied on quirkiness such as Beatrice offering sage advice about how people are like animals. While the prose is good, it wasn’t effortless. I enjoy the forced marriage theme and by the numerosity of the theme in the genre, so must other readers. But Poppy is convinced by Harry’s frank acknowledgment that he is scandalous, mercenary, and manipulative but will promise to treat her like a queen. What does it matter to them? They were poor as church mice and the whole society thing is fairly a novelty to them. The Hathaways are wholly opposed to this marriage and tell Poppy she can return home, although she will be ruined. He sets about manipulating events that end in Poppy’s inevitable marriage to him. A collector of fine and curious objects, Harry decides immediately that the beautiful Poppy is a must have acquisition for his collection. Poppy’s natural intelligence and her unconventional education pique Harry’s interest. The mystery man is Harry Rutledge, the powerful owner of the hotel. She ends up in a secret tunnel where a mysterious man finds her, lifts the letter, and settles in for a nice chat with Poppy. Problems arise when Beatrix’s ferret runs off with this scandalous letter and Poppy gives chase. He promises her a letter to broach the subject of their romance with his father, but begs her to keep it private.

Despite the fact that she is the sister of a viscount, Poppy does not have the bloodlines to be considered a good match for Bayning. Poppy is convinced that she is in love with Lord Michael Bayning, the heir to a viscountancy. Poppy and her family are staying at the Rutledge Hotel for the London season.

Tempt Me at Twilight brings readers closer to the end of the Hathaway family romances. Jane Book Reviews / C Reviews Category / C+ Reviews forced-marriage / Lisa-Kleypas / Scandal 23 Comments SeptemREVIEW: Tempt Me at Twilight by Lisa Kleypas

Hathaway series tempt me at twilight