Wallflower Christmas by Lisa Kleypas

Underdeveloped but enjoyable

3 stars

It’s Christmas in London and Hannah Appleton has been given the task of finding out whether the brash American, Rafe Bowman, will be a suitable match for her charge, Lady Natalie. What she finds is a ruggedly sexy, outspoken man with shockingly American ways who irks her in a way no man has before.

In order to gain his inheritance in his father’s company, Rafe Bowman must marry the blue blooded and very proper Lady Natalie. Although pretty and kind, it’s her chaperone Hannah that draws Rafe’s eye. At a house party at Stony Cross Park the Wallflowers play matchmaker with some unexpected consequences that will make it a Christmas to remember.

It pains me to have to only give a Lisa Kleypas book 3 stars but there are a few problems that have stopped this book being nearly as good as her other historical books.

Firstly, I thoroughly enjoyed the Wallflower books and was anticipating hearing about how all the previous characters had progressed. There was a nice little bit about Evie and Sebastian (The Devil in Winter) and another about Lillian and Marcus (It Happened One Autumn) but barely anything about Daisy and Matthew (Scandal in Spring) or Annabel and Simon (Secrets of a Summer Night). This is disappointing as with the book being so short, I feel another couple of sections could easily have been added, making it more the size of a normal romance.

The story of Rafe and Hannah was sweet but slightly underdeveloped. I didn’t feel I ever got to know either character particularly well and I was surprised when the declarations of love came as I honestly thought they were too soon to be believable. There was still lots of excellent romance and good interactions between the pair.

If I’m honest, I don’t really think that this book is worth the high, hardback price. It was a nice diversion and I always enjoy catching up on well-loved characters but overall it did leave me feeling slightly dissatisfied. Unfortunately only 3 stars.