Secrets of a Summer Night

SECRETS OF A SUMMER NIGHT: Lisa Kleypas: Avon Books: Romance: 375 pgs.

Four young ladies enter London society and decide to band together and use their feminine wit and wiles to find a husband for each of them - starting with Annabelle.
Annabelle Peyton, determined to save her family from financial disaster, is looking for a wealthy nobleman to tempt into making an offer of marriage. But Annabelle's most persistent admirer is the wealthy (though lower-class) Simon Hunt, who has made it clear that while he longs to make her his mistress, he will not offer marriage. Annabelle is determined to resist his unthinkable proposition, but she is also running out of options. Her friends, looking to help, conspire to entice a more suitable gentleman to offer for Annabelle, for only then will she be safe from Simon—and her own temptation.

This book is the first in a popular series known as the Wallflowers. It was a light, enjoyable romance. I thought I would never warm up to Simon when he had such tawdry intentions, but he redeemed himself to the point where I ended up liking him after all. This book has a few love-making scenes that you can skip over if you’d rather avoid them.

BHG