Gwen’s review of Tempt Me at Twilight (The Hathaways, Book 3) by Lisa Kleypas
Historical romance released by St. Martin’s 22 Sep 09
There are a few authors that I always enjoy. Short story, novel, or just plain interacting with readers – they’re always pleasant and gracious. Lisa Kleypas is one of those few sincerely nice people and her writing normally reflects that niceness. So imagine my surprise when she created the morally ambiguous hero, Harry, in Tempt Me at Twilight. A hero who is even worse than St.Vincent (be still my heart).
Don’t get me wrong – by the end Harry manages to redeem himself. Just. But I do believe he is the most damaged of all of the Kleypas heroes and I LOVED him! He is a bit mad, very bad, and willing to do anything to win Poppy’s hand. This sets up some fun scenes and terrific dialogue for the morally centered and very nice Poppy when dealing with the determined and unprincipled Harry.
Twilight is a typical Kleypas romance in that the heroine is imminently likeable and the romance is sigh-worthy. However, it departs from Kleypas’s formula in that the hero acts in a very un-herolike manner for purely selfish reasons. In her other novels (in my experience), unworthy actions normally have heroic purposes or outcomes. Harry has none of these. He just wants Poppy. Period. And does whatever he has to do, short of murder, to get her.
This creates amazing tension between the main characters. It also presents interesting predicaments for Poppy’s oh-so-close family. You can imagine how Cam and Merripen feel about a man who connives, cheats, and maneuvers their “little sister” into marriage, breaking her heart along the way. It is tremendous fun to read.
I found myself moved to tears several times as Poppy and Harry make discoveries about each other and themselves. Harry’s childhood and his inability to connect normally to others is quite heartbreaking to read. This element is a real masterstroke for Kleypas. It’s all so wonderfully nuanced and complicated, and entertaining as hell to read.
Twilight stands alone – you needn’t read the other books in the series to enjoy it. Though I highly recommend all of the Hathaways books. This family has the best of late Regency, odd-ball romance entertainment.
I highly recommend Twilight for anyone who is a fan of historical romance or just romance in general. It is a lovely, complex story about redemption, discovery, family, and love. You shouldn’t miss it.
Grade: A
Read reviews and information for books in this series by following this tag here.
Summary:
Poppy Hathaway loves her unconventional family, though she longs for normalcy. Then fate leads to a meeting with Harry Rutledge, an enigmatic hotel owner and inventor with wealth, power, and a dangerous hidden life. When their flirtation compromises her own reputation, Poppy shocks everyone by accepting his proposal—only to find that her new husband offers his passion, but not his trust.
Harry was willing to do anything to win Poppy—except to open his heart. All his life, he has held the world at arm’s length…but the sharp, beguiling Poppy demands to be his wife in every way that matters. Still, as desire grows between them, an enemy lurks in the shadows. Now if Harry wants to keep Poppy by his side, he must forge a true union of body and soul, once and for all…
Read an excerpt here.
Other books in the series:
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