Scandal in Spring (Wallflower Series #4) Book

I loved this story! Maybe it was because I approached it with lower expectations, since everyone has said it's not as good as the first three Wallflower books, or maybe it was because LK is such a fabulous storyteller, and made me fall in love with the characters...but who cares--I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Thinking back on the other Wallflowers stories, maybe Scandal In Spring doesn't quite have all the drama, or even the passion (although Daisy and Matthew were passionate enough for me) of the other books, and maybe Daisy and Matthew's relationship wasn't as volatile as the others, but there was plenty to love in this sweet (and sexy) story.

I loved how Daisy and Matthew met (or should I say "re-met", since they'd known each other for quite a while). I'm assuming that Matthew and Daisy hadn't seen each other for three years (she being in England and Matthew in New York), and Daisy (and her sister Lillian) remembering Matthew as being this unattractive, gangly string-bean, know-it-all "suck-up" who works for her father. Daisy's father has given up hope that she'll find a peer to marry, and he wants to marry her off in the worst way, so he tells her that he's picked out Matthew Swift for her. Daisy (and Lillian) are aghast at this idea, and Daisy's determined that this not happen. But when Daisy meets Matthew at the wishing well at Stony Cross...oh wow, she can't believe how he's "filled out" and how attractive he's become. There's a bit of a spark there, but Daisy fights it. When Daisy confronts Matthew with her father's idea for them, Matthew assures Daisy that it will never happen, that he "can't" marry her. Hmmm, what does that mean...?


Throughout the story we're told about Matthew's long hidden desires for Daisy, but how he's determined to not let anything happen between them, no matter how much he longs for her. We're left to wonder just what he's hiding, and if Daisy will ever find out his secrets. I must confess when I did found out what he was hiding, it wasn't as bad as I'd imagined. And I loved how Daisy and Westcliff (and even Lillian and Thomas Bowman) supported him and were determined to see that he and Daisy get their HEA. These scenes brought a few tears to my eyes.

There were many scenes between Matthew and Daisy that I enjoyed, but one of my favorites was an early one--their encounter with the trapped goose. Hilarious! Another was when Matthew rescued Daisy from the wild boar--this was when Daisy and Matthew both knew that the attraction between the two of them was mutual, and the reader knows that things are about to heat up. And probably one of the most emotional for me was when he presented her with the "daisy" ring (*sigh*)

The love scenes? Verrry satisfying. I loved how Daisy was not a shrinking violet and often took the initiative, and delighted in provoking Matthew into losing control. While Matthew was described as being practical and "dependable"...dependable does not mean boring! I really felt the love between these two.

One other thing made this book so satisfying to read, and that was the inclusion of all the other wallflowers (Lillian, Annabelle, and Evie) in the story, and to read about their ongoing friendship. Wow, those ladies have some great dialogue in this book! They always make me laugh! I also enjoyed seeing the continuation of Westcliff's and Lillian's relationship (loved Westcliff's devotion to her), and I particularly loved the amount of page time Westcliff got in the story, and how he turned out to be such a friend to Daisy and Matthew. He may be my favorite hero in the whole series.

So fans of this series, if you've been holding out on reading this one because you've heard it wasn't that great, just remember a "not so great" book by Lisa Kleypas is better than a lot of books out there. I loved this one, and I'm so sorry that I only have one more to read in this memorable series. Now on to A Wallflower Christmas! 4 1/2 stars