Secrets of a Summer Night audiobook

4.5 I love you Dammit Stars***********Spoilers********** “You…you mustn’t stare at me like that.” Soft as the murmur was, he caught it. “With you here, nothing else is worth looking at.” -Annabelle and SimonI love Lisa Kleypas! Now a little while back I bought the whole Hathaways series for 4.00 and it was my first taste of Lisa Kleypas. I fell madly in love with all the Hathaways and when I finished that series I went to goodreads to find more books by LK to read. That was when I found out that The Wallflower series is connected to the Hathaway series and was suppose to be read first. Oops. Of course I went out to every book store I know and found the whole Wallflowers series for a 1.00 each. It was such a good buy! I enjoyed Secrets Of A Summer Night!!! It was everything I love about LK's books. Annabelle and Simon's story was so very sweet. “Let me spoil you,” he whispered. “Let me take care of you. You’ve never had anyone to lean on, have you? I’ve got strong shoulders, Annabelle.”-SimonAnnabelle took me a bit to warm up to. At first I wanted to shake Annabelle because she was so snobby and full of self importance. I hated the way she looked down at Simon like he wasn't good enough for her just because he wasn't peer. But slowly she realized that she was a prejudice snob and that Simon was great. And as she grew as a person she grew on me as well. I ended up loving her. She turned out to be a brave, sweet, and loyal. Simon omg Simon!!!! He was amazing and made the book for me. I love a man that knows what he wants and goes for it. I got that in spades with Simon. He seen Annabelle and he set out to have her. Period! He went after her like a lion going for a gazelle. Simon was sexy, sweet, honest to the point of rude at times, possessive, and confident. I loved how he slowly broke down all Annabelle's walls and worked his way into her heart. He could see the wonderful person she was underneath. I also loved that he seen her worth when all the other men seen a broke woman they could take a vantage of. But the thing that melted my heart was that Simon thought she was sleeping with a man for money and didn't care that she wasn't a virgin he still wanted to marry her and take care of her. Of course she was a virgin he was wrong but the point was it didn't matter to him. “I love you, dammit.” She brushed her lips teasingly against his. “How much?” He made a slight sound, as if the soft kiss had affected him intensely. “Without limit. Beyond forever.” “I love you more,”-Simon and AnnabelleSimon and Annabelle's relationship was a slow burn since at first she would snub him. But they had serious passion. I felt they had a great build up to a sweet love. It felt real. Simon was so sweet to Annabelle after they were married. He really took care of her and her family. And Annabelle fell hard for her husband. They both had a playful side that was cute. One of my favorite things about this book was the friendship between Annabelle and her fellow Wallflowers Lillian, Daisy, and Evie. They were a funny band of misfits hell bent on finding husbands and helping each other in any way they could. My favorite of the group was Lillian. She was so outspoken and foul mouthed. I loved how her and Earl Westcliff (Marcus) butted heads and took a dislike to each other. There was some major passion burning under all that hate and I can't wait to read their book! This was a sweet, romantic read and I loved it! I only took off a 1/2 star for Annabelle's snobby attitude because I wish she would have changed sooner. Other than that it was perfect! These 2 quotes just sums it up so nicely!! They are my favorite quotes of the whole book!“I realized something,” she said huskily, “when I was standing outside the foundry, watching it burn and knowing you were inside.” She swallowed hard against the thickness in her throat. “I would rather have died in your arms, Simon, than face a lifetime without you. All those endless years… all those winters, summers… a hundred seasons of wanting you and never having you. Growing old, while you stayed eternally young in my memories.” She bit her lip and shook her head, while her eyes flooded. “I was wrong when I told you that I didn’t know where I belonged. I do. With you, Simon. Nothing matters except being with you. You’re stuck with me forever, and I’ll never listen when you tell me to go.” -Annabelle“My God, I can’t stand this! I can’t let you go out every day, fearing every minute that something might happen to you, knowing that every ounce of sanity I’ve got left is hinged on your well-being. I can’t feel this way…it’s too strong…oh, hell. I’ll turn into a raving lunatic. I’ll never be of use to anyone again. If I could just reduce it somehow…love you only half this much…I might be able to live with it.”-Simon

The first time I read this book (in 2012) I didn't appreciate it. I'd just plowed through a bunch of historical romances and this one blended in with the crowd.OMG I WAS SO WRONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This book is magic. I loved it. A LOT. The push/pull between the two main characters was masterfully done. The tension of Annabelle's circumstances (and Simon's ignorance of her circumstances) was so perfect. I loved both of these characters so much. The perfect blend of tragedy, suspense, humor, romance. This book is (and has) everything. It's basically flawless.

I read it during a summer night. I swooned.I wrote a review.Oops.

4 stars! “Having regrets is the only sign that you’ve done anything interesting with your life.” The first book in the Wallflower series, Secrets of a Summer Night is about Annabelle, a beautiful woman searching for a husband, but her family’s financial troubles prevent this. No man wants to marry a woman with no dowry, but Annabelle must marry soon to prevent her family from being put out on the streets.Annabelle’s only luck seems to be with Simon Hunt, a man not of the nobility, but one who mad a great deal of money is business. He’s unrefined, blunt and even worse, he does not want Annabelle for his wife but as his mistress. Befriending three other wallflowers at a ball, they make a pact to help get every single one of them married, and first up is Annabelle as this is her last season to find a husband. They concoct a plan, and hopefully they’re mischievous ways will work! “I spent most of my youth hauling sides of beef and pork to my father's shop. Carrying you is far more enjoyable.""How sweet," Annabelle mumbled sickly, her eyes closed. "Every woman dreams of being told that she's preferable to a dead cow.” Historical romance is not my go to genre, but it’s so fun to dabble in from time to time. Lisa Kleypas is an author I really click with because I don’t end up rolling my eyes at the language or actions of the characters. She does her research really well, and is able to make a smooth transition into whatever time period she places her books in.I also normally don’t like Cinderella stories, and the rags to riches trope. But I loved Annabelle as a character, she was strong but had morals and pride. Her relationship with Hunt was a hate to love kind of story where over time the two get to know each other and fall in love, rather than love at first sight and it worked for me.Beautifully written, I cannot wait to read the rest of the Wallflower books (disclaimer I’ve read Devil in Winter and Again the Magic, but I still really want to read the other two books). This book was exactly what I needed to read at exactly the right time. “I'm coming to believe that there are two kinds of people... those who choose to be masters of their own fate and those who wait in chairs while other dance. I would rather be one of the former than the latter.” Follow me on ♥ Facebook ♥ Blog ♥ Instagram ♥ Twitter ♥

Finally, FINALLY, a Lisa Kleypas book that I actually like! I'm not broken after all!I was beginning to think that perhaps I was the only person on earth to hate Lisa Kleypas. I 2-starred both Suddenly You and Somewhere I'll Find You, and I was really ready to just throw in the towel. However, I already owned Secrets of a Summer Night so I figured I would try one more time. #bathtubbookAnd I'm soooo happy that I gave this one a try. This was a great story with a complex H and h, a great set of side characters, and a romance that developed slowly over time. Despite some awkwardness between the two MCs at the 80% mark or so, the romance was simply divine. I think I found the first Kleypas series I can get behind. Here's to hoping the rest of the books in the series will be winners too.

Historical romances are like my "Chicken Soup for the Soul." They just make me feel better. When my daughter was younger and would get sick and stay home from school, we would watch Pride and Prejudice - in our P.J.'s, with chocolate. And, I'm not talking about the Keira Knightly version - I mean the six-hour A&E Colin Firth one. It took all day, but it was comforting. Mr. Darcy makes everything better...This book is like that. No matter what's going on, it made me smile. The characters are adorable, the humor is great, and the romance is swoon-worthy. Very good chicken soup!

First things first. Where do I get a guy like Simon Hunt? Preferably without a grouchy, stuck up friend like Westcliff?? The things he does for Annabell even after she treats him like dirt... And the two years wait for a dance *sigh* This guy is the stuff dreams are made of!😍

Re-read 10/8/19Original read/review Jan'2010:5+ stars – Historical RomanceThis is a great start to a fun, dazzlingly romantic series about four young ladies with very different personalities and backgrounds entering society who form a deep bond of friendship that grounds them as they traverse the rocky course of relationships and husband hunting in stuffy Victorian era England.Beautiful Annabelle Peyton is determined to find a wealthy suitor with a high position in society to wed in order to save her family from financial ruin. Simon Hunt is a commoner with a self-made empire of vast wealth and power who infuriates and tempts her at every turn. He makes it clear that although he wants to be the one to introduce Annabelle to the wonders of passion, he won’t offer her marriage. Of course, it doesn’t take long before he falls hard for Annabelle, but can Simon and her friends, the wallflowers, convince her to take a chance on a love match? Simon is such a butter-melting, swoon-worthy, amazing, romantic, and devoted hero...just yum! It’s a wonderful start to a truly amazing series! Big 5 stars!