Product Description

Engaged to the very sensible Michael Bayning, Poppy Hathaway is content with her lot - having longed for a life of normality. That is, until she meets a mysterious hotel owner, Harry Rutledge - the most complicated and dangerous man she has ever met. Harry is wealthy and powerful, a collector of secrets, with hobbies more dangerous than Poppy could imagine. What Harry wants, Harry gets - and Harry wants Poppy, like he has never wanted a woman in his life. So when Michael breaks off their engagement and Harry makes his move, Poppy quickly learns that her life is destined to be anything but normal - filled with wild, passionate days and steamy nights ...

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #7292 in Books
• Published on: 2009-10-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 384 pages

About the Author
Lisa Kleypas is the author of numerous historical romance novels. In 1985, she was named Miss Massachusetts, competed in the Miss America pageant and published her first novel at twenty-one. Lisa is married and has two children. www.lisakleypas.com

Customer Reviews

Thoughtful Temptation
Despite being a member of the eccentric Hathaway family, all Poppy wants is a quiet life - and in Michael Bayning she thinks she's found it. But real life isn't a fairytale, and Poppy soon discovers that the serving maid doesn't always marry the prince. Sometimes she's left with the villain instead. And Harry Rutledge is certainly one of those.

In the third of the `Hathaways' series (Mine Till Midnight, Seduce Me at Sunrise) LK focuses on sensible, talkative Poppy. Intelligent and honest, she has moments of both endearing naïveté and iron-willed strength. Like all the Hathaways she has her own views on society and its rules, and a deep sense of integrity that she will never compromise.

Unlike Harry, who is truly ruthless - in the tradition of LK's most beloved heroes (Derek Craven, St. Vincent, Nick Gentry) - when he wants something, he'll stop at nothing to get it. I did take a while to warm up to Harry, I'll admit, but Poppy brings out the best in him. He's smart and a little too clever for his own good, but his past explains a lot, which is why his relationship with Poppy is such a delight to read. She's no pushover, nor is she overdramatic. She doesn't get hysterical or throw tantrums, and often Harry has no idea what to do with her. She certainly doesn't make things easy for him.

As with the rest of the series, Poppy's family plays a large part, with welcome glimpses of Amelia and Cam, Win and Merripen as well as further developments between brother Leo, and the mysterious governess Catherine Marks. (The epilogue leaves no doubts about the subject of the next book). There's also more from the youngest - and my favourite - Bea, with her wonderful menagerie of pets, including Dodger.

With all of them arrayed against him, Harry doesn't stand a chance.

Full of wit and warmth, and the problems of thinking too much about everything, the Hathaways continue in fine style.

For every writer there is first time, and this is LK first time floop
This is the third book to book in the Hathaway's series about a unconventional family who lives in Hampshire. This is the story of Poppy Hathaway and Harry Rutledge. Poppy is the third Hathaway sister to get her story and we still to look forward to Beatrix (Bea) and their brother Leo Hathaway , Lord Ramsey, story this year and next year.

Due to the family as I said unconventional history - Poppy eldest sister Amelia married a Romany gypsy Cam Roahn and her second sister Winifred married to other Romany Gypsy Kev Marripan and her sister Bea are obsessed with animals, that some among other things - Poppy biggest dream is to marry a reliable boring young man. A man who will offer her the dream boring life she want and her choice was Mike Baynin, son of Lord Andover. Mike confess his love to Poppy but he ask her to wait until he convince his father that he want Poppy as his bride. In the same time Harry Rutledge lay his eyes on Poppy for the first time after he caught her sneaking around his hotel tring to catch her sister Bea ferret who stole the love letter that she received from Mike. Harry decided he want Poppy and that he will do any thing to make her is wife. Harry Rutledge is a man with a dark past, brilliant mind and steel determination. He own the hotel the Hathaway's sties in every time they come to London and he is used to getting what he want. He started a campaign to achieve that aim by first informing Lord Andover (Mike father) of his son intentions toward Poppy which lead to Mike leaving Poppy as par his father threats. That left Poppy heartbroken and vulnerable. Harry helped accelerate the process by cutting any chance for her going back to Mike by compromising her in ton ball. From her side, Poppy saw something inside Harry needed rescuing and she hoped that the affection between them will make they marriage a success but that all came crashing down when Mike Bayning come to church minutes before the wedding and exposed Harry's role in it. Poppy at that moment realised that she was tricked but she have no way of going back. She marries Harry but with the promise that she going to teach him a lesson. Harry and Poppy start their married life together in awkward footing. Harry start to have feelings for his young bride he never experienced and Poppy although promised to be aloof started to fall in love with her husband.

I personally considered Harry Rutledge the worse heroes LK ever created. Surprisingly I didn't have any problem with the way he manipulated Poppy to marry him but with the characters itself. The hero charactering didn't go deep and only scratched the surfaces. Poppy character was not fully matured and I didn't feel the sensuality that the other books had. This is book is quite funny and human in its approach and it had been saved by the attendance of the Hathaway's who are always a delight to meet. overall the book was a disappointment and I hope the next books is better. We start to get a hint about the final book which will include Leo Hathaway and Miss Catharine Marks (Bea & Poppy's governess). Leo lost the girl he loved when he was young and think he is not capable of the emotion itself and Miss Marks are have a dark past which linked to Harry Rutledge past. it all exciting and I can't wait for the final book.

By all mean buy the book and read it and say what do you thought of it. For me LK could had done better but that maybe because LK writting set a high standred of Romance that I always expact from her books.

The best Hathaway book so far
I loved this book and just spent the whole of my day off reading it when I had a million other things to do. I really have not much enjoyed the first two books in this series but with this one I think Lisa Kleypas is right back on top form. Harry Rutledge is a georgeous hero. Apparently ruthless and determined to get his own way but with such a damaged past which becomes clearer as you read that he is also desperately vulnerable - for me a fatal combination. Poppy is also charming and she is just perfect for him - her and her family are just what he needs. I love a romance where the couple get married early on and you see them forced into intimacy, getting to know each other and falling in love and that is what you get with this book. I enjoyed the Hathaway family much more in this book than in the others and their part in the story was well done and didn't feel in any way gratuitous. I can't wait for Leo's story now. He became much more interesting during this book as well when previously I had thought him rather weak and spoilt. The romance in this book is slightly darker and less straightforward than in the previous two Hathaway books but it makes for more emotional intensity and drama and a more satisfactory outcome. Loved it.