Love in the Afternoon by Lisa Kleypas

She harbors a secret yearning. As a lover of animals and nature, Beatrix Hathaway has always been more comfortable outdoors than in the ballroom. Even though she participated in the London season in the past, the classic beauty and free-spirited Beatrix has never been swept away or seriously courted…and she has resigned herself to the fate of never finding love. Has the time come for the most unconventional of the Hathaway sisters to settle for an ordinary man — just to avoid spinsterhood? He is a world-weary cynic. Captain Christopher Phelan is a handsome, daring soldier who plans to marry Beatrix’s friend, the vivacious flirt Prudence Mercer, when he returns from fighting abroad. But, as he explains in his letters to Pru, life on the battlefield has darkened his soul — and it’s becoming clear that Christopher won’t come back as the same man. When Beatrix learns of Pru’s disappointment, she decides to help by concocting Pru’s letters to Christopher for her. Soon the correspondence between Beatrix and Christopher develops into something fulfilling and deep…and when Christopher comes home, he’s determined to claim the woman he loves. What began as Beatrix’s innocent deception has resulted in the agony of unfulfilled love — and a passion that can’t be denied…

If I had to pick one historical romance author to be my favorite, it would have to be Lisa Kleypas. She hooked me with her Wallflowers series and I have been eagerly awaiting all those that follow. Love in the Afternoon is the final installment in the Hathaway's series.

We finally get to Beatrix. The light fingered, animal loving and apparently handy with a pen Hathaway sister. Because of her penmanship Bea has gotten herself into a pickle. She has fallen in love with a man that is in love with her friend, of which she has been corresponding in the guise of.

Out of all the partnerships in this series, this has to be my favorite. It happened completely by accident. It was so romantic and sweet. Bea has always been my favorite from the beginning. With her light fingers taking things from peoples houses and her love of animals.

Any man would have been lucky to have her. And of course that lucky man was Christopher Phelan. A decorated, yet wounded(in spirit) war hero. And of course he had to have an animal companion. Which there is a sketch of in the book, so cute.

A warm congratulations to Lisa Kleypas for wrapping up a truly wonderful series. I can't wait to see what you come up with next.

You can visit the author's website here.