Lillian and her wallflowers are determined to be married advantageously. Marcus, Earl of Westcliff, is of the age to marry. But the attraction between Lillian and Marcus is intense 😏
We’re at Lillian & Marcus’ book 📖 and I’m so excited for it! 👏🏽 Secrets Of A Summer Night teased their pairing so hard, I’m salivating 🤤 for it! 😂 Don’t know 🤷🏽♀️ what else will happen, but know I like these too!
Lillian is Daisy’s sister, another “Wallflower”, so I know she’ll get a book 😂 Maybe we’ll meet her match 😋 The part where the perfume is called magic in a bottle essentially reminds me of my best friend and I when we were younger 😂
Prologue- Chapter 5
Even from the Prologue, loving the sisterly bond between Lillian and Daisy 👏🏽❤️ Reminds me of my sister and I 👯♀️😂
Looking forward to more of them 😂 Lillian is already a memorable character, I look forward to learning more about Daisy 🥰
Marcus with Livia ❤️ The sister bonds 👯♀️🥰 Getting, much welcomed, girl power vibes ✊🏽
Marcus’ disdain for Lillian will only make his fall harder and I’m looking forward to it! 👏🏽😂🥰😘🤗 Interesting how the Bowmans need the Westcliffs 😂 Sets the story up nicely! 🤗
Remember to use ||!
So this 1st section felt like a continuation of Secrets of a Summer Night 👏🏽 Much of the same dynamic exists with out characters, just more of it! 👏🏽 || We learn the stipulations of the Bowman visit || 👏🏽 It’s believable and makes for some fun times ahead!
A down side to listening to audiobooks and reading the ebook is I consistently get lost and reread parts 😂🤦🏼♀️ It happened again with this book 📖 I listened until Chapter 6, then reread on ebook before I realized 😂🤦🏼♀️ Once I realized, I jumped back on audiobook 😂😂😂
In Chapter 5, get to meet the infamous Sebastian St. Vincent 👏🏽 I know he’ll have a good character arc, but, in the beginning, it doesn’t leave a good impression…
Accectually read to chapter 6 😂
Chapter 6 – Chapter 11
Got a little messy there 😂 Checked in at Chapter 6 not Chapter 5 😂😂 Oh well, that happened. If anything, it made me reread good scenes, so I was entertained 😂😂😂 In this section got more interactions between Lillian and Marcus ❤️ And get St. Vincent 😂😏
Lillian and Westcliff draw closer here 😏 Still feel their animosity though.
Chapter 12 – Chapter 16
Just as things heat up between Westcliff and Lillian, they fo with St. Vincent too! 🔥 St. Vincent’s character is interesting 🤔 Like a love triangle? Westcliff never comes out and directly states his feelings, but it can be inferred from his actions.
Lillian and Daisy start to receive Mercedes’ education and sponsorship 🙌🏽
Chapter 17 – Chapter 22
In this section, Lillian and Marcus DTR (define the relationship 😏) They don’t get intimate until Chapter 22 but their interactions are fun 🤗 Their story is relatively light but I anticipate some push back leading up to and at the wedding from Marcus’ Countess mother 🤔
Chapter 23 – Epilogue
This section was action-packed!? 😬 So much happens and Marcus and Lillian’s wedding is off page, which is fitting within the scope of their unconventional relationship. Know St. Vincent and Evie get Devil in Winter ❄️, the next book, and I wonder how he will be redeemed 🤔 For majority of the book, St. Vincent was likeable 🤗
End of book 📖
Nice 👍🏽 that in the epilogue it’s not Lillian and Marcus getting married 👏🏽 Love the wallflowers girl group ❤️ so loved seeing (most of) them 🙌🏽 The inclusion of St. Vincent was an intriguing choice, successfully teased book 3, Devil In Winter! Already know some things but curious how it all comes together! 🥰 Initially thought 💭 St. Vincent’s female guest was Georgiana, but now I think its Evie 👏🏽 That would definitely tease Devil In Winter 😂 Definitely would be out of character for Evie!
One of the main reasons for this is Sarah MacLean’s new book, Bombshell, which is a part of her Scandal And Scoundrel series and launching her NEW Hell’s Belle series 👏🏽 Realized I need to refresh my memory, so I’ll reread The Day Of The Duchess 👸
I remember it’s 1) 2nd chance 2) he “needs“ her help picking his next wife, but felt that was a generic understanding. I’ll reread the audiobook (what I own) at 2x speed, so I hope 🤞🏽 it’ll be fast. Joining in on a Bombshell readalong next week!
Check-ins/Updates:
As with ALL reading blogs, I’ll check in 👇🏽
Before I begin:
So I already know the story (generally 😂) From what I can remember, I liked it 🤗
Chapter 6
Seraphina-Malcolm/Haven: 2 years 7 months later. Interesting they flash back to when they met. But where did she go? Haven still looks for her Until Sarafina appears before the House Of Lords. Miscarriage 🥲 upon her return (in the past) If anything, spurns more questions 🤔 A woman’s worth defined by fertility and her ability to bear children 😡 Needs Malcolm’s cooperation for Sarafina’s desired divorce 🤔 Talbert sisters (Soiled S’s, Dangerous Daughter) for the first time! Sarafina is the oldest Talbert. Dream 💭 Singing Sparrow. Year: 1836. Lost in time with all these time jumps 😵💫 All I know Sarafina left 2 years 7 months ago. Meet cute 😍🥰
Rereading the meet cute 🥰 When he said “he was ruined” 😍 I feel that line encapsulates their relationship. We meet Caleb Calhoun at the Singing Sparrow! He’s the male protagonist for Bombshell 👏🏽 Connections being drawn! Mal arrives 😂
Its been 10 days since Malcolm came to Boston. We know, off page, that Sera is to help Malcolm pick his next Duchess 👸😂
Chapter 17
Misstates the Dove for Sara (shes really the Sparrow). Jump to present, angered 😤 by Caleb touching Sera. More context on Sera, being “ruined” was serious whether true or false. Perception is what matters 🤔 Not a fan about trickery but I can understand the tough situation Sera and the Talberts are in. Not a justification but context 👍🏽
Talbert sisters carriage ride to the country 😂🥲😍 + more information on Sesily 👏🏽 Get lost in time 😂🤦🏼♀️
Snippets are coming back to me 🤔 1) King and Sophie from The Rogue Not Taken 2) Alec, Duke of Warnink from A Scot In The Dark.
New Duchess 👸 candidates coming in 3 days: 4 girls 9 carriages 🤔 😂 (and mothers and father 😂). Candidates include Felicity Faircloth, Lilith Ballard, Emily ???, Mary Mayhew
In Chapter 13, Sera and Malcolm share a moment of passion 🙄 After Malcolm’s suiteresses get there 😂
Remembering ‘The Dunked Duke’ 😏 As much as Malcolm tries to move past it, it follows him 😂😏
Chapter 28
Caleb and Sesily interactive! Foreshadowing to Bombshell? 😋👏🏽 Theresa tew memorable scenes with them 😍 Sarah successfully teases them 😂 Singing Sparrow brawl 😂
Sera and Malcolm are 🥵🔥 The attraction between them is intense. 😁 2 remaining candidates (Lilith and Felicity) saw it 👀 There talk at the end of Chapter 22 👏🏽 I hate miscommunications and misunderstandings, they’re avoidable! I’m glad Mal set Sera “free” and finding a route that works for them 👏🏽
End of book 📖
This will be in response to the epilogue (mostly)
3 months after their 2nd wedding and 2 years after Amelia, now a 3rd kid 👏🏽 Not saying marriage and kids are markers for an HEA, but being told they can’t, makes that occurrence even more meaningful and I’m happy for them! ❤️
3rd attempt 😂 Not a reflection of content, etc. Just hard to focus. Think being 1 day ahead of my readalong of This Scot Of Mine makes it so I can read more freely 🤗 Excited to finally delve into this series 🤗
Prologue – Chapter 5
The story was introduced well 👍🏽 My interest is piqued. Anabelle isn’t an unlikable heroine 🤷🏽♀️ The enemies to lovers vibe between Simon and Annabelle is fun to read 😂 Interesting dynamic Annabelle is pretty but poor 🤔 The fast friendship between the Wallflowers is cute 😊 Like how the chapters aren’t too long either 😉
Chapter 6 – Chapter 11
The girls’ friendship is growing in an interesting pace and way 🤗 Note: Didn’t keep track too well until after chapter 9! But in this section… Hodgeham makes me cringe, out-of-town hunting party 👏🏽 Simon Hunt and Annabelle 😂 Rounders 😏 The ball post rounders 😂
Chapter 12 – Chapter 16
The chapter read pretty well! 👏🏽 Hodgeham is slimeball! The lack of choice Phillippa gets is sad 😞 I don’t blame her. She is stuck between a rock and a hard place. Annabelle’s growing fondness for Simon 👍🏽 Especially the way he took care of Annabelle was swoon-worthy 🤗 The kiss they share was hot 🔥 The dynamic between Lillian and Westcliff 😂👍🏽
Chapter 17 – Chapter 22
Lord Kendall shoots his shot and Annabelle unexpectedly refuses his confession when she initially plans to trap him into marriage. Not a fan reading about entrapment and trickery. But I applaud Annabelle for not going through with it 👏🏽 Then Simon swoops in and cements his position at Annabelle’s side through marriage. I like them together 😁 They feel like a real couple.
Chapters 23 – Epilogue
I enjoyed the story! I feel the fire 🔥 was high stakes, but ended in a very satisfying way 🤗 Refreshing it didn’t end with a wedding (they’re already married 😂) and kids, just so happy with each other ❤️Love kids, but that’s not everyone’s end goal so I’m glad to see alternate endings 😁 The way Lillian and Westcliff were teased 😍 makes me excited for the next book 📖!
I love Gilmore Girls (GG)❤️ Recently started listening to Mary & Blake Media podcasts 👏🏽 I really like it! 👍🏽 Just finished You’ve Been Gilmored and it made me want to rewatch it! Right now, the series is too much of a commitment, but a 4 episode season is doable 😉 But if you’re never seen GG, names and places may be confusing🤷🏽♀️😐 so 🤞🏽 this helps! 🤗
Key 🔑 Players
Lorelei – Rory’s mom, pregnant 🤰 at 16, Luke’s partner
Rory – Lorelei’s daughter
Emily – Lorelei’s mom, Richard’s wife
Richard – Lorelei’s dad, 🪦
Luke Danes – Lorelei’s partner, diner owner
Logan – Rory’s college boyfriend, Yale graduate, works and lives in London, Life and death brigade member
Dean – Rory’s high school boyfriend, married
Jess – Rory’s high school boyfriend
Christopher – Rory’s father, Lorelei’s high school boyfriend
Michel – Lorelei’s business partner, French 🇫🇷
Sookie – Lorelei’s best friend $ business partner
Jackson – Sookie’s husband, Lorelei’s vegetable supplier
Lane – Rory’s best friend
Finn – Rory’s college friend, Life and death brigade member
Colin – Rory’s college friend, Life and death brigade member
Notable Places 🌎
Stars Hallow, Connecticut – Home of Lorelei, Rory, Luke
Bought this book after watching the author on a YT interview 😂 Don’t know much else in the storyline 🤷🏽♀️ All I know is the author is a like soul and I just wanted to show support in a small way ♥️ Messaged her and she was kind enough to reply 👏🏽 Messaged her again if I’d be okay reading the duet, having not read her previous works… And she said I’d be fine 👏🏽 Excited to finally squeeze this onto my TBR!
From my research (Amazon 😂) the story is about Adrian Savage, a rockstar, and his relationship (hesitantly agreed to) with a fellow musician 🎶 Know it’s a enemies to lover’s romance….
Don’t read contemporary often… But I figure why not 🤷🏽♀️😂 Like stories with multiple books 📚 Love not having to wait! 👏🏽
Check-ins:
Not used to male narrators 🤔
Chapter 6
Leila goes on tour with Fugitives Summer! Now the fun can really begin 👏🏽
In the 1st 5 chapters, the groundwork was lain well 👏🏽 Still too early to say if I like Adrian or Leila, much less ship them… But I’m intrigued…
Just remembered there’ll be singing in these audiobooks! 👏🏽
Chapter 17
Seems kind of juvenile Leila won’t talk to Adrian until he talks to her 😂 Enemies to lover tropes have a hard time appearing mature 😂…
A convenient pause in the story! 👏🏽
A lot has already happened AND a lot more can still happen 🤔
So this is my position with enemies to lovers… I can understand the appeal BUT wouldn’t it get frustrating after a while? 🤷🏽♀️ Or more simply, we as a society, constantly stress kindness… Why would you subject yourself to anything leas?!
Chapter 28
Like how the fake relationship is the marker 😂 🤔
A lot has already happened! This story sure isn’t stagnant,.. Some of my favorite tropes here! Close proximity, cohabitation, fake dating, enemies to lovers ♥️ Makes for a fun story 👏🏽
End of book 📖
Savage endearing with older adults 😍 Mimi ♥️ Amalia ♥️
Birthday 🥳 scene not explicit 👏🏽 and doesn’t (-) affect the plot 👏🏽 Worried what would happen to their dynamic afterwards…
There’s so much hate between Leila and Savage… When does the romance begin?
Insane kiss 😘 in Chapter 30 ♥️
Loved the music 🎶 in the audiobook! Really nice touch! 👏🏽
Book ended on an intriguing note 🤔 Debating going into Falling In Love With You or The Cross Of Gilded Bones 🤔
Presiction for Book 2(Falling In Love With You ) (Note: Presiction made with no knowledge of Falling In Love With You) Book 2 is going to be about Savage and Leila on Sing Your Heart Out. This 1st book doesn’t really have a typical end for romance..
Listen With 🎧 Precious 