Love in the Afternoon

'One of the queens of the historical romance genre' EMILY HENRY 'Kleypas can make you laugh and cry - on the same page' JULIA QUINN From blockbuster New York Times bestselling author Lisa Kleypas comes the next stunning novel in the beloved Hathaways series - perfect for fans of Sarah MacLean, Julia Quinn and Eloisa James. She harbours 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 . . . 'Lisa Kleypas is the best' SARAH MACLEAN The Hathaways: Mine Till Midnight Seduce Me at Sunrise Tempt Me at Twilight Married by Morning Love in the Afternoon