Love in the Afternoon (Hathaways, Book 5) Mass Market Paperback – June 29, 2010

I read this book in one sitting yesterday. While reading the Hathaway series, I had not anticipated any real interest in Beatrix, so I was more than a little surprised to find the character so compelling. I had originally imagined a female Dr. Dolittle that would walk around with birds flying around her head, and animals of the forrest in her wake, and let's face it, how do you make a character like that work? Beatrix does maintain her fascination with animals. What started out as a slightly odd quirk as a child, has developed into actual knowledge that she pursues instead of just automatically knowing everything because she is so attuned with nature. She does not walk around in some world of her own singing "If We Could Talk to the Animals". She understands that her personality is considered to be somewhat unusual, but her desire for additional knowledge is stronger than her desire to "fit in", and her character is fortunate enough to have a family that does not wish to quash this very essential part of who she is.***SPOILERES AHEAD***I thought the hero, Christopher Phelan, was portrayed very well also. Upon his return from the war, it is apparent that he is suffering from what we would refer to today as PTSD. Having just read another book where the hero also suffers from this condition (Quinn's "Ten Things I Love About You"), I found this to be a far more realistic and superior protrayal. Christopher experiences several problems: frustration, confusion, anger and irrational outbursts as a result of his situation that are addressed throughout the story that do not simply disappear magically. The only time I thought his character was a little over done was before he was certain of Beatrix's identity, and was pursuing Prudence. Even though he knew Prudence was not the author of his letters, he continued to court her and all but propose. His character was rightfully angry, but I'm not entirely clear on how marrying Prudence was going to help him to exact the revenge he felt he needed at that time.While Christopher's situation was handled in a compelling fashion, I thought everything was a little simplistic with his friend Mark. I cannot explain why - I am not saying it was poorly written - but the "surprise" with Mark was not a surprise for me at all. As soon as the situation regarding Christopher's past with him was described, I said to myself, "We'll be seeing Mark later". Mark's recovery was the one that came across as being far too quick and easy (or maybe I just wasn't clear on the amount of time that had passed). Either way, simplistic or not, I thought it fit into the story well, and I was happy for his good outcome as well. I liked that neither Christopher's or Mark's difficulties magically disappeared completely. They had to learn how to cope and to return to "regular" life, and even though they adapted, they did not go back to being the people they were before having gone to war.***END SPOILERS***I enjoyed the glimpses and conversations with the other Hathaways, and the fact that they were in the story without taking over large portions of it. I have read other series where the author includes past characters, and it becomes cumbersome and takes the reader out of the present story. I was even hoping for mentions of more of the Wall Flower characters, but realized that would have been too much .Finally, my one very minor complaint. I know Beatrix has a gift when it comes to working with animals, but there were a few scenes here and there that went a little overboard. The scenes when she speaks to animals (primarily Albert, the dog) and they understand her. For instance, in one scene, I believe Beatrix and Christopher are in the library. Beatrix tosses Albert a dog biscuit and tells him that the cook has his food ready for him in the kitchen. The dog picks up his biscuit, and trots off to the kitchen. What was going to be next? "Hey Albert, I need you to run into the village to return these hair ribbons I bought, and as long as you're there, why don't you stop at the pub for a pint and visit with some of the villagers?" It was perilously close to an old Lassie movie: "ARF! ARF!" "What's that Lassie? Timmy's fallen down the well and needs a doctor? I'll go help Timmy - you go get the doctor!" These scenes were kind of silly, but I was enjoying the story so much, it didn't matter (but I couldn't help but shake my head once or twice as I read).I was extremely happy with this book. It's a fun and entertaining read. Although I'm sorry to see the series end, it seems like all is right in the Hathaway world. I know I wouldn't mind if any future HR series that Lisa Kleypas may do were to have connections to the Hathaways and any of them were to appear in the periphery of the story (sort of how some of the Wall Flowers made guest appearances in The Hathaways). What do you say Lisa? I'm sure the children of some of the Hathaways or Wall Flowers could be minor characters in another novel somewhere down the line. Maybe some puppies for Albert?

I was nervous when I found out the premise of this story. I wanted so badly for Beatrix to be loved for who she was and a cyrano debergerac retelling wasn't going to give her that true love of her eccentricity.The beginning of the story is told in epistolary format which is my all time favorite. As the story went on my hopes were not crushed and Bea and Medusa got the love story they deserved.I wouldn't have chosen Christopher Phelan for our girl but he ended up being the PERFECT pairing.I'm so sad to leave Ramsay house. 💔

TITLE: Love in the AfternoonAUTHOR: Lisa KleypasSERIES: Hathaways, Book 5SETTING: Mid-Victorian, Hampshire, Crimean WarTHEMES/TROPES: hidden identity (Cyrano), war, trauma/PTSD, epistolaryOVERVIEW:Charming, eccentric, animal-obsessed Beatrix Hathaway has about given up on finding a man who can appreciate her and spends her time trying to find contentment with her family and pets in Hampshire. When her beautiful friend Prudence receives a letter from gorgeous, arrogant Captain Christopher Phelan, away fighting in Crimea, Beatrix can see that the man is in desperate need of some friendly words, no matter how disdainful he may have been to her the few times they’ve met. Unfortunately, Prudence doesn’t wish to respond—so Beatrix agrees to do it in her name.The correspondence becomes much more than Beatrix expected, and when Christopher finally comes home, it breaks her heart to find herself once again an object of scorn to him and know that she’s not the woman he wants. Christopher’s heart aches even more when he finds that Prudence isn’t anything like the woman he corresponded with, not only because it dashes the hopes that carried him through hell, but because he knows that the woman he fell for was purposefully deceiving him. They become stuck in a web of lies, trauma, and pain that can’t be resolved all at once, but Beatrix is determined to untangle it all to help the man whose letters opened her heart.PROS:This book is just delightfully heart-wrenching…is that a thing? I think it must be because this story is so touchingly full of heartbreak and pain, both in terms of the romance and from Christopher’s memories and trauma from the war. It’s particularly touching and refreshing to see a male lead experience a feeling of being fooled and spurned, which is so often the purview of jilted or misled young women.Beatrix is the sweetest, loveliest heroine. Her love of and adeptness with animals shows a gentleness and a cleverness that is incredibly endearing, and it also gives her a great ability to read and manage people because she can see how they relate to animal behavior. I also enjoy that her preference for animals is used as a way to explain her problems and insecurities rather than just her positive traits. Christopher, on the other hand, can be very harsh and rude, but his experiences in the war both changed his way of looking at life and illustrate his strength of character.One of the best things about how Christopher is written is how thoroughly his PTSD is represented and incorporated. I’m certainly no expert on PTSD, but I have found in other books I’ve read with war-traumatized characters that the effect is written very one-dimensionally as one or two dramatic symptoms, like nightmares or flashbacks. Christopher, very realistically for someone who has only just arrived home form war, has nightmares and flashbacks and anxiety and depression and jumpiness, which are incorporated both explicitly and subtly into the plot and his character.I loved the letters shared between Beatrix and Christopher toward the beginning of the book. Not only were the letters very sweet, but a correspondence like that also serves to create a strong basis for the romance before the story gets in full swing, which helps avoid the hard-to-believe speed at which many couples in romance (particularly historical romance) fall in love.CONS:I can’t think of anything that I disliked much about this book—and not for lack of trying. If anything, I had the slight sense at some points that there should be more acknowledgement that love can’t cure everything. This is not to say that love was a “cure” for Christopher’s PTSD in this book, but rather that there’s too much “you would never hurt me.” I think I would have liked a little more understanding on Beatrix’s part that Christopher wasn’t being paranoid or over-careful about how dangerous he could be to her.RATINGS:Writing: 5/5 Top notch as always from Kleypas.Characters: 5/5 Well rounded and believable.Plot: 5/5 Compelling and believable for characters.Setting: 5/5 Vibrant animals and countryside; good war details.Romance: 5/5 Very sweet and heart-wrenching.Sexiness: 5/5 Well integrated with emotional story.Humor: 4/5 Funnier than you would expect for all the emotional turmoil.Average: 4.86 Sweet and Heart-WrenchingOTHER INFO:This is the last of the five-book Hathaways series, but I think this is the one of the series most able to stand on its own because it is the farthest removed in time from the other books, and there isn’t a lot we learn about Beatrix in the previous books that we don’t see in this story. The other books are certainly worth reading though, both because they’re each fabulous individually, and it’s more fun to see all the other siblings in this book after reading their romances.

This is a wonderful romance and it is, I believe, also a tribute to those that have endured the horrors of war. The main male character comes back from the Crimea a changed man with what we would now call PTSD. The author deals with these story elements with deft sensitivity. Honestly, there is so much to this book that I'm very sorry to have finished it. I look forward to reading it again one day.Oh. There is also a dog. Perfect.