Book Review for "Scandal in Spring" by Lisa Kleypas

He loves her and has loved her for years. But Daisy Bowman would never know it and Matthew Swift is determined to keep it that way. He harbors a hidden desire he must keep to himself in order to protect her from his past. What is he hiding? What is so unforgivable that he cannot profess his need for this woman, even when she beckons him with her innocent desires?

As with the previous books in the series, I thoroughly enjoyed this tale, the last in Lisa Kleypas' Wallflower series. I got lost in her easy, free-flowing style and her witty sense of humour had me chuckling throughout the story. The banter between the hero and heroine was so enjoyable and hilarious that I was laughing out loud, especially during the heated "lawn bowling" game. Of course, neither character would admit defeat, something I can totally relate to. There is hope for we five foot lasses in this tale. I, only being an inch (or 2????) over five feet, could easily connect to the petite Daisy. She was a different kind of beauty, not the striking, regal vision of refinement. She was an every-day beauty....romantic and fiesty, my kind of gal. I loved how Daisy fell for Matthew, someone she never fathomed could possess all of the qualities she had sought for so long. In Matthew Swift she found someone whose presence she reveled in, even more than her precious books, someone who made her senses come alive with the brush of a fingertip, someone who accepted her for who she was, quirks and all.

Daisy rushed at him and whacked his chest with the book. She hated it that she felt so alive with him. She hated the way her senses drank in his presence like dry earth absorbing rain. She hated his handsome face and virile body, and the mouth that was more tempting than any man's mouth had a right to be.

Matthew was a wonderful hero, a man with a duality of character that even women today seek. He could be a cold-hearted, aggressive businessman, very smart with a strong work ethic and a tenacious and unyielding drive to succeed. As we learn Matthew's secrets, we learn why this tenacity exists within him. Yet Matthew also possessed a gentle and playful side, easily apparent in the "goose" incident as well as his many debates with Daisy about her romantic notions of men. What I adored the most was his devotion to Daisy. He loved her for so long, secretly keeping his feelings to himself as he reveled in every glimpse of her face, every movement of her hands, every breath that she took. When a man keeps a lock of your hair in his pocket for years, knowing he could never possibly have you, I call that love and devotion. Thus, when Matthew finds himself alone with Daisy and she innocently proclaims her desire for him, he couldn't help but question this unfathomable reality.

"Do you know what I want from you?" she heard him ask hoarsely. "Do you understand what's going to happen if we don't stop?"
"Yes."
Matthew lifted his head and gave her a doubtful glance. "I'm not as innocent as you might think," Daisy said earnestly. "I'm very well read."
He turned his face away, and she had the impression he was fighting a smile. Then he looked back at her with piercing tenderness. "Daisy Bowman," he said unevenly, "I'd spend eternity in hell for one hour with you."

Wow! Eternity! Sigh.....I would spend an eternity with Matthew Swift myself. And you can spend a few hours with him as well if you read this historical romance, another success by the very talented Lisa Kleypas.
"Scandal in Spring" is book #11 in the 2011 Historical Romance Challenge.