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The Hathaways #2
Seduce Me at Sunrise
He'd tried so hard to forget her.
Kev Merripen has longed for the beautiful, well-bred Winnifred Hathaway ever since her family rescued him from the brink of death when he was just a boy. But this handsome Gypsy is a man of mysterious origins—and he fears that the darkness of his past could crush delicate, luminous Win. So Kev refuses to submit to temptation . . . and before long Win is torn from him by a devastating twist of fate.
Can she remember the man he once was?
Then, Win returns to England—only to find that Kev has hardened into a man who will deny love at all costs. Meantime, an attractive, seductive suitor has set his sights on Win. It’s now or never for Kev to make his move. But first, he must confront a dangerous secret about his destiny—or risk losing the only woman he has lived for . . .
Kev Merripen has longed for the beautiful, well-bred Winnifred Hathaway ever since her family rescued him from the brink of death when he was just a boy. But this handsome Gypsy is a man of mysterious origins—and he fears that the darkness of his past could crush delicate, luminous Win. So Kev refuses to submit to temptation . . . and before long Win is torn from him by a devastating twist of fate.
Can she remember the man he once was?
Then, Win returns to England—only to find that Kev has hardened into a man who will deny love at all costs. Meantime, an attractive, seductive suitor has set his sights on Win. It’s now or never for Kev to make his move. But first, he must confront a dangerous secret about his destiny—or risk losing the only woman he has lived for . . .
360 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 30, 2008
About the author
Lisa Kleypas
108 books27.9k followersLISA KLEYPAS is the RITA award-winning author of 21 novels. Her books are published in fourteen languages and are bestsellers all over the world. She lives in Washington State with her husband and two children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,573 reviews
June 9, 2021
i was excited about this one since it was so well set up in the first book, but unfortunately all of that potential was wasted.
i was led to believe this was going to be an angsty childhood friends to lovers romance but it was only that in name. in practice, it was just Merripen refusing to share his reasons for not wanting to be with Win. and then making out. and then pulling away. no less than 3 times. and honestly... who's got the time.
not i.
i was led to believe this was going to be an angsty childhood friends to lovers romance but it was only that in name. in practice, it was just Merripen refusing to share his reasons for not wanting to be with Win. and then making out. and then pulling away. no less than 3 times. and honestly... who's got the time.
not i.
September 13, 2010
I'm on a winning streak with these Lisa Kleypas books--5 Wallflowers books and now 2 Hathaways--and all were FABULOUS! I know I'm pretty easy to please, but I am loving every word of these two series!
There's oodles of great reviews for this book, so I'll just give some of my thoughts...
OMG, the 'gypsy' Kev Merripen has got to be the all-time most stubborn hero in all of Romanceland! His I'm-not-good-enough-for-you and I-don't-deserve-you attitude drove me bonkers so many times in this book! I think I counted three eye-rolls that I gave him throughout the book. Every time he made a move on Win Hathaway, the heroine, and then pushed her away I wanted to smack him! He drove that poor girl crazy! And nobody or nothing could get through to him. He was determined to keep himself closed up, feelings all bottled up, desires under control, letting fear rule him...he drove me crazy but my heart ached for him. He has probably one of the most pitiful back stories I've ever read for a romance hero, it's no wonder he was such an emotional island. I loved the scene where Win's brother Leo finally got through to him--Leo, of all people!--it brought a few tears to my eyes. And then the 'kidnapping' that followed? Breathtaking, romantic, sexy...What a payoff LK gives the reader for sticking with the story!
I loved seeing all the Hathaways again (although I swear Beatrix still acts way too young for an 18 year old!), loved to see that Leo was on the road to recovery, loved seeing Cam! and Amelia together, loved the little visit to Annabelle and Simon Hunt's ball, I even loved Dodger the ferret! I was intrigued by the introduction of a new character--Miss Marks, the sisters' governess--and I loved the effect she had on Leo!
I really enjoyed Win as a heroine. I loved how she went away for 2 years to a clinic to regain her health--I admired her desire to live life to the fullest and not take any day for granted after she got better. I loved how she was not afraid to come right out with her feelings for Kev, even though he fought his own feelings tooth and nail. When they were together they just smoldered--the desire they felt for each other was just so palpable. LK continually teased the reader by throwing them together and then pulling them apart--so frustrating! I thought the introduction of a rival for Win's affections would surely cause Kev to finally do something but...(*sigh*). The scene where Kev was discovered nearly 'compromising' Win, and then not admitting it, nearly broke my heart along with Win's. After that I thought, "he's never going to allow himself to get what he wants."
I enjoyed the subplot of the connection between Cam and Kev. With those matching tattoos their relationship was hardly a surprise, but I liked how it all played out. It was a little surprising in the end though when the details of their early lives were revealed. Things certainly turned around for Kev in a way I never expected!
The scene that surprised me most was when Cam's life was on the line--I didn't see that coming, although I knew immediately how it happened and who did it to him. It did serve its purpose though and brought Cam and Kev closer together, although it did give me a few anxious moments!
And lastly, the heat between Win and Kev. We may have had to wait a while before they finally got together (oh, the abduction!), but it was well worth it! Chapters 17 and 18 made up for all the teasing and torture that LK puts the reader through. The love scenes were smokin' hot, and whenever Kev would utter those Romany phrases...sigh...
So I was very, very pleased with this book. Loved all the characters, no slow parts, plenty of sexual tension leading to some very hot sex, and a big, fat happy ending. Not much more I can ask for. 5 stars
Kev...
There's oodles of great reviews for this book, so I'll just give some of my thoughts...
OMG, the 'gypsy' Kev Merripen has got to be the all-time most stubborn hero in all of Romanceland! His I'm-not-good-enough-for-you and I-don't-deserve-you attitude drove me bonkers so many times in this book! I think I counted three eye-rolls that I gave him throughout the book. Every time he made a move on Win Hathaway, the heroine, and then pushed her away I wanted to smack him! He drove that poor girl crazy! And nobody or nothing could get through to him. He was determined to keep himself closed up, feelings all bottled up, desires under control, letting fear rule him...he drove me crazy but my heart ached for him. He has probably one of the most pitiful back stories I've ever read for a romance hero, it's no wonder he was such an emotional island. I loved the scene where Win's brother Leo finally got through to him--Leo, of all people!--it brought a few tears to my eyes. And then the 'kidnapping' that followed? Breathtaking, romantic, sexy...What a payoff LK gives the reader for sticking with the story!
I loved seeing all the Hathaways again (although I swear Beatrix still acts way too young for an 18 year old!), loved to see that Leo was on the road to recovery, loved seeing Cam! and Amelia together, loved the little visit to Annabelle and Simon Hunt's ball, I even loved Dodger the ferret! I was intrigued by the introduction of a new character--Miss Marks, the sisters' governess--and I loved the effect she had on Leo!
I really enjoyed Win as a heroine. I loved how she went away for 2 years to a clinic to regain her health--I admired her desire to live life to the fullest and not take any day for granted after she got better. I loved how she was not afraid to come right out with her feelings for Kev, even though he fought his own feelings tooth and nail. When they were together they just smoldered--the desire they felt for each other was just so palpable. LK continually teased the reader by throwing them together and then pulling them apart--so frustrating! I thought the introduction of a rival for Win's affections would surely cause Kev to finally do something but...(*sigh*). The scene where Kev was discovered nearly 'compromising' Win, and then not admitting it, nearly broke my heart along with Win's. After that I thought, "he's never going to allow himself to get what he wants."
I enjoyed the subplot of the connection between Cam and Kev. With those matching tattoos their relationship was hardly a surprise, but I liked how it all played out. It was a little surprising in the end though when the details of their early lives were revealed. Things certainly turned around for Kev in a way I never expected!
The scene that surprised me most was when Cam's life was on the line--I didn't see that coming, although I knew immediately how it happened and who did it to him. It did serve its purpose though and brought Cam and Kev closer together, although it did give me a few anxious moments!
And lastly, the heat between Win and Kev. We may have had to wait a while before they finally got together (oh, the abduction!), but it was well worth it! Chapters 17 and 18 made up for all the teasing and torture that LK puts the reader through. The love scenes were smokin' hot, and whenever Kev would utter those Romany phrases...sigh...
So I was very, very pleased with this book. Loved all the characters, no slow parts, plenty of sexual tension leading to some very hot sex, and a big, fat happy ending. Not much more I can ask for. 5 stars
Kev...
May 29, 2013
Generally, I'm not a fan of tortured heroes. Sure, I love my rakes and my deep, dark, brooding souls, but enough already, I hated Wuthering Heights the first time around, I don't want another Heathcliff in my reading repertoire. Heathcliff and Cathy can go die (har har har). This entire book is not a happy one, but it is so poignant and beautifully written that I have never regretted reading it or rereading it (for the 5th time).
Never let it be said that there is no well-done humor in Regency romance, but it is not to be found here. Go read your Julia Quinn if you want moments of uproarious laughter; this book is best read next to several boxes of Kleenex and a pint or two of Chubby Hubby or whatever happens to be your Ben & Jerry's of choice.
The main love interest in this book redefines the category of despairing hero, but he does it so well that even I, with my extremely limited tolerance for martyrdom and angst, can't help but love him. More than anything else, the writing shines. Lisa Kleypas has an art for writing characters, dialogue, and situation that touches your soul and breaks your heart.
...and I'm so sorry that sounded as trite as it did, that I couldn't have phrased that previous sentence in less flowery language, but I'm by no means as skilled a writer as Ms. Kleypas.
This is the second book in the Hathaway siblings series, and by far my favorite book of the five. Win is an invalid. She has been sick her entire life; I always thought of her in my mind as very similar to Little Women's Beth, had Beth gotten a chance to grow up, fall in love, and develop the complexity of character that comes with age. She is beautiful, kind, seemingly perfect. I hate perfect characters. I love Win.
She only seems flawless..."outsiders tended to view Win as an ice maiden, neat and unruffled and cerebral...But outsiders knew nothing of the sly wit and warmth that lurked beneath her perfect surface. Outsiders hadn't seen Win teaching Poppy the steps to a quadrille until they had both collapsed to the floor in giggles. Or frog-hunting with Beatrix, her apron filled with leaping amphibians." She has spirit, she has warmth, she adores her family and loves the man society dictates she should not. She is frail in body but strong in spirit, and Win is a fighter. She fights for her health, she lived when she should have died from illness, and she works at painful rehabilitation so she can have the life she wants...and just as importantly, whom she wants.
Merripen (also known as Kev) is a Rom, a Gypsy, an outcast. He and Cam (from Hathaway book #1)...I hesitate to call them friends, given their barely concealed tolerance of each other, are unusual in that they are Romanies living and helping a family of poor gentry. As Gypsies, they're considered even lowlier than the lowest of the poor, give the racism and prejudice that their people have faced throughout history, and that is no exception in this Regency setting. Win and Merripen have been friends since childhood, and their feelings have deepened and intensified as they grow into adulthood. Win readily declares and shows her love for Merripen, while he steadfastly refuses to enter into a relationship with her. Merripen is loyal above all, he is so grateful to the Hathaways for taking him in as an abused child, but there is one whom he holds dearest..."and then there was Win, for whom Kev would have died a thousand times over. He would never degrade Win with his touch, or dare to assume a place in her life other than as a protector."
He worships her. Loves her with all his heart, all his soul. It wrenches him apart to see her hurt or in pain. It breaks his heart that he cannot have her. He sees her as the most precious thing in the world that he cannot have, for her own good.
I just made Merripen sound like such a sainted jerk of a martyr, didn't I? He is...and he is so unflinchingly mulish in his self-denial of Win that I just wanted to slap him sometimes...but then he turns around and says something like this: "All the fires of hell could burn for a thousand years and it wouldn't equal what I feel for you in one minute of the day. I love you so much there is no pleasure in it. Nothing but torment. Because if I could dilute what I feel for you to the millionth part, it would still be enough to kill you. And even if it drives me mad, I would rather see you live in the arms of that cold, soulless bastard than die in mine."
...get me a fan, please. I'm burning up here. Whew.
This book just simmers in the very best way. The tension and heat is barely contained between the two characters, both of whom are so desperately in love. This is by far my favorite of Lisa Kleypas' works, and as exalted a place as she holds on my bookshelf, I do not put that lightly.
Never let it be said that there is no well-done humor in Regency romance, but it is not to be found here. Go read your Julia Quinn if you want moments of uproarious laughter; this book is best read next to several boxes of Kleenex and a pint or two of Chubby Hubby or whatever happens to be your Ben & Jerry's of choice.
The main love interest in this book redefines the category of despairing hero, but he does it so well that even I, with my extremely limited tolerance for martyrdom and angst, can't help but love him. More than anything else, the writing shines. Lisa Kleypas has an art for writing characters, dialogue, and situation that touches your soul and breaks your heart.
...and I'm so sorry that sounded as trite as it did, that I couldn't have phrased that previous sentence in less flowery language, but I'm by no means as skilled a writer as Ms. Kleypas.
This is the second book in the Hathaway siblings series, and by far my favorite book of the five. Win is an invalid. She has been sick her entire life; I always thought of her in my mind as very similar to Little Women's Beth, had Beth gotten a chance to grow up, fall in love, and develop the complexity of character that comes with age. She is beautiful, kind, seemingly perfect. I hate perfect characters. I love Win.
She only seems flawless..."outsiders tended to view Win as an ice maiden, neat and unruffled and cerebral...But outsiders knew nothing of the sly wit and warmth that lurked beneath her perfect surface. Outsiders hadn't seen Win teaching Poppy the steps to a quadrille until they had both collapsed to the floor in giggles. Or frog-hunting with Beatrix, her apron filled with leaping amphibians." She has spirit, she has warmth, she adores her family and loves the man society dictates she should not. She is frail in body but strong in spirit, and Win is a fighter. She fights for her health, she lived when she should have died from illness, and she works at painful rehabilitation so she can have the life she wants...and just as importantly, whom she wants.
Merripen (also known as Kev) is a Rom, a Gypsy, an outcast. He and Cam (from Hathaway book #1)...I hesitate to call them friends, given their barely concealed tolerance of each other, are unusual in that they are Romanies living and helping a family of poor gentry. As Gypsies, they're considered even lowlier than the lowest of the poor, give the racism and prejudice that their people have faced throughout history, and that is no exception in this Regency setting. Win and Merripen have been friends since childhood, and their feelings have deepened and intensified as they grow into adulthood. Win readily declares and shows her love for Merripen, while he steadfastly refuses to enter into a relationship with her. Merripen is loyal above all, he is so grateful to the Hathaways for taking him in as an abused child, but there is one whom he holds dearest..."and then there was Win, for whom Kev would have died a thousand times over. He would never degrade Win with his touch, or dare to assume a place in her life other than as a protector."
He worships her. Loves her with all his heart, all his soul. It wrenches him apart to see her hurt or in pain. It breaks his heart that he cannot have her. He sees her as the most precious thing in the world that he cannot have, for her own good.
I just made Merripen sound like such a sainted jerk of a martyr, didn't I? He is...and he is so unflinchingly mulish in his self-denial of Win that I just wanted to slap him sometimes...but then he turns around and says something like this: "All the fires of hell could burn for a thousand years and it wouldn't equal what I feel for you in one minute of the day. I love you so much there is no pleasure in it. Nothing but torment. Because if I could dilute what I feel for you to the millionth part, it would still be enough to kill you. And even if it drives me mad, I would rather see you live in the arms of that cold, soulless bastard than die in mine."
...get me a fan, please. I'm burning up here. Whew.
This book just simmers in the very best way. The tension and heat is barely contained between the two characters, both of whom are so desperately in love. This is by far my favorite of Lisa Kleypas' works, and as exalted a place as she holds on my bookshelf, I do not put that lightly.
July 10, 2021
“Is there heart here?”
5 stars without a doubt. This was perfect start to finish. I didn’t want it to end! I want more!! I was so gone for these two. It was the perfect blend of all things you need to make a great story.
I loved that this book wasn’t just about the romance and the two main characters only. The family played such a great role in this and I loved getting their POV’s and others. It made the story so fulfilling to read.
I’m hopelessly obsessed with The Hathaways and I can’t wait to continue on with the series. I feel a binge happening.
5 stars without a doubt. This was perfect start to finish. I didn’t want it to end! I want more!! I was so gone for these two. It was the perfect blend of all things you need to make a great story.
I loved that this book wasn’t just about the romance and the two main characters only. The family played such a great role in this and I loved getting their POV’s and others. It made the story so fulfilling to read.
I’m hopelessly obsessed with The Hathaways and I can’t wait to continue on with the series. I feel a binge happening.
October 29, 2019
Re-read Oct'2019:
This is such an emotional read and will forever remain one of my absolute, all-time favorite historical romances! Still big 5++ stars!!
Original read/review Jun'2010:
5++ stars – Historical Romance
Forever together and yet always apart.....
WOW, just WOW! I absolutely loved this! Seduce Me At Sunrise is a beautiful, evocative, sensual, moving, and lush romance of forbidden love, powerful yearning, and long-denied desire between two star-crossed souls. Although dark, cold, hardened, mysterious gypsy Kev Merripen and sweet, fair, innocent, well-bred Winnifred Hathaway might appear to be opposites, they've shared an intrinsic bond and deep love for each other since childhood. And yet the soul mates seemed destined to be kept forever apart by various twists of fate, including family tragedy, Win's illness, differences in social status, a curse, a persistent, respectable rival suitor after Win's hand, scandal, but mainly because of Kev's stubborn, anguished refusal to allow himself to be with the one and only woman his heart beats for.
It's a powerful, touching, and achingly poignant romance of two lovers yearning for each other who must confront and heal the past, face their fears, and fight destiny to finally be together, forever. Big 5++ stars!!
These are my favorite Kev Merripen thoughts/quotes:
"All the fires of hell could burn for a thousand years and it wouldn't equal what I feel for you in one minute of the day. I love you so much there is no pleasure in it. Nothing but torment. Because if I could dilute what I feel for you to the millionth part, it would still be enough to kill you. And even if it drives me mad, I would rather see you live in the arms of that cold, soulless bastard than die in mine."
Kev loved her. Not in the way that novelists and poets described. Nothing so tame. He loved her beyond earth, heaven, or hell. Every moment out of her company was agony; every moment with her was the only peace he had ever known. Every touch of her hands left an imprint that ate down to his soul. He would have killed himself before admitting it to anyone. The truth was buried deep in his heart.
I love you, he thought, looking at Win. I love every part of you, every thought and word...the entire complex, fascinating bundle of all the things you are. I want you with ten different kinds of need at once. I love all the seasons of you, the way you are now, the thought of how much more beautiful you'll be in the decades to come. I love you for being the answer to every question my heart could ask.
And it seemed so easy, once he capitulated. It seemed natural and right. Kev wasn't certain if he was surrendering to Win or to his own passion for her. Only that there was no more holding back. He would take her. And he would give her everything he had, every part of his soul, even the broken pieces.
A weak but steady throb lay beneath Kev’s searching fingertips. Win’s heartbeat … the pulse that sustained his universe.
“I believe in two people loving each other.” A smile curved his lips. “Finding pleasure in ordinary moments. Walking together. Arguing over things like the timing of an egg, or how to manage the servants, or the size of the butcher’s bill. Going to bed each night, and waking up together each morning.” Lifting his head, he cradled the side of her face in his hand. “I’ve always started every day by going to the window for a glimpse of the sky. But now I won’t have to.” “Why not?” she asked softly. “Because I’ll see the blue of your eyes instead.” “How romantic you are,” she murmured with a grin, kissing him gently. “But don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone.”
My favorite Win thought/quote:
This was not an impulsive act. This was ritual. This was an ancient Romany courtship rite, and there would be nothing halfhearted about it. She was going to be kidnapped and ravished. Finally.
And the letter that Win sends to Kev made me bawl my eyes out!
This is such an emotional read and will forever remain one of my absolute, all-time favorite historical romances! Still big 5++ stars!!
Original read/review Jun'2010:
5++ stars – Historical Romance
Forever together and yet always apart.....
WOW, just WOW! I absolutely loved this! Seduce Me At Sunrise is a beautiful, evocative, sensual, moving, and lush romance of forbidden love, powerful yearning, and long-denied desire between two star-crossed souls. Although dark, cold, hardened, mysterious gypsy Kev Merripen and sweet, fair, innocent, well-bred Winnifred Hathaway might appear to be opposites, they've shared an intrinsic bond and deep love for each other since childhood. And yet the soul mates seemed destined to be kept forever apart by various twists of fate, including family tragedy, Win's illness, differences in social status, a curse, a persistent, respectable rival suitor after Win's hand, scandal, but mainly because of Kev's stubborn, anguished refusal to allow himself to be with the one and only woman his heart beats for.
It's a powerful, touching, and achingly poignant romance of two lovers yearning for each other who must confront and heal the past, face their fears, and fight destiny to finally be together, forever. Big 5++ stars!!
These are my favorite Kev Merripen thoughts/quotes:
"All the fires of hell could burn for a thousand years and it wouldn't equal what I feel for you in one minute of the day. I love you so much there is no pleasure in it. Nothing but torment. Because if I could dilute what I feel for you to the millionth part, it would still be enough to kill you. And even if it drives me mad, I would rather see you live in the arms of that cold, soulless bastard than die in mine."
Kev loved her. Not in the way that novelists and poets described. Nothing so tame. He loved her beyond earth, heaven, or hell. Every moment out of her company was agony; every moment with her was the only peace he had ever known. Every touch of her hands left an imprint that ate down to his soul. He would have killed himself before admitting it to anyone. The truth was buried deep in his heart.
I love you, he thought, looking at Win. I love every part of you, every thought and word...the entire complex, fascinating bundle of all the things you are. I want you with ten different kinds of need at once. I love all the seasons of you, the way you are now, the thought of how much more beautiful you'll be in the decades to come. I love you for being the answer to every question my heart could ask.
And it seemed so easy, once he capitulated. It seemed natural and right. Kev wasn't certain if he was surrendering to Win or to his own passion for her. Only that there was no more holding back. He would take her. And he would give her everything he had, every part of his soul, even the broken pieces.
A weak but steady throb lay beneath Kev’s searching fingertips. Win’s heartbeat … the pulse that sustained his universe.
“I believe in two people loving each other.” A smile curved his lips. “Finding pleasure in ordinary moments. Walking together. Arguing over things like the timing of an egg, or how to manage the servants, or the size of the butcher’s bill. Going to bed each night, and waking up together each morning.” Lifting his head, he cradled the side of her face in his hand. “I’ve always started every day by going to the window for a glimpse of the sky. But now I won’t have to.” “Why not?” she asked softly. “Because I’ll see the blue of your eyes instead.” “How romantic you are,” she murmured with a grin, kissing him gently. “But don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone.”
My favorite Win thought/quote:
This was not an impulsive act. This was ritual. This was an ancient Romany courtship rite, and there would be nothing halfhearted about it. She was going to be kidnapped and ravished. Finally.
And the letter that Win sends to Kev made me bawl my eyes out!
January 13, 2022
3.5 stars
a quick summary of this book:
Heroine: if I leave, I may die, but if I don’t die…I never want anything to do with you again. I’ll stay, but you have to admit you love me
Hero: nah
tropes:
•pining
•groveling
•forbidden love
•family dynamic
•childhood friends to lovers
Kev and Win meet when they were kids. Kev was saved by the Hathaway’s while on the brink of death and nursed back to health. The two instantly form a bond that makes them inseparable, but it was more than just a bond for the both of them.
Kev refuses to acknowledge the love he has for Win for many reasons, but mostly he believes he isn’t good enough for her. Two years before, Win was nearly killed by scarlet fever, which left her very weak and frail. She decides to visit a doctor in France who performs treatments that can help improve her life style.
spoilers below‼️
The book starts off with Kev telling Win not to leave. Win pushes up to admit that he has feelings for her and that’s why he doesn’t want to be separated from her. Kev makes up some bullshit that he doesn’t want her to leave because she “won’t be safe” and he loves EVERYONE in her family. Yeah sure buddy 🤔🙄
Win keeps pushing him and eventually decides to kiss him. And damnnnn do they kiss. When Kev finally wakes up from his trance, he pushes her away
After that, Win leaves for France for 2 whole years. She finally returns, with the doctor that helped her in tow. She sorta shows up unannounced so she decides to got to Kev’s room secretly since they’re in a hotel. When Kev opens the door…
The way my heart sank when he said that 😭 Because Win is hiding her face, he thinks she’s a fucking prostitute 💀 Kev begins to initiate sex and Win still hasn’t revealed who she is. She even asks him if ‘he’d like to see her face’ to which he replies “It's of no concern to me if you're plain or fair.” Well damn 😃
HERE’S THE BEST PART. As Kev starts lifting her dress, Win finally says something—
MAN LITERALLY FREEZES…THEN KISSES THE FUCK OUT OF HER. They makeout and dry hump each other till…you guessed it... Kev pulls away and tells her to stay away from him 🙄 Win is pissed now because even though she’s gotten healthier and is less fragile, Kev still refuses her.
Fuck that really hurt ✋🏻 At this point, Win is just done with Kev. She decides to pursue the doctor that helped her since he followed her home in order to get to know her. Kev of course HATES THIS and decides to get in the way of their relationship. Win gets even more mad at him for this and accuses him of not being capable of love. Now, here’s one of the most beautiful lines I’ve ever heard
When Win had scarlet fever, she would look out the window to watch these robins that had a nest on a tree. She complained that the window was too dirty to see the robins clearly, so Kev, despite his fear of heights, got a ladder and cleaned that window. When Win finally moved back home to the family house and enters her room she notices the wallpaper straight away...
Gahhh he’s so considerate 😭😭 the little things he did for her just made me swoon
When Win was sick, Kev found this very potent medication that could cure her. The issue with this medication is it can easily kill someone if the wrong dose is taken. Win’s sister happened to notice something the day that he gave her the medication…
There's also something I didn't mention...when Kev finally told Win he loved her (I quoted it) he also said something right after. Win was told that she shouldn't have children because of her condition. Even though she has improved tremendously, she is at risk of dying during childbirth. At the moment, Win had no idea that Kev knew that she shouldn't have children and it was another reason why he felt like he couldn't be with her.
Let me not forget that scene where Kev gets drunk and lands himself in jail because he realizes that he is the reason that Win had to accept a marriage proposal from the piece of shit doctor. Now, does Kev decide that it's better she just marry the doctor and leave her be??? FUCK NO. He kidnaps her in the middle of the night and whisks her away to a cabin in the woods 🤪
I swear Kev is THE standard. The amount of groveling and back and forth between these two MCs is unmatched. Also the smut is insanely good and detailed which I feel like is a necessity when reading a romance novel. The only reason this is not a 5 star read is because the drama at the end of the book was so dramatic 😂 also Win pissed me off at one point because of a lie she told, but I'm not going to let those things completely take away from how great this story is.
Thanks to Sanjali for not getting annoyed when I would scream about something else that happened in this book ❤️
book 1 review
book 3 review
a quick summary of this book:
Heroine: if I leave, I may die, but if I don’t die…I never want anything to do with you again. I’ll stay, but you have to admit you love me
Hero: nah
tropes:
•pining
•groveling
•forbidden love
•family dynamic
•childhood friends to lovers
Kev and Win meet when they were kids. Kev was saved by the Hathaway’s while on the brink of death and nursed back to health. The two instantly form a bond that makes them inseparable, but it was more than just a bond for the both of them.
Kev refuses to acknowledge the love he has for Win for many reasons, but mostly he believes he isn’t good enough for her. Two years before, Win was nearly killed by scarlet fever, which left her very weak and frail. She decides to visit a doctor in France who performs treatments that can help improve her life style.
spoilers below‼️
The book starts off with Kev telling Win not to leave. Win pushes up to admit that he has feelings for her and that’s why he doesn’t want to be separated from her. Kev makes up some bullshit that he doesn’t want her to leave because she “won’t be safe” and he loves EVERYONE in her family. Yeah sure buddy 🤔🙄
“Tell me you love me. Tell me, and I'll stay…I wouldn't care if I died tomorrow, if I could just hear it once—”
“Don't," he growled, backing away.
Win keeps pushing him and eventually decides to kiss him. And damnnnn do they kiss. When Kev finally wakes up from his trance, he pushes her away
“That will never happen again.”
“Because you're afraid you might hurt me?”
“Because I don't want you that way.”
She stiffened with indignation, and gave a disbelieving laugh. “You responded to me just now. I felt it.”
His color deepened. “That would have happened with any woman.”
—The way I would kms if a guy said that to me 😭✋🏻
After that, Win leaves for France for 2 whole years. She finally returns, with the doctor that helped her in tow. She sorta shows up unannounced so she decides to got to Kev’s room secretly since they’re in a hotel. When Kev opens the door…
“I didn't send for a woman tonight.”
The way my heart sank when he said that 😭 Because Win is hiding her face, he thinks she’s a fucking prostitute 💀 Kev begins to initiate sex and Win still hasn’t revealed who she is. She even asks him if ‘he’d like to see her face’ to which he replies “It's of no concern to me if you're plain or fair.” Well damn 😃
HERE’S THE BEST PART. As Kev starts lifting her dress, Win finally says something—
Aroused and panicking, she stared down at her fists and choked out, “Is this how you treat women now, Kev?”
MAN LITERALLY FREEZES…THEN KISSES THE FUCK OUT OF HER. They makeout and dry hump each other till…you guessed it... Kev pulls away and tells her to stay away from him 🙄 Win is pissed now because even though she’s gotten healthier and is less fragile, Kev still refuses her.
“Unless I was mistaken in how you once felt for me? Did you ever desire me, Kev?”
“No.” His voice was barely audible. “It was only friendship. And pity.”
Fuck that really hurt ✋🏻 At this point, Win is just done with Kev. She decides to pursue the doctor that helped her since he followed her home in order to get to know her. Kev of course HATES THIS and decides to get in the way of their relationship. Win gets even more mad at him for this and accuses him of not being capable of love. Now, here’s one of the most beautiful lines I’ve ever heard
“All the fires of hell could burn for a thousand years and it wouldn't equal what I feel for you in one minute of the day. I love you so much there is no pleasure in it. Nothing but torment.”
—FUUUUCK IMAGINE SOMEONE LOVING YOU THIS MUCH
When Win had scarlet fever, she would look out the window to watch these robins that had a nest on a tree. She complained that the window was too dirty to see the robins clearly, so Kev, despite his fear of heights, got a ladder and cleaned that window. When Win finally moved back home to the family house and enters her room she notices the wallpaper straight away...
“Mr. Merripen personally selected the wallpaper," Mrs. Barnstable said. "He nearly drove the interior architect mad with his insistence on seeing hundreds of samples until he found this pattern.”
The wallpaper was white, with a delicate pattern of flowering branches. And at sparse intervals, there was the motif of a little robin perched on one of the twigs.
Gahhh he’s so considerate 😭😭 the little things he did for her just made me swoon
When Win was sick, Kev found this very potent medication that could cure her. The issue with this medication is it can easily kill someone if the wrong dose is taken. Win’s sister happened to notice something the day that he gave her the medication…
“She said that when Win and I had fallen ill with scarlet fever, and you made the deadly nightshade syrup, you'd concocted far more than was necessary. And you kept a cup of it on Win's nightstand, like some sort of macabre nightcap. Amelia said that if Win had died, she thought you would have taken the rest of that poison”
—THE WAY HE REFUSED TO LIVE WITHOUT HER
There's also something I didn't mention...when Kev finally told Win he loved her (I quoted it) he also said something right after. Win was told that she shouldn't have children because of her condition. Even though she has improved tremendously, she is at risk of dying during childbirth. At the moment, Win had no idea that Kev knew that she shouldn't have children and it was another reason why he felt like he couldn't be with her.
“...Because if I could dilute what I feel for you to the millionth part, it would still be enough to kill you. And even if it drives me mad, I would rather see you live in the arms of that cold, soulless bastard than die in mine.”
—HE REALLY CHOSE HER LIFE OVER HIS HAPPINESS 😩 the bare minimum but still necessary
Let me not forget that scene where Kev gets drunk and lands himself in jail because he realizes that he is the reason that Win had to accept a marriage proposal from the piece of shit doctor. Now, does Kev decide that it's better she just marry the doctor and leave her be??? FUCK NO. He kidnaps her in the middle of the night and whisks her away to a cabin in the woods 🤪
But she was still angry with him, she was done with him, and if he had come here for a midnight talk, he was sadly mistaken. She started to tell him so, but to her astonishment, she felt a thick piece of cloth descend over her mouth, and then he was tying it deftly behind her head. In a few more seconds, he had bound her wrists in front of her...
“You're mine.”
I swear Kev is THE standard. The amount of groveling and back and forth between these two MCs is unmatched. Also the smut is insanely good and detailed which I feel like is a necessity when reading a romance novel. The only reason this is not a 5 star read is because the drama at the end of the book was so dramatic 😂 also Win pissed me off at one point because of a lie she told, but I'm not going to let those things completely take away from how great this story is.
Thanks to Sanjali for not getting annoyed when I would scream about something else that happened in this book ❤️
book 1 review
book 3 review
October 28, 2009
Ms. Kleypas has managed to impress me yet again. She writes some of the most beautiful, most romantic love stories I've ever read. And this one is up there on my list of premier Lisa Kleypas novels. Seduce Me at Sunrise has one of those love affairs that is so intense and enduring, how could I possibly not love it? Kev Merripen fell in love with Win Hathaway even before he saw her. The Hathaways took him in when he was found badly injured and left for dead, despite him being a Gypsy. They nursed him back to health and treated him with a kindness that was foreign to him. And that is how he met Win. He felt her presence and it drew him to her. He willed her to come into his sickroom, and when she did, he grabbed her and didn't want to let her go. Over the years, not an ounce of his intense, violent love for her changed, even though Merripen did not think he was good enough for her. He was raised by his tribe to be the most ruthless, the most violent fighter. Gentleness was literally beaten out of him. But nothing could take away the love he had for Win.
Win loved Merripen at first sight as well. He was like a wild, beautiful creature that claimed her heart. When she fell ill with scarlet fever, for years she believed she could not possibly have a normal life. Yet the hope of being with Merripen in all the ways a woman can be with a man encouraged her to get her health improved. Two years later, she returns, hoping to get Merripen to see that they belong together. Yet he resists, even though the force of his love makes him want to kill any man that might claim her.
To be honest, Merripen was frustrating me. He was giving out some serious mixed signals. I felt bad for Win, because she decided to move on with her life, but he wouldn't let any man near her. And then he does something that was pretty wrong, in my opinion. I was holding my breath, hoping he'd come through and he didn't. I wanted to get out my shovel to hit him over the head then and there. But Ms. Kleypas allowed me to see the motivations and the anguish inside of Merripen. Why he would push away the thing he wanted/needed most in the whole world. Because he wanted what was best for her. And seeing Merripen's motivations coming out of love allowed me to forgive him.
This book was so beautiful in the intense love between this couple. I wanted to savor the scenes of them interacting, the words exchanged. Merripen might think he is a brute who is unworthy of Win, but his actions always spoke differently. There was no question he would die and go to Hell many times for Win. That kind of love cannot help but appeal to me, being the die-hard romantic that I am.
I liked both characters a lot. Even though some of their actions frustrated me, Merripen moreso. He was really a product of his terrible childhood, but he managed to rise above that, and become a good, productive, caring person (although he didn't see himself that way). Win had a sweetness about her. Her belief in the trueness of the love between her and Merripen was a guiding force. Her sweet, loving nature was a cornerstone in the Hathaway family. One of the things I love about the Hathaway series is how the brother and sisters are all shown to be so unique, and committed to each other, even if they don't always get along. Merripen and Cam fit in so perfectly, like the last two pieces of a puzzle (along with the intriguing Miss Marks, the governess who gets along with Leo Hathaway like cats and dogs. Hmm???? What's going on there??).
As usual, Ms. Kleypas beautifully describes the scenery, the characters, and the settings. The luscious descriptions of everything makes me want to get sucked into the book so I can experience it all first hand. Her love scenes are so intense and descriptive in a way that is very sensual without being vulgar. They are earthy, yet elevated at the same time. You feel the love connection between the characters.
I liked how this story was very much a family story, in addition to being about the relationship between Merripen and Win. The Hathaways are such a fun, interesting family to read about. They seem to take everything in stride, and continue to add more people the fold without any fuss. I'm excited to read about Poppy, Beatrix, and Leo's happy endings. I must say I am overjoyed to see Leo starting to pick up the pieces of his life and moving on with some purpose. I think that Miss Marks will give him something to focus on, along with his renewed interest in architecture. In this story, we get to see the relationship between Leo and Merripen; how Leo is able to help Merripen see that giving up what he wants most in the world might be a foolish move on his part, because love is too precious to waste. If anyone knows what it's like to lose one's love, it's Leo. It was funny how the Hathaways treated Win and Merripen like they were a foregone conclusion, even thought Merripen is slow on the uptake about it.
It was also enjoyable to see the love affair/marriage of Cam and Amelia continue. What a great couple. They have the kind of marriage you wish for. Amelia is a singular woman, who I find strong but gentle at the same time. She's quite the mother hen, taking care of her brood, including husband, brother and sisters, and Merripen, who is like a brother to her. Cam is such an interesting character. I could vividly see him and picture the sometimes outrageous things he would say and think. It's very interesting to see how he and Merripen interact and what the repercussions are of their association.
Once again, I have read another Kleypas that I can easily give five stars. Her writing is always great, but she gets even better with each new book. I admire that she does her research to treat the historical Victorian setting with respect, and managed to weave in the fascinating Romany culture so well in this story. This might be a love story, but it is also a great fiction book with different nuances that make it enjoyable on many levels. But the one aspect that sent me to the moon when I was reading it, was the intense, enduring, burning-hot love between Merripen and Win. You know that fifty years from when this book ends, they will be just as much in love, if not moreso. That's romance to this reader.
Win loved Merripen at first sight as well. He was like a wild, beautiful creature that claimed her heart. When she fell ill with scarlet fever, for years she believed she could not possibly have a normal life. Yet the hope of being with Merripen in all the ways a woman can be with a man encouraged her to get her health improved. Two years later, she returns, hoping to get Merripen to see that they belong together. Yet he resists, even though the force of his love makes him want to kill any man that might claim her.
To be honest, Merripen was frustrating me. He was giving out some serious mixed signals. I felt bad for Win, because she decided to move on with her life, but he wouldn't let any man near her. And then he does something that was pretty wrong, in my opinion. I was holding my breath, hoping he'd come through and he didn't. I wanted to get out my shovel to hit him over the head then and there. But Ms. Kleypas allowed me to see the motivations and the anguish inside of Merripen. Why he would push away the thing he wanted/needed most in the whole world. Because he wanted what was best for her. And seeing Merripen's motivations coming out of love allowed me to forgive him.
This book was so beautiful in the intense love between this couple. I wanted to savor the scenes of them interacting, the words exchanged. Merripen might think he is a brute who is unworthy of Win, but his actions always spoke differently. There was no question he would die and go to Hell many times for Win. That kind of love cannot help but appeal to me, being the die-hard romantic that I am.
I liked both characters a lot. Even though some of their actions frustrated me, Merripen moreso. He was really a product of his terrible childhood, but he managed to rise above that, and become a good, productive, caring person (although he didn't see himself that way). Win had a sweetness about her. Her belief in the trueness of the love between her and Merripen was a guiding force. Her sweet, loving nature was a cornerstone in the Hathaway family. One of the things I love about the Hathaway series is how the brother and sisters are all shown to be so unique, and committed to each other, even if they don't always get along. Merripen and Cam fit in so perfectly, like the last two pieces of a puzzle (along with the intriguing Miss Marks, the governess who gets along with Leo Hathaway like cats and dogs. Hmm???? What's going on there??).
As usual, Ms. Kleypas beautifully describes the scenery, the characters, and the settings. The luscious descriptions of everything makes me want to get sucked into the book so I can experience it all first hand. Her love scenes are so intense and descriptive in a way that is very sensual without being vulgar. They are earthy, yet elevated at the same time. You feel the love connection between the characters.
I liked how this story was very much a family story, in addition to being about the relationship between Merripen and Win. The Hathaways are such a fun, interesting family to read about. They seem to take everything in stride, and continue to add more people the fold without any fuss. I'm excited to read about Poppy, Beatrix, and Leo's happy endings. I must say I am overjoyed to see Leo starting to pick up the pieces of his life and moving on with some purpose. I think that Miss Marks will give him something to focus on, along with his renewed interest in architecture. In this story, we get to see the relationship between Leo and Merripen; how Leo is able to help Merripen see that giving up what he wants most in the world might be a foolish move on his part, because love is too precious to waste. If anyone knows what it's like to lose one's love, it's Leo. It was funny how the Hathaways treated Win and Merripen like they were a foregone conclusion, even thought Merripen is slow on the uptake about it.
It was also enjoyable to see the love affair/marriage of Cam and Amelia continue. What a great couple. They have the kind of marriage you wish for. Amelia is a singular woman, who I find strong but gentle at the same time. She's quite the mother hen, taking care of her brood, including husband, brother and sisters, and Merripen, who is like a brother to her. Cam is such an interesting character. I could vividly see him and picture the sometimes outrageous things he would say and think. It's very interesting to see how he and Merripen interact and what the repercussions are of their association.
Once again, I have read another Kleypas that I can easily give five stars. Her writing is always great, but she gets even better with each new book. I admire that she does her research to treat the historical Victorian setting with respect, and managed to weave in the fascinating Romany culture so well in this story. This might be a love story, but it is also a great fiction book with different nuances that make it enjoyable on many levels. But the one aspect that sent me to the moon when I was reading it, was the intense, enduring, burning-hot love between Merripen and Win. You know that fifty years from when this book ends, they will be just as much in love, if not moreso. That's romance to this reader.
June 5, 2018
4 stars!
“Hell was not a pit of fire and brimstone. Hell was waking up alone, the sheets wet with your tears and your seed, knowing the woman you had dreamed of would never come back to you.”
Lisa Kleypas delivers every single time!!! Book 2 in The Hathaways series lived up to my expectations, and believe me they were high. After reading the first book, this was the couple I was dying to read about. I loved Merripen and Win, they had such a beautiful and angsty story!
You know how you pick up a book and read the first page? Normally I set the book down, but with this book, I read the first page and could not tear my eyes away. I've never experienced anything like it! This book literally had me hooked from the beginning and I devoured it whole.
This is a story of unrequited love, and a story of fear of love. It was more Hathaway centric than the first book was, that one seemed to be half Wallflower series and half Hathaway. While I like being in the Wallflower world, I am loving getting to know the Hathaways and all the side characters whose books I will be reading ASAP!
I know I am late to the Lisa Kleypas train, but if you are even a wee bit curious, pick up one of her books now!
“The worst part about loving someone, Merripen, is that there will always be things you can't protect her from. Things beyond your control. You finally realize there is something worse than dying... and that is having something happen to her. You have to live with that fear always. But you have to take the bad part, if you want the good part."
Kev looked at him bleakly. "What's the good part?"
A smile touched Cam's lips. "All the rest of it is the good part," he said, and went.”
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“Hell was not a pit of fire and brimstone. Hell was waking up alone, the sheets wet with your tears and your seed, knowing the woman you had dreamed of would never come back to you.”
Lisa Kleypas delivers every single time!!! Book 2 in The Hathaways series lived up to my expectations, and believe me they were high. After reading the first book, this was the couple I was dying to read about. I loved Merripen and Win, they had such a beautiful and angsty story!
You know how you pick up a book and read the first page? Normally I set the book down, but with this book, I read the first page and could not tear my eyes away. I've never experienced anything like it! This book literally had me hooked from the beginning and I devoured it whole.
This is a story of unrequited love, and a story of fear of love. It was more Hathaway centric than the first book was, that one seemed to be half Wallflower series and half Hathaway. While I like being in the Wallflower world, I am loving getting to know the Hathaways and all the side characters whose books I will be reading ASAP!
I know I am late to the Lisa Kleypas train, but if you are even a wee bit curious, pick up one of her books now!
“The worst part about loving someone, Merripen, is that there will always be things you can't protect her from. Things beyond your control. You finally realize there is something worse than dying... and that is having something happen to her. You have to live with that fear always. But you have to take the bad part, if you want the good part."
Kev looked at him bleakly. "What's the good part?"
A smile touched Cam's lips. "All the rest of it is the good part," he said, and went.”
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January 27, 2018
~4.5 Stars~
Seduce Me at Sunrise is the second book in The Hathaways Series. Win Hathaway and Kev Merripen have spent many years secretly longing to be together. Win has battled illness and Kev has served her family faithfully for years. When Win is healed and ready to settle down and start a family, she longs to be with Kev. After years of trying to hide from the demons of his past, Kev is unwilling to give Win the love he so desperately wants to give her. He feels as if he is not good enough for her. But when Win captures the attention of another suitor, Kev must decide if he is willing to let her go forever or take her and make her his.
Overall, I cannot rave enough about this series. I have fallen in love with the Hathaway family and I can honestly say I don't think I will ever get enough. Kev and Win is another beautiful addition to this family saga. And now on to the next Hathaway story!
***The Hathaways***
For more reviews/reveals/giveaways visit:
"Your heart is mine, he thought savagely. It belongs to me."
Seduce Me at Sunrise is the second book in The Hathaways Series. Win Hathaway and Kev Merripen have spent many years secretly longing to be together. Win has battled illness and Kev has served her family faithfully for years. When Win is healed and ready to settle down and start a family, she longs to be with Kev. After years of trying to hide from the demons of his past, Kev is unwilling to give Win the love he so desperately wants to give her. He feels as if he is not good enough for her. But when Win captures the attention of another suitor, Kev must decide if he is willing to let her go forever or take her and make her his.
"He would give in to it, to her, without trying to qualify or control anything."Told in multiple POV, Seduce Me at Sunrise is another stunning blend of romance, passion, and exploration of the dynamics of my new favorite Historical family! The connection between Kev and Win is raw and intense. Kev is a damaged hero who loves Win with everything and yet, his fears continue to hold him back. Lisa Kleypas has a gift for transporting her readers back in time. The setting, the characters, and the emotions come to life with every turn of the page. With complex characters, picturesque setting, and romance, Seduce Me at Sunrise is one that should not be missed.
Overall, I cannot rave enough about this series. I have fallen in love with the Hathaway family and I can honestly say I don't think I will ever get enough. Kev and Win is another beautiful addition to this family saga. And now on to the next Hathaway story!
***The Hathaways***
For more reviews/reveals/giveaways visit:
June 16, 2010
The more Lisa Kleypas novels I read, the more I really wish for a time machine. But only if I was able choose which heroes I could visit. Kev would be first on my list… well, in the top 10, anyway. What a wonderful, amazing, incredibly tortured soul he possessed. I really found no fault in him at all because all of his actions and reactions were based in the reality of the child he was and the man he became. Everything he did, no matter the emotional or physical pain it caused him was truly was for Win’s own good. This is the kind of male I love. The man who, despite all the bad things in their pasts, still manage to be a good, honest, caring person.
There really are not words to express how much I loved this book! Kev stole the show, but I loved Win and her persistence. She wasn’t flighty or self absorbed or easy deterred. She knew what and who she wanted, and did what had to be done to reach her goal. Though I can’t say that I blamed her for momentarily considering dumping Kev after what he did – or more appropriately, did NOT do – and marrying Dr. Harrow; after all, a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, right? But through it all there was never any doubt about who she wanted to be with.
I just adore the way Ms. Kleypas develops her characters throughout each novel. That makes it so that by the time we actually get to that person’s book, we already know so much about them which allows more page time for their story and not character development. I always find myself anxious to read the next book because I’m already attached to that person.
I was quite pleased to have found myself even more attached to Cam and Amelia, who I felt played a really small role in their own book. After reading Seduce Me At Sunrise I now feel a much deeper connection to the pair. For me, their relationship, their happily ever after is now complete – I believe in it.
I’m happy with the way this book ended. Slight Spoiler Ahead: With Kev and Cam finding that they are blooded relatives, and finding out about their ancestry, they now have a real family. No longer on the outside, looking in. True, Cam married and inherited the Hathaways, but to have someone sharing the same origin, the same background, the same blood… I’m very happy for them both. I think it was very fitting for Kev to have inherited the lands and the title, knowing that he, with his integrity and honor, would care for his step mother, step sisters and most importantly, the estate tenants.
As always, I can’t wait to read the next installment in the series, Tempt Me At Twilight.
December 3, 2021
This was one of my most anticipated historical romance reads because I thought it was going to have all the angst. Kev and Win were pining after each other in book one and I was so ready for more mutual pining. While this book did have mutual pining, I felt like they gave into their romance a bit too quickly and it was a bit less angsty than I would have liked. I really was loving the beginning when Win returned from being away with her brother and her first encounter with Kev had SO MUCH POTENTIAL. But it quickly ended and I found myself being disappointed in it not going that extra step to add that extra angst. I did love how Kev was jealous of Win and her doctor's relationship, and I thought it was fun how it pushed Kev to confront his feelings for her. After halfway through the book, though, the plot was overtaken by Kev's background's plot and a mustache-twirling villain that I wasn't really a fan of. So while I loved the beginning of the romance and still adore these characters, the book didn't completely meet my expectations.
August 22, 2015
In the first book, i liked the Hathaways!!!
In the second book i can finally say that i adore them!!!
This different and eccentric bounce manage to find the way to my heart and i can assure you that i'm almost obsessed with every single one of them...
First of all, i like the way everyone of them feels about all the other members of the family.
They love each other and they care for each other.
They don't judje anybody and they don't care for other's opinion about them...
And i like that they don't feel ashamed about the fact that two Gypsy are members of their family...
On the contrary, they are very proud of them and that is the most wonderfull thing in this book...
The boundaries between them are strong and deep...
I liked very much that in this book we saw Amelia and Cam to be happy and married...
And i liked the low profile Poppy and even more the crazy little Beatrix and all those crazy pets of her... In the first book was a lizard, now was Dodger!!! Hahahaha... You have to meet Dodger no matter what... You will love him!!!
And finally, i have to tell you that i liked Leo. Funny, ugh???
In the first book, i swore that i will hate him for a lifetime... but Leo had changed. And he was very funny and kind and witty...
I really wonder what will happen between him and Miss Marks, the companion of the younger Hathaways who seems to hate him as much as i did in the first book...
But enough with that!!! Today i will focus on Winnifrent Hathaway and the mysterious Kev Merripen...
As we saw in the first book, Win was sick and she never fully recovered from her disease...
Merripen was with Hathaways since he was a kid. They have found him almost dead and they took him in their house...
Merripen was a Gypsy but the Hathaways never distinguished him from the rest members of the family.
From the first moment, between Win and Kev forged a unique bond...
A love so great and big that hovered unfullfilled between them...
Win didn't want anybody else to be on her side and Kev was loving her so much that he was scared that he could destroy her...
When Amelia and Cam got married, the Hathaways had more money so they decided to send Win away in a hospital to France for her to fully recover from the disease that tormented her.
Kev felt his heart breaking that he had to be away from her, but when Win declared her feelings for him, he didn't do anything to stop her from leaving...
Now two years later, Win returns healthy and determined to have a real life with Kev by her side.
But Kev refused to let his fears aside and he insists to stay away from her. But at the same time he can not stay away from her and that fact drives Win crazy!!!
You see, Kev had a really hard life as a kid and he was afraid that he could hurt Win without wanting it and that make him to keep his distance from her.
But there was and that doctor that he was claimed Win also and that made Kev to lose his temper many times!!!
I really loved this story...
It was very powerfull, full of love and passion, full of pure feelings...
Kev Merripen and Win Hathaway were meant to be together...
Their course was big and difficult, but they finally manage to find the happiness that they deserve to have...
Kev was a really difficult and wild character but with Win by his side was a different man...
I also liked that i finally found the connection between Cam and Kev and i really liked that they found each other... I think that was something that they both needed to have...
And, now i can not wait to find out everything about all the other Hathaways!!!
I think that i'm addicted!!!
In the second book i can finally say that i adore them!!!
This different and eccentric bounce manage to find the way to my heart and i can assure you that i'm almost obsessed with every single one of them...
First of all, i like the way everyone of them feels about all the other members of the family.
They love each other and they care for each other.
They don't judje anybody and they don't care for other's opinion about them...
And i like that they don't feel ashamed about the fact that two Gypsy are members of their family...
On the contrary, they are very proud of them and that is the most wonderfull thing in this book...
The boundaries between them are strong and deep...
I liked very much that in this book we saw Amelia and Cam to be happy and married...
And i liked the low profile Poppy and even more the crazy little Beatrix and all those crazy pets of her... In the first book was a lizard, now was Dodger!!! Hahahaha... You have to meet Dodger no matter what... You will love him!!!
And finally, i have to tell you that i liked Leo. Funny, ugh???
In the first book, i swore that i will hate him for a lifetime... but Leo had changed. And he was very funny and kind and witty...
I really wonder what will happen between him and Miss Marks, the companion of the younger Hathaways who seems to hate him as much as i did in the first book...
But enough with that!!! Today i will focus on Winnifrent Hathaway and the mysterious Kev Merripen...
As we saw in the first book, Win was sick and she never fully recovered from her disease...
Merripen was with Hathaways since he was a kid. They have found him almost dead and they took him in their house...
Merripen was a Gypsy but the Hathaways never distinguished him from the rest members of the family.
From the first moment, between Win and Kev forged a unique bond...
A love so great and big that hovered unfullfilled between them...
Win didn't want anybody else to be on her side and Kev was loving her so much that he was scared that he could destroy her...
When Amelia and Cam got married, the Hathaways had more money so they decided to send Win away in a hospital to France for her to fully recover from the disease that tormented her.
Kev felt his heart breaking that he had to be away from her, but when Win declared her feelings for him, he didn't do anything to stop her from leaving...
Now two years later, Win returns healthy and determined to have a real life with Kev by her side.
But Kev refused to let his fears aside and he insists to stay away from her. But at the same time he can not stay away from her and that fact drives Win crazy!!!
You see, Kev had a really hard life as a kid and he was afraid that he could hurt Win without wanting it and that make him to keep his distance from her.
But there was and that doctor that he was claimed Win also and that made Kev to lose his temper many times!!!
I really loved this story...
It was very powerfull, full of love and passion, full of pure feelings...
Kev Merripen and Win Hathaway were meant to be together...
Their course was big and difficult, but they finally manage to find the happiness that they deserve to have...
Kev was a really difficult and wild character but with Win by his side was a different man...
I also liked that i finally found the connection between Cam and Kev and i really liked that they found each other... I think that was something that they both needed to have...
And, now i can not wait to find out everything about all the other Hathaways!!!
I think that i'm addicted!!!
March 31, 2017
5 All or Nothing Stars
***Spoilers***
"If you marry me, you'll never be a lady of position." "There is no better position for me than being your wife."-Kev and Win
OMG I loved Kev and Win's book!!!! I loved everything about their story. Going into this book I knew it was going to be angsty and it was. But it wasn't so angsty that it was torture to read. The push/pull of Kev and Win's relationship was emotional and gripping and made it all the more sweet when they got together. I can see now just from reading two books that Lisa Kleypas is an amazing writer. I am now a devoted fan-girl . She has completely captivated me with this charming, quirky family.
Kev loved her. Not in the way that novelists and poets described. Nothing so tame. He loved her beyond earth, heaven, or hell. Every moment out of her company was agony; every moment with her was the only peace he had ever known. Every touch of her hands left an imprint that ate down to his soul.-Kev
Since my illness I have had the strength to do very little except to love [Win had written], but that I have done, and I still do, in full measure. I am sorry for the way I shocked you the morning I left, but I do not regret the sentiments I expressed. I am running after you, and life, in desperate pursuit. My dream is that someday you will both turn and let me catch you. That dream carries me through every night. I long to tell you so many things, but I am not free yet. I hope to be well enough someday to shock you again, with far more pleasing results.-Win
Kev had a rough start in life. Abused and used for the human version of a fight dog as a child. Kev was never shown love or kindness. Rough around the edges he loved Win with a passion bordering on obsession. He would do anything for her but be with her. He was afraid he wasn't good for her. That he would hurt her. That he wouldn't be able to give her a good life. So he tortured them both by fighting their relationship. So much so that he almost lost her to another man. Kev was surly, hard working, and loyal. Though he had been with the Hathaways since he was left for dead as a child he still held himself apart from them. He loved all the Hathaways, but he was a loner and didn't feel like a part of the family. He had a vulnerable side that when shown melted me and had me forgiving all his stupid moments. I loved Kev!
"I have nothing to offer you," he finally said in a guttural voice. "Nothing." Win's lips had turned dry. She moistened them, and tried to speak through a thrill of anxious trembling. "You have yourself," she whispered. "You don't know me. You think you do, but you don't. The things I've done, the things I'm capable of- you and your family, all you know of life comes from books. If you understood anything-" "Make me understand. Tell me what is so terrible that you must keep pushing me away." He shook his head. "Then stop torturing the both of us," she said unsteadily. "Leave me, or let me go." "I can't," he snapped. "I can't, damn you."-Kev and Win
"All the fires of hell could burn for a thousand years and it wouldn't equal what I feel for you in one minute of the day. I love you so much there is no pleasure in it. Nothing but torment. Because if I could dilute what I feel for you to the millionth part, it would still be enough to kill you. And even if it drives me mad, I would rather see you live in the arms of that cold, soulless bastard than die in mine."-Kev
Win was amazing. I was worried going into this book that she would be a doormat character. Boy I couldn't have been more wrong. She had pride, integrity, and passion. She went for what she wanted. Spoke her feelings with a sweet honesty but she didn't let Kev break her. When he told her they couldn't be together she didn't fall to pieces. She told him, fine your loss I will live my life to the fullest. I really loved that about her. She didn't just beg after him she was going to move on. She was a fighter. She had been deathly ill and for years thought she would never have a life so even though she loved Kev she was not going to give up her second chance at life. She wasn't sassy but she had a quiet peace and strength that wasn't in your face but still stood out. One of my favorite heroines to date!!
"I've been give a rare opportunity… a second chance at life. And I intend to make the most of it. I'm not going to waste my love on a man who doesn't want or need it. I won't bother you again."-Win
"How could I touch you with these hands?" he asked, his tone shredded with anguish. "How could you stand to let me? God, if you knew all the things I've done-" "I love your hands," she murmured. "I'm not good enough for you. But no one is. And most men, good or bad, have limits to what they would do, even for someone they love. I have none. No God, no moral code, no faith in anything. Except you. You're my religion. I would do anything you asked. I would fight, steal, kill for you. I would-"-Kev and Win
What I really loved about this book was that though it was about Kev, Win and their beautifully intense love story it was also about the whole Hathaway gang. I loved getting more Cam and Amelia. And OMG their baby news! I liked getting to see Poppy, and Bea out in society. What I really loved was Kev, Cam and Leo's brother bonding. Leo has really come a long way since the first book. He was really turning his life around in this book. I loved the bickering between Leo and the governess Miss Marks. I really can't wait to get Miss Marks back story. I was losing my shit when my poor Cam was poisoned and almost died! My favorite part of the book was when Kev kidnaps Win as part of the Roma courting and takes her away to ravish her. Talk about hot! The ending Wow it was so damn sweet. I was melting all over the epilogue. It was beautiful!!!
"Do you believe in happy-ever-after?" she persisted, gasping a little as he gave her a playful nip. "As in the children's tales? No." "You don't?" He shook his head. "I believe in two people loving each other." A smile curved his lips. "Finding pleasure in ordinary moments. Walking together. Arguing over things like the timing of an egg, or how to manage the servants, or the size of the butcher's bill. Going to bed each night, and waking up together each morning."-Win and Kev
http://jessicasoverthetopbookobsessio...
***Spoilers***
"If you marry me, you'll never be a lady of position." "There is no better position for me than being your wife."-Kev and Win
OMG I loved Kev and Win's book!!!! I loved everything about their story. Going into this book I knew it was going to be angsty and it was. But it wasn't so angsty that it was torture to read. The push/pull of Kev and Win's relationship was emotional and gripping and made it all the more sweet when they got together. I can see now just from reading two books that Lisa Kleypas is an amazing writer. I am now a devoted fan-girl . She has completely captivated me with this charming, quirky family.
Kev loved her. Not in the way that novelists and poets described. Nothing so tame. He loved her beyond earth, heaven, or hell. Every moment out of her company was agony; every moment with her was the only peace he had ever known. Every touch of her hands left an imprint that ate down to his soul.-Kev
Since my illness I have had the strength to do very little except to love [Win had written], but that I have done, and I still do, in full measure. I am sorry for the way I shocked you the morning I left, but I do not regret the sentiments I expressed. I am running after you, and life, in desperate pursuit. My dream is that someday you will both turn and let me catch you. That dream carries me through every night. I long to tell you so many things, but I am not free yet. I hope to be well enough someday to shock you again, with far more pleasing results.-Win
Kev had a rough start in life. Abused and used for the human version of a fight dog as a child. Kev was never shown love or kindness. Rough around the edges he loved Win with a passion bordering on obsession. He would do anything for her but be with her. He was afraid he wasn't good for her. That he would hurt her. That he wouldn't be able to give her a good life. So he tortured them both by fighting their relationship. So much so that he almost lost her to another man. Kev was surly, hard working, and loyal. Though he had been with the Hathaways since he was left for dead as a child he still held himself apart from them. He loved all the Hathaways, but he was a loner and didn't feel like a part of the family. He had a vulnerable side that when shown melted me and had me forgiving all his stupid moments. I loved Kev!
"I have nothing to offer you," he finally said in a guttural voice. "Nothing." Win's lips had turned dry. She moistened them, and tried to speak through a thrill of anxious trembling. "You have yourself," she whispered. "You don't know me. You think you do, but you don't. The things I've done, the things I'm capable of- you and your family, all you know of life comes from books. If you understood anything-" "Make me understand. Tell me what is so terrible that you must keep pushing me away." He shook his head. "Then stop torturing the both of us," she said unsteadily. "Leave me, or let me go." "I can't," he snapped. "I can't, damn you."-Kev and Win
"All the fires of hell could burn for a thousand years and it wouldn't equal what I feel for you in one minute of the day. I love you so much there is no pleasure in it. Nothing but torment. Because if I could dilute what I feel for you to the millionth part, it would still be enough to kill you. And even if it drives me mad, I would rather see you live in the arms of that cold, soulless bastard than die in mine."-Kev
Win was amazing. I was worried going into this book that she would be a doormat character. Boy I couldn't have been more wrong. She had pride, integrity, and passion. She went for what she wanted. Spoke her feelings with a sweet honesty but she didn't let Kev break her. When he told her they couldn't be together she didn't fall to pieces. She told him, fine your loss I will live my life to the fullest. I really loved that about her. She didn't just beg after him she was going to move on. She was a fighter. She had been deathly ill and for years thought she would never have a life so even though she loved Kev she was not going to give up her second chance at life. She wasn't sassy but she had a quiet peace and strength that wasn't in your face but still stood out. One of my favorite heroines to date!!
"I've been give a rare opportunity… a second chance at life. And I intend to make the most of it. I'm not going to waste my love on a man who doesn't want or need it. I won't bother you again."-Win
"How could I touch you with these hands?" he asked, his tone shredded with anguish. "How could you stand to let me? God, if you knew all the things I've done-" "I love your hands," she murmured. "I'm not good enough for you. But no one is. And most men, good or bad, have limits to what they would do, even for someone they love. I have none. No God, no moral code, no faith in anything. Except you. You're my religion. I would do anything you asked. I would fight, steal, kill for you. I would-"-Kev and Win
What I really loved about this book was that though it was about Kev, Win and their beautifully intense love story it was also about the whole Hathaway gang. I loved getting more Cam and Amelia. And OMG their baby news! I liked getting to see Poppy, and Bea out in society. What I really loved was Kev, Cam and Leo's brother bonding. Leo has really come a long way since the first book. He was really turning his life around in this book. I loved the bickering between Leo and the governess Miss Marks. I really can't wait to get Miss Marks back story. I was losing my shit when my poor Cam was poisoned and almost died! My favorite part of the book was when Kev kidnaps Win as part of the Roma courting and takes her away to ravish her. Talk about hot! The ending Wow it was so damn sweet. I was melting all over the epilogue. It was beautiful!!!
"Do you believe in happy-ever-after?" she persisted, gasping a little as he gave her a playful nip. "As in the children's tales? No." "You don't?" He shook his head. "I believe in two people loving each other." A smile curved his lips. "Finding pleasure in ordinary moments. Walking together. Arguing over things like the timing of an egg, or how to manage the servants, or the size of the butcher's bill. Going to bed each night, and waking up together each morning."-Win and Kev
http://jessicasoverthetopbookobsessio...
June 25, 2017
«Te amo —pensó mirando a Win—. Amo cada parte de ti, cada pensamiento y cada palabra. La compleja y fascinante mezcla de todas las cosas que eres. Te amo de mil maneras diferentes. (...) Te amo por ser la respuesta a todas las preguntas de mi corazón».
Kev, Win y otras formas de morir de amor. ❤️
Kev, Win y otras formas de morir de amor. ❤️
March 26, 2020
And the Hathaways-re-read-athon with Lacey continues.
This is just sad. It proves that some favorites should not be revisited but instead remembered fondly. I loved this book the last time I read it (which, Goodreads tells me, was four years ago)! I gave it five stars! It was on my favorites shelf!
And yet...
Times change. You grow up and evolve, your tastes change. It's not the book's fault. But lately I've found out that I have become less and less tolerant when it comes to brooding "heroes" who string their "heroines" along. What ruined this book for me this time around is pretty easily explained: I grew tired of Kev and his constant hot and cold treatment. Honestly, any woman deserves better than this, and I don't care if he has her "best intentions" at heart. If he thinks he is unworthy of her, that is not his call to make. It's hers. All he can do is accept that she knows what she wants and respect her wishes or stay.the.hell.away. But this continued "oh my love will kill the poor frail woman but I can't restrain myself" annoyed me to no end. It's not fair to her. And yes. He has issues. Bad childhood. He's an animal and she a delicate flower *rolls eyes* Get over it. But don't beat me over the head with it. Don't get the girl's hopes up only to publicly humiliate her and squash her hopes over and over again.
And another thing. What is with the attempt at a love triangle? There were so many moment were I wished Win would just move on, but the poor thing never even had a chance.
Anyway. I liked this book for the glimpses of the other Hathaways. Leo has grown quite a bit since the last book, Beatrix's darling pet Dodger is a delight...
Oh well.
On to the next book!
This is just sad. It proves that some favorites should not be revisited but instead remembered fondly. I loved this book the last time I read it (which, Goodreads tells me, was four years ago)! I gave it five stars! It was on my favorites shelf!
And yet...
Times change. You grow up and evolve, your tastes change. It's not the book's fault. But lately I've found out that I have become less and less tolerant when it comes to brooding "heroes" who string their "heroines" along. What ruined this book for me this time around is pretty easily explained: I grew tired of Kev and his constant hot and cold treatment. Honestly, any woman deserves better than this, and I don't care if he has her "best intentions" at heart. If he thinks he is unworthy of her, that is not his call to make. It's hers. All he can do is accept that she knows what she wants and respect her wishes or stay.the.hell.away. But this continued "oh my love will kill the poor frail woman but I can't restrain myself" annoyed me to no end. It's not fair to her. And yes. He has issues. Bad childhood. He's an animal and she a delicate flower *rolls eyes* Get over it. But don't beat me over the head with it. Don't get the girl's hopes up only to publicly humiliate her and squash her hopes over and over again.
And another thing. What is with the attempt at a love triangle? There were so many moment were I wished Win would just move on, but the poor thing never even had a chance.
Anyway. I liked this book for the glimpses of the other Hathaways. Leo has grown quite a bit since the last book, Beatrix's darling pet Dodger is a delight...
Oh well.
On to the next book!
August 11, 2016
Honestly, historical Romance is not the kind of book I normally read because I have no luck with this genre every now and then. But there is an exception when it comes to Lisa Kleypas. Her HR books never fail me, I really enjoyed most of them, especially this one!
I'm so happy I picked up this book. It was a great story, no wonder everyone I know loved it. I can wholeheartedly say that Seduce Me At Sunrise was practically perfect in every way. It not only lived up to my expectations but it also obliterated all of them! This was such a surprise because it was the first HR book that made me love every single line of it! As soon as I started reading, it grabbed me right from the very beginning and never let go until the end.
This was a love story of Kev Merripen and Winnifred Hathaway. Kev was a Romany Gypsy who was taken in by the Hathaways when he was badly injured and was left for dead by his tribe. While he was lying in bed, slowly recovering from his injuries, he heard Win’s voice and was immediately drawn to her even before he met her.
And the moment they met, he instantly fell in love with her. But somehow Kev always felt that he was different from the Hathaways although they treated him like one of the family members. Kev thought he was not good enough for Win so he never showed his feelings and physical affection towards her, and treated her like sister at all times. Meanwhile Win knew that she loved him and yearned for his love since the day she first met him. She would prove to him that she had the right to decide what to do with her own life, and she was strong and so ready to be with him.
And in the end, I was impressed with their sweet HEA and a very beautiful ending.
By the way, this was a beautiful story that gave me the meaning of love—lovers’ love and family’s love. The moment I finished this book, I was so happy, felt like flying!
I LOVED IT!
I'm so happy I picked up this book. It was a great story, no wonder everyone I know loved it. I can wholeheartedly say that Seduce Me At Sunrise was practically perfect in every way. It not only lived up to my expectations but it also obliterated all of them! This was such a surprise because it was the first HR book that made me love every single line of it! As soon as I started reading, it grabbed me right from the very beginning and never let go until the end.
This was a love story of Kev Merripen and Winnifred Hathaway. Kev was a Romany Gypsy who was taken in by the Hathaways when he was badly injured and was left for dead by his tribe. While he was lying in bed, slowly recovering from his injuries, he heard Win’s voice and was immediately drawn to her even before he met her.
"May I come in?" He heard a girl ask softly.
The curse died on Kev's lips. His senses were overwhelmed. He closed his eyes, breathing, waiting.
It's you. You're here.
At last.
And the moment they met, he instantly fell in love with her. But somehow Kev always felt that he was different from the Hathaways although they treated him like one of the family members. Kev thought he was not good enough for Win so he never showed his feelings and physical affection towards her, and treated her like sister at all times. Meanwhile Win knew that she loved him and yearned for his love since the day she first met him. She would prove to him that she had the right to decide what to do with her own life, and she was strong and so ready to be with him.
And in the end, I was impressed with their sweet HEA and a very beautiful ending.
"I believe in two people loving each other." A smile curved his lips. "Finding pleasure in ordinary moments. Walking together. Arguing over things like the timing of an egg, or how to manage the servants, or the size of the butcher's bill. Going to bed each night, and waking up together each morning." Lifting his head, he cradled the side of her face in his hand. "I've always started every day by going to the window for a glimpse of the sky. But now I won't have to."
"Why not?" she asked softly.
"Because I'll see the blue of your eyes instead."
By the way, this was a beautiful story that gave me the meaning of love—lovers’ love and family’s love. The moment I finished this book, I was so happy, felt like flying!
I LOVED IT!
October 17, 2022
I forgot how good book 2 in the Hathaways series is, but this re-read has reminded me why I love LK’s HR books.
With Win Hathaway and Kev Merripen, Kleypas gives us a delicious historical romance, which is infused with heat, angst, tension and charm.
There’s a lovely intensity to the bond Merripen and Win share, one that ensures that despite Merripen’s stubbornness to not give in to his desires and yearning for Win to be his, since he feels she deserves better – we know he’ll sooner or later crack, after all he cannot be happy without her.
Win's inner strength was fab to see, she never gives up and her threat to the doctor had me cheering her on.
It was also a treat seeing all the Hathaways again, as well as seeing Cam, and the interactions between Marks and Leo had me grinning.
With Win Hathaway and Kev Merripen, Kleypas gives us a delicious historical romance, which is infused with heat, angst, tension and charm.
There’s a lovely intensity to the bond Merripen and Win share, one that ensures that despite Merripen’s stubbornness to not give in to his desires and yearning for Win to be his, since he feels she deserves better – we know he’ll sooner or later crack, after all he cannot be happy without her.
Win's inner strength was fab to see, she never gives up and her threat to the doctor had me cheering her on.
It was also a treat seeing all the Hathaways again, as well as seeing Cam, and the interactions between Marks and Leo had me grinning.
January 11, 2017
3.75 stars
Second chance romance with A LOT of push and pull from the hero only because he feels the heroine deserves so much better. If you've got the patience for that, you will enjoy this sweet historical read.
Second chance romance with A LOT of push and pull from the hero only because he feels the heroine deserves so much better. If you've got the patience for that, you will enjoy this sweet historical read.
September 4, 2021
5 “Is there heart here” stars ✨
This book has arrested my heart, and soul. Kev Merripen was my complete undoing, and I will love him forever! I love the Romani culture, and storyline that was woven into this book, and Cam’s book.
Kev was Win’s protector, friend, and later he became her lover. Words are failing me so much, but just know that I am devouring The Hathaway series!!
This book has arrested my heart, and soul. Kev Merripen was my complete undoing, and I will love him forever! I love the Romani culture, and storyline that was woven into this book, and Cam’s book.
Kev was Win’s protector, friend, and later he became her lover. Words are failing me so much, but just know that I am devouring The Hathaway series!!
September 17, 2018
LOVED LOVED LOVED LOVED this book!! ❤ ❤
What a fabulous series this is. I adored Cam and Amelia's story in book #1 and I adored Win and Kev's story here in Seduce me at Sunrise. Of the two I like this one the best.
There was something about Kev that played on my heartstrings to no end. Whether I was angry at his stubbornness or swooning at the way he was in love with Win, I couldn't get enough of him.
He loved her with every fiber of his body and he was willing to do anything to keep her safe. Or he thought he could. These two were separated for a period of time and upon Win's return so much had changed for her and for Kev.
While most of the changes were welcomed by Kev and the Hathaway family one was not. Dr. Julian Harrow was the one to nurse Win back to good health and made her strong emotionally and physically. But Julian wants to be more than just a doctor to her. Kev would be faced with having to make a choice. This choice wouldn't be an easy one for anyone involved.
Looking forward to the next one then Leo's!!
March 26, 2020
My Least Favorite Love Story In This Series
Merripen Is Grumpy (Not A Fan Of An Angry Hero)
A Love Triangle (Not A Fan)
BUUUUTTT It Has These Wonderful Moments From The Hathaway's
“To Cam surprise, she was smiling up at him steadily, her eyes midnight.
His expression turned quizzical. "What's so amusing?"
Amelia toyed with a button on his coat. "I was just thinking . . . tonight those two old hens will probably go to their beds, cold and alone." An impish grin curved her lips. "Whereas I will be with a wicked, handsome Rom who will keep me warm all night.”
“...You're not suited for this Merripen. You can't hold your liquor worth a damn. And unlike people such as me, who become quite amicable when they drink, you turn into a vile-tempered troll." Leo paused considering how best to provoke him. "Liquor brings out one's true inner nature, they say.”
“I never take advice, good or bad. That would only encourage more of it.” LEO
“Leo, do take Win to her room. You're both exhausted. We'll have time for talking tomorrow."(Amelia)
"Ah, that lovely tone of command," Leo reminisced. "I'd hoped that by now you would have rid her of the habit of barking out orders like a drill sergeant, Rohan."
"I enjoy all her habits," Rohan replied, smiling at his wife.”
“Leo,” she said with a sniffle. “If you let anything happen to Win, I will kill you.” He stroked her hair gently. “You’ve threatened to kill me for years, and nothing ever comes of it.” “I’ve been w-waiting for the right reason.”
Funny Animals In A Book Will Make Me Add Stars Every Time
—and in the meantime,” Amelia continued with great patience, “we’ll find a governess who will teach both Poppy and Beatrix how to behave.” “She had better be good,” Beatrix said, pulling a grunting black-and-white guinea pig from her pocket and snuggling it under her chin. “We have a lot to overcome. Don’t we, Mr. Nibbles?”
May 23, 2017
Nuestra reseña en A la cama con... un libro
Qué poco esperaba de este libro y cuántos corazoncitos me salen ahora por los ojos
Qué poco esperaba de este libro y cuántos corazoncitos me salen ahora por los ojos
May 30, 2018
This review can also be found at Romantic Historical Reviews.
Being relatively new to the historical romance genre, and thus totally overwhelmed by the selection and substantial backlists of all the Must Read Authors, it's taken a few years for me to get caught up on some of the books that are absolute staples and longtime favourites of so many readers. Which is why you see so many ‘retro reviews’ with my name on them! Naturally, many of those favorites come from the pen of Lisa Kleypas. I devoured her Wallflowers series back in 2016 and promised myself a more leisurely pace for future spinoff series, wanting to savour them, even though I had so many to catch up on. Which brings us to 2018 and my journey through The Hathaways series.
Seduce Me at Sunrise is actually the second installment and though I read the first one – Mine Till Midnight – a few months ago, I was thrown right back into the thick of things with this family. And that's where this series shines: the Hathaway siblings.
With four sisters and their brother, the Hathaway children had a somewhat irregular upbringing as their family was fond of debate and discussion and were both accepting and liberal as well as scholarly. So liberal, in fact, that after discovering a young Romany boy left for dead near their property, their father ensured that not only was he nursed back to health but he was also allowed to stay to live and be part of their family. Not quite a ward, not quite a servant, but somewhere in between; much like how he was both Gypsy and tribeless, cast out, and caught between two worlds.
Young, mistreated, and prone to lashing out, Merripen nonetheless finds himself powerfully drawn to Winnifred, second eldest daughter, and as the years pass his love for her only grows stronger. After the death of their parents, the Hathaways have a further string of misfortune when scarlet fever lays both Win and her brother Leo low, almost killing them, and the event leaves Win forever frail with compromised lung capacity. Merripen is devoted to her, careful with her, protective, but after years of being treated like glass, when she confronts him with her feelings for him, and he cannot return them because he feels so unworthy of her (not that he tells her this, of course), she decides she will no longer be trapped by her illness and goes to France to seek a cure.
Two years later and Winnifred has her health, a suitor in the form of the doctor who has returned to England with her to court her, and still Merripen resists their connection even in the face of competition and Winnifred's improved state. He pushes and pulls her, unable to resist, lashing out when he gives in to her, and the back and forth is both frustrating and yet redeemed by Kleypas having Winnifred acknowledge the situation instead of just being swept along by the man's behaviour, like so many HR heroines often are. And while I occasionally fluttered at Merripen's epic intense love that still made it impossible for him to be with her – which is where my flutters turned to aggravated flails – the real strength of the story is in the family and secondary characters.
We have a shifting POV in Seduce Me at Sunrise; Cam – book one's hero, who happens to be another gypsy with an unusual connection to Merripen, has a part to play, and we are also blessed with Leo's POV. Both men are full of witty, hilarious, charming dialogue and observations, and combined they are an absolute delight. The whole family is, really, but these two really had me going at times. And the total sweetness of seeing the tender moments between Cam and Amelia after their heard-earned HEA in Mine Till Midnight were just.. gah, feels. Additional feels were provided by the appearance of characters the Wallflowers series; I so loved seeing Simon and Annabelle again and hope the author continues to sprinkle previous couples throughout the upcoming books.
Kleypas has always balanced angst with humour, and kept the emotional current strong despite that, and this story is no different. I really did love Win and Merripen together.. but only when they were together (and whew, were they ever hot together, too, my goodness!) Merripen gives the stack of broody heroes I've loved in the past a run for their money with how tightly he suppresses everything, made worse by the intensity with which he feels it all, and that was hard to read. I really enjoyed the lighter moments during the first half, though, which made it much easier to bear. But Win is strong, she's no doormat of a heroine, and that helped, too.
I also loved how the author takes time to really explore the Romany culture and make that a relevant feature, not just window dressing, and it definitely plays a strong part in this book with one, two, maybe even three surprising revelations along the way.
This second book in this much-loved series was very enjoyable and there is so much plot laid for the remaining siblings that it's impossible not to want to dive right into book three. If you haven't read this series yet, but haven't read the Wallflowers yet either, then don’t! Start with the Wallflowers and then make your way to The Hathaways. You won't regret it.
Being relatively new to the historical romance genre, and thus totally overwhelmed by the selection and substantial backlists of all the Must Read Authors, it's taken a few years for me to get caught up on some of the books that are absolute staples and longtime favourites of so many readers. Which is why you see so many ‘retro reviews’ with my name on them! Naturally, many of those favorites come from the pen of Lisa Kleypas. I devoured her Wallflowers series back in 2016 and promised myself a more leisurely pace for future spinoff series, wanting to savour them, even though I had so many to catch up on. Which brings us to 2018 and my journey through The Hathaways series.
Seduce Me at Sunrise is actually the second installment and though I read the first one – Mine Till Midnight – a few months ago, I was thrown right back into the thick of things with this family. And that's where this series shines: the Hathaway siblings.
With four sisters and their brother, the Hathaway children had a somewhat irregular upbringing as their family was fond of debate and discussion and were both accepting and liberal as well as scholarly. So liberal, in fact, that after discovering a young Romany boy left for dead near their property, their father ensured that not only was he nursed back to health but he was also allowed to stay to live and be part of their family. Not quite a ward, not quite a servant, but somewhere in between; much like how he was both Gypsy and tribeless, cast out, and caught between two worlds.
Young, mistreated, and prone to lashing out, Merripen nonetheless finds himself powerfully drawn to Winnifred, second eldest daughter, and as the years pass his love for her only grows stronger. After the death of their parents, the Hathaways have a further string of misfortune when scarlet fever lays both Win and her brother Leo low, almost killing them, and the event leaves Win forever frail with compromised lung capacity. Merripen is devoted to her, careful with her, protective, but after years of being treated like glass, when she confronts him with her feelings for him, and he cannot return them because he feels so unworthy of her (not that he tells her this, of course), she decides she will no longer be trapped by her illness and goes to France to seek a cure.
Two years later and Winnifred has her health, a suitor in the form of the doctor who has returned to England with her to court her, and still Merripen resists their connection even in the face of competition and Winnifred's improved state. He pushes and pulls her, unable to resist, lashing out when he gives in to her, and the back and forth is both frustrating and yet redeemed by Kleypas having Winnifred acknowledge the situation instead of just being swept along by the man's behaviour, like so many HR heroines often are. And while I occasionally fluttered at Merripen's epic intense love that still made it impossible for him to be with her – which is where my flutters turned to aggravated flails – the real strength of the story is in the family and secondary characters.
We have a shifting POV in Seduce Me at Sunrise; Cam – book one's hero, who happens to be another gypsy with an unusual connection to Merripen, has a part to play, and we are also blessed with Leo's POV. Both men are full of witty, hilarious, charming dialogue and observations, and combined they are an absolute delight. The whole family is, really, but these two really had me going at times. And the total sweetness of seeing the tender moments between Cam and Amelia after their heard-earned HEA in Mine Till Midnight were just.. gah, feels. Additional feels were provided by the appearance of characters the Wallflowers series; I so loved seeing Simon and Annabelle again and hope the author continues to sprinkle previous couples throughout the upcoming books.
Kleypas has always balanced angst with humour, and kept the emotional current strong despite that, and this story is no different. I really did love Win and Merripen together.. but only when they were together (and whew, were they ever hot together, too, my goodness!) Merripen gives the stack of broody heroes I've loved in the past a run for their money with how tightly he suppresses everything, made worse by the intensity with which he feels it all, and that was hard to read. I really enjoyed the lighter moments during the first half, though, which made it much easier to bear. But Win is strong, she's no doormat of a heroine, and that helped, too.
I also loved how the author takes time to really explore the Romany culture and make that a relevant feature, not just window dressing, and it definitely plays a strong part in this book with one, two, maybe even three surprising revelations along the way.
This second book in this much-loved series was very enjoyable and there is so much plot laid for the remaining siblings that it's impossible not to want to dive right into book three. If you haven't read this series yet, but haven't read the Wallflowers yet either, then don’t! Start with the Wallflowers and then make your way to The Hathaways. You won't regret it.
August 20, 2022
3.5 stars. This is part two of Lisa Kleypas’ new series “A manwhore meets a virgin”. 🤮
This book took me a loooong time to get through. I was listening to the audiobook and just couldn’t get into it until nearly the end. Frankly, I was really disappointed by a lot of this story. Kev and Winn supposedly love each other and have for many years - but Kev doesn’t want to admit it to anyone and thinks he can’t be with her. So ofc he goes out and fucks prostitutes - why the hell not? I’m writing this review after reading the third book in this series (and knowing what to expect from the fourth) so I can realistically say that Lisa Kleypas loves to have her heroes discuss all their past women. Why the hell do all the men of this series have to be manwhores? It’s off putting to me to constantly have to read about the hero’s past mistress or all the experience they have had. Meanwhile the ladies are all as pure as can be. What a bullshit disparity.
The ending of this book did redeem it somewhat in my eyes. After Kev finally snapped out of his dumbness, things got interesting.
So far, this series is a disappointment in comparison to the wallflower series.
This is book is safe, unless you mind what I’ve mentioned above. SWE or Unsafe, not sure what I was thinking.
This book took me a loooong time to get through. I was listening to the audiobook and just couldn’t get into it until nearly the end. Frankly, I was really disappointed by a lot of this story. Kev and Winn supposedly love each other and have for many years - but Kev doesn’t want to admit it to anyone and thinks he can’t be with her. So ofc he goes out and fucks prostitutes - why the hell not? I’m writing this review after reading the third book in this series (and knowing what to expect from the fourth) so I can realistically say that Lisa Kleypas loves to have her heroes discuss all their past women. Why the hell do all the men of this series have to be manwhores? It’s off putting to me to constantly have to read about the hero’s past mistress or all the experience they have had. Meanwhile the ladies are all as pure as can be. What a bullshit disparity.
The ending of this book did redeem it somewhat in my eyes. After Kev finally snapped out of his dumbness, things got interesting.
So far, this series is a disappointment in comparison to the wallflower series.
March 29, 2019
Oh Kev and Win should have been Epic!
And they almost were!!!
Alright...alright...Kev did get on my everlasting nerves with his stubborn, insecure, and emotionally closed off ways. I wanted to slap, kick and knock some sense into him!!! Ggggrrrr!!! His actions brought this book from a 5 to a 3 star. I like a man that knows what he wants and goes after it.
Kev supposedly loved Win all his life but was willing to let another man marry her? I call Bullshit!!
Apparently Leo felt the same way because he intervened and gave Kev some sound advice.
Overall enjoyable story!! I love the Hathaway's weird, crazy bunch of family!! So endearing!!
And they almost were!!!
"I couldn't care about anyone else. You took up too much room in my heart."
"Leave me or let me go."
"I can't! I can't Damn you!"
Alright...alright...Kev did get on my everlasting nerves with his stubborn, insecure, and emotionally closed off ways. I wanted to slap, kick and knock some sense into him!!! Ggggrrrr!!! His actions brought this book from a 5 to a 3 star. I like a man that knows what he wants and goes after it.
Kev supposedly loved Win all his life but was willing to let another man marry her? I call Bullshit!!
Apparently Leo felt the same way because he intervened and gave Kev some sound advice.
Overall enjoyable story!! I love the Hathaway's weird, crazy bunch of family!! So endearing!!
June 14, 2017
Rating: 4 stars
Seduce Me at Sunrise started out fierce. Then the plot got a little lumpy like an old mattress in the middle (comfortable but overused), and then bounced up and down again with a few plot twists at the end. Lisa Kleypas knows her stuff. She redeemed the story and mellowed my frustration.
Merripen's intensity and darkness kept the plot fires going, along with his strong passion for Winnifred. Another turn that proved positive was Win is revealed to have very human flaws. She is more than a match for him. I didn't care for how she was portrayed earlier as this ethereal flawless creature too good to be on earth.
My favorite couple of the series, Cam and Amelia, are adorable. The new governess, Miss Marks and Leo don't interest me as much. Out of all the books, I'm not certain I will be reading their story. Beatrix and Poppy are fun, sweet and smart, displaying hints of girlish mischief still. I can't wait to see how Poppy reaches her HEA.
I'm looking forward to the next book, regretting that I read Beatrix's story first. I was fast-forwarded into the future of what happens with everyone later. It's a mistake I won't make again.
Seduce Me at Sunrise started out fierce. Then the plot got a little lumpy like an old mattress in the middle (comfortable but overused), and then bounced up and down again with a few plot twists at the end. Lisa Kleypas knows her stuff. She redeemed the story and mellowed my frustration.
Merripen's intensity and darkness kept the plot fires going, along with his strong passion for Winnifred. Another turn that proved positive was Win is revealed to have very human flaws. She is more than a match for him. I didn't care for how she was portrayed earlier as this ethereal flawless creature too good to be on earth.
My favorite couple of the series, Cam and Amelia, are adorable. The new governess, Miss Marks and Leo don't interest me as much. Out of all the books, I'm not certain I will be reading their story. Beatrix and Poppy are fun, sweet and smart, displaying hints of girlish mischief still. I can't wait to see how Poppy reaches her HEA.
I'm looking forward to the next book, regretting that I read Beatrix's story first. I was fast-forwarded into the future of what happens with everyone later. It's a mistake I won't make again.
August 28, 2017
Hah! Really enjoyed this second book about the Hathaway family. I'm really starting to like this interesting and convincingly portrayed family. Each of the siblings is unique and engaging, and I can't wait to read all of their stories!
This one focuses on the gypsy Kev Merripen, who was abandoned as a child and raised in the loving and slightly eccentric Hathaway household. He is now a kind of a trusted brother to them, and kind of a servant/ man-of-all-work. But since the Hathaways' house burned down (no spoiler cos it happened in the previous novel!) Kev has stepped up and shown his superb organisational skills in managing the vast rebuild project.
Ever since the young boy Kev arrived in their household, there had been a special connection and friendship between him and the second daughter Win. Win had almost died a couple of years ago from an illness that left her with weak lungs. She goes to a clinic in France for treatment, and is away for quite period of time. She is finally well again when she returns - the treatment was successful. But she has also brought her doctor back to England with her, and there is a budding romance between the two of them. Kev is jealous and frustrated, because no matter how much he wants Win for himself, a part of him keeps refusing her. His difficult childhood (pre-Hathaways) has formed him into a highly passionate and quick-tempered person, but he fears he is too uncouth and violent for the sweet Win.
So, the plot proceeds. It's not an easy path for Kev and Win toward their HEA. Several dramatic incidents occur, and it takes time for them, especially Kev, to accept that they will be together.
The story also involves other family members, and the history of Kev's family background is eventually made known.
We meet a new character in this book, the girls' prim governess Ms Marks, whom Leo Hathaway loathes but is oddly attracted to. Hmmmm..... :D And there is a crucial role in the story played by Beatrix Hathaway's cute pet ferret!
Overall, I was carried along by the story in a most enjoyable way, and I look forward to the other books in the series.
This one focuses on the gypsy Kev Merripen, who was abandoned as a child and raised in the loving and slightly eccentric Hathaway household. He is now a kind of a trusted brother to them, and kind of a servant/ man-of-all-work. But since the Hathaways' house burned down (no spoiler cos it happened in the previous novel!) Kev has stepped up and shown his superb organisational skills in managing the vast rebuild project.
Ever since the young boy Kev arrived in their household, there had been a special connection and friendship between him and the second daughter Win. Win had almost died a couple of years ago from an illness that left her with weak lungs. She goes to a clinic in France for treatment, and is away for quite period of time. She is finally well again when she returns - the treatment was successful. But she has also brought her doctor back to England with her, and there is a budding romance between the two of them. Kev is jealous and frustrated, because no matter how much he wants Win for himself, a part of him keeps refusing her. His difficult childhood (pre-Hathaways) has formed him into a highly passionate and quick-tempered person, but he fears he is too uncouth and violent for the sweet Win.
So, the plot proceeds. It's not an easy path for Kev and Win toward their HEA. Several dramatic incidents occur, and it takes time for them, especially Kev, to accept that they will be together.
The story also involves other family members, and the history of Kev's family background is eventually made known.
We meet a new character in this book, the girls' prim governess Ms Marks, whom Leo Hathaway loathes but is oddly attracted to. Hmmmm..... :D And there is a crucial role in the story played by Beatrix Hathaway's cute pet ferret!
Overall, I was carried along by the story in a most enjoyable way, and I look forward to the other books in the series.
April 14, 2009
After being seriously disappointed with Mine Till Midnight, the 1st book in this series, I´m happy to see things get back on track with Seduce Me at Sunrise. :)
I loved Merripen since he was introduced in the previous book and, thankfully, I still love him after reading his own book. He was tortured, brooding and fierce, just the way I like it. ;) He could have been less stubborn and I almost hated him when he didn´t rise to defend Win´s honor at the Hunt´s ball, but I easily "forgave" him for that when he "broke down" later and literally swept her away.
It was nice to see Win strong and free of all that "frail and angelic air" that surrounded her in Mine Till Midnight. She knew what she wanted, went for it and wasn´t going to conform and accept less than what she deserved.
As in the previous book, there were several scenes involving the other members of the Hathaway family aside from Merripen and Win, but that didn´t annoy me this time - probably because Kleypas did a better job convincing me that Merripen and Win were really "connected", so I didn´t feel the need to see them all the time. Speaking of the secondary characters, it was very nice to see Leo "redeemed" from his previous actions. I can´t say how much I hated him in Mine Till Midnight, ugh, but my feelings towards him made a complete U-turn when he delivered that little speech that finally put some sense into Merripen´s mind.
The only thing I didn´t like about this book was the "twist" that Kleypas did with Merripen´s origins. Okay, it was nice to have Cam as his brother - and I loved Cam´s "gentle" banter -, but was it necessary to make Merripen a titled gadjo? He never really cared about anything but Win - and vice versa - so it wasn´t as if they needed that to reach their HEA. It was too much, IMHO.
All in all, I really enjoyed this book and the Hathaways are growing on me. I´ll definitely buy the next book in the series as soon as it´s released.
I loved Merripen since he was introduced in the previous book and, thankfully, I still love him after reading his own book. He was tortured, brooding and fierce, just the way I like it. ;) He could have been less stubborn and I almost hated him when he didn´t rise to defend Win´s honor at the Hunt´s ball, but I easily "forgave" him for that when he "broke down" later and literally swept her away.
It was nice to see Win strong and free of all that "frail and angelic air" that surrounded her in Mine Till Midnight. She knew what she wanted, went for it and wasn´t going to conform and accept less than what she deserved.
As in the previous book, there were several scenes involving the other members of the Hathaway family aside from Merripen and Win, but that didn´t annoy me this time - probably because Kleypas did a better job convincing me that Merripen and Win were really "connected", so I didn´t feel the need to see them all the time. Speaking of the secondary characters, it was very nice to see Leo "redeemed" from his previous actions. I can´t say how much I hated him in Mine Till Midnight, ugh, but my feelings towards him made a complete U-turn when he delivered that little speech that finally put some sense into Merripen´s mind.
The only thing I didn´t like about this book was the "twist" that Kleypas did with Merripen´s origins. Okay, it was nice to have Cam as his brother - and I loved Cam´s "gentle" banter -, but was it necessary to make Merripen a titled gadjo? He never really cared about anything but Win - and vice versa - so it wasn´t as if they needed that to reach their HEA. It was too much, IMHO.
All in all, I really enjoyed this book and the Hathaways are growing on me. I´ll definitely buy the next book in the series as soon as it´s released.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 19, 2017
Definitivamente en este libro la autora se ha superado a sí misma en los diálogos, imposible no dejar de reír con estos dos gitanos que han encontrado su lugar en la familia Hathaway, así como también y de forma muy emotiva, descubren los secretos de sus orígenes. Lo otro que no deja de divertir son los encuentros verbales entre Leo y la institutriz… de lujo.
La relación de Win con Kev, que ya se había adelantado en el primer libro, desborda magnetismo y la autora profundiza en pasajes de su infancia y de cómo se fueron forjando los sentimientos de ambos, aunque es difícil encontrar a un personaje más testarudo que Kev. Pero también hay que reconocer que finalmente se comporta a la altura de las circunstancias y de su carácter apasionado, en situaciones que sólo se le pueden ocurrir a Lisa Kleypas.
Muy recomendable.
La relación de Win con Kev, que ya se había adelantado en el primer libro, desborda magnetismo y la autora profundiza en pasajes de su infancia y de cómo se fueron forjando los sentimientos de ambos, aunque es difícil encontrar a un personaje más testarudo que Kev. Pero también hay que reconocer que finalmente se comporta a la altura de las circunstancias y de su carácter apasionado, en situaciones que sólo se le pueden ocurrir a Lisa Kleypas.
Muy recomendable.
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