Love in the Afternoon: A Novel

Summary

Deception, passion, and love collide in this bewitching
novel in New York Times bestselling author Lisa Kleypas’
wildly popular Hathaway series

Beatrix Hathaway would much rather spend time with her
collection of rescued animals than flirting in a stuffy ballroom. If her
unconventional behavior earns the mockery of handsome rakes like Captain
Christopher Phelan, so be it. She’d rather stay true to herself, even if it
means never finding love.

Christopher’s courtship of Beatrix’s friend, the vivacious
but flighty Prudence Mercer, is interrupted when his regiment is sent to fight
in the Crimea. After a particularly devastating battle, he writes a letter to
Prudence, unaware that the spoiled beauty has decided she doesn’t want to wait
for him.

Since Prudence won’t reply to the world-weary soldier,
Beatrix offers to write a letter for her—and she signs it as Pru. A lively,
witty correspondence begins, and gradually turns into something deeper as they
share the secrets of their hearts. To Beatrix’s despair, she’s fallen for a man
who thinks she’s someone else, and she’ll never be able to reveal her
deception.

Christopher, now a decorated hero, comes back to claim the
woman he loves. Soon, however, he realizes Prudence is very different from her letters
… and he’s bewildered by his inexplicable attraction to the eccentric
Beatrix Hathaway …