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Love in the afternoon
398 pages
A swoony, heartfelt historical romance where a hidden identity and letters across a battlefield spark an undeniable, soul-healing passion.
What it feels like
This historical romance unfolds with a steady, yearning pace, wrapping the reader in a mood that is both swoony and heartfelt. The narrative balances the bright, unconventional spirit of a nature-loving heroine with the shadowed, battle-weary soul of a returning soldier. Through the intimate, emotionally resonant device of letter writing, the story explores themes of hidden identities, the scars of war, and the profound healing power of deep connection. The prose is expressive, capturing the agony of unfulfilled love and the tension of an innocent deception that blossoms into undeniable passion. It is a perfect read for those who devour stories of spirited sisters, epistolary romance, and the triumph of true love over societal expectations and personal trauma.
- Mood
- swoony
- heartfelt
- hopeful
- Tone
- romantic
- earnest
- passionate
- yearning
- Pace
- steady
- Themes
- hidden identities · healing through connection · unconventional heroines · the scars of war · epistolary romance
- The writing
- Expressive and emotionally resonant, capturing both the lightness of London society and the heavy shadows of the battlefield.
- The arc
- Moves from quiet resignation and innocent deception to deep yearning, culminating in undeniable passion and emotional healing.
- Who it's for
- Readers who love historical romances featuring epistolary connections, unconventional heroines, and soldiers finding healing through love.
Content notes
- war trauma
- deception
About the book
(The fifth book in the Hathaways series)
As a lover of animals and nature, Beatrix Hathaway has always been more comfortable outdoors than in the ballroom. Even though she participated in the London season in the past, the classic beauty and free-spirited Beatrix has never been swept away or seriously courted.and she has resigned herself to the fate of never finding love. Has the time come for the most unconventional of the Hathaway sisters to settle for an ordinary man - just to avoid spinsterhood?
Captain Christopher Phelan is a handsome, daring soldier who plans to marry Beatrix's friend, the vivacious flirt Prudence Mercer, when he returns from fighting abroad. But, as he explains in his letters to Pru, life on the battlefield has darkened his soul - and it's becoming clear that Christopher won't come back as the same man. When Beatrix learns of Pru's disappointment, she decides to help by concocting Pru's letters to Christopher for her. Soon the correspondence between Beatrix and Christopher develops into something fulfilling and deep.and when Christopher comes home, he's determined to claim the woman he loves. What began as Beatrix's innocent deception has resulted in the agony of unfulfilled love - and a passion that can't be denied.
Description from Open Library.
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