What a Wallflower Wants

…..Slight spoiler….
I liked the sample and figured the book would follow along the same style. The flashbacks and forwards became confusing after a while. The time line was difficult to manage. While I liked the heroine because of her moxie and self motivation, the hero seemed ungrounded initially. Ultimately I DNF as having Prudence in the same inn as her attacker seemed really unnecessary.

I waited anxiously for this book to come out. I enjoyed the first two immensely and wanted to see how things worked out for Prudence. While I did enjoy it, and I enjoyed wrapping up the series, I have to say this is my least favorite of the trilogy. It was not because of the more depressing subject matter, in fact, I actually thought that made for a stronger storyline. I just don’t like Prudence. And I feel bad for saying that since she has suffered through so much, but I just didn’t connect with her character the way I connected with Emma and Olivia in the first two stories.

That being said, I enjoyed John’s character so much. The way he knew how to pay attention and give Prudence the affection she needed without overwhelming her was endearing. This might be the reason I don’t like Prudence. John was so amazing with her, and was so patient. He didn’t judge her as a result the sexual assault, as many other men might have. Instead he accepted her for who she was, but then when his secret came out, she did not show the same acceptance for him, at first. Of course, I was happy to see Prudence get her happy ending, so overall I would recommend the book to anyone who has read Rodale’s other work. It’s definitely worth the read.

I have loved the characters from the first book in the series, however in this book I believe Ms. Rodale has taken them to a new level. Her delicate, yet truthful dealings with such a taboo subject, was amazing. As with the previous books, we are once again united with all of the characters we have come to love. But, in this book, we get to finally understand Prudence and her reluctance for love. John is also an amazing man, sensitive, strong and his patience with Prudence sets him above all others. Ms. Rodale has skillfully woven this story around the previous two books, filling in the gaps that had been missing in Prudences life. Her friends Emma and Olivia stay true to form, supportive and loving of their dearest friend, while showing true compassion when Prudence finally reveals her deepest, darkest secret. Radcliff and Ashbrook are not only protective of Emma and Olivia, but of Prudence their wives childhood friend. In this book, ones position in life is clearly defined, yet our characters move beyond that to defy the ton in support of true love. In addition we once again get a glimpse of our favorite editor Mr. Knightly and his support for not only a womans right but that of a mans ability to rise above his station. In the end, you will be sad to say farewell to these characters, but you will be able to reread this book as the others over and over again.

Let me first say that the story itself is good, but not the best ever. It still earns five stars because of the beautiful, heartbreaking, wonderful way it explores Prudence’s life experience after being raped. Her fear, her withdrawal, her hopelessness is expressed in an incredibly sensitive manner that manages to break your heart without making you pity her.
The way John responds to Prudence, the way that he treats her, and the way that he helps her learn to feel strong and safe and confident again is as heart-healing as her ordeal is heartbreaking.
Rape in romance is not something you encounter very often and when you do, it’s usually referred to in a vague way or as something that happens to a secondary character. The way it is dealt with in this book is so beautiful. Watching Prudence heal, with John’s help but with her own determination, was an incredible experience for me as a reader.
Again, while the story itself was original and interesting, it would not have left an impact. It engaged me so completely on an emotional level, though, that I will never forget this book.

I read the first two books in this series and LOVED them! So I was really excited to read this one….until I found out what Prudence had experienced. I couldn’t even get through half of the book. Putting Prudence in the same inn as the person who raped her so much just seemed unnecessary. I’m sure this book has a happy ending, but it’s still not something I want to read about in my spare time. Speaking as a victim of a similar crime, if I had known what this was about, I never would have purchased it.

Be forewarned, this book has some very dark aspects to it and deals with a very difficult subject matter.

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