It Happened One Autumn

Though this historical romance kicks off on a corny note—with the heroine, who has a supersensitive sense of smell, buying a seemingly magical perfume—the story quickly evolves into the kind of engrossing, dynamic romance that readers have come to expect from Kleypas. The setup is familiar: strong-willed American heiress Lillian Bowman gets under the skin of straitlaced earl Marcus Westcliff, and soon finds herself sharing the sheets with him. But what distinguishes this book from a multitude of similar stories are Kleypas's characters. One can imagine the mouthy Lillian as a regular on Sex and the City and, with his contemporary sensibilities and hunky good looks, Marcus could easily win the heart of a modern woman. Indeed, while the protagonists are both hardheaded in a typical way and their path toward love is peppered with few surprises, it's no chore to sit back and be amused by their antics and engrossed in their struggles. Even if this romance isn't as fresh as the first book in Kleypas's Wallflowers series, Secrets of a Summer Night , the charismatic characters—including Lillian's pert sister and chatty, mischievous friends—ensure that it's never boring. Agent, Mel Berger . (Oct.)