In the Thrill of the Night (Merry Widows) 
asked by runningscared on November 12, 2006 5:43 PM
Assured of both money and position, none of the five respectable ladies who form the Merry Widows need ever marry again, so they make a daring pact-each will consider taking a lover for the pure pleasure of it.
Marianne Nesbitt adored her late husband David, but the racy reminiscences of the Merry Widows make her wonder if she missed something special. Might she find it now through a love affair? Uncertain how to go about it, she asks Adam Cazenove, an old friend and notorious rake, to tutor her in the arts of seduction-a brazen request that turns Adam's world upside down.
Marianne Nesbitt adored her late husband David, but the racy reminiscences of the Merry Widows make her wonder if she missed something special. Might she find it now through a love affair? Uncertain how to go about it, she asks Adam Cazenove, an old friend and notorious rake, to tutor her in the arts of seduction-a brazen request that turns Adam's world upside down.
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Adam and David were best friends and total opposites of each other. Adam was considered a rake, an excellent lover and womanizer, but a devoted friend to David and his wife Marianne. When David died, Adam stood by Marianne, keeping her company, making sure she was cared for, etc. What he never told anyone was that he was in love with Marianne. Out of loyalty to David, he never acted on that love but, instead, buried it deep.
Marianne struggles to carve out a life without David by filling it with plenty of charity work. Her proper life, however, is interrupted when the group, of which she is a member, agrees to make a highly unusual and discreet pact to find lovers. All her life, Marianne was told what to do. She was engaged to David when she was very young. Because of that, Marianne never had to flirt, entertain the possibility of marrying another, and fell in love with David. After all, that's what she was supposed to do. Her life was very dull really but for one small aspect: Adam.
Marianne is at a loss of how to go about finding a lover. She needs help and what person is more qualified than her beloved friend Adam. Adam is shocked and perplexed by Marianne's desire to find a lover. He clandestinely thwarts her every attempt to secure one but also struggles with the singular thought that he is the only one that can make Marianne happy. But Adam's circumstances prevent him from being considered because he has just become engaged to another. Assured that he will never find the happiness he would've had with Marianne, and concerned that her sexual experiences with another will not come close to what she deserves, Adam seeks to have one night with her; one glorious and memorable night before they part ways.
In the Thrill of the Night is a highly entertaining read. The writing is lively, merrily ushering you from one scene to the next with nary a dull moment. Its characters are vibrant; the widows straining against the rules of propriety imposed on them by proper society while they struggle to discover their own identities in a world where a man's word is law and a woman's purpose is simply to serve and look decorative. In this tale you'll find the delicious and poignant, the sensual and the fear of discovery as each character whirls about in a dangerous dance on the edge of indecency while they struggle to learn of themselves and their desires.
Marianne struggles to carve out a life without David by filling it with plenty of charity work. Her proper life, however, is interrupted when the group, of which she is a member, agrees to make a highly unusual and discreet pact to find lovers. All her life, Marianne was told what to do. She was engaged to David when she was very young. Because of that, Marianne never had to flirt, entertain the possibility of marrying another, and fell in love with David. After all, that's what she was supposed to do. Her life was very dull really but for one small aspect: Adam.
Marianne is at a loss of how to go about finding a lover. She needs help and what person is more qualified than her beloved friend Adam. Adam is shocked and perplexed by Marianne's desire to find a lover. He clandestinely thwarts her every attempt to secure one but also struggles with the singular thought that he is the only one that can make Marianne happy. But Adam's circumstances prevent him from being considered because he has just become engaged to another. Assured that he will never find the happiness he would've had with Marianne, and concerned that her sexual experiences with another will not come close to what she deserves, Adam seeks to have one night with her; one glorious and memorable night before they part ways.
In the Thrill of the Night is a highly entertaining read. The writing is lively, merrily ushering you from one scene to the next with nary a dull moment. Its characters are vibrant; the widows straining against the rules of propriety imposed on them by proper society while they struggle to discover their own identities in a world where a man's word is law and a woman's purpose is simply to serve and look decorative. In this tale you'll find the delicious and poignant, the sensual and the fear of discovery as each character whirls about in a dangerous dance on the edge of indecency while they struggle to learn of themselves and their desires.
reviewed by potato on November 28, 2006 8:05 PM
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This book has a serious side as it addresses the question of whether a young widow who truly loved her husband can or should find love again. I wasn't expecting the depth of the book and was happily surprised. The deep question was nicely wrapped in a little sensual romance, some "dating" games, and lots of light banter in a very craftful way. Overall a recommended read.
reviewed by vern on November 29, 2006 6:02 PM
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This book had a good premise, but a flawed execution.
I was expecting a fresh new take on Regency romance, but this had to be one of the most mundane and predictable plots ever. The main characters don't have any spark. The author tells us they do - over and over - bet we never actually see it. The writing was laughable. (Yes, I know romance novels can get cheesy, but this was just awful. Every kiss "shook to the core of the soul.")
The punishment at the end was annoying. It was totally out of character for Marianne, she was acting like a moron.
The Widow's Club gossip wasn't very racy and/or entertaining.
I think if the author had instead made Clarissa and Sherwood's story the primary one, it would have been a much better read. They were the only ones that seemed to have chemistry.
I was expecting a fresh new take on Regency romance, but this had to be one of the most mundane and predictable plots ever. The main characters don't have any spark. The author tells us they do - over and over - bet we never actually see it. The writing was laughable. (Yes, I know romance novels can get cheesy, but this was just awful. Every kiss "shook to the core of the soul.")
The punishment at the end was annoying. It was totally out of character for Marianne, she was acting like a moron.
The Widow's Club gossip wasn't very racy and/or entertaining.
I think if the author had instead made Clarissa and Sherwood's story the primary one, it would have been a much better read. They were the only ones that seemed to have chemistry.
reviewed by aries on November 29, 2006 7:39 PM