One Night with You is a short but enjoyable book which explores what can happen when a childhood romance is rekindled. Jane Spencer, now the widow Lady Guthrie, is virtually imprisoned by her brother-in-law while
she mourns her husband. After fifteen months, she decides to try to sneak out of the house
and at least get some enjoyment in her life. Her two friends take her to a masque ball where she bumps into her childhood playmate, Seth Rutledge, now Earl of St Claire. Because of her mask, Seth doesn't recognize her, but he is instantly attracted to Jane
- and Jane to him - although her identity remains hidden. Seth is looking for a wife who can help protect his blind sister from their cousin if anything
should happen to Seth, but his attention is taken from that hunt by this mystery lady, whom he names Aurora. When Jane goes to Vauxhall dressed as Aurora to see Seth, they take themselves into a secluded area and have one night together.
Seth has also discovered that Jane Spencer is in town for the season and
that his sister, Julianne, has reconnected with her. Seth feels some strange yearning toward Jane but feels bad about them because of his obsession with Aurora. When Jane gives him some shocking news, Seth has to learn whether he can trust her
and love her, and whether he can allow Julianne to grow up and make her own decisions.
One Night with You is an easy read and, with a large font size and
greater than average leading, much quicker to read than a page count of 350 would suggest.
It was a sweet enough story about two childhood friends rediscovering each other as adults, finding their friendship again despite the things that have happened to them both in the years
during which they were separated. Seth's behavior doesn't always bear close scrutiny, not only in his tumbling a gently bred woman the second time he meets her but also in treating a wife with coldness and reservation.
Still, the overall plot works, if feeling a little familiar in places. The misunderstanding between the main characters doesn't drag on too long, which
is a relief, but I found some of the side characters rather cardboard in nature and pantomime-villain in behavior. It's a reasonable enough read for those who like Regency romances and aren't too worried about historical accuracy.