"Ms. Robins has created a beautiful tale. Nicholas, as a rough and brawny man, awakens Lillian's social awareness, while falling under her spell. As readers watch Lillian and Nicholas' relationship grow, they'll be captivated and unable to put down ONE WICKED NIGHT."
~ Suan Wilson, Reviewer, TheBestReviews.com

Engaging Regency romantic suspense.
A fabulous tale.
--Harriet Klausner

In 1810, Lillian Kane shocks the Ton when she refuses to marry Marques Dillon Mayborn, but instead shows HER SCANDALOUS INTENTIONS by becoming his mistress. Lillian likes Dillon, but does not love him. The mistress is a sham to fool her odious stepfather Cornelius who wants Lillian to marry one of his chosen losers so he can control her trust fund that she inherits when she turns twenty-four.

In 1811, a desperate Cornelius gains an advantage when the distraught brother of Dillon, Russell, talks with him. They arrange a plot to get Dillon away from Lillian so that her stepfather can abduct her. Russell thinks that his ally wants him to wed his stepdaughter, but Cornelius has other plans. Meanwhile, the Solicitor General Dagwood arrests Dillon charging him with the murder of Lady Langham. Knowing he is innocent, Lillian turns to Enquiry Agent Nicholas Redford to prove her contention. As he works the case for his client, Nicholas realizes that she is the target of an odious scheme even as they fall in love.

ONE WICKED NIGHT is an engaging Regency romantic suspense that grips readers once they understand the motives of key players. The story line moves rather quickly from the time Dillon goes to Newgate until the final confrontation. Though Cornelius is as odious as they come, fans will appreciate Dillon's sacrifice, an enlightened Lady, and the courage of the lead couple that all come together in a fabulous tale.

Harriet Klausner

"Captivating Regency romance."

ONE WICKED NIGHT - Sari Robins - Avon - 0060575344 - 384 pgs - 6/29/04

Lillian Kane devises an ingenious scheme to keep her father from stealing her inheritance. She masquerades and receives protection as the mistress of a prominent marquis. Snubbed by most of the ton, Lillian accepts it as the price she must pay to keep safe. After watching her father's harsh treatment of her mother, Lillian refuses to wed. She will never allow a man to control her.

Nicholas Redford achieves his career goal when he opens his office of private enquiry. It's quite an accomplishment for an orphan with no financial backing. Nicholas' powers of observation serve him well. When he first meets the scandalous Lillian, he admires her wit and intelligence, but deplores her calculating manner. When murder charges are filled against Lillian's protector, she asks Nicholas for help. Not wanting to become involved with a case involving a guilty aristocratic, Nicholas refuses.

Using unscrupulous means, Lillian convinces Nicholas to investigate. After his anger abates, they forge an intimate friendship, while battling Lillian's enemies. Complicating matters is the wide difference in social standing. Lillian can't foresee Nicholas staying with her after the case is solved.

Ms. Robins has created a beautiful tale. Nicholas, as a rough and brawny man, awakens Lillian's social awareness, while falling under her spell. As readers watch Lillian and Nicholas' relationship grow, they'll be captivated and unable to put down ONE WICKED NIGHT.
~ Suan Wilson, Reviewer, TheBestReviews.com

ONE WICKED NIGHT - "a highly entertaining Regency historical with page turning suspense, nicely drawn main and secondary characters, a truly evil villain, and hot sensual love scenes."

Reviewed by Debora Hosey, The Romance Readers Connection

Lillian Kane, Lady Janus, is seen by Society as the Marquis of Beaumont's mistress. Needing protection from her dastardly stepfather who wants her inheritance even if it means her demise, Lillian had no other choice than to seek her good friend's help--and ruin her reputation as well.

Lillian refuses Beaumont's offer of marriage because she doesn't want to ever be under the influence of any man, and she swears never to marry. When Beaumont is framed for murder and thrown into Newgate prison, Lillian turns to the man of her dreams, handsome and enigmatic ex-Bow Street Runner Nicholas Redford and his private inquiry agency. First she must convince Nick of Beaumont's innocence by revealing his secret and convince him that things are not as they seem. To prove to Nick that she's Beaumont's mistress in name only, she must seduce him one wicked night...

ONE WICKED NIGHT is a highly entertaining Regency historical with page turning suspense, nicely drawn main and secondary characters, a truly evil villain, and hot sensual love scenes. Nicholas Redford is one scrumptious hero guaranteed to set pulses racing. ONE WICKED NIGHT shows us that true and abiding love knows no barriers, not even those we create ourselves, nor the ones set upon us by society.

ONE WICKED NIGHT - Sari Robins
Avon Books
ISBN: 0-06-057534-4
July 2004
Historical Romance

London, England - 1811

Miss Lillian Kane is just biding time as a kept woman until she comes into her majority. In one year, she will inherit a fortune and be able to live her life as she pleases, under no man's thumb. Until then, to keep safe from her nefarious stepfather, Lillian needs the protection of her dear friend Dillon, the Marquis of Beaumont. Therefore, when Dillon is falsely accused of murder, she is determined to find a way to prove his innocence; if she doesn't, not only is his life in jeopardy, but hers is as well.

Lillian is hard pressed to find a way to help her friend. The newspapers and the ton have already convicted him of the crime, and his future indeed looks bleak. However, there is one man she is sure can save Dillon. He is the noted investigator Mr. Nicolas Redford. Lillian met him once briefly, over a year ago, and instantly developed a crush of sorts on the handsome commoner. She has been following his many successes in the press and knows that he has recently opened his own business. If she can just convince him to take her case all will be well. But when Lillian tries to hire Mr. Redford, he adamantly refuses. He too believes that Dillon is guilty. Desperate now, Lillian allows her bold friend Fanny talk her into a shocking plan to prove to Mr. Redford that Dillon is innocent. Yet Lillian is honest enough to admit that it is no great hardship to embroil herself in a scandalous scheme with the gorgeous man she has been fantasizing about.

Nicolas Redford is a man of principles and he will not take on Miss Kane's case no matter how attractive he finds her. She will just have to persuade someone else to save her lover from the hangman's noose. But Nick soon discovers that Miss Kane is a determined woman. He is furious at the lengths she goes to in order to secure his services, but he cannot deny that he may have misjudged her and the Marquis of Beaumont. Nick may also have underestimated his fascination with the lady, as well as his ability to keep their relationship strictly professional.

ONE WICKED NIGHT is a very well written tale of romance and intrigue, with solid, appealing characters and an entertaining plot. Nicholas Redford is a hero capable of handling any situation he lands in. Lillian immediately feels protected and secure in his presence. He exudes self-confidence and an overt masculinity which readers are able to sense, as does Lillian. And although she does not want to need any man or place herself under his control, she is irresistibly drawn to Nick's powerful personality. However, Lillian's reservations are understandable. Her mother and she suffered much at the hands of her stepfather, but instead of breaking her, as it did her mother, it made Lillian strong and very determined. She knew that becoming a "kept" woman would leave her open to much scorn and ridicule, but she would rather lead her life on her terms than risk becoming a victim again.

Though Nick and Lillian come from different classes, they have much in common. They are both struggling with issues of trust and they keep a part of themselves closed off to people. Neither one really wants to act on their mutual attraction, but every time they are together the sexual tension is simmering just below the surface, waiting to explode. Their love scenes are passionate as well as moving, and a very romantic love story unfolds between the two.

While Nick and Lillian are contending with a complicated personal relationship, they are also charged with trying to save Dillon's life. They only have two weeks to prove he is innocent, and their desperation is palpable. A sense of urgency envelopes the reader and makes the pages fly even though there is no mystery to who the villain of the book is and what that person's dastardly plan is. Ms. Robins does a fine job of creating suspense and keeping readers captivated until the final satisfying resolution.

Don't miss ONE WICKED NIGHT; it is sure to please.

Sandra Brill
Romance Reviews Today

Rating:

Miss Lillian Kane, Lady Janus, has been under the protection of her best friend Dillon Beaumont for a while, under the guise of being his mistress. Her stepfather, Lord Cornelius Kane, physically and emotionally abused both her and her mother. Once Lillian's mother passed away, she was at his mercy...until Dillon took her in. The "arrangement" is convenient for more than one reason, though. Dillon's sexual preferences are dubious and Lillian will get her inheritance when she turns twenty four, so they both are given some respite from certain social pressures at least until Lillian gets the inheritance that rightfully belongs to her.

One night, as Lillian and Dillon attend a party, she steps out seeking some fresh air. She meets Mr. Nicholas Redford, a Police Officer on duty at the property grounds of the party's hostess. Lillian can't help but feel attracted to the intriguing man. Thirteen months later, and to Lillian's delight although she never saw him again after that night, Nicholas opens his own investigation agency. Shortly after, Dillon is accused of a murder he didn't commit and Lillian tries to engage Nicholas' services. To her dismay, he denies her request and she is then forced to take extreme measures to "compel" him to help her out.

Sari Robins' One Wicked Night is a quick-paced regency set historical romance. I found the plot of this book quite original, as it does not follow the formulas that we are used to see from other romances set on the same time period. Both main characters are attractive and appealing. Nicholas is the perfect alpha. He is a man whose social station is far below that of Lillian. It is for this reason that Nicholas initially is reluctant to accept any emotional involvement and much less work on the case she presents to him. Lillian, on the other hand, doesn't want to be tied and dependent on any man, especially after seeing how her mother ended up being destroyed in her own marriage. As to the secondary characters, the villain is of the sort we all love to hate. If you would like to try a different sort of regency-set historical, One Wicked Night is an excellent option.

Reviewed in June 2004 by Mireya. at A Romance Review