A Night Like This (edition 2012)

Another love story about a member of a Smythe-Smith family. Sadly, their famous musical abilities were not the focus of this story, but it's mentioned of course a couple of times.

Daniel Smythe-Smith comes back home the evening of famous yearly Smythe-Smith's musical (unlucky him). Weirdly, the tradition is broken this year and some girl (Anne Wynter) who is not member of Smythe-Smith family is playing the piano. But then he looks into her eyes and ... ZAP! Insta-love. As he admits, he saw beautiful women before but he is sure he can not live without this one... I never could stomach insta-love plots, they seem un-realistic to me and I do not believe it can be true love and lead to true HEA.

Anne Wynter is a governess for three young girls: Harriet, Elizabeth and Frances (Smythe-Smith's cousins). I loved these girls. Their conversations were full of humor and love for life and I always read them with a smile on my face. Here's a little example:
"What happened to your face?" Harriet asked.
"It was a misunderstanding," Daniel said smoothly, wondering how long it might take for his bruises to heal. He did not think he was particularly vain, but the questions were growing tiresome.
"A misunderstanding?" Elizabeth echoes. "With an anvil?"
"Oh, stop", Harriet admonished her. "I think he looks very dashing."
"As if he dashed into an anvil."
Another thing that bothered me in this book is that whole plot is just over-the-top. It feels like Julia Quinn was inspired with "Miss Butterworth and the Mad Baron". o.O There is amount of evil villains, murder attempts and kidnaps that one historical romance novel can contain before it becomes absurd.

My rating: 3 stars because of insta-love and ridiculous plot.

Will I be reading next book in series? Yes. I hope Harriet, Elizabeth and Frances will be in the next book too! ( )

When Daniel returns from exile after shooting and maiming Hugh in a duel, he meets Anne Wynter, the governess for his nieces. Anne too is fleeing her past when she was seduced and scarred a gentleman while protecting herself. She knows that she could lose her position, so tries to break away from Daniel, but their attraction is too great. As both protagonists are drawn to each other, danger also follows him, but each one isn’t sure whose past is coming back on them or if both will survive the revenge. ( )

It hasn't even been a month and I've already forgotten so much of what happened! :P

Okay, so the hero, Daniel Smythe-Smith, Earl of Winstead, had to flee the country a three years ago. He was accused of cheating, fought a duel, and almost killed a man (Hugh Prentice). A sort-of friend, really. Hugh now has a permanent limp. Anyway, HUGH doesn't have a problem with Daniel, but his DAD does. He's had bad men following Daniel across the continent trying to kill Daniel for "ruining" his son's life, even though Hugh's totally over it. So it's been three years, and Hugh makes his father swear to stop messing with Daniel, goes to the continent, and tells him it's safe to come home.

Anne Wynter (an alias), has a past that she'd VERY much like to keep hidden, especially since there's an unsavory character from it that would like to exact revenge upon her (for a very minor thing she did in self-defense) and whom Anne would very very very very much like to avoid. She's been keeping a low profile working as a governess to Daniel's three female cousins.

At the ball at the end of the last book ([b:Just Like Heaven|9571478|Just Like Heaven (Smythe-Smith Quartet, #1)|Julia Quinn|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1307154143s/9571478.jpg|13341130]), Daniel sees Anne and kinda falls in love. He kisses her before they exchange names... When he finds out who she is, I think he's planning on a bit of a flirt or a dalliance, but he can't stay away from her. He gets a bit... not obsessed, but he's taken with her. On the other hand, she's been used badly by another man with a title, and so she's fighting her feelings as much as she possibly can. She knows there's no possibility of a (respectable) future between them, and she won't be a mistress! But dang, if she isn't attracted to him!

Anyway, there's also a suspense element. Someone is trying to kill one of them. Daniel's sure Hugh's father is behind it, but we (and Anne) know that SHE might actually be the target. But we don't really know which is true until the end. Very suspenseful and then very lovely! :)

It was cute and full of emotion and I really really enjoyed it, even if there were a few too many unicorns involved. (Although I like how unicorns played an important role in the end, and that they weren't JUST there for comedic relief!) ( )

A Night Like This
3.5 Stars

Likeable characters but is missing the wit and charm of Quinn's other books and the plot is too drawn out at the beginning.

The first 1/3 is boring. The interminable scenes with the Pleinsworth girls are excessively long and add nothing to plot or characterization. Thankfully, things begin to liven up when Anne's big secret comes back to haunt her.

The suspense plot is well-developed and intense, and the villain truly despicable - this is what saved the book for me. The story from this point is darker in tone than Quinn's other books (it shares some similarities with An Offer from A Gentleman but is much harsher).

Anne is a strong and admirable heroine. Her traumatic past and the descriptions of how she suffered and coped over the years are heartbreaking at times.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Daniel. It is never a good thing when you prefer a secondary character over the hero and Hugh is for more intriguing. Daniel's immediate and all encompassing infatuation with Anne is unrealistic and his stalker-like tendencies are potentially disturbing as is his disregard for the consequences Anne faces if they should be caught. He is, however, somewhat charming, patient and loyal which softens the more annoying aspects of his personality.

All in all, the book is a little disappointing but the suspense plot and the exciting climax make it a worthwhile read. Looks like Hugh's book is next and I'm salivating already. ( )

Joint review with my co-reviewers. Posted originally at The BookPushers.

1. Thoughts on the Hero

E: Daniel was a pleasant change from the Regency “Rake”. He has spent the last several years of his life paying for an accident and staying away from his home, his family, in fact away from most civilized areas always looking over his shoulder. As a result he never had a chance to develop into a rake. I have to admit that I liked the change. While a beta male, I really enjoyed that he just as determined to gain his goal only using different techniques. His scheming to encounter and spend time with Anne was very sweet to see. He also stepped up to the the hero when the chips were down and Anne needed his support.

Lou: I’m a big fan of the beta males. They bring a completely different dynamic to books, and it does make for a great change compared to the mighty Duke. Daniel was such a tease with Anne, and despite her not wanting to have anything to do with him, he never gives up in his pursuit of her. I did at times think that Daniel was a little selfish in his dogged pursuit because he was in such a higher class of position, I felt that Anne at times was pushed by Daniel and the power balance was unequal.

MinnChica: I adored Daniel. He was so laid back and easy going. He hasn’t lived the best life, and I think that adds to his overall charm. He wasn’t jaded, but he was conscious of what is truly important in life, and despite the time he spent away from his family, he loves them and cares deeply for them. I have to agree with both E and Lou, this story was definitely a change from the typical Regency romance novels. But personally, I thought it was great, and Daniel was a big part of that.

2. Thoughts on the Heroine

E: Anne also was living a life not of her choosing due to some events in her past. However, she is certainly making the best of her situation and has found a rather enjoyable job. Or at least her charges keep life from being boring. She managed to maintain contact with her sisters which I thought was wonderful. She also didn’t let her circumstances keep her from enjoying life while maintaining the reputation required for her positions. She was really strong mentally and willing to do whatever she had to protect those she cared about. Anne didn’t let the betrayal of those who should have protected her sour her viewpoint on life. I loved her interactions with Daniel and her Smythe-Smith charges. They were never boring or cruel which I thought was just wonderful.

Lou: Anne is a heroine that survives no matter what has been thrown at her, and the way she made herself a life shows her resilience. Anne’s first introduction to Daniel was classic Julia Quinn, and the banter was fun and romantic. Like E, I loved her relationship with the youngsters. Julia Quinn always makes family a strong vocal point in her book, and little Frances was a doll.

MinnChica: Anne, that poor thing. She really did the best with what life handed her. Poor girl was cast out from her family after making a silly mistake, she was forced to work for a living, and yet she preserved. She made lemonade with the lemons in her life, and she did it with a smile on her face. Had I been in her shoes, I would have been a hot mess. Her relationship with the young girls was so great, and I loved that she really acted as more of an older sister than a governess to the girls. Anne certainly had a heart of gold!

3. Favorite Scene

E: Oh I had several scenes that found me laughing out loud as I was reading them. I think I am going to go with the discussion around the breakfast table that ranged from kippers, mints, math, the Isle of Man, Shakespeare, Smythe-Smith original plays and unicorns. The cross topic conversation with Daniel trying to keep up while also verbally backing Anne into a corner with the unknowing assistance of the three girls was priceless. It reminded me of conversations my sister and I have when my brother is around and he would be left wondering where the conversation went.

Lou: To be honest, I didn’t really have a favorite scene with the book. I did enjoy the humour of the interactions between Anne, Daniel and the little ones. Especially the play and the unicorn.

MinnChica: I’m having a hard time picking my favorite scene. There were some really great moments, the breakfast conversation that E mentioned was hilarious. I loved when they were all re-enacting Harriet’s play. It just went to show how much value Quinn places on families, and that is a big part of why I love her books and writing so much.

4. Dislike about book

E: I wanted something permanent to happen to the villain. I wanted to see Anne reunited with her sisters. I wanted to see Anne’s parents get what was coming to them too. Basically I think I wanted to see Anne get more of her own back along with her HEA.

Lou: Whilst I liked Anne and Daniel, I felt that the story itself seemed quite generic. Whilst the romance was sweet, it also felt predictable and not new and fresh. The villain of the piece also felt like a cartoon character and not particularly scary. I know that a lot of Julia Quinn novels are light hearted, but this one seemed overly so.

MinnChica: I have to agree with both E and Lou on this one. I too wanted Anne to get more. I wanted to see some page time with her sister, I wanted to see how her parents would deal with her marrying into a higher station. I wanted to see the villain go through heck of a lot more than he did, especially after going so bat-sh*t crazy. And while this was a very simple and unique Quinn story, it also seemed as if it just skimmed the surface of what it could have really done.

5. Any other misc. thoughts along with grade

E: This was vintage Ms Quinn, humor, meet cutes, strong, spirited but not annoying heroine. This is a feel good book and despite my complaints above, which were really slight niggles, an enjoyable read. I hope that Daniel’s best friend gets his HEA because he has suffered just as much as Daniel and Anne. I know I can always count on Ms Quinn to give me an entertaining read. I give A Night Like This a B.

Lou: This was a nice pleasant read with a sweet romance, but it’s one of my least favourite novels by Quinn. I wanted more depth and impact from the romance, and the overall story seemed quite generic. The charm seemed to be missing from the romance. All in all, I give A Night Like This a C.

MinnChica: All in all Julia Quinn remains my all time favorite Regency romance author. I love her voice, the importance she places on families, and her ability to write engaging characters that pull me into the story and keep me turning the pages. I hope to see more of Daniel’s friends, especially Hugh. I can’t wait for the next Smythe-Smith book. I adore the premise and the girls are all so charming in their own silly way.
I give A Night Like This a B

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