See publisher's blurb for plot clues.
I found this one to be too long and drawn out, and it never really grabbed me the way her books usually do.
Angele Masters did the best she could with the material. ( )

Well this is an exciting book. While it is a little more like THE DUKE it is still filled with action and intrigue. There are several plots going on throughout the story and the reader finds themselves drawn to find out what is going to happen in the next chapter. This story also deals with what had to be a very bad problem during this period. With so many of the aristocratic men doing little with their time gambling had to have caused more that a few some difficulties just like it has for Alec. Gambling can be very addictive just as alcohol can be. I have to wonder how many alcoholics there were among the gentry. So out hero must deal with his gambling problem and the loathing he feels for himself after he sold his service to Lady Campion. I have to say that I wasn't very happy with Lord Alexander "Alec" Knight after the last two books. He hurt Lizzie so badly in LADY OF DESIRE and then tried to ruin her relationship with Devil in DEVIL TAKES A BRIDE. Ms. Foley has come through however redeeming Alec in this book. We finally get a good look into how Alec thinks and feels. I am not sure any of us that have read all the books ever thought that Alec was very hurt and unsure of his place in the world. I was surprised how hurt he was about his mother's desertion and death. How much he is disgusted with Lady Campion and what he did the year he was under her thumb. I was also surprised that he distrusted all women as much as he did. It takes Rebecca "Becky" Ward to show him that there are better things in life than the next card game or setting the next trend. Alex comes through for Becky with flying colors and learns to love and trust by the end of the story.

Becky is a simple young woman. She has been raised in the country with none of the training for society that any other young lady, of her station in life, would have gone through. With her grandfather never acknowledging her she has been able to live as she wants. She can cook, sew and shoot. She can also read and write. She is intelligent, courageous and compassionate. She also have the patience of a saint which she needs in learning to deal with Alec. Finally she is very insightful of how people think and deal with others. She is probably one of the most likable heroines in any of the books I have read.

I was a little disappointed that we only got a small mention of the other members of the family. I always enjoy knowing what has happened to all the others. There is a lot that is going on in this story it isn't quite as bad as the last book. There is action and sword fights and a villain that is sneaky and devious. There is also a second match that is made at the end that made me smile. I loved when Alec's older brothers come into the Winner's Ball thinking they needed to rescue Alec and find out that he is engaged. That is one of the best parts of the whole story. I will also say that I was pleased that there was a little more sex in this story. I think that it adds spice to any good story to have steamy love scenes. This is another every good book and any fan of historical romance will probably love it. ( )

Russian rapist sends flunkies to chase girl across London, plots, spies. Modern thriller set in regency times. ( )

This regency historical begins with the heroine, Becky Ward, running away from her cousin, the evil Russian prince, and his Cossacks. She falls asleep on a doorstep when Lord Alec Knight happens upon her, takes her home, and she sacrifices her virginity to him so he'll protect her. If any of that plot sounds plausible to you, then you'll love it, but I just couldn't get my mind around it. Hero, Alec, was quite charming and there was good sexual tension for a whole two or three chapters. It was a fast, smooth read but I just didn't buy the Russian prince bit. (Grade: C+) ( )

At this point, I'm not sure that Gaelen Foley is capable of writing a bad book, and if she is, I have yet to read it. In One Night of Sin, Ms. Foley has created yet another winner for me in the Knight Miscellany series. The engaging plot, complex characters, action, mystery, and suspense all came together to make a very enjoyable read that at times, was difficult to put down and always a pleasure to pick up again. As with the previous books in the series, I was generally enthralled by the lush historical details. There were a few places where these descriptions uncharacteristically slowed the story down a bit and started to loose my attention, but there were others that were quite engaging to me. In a scene where the heroine visited another lady at the beach, I found the descriptions of the ladies' bathing machine and swimming practices of the era to be fascinating. Typically historical romances only briefly mention the popular games of the period as something that the characters enjoy as a pastime, but One Night of Sin included a very detailed whist tournament which I found surprisingly fun to read. Since I've played a similar game with my family, the rules and play were pretty easy to follow, and the huge amount of money on the line made it as intense as a high-stakes poker game. I never would have imagined that reading about a card game could be so suspenseful. There were a number of action scenes that I thought were extremely well-rendered, bringing the story to life like a movie in my imagination. The suspense and intrigue were also very well-done with everything coming together at the end in an exciting, edge-of-your-seat, action-packed conclusion.

I had always liked Alec in the previous books of the series, but I don't think I could have imagined the depth that lurked beneath the surface of this dissolute rake-hell. Alec was a complex, multi-layered character, and getting to know him was very much like peeling an onion. Just when I thought I had Alec figured out, the author would remove another layer to reveal something unexpected, and there were even a few teary moments along the way, as he begins to find himself. Given his history with women, it is no wonder Alec is distrustful of them. A lot more of his experiences with the fairer sex are revealed in this book, including a complicated relationship with his mother whose sordid legacy affected him just as much as the rest of his siblings, but in a far different way. I was not at all surprised to discover that Alec has a very sensitive and wounded heart beneath his devil-may-care facade. I thought the revelation of all these things made Alec's romance with Becky all the more special, because she was the one to finally put his fears and misgivings to rest by proving to him that all women are not alike. Alec had so many wonderful qualities. Being a consummate gambler who reads faces for a living, he is very perceptive of Becky's feelings. I love how he can make Becky laugh, and his protectiveness of her from the moment he first saw her was very sweet. What I never would have imagined though was how valiant, gallant and chivalrous Alec was, willingly risking his life for Becky on more than one occasion and making a genuine marriage offer when he realized he'd taken her virginity, even though it scared him to death. In my opinion, Alec redeemed himself a hundred times over for all the bad things he had done in the past, and what I loved most of all about it, was that he never once broke character as the rakish charmer I'd already come to love.

Becky was the perfect foil for Alec, and probably the only woman on earth who could bring this rogue to heel. She was a very dichotomous character, showing the spunk and bravery of the best spitfire heroines, while also being as gentle as any sweet heroine. She didn't have a single TSTL moment that I can think of. In fact, Becky was a girl who actually listened to her hero when danger was afoot. She could certainly take care of herself though. I loved the way she stood up to her bullying brute of a cousin in the flashbacks even though it led to her needing to run for her life, and when Becky neatly laid-out two of Alec's rake friends who were making lewd overtures toward her, I couldn't help but smile. Becky was also a very smart girl who didn't wait around, hoping that someone would come save her. She intelligently took matters into own hands on more than one occasion. Becky also proved herself to be a very sensitive and intuitive heroine, recognizing the hurt behind Alec's attitude, and showing him the kindness and gentleness that he so desperately needed. Likewise, Becky managed to handle the shocking details of Alec's scandalous life with a surprising amount of grace and dignity, never once getting upset or bent out of shape over his past exploits. Instead she understood exactly what he needed and gave that to him freely. All in all, she was a courageous but tender heroine who would have been impossible for me not to love.

Alec and Becky were great as individual characters but I also loved their chemistry and the way they interacted with one another. They could move with fluidity from being stubborn and angry, to having serious conversations, to laughing and being playful with one another. I may have had to suspend disbelief a little to buy into the idea that they could share this kind of intimacy in their relationship after only knowing each other for a short time, but somehow it worked perfectly. I also love the way they were very open and giving toward each other in everything they did. Alec may have held back his emotions for a while, because they had been long buried, but he still generously gives to Becky in other ways, while Becky manages to wriggle her way into his heart when he least expects it. Normally, I don't care for couples in romances who argue, but for once, I actually enjoyed Alec and Becky's stubborn bickering. I think that is because I didn't find it to be annoying or overdone like I've seen in other books, and it flowed naturally within the context of the story and the scenes. My favorite part of Alec and Becky's interactions was simply the swoon-worthy romance. I think Alec made one of the most heart-felt, romantic marriage proposals ever and their intimate scenes together were positively delicious with lots of variety. One Night of Sin is definitely the most sensuous book in the Knight Miscellany series thus far with twice as many love scenes, but I guess Alec did have a reputation to uphold.;-)

One Night of Sin was a near-perfect read for me. There were only a couple of minor things that made me consider knocking off a fraction of a point. One is a scene where Becky tells Alec about the events that brought her to him, which alternates between the past and the present. Perhaps it would have been better if the author had presented Becky's story as one block of narrative, because the brief snippets back and forth made it a little jarring and choppy, in my opinion. The other thing is that I initially had mixed feelings about the way Alec and Becky met and how they ended up in bed together that first night. On the one hand Becky had some very valid reasons for going home with a stranger, but on the other hand it seemed a little abrupt and odd that she would indulge herself that way considering her circumstances. In any case, as the story progressed, my misgivings began to fade as I got to know the characters in more depth and understand their motivations more fully. Any notions I might have had about reducing my star rating were overridden by the fabulous characterizations, tight, engaging plot and overall romance. In my opinion, any author who can make me brush off my concerns by giving me such an entertaining read is a very talented one. One Night of Sin is book #6 in the Knight Miscellany series. It is preceded by The Duke, Lord of Fire, Lord of Ice, Lady of Desire, and Devil Takes a Bride, and is followed by His Wicked Kiss. Unlike with the past books, Robert, Lucien, and Damien were the only Knight siblings who make an appearance in One Night of Sin, and it is very brief. Apparently the last Knight brother, Jack, is fated to be a complete mystery until I read his book, but Alec's story has definitely found a spot on my keeper shelf right next to the rest of the series. ( )