One Dangerous Night by Cathy Maxwell

Tracy’s rating: 3.5/4 of 5 stars

Series: The Gambler’s Daughters, #2

Release Date: March 26, 2024

After arriving in London with high hopes of marrying a duke, Elise Lanscarr, the youngest (and loveliest) of the Lanscarr sisters, is leaving, betrayed, heartbroken and filled with rage. After her sister Dara married Michael, the man Elise loved and hoped to marry, she can no longer abide living with them and she has decided to return to Ireland. In a final fit of pique, she leaves a note in the sister’s money box after taking the funds she needs to make it back to Ireland, knowing her sisters will believe she has gone to stay with her friend Lady Whitby and won’t realize she is gone until one of them checks the money box. She is filled with self-righteous indignation, she sets out for Liverpool, but nothing goes as planned and she finds herself traveling with a stranger, in a mail coach driven by a drunk, in a storm. A horrific crash finds her alone with the stranger, a young man going by the name of Kit. Together they will have to find their way to the next coaching inn, while avoiding the many pitfalls that pop up along the way. At first, she is sure Kit is a ne’er-do-well, but the more time she spends with him, the more she likes him and respect him. She also begins to see her own shortcomings and faults, she knows she has fences to mend and apologies to make, and once that is done, will she give up her dream of a duke for a wanderer?

Christopher “Kit” Fitzhugh-Cox, the Duke of Winderton is also running away after experiencing heartbreak when the woman he loved married his uncle. He too left in a fit of pique, and he has been wandering for months under an assumed name, play out he version of Shakespeare’s Prince Hal. It isn’t until he meets Elise that he truly begins to change and see the error of his ways. She makes him want to be a better man, a man worthy of her love. But to do that he will have keep Elise safe while evading the men trying to kill him, then return home and make things right. And there is the small fact that he hasn’t revealed his true identity to her, but he is sure she will forgive him, well, mostly sure.

This was the well-written, nicely paced story of two young people who start out acting like spoiled brats, but through a series of misfortunes, seeing the error of their ways and maturing into adulthood while truly falling in love. The book is filled with emotion, some anger, indignation, hurt feelings, broken hearts, perceived betrayal, a sweet dog, danger, hidden identities, more heartache, a tiny bit of steam, shocking revelations, and finally a very sweet ending with a lovely declaration and a nice set up for the next book. Honestly, I didn’t like Elise in the last book and I didn’t like her for most of this book, but in the end, she won me over, as did Kit. I am happy to recommend this book, but I would strongly suggest reading the books in order. I didn’t love this story, but in the end, I enjoyed it and now I can’t wait for Gwendolyn and Steele’s story!

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.*