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.*

A Kiss in the Moonlight by Cathy Maxwell

Tracy’s rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: The Gambler’s Daughters, #1

Release Date: March 28, 2023

The Lanscarr sisters have always relied on each other, especially now that their grandmother has passed away and their father has gone missing and is presumed dead. Living as poor relations in their own home thanks to an overreaching cousin who has claimed the estate as his inheritance. Gwendolyn, Dara, and Elise along with Lady Eleanor their elderly widowed aunt “Tweedie” know that their cousin wants to marry them off and get them out of the house, the girls are not opposed to marriage, but they want more than the rural Irish countryside has to offer. When Dara suggests they try their luck in London, Gwen and Elise are skeptical, but as always, Dara has a plan! Dara convinces them that if they go to London that they will have their choice of husbands since even though they are penniless, Gwen and Elise are gorgeous and will have no trouble attracting eligible suitors. They just need to get enough money to get to London and rent a house for the season and for that she suggests that Gwen go to Dublin and gamble at one of their father’s haunts to make the money. After a bit of misadventure, Gwen does get the money and they set their plan in motion! But things don’t go as planned when they arrive and find the connection they had hoped to use as an entre to society is not in town. But after a couple of weeks of trying to find an “in” the girls are invited to a ball and it is immediately clear that Dara’s prediction was true. The girls are extremely popular, especially the very lovely Elise. So when fellow Irishman, Michael Brogan, an MP, and a mere mister, tries to dance with her, Dara steps in and warns him off. But is she warning him off because he is not appropriate or because she is jealous?

Michael Brogan isn’t looking to marry, but his investigation of a case of embezzlement in the war office that may have ties to a nobleman, so pretending to court Elise Lanscarr will give him a perfect reason to attend events that he usually avoids, plus dancing with the beautiful Elise is no hardship. However, while the lovely Elise may have captured his eye, it is Dara who holds his interest. He isn’t sure if he wants to kiss her or throttle her – but when things get dangerous, he knows that Dara is the sister he wants by his side and the sister he can’t live without. Now he just needs to catch the embezzler and convince Dara she is the only sister he wants.

I was a little confused at the beginning of this book since it wasn’t clear who the heroine was, but once they get to London and enter society it sorts itself out. I really liked Michael and Dara together, the chemistry between them was clear to see and they really complimented each other. This slow-burn romance is filled with intrigue, passionate kisses, wonderful secondary characters, a love triangle (sort of), a lot of emotion, some surprises, witty banter, and a bittersweet ending that includes a cliffhanger-ish epilogue. The story does a nice job of setting up the series and the mystery was intriguing, so for me, it was a very enjoyable read. In my opinion, the beginning could have been a little clearer and I am not a fan of love triangles, but somehow, the story works and I would be happy to recommend this book and am looking forward to the next installment!

*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.*