IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT

Author: Stephanie Laurens, Mary Balogh, Jacquie D'Alessandro, Candice Hern ISBN: 9780061993374 4/2011 ANTHOLOGY Publisher: AVON

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

The first anthology from these amazing ladies, IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT was so good that I was eagerly awaiting their second endeavor with IT HAPPENED ONE SEASON. With the exception of Ms. D'Alessandro, all the other authors are on my keeper shelf, and I had very high expectations, which, I have to be honest, were met.

As the above blurb states, this book offers four different stories with the same plot line. All four of the heroes are military men, while our heroines are wallflowers and have been firmly ‘on the shelf’. Since this is an anthology, I’ve decided to read ‘Fate Strikes a Bargain’ first, then from there on I went to ‘Only Love’, followed by ‘The Seduction of Sebastian Trantor’, leaving ‘Hope Springs Eternal’ for last, as I’m not familiar with the author. As of right now, I intend to correct that fact and familiarize myself with said author because I truly loved her contribution to this book.

In ‘Fate Strikes a Bargain’, Candice Hern gives us Nathaniel Beckwith and Phillippa Reynolds.  They meet while both are in hiding from the throng at a ball. It doesn’t take Nat long to realize that this charming, if not dazzling, woman is all that he needs in a wife, so he proposes to her on the spot, even after she tells him of her disability, a pronounced limp. And while they strike a bargain, it’s a bit more difficult convincing their respective families to go along with them, so they agree to court for the remainder of the Season, just to appease their family.

I loved these two, and I wished the story was longer so that we’d learn more of Nat and his Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Philippa’s coping with her disability. However, for a short story, Ms. Hern has yet outdone herself. I thoroughly enjoyed this well told, warm and compelling love story.

Mary Balogh’s ‘Only Love’ was so good, it made me cry. Our hero in this tale is Major Jack Gilchrist, and our heroine Cleo Pritchard, a war widow of unremarkable looks. Both are surprised and delighted to encounter each other at a ball as they’ve had a previous encounter long ago. Cleo’s husband was his commanding officer, and Jack was the one to break the sad news of her husband’s passing. During that brief moment of despair, they shared a kiss, which neither ever forgot.

Jack, aware that he has to wed as soon as possible, decides to propose to her the day after the ball.
Our heroine, being a practical person, has some doubts, so she proposes a counter offer of her own to our hero. She’ll accept his proposal on one condition only: if, by the end of the Season, it’s proven that she can conceive and give him an heir.

What’s a man to do when given such a proposal? Read this sweet love story in which Ms. Balogh’s superb writing held me spellbound from the beginning to the end.

‘The Seduction of Sebastian Trantor’ was Stephanie Laurens’ turn in introducing us to her own war hero, Sebastian Trantor, code breaker during the wars.  As with the other hero’s, Sebastian must marry posthaste to prevent his cousin “Mad Freddie” from inheriting. 

Tabitha Makepeace has a mystery to solve in order to capture a blackmailer. Nothing will deter this young lady, not even a locked door of a library at a ball she’s attending. And that’s how she comes face-to-face with our hero, who is himself hiding in the same library. Since the evidence she uncovers is in code, Sebastian offers her his services; but they get discovered, and in order to save her reputation, Sebastian proposes to her on the spot and in front of witnesses. Both are in accord and are planning to use their sham of ‘betrothal’ as cover while in hot pursuit of the bad guys.

As usual, Ms. Laurens’ heroine is sharp and witty, and we get drawn into a story of mystery and intrigue while rooting for our hero as he tries to convince his lady love that she’s the perfect wife material for him.

And now we come to the last story, ‘Hope Springs Eternal’ by Jacquie D’Alessandro.

Captain Alec Trentwell is a man on a mission to tell the truth of the death of Edward Markham, our heroine’s brother. He was her brother’s commander, and eaten with guilt, feels that in voicing the truth and his part in it, he will be set free. What our hero’s not counting on is the lust that he begins to feel towards our unassuming heroine.

Penelope Markham is on a verge of destitution as she finds herself fired from her governess position.  She’s also an aspiring artist, with no prospects in sight because of a scandal that happened in Italy as she attempted to sculpt a nude of a man. This is where our hero Alec comes in and attempts to come clean; but instead, guilt and attraction kicks in, so he offers her a commission to paint his portrait instead. That same night, however, while attending a ball in his honor, our hero feels compelled to offer for her hand, and she accepts.

I loved the way this story developed, and I fell in love with Ms. D’Alessandro’s writing. Every page was filled with feeling, and you just couldn’t help but be drawn to Alec and Penelope’s tale of conflict and true love.

While we found all four couples share the same fate, we’re given four unique stories of happily-ever-after that were well-written and compelling. All four couples were very likeable, and I would be hard-pressed to choose a favorite one. I liked them all equally.

Each tale was well-written with three-dimensional characters, steady pacing, and I found them each unique in their own way. All of them could well stand on their own, and I would have gladly read them if they each had a book of their own.

Melanie Friedman