One Forbidden Evening

I picked up this particular book from Jo Goodman because it had the most positive reviews. It was different from the other romances I've read and it took me awhile to get used to reading the way Goodman wrote and the way the characters spoke to each other. I thought that it was slow-going at first, but I kept with it and I am SO glad I did!! The heroine and hero had just the best chemistry and banter, and the sex scenes were just hot! There was also wonderful romance there as well; a very touching love story. Give this book a chance and you won't be disappointed! I wasn't!

This book was such an entertaining story. I love how she brings all of her family members into the story. I would recommend this book for anyone.

"One Forbidden Evening" is the first book that I've read by Jo Goodman and what a pleasant surprise it turned out to be! The quality of writing in the dialogue between hero (The Earl of Ferrin) and heroine (the widowed Mrs Caldwell) throughout the story is excellent; hero and heroine are absolute matches for each other in intelligence, witticisms, dialogue, and this comes across throughout the book. Sparks fly between these two characters, and believably so - the reader believes they are well matched because it's proven in the writing, not just because we're told so. Cybelline Caldwell is a widow with a two-year-old daughter Anna but she has a lot of problems. Her husband committed suicide and since that event she's been receiving threatening letters from a mystery woman. Her second problem is that her sleep is often disturbed by strange, seductive dreams about a man who isn't her husband. When she discovers that her dreams seem to be about the Earl of Ferrin, a well-known rake, she decides to deal with them by seducing him for one night to get him out of her system, so to speak. This sounds a bit tacky but actually when the events are taking place in the book it doesn't seem like that. The seduction takes place at a Masquerade ball so he doesn't know who she is but she soon finds that there are consequences beyond that evening and that perhaps the Earl isn't quite what he seemed. When she escapes London, in the hope of escaping the nasty letters, the Earl follows and they find that their lives start to entwine. Although the actual plot of this book isn't all that complex the characterisation and dialogue are so meaty that the book is a very gripping and fascinating read. There's a fair bit of sex in this book but there's also a great deal of other interactions between the characters as they learn to trust each other and to share secrets. The hero in this book is just the sort of man that a romantic hero should be and the heroine is an intelligent woman it's easy to like. The plot twist, such as it was, was one that I did see coming before the end of the book but it was still a very satisfying read and has encouraged me to read some other works by Jo Goodman, one of which I think features Cybelline's brother. The author's historical accuracy is very good in this book (although the odd stray American sentence slips in) and the setting works well for her tale. For those who don't mind a bit more earthiness and intimacy in their Regencies this is a very good choice. Originally published for Curled Up With A Good Book, [...]. © Helen Hancox 2007

Cybelline is a widowed mother whose husband commits suicide; she is burdened by guilt and loneliness. She decides to have one heated encounter in masquerade. The man she seduces is Christopher, the Earl of Ferrin. They have a spicy, sexy encounter and then she vanishes and he in turn seeks her out. I know this is an overdone plot in most regencies, but when written right, it is just magic and Jo Goodman definitely writes this story excellently. I love the couple driven characterization of this novel as well as the intelligent and poignant emotions the author explores in both Cybelline and Christopher. If you are looking for a good romantic and steamy regency, this is the novel for you.

To be particularly potent, a good romance novel needs desire, gentle conflict, dark secrets, and a little mystery! In ONE FORBIDDEN EVENING, Jo Goodman draws on all these potent elements, achieves near perfection, and again shows why she is on my auto-buy list! Her husband was dead . . . by his own hand and Cybelline Caldwell despised herself! At night, she experienced troubling dreams, during the day - damning accusations. Despondently, what she longed for and what she chose was a man's touch! Seductively, she singled out the Earl of Ferrin, but why? Was it because he was disreputable and never did anything in half measure? Or was it because he was surprisingly likeable? The troubled seductive woman intrigued and captivated Christopher Andrew Hollings, the Honorable Earl of Ferrin. Yet, who was the enchantress behind the mask? Her departing message lay bare - please, don't find me . . . please . . . just live in my memory! But the Earl of Ferrin could not! He had to know the identity of his secret lover. What he discovered was a lonely widow with an adorable child and menacing tension. Quickly, he offered protection and assistance. But would Cybelline Caldwell accept it? Comments: Historical novels and realism must always go hand in hand and no doubt this is a tricky skill! Yet, this is what creates the "wow, this story is great!" miracle! Outstandingly, in ONE FORBIDDEN EVENING, Jo Goodman zeros in on superior word organization and remarkable sentence structure and proves again why she is a bestselling HISTORICAL author! Alas, if there is a flaw found in this very polished story, it lies in the story's climax. Always the level of drama found in a climax must match the level of drama found throughout. If too much drama burdens a climax, in an otherwise discreet story, that climax will shout strained and artificial. In ONE FORBIDDEN EVENING, an overloaded climax prevails! Yet, in most other ways, Jo Goodman and ONE FORBIDDEN EVENING are perfect! Grade: A- MaryGrace Meloche.