Embrace the Night

A steamy Virginia summer during the War of 1812 sets the stage for love and betrayal aboard ship and in the bedroom of the mysterious Miles Winchester. When Miles accidentally compromises Theodora Lovelace, a hasty wedding and nighttime espionage link the two unwilling lovers. The intrigue-filled beginning founders on the creaky convention of mistaken identity and a preposterous marriage contract forbidding marital relations for one year. Garland's characters appear too intelligent for these kinds of manipulations, and a promising story falters as the plot demands increasingly silly behavior. When Miles and Theodora are trapped into revealing their secrets after declaring their love, a rousing finale might persuade some readers to forgive earlier shortcomings. (Oct.)