One Forbidden Evening

Bestseller Goodman begins her latest Regency with a wordy description of a romantic tryst at a masquerade ball, a fair warning of the rambling and randy story to come. At the ball, a ravishing Boudicca, looking every bit the warrior queen, captures the eye of the bored host, Christopher Hollins, earl of Ferrin. A notorious rake, Ferrin can't believe his fortune when the mysterious Boudicca seduces him before vanishing. With a little snooping, Ferrin identifies the elusive siren as Cybelline Caldwell, a grieving young widow and mother, recently relocated to the Suffolk countryside. Absorbed in restoring a neglected estate and trying to forget her impetuous actions at the ball—her first break from secluded widowhood—Cybelline is alarmed to learn that Ferrin is residing nearby under an assumed name. When he rescues Cybelline from a blizzard, Ferrin seizes the opportunity to insinuate himself into her household. While trying to win her heart, Ferrin discovers that the wary young woman hides dangerous secrets, including the truth behind her husband's suicide and a sinister threat posed by a nameless stalker. Though a bit overwritten, Goodman knows how to turn up the heat; unfortunately, readers probably won't get much satisfaction from the contrived ending. (Aug.)