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Summary: A Historical Setting with Contemporary Dialogues
Review: Balogh has a gift to mingle 20th century concepts to a regency background. e.g. of girls to be of equals to their mate, of the rich but sensible Elizabeth to remain single and wait for Mr. Right because of her economically independence, and of the role Elizabeth, who gave Lily a my-fair-lady type makeover, which is parallel to the effect of a modern day councellor in a borading school... The dailogue of Balogh is also free of the periods jargan like that of Austen and Heyer that makes them more 'reader-friendly' to todays audience. This gives a much enjoyable experience similar to the 'time travel' genre that I adore -- having heroines with strong and independent charachter changing the minds of traditional and conservative people.
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Summary: Excellent Regency romance
Review: During the fight against Napoleon, Neville Wyatt, Earl of Kilbourne, met and fell in love with Lily Doyle, daughter of a dead soldier. However, the misfortunes of war hit home as Neville returns to England as a widower. A sad but wiser Neville returns to the Ton where he rejoins the festive activities. Ultimately, Neville becomes engaged to his childhood sweetheart only to have Lily reappear. Lily finds herself overwhelmed by the majestic home of her spouse. Even more difficult is for the commoner to adapt to his aristocratic family. While riding each morning, she realizes that she must leave her beloved because she is not good enough for him. He tries to persuade her otherwise, but she still leaves him and goes to London. However, someone wants Lily dead for no apparent reason and only Neville can keep his beloved safe, but she has left him to become a paid companion. Award winning Mary Balogh is deservedly renowned for her best selling Regency romances that make the early nineteenth century seems as if the readers lived during the era. Her newest tale, ONE NIGHT FOR LOVE, lives up to the author's reputation and its own title as sub-genre fans will love this one night of reading. The characters are intriguing and the historical romantic suspense story line is entertaining. Ms. Balogh has another best seller to add to her excellent list. Harriet Klausner
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Summary: True Romantic Hero
Review: During wartime Lily Blake and Neville Wyatt marry. The morning after their one night together Lily is shot in the heart and Neville in the head. Neville survives and returns home to take his rightful place as Earl of Kilbourne. Believing Lily dead he resumes his relationship with his childhood sweetheart, Lauren. Lily does in fact not die, but becomes a prisoner of war where she is forced to become mistress to a Spanish military officer. After a year and a half of seperation, Lily is freed to return to Neville. But upon her return she finds that Neville is about to marry Lauren. Interupting the wedding to let Neville know she is back, Lily is thrust into a life of the ton. Thrilled to find his true love is still alive, Neville is willing to give Lily time to adjust to being a countess. Unable to adjust to her new life, Lily leaves Neville for London where she becomes Neville's aunt's paid companion. Neville reluctantly lets Lily go so she can determine her true love for him. One Night for Love was a wonderful regency and I highly recommend it. Neville's love for Lily never falters even after she tells him of her terrible treatment as a prisioner. To me, that is a true romantic hero.
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Summary: Good, but......
Review: I admit to being a little schizophrenic about this book. Over all, I think I liked it---I certainly didn't hate it. However, I had a real tough time with what happened to Lily when she was a captive. It was very, very ugly, and Lily seemed to recover so very, very easily that I found it totally unbelievable. What happened to Lily was akin to what happened to Jamie in "Outlander" and that one scene in "Outlander" almost ruined the book for me, and what happened to Lily never left my mind at any point in this book. It was simply too dark to be glossed over. Nonetheless, the book was interesting enough and well written enough to keep my interest, although I will never, ever re-read it.
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Summary: It wasn't as great as I thought it was going to be.
Review: I am a big Mary Balogh fan and I loved her other books. But this one was very dissappointing. I was more than a little surprised that her other books were so good that I couldn't put them down, and this one just seems to be dragging along.
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Summary: A nebulous, malleable heroine and a dunderheaded hero.
Review: I expected to enjoy this novel. I love romances, the plot sounded intriguing, and a friend recommended it. (Granted, another friend said it was one of the worst novels she's read, but at least ONE liked it a lot). This is a weak book.The heroine is supposed to be this magnificent, strong remind the reader. Everyone seems to think her charming, elegant, spirited, priceless, dear, brave, etc. Of course, you don't see her being much of anything. She sort of floats around in a cloud of self-pity, a will-o-the-wisp of self-involvement, bemoaning over and over how she would be better off dead, when she wasn't apologizing endlessly for being a nuisance to everyone for being ALIVE. Geesh. Give it a rest. I wanted to like Lily. She had suffered a lot. She was sweet to the poor tenants--although the rich folks weren't her type. Reverse snobbism. But Lily had no driving core. We expect her to be a woman of amazing strength because she walked miles and miles to get to England to be with her "husband", Neville. But once she's there, she's dominated by her insecurities, her childishness, her lack of internal motivation. Instead of complaining how much she wishes she could read and play the piano forte, why not ASK to be taught. Why not DEMAND it as her right as a Countess. Oh, woe is Lily. And Neville. Gee..does he ask for proof his wife is dead? No doctor pronounced it, no burial was confirmed, no bones found. Just that he saw her shot and saw lots of blood. For a seasoned soldier, he's an idiot. Blood and a wound don't EQUAL death. One can recover from a bloody wound. LAter on in the book, he'll go to great lengths--or is willing to--to obtain a particular object. Too bad he didn't go to great lengths to find out his wife wasn't rotting in her grave. The first couple of opening scenes are a total waste. First scene--no reason for it. The one with Neville and his fiance, we learn nothing about the fiance. Wasted chance at characterization. She isn't fleshed out until later. She SHOULD have been fleshed out early, so that when these two women see each other face-tof-face in the church, the import of what's going on is greater for the reader. There are some good bits--enough to keep one reading without total despair. Real feelings being expressed by the rejected, a family reunion that made me teary, a bad guy to add some interest to the mix, and one part where Lily does show some gumption, but it's not convincing. Sadly. There is a Deus-ex-machina kind of resolution--the secret discovery is really so very helpful to tie up loose ends, eh? Yes, the weakest part of this book is what should have been the father, a husband, an aunt-in-law....Lily the zombie. Maybe she DID die. And got reanimated. Would explain a lot
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Summary: Rich in detail, human drama and characterisations
Review: I have long been a fan of Mary Balogh, she creates wonderful characters, intricately woven plots and provides such rich detail that she transports you easily to another time and place. Her characters show a growth and wealth of human frailties that it is easy to know, understand and sympathize with them. Another great read
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Summary: not the greatest from Ms. Balogh...
Review: I liked the book, the cover art and enjoyed the story. The story I liked, because it was different from other typical regency novels. The ending was surprising and unexpected. But I did not think the characters were that great. The love between the Earl of Kilbourne, Neville, and Lily Doyle did not really convince me. I can believe that the two of them fell in love at first sight, that was realistic. But after the separation, and Lilly reappears just before Neville exchanges his vows with his childhood sweetheart, the two 'lovers' just seemed too 'different'. As a reader, you soon realize that the two characters are very unsuited for each other. Whether that was Ms.Balogh's purpose or not, you soon lose interest in the characters. Neville's character seemed too weak. He battles with his feelings for Lilly, not because he was confused, but because he couldn't lead his own life. He kept on following his mother's and sister's opinions on Lilly, and that was what the 3/4 of the novel on. Near the end of the story, he finally snaps awake, and follows his heart. The story just drags on a little too long.
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Summary: EXQUISITE!
Review: I love this section of Amazon, where you can express your opinion. Contrary to some of the other reviewers, I thought this book was a gem! It was near perfect. A breathless, unusual beginning led into the beautiful, exasperating, charming story of Neville and Lily's love. In so many spots, my eyes teared up in sympathy for Lily, then for Neville. They were a superb couple. I loved how they grew and developed but never, EVER stopped loving each other - Mary Balogh is excellent at this type of characterization and plot development. I very much enjoyed her Thief of Dreams and Irresistible, but this one was better. Keep a tissue handy when reading One Night for Love - this was Balogh's best book yet.
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Summary: great historical romance
Review: i loved it! i recommend it! i dare you to read it
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