On a Long Ago Night
Grade : B-

On a Long Ago Night is the type of romance you can really sink your teeth into. It's lush, exotic, and passionate - in a good way. It's primarily set in England in 1838 (around the time of Queen Victoria's coronation), but there are frequent flashbacks to Algiers in 1830. Partly because so much of the book is told in flashbacks, some bits and pieces don't quite come together. Still, it's an exciting, evocative read.

Lady Honoria Pyne is a true rarity. As an heiress to a dukedom that can be inherited by a female, she is rich and sought after by fortune hunters. She has no particular plans to marry, but her father is ready for grandchildren, so he takes her to London for the coronation season. Almost immediately, her worst nightmare comes true as two men from her past appear.

The first is Captain Derrick Russell, the fiancé who jilted her. The other, more disturbing man is James Marbury, who was Honoria's captor years ago in Algiers. At first Honoria is not sure that James can really be the man she knew as Diego Moresco. Back then he had a beard and spoke Arabic, and now he looks like the perfect English gentleman and claims to be the long lost son of a viscount.

Both Derrick and James now want to marry Honoria, but she is still furious with both of them. She has no feeling left for her former fiancé, but she can't stop thinking about James. She can't deny her attraction to James, but she doesn't want to be manipulated into marriage either - especially when she doesn't know anything about James's feelings or motives. When Honoria trusted her passionate desires before, the results were disastrous. She and James need to come to an understanding about their past - and defeat a dangerous enemy - before they can explore their love for each other.

The best thing about this book is the heroine. Honoria is almost six feet tall, with freckles, bright red hair, and glasses. She always seems self-assured and regal to outsiders. But although she knows that she is a very sensual person, she is still insecure about her looks. Any reader who is near-sighted will be able to appreciate the scenes in which Honoria appears in public without her spectacles - and sees everything in muted blurs. James thinks her uncommon height is wonderful, and he doesn't mind her glasses either. He doesn't back away from Honoria's fierce temper, and it's clear from the beginning that he is the man for her.

For the most part, the flashbacks work really well. They appear throughout the book, so the reader finds out about the past and the present simultaneously. Since the flashbacks are always italicized, it's easy to keep the past and present straight. The overall effect adds to both the sexual tension and the pacing of the novel. The only problem with this structure is that some scenes get glossed over. For example, we never see the scene in which James and Honoria make love for the first time, which left me more than a little curious. The end also feels somewhat rushed - I found myself wishing there were at least fifty more pages of story.

Because both books feature heroes who spent time in the Middle East, On a Long Ago Night is bound to invite comparisons to Christina Dodd's Rules of Surrender, which was released earlier this year. I feel that this book is the stronger read; the characters are more likable and the story is on a grander scale. If you are in the mood for a passionate, exotic read, I encourage you to give this one a try.

Reviewed by Blythe Smith
Grade : B-

Sensuality: Hot

Review Date : May 14, 2000

Publication Date: 2000

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Blythe Smith

I've been at AAR since dinosaurs roamed the Internet. I've been a Reviewer, Reviews Editor, Managing Editor, Publisher, and Blogger. Oh, and Advertising Corodinator. Right now I'm taking a step back to concentrate on kids, new husband, and new job in law...but I'll still keep my toe in the romance waters.
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