Amanda Cynster, and her twin sister Amelia, almost gave up on the prospect of obtaining an acceptable spouse among London's glittering ton. Then Amanda decided that maybe all the interesting men were not attending the balls, dinners, and other bride market affairs. In fact, they were probably not looking for wives at all. So with that in mind, Amanda decided to descend into one of London's notorious gambling hells and found herself embroiled in a dangerous wager. What started out as a simple lark turned into scandal in the making until the reclusive Earl of Dexter stepped in.

Dexter introduced himself simply as Martin. Amanda's interest was captured by the lean and sensuous Martin. In fact, she speculated that just maybe he was the one. The only way to find out was to spend time together, which Martin wasn't interested in doing. Dexter stayed in the shadows of society due to an old scandal. He wasn't willing to be rejected by the society's grand dames; therefore he couldn't be interested in a lady, especially a Cynster. He bid a reluctant farewell to the scintillating Amanda, expecting never to see her again.

The one thing that seemed so familiar about Dexter was his willingness to rescue her, so like her Cynster cousins. What was obviously a good trait would be twisted to keep the mysterious Earl by Amanda's side. Dexter, shocked once again to find Amanda in an inappropriate party, hustled her out after extracting a promise she would behave. Of course, the promise was based on Dexter showing her all those avenues of excitement she so longed to travel. The Earl felt confident that he could safely shepherd Amanda's adventures with her innocence intact. What he was unaware of was that Amanda's mission was just the opposite.

What the two didn't anticipate as they enticed and retreated was that the old scandal would come back to life. Along with the rumors being whispered about in the various homes, events began to occur that could only be traced back to someone who wanted to hurt Amanda or Dexter, or perhaps both. The time to declare their love to one another depended on their ability to stay alive on that one wild night.

ON A WILD NIGHT keeps a tight rein on suspense with Amanda constantly courting scandal in order to catch Dexter's attention. Not only does Dexter shadow her to prevent her next adventure, but the murderer stays close, which keeps the pages turning almost on their own. The Cynsters men figure prominently in the story with their devilish charm and over protectiveness of the Cynster women. The chemistry between Amanda and Dexter sizzles loudly throughout the book. Amelia, the twin sister, serves as a sounding board for Amanda's more outrageous ideas. There are also allusions to Amelia that let you know another Cynster book is well on its way.

Fast read, good fun, and a great couple. Another triumph in the world of Romantic Fiction for Stephanie Laurens--write on.

Reviewed by Morgan Wyatt
© August 2004