One Night With You by Sophie Jordan is a historical romance novel. I found this book pretty randomly on Kindle, and its premise seemed promising. This novel follows the story of Lady Jane Guthrie and Seth Rutledge, Earl of St.Clair. This is the third book of the Derrings Series, but I read this one as a standalone.
Jane is treated as an outsider by her in-laws after her husband’s death. She craves freedom and adventure. This is how she ends up going to a masquerade party with her friends; it is here that she runs into Seth. Jane and Seth have a history together, they were close friends growing up, and Jane was madly in love with him. Seth fell for Jane’s sister, and her parents and her sister break his heart. They are sparks immediately between them, but she doesn’t follow through on it. Later, she goes to find him once again cloaked in the same dress and mask as the first night, and this time, neither of them holds back from their attraction to each other.
Seth has been hardened by difficult experiences from his time working in the navy. He was heartbroken by the way Jane’s family treated him, especially her sister. He wants to marry a girl for the sake of security for his sister Julianne, who lost her eyesight after an accident. Seth is captivated by the girl he meets at the masquerade and later, by Jane too. There is definitely chemistry between Seth and Jane from the beginning, even though he is unaware that the girl from the party and Jane are one person. Jane becomes pregnant after her one night with Seth, and everything changes.
Seth and Jane get married after finding out about the baby. Jane is reluctant to accept him because she knows he is doing this out of duty. She still loves him, so it is hard for her to accept such a practical marriage. Her first husband never treated her right, cheated on her all the time, and pulled her down all the time. Later, this tradition continues with her brother-in-law and his wife. Understandably, Jane has some trust issues, but so does Seth. He is furious about her lies; he doesn’t approve of the fact that she hid her identity when they were together.
The romance in the book is a little bit of a slow burner. The characters are interesting from the beginning, even the minor ones. Julianne, Seth’s sister, and his old navy friend and now valet also have a love story that is the subplot of the novel. I didn’t agree with some decisions or choices the characters make in situations, but that’s bound to happen. I would have liked more insight into the bond Jane and Seth shared when they were younger. The tidbits of their past seemed too less to me. Jane is in love with Seth for a long time, and the way he acts distant after their marriage is heartbreaking for her.
The ending of the novel felt rushed. The story had set a good pace from the beginning; it never slowed or got dull. Seth’s realization of his love for Jane seemed abrupt in the end. He cares about her, and one can tell he feels something for her, but he is so adamant about staying away almost until the second chapter. Suddenly in the last chapter, he confesses his love for Jane. It seemed as abrupt and not completely satisfying as it could have been.
One Night With You by Sophie Jordon is an interesting romance novel. I liked the characters; the love story of Jane and Seth was pretty cute. I liked reading this book, but I didn’t love it.
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