REVIEW: His At Night by Sherry Thomas

ISBN 9780553592443

Genre: Historical Romance

(c) May 2010, Bantam

Sherry Thomas's website

Rating: 4 stars

Available at Book Depository (print).

Elissande Edgerton is desperate for a way out of her situation, where she and her aunt are oppressed by her uncle, and the only way out presented itself in the form of the Marquis of Vere. She'd learned to hide her true feelings and wit and intelligence all her life behind a smiling face, never guessing that the facade Vere presented to the world was but a mask as well.

The story started out slow for me, probably because the author has to set the stage where Elissande would first be taken in by Vere's facade and vice-versa. Because the point of view jumped from Elissande to Vere to Elissande to Vere and so on after a page or two of each scene, I thought the tone of the first few scenes was a bit awkward and disjointed. The scenes where Vere acted the fool for Elissande's benefit were hilarious though. The story, however, engaged my attention from the scene after their hasty wedding. But it started to get real interesting when Elissande realized Vere was merely pretending to be an idiot.

Elissande is the picture of the woman of her time, where a woman doesn't have power or money, and her only escape lies in making a good marriage. When she thought she was wed to the idiot Vere, she resolved to be a good wife to him. Perhaps her resolution was because she felt remorse for entrapping Vere into marriage (to escape her intolerable situation), or perhaps it was just what women of her times did--make the best of her marriage, no matter that her husband wasn't whom she really wanted. Still, there's strength in that, and I admire her for it.

Vere, however, disguises his spy work for the Crown behind the face of a fool. Which is something you don't see often, if at all, in historical romances. Spies are usually dashing and sexy and sharp. Not so Vere. His disguise is that of a bumbling idiot whom no one takes seriously, but when he dropped his disguise, as he had done unconsciously at times in Elissande's presence, his sharpness is revealed, along with a speaking tone that is hard and cutting. I was afraid I'd be bored or worse, disgusted, by Vere when he's in idiot disguise, but I have to admit the author wrote his scenes particularly well, making him quite interesting during those times.

Their romantic development could've done with a touch more romance, but the ending was to-die-for. I absolutely love the picture of the man who suddenly realizes he couldn't live without the heroine, then panics and goes off to chase after her. Totally satisfying. *good sigh*

Book Summary: 

Love is hottest in the darkness before dawn.

Elissande Edgerton is a desperate woman, a virtual prisoner in the home of her tyrannical uncle. Only through marriage can she claim the freedom she craves. But how to catch the perfect man? 

Lord Vere is used to baiting irresistible traps. As a secret agent for the government, he’s tracked down some of the most devious criminals in London, all the while maintaining his cover as one of Society’s most harmless—and idiotic—bachelors. But nothing can prepare him for the scandal of being ensnared by Elissande. 

Forced into a marriage of convenience, Elissande and Vere are each about to discover that they’re not the only one with a hidden agenda. With seduction their only weapon—and a dark secret from the past endangering both their lives—can they learn to trust each other even as they surrender to a passion that won’t be denied?

Exclusive Peek: His At Night by Sherry Thomas

From Sherry Thomas:

The wedding scene below takes place in a London Hotel, not just any hotel, but the Savoy London. I’d originally wanted to set the scene in Claridge’s, but Claridge’s, alas, was closed for renovation during all of 1897, the year in which HIS AT NIGHT is set.

Until Claridge’s reopened, the Savoy was probably the most modern and elegant hotel in all of London. It had its famous restaurant, helmed by the legendary Escoffier. It provided electricity twenty-four hours a day and elevators that were referred to as ascension rooms. Unlike many older hotels, which didn’t have en-suite bathrooms, the Savoy spared its guests the indignity of having to stand in their robes in the morning and wait for the baths down the bathroom down the hall to become available. Not to mention its advantageous location on the river, right next to Cleopatra’s Needle. (See attached image of its terrace, where the fashionable crowd took their afternoon tea.)

So, now you know where the hero and the heroine are, I hope you enjoy the excerpt from their wedding night!

Exclusive Excerpt:

“Our marriage has come as a shock to both of us. I’m loath to impose myself on you when everything has been so rushed and . . . bizarre. Why don’t we go on at a more leisurely pace?"

“No.” She shook her head. “We don’t have the time.”

He gave her a look that was almost sardonic. “We’ve a lifetime—or so the clergyman said.”

She needed to be mindful about her future consumption of Sauternes. Not only were her eyes functioning only questionably, but her tongue had become thick and unwieldy. She had a coherent argument in her head concerning the urgency of the consummation. But she could not motivate her mandible to deliver that argument. It flatly refused.

So she tilted her head and smiled at him instead, not because she had to, but because she wanted to.

His reaction was to pick up the whiskey on his nightstand and take a swig directly from the bottle. Oh, dear, but that was a very masculine thing to do. Very forceful and decisive.

Attractive.

Indeed, his whole person was attractive. Outstandingly handsome. That thick, slightly unruly hair that glinted like polished bronze. That bone structure. Those wide, tightly sinewed shoulders.

“I forgot what color are your eyes,” she murmured.

How preposterous that after four days of acquaintance—and a wedding ceremony—she didn’t remember the color of his eyes.

“They are blue.”

“Really?” She was beguiled. “How wonderful. May I see?”

With that, she approached him and peered up. He was very tall, taller than she’d remembered, somehow, and she had to place her hands on his arms and stand on her tiptoes to see deeply into his eyes.

“Many people have blue eyes,” he said.

“But yours are extraordinary.” Truly they were. “They are the color of the Hope Diamond.”

“Have you ever seen the Hope Diamond?”

“No, but now I know what it must look like.” She sighed. “And you smell good.”

“I smell like whiskey.”

“Yes, that too. But”—she breathed in deeply—“better.”

She could not define or describe it. It was a warm scent, like that of sheets freshly returned from the laundry. Or that of sunbaked stones.

“You’ve had too much to drink, haven’t you?”

She stared at his mouth, firm yet enticing. “‘Thy lips, O my spouse, drop as the honeycomb: honey and milk are under thy tongue; and the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon.’”

“You’ve had too much to drink.”

She smiled. He was so very amusing too. Her hands spread against his arms. So firm, they were, yet so smooth. She remembered the night of Squeak Piggy Squeak. She’d liked touching him even then. No wonder. He was marvelous to touch and he smelled like Lebanon.

She looked up into his eyes. He did not smile back at her. But he was very handsome this way, severe and judgmental.

“‘Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth,’” she murmured. “‘For thy love is better than wine.’”

“No,” he said.

She wrapped her arms about his neck and touched her mouth to his. But only for an instant. He firmly removed her person. “You are completely inebriated, Lady Vere.”

“No, not inebriated. Intoxicated,” she declared proudly.

“In either case, you should go to your room and lie down.”

“I want to lie down with you,” she breathed. “‘He shall lie all night betwixt my breasts.’”

“Jesus,” he said.

“No, Elissande. My name is Elissande.”

“This is enough, Lady Vere. You may leave now.”

“But I don’t wish to.”

“Then I will leave.”

“But you cannot.”

“Oh, can’t I?”


Summary from Author's Website:

Elissande Edgerton is a desperate woman, a virtual prisoner in the home of her tyrannical uncle. Only through marriage can she claim the freedom she craves. But how to catch the perfect man?

Lord Vere is used to baiting irresistible traps. As a secret agent for the government, he’s tracked down some of the most devious criminals in London, all the while maintaining his cover as one of Society’s most harmless—and idiotic—bachelors. But nothing can prepare him for the scandal of being ensnared by Elissande.

Forced into a marriage of convenience, Elissande and Vere are each about to discover they’re not the only one with a hidden agenda. With seduction their only weapon against each other—and a dark secret from the past endangering both their lives—can they learn to trust each other even as they surrender to a passion that won’t be denied?

Available at Book Depository.

REVIEW: Not Quite A Husband by Sherry Thomas

(c) 2009, Bantam Books, Random House
338 pages, Mass-Market EditionAuthor's Website

Summary:
Bryony Asquith left her tumultous marriage behind and went to India, not expecting that one day, her ex-husband Leo Marsden would come after her. Leo, whose smile had felled her. Leo, who broke her heart before they could say their vows. Leo, whom she still loved.

Review:
The short review: I laughed and cried as I read this book. And cried again. Definitely a keeper!

The long review:

Where to start?

I have to gush about Leo. He's a totally to-die-for hero. I think his most endearing quality is that he has loved Bryony since his youth, and even after the terrible things Bryony has done to him, he still continued to love her, protect her and stayed faithful to her. Throughout the book, we can see Leo taking care of her, making sure she's comfortable, that she's not hungry, etc. And I like that he decided to trust Bryony in the end--trust her regarding their future. This is a powerful story of how love makes us a better person.

I especially love the last paragraph of the book. Read it and I dare you not to get tears in your eyes.

Bryony comes across as prickly and antagonistic toward Leo, at least in the beginning, but she has reason. Good reason, though I don't know why she couldn't have confronted Leo with the truth in the first place. Maybe because of the shame she felt, the shame which shut her mouth. Others may this decry this as The Big Miscommunication issue that could've been resolved easily enough, but I feel that the author carried this off well enough due to the emotions that the character was feeling. Moreover, even if Bryony and Leo had talked about this during the first few months of their marriage, the problem might still have existed, because as Leo said (not exact words), there is something about war that distills everything into the essential: that only love matters, in the end.

When one is near death, or close to, because in war, one never knows, one then realizes the things that are truly important.

Though most of the book happened in war-torn India, the author's vivid descriptions made this exotic setting come alive. However, most of the descriptions of the different tribes and the animosity between and among them went right over my head because, to be honest, I truly don't have any idea what these tribes are and I also couldn't be bothered to go look for a map while I'm the grip of the story. Except for Swat Valley, of course.

Sherry Thomas is simply amazing with this book, combining a vivid description of the setting with a sweet, powerful story of love that touches the heart. Highly recommended.

Book Rating: 5 stars