Erica Ridley: One Night to Remember

Meet the unforgettable men of London’s most notorious tavern, The Wicked Duke. Seductively handsome, with charm and wit to spare, one night with these rakes and rogues will never be enough…

Notorious whip Giles Langford is surprised to learn his blacksmith is a girl, shocked to realize she’s the out-of-his-league sister of a duke, and horrified to discover he’s fallen in love with the impossible-to-tame woman anyway. With no money and no title, Giles has nothing to offer but his heart…

Felicity Sutton knows poverty firsthand, and she’s never going back. She might miss the smithy, but not the relentless desperation of no home and an empty belly. Of course she’ll accept the stability of a wealthy ton suitor. As for the penniless daredevil she loves, well… At least they’ll have one night to remember.

To date, I have read most books in this switch off novella series including Darcy Burke’s One Night of Scandal and One Night of Surrender and Erica Ridley’s One Night for Seduction and One Night of Passion. I have liked them all to varying degrees, but this latest one by Ridley, One Night to Remember, is my favorite.

Why? Delicious and sexy hero and Curricle King Giles who a feminist ally…and Lady Felicity, a woman who has had to masquerade as a boy and is now a highly skilled coach racing mechanic. I just adored the sweet interaction between the two, the novelty of a Regency era lady mechanic, and the true romance that forms between these otherwise unlikely loves.

Most of the conflict is the will they/won’t they variety focused on their class differences. If you have read the other Wicked Dukes books and met Lady Felicity, you already know she is a bit eccentric by Regency standards. But when we meet her again in this novella, she is determined to make a match. Preferably a wealth peer who will agree to support her desires to start a children’s charity. She has decided to stop doing the things she loves (working on coaches and wearing breeches) for the greater good.

Meanwhile, her brother the Duke (who go his HEA in One Night for Seduction) has made a wager and need the Curricle King to race his suped up curricle that Lady Felicity has been modifying. Giles is driven also by a passion for mentoring others, and to make his father’s smithy a smashing success. As a customer of the Wicked Dukes, many of his clients are lords…as well as many of the race opponents.

After a tough batch of books (thus the lag in posted reviews), I was so happy to quickly fall in love with the MCs and their love story. And grateful it was on the shorter side and only took a couple of hours to read.

I suppose a reader might complain a bit about the anachronisms/prochronisms and the feminist bent, but I found it was just what I needed to soothe my soul after a tough week. It features a Lady wrenching in the mews. So, at a minimum, its eyebrow raising. And Giles is a feminist ally who encourages her to wear trousers and support lady mechanic apprentices. Its boundary pushing territory that I think will push some readers over. Especially if they are wanting a Dukish, glittering ballroom, tittering behind fans sort of Regency. But if you are having one of those weeks where a deep breath isn’t helping you push through the patriarchy, this book might help.

This was on the sweeter side, so not a pants on fire/feelings read, so if you are looking to set your bed on fire give this one a pass until you need something a bit more gentle.

I adored it, want more of it, and would recommend to those looking for a feminist leaning fun novella that features MCs from different classes finding love.

5 Stars 5 out of 6 Racing mad MCs find each other and love, despite class differences