"amusing chick lit regency"

In 1813 the five wealthy Merry Widows serve as the board of trustees for the Benevolent Widows Fund. Though their late spouses were kind individuals each has vowed to not marry again as they like the freedom death provided them. One of the quintet, Lady Gosworth tells her companions that she spent the winter warmed by a youthful lover. Grace, Beatrice and Marianne are shocked while Wilhelmina just smiles. The ladies agree to consider lovers and to continue to support one another regardless.

Marianne turns to her late husband's best friend Adam Cazenove, a noted rake, for guidance. He detests the thought of Marianne with a lover though he rationalizes that the memory of David may be why he rejects the idea. She persuades him to go over her list of possible candidates, but he finds a reason to eliminate most; those he cannot cross off in good conscience he plans to stop any tryst from happening. If anyone is going to sleep with Marianne it will be him though he is betrothed to Clarissa Leighton-Blair and he fears he is not the man that David was.

IN THE THRILL OF THE NIGHT is an amusing chick lit regency due to the wild antics of the lead male. Though Adam is engaged and rejects the notion of twenty-nine years old Marianne remaining celibate the rest of her life (he assumes marriage one day), he cannot tolerate any of those pretenders sleeping with her so he performs humorous intercessions to prevent the men from doing so. Fans will enjoy his zany escapades as he eventually realizes that he loves Marianne, but doubts she reciprocates because he assumes David filled her soul.

Harriet Klausner

Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Posted February 10, 2006

Summary

Assured of both money and position, none of the five friends who form the Merry Widows need ever marry again. But they have no intention of forsaking physical passion for the rest of their lives. So they make a daring pact—each will consider taking a lover for the pure pleasure of it.

Marianne Nesbitt adored her late husband David, but the racy reminiscences of the Merry Widows make her wonder if she missed something special. Might she find it now through a love affair? Uncertain how to go about it, she asks Adam Cazenove, an old friend and notorious rake, to tutor her in the arts of seduction.

The brazen request turns Adam's world upside down. He never imagined his best friend's very proper and exceedingly attractive widow would seek out a lover. If not for his recent betrothal, he would jump at the chance to warm her bed. Since he cannot bear the thought of another man doing so, he foils her every attempt at seduction. Until one night of unintended passion changes everything...