Confessions at Midnight

Author: Jacquie D'Alessandro
Published: December 26, 2007 (Avon)
Category: Regency Romance
Series: Mayhem in Mayfair #2
Rating: 8/10

I was anxiously awaiting the release of this book because I loved Sleepless at Midnight so much. It wasn't a traditional regency romance, as the heroine was sleeping around with the hero without much hope for marriage, but they loved each other. Confessions follows in that same style.

Carolyn Turner, Viscountess Wingate, is absolutely shocked by the Ladies Literary Society of London's latest selection. Memoirs of a Mistress is scandalously explicit and downright wicked... and it's stirring feelings within Carolyn that she hasn't felt... well, ever! She's sure that this steamy read is the only reason she's succumbing to the charms of notorious rogue Daniel Sutton, Lord Surbrooke. She couldn't possibly be falling for the rascal and his illicit caresses... or could she? The last thing Daniel wanted was to be shackled by marriage vows. He lusted after Carolyn, sure, but he never imagined that once he lured her to his bed he'd never want to let her go. Yet only when a murderer targets his beloved will he be spurred to confess his true love... and claim Carolyn as his bride.

I was a little disappointed by this entry into the series. Carolyn is devoted to the memory of her late husband and feels guilty about her feelings for Daniel. Daniel has loved Carolyn ever since he met her on the night her engagement was announced. After all these years loving her from afar, it takes a remarkable amount of time for them to admit their love for each other. It's one of those miscommunication things: She thinks she might love him too, but what's the point? He says he never wants to marry. He thinks she can't stop thinking about her dead husband, so what's the point of revealing his true feelings?

I was amused by Daniel's jealousy and Matthew's (hero of Sleepless) teasing him about it. The rich American upstart, Jennings, who was also in the previous book, is interested in Carolyn, going so far as to kiss her. However, Jennings is observant enough to realize that his pursuit of the lovely widow is useless because she cares for Daniel, and Daniel is constantly glaring daggers at him for even talking to her. I hope that Jennings will have a nice story in this series. He has a refreshing view (for a rich man), that as an American with lots of money, he's not interested in pedigrees and titles like the British are, so he's free to marry a woman who actually interests him (hence his interest in Sarah in the last book).

The next book in this series is scheduled for January 2009 release. Sigh. That's a really long time.