Trope Round Up: One Night Stand Historical Romance Books

Slightly Wicked by Mary Balogh (2003)

Judith is on her way to live with her aunt and experiences a stagecoach accident. Rannulf Bedwyn rides by and offers to go to the next town and send help to the stranded stagecoach passengers, and he takes Judith with him. The strangers give each other fake names and identities and spend a steamy couple of days together. They each continue to their intended destinations: Judith is off to her aunt’s as a poor relation to keep her grandmother company while her younger cousin is being trotted out to potential suitors; Rannulf is off to his grandmother’s house where she has found him a potential bride. Of course, they’re both headed to the same town and cross paths when Rannulf comes to call on Judith’s young eligible cousin. Cue awkward social engagements, accusations of lying to each other, one insipid shallow cousin, another aggressive handsy cousin, a layabout brother living beyond his means, and grandmothers who happen to be besties.

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The Duke by Kerrigan Byrne (2017)

So our girl Imogen is a maid working at a brothel by night and a nurse by day. When Cole and his men are at the bar, he requests her services for the night. Some time later, he’s injured from war and in the hospital where she works. He’s a terrible belligerent patient and she saves his life, but he doesn’t recognize her at all. Mostly because she was wearing makeup and a wig at the brothel. While Cole is being a bad patient, Imogen gets into a spot of trouble and is preparing to run away. A sickly old viscount takes pity on her and they enter into a marriage of convenience. We next have a time skip of several years and Imogen is a wealthy widow, living independently. Unfortunately, she crosses paths with Cole again with him thinking she was a gold digger for marrying his elderly neighbor. He’s also been dreaming about and looking for the girl in the brothel he spent that single night with. So then we see what happens as these two grow close again and if Cole ever realizes who’s right in front of him.

And there’s kind of a murderer tossed into the plot too.

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Seducing a Stranger by Kerrigan Byrne (2019)

Previously published as A Dark and Stormy Knight and also serves as Book 7 of the Victorian Rebels series. We start with a midnight tryst in a garden between our gal Prudence and the good Inspector, while he’s there trying to investigate a case. Fast forward to the inspector’s boss’s daughter’s wedding where the groom is stabbed to death before the ceremony, and the bride is holding the knife and covered in blood. And she was his one-night stand. Oh, and she’s pregnant. If that’s not drama, I don’t know what is.

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To Resist a Scandalous Rogue by Liana De la Rosa (2019)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Once Upon a Scandal series. After the scandal that Alethea uncovers in the previous book, her twin brother Finley is at a bit of a loss of direction. At an earl’s debaucherous house party, he meets a woman in the garden and spends one night with her before she disappears on him. Charlotte is a widow who was left with no money, no family, and no protection. She ended up at an earl’s house party thinking to get a maid’s position, but was dismayed to learn that her cousin has offered her an opportunity to be a courtesan. Although she rejects that role, she ended up in Finley’s bed anyway, and runs off before she’s tempted to become his mistress. A year later, Finley is seeking a position in Parliament and Charlotte has become a schoolteacher at a foundling home, and the two cross paths again. With their social class differences, his secrets, her secrets, and his political aspirations, this match is certainly unwise. We get to see them both slowly bring the other person into their confidence and become emotionally entangled. I enjoyed reading this one too and it was a great follow-up to the first book in the series.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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His Study in Scandal by Megan Frampton (2023)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 2 of the School for Scoundrels series. Alexandra is a widowed duchess out of mourning, seeking to take charge of her life by tearing up her mourning gowns, shopping at a modiste her late husband did not approve of, and enjoying a night of pleasure at a hedonistic garden with a handsome stranger. Theo is a wealthy businessman who has just made a deal to marry a duke’s sister but plans to spend one last night at the pleasure gardens before officially meeting her. Theo and Alexandra meet there and spend a steamy night together before parting ways. Complications arise when they realize that Theo has been intended for Alexandra’s daughter, as a way for her stepson, the new duke, to cover the debts that he’s incurred in the last two years. With the brimming attraction between Theo and Alexandra, it’s obvious he cannot marry her daughter, but they need to figure out a way to extricate themselves from this delicate situation or else Alexandra’s stepson will ruin Theo’s business prospects and leave Alexandra and her daughter destitute. With an fun little plot twist of how the daughter gets herself out of the bind.

Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley.

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One Night with an Earl by Tina Gabrielle (2021)

Historical romance. Regency or Victorian-era England. Book 1 of the Daring Ladies series. We start strong here right at a brothel, where Ana is trying to lose her virginity before her thirtieth birthday. Ruined by family scandal a decade prior, Ana now works as a chaperone to a young lady making her debut into society. She seeks one night of pleasure and has the brothel madam help her. Oliver is a newly inherited earl after the death of his father and brother (both of whom were irresponsible and gross) and at the brothel with his brother’s friend’s. Of course, Ana and Oliver are instantly attracted and proceed with a tryst. Later, Ana finds Oliver at her house to court her charge and also that his family is the one who ruined hers. So much potential angst and drama here with the intertwined families, plus Ana has been hiding her identity from the world. At some point, I know the lies will catch up to her, but in the meantime, the development of the romance between these two is absolutely delightful.

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One Night With You by Sophie Jordan (2007)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Derrings series. Oppressed widow Jane accidentally sees her childhood friend Seth at a scandalous masked party that her friends dragged her to attend. Seth had previously been in love with Jane’s sister and was humiliated by her family before going away to war; upon his return to the country, he finds that his father and older brother had died, leaving him the earl and responsible for his blind younger sister. Although Seth is interested in a tryst with the masked lady he met one night, he is looking for a respectable wife that can cause no heartbreak to help protect his sister. When meeting Jane again in the daylight, he’s attracted to her but refuses to become entangled with her. It was interesting to see how Jane steps away from her terrible circumstances through the support of her friends. I also liked reading more about Seth’s sister and her secondary romance within the book, even though Seth was a stubborn idiot for most of the book.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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Her Night with the Duke by Diana Quincy (2021)

Book 1 of the Clandestine Affairs series. Two strangers meet at an inn and hook up and go about their merry way. He’s a duke who is going to meet his soon-to-be fiancee, so he gets there and meets with the girl’s family. And her stepmother is the woman he met at the inn! Talk about awkward. They eventually agree never to bring it up again. Everyone tries to do the honorable thing, etc. But the attraction is obviously still there and we’re just waiting to see how it breaks through. And also wondering how the issue with the impending engagement is going to be resolved. Such a sticky situation and satisfying to read.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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A Scandalous Deal by Joanna Shupe (2018)

We start with a cross-Atlantic ship with a young woman and man meeting on the ship and having a steamy one night stand. When they meet again in New York City, they realize that he’s the owner of the hotel project that she is designing. Yikes. Our gal Eva is an architect who is working on the project, but passing it off as her father’s work, since he’s the famous architect but is very ill. Phillip is the ultra-wealthy hotel owner who is having a hard time wrangling the construction crew who don’t want to listen to a woman. There’s a lot of back and forth here with who’s in charge and keeping things professional, while the these two are so clearly attracted to each other. Plus, there is a fun bit of interaction between Eva and Phillip’s mother, who wants to hire her to work on her Newport cottage renovations.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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