Member Reviews

The third book in the Wicked Dukes Club series. It is well written, as Erica Ridley's stories are. I found this story harder to stay interested in. The characters are well developed, even though they are a little annoying. He believes he'll find true love, and she doesn't believe a man can be trusted. The support characters/animals definitely make the story interesting and a great diversion.

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One Night of Passion ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️by Erica Ridley

I am a big fan of Ms Ridley’s because she is my go to author for fun. This book is a quick read that draws you in and keeps you till the end.

I just loved the romantic Thaddeus Middleton and his mission to hunt for a wife. Miss Weatherby is an independent woman. Not in the least bit interested in marriage. Ms Ridley meshes them into a love match as only she can do. An enjoyable read..

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It was a pleasant read, but the "night of passion" and the ending do not fit the season or the reservations shown by the characters during the story.

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Quick yet highly entertaining, emotional, heartwarming and engaging journey filled with witty dialogue, intriguing charters and a passion that will not be ignored..... was a great read from beginning to end and I really enjoyed the adventure.

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A historical romance where our heroine has but one objective, which is to remain single, until she reaches her 25th birthday. She is to come into a trust, at that age, and intends to embark on a life of adventure. Enter our hero into the scene. He is a plain Mister, who is liked by everyone, and determined to find a true love match. When the two engage with each other sparks begin to fly. The question is whether or not he can convince her to risk all to be his beloved wife. An enjoyable story from beginning to end.

I have rated this book 4 stars.

I received an ARC from Netgalley for my unbiased review.

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Thaddeus Middleton is on the hunt for a wife and hopes to find a woman who wants him, not his money. He is drawn to Priscilla Weatherby who isn't interested in him at all.

Priscilla Weatherby must remain unmarried if she is going to inherit a fortune and her independence. Until she meets Thad, she has not been tempted to fall in love.

I am thrilled with this series. I love the characters in each book and how they are intertwined. Thad was a great hero looking for his own HEA. He finds Priscilla that is searching for her own adventure and independence. I loved how Thad was able to show Priscilla the love she needed. Wonderful book!

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher. Thank you!!

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I love anything Erika Ridley writes! She is really a great Storyteller! Best Historical Romance writer! I just devour her books!

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Love. Love. Love historical romance novels! This was a great read - I fell in love with the hero as he was dashing and in love with the heroine. I hope to read more books like One Night of Passion!.

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One Night of Passion by Erica Ridley is a delightful read. Our hero, Thaddeus Middleton is a true romantic, a friend to everyone and an all-around good guy. And he is unapologetically looking for love:

Surely he’d recognize love when he saw it. Love was impossible to miss. Love felt like the singing of angels and the thunder of fireworks…..That was what Thad longed for. Not just “until death do us part” but “in love from now till death, and forever after.” He’d been searching for it for as long as he could remember.

Priscilla Weatherby is searching for adventure. Her father and grandfather are adventurers, combing the globe in search of new fun, and she longs to join them. She stands to receive ten-thousand pounds if she is still unwed by her twenty-fifth birthday – provided she puts herself in situations where she could meet a husband – and is undeterred by her grandmother’s continual admonishments to get married.

The goal was adventuring with Papa and Grandfather...not that Priscilla doubted their sincerity in welcoming her aboard after her twenty-fifth birthday. They might not remember to come and fetch her, but wasn’t that what the inheritance was for? ...Once she found them...once she proved herself….she’d be positively indispensable, wouldn’t she? ….And finally become non-leave-behind-able.

So, she is biding her time, and attending Marriage Mart functions while doing her best to dissuade would-be suitors. It’s a plan that has served her well - only a year and a half to go - until she is approached by Thaddeus at Almack’s.

Sparks fly. But Priscilla is committed to her plan and snubs him. Thaddeus is only slightly deterred, however; he has noticed Priscilla before and is determined to follow where the sparks lead. Thaddeus keeps showing up and eventually, a friendship ensues and he ends up teaching her to read French by writing her letters every day. What follows is a sweet series of interludes and letters that are sprinkled with delightful humor:

A hesitant maid appeared in the corridor and wrung her hands just outside the threshold. “Mrs. Weatherby said…”

“To let Mr. Middleton ravish me,” Priscilla concluded drily. “Duly noted. You can be dismissed if any bosoms start heaving. Meanwhile, he’s about to let the cat out of the bag. If it attacks Koffi hit Mr. Middleton with a skillet.”

The maid sent her startled gaze toward Thaddeus.

“Fair enough,” he assured her. “Mostly because I see you’ve forgotten your skillet.”

Priscilla is a smart and feisty heroine. She hates that she’s been left alone with her grandmother for years while her father is off on adventures and is sure she can only be happy when she finds and joins her father and grandfather. All she has to do is wait a little longer and her life will begin. But Thaddeus is turning her well-laid plans to mush.

Thaddeus is convinced that the right woman will make his life perfect. He’s waiting, too - for destiny to sweep him into his future. At first glance, Thaddeus seems a little bland but there is more to him than meets the eye. He is a refreshing hero who is truly looking for love and is willing to do the work to find it. There is no game-playing or unnecessary angst. Just a lot of sweetness and humor – which are missing in many heroes these days!

The story unfolds at a good pace and is resolved in a very satisfying manner. Thaddeus and Priscilla have their obstacles to overcome but the story is well-written and interesting the whole way through.

Ms. Ridley doesn’t always stick to the conventions of the time about which she’s writing, and Priscilla is more aware of her sensuality than many heroines in this genre. But, if you can let go of the parameters of the era and just allow the story to unfold, you’ll be in for a good time.

One Night of Passion is the third installment in the Wicked Dukes Club series. (The series is not just about dukes but rather the members at the Wicked Dukes Club - which hosts some amusing characters.) In an interesting turn, Ms. Ridley is writing some of the stories and Darcy Burke is writing the others. I haven’t read any of the other books but I will probably pick them up since the supporting characters in this one (who will star in the other novels) are engaging.

I was pleasantly surprised by this story. I’ve read and enjoyed some of Ms. Ridley’s books before but this is the funniest and most enjoyable so far. Pack it for your vacation - it would make a great beach read!

Buy it at: Amazon/Apple Books/Barnes & Noble/Kobo
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*3.5 stars*

I read almost everything that Erica Ridley writes, and though my all-time favorite of hers is Never Say Duke, all of her stories are consistently well done. I know I can count on her for a good (sometimes great) story, and One Night of Passion fits the bill.

One Night of Passion had an interesting, well-conceived female MC. I actually loved her and understood her obsession with adventure and connecting to her relatives, and I thought that Erica Ridley delivered with her. The male MC was more... irritating? He was too nice, too sappily romantic, and though he was perfectly fine (I'm being picky), I just had a harder time with him. He talked about "the one" incessantly, and felt like a tween-age girl.

The story was sweet and a super fast read (I read it in less than a day), and it was another dependable book from Erica Ridley.

*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*

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One Night of Passion, the third book in the Wicked Dukes Club series, is an absolute delight. Erica Ridley has told us a story that is sweet, heart-wrenching and very enjoyable.
Thaddeus Middleton is a straightforward hero who has an easy going personality, is fun and is known as the "good guy". He wants to marry for love and firmly believes he will which is a refreshing break from all the brooding arrogant heroes. Priscilla, on the other hand, broke my heart. Her dream is to travel the world with her father and grandfather because of which she stays away from the marriage mart. She tries her best to distance herself from Thaddeus but is unable to. I mean I totally understand her stance, cause Thad can melt rock with his goodness. At the end, things work out for everyone.


I really like how Erica Ridley wrote Thad's character. Usually, I'm little wary of beta heroes because they can seem bland. But Thad had so much wit and charisma that it was a pleasure to read this short novella. I just wish it was longer.

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This was a complimentary copy from netgalley - many thanks

I love a bit of regency romance and this is right up there

If you like your heroine a bit out of the ordinary, you'll love this

A short, novella, it was very easy to read. I loved the role reversal premise, It was great to read a romance out of the 'norm' and what you would normally expect from the romance genre

Would highly recommend

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One Night of Passion is the third book in the Wicked Dukes Club series. Thaddeus Middleton is no duke however. Nor does he come with a huge fortune or any entailed estate. He does have a generous income that leaves him comfortably off. In today’s terms he would probably be ranked among the middle class. All he wants from life is a wife who will love him for himself, not because of any great fortune or because a match with him would be advantageous. A certain Miss Priscilla Weatherby has caught his eye. What he doesn’t know though is she has a plan of her own. She’s under the impression that if she reaches the age of 25 and is still unmarried she stands to inherit a fortune which will allow her her independence to follow in the footsteps of her adventuring father and grandfather and explore the dark continent along with her pet parrot.

I loved the role reversal in this book with the hero being the one who wants to marry for love. He comes across as a genuinely nice guy who will love his wife and any children they have and never dream of cheating on them. After all a man who loves kittens can’t be bad can he? Part of me hated Priscilla for hurting him and for having her head in the clouds when it comes to the men in her family and being blind to their numerous faults. Thankfully she comes to her senses before it’s too late. I can’t wait to find out which ‘duke’ will be the next one to fall victim to Cupid’s arrow.

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I got to be honest. I have been on a roll with this series, mostly because they are the shorties I need in my life right now. See my review for the first and second novellas in this series. Enough chunky emotion and delightful romance, but abbreviated. You know, because home improvements. And my own writing schedule. And in laws. Life.

So if like me, dear Regency Reader, you are finding your reading time slashed by the stuff of life, I recommend picking these up. It took me a couple of hours, mostly hiding out in the bath tub, to finish and I was well entertained.

This is the third installment in the Wicked Dukes Club, a series where Erica Ridley and Darcy Burke are alternating titles. This is Ridley’s second novella, and features a beta hero who is toothache sweet and a funny, kind of weird wallflower who longs for adventure. She’s a bit older at 24, albeit a virgin who has never been kissed, and lives with a naughty parrot and a grumpy grandma.

Thad is on the hunt for a wife this Season after feeling the burn of his empty nest (his ward was married off in book one) when he spies Priscilla at Almacks holding up the wall. A bit of insta love, but mostly because she quickly rebuffs his request to dance. And pretty much tells him to bugger off. And that drives the man wild.

The rest of the novella is him courting and her side stepping, until she can no longer resist the handsome, sweet hunk. There is little angst or drama, just the push and pull of two people who seem fated to be mated.

Thad is lovable, at least in my book, because not only is he beta but he is not titled. Or super rich. He is handsome, but he is also incredibly kind. Gah, I get so tired of the perfect Dukes. I get some love the fantasy of sa-xy lordlings and their luxurious lives. If you are one of those Regency Readers, this book will probably make you go blah. Or maybe it will change your mind about reading non-Duke oriented Regencies.

Priscilla is the type of heroine I expect, headstrong, focused but also willing to risk everything for the man she loves.

Overall, a sweet and simple romance that is a speedy and satisfying read. There is one night of passion, which is not in depth but still features on the page intimacy.

Just released, I recommend this series for Reg Rom lovers looking for something quick, sweet and often funny to squeeze in between the dogged days of summer.

CW: vague references to suicide, issues of abandonment

★★★★★★ 4.25 out of 6 Beta hero courts sassy wallflower

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London 1817. A gentleman looking for a love match finds he cannot stop thinking about an unconventional lady who is interested in adventure and independence, not marriage. Can they both get what they want and still find what they need? Getting to the answer is a great read! Hits all the marks for a fun historical romance. Both main characters are quirky and original with lots of sparks between them. Their banter had me smiling throughout. Very enjoyable! The story stuck with me even when I wasn't reading and after I was finished.

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Priscilla has grown up alone in a house full of riches in the illusion that her absent father and grandfather will return to fill the empty place in her life. Thaddeus has grown up as witness to his parents unhappy and resentful yet 'leg-shackled'. He promises himself that he will marry for true love or nothing. She is accustomed to thinking of marriage as a gilded cage to be avoided. But neither of them can deny their fascination for each other.

He loves to write the stories of everyone around him; she is certain that all the adventures are somewhere she is not, but she means to go there. Can he convince her that she is herself an adventure? Because it turns out that when her long-absent father drops in, he does not have time for Priscilla, and does not remember any of the things she's been hoping for. The real joy she has achieved from knowing Thad would be lost if she trusts in her father's vague promises. Papa is aboard ship again that very night.

Ridley manages to make even the smallest characters three-dimensional while never taking the focus away from the pair who are making their way toward one another, through veils of their own preconceptions. It's a heady formula indeed and it satisfies this reader once again.

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This book was short and sweet. I loved the Princess Charming trope—a man who’s looking for his one true love. There was just enough conflict to keep up the angst and make the ending sweet. Priscilla and Thaddeus may be anachronisms and/or labeled as odd because of their longings for independence and love in an age when both were considered revolutionary, but I don’t think they are as much as history would have us believe. This is why historical romance exists—because it’s not that much of a stretch of the imagination to believe that these feelings are universal.

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A role reversal makes this a fresh, engaging story with characters to root for and pets too. Some surprises at the end but it still turns out well.
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It was a little close to another story by this author that has an adventurous heroine with a trunk packed to travel but different enough to be a separate story. I feel the title is a little off.

I received a free ARC from netgalley.

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Ah, I love a heroine who is actively resisting society's pressure to get married! A Regency a bit outside the normal fare, this pair of lovers will keep you interested until the last page. Recommend
I provided an honest review in exchange for a free advance reader's copy.

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One Night of Passion (Wicked Dukes Club, #3) by Erica Ridley is a heartwarming historical romance. While Book 3 in this series it can be read as a stand alone.

Meet, Thaddeus Middleton, whose on the hunt for a wife. And, Miss Priscilla Weatherby, who will inherit a fortune if she stays scandal free and unwed, until her 25th birthday.

Fast paced, well written and well crafted story of love, romance, endearing characters, with humor, fun banter between the Priscilla and Thad, some emotional issues, and a couple of the cutest pets, and of course, a satisfying HEA. Once again, Ms. Ridley has written a story that is heartwarming, compelling and intriguing. I enjoy this series and would highly recommend ONE NIGHT OF PASSION.
#NetGalley, #OneNightofPassion,#Eri aRidley,#WicjedDukesClub

Rating: 5
Heat rating: Mild
Reviewer: AprilR

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