One Dangerous Night is the second book in Cathy Maxwell's The Gambler's Daughters series and this one is one of my absolute favorite tropes-road trip! Maxwell is a historical romance author who has been writing in this genre for many years, and at times her novels have the slightly older school late '90s early 2000s feel, but in this series I can definitely see some strides that Maxwell has been taking that are bringing her style more up to date. This novel was a really charming and romantic one. Maxwell's writing was clear and open, her character's were fun and dimensional, and the pacing was really well balanced. This love story was romantic and soft and was allowed to beautiful build on this journey these two character's find themselves entangled on. I love that the hero and heroine felt like equals, I love that they both grow on this journey to trust each other and there is no silly 3rd act breakup or mistrust between them. This was such a joyful, fun and flirty ride and a lot of the mystery surrounding the heroine's father is brought to light in this installment. I would highly recommend this series if you are looking for a light historical romance which heavily features the haphazard nature of a road trip!

Excellent continuation of the series. Elise Lanscarr, the youngest, boldest sister with the temper, is angry at her sister Dara who married Michael Brogan at the end of the previous book, the man that Elise thought she loved. She is angry that as a single woman, she is forced to live with them. So she runs away, back to Ireland, where she isn't wanted, without thinking it through. Christopher Firtzhugh-Cox, Duke of Winderton, aka, Kit, has done the same thing, running away from hurt and responsibility. He has taken on the persona of Shakespeare's Prince Hal. They meet on a mail coach that has a fatal accident, of which only the two of them survive and must join forces to continue to do so. Along the way they pick up an abandoned puppy and the three continue on their journey of discovery, about the world around them, each other and themselves.

I so much enjoyed reading this story and eagerly await Book 3 about Gwendolyn and Steele. I was gifted with an Advanced Reader's Copy from the publisher, via NetGAlley.com. This I say honest, unbiased and voluntary review.

One Dangerous Night by Cathy Maxwell is book two of the Gambler’s daughters and just as the first book in the series was delightful, this continuation does not disappoint. In this installment we find Elise running away because her sister has married the man, she had set her heart o and she cannot bear her happiness any longer, nor her gloating at having won Elise’s man, at least to her thinking. In her mad dash to run off and return to Ireland she gets on a stagecoach that is clearly being handled by an inebriated coachman and so almost all the passengers decide to wait for the next coach. The lone remaining passenger turns out to be Christopher Fitzhugh-Cox, the Duke of Winderton who is also running away from having the woman he loved marry another and an adventure filled with quirks and a myriad of disasters ensue during the trip that serves to throw the two wayward travelers together. The readers get to watch Elise grow up and make some realizations about herself and life and Christopher comes to realize that one does not lose themselves after perceived love, nor does everything become hopeless to the point of needing to throw in the towel. This makes for a beautiful read, and I cannot wait to see what Ms. Maxwell has in store for us for the remaining sister. This review was given on the ARC copy received from the Publisher via NetGalley in return for my honest opinion.

I loved this one! It had everything I like in a regency. Adventure, a bold heroine, a hero who reforms during the story. It was original and fresh, which is hard to do when you have read as many regency romances as I have! I can't wait to read the last story!

Cathy Maxwell can be a hit-or-miss author for me but I’m so glad to say this one is a hit!!

I’m not going to lie: I really did not like Elise in the first book in the series. She was spoiled, selfish, and a snob. I was looking forward to her getting her comeuppance and falling in love at the same time. And she does both! Kit is the perfect hero for her: a secret aristocrat who knows how to survive in the world. He brings Elise down several pegs in this adventure and I ended up loving her in the end, too. It’s a fun romp and I love that it’s set away from London! I cannot wait to read the next in the series!

*I received an eARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Kit and Elise are on a cross country adventure. Will revealing their true identities affect the relationship they have built while on the road?
The two really are made for each other, and as more is revealed, their love grows.

Miss Elise Lancaster and Kit Cox meet on a mail coach. She's on her way to Ireland, he doesn't care where he's going. He abandoned his life as a duke. She left unhappiness behind in London. She is opinionated and independent and gets into trouble. He becomes her protector. Never a dull moment as these two try to find themselves and fall in love. Don't expect to put this book down for very long.
Mild descriptive sex.
I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book from NetGalley.

4.5 stars

Oh Elise, thank god you’re pretty.

I was a little worried going into this book because I really wasn’t a fan of Elise’s character in the first book of the series. Thankfully, she wins the award for best growth haha.

I really enjoyed her character development and her relationship with Kit. Both lying about their identities and stubborn as hell but also endearing enough that you just want to root for these crazy kids.

You don’t have to read this first book in the series to enjoy this one but I highly recommend it!

Other things to look forward to:
-a dog traveling companion by the name of Tamsyn
-bickering
-pretty crazy and scary twists
-one walking in on the other bathing in a lake
-daddy issues 🫣

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review

A delightful tale of unexpected love, adventure and redemption. A great addition to the series.
Many thanks to Avon and Harper Voyager and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

The second book in the Gambler's Daughters series has Elise running away from London to seek home (Ireland) and answers. But a stagecoach accident has her marooned with a stranger and they end up traveling across England together - in spite of her dislike and his mistrust.

If you're a Cathy Maxwell fan, you'll enjoy this historical romance - with her trademark emotional currents, sexy attraction and lots of humor/funny situations.

This is the second in the series, "The Gambler's Daughters." It can be read as a stand-alone. Enough backstory is given throughout the novel, so it's easy to follow the story of Elise Lanscarr. That being said, I definitely plan to read the first one after this one. I think it might be even more interesting since I know how Elise changed from the first one.
Elise was distraught because she was convinced her sister stole her true love, and decided to flee back home to Ireland to lick her wounds. She also thought she would find comfort there even though her cousin, who inherited her family's home after her father's death. She was traveling by coach. At the same time, the lost Duke, Christopher Fitzhugh-Cox, "Kit," was running from himself, and trying to become the man he wanted to be. So, he escaped his downfall in society, leaving only his mother who had faith in him. She believed in true love, and never knew what Kit's father was really like, a true wastrel and womanizer. Kit was broken-hearted on his mother's behalf, but would never destroy her illusion. However, his illusion in love, responsibility sent him in a dark down spiral.
Elise and Kit end up in the same coach, and were the only passengers since it left during a bad storm. Typical in most Regency novels, the coach crashed, and they were the only survivors. They find a dog who helps them find shelter for the stormy night. Of course, the dog ends up adopting them. They have lots of adventures; some are funny, exciting, and wonderful, but a couple of are harrowing and terrifying.
While they hide parts of their own stories from one another, they end up forming a deep relationship, falling in love with each other. She and her sisters went to London to marry dukes. The first did not, but Elise has decided he would rather live for love, not worry if she doesn't have money, and instead be happy. I won't ruin this, but there is a very heartbreaking moment in the novel.
Little do they know, while they are on the run, someone is following them to "rescue" them. He has separate missions. He is trying to find the missing Duke, and as a favor, he is also searching for Elise.
Of course, there is a HEA. It has a pretty twist to it; avoiding conflict and misunderstandings.
There are a few things that may seem little, but to me, help show they are looking for their place in the world...not London society, but their own value and purpose. It's their hats. While they are mentioned at different times, and how important they are to themselves, it's an example, or foreshadowing of how they belong together. I promise this isn't a spoiler. It is in the beginning in the story, and happens all in inner dialogue. Okay, once a tad later.
They are both there for one another to help themselves without expectations, and heal one another. He was there for her when she really needed him. She helped him realize he isn't as bad as he thinks he is.
There is a sexy, heated scene, but it's in the perfect place and in the perfect place in the novel.
There is a big trigger about a violent (attempted) rape. It was scary, but well resolved.
This is a quick read. I'm not sure if it's because the book itself is short, or that I read it at any chance I had.
I plan to read it again, and possibly more than once again.
Did I mention there is a vague and exciting hint as to the subject of the next novel? So exciting!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The way this story encompassed such a short time span for a romance left little room for the development of characters and a relationship, plus, the lack of tension made this a tedious story to read.

Thank you Avon and Harper Voyager for the opportunity to respond to this story. All opinions are my own.

I read the first book in this series a while ago so it’s difficult to remember perfectly, but I really think I enjoyed this book more. Kit (a missing duke living as a common man) and Elise (a runaway trying to get back to her family home in Ireland) are the perfect pairing. They’re prickly with each other at first, often at odds, but they come to care about each other quickly and want to protect each other.

Their chemistry builds and builds as he attempts to fulfill his promise to help her get to Ireland. And when her goal changes to finding her missing father instead, he supports her even as he worries she’s going to get hurt or disappointed. He’s such a kind hearted man under the surface, and all of that shines when he’s around Elise. And he brings out the best in her as well, a truly complementary pairing.

Oh, and there’s an awesome dog traveling with them, so you really can’t go wrong with this one.

Good lord. It seems to me the only thing dangerous about this novel is Elise.

To summarize this book (since the synopsis did not do it justice); Elise has a temper tantrum because her sister married the man she thought she loved and she couldn't stand to live in their house and watch them make goo goo eyes at each other anymore. Instead of speaking rationally to the third sister, she just takes off (wearing three dresses on top of one another) to go back to Ireland (her birthplace yes, but had she used her brain she would have realized she wasn't wanted there).

Upon seeing a storm is coming she tries to enter into the mail coach that she only paid for outside passage on. Kit saves her when the driver makes an inappropriate offer as to how she could pay for indoor seating. The coach wrecks. Kit saves her again. Thanks to some random dog (and honestly I found it really hard to believe this dog went from being a stray to not only understanding the name they have given her, but the commands they wanted to teach her as well but I digress).

They find shelter for the night. But despite their close proximity, they don't really bond. So the rest of their adventure together goes much the same. Elise tells Kit he "reeks", Kit goes to bathe, Elise finds him remedying that (aka bathing), but despite his unmentionables being hidden from her, she once again runs off. Only to nearly be raped. Once again Kit saves her. They now enter into a town as "husband and wife" because you know propriety, and seeing ONE thing (a card shuffle of all things) Elise once again acts without thinking. Only this time she means to put herself in even greater danger than she was before. So of course, Kit had to accompany her.

Yes, she finds the answers to the questions she had (although I think in retrospect she probably wished she hadn't). More chaos ensues and she ends up back in London with her sisters (who are struggling to keep her reputation intact) while she pines after the man she knew for a week. Or maybe due to her blatant stupidity and knack for getting herself into trouble she missed him getting her out of said trouble, who knows.

Of course, at the end of the day, things are not only tied up in a bow but these two get their happily ever after.

Now on to my actual review.

In case it wasn't clear I detested Elise. More often than not she acted like a spoiled (and sometimes petulant child) either not admitting where she was wrong, or only seeing how things "could have gone" after the fact. She certainly did not act like the young lady she was supposed to be. And while I liked Kit a little better, there was still something off about his story-line as well. Sure, he had a journey of self-discovery, but he was still forced back into a role that I would much rather he had accepted on his own terms.

The one character that intrigued me was the one who I believe might get his own happily-ever-after, and it is only because of this character that if the next book comes to my attention that I might give this author a chance to redeem themselves.

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

Elise runs away to return to Ireland after her sister marries the man she wanted herself (Book 1). After a series of mishaps, she takes up with a ruffian she meets along the way. This is a fun road-trip romance with everything you would expect. Carriage accidents, storms, only-one-bed, a dog, and bad guys for drama. Kit left home after his uncle married the woman Kit thought he loved. I thought this sounded familiar and realized it's from the book "His secret mistress." He wanted to experience life without using his title of Duke. These two young and immature people face some hard truths while traveling together and manage to mature. I expected more conflict at the end but overall I enjoyed it. Next is sister Gwendolyn's story and I'm looking forward to it.

After a carriage accident, Elise is stranded in a storm with a rugged stranger. Unknown to her, Kit is the disguised Duke of Winderton. They shelter together and brave the dangers of the road. What happens when she learns his true identity?

This is a fun, lighthearted story with some tense moments. Elise and Kit are complex and flawed, but they help each other to be better people.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Elise Lanscarr, feeling jealous of her sister's relationship with her husband, decides to run away from home back to her native Ireland. Along the way, the mail coach she is riding in is wrecked and only she and the other male occupant of the coach survive. Kit Cox, the Duke of Winderton, has left his home and family to find himself after the woman he wanted to marry chooses to marry his uncle. Both Elise and Kit are running from their past and they don't reveal their true identities to each other as they are stranded together and having to make their way to the nearest town in order to get on the next mail coach. As they are walking along their journey both Elise and Kit develop feelings for each other. The problem is Kit knows that Elise is probably from a good family, at least landed gentry but she thinks he is a commoner. The will each have to learn to trust and depend on the other in order to make their way to their destinations. One Dangerous Night is a well written book of finding love where it is least expected and it also reveals how trust can be built as Elise and Kit go through their adventures with only themselves and their adopted pet, Tamsyn to rely on.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

Many are lost and found, figuratively and physically, while two with secret identities are on an road trip of sorts in “One Dangerous Night” a Gambler’s Daughters novel by Cathy Maxwell!!

I thought it fitting for the sister, Elise Lanscarr, who got hurt would run away, and in the process, life throws her around a carriage. Nothing would help a person grow more than if they are to fend for themselves and find friends, two- and four-legged, along the way.

Kit Cox, ever the hero, was always there for Elise no matter how annoyed he could get. He may be running away from his posh life however his gentlemanly ways shone while reforming. We could always trust him to find us…swoon!

I enjoy the sisterly, and aunt, love aspect to this book! There is enough animosity to make the story relatable. There is a lot of acceptance and familial love to make the story heartwarming.

I highly recommend this easy flowing, slow burn novel! There was danger, headstrongness, over confidence, healing, hurt, and love along the way for Elise to find her happily ever after with her ruffian!

Thank you to Net Galley, Avon, and Harper Voyager US for the ARC in exchange for a honest review.

This was an enemies to lovers story about a couple of people that were at odds with their families. Elise was the youngest of her sisters and as such, was very spoiled. She was living in the home of her new brother-in-law. The fact that he'd chosen to marry her sister instead of her, was an endless source of frustration and resentment. Finally, unable to make peace with the situation, Elise decides to run away to her ancestral home. On the way, she encounters Kit. For reasons of his own, he has also decided to walk away from his usual life.
The shared journey brings about positive changes for both of them. They become better people, worthy of giving and receiving love. This book has amusing banter, a bit of steam and a loyal canine friend. I received a free ARC from NetGalley and this is my honest review.

This was an entertaining, well-written book. It was fun, steamy and fast-paced. I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more books by this author.