Secrets of a Perfect Night Book

Setting: Regency England and contemporary America

Sensuality: 8

This anthology of New Year's Eve celebration stories pairs Regency authors Stephanie Laurens and Victoria Alexander with contemporary author Rachel Gibson, and the collection is a rare treat. The tales begin with Laurens's scandalous Lord Dere as he arrives on Abigail Woolley's doorstep in the midst of a blizzard. Dere and Abigail share a past that neither can forget. They've both gone far too long without love and if propinquity and passion have their way, a blissful future awaits them.

The second in this trio of tales is Victoria Alexander's "The Last Love Letter." Beautiful Rachael Gresham had given all the love in her passionate young heart to handsome Jason Norcross. But treachery and greed tore them apart, their hearts shattered with betrayal and despair. Now fate has brought them together again, the truth at last revealed. Will Rachael and Jason have the courage to put the past behind and reclaim the love that has endured the long years spent apart?

In Rachel Gibson's "Now And Forever," high school friends Brina McConnell and Thomas Mack come together again at a class reunion. They may both have changed for the better on the outside, but inside, they're still as passionately attracted to each other as when they were teenagers. The fire that threatens to scorch them now is very adult, but whether it will last past New Year's Eve is anyone's guess. Whether your personal preference is the charm and wit of Regency England or the sexy appeal of contemporary America, you'll be bowled over with this terrific collection of romantic tales. --Lois Faye Dyer