Great suspense, good plot, excellent characters.

Male romantic lead: Devon Morgan, Marquis of Colton, gorgeous, charming, but does he have any money?

Female romantic lead: Lily Andrews, the widowed Countess of Merrill, beautiful, generous, keeps up appearances despite not having any money

Plot: Thwarted lovers five years ago, will their long-ago passion ignite again?

Other characters: Medford, Lily's friend and benefactor, rivals with Devon Morga
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Five years before, Lily Andrews and Devon Morgan were utterly devoted to one another and on the verge of running off to Gretna Green to marry. But two traitorous, false notes and three heinous parents join forces to thwart their love. As in many tales of love and poverty, money is at issue. Both their fathers gambled away their fortunes and need to wed their offsprings to spouses with money. Lily marries a much older man and becomes Lady Merill. She’s widowed almost immediately thereafter. Devon inherits his father’s title and becomes the Marquis of Colton, but doesn’t gain much else besides a stack of bills.

Five years later, after avoiding one another and holding grudges because they each think themselves jilted by the other, an engagement announcement and a secretly authored and thoroughly scandalous pamphlet throw them back into each other’s paths. When Lady Merrill refuses to right the “wrong” Lord Colton believes has been done to him, he makes a vow. A sexy, glorious, wonderful vow and we’re off to the races, so to speak.

This is a wonderful book, with a hero and heroine who are both responsible and loving to their remaining family members and who care deeply for one another. There are the usual tropes of misunderstanding and even a secret offspring but the tropes are so very well done (some of them with very clever twists) that you’ll be cheering for them to get together. I admit, I wanted to shake Lily sometimes but Devon Morgan is a hero who’ll be added to my favorites. There’s also a cast of wonderful and sometimes quirky characters whom I’d be pleased to read about in subsequent books. I’m reminded of Lisa Kleypas’s much beloved Hathaway series with Secrets of a Wedding Night. I can’t wait to read more.
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I must admit this is my first time reading Valerie Bowman, but won’t be the last. With this début book she managed to hook me real good to this series and make me care for her wonderfully created characters.

In this story she introduces us to a hero that is ‘all that’ and more. Devon Morgan, Marquis of Colton, is not happy with the pamphlet that is circulating all over London society and which he believes Lily, Countess of Merrill, a widow that ditched him on the night of their elopement, has written it to purposely dissuade his virginal fiancé to marry him. He is ready to face her and get his revenge on her.

Lily on the other hand is as strong-minded, stubborn and determined as he is.

It took awhile for her bruised heart to heal, and she isn’t happy to see him as he’s not what she needs at this time. She has many obligations that need taking care of and a man of his reputation is not what she wants. Neither can help the chemistry that sparks when they’re together, and God help those that find themselves in close proximity to them.

For a début this was .......I thank you for jumping over to b2b to finish reading my review!

http://bookworm2bookworm.wordpress.com/2013/03/26/secrets-of-a-wedding-night-by-...

Melanie for b2b

*Book provided by the author ( )

I must admit this is my first time reading Valerie Bowman, but won’t be the last. With this début book she managed to hook me real good to this series and make me care for her wonderfully created characters.

In this story she introduces us to a hero that is ‘all that’ and more. Devon Morgan, Marquis of Colton, is not happy with the pamphlet that is circulating all over London society and which he believes Lily, Countess of Merrill, a widow that ditched him on the night of their elopement, has written it to purposely dissuade his virginal fiancé to marry him. He is ready to face her and get his revenge on her.

Lily on the other hand is as strong-minded, stubborn and determined as he is.

It took awhile for her bruised heart to heal, and she isn’t happy to see him as he’s not what she needs at this time. She has many obligations that need taking care of and a man of his reputation is not what she wants. Neither can help the chemistry that sparks when they’re together, and God help those that find themselves in close proximity to them.

For a début this was well written and paced, so that it held my attention from the start. The chemistry between Lily and Devon had me spellbound with its tension and sensuality. Their love scenes were emotional and moving.

I also found their characterization and situations they found themselves in entertaining, funny and tension filled which kept me glued to the story.

Highly recommend it and hope you’ll give this author a try.

*Book provided by the author ( )

I tried reading this one year ago, and had to put it down because I just wasn't in a reading mood. I saw it on the shelf at work a couple of weeks ago and picked it back up. I loved it! Lily and Devon were so good together. I just wish people would communicate better in these romances. But then, that would take away a third of the book. ;) I have Anne and Jordan's story in hand and cannot wait to start it. ( )