Title: Once Upon a Moonlit Night Maiden Lane Novel, book 10.5
Author: Elizabeth Hoyt
Genre: Historical Romance, Regency
Published by: Forever Yours
Published Date: July 5, 2016
ASIN: B01CDDAF88

The Maiden Lane Novel Series:
Wicked Intentions
Notorious Pleasures
Scandalous Desires
Thief of Shadows
Lord of Darkness
Duke of Midnight
Darling Beast
Dearest Rogue
Sweetest Scoundrel
Duke of Sin
Once Upon a Moonlit Night
Duke of Pleasure

Publisher’s Summary: Hippolyta Royle is running for her life. Pursued by hounds on a cold rainy night, the heiress flags down a passing carriage and throws herself at the mercy of the coach’s occupant. Whoever this handsome traveler may be, he is her only hope to escape a terrible fate. But should he agree to escort her to safety, he’s in for much more than he bargained for . . . At first Matthew Mortimer doesn’t believe Hippolyta’s story, that she’s a fabulously wealthy heiress who’s been kidnapped. He assumes she’s a beggar, an actress, or worse. But once his new travel companion washes the mud from her surprisingly lovely face, and they share a breathtaking kiss, there is no turning back . . .

My Thoughts:  Muddy, thoroughly disheveled with a stench about her, Hippolyta, still was every inch a lady.  Her attire and situation which Matthew Mortimer found her, did not convince him she was, however.  I particularly liked her strength of character, her will to survive and not cower.  Hippolyta had been abducted by a man she detested, was able to escape and just kept on running! When Matthew handed her into his coach, he thought her only a very good actor and probably thief into the bargain.

The story runs on at a rather quick clip, since it’s a novella.  When their first kiss, out in public, mind you, has a surprising outcome, more problems and challenges await. Will Hippolyta evade her abductor long enough to return to London and her father or be ensnared by her heart?

The most adorable of characters is a mongoose. Hippolyta knows exactly what it is, intriguing Matthew, since few people outside of India would know the animal.

True to all of Ms. Hoyt’s stories, this one had well-rounded and entertaining characters with a great opening scene, entirely captivating her audience, exactly how a good story should start. Do you like your Regency reads, spicy hot?  Ms. Hoyt will not disappoint you!  I haven’t read any of this particular series, but hear my fellow bloggers are quite happy with her writing. I intend to read the first book in the series, Wicked Intentions, next month, to find why all the raving!

About the Author: Elizabeth Hoyt is a New York Times, USA Today and Publishers Weekly bestselling author of historical romance, including reader favorite, The Raven Prince. She also writes deliciously fun contemporary romance under the name Julia Harper. Born in New Orleans, but raised in the frigid winters of Saint Paul, Minnesota, Elizabeth was fortunate to travel extensively when she was growing up and lived in St. Andrews, Scotland; Oxford England; and Kawasaki, Japan. She went to the University of Wisconsin, Madison, where she not only earned a degree in anthropology but also met Mr. Hoyt. Some years later, after a short pause to birth and raise two children, Elizabeth realized that she really wasn’t qualified to do anything but Make up Stories and started writing. Elizabeth now lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota with three untrained canines, a garden in constant need of weeding, and, of course, Mr. Hoyt.