A Night Like This: Number 2 in series (The Smythe-Smith Quartet)

'A Night Like This' is the second audiobook of The Smythe-Smith series by Julia Quinn.Daniel Smythe-Smith, newly returned from exile in Europe, arrives back in England on the night of the annual Smythe-Smith Musicale. He is amazed to find the beautiful and breathtaking, but unknown Governess of his cousins taking part in the musicale.Anne Wynter has her secrets and a past that she'd like to forget, but for the first time in many years, her heart has started to beat faster and she feels the pull and connection to Daniel, but she cannot risk her position as a Governess for anyone.A forbidden, cross-class romance. I was engaged and entertained from the very beginning of this audiobook. The author is a master of creating brilliant characters and excellent stories. This book is witty and charming, but also had some darker and nefarious characters who brought tension and jeopardy to the story. I found the two main characters to be charming, delightful, and likeable.This audiobook has lively dialogue, an enjoyable plot, and characters who have a sparkle and a frisson together. Amazing narration from Roselyn Landor really brought the different characters to life for me.

Good read

Although this is the second book in a series, it is about different characters than those in the first book... kind of. Anyway, you don't need to have read the first book although it would help slightly with the characters.Anne Wynter somehow finds herself playing the pianoforte at the infamous Smythe-Smith yearly musicale. How, she doesn't really know as she is only a governess. However, while trying to get by as best she can, Anne sets eyes on Daniel Smyth-Smith, who was once banished from the country. She doesn't know who he is at the time but she cannot keep her eyes off him. Anne was a wonderful protagonist who is full of secrets. She knows that Daniel is off limits, due to her position as a governess but at times, she really doesn't care. Her first proper meeting with Daniel ends up in a quite passionate kiss and after that, she can't stop thinking about him.Daniel, the man who was exiled for accidentally shooting someone, was by far one of my favourite Julia Quinn characters. Even though he is an Earl, never does he act above himself and he isn't an arse like some of these Aristocrat characters are to begin with at times. There is no false personality with Daniel and that is what I loved about him. Daniel wears his heart on his sleeve and although he should stay away from Anne, he can't help himself. However, he is more than clear about how much he likes her and what his intentions are. He never treats her as a secret.The romance between Anne and Daniel was extremely sweet. While Julia Quinn does this well in the rest of her books, I think this was by far the nicest of the romances that she has written. I do think that a lot of that is because of Daniel's personality and he isn't like many of her other male characters. Anne's personality has a lot to do with it too though. She's feisty and while she is reserved at times, she is outgoing, funny and full of life. Due to her being a governess, Daniel and Anne's time alone together is quite funny due to the girls always getting in the way. I did love the girls as secondary characters though.A Night Like This also has a wonderful plot. With Anne keeping her own secrets and Daniel having only recently coming home after three years abroad, there is plenty of excitement and entertainment. With Daniel having enemies from the past, he is put into quite a few difficult and dangerous situations, some while Anne is with him. Although he is sure of who is behind these events, Anne is keeping some very important things to herself. It isn't until the last third of the book that it is revealed who is behind all of the drama. I loved not knowing who was doing what and what the exact reason behind everything was.A Night Like This is one of my favourite Julia Quinn novels and I can't wait to read the next in the series now and to see who that book concentrates on.

Great book to read enjoyed reading this book

This is the second book in the Smythe- Smith Quartet by Julia Quinn, following  Just Like Heaven (Smythe-Smith Quartet) , where we were first introduced to the protagonists of this book. Daniel, Earl of Winstead, has just returned to England from exile in Europe, after a drunken duel caused him to lame and almost kill a friend, and incur the fury of his powerful father. Anne Wynters is a governess to one of the many branches of the Smythe-Smith family, but she also has a secret and knows what it is like to be afraid. A Night Like This, explores their growing relationship as circumstances, and madmen, try to keep them apart.I enjoyed this book. Like Just like Heaven, it still was not up to the high standards as some of Quinn's earlier books, but I still found myself engrossed, despite the missing spark. There were several times I found myself laughing out-loud at Quinn's humorous and lightning paced dialougue, especially at the scenes involving Annes charges, the young Smythe-Smiths. I found myself liking Daniel some more than Anne, whose character was quite conflicting at times, but my favourite character was Hugh Prentice, the man who Daniel shot. After the end of the book, I found myself very much hoping that he would be the hero of the next book of the Smythe- Smith quartet.

Another enjoyable book. I liked Anne and loved Daniel, which surprised me because I didn't expect to like him more than Marcus in the last book. I enjoyed the story and the fact they both had a past. Interesting that Anne has to be the first JQ heroine, apart from Francesca in "When he was Wicked" (who was a widow) to not be an innocent at the start of the novel, having been seduced as a 16 year old girl by the man she is now on the run from. Mind you, she does appear to be as inexperienced as all the other heroines in the obligatory sex scene with our hero. Well at least I found her reactions at first to be those of someone who was. I little thing I noticed in this and recent JQ books is the distinct lack of tongues in the kissing scenes. Has someone complained to Miss Quinn about them? I just found it odd because the love scenes themselves are as explicit as ever and tongues are certainly mentioned there. LOL!