My Review: It Happened One Night--With Giveaway

I've said before that it can be hard to find a "middle ground" romance novel. You can read the bodice-busters with their vivid sex scenes or you can read Christian romances where everything is squeaky clean, and probably preachy to boot; what about something in between--something about real people who make real mistakes and yet which doesn't find the need to describe every nuance of every sexual encounter. It Happened One Night is an enjoyable read that really did find that middle ground.

It is the story of Lana and Eli. They have been best friends forever. They had sex once years ago, but she got spooked--childhood issues--and made it clear that friendship was all she wanted from him. They've both dated lots of people through the years, but not seriously. Now he is tired of pretending that friendship is all he wants. One complication is that she is pregnant, but doesn't know how to contact the father. Another complication is that her sister, who means more to her than anyone, is suffering from infertility.

Lana's relationship with her sister Karin and her father Calvert is also explored in this book, making it more than a straight romance novel. Those relationships are a large part of the reason she acts as she does with Eli.

This is mass-market romance with premarital sex. There is one scene in which we get a pretty vivid picture of them undressing each other and laying on the bed, but then it fades to the pillowtalk, we don't get the blow-by-blow of who did what to whom.

Nothing is mentioned about Lana's faith, or lack thereof. Karin however, is a Catholic. The story mentions that she and her husband abstained from sex until two months before their wedding, and that the priest chuckled when she confessed. The story also notes that she used various methods of Natural Family Planning (though it isn't clear if they had used them instead of birth control, or only after they decided to try to conceive). Karin is shown praying in the church several times and takes her marriage vows seriously. She and her husband state that if God doesn't send them a baby naturally, then they aren't going to use artificial methods to conceive.

I liked this book and will look for more from the author, Lisa Dale.

Because I liked the book, I'm happy to be able to tell you that Anna at Hachette books is allowing me to give away five copies of it. Here is what you need to do to enter.

1. Leave a comment with your email address.

2. Find up to three other romance novels I've read. Comment on those posts, saying why you would or wouldn't like to read them. Come back here, leave one comment per book saying which book you commented on. Up to three entries available.

3. Blog about this giveaway, and leave a comment with a link

4. Find up to three other Hachette books I've promoted. Leave comments on those posts saying why you would or wouldn't like to read the book. Then leave one comment here, per book saying which book you commented on. Up to three entries available.

Good luck!

Note: This review is part of Book Review Wednesday