Customer Reviews

It Happened One Night

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Lana and Eli have been best friends for ten years. The absolute best of friends, having only stepped over the friendship line once in college. That night they gave into temptation and slept together, however, Lana is so terrified to lose Eli, the next night she pretends to seduce someone else to scare Eli away. Their friendship survives that night, however and since then, Lana has gone through many boyfriends, most recently Ron, who accidently gets her pregnant. Ron is the type of boyfriend who stops by on a whim when he is in town, and he doesn't show up again. Lana confides in Eli, terrified to tell her sister who is desperate herself to have a baby. Lana herself is terrified to have a baby and doesn't think she will make a good mother. Eli is in love with Lana and has been for a long time but now that she is pregnant, he doesn't know if this is the time to tell her.

I rarely read straight-up contemporaries but I have to say It Happened One Night was a nice change of pace. Lana had a rough childhood - her mother died when she was young and Lana and her sister, Karin, move into the boarding house her father owned. Karin ends up raising her, since her father bascially makes sure they were fed and clothed and that is it. Except for her sister, who is extremly overbearing, Lana has been left by everyone she thought loved her. Now as an adult, deep down she still has that fear. She has stayed at her sister's farm more out of feeling she owes her sister something while all Lana wants to do is explore the world and go on an adventure. Ironically, she pushed Eli away in college and now Eli travels the world.

Let's talk about Eli for a moment. I love my alpha men, but I have a special place in my heart for betas. I made Marcus Worth from Kate Noble's Revealed, and Harry Valentine from Julia Quinn's What Happens In London scoot over to make room for Eli. He is such a cute beta hero and I totally fell in love with him. He is the sweetest person - so in love with Lana but never finding the courage to tell her. His internal emotional turmoil when he finds out Lana is pregnant by another man is so raw, but he holds it all in to make Lana's life easier. He is there as a shoulder for Lana to cry on, when all he wants to do is give her a happily ever after. When he does admit his feelings- when the romance between them has a chance to grow, it is some of the sweetest pages I have read. His love for her was so intense, you just want to push Lana towards him knowing he will make her happy for the rest of his life.

There were a few times Lana overplayed the "friend" card and I wish she would have given in to her feelings for Eli sooner. However, her not giving in gave the book a build up of tension and I found myself sneaking peeks ahead to see when they would finally be together. Yes, I peek, and I'm not ashamed! Not only do Eli and Lana have to sort out their friends vs. lovers feelings, but they also have to deal with the fact that Lana is pregnant with another man's baby. My favorite moment from the book is when Eli confesses his love to Lana, and she realizes it is not just her and Eli in this equation, but the baby inside of her too:


She stepped away from him, got her bearings. As she looked down-to make some distance between them if only for a moment-the curve of her belly was there, round as the curve of the overhead sky. It came as a surprise to remember reality. She put a hand on the crest of the half-sphere, felt the warmth coming from her own skin.

She looked up at him, the question on her lips far too complicated to speak.

"I know," he said.

Oh Eli.

The secondary story of Lana sister, Karin also added to the emotions in this book. You could feel the panic coming off of Karin to get pregnant. I thought her desperation to have a baby, which leads to thoughts of adopting Lana's baby for herself was a little much though. Her character is a wonderfully written flawed character- controlling with bursts of rage and I felt that was enough to bring to the story. I loved that Karin stays consistent throughout the story, almost a character you don't want to like, but works it works really well in this setting.

The addition of Lana and Karin's father who comes back to town didn't do a lot of me either. At first he acts very creepy and I wasn't sure as a reader where his path was going. He turns out to be just a lonely father, but I didn't ever feel a connection with him and his daughters. He wronged them in the past, and I think he would have been better staying there.

Lisa Dale is a new author to me, but I am definitely sticking with her. It Happened One Night is a delightful, romantic story that I highly recommend.

IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT by Lisa Dale
Genre: Romance
Rating: 3.5/5
Summary (From Goodreads): Lana Biel has always wanted to shake the dust of Vermont off her feet and see the world, one exotic country after another. But when a lighthearted spring fling changes her life forever, she turns to the one man whose strong shoulders can lighten any burden: her best friend, Eli Ward.
Eli has always been there for Lana--after all, that's what best friends do. But Lana isn't the only one hiding something. Eli is keeping secrets of his own that threaten their relationship. Yet as summer turns to fall, new desires awaken between them, even as old fears tear them apart. Then, when another Vermont winter fills the valleys with snow, Eli and Lana are given the chance for an adventure greater than they ever dreamed possible...and a love that will last for all time.
Review:
It was really hard for me to give this book time, I felt like putting it down and giving up after the first few chapters. It wasn't written particularly well, and I didn't like the characters a whole lot. I still don't. However, the story ended up being pretty good.
It was hard for me personally to look beyond the bottom line of the story: Lana had sex, got pregnant with a baby from a man she didn't love, then she fell in love with her best friend. Her sister desperately wanted her to put her baby up for adoption so she could have it, and her father who never fathered them came back in the middle of it all and caused nothing but problems.
There were a few parts that just seemed out of place--Ron (the baby's father) coming back and proposing, Gene (sister's husband) walking out, and the apologies from the father. It just didn't feel realistic. I'm not quite sure why.
But when I did look beyond that, I saw a very realistic story with good strong characters and the choices and words that they make and speak.
I got into the story about a quarter of the way through, and couldn't put the book down. The events that happened lined up well, the pacing was good, and it was very original.
I really did like this book, I'm just not particularly sure why I liked it. Maybe it was the fact that the characters acted like real people, they weren't just characters. There were no "happily ever after" moments, although the ending was very good. I think, taking into consideration that in real life or fiction, it's not really going to get better than it did, it was a very good story.
I've read a lot of really good reviews for this book, so don't let my pessimism discourage you. Again, I liked it, but I'm not sure why. I doubt I'll ever read it again, but then very few books make it to my "repeat" pile.
Content: For a romance book, this was free of details. There were some scenes, but they weren't described. There was very very little language (I think there was one bad word total).
Recommendation: Ages 15+

Lisa Dale writes the books that I wish I could. I don't know what it's like to go through a pregnancy, but I felt like I did with the novel's heroine Lana Biel. What I love about Dale's writing is that she crafts realistic romances, but the romances aren't the focal point of the story, IMO. This and her debut Simple Wishes are women's fiction. If you're a person who just can't get into romances, then buy this book because you're into strong feminine characters and want a female to cheer on. Dale won't disappoint; just buy her novels already :)

Lana Biel dreams of seeing the world, but is devoted to helping her married sister Karin run their wildflower farm. Karin dreams of having a family but so far has not conceived. Lana ponders over living in Burlington and realizes she is not living her dream, but that of Karins'; she wants out without hurting her sibling but has no way to do so.

Lana becomes pregnant, but has doubts about raising a child especially as a single mom; besides she fears an infant will nuke her plans to leave Vermont. She turns to her best Eli Ward for advice as she has already ruled out an abortion. However, Eli has his own issue as he wants to tell Lana he loves her, but fears his revelation could result in the end of their friendship.

This is a fascinating Vermont contemporary extended family drama that is wildflower refreshed by the two sisters, who are realistic especially with their self indulgent whines (somewhat overdone with no cheese) making both of them not particularly likable. They make the tale as ironically Eli is a likable player, but seems underdeveloped. Not an easy read, It happened One Night is a deep look at what happens to people when dreams are not fulfilled and even when they are.

Harriet Klausner

We spend so much of our lives rethinking the decisions and choices we make and find ourselves saying "I should have done this" or "I could have done that". But how many times do we ask ourselves "What If"? Not a complicated or detailed thought just a simple "what if"....

What if the past is something you have to be able to shake off and you are struggling to deal with the emotional baggage brought on by an emotionally stagnant father who suddenly appears back in your life. What if you fear relationships and always leave before your partner does for fear of being deserted. What if you are searching for love and it turns out it could be the man you have always regarded as your best friend. What if nothing is turning out as planned? That is allot of what ifs for Lana Biel to handle and they all coming at her - crashing to the fore front of her life when instead of her sister Karin having a baby it turns out Lana is pregnant by a man she doesn't even know the last name of.

Lana was supposed to be a world traveler and experience life to the fullest not stuck in Vermont with her sister as a salesperson in the wildflower business. But now she finds herself with all this responsibility hanging over her head and all the past issues she never faced challenging her and now she has to decide where to take her life from here. Can she parent or does she even want to parent. Her sister Karin does and has tried everything possible to get pregnant and now Lana is carrying the baby she so desperately wants and unexpected conflicts arise in their relationship at a time when Lana needs her the most.

She has spent so many years running from one unstable relationship to another all the while avoiding the one person that has been her rock and best friend - Eli. They have danced around a relationship forever and now Eli wants to confront it but as usual Lana is afraid that the best thing in her life will change if she and Eli become more to one another but what if it does change and that change is not bad but beautiful. Is Lana strong enough to take that step and let Eli into her heart as well as her life? Eli has always loved Lana and spent too many years pining for her and trying to get her attention and take the relationship from friendship to lovers. But in the end what if Lana let's things come together as they should despite all the rocky roads she has traveled and that one huge what if becomes a what is!

This book has a wonderful WOW factor to it. It speaks to you with a whisper as opposed to a roar and takes you on an emotional ride where you find yourself hopelessly in love with all these characters and relating to all the questions they are facing. There is intimacy between the main characters that is written without much detail yet you feel the warmth and love pour over the pages and tear at your heart. The grief and angst with the father that returns is heart breaking and when Ms. Dale describes the misery this man caused his daughters you are weeping the statement is that powerful.

Mary Gramlich ("The Reading Reviewer")[...]

Lisa Dale is a wonderful writer with vivid stories. I thoroughly enjoyed "One Night" and Simple Wishes. I can't wait for her next release, Slow Dancing on Price's Pier, to hit the shelves in April.

Lana and Eli have been best friends forever. And even though they slept together once in college, Lana has made sure that mistake never happened again. She's determined that Eli will be the one constant in her life, no matter what.

When Lana suddenly finds herself pregnant, she turns to Eli for support, but finds he's no longer the man she knew. Eli finally wants more, but Lana isn't sure how to handle his new demands. When her sister Karin has a little too much to say about her ability to raise a child, and the father who neglected them both as kids shows up out of nowhere, Lana is more confused than ever. Could she raise this child she's coming to love more and more, or is adoption her only choice?

It Happened One Night is one of those rare books that I found impossible to put down. I felt drawn into the very real situations these people found themselves in. Lana and Karin both had to deal with an unnatural upbringing, and their behavior as adults is still dysfunctional. I could easily see how Lana needed her freedom and Karin needed family stability after what they both went through. Eli also showed courage in facing his own part in maintaining his relationship with Lana, and determining to change things for the better.

I don't normally gravitate towards romance novels, because I find the plots a little shallow, but the depth of this story was surprising and refreshing. I highly recommend It Happened One Night and I look forward to reading more of Lisa Dale's novels.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

After reading the synopsis of It Happened One Night by Lisa Dale, I knew immediately that I had to read it. Not only did it sound like a fun read, but a perfect story of love, laughter and, of course, tortured hearts. I wasn't let down.

Lana and Eli have been best friends forever. They have a special bond and connection that has carried them through years of friendship - not to mention a memorable night in college, where friendship was taken passionately to the next level. Afraid of losing her best friend forever, Lana puts an end to any further thoughts of romance between to two. Though Eli's heart is broken, he cherishes Lana and settles into the roll of best friend and confidante.

Fast forward a few years and all seems to go well, though neither Lana nor Eli can settle into a relationship and when one is dating, the other is not thrilled with the fact. Then, one day Lana comes to realize that she is pregnant with the child of a short lived affair. What is she going to do with a baby? All Lana has ever wanted is to have a life of adventure, to travel and see things far and wide. A baby definitely does not fit into that plan. Lana confesses to Eli that she is carrying a small life within her and doesn't know what she is going to do. She asks Eli to help her find the father of the baby to tell him what has happened. Reluctantly, he agrees.

Eli would do anything to be the father of the baby growing within Lana. He comes to discover that his love and devotion runs even deeper than he even thought possible. The chemistry between the two of them is undeniable, but can Lana learn to trust her heart and believe that their friendship is worth taking the risk to bring it to the next level? The level of forever?

Within the story, readers also get to know Lana's sister, Karin, who has been struggling desperately to have a baby of her own. Her husband and her have been trying for some time and the stress and tunnel vision that Karin has devoted to achieving this bliss, has put a tremendous strain on their marriage. Just how far and to what extremes is Karin willing to go to have a baby of her very own?

I absolutely adored the characters of Eli and Lana. Eli is the perfect example of a wonderful and devoted man. He is kind, intelligent, loving, caring and ambitious - (Wait a minute, does such a man exist in reality?! Well, this is fiction, after all, lol) Lana is an intelligent, caring, ambitious woman, though a bit on the flighty side. There are times where I wanted to reach out and smack her to tell her to wake up and see the greatness she has right in front of her, but that would have shortened the story considerably. The push and pull between these two are wonderful and the reader is easily able to fall within their lives and struggles.

On the flip side, I really did not care for Lana's sister, Karin. To me, she was very self-focused and self-centered. Though to be fair, I don't think she actually saw herself in this way. She tried to be helpful and thought she was doing the best for others, however being an observer on the outside, as the reader is, they may want to just put their foot down and tell her to get over herself, as I wanted to.

With the combination of personalities, situations and past, present and future tensions, It Happened One Night is a story that is easily absorbing and complex enough to keep the readers attention until the very end. Lisa Dale shows an extreme talent for storytelling and quickly and easily brings the reader into the world that she has created. When I read the last line of the last page, I felt completely satisfied and thrilled. I cannot wait to read more by this wonderfully delightful author and highly recommend It Happened One Night for a great read!

I fell in love with the characters in Lisa Dale's novel. I especially loved Eli, the main love interest, and am confident most women would like an Eli of their own. The storyline was engaging, with just the right amount of romance, sex and edge-of-the-seat suspense. Would highly recommend it to anyone looking to get lost and find love in a book.

This was a new to me author, first of all. . . and I really liked it. For those that like the friends to lovers storyline, this is for you. But it's more than that. We see Lana with her sister Karin, both whose lives they imagined one way but turned out in another. There is also the changing relationship between them and their absent father. For all these people, I think I could say that it's a journey of life changes that help them see that what they might not have expected or wanted their lives to be, it's okay. And it's a great read to follow that journey too. :)