Night Secrets by Kat Martin

Title: Night Secrets
Author: Kat Martin
ISBN: 9780-312970024
Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks/1999
Pages: 342

Brandy Winters is works as a serving girl in her father's tavern, in Charleston. As a serving girl, she comes to know many sailors as they sail in to port and back out, month after month and year after year. One of those sailors is English Captain Marcus Delaine who is also the Earl of Hawksmoor. Brandy has admired and loved Marcus from afar for many years and Marcus too has watched Brandy grow into a very attractive young lady. One night he rescues her from a tavern patron. When Marcus tells her that his crew is taking a month long voyage before returning to England, on a whim Brandy decides to stow away on Marcus's ship for the short voyage. When she is found, sick and half dead, Marcus is not as kind as Brandy had hoped. He is very angry with her. However, she is not easily intimidated.

Night Secrets set in Charleston, on the seas, England, and takes a full circle. Marcus is a man of the sea and doesn't wish to be anywhere else. He doesn't want to fulfill his duties as Earl of Hawksmoor and thinks e will never marry because no one can take the place of the sea in life. A major accident occurs in the sea and Marcus is left disabled, he becomes embitted. When Brandy reaches out for him, he refuses to acknowledge even her existence. But Brandy doesn't give up easily, even though his behaviour is quiet hurtful.

Although unbelievable at times, Kat has managed to write a engrossing romance novel. With a spunky heroine, one can enjoy this book. Of course, as usual, it has that predictable ending. But then romance novels are!