What happens when a lively girl meets a reclusive war veteran? Sparks, compassion, and romance. This was not as light and silly as the story of Belle's cousin in Splendid, but the characters had depth, and while the hero was a little moany, it was easy to sympathise with his fears. ( )

Synopsis: Dancing at Midnight is the second novel in a regency romance trilogy by Julia Quinn. It tells the story of the lovely, yet bookish, Belle Blydon (whom we met previously in Splendid) and the dark and brooding John Blackwood. Blackwood is a veteran of the Napoleonic wars who earned, as a result of his service, both the title of Baron and a terrible leg injury that left him with a permanent limp. Belle meets John while visiting her cousin, Emma, who is married to the Duke of Ashbourne. Ashbourne's land borders John's and Belle encounters the hero while relaxing in a meadow on his property. The two don't exactly hit it off right away; John is grouchy and sardonic, offending Belle's tender sensibilities. Unused to the idea of being disliked by anyone, Belle sets out to make the man like her. She succeeds.

What is great about Julia Quinn is that she can take a relatively average, bare-bones story and make it into a good read using great character development and snappy dialogue. Belle is a sweet girl, with a good deal of determination in her. John is tortured not only by the horrors he experienced during the war, but also by the memory of a tragedy for which he blames himself. Belle helps John to triumph over his self-inflicted guilt and come to terms with it. There are a couple of truly great scenes in this novel, one incredibly funny and the other incredibly exciting. The supporting characters are also charming: We see Emma and Alex from Splendid, of course, as well as Dunford (who returns for his own story in Minx) and the hilarious aunt Persephone. ( )