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One Night in Warsaw
Amara Rhodes is in danger.
Alone in the dead of night, she arrives in France with blood on her hands, and a target at her back. Nothing goes right as she shelters from danger in a cottage on the verge of falling apart. In her possession is a device with crucial data a human trafficking syndicate will kill for. In order to protect the device at all costs, she must run from everything she loves; a legal career in MI6, her flat in London, and a relationship shrouded in secrecy.
Yet from the moment she steps foot in a rural French town, both the animals and locals begin to take a keen interest in her. When a man in town mentions her by name, it becomes a race against time to get the device into safe hands.
One Night in Warsaw is both an epic love story and Amara’s pursuit of the truth. She knows one thing for
There’s very little she won’t do in order to survive.
Alone in the dead of night, she arrives in France with blood on her hands, and a target at her back. Nothing goes right as she shelters from danger in a cottage on the verge of falling apart. In her possession is a device with crucial data a human trafficking syndicate will kill for. In order to protect the device at all costs, she must run from everything she loves; a legal career in MI6, her flat in London, and a relationship shrouded in secrecy.
Yet from the moment she steps foot in a rural French town, both the animals and locals begin to take a keen interest in her. When a man in town mentions her by name, it becomes a race against time to get the device into safe hands.
One Night in Warsaw is both an epic love story and Amara’s pursuit of the truth. She knows one thing for
There’s very little she won’t do in order to survive.
263 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 9, 2025
About the author
Erica Vipond
2 books9 followersErica is the author of slow burn romantic thrillers that will keep you guessing. She has a B.A. in English and a love for studying languages. When not writing, you can find her binge watching Kdramas, baking sweets, and spending time in the garden.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
January 7, 2026
"Both your sins and good deeds will be lost in oblivion." -Czeslaw Milosz
I have some mixed feelings, but overall this was a thoroughly enjoyable read.
I did really like the intrigue of of the mystery plot. Tatrialny as an organization is believable, as are their goals and plans to reach them. There's very much a sense of dread knowing that this group is likely watching and waiting for their opportunity to sabotage. I did struggle with the distance the reader's POV had from the different resolutions. It felt like a lot of the drama I was most interested in was settled off page. I think some of that was just my feeling because of the length of the book, it's only ~240 pages and it covers a lot of ground in that time.
The romance plot didn't connect as much with me as I expected. The more romance focused scenes and chapters felt incredibly tonally different than the thriller sections, and there often wasn't much separating the sections to ease into the different tone.
The middle section of the book was my favorite by a mile. I absolutely loved all the discussion and references to Polish history and literature, and how Amara connected that to her own life. There were a number of sections that I had to flag for a re-read because I found them so interesting or impactful. There's a moment at almost the exact midpoint of the book with Amara ruminating on the 'rationality of abandonment' that was the definition of literary to me, in the best way. There's a half dozen or so moments from that section of the book that stand out to me just as strongly that readers should experience for themselves.
The discussions of heritage, nationality, and a sense of belonging were by far the biggest draws for me and what kept me reading. It's one of the few times in recent memory where I had myself convinced I could read and be drawn in by strict lit-fic, because I could have read 100 more pages of Amara's musings on Czeslaw Milosz and Polish heritage.
I recommend One Night In Warsaw and it makes me eager to see more from Erica, especially with the literary focus through the middle of the book. For all Amara's focus on Milosz, I feel she would take great comfort as well in Friedrich Nietzsche's affirmation: "Suppose that we said yes to a single moment, then we have not only said yes to ourselves, but to the whole of existence. For nothing stands alone, either in ourselves or in things; and if our soul did but once vibrate and resound with a chord of happiness, then all of eternity was necessary to bring forth this one occurrence—and in this single moment when we said yes, all of eternity was embraced, redeemed, justified and affirmed."
I have some mixed feelings, but overall this was a thoroughly enjoyable read.
I did really like the intrigue of of the mystery plot. Tatrialny as an organization is believable, as are their goals and plans to reach them. There's very much a sense of dread knowing that this group is likely watching and waiting for their opportunity to sabotage. I did struggle with the distance the reader's POV had from the different resolutions. It felt like a lot of the drama I was most interested in was settled off page. I think some of that was just my feeling because of the length of the book, it's only ~240 pages and it covers a lot of ground in that time.
The romance plot didn't connect as much with me as I expected. The more romance focused scenes and chapters felt incredibly tonally different than the thriller sections, and there often wasn't much separating the sections to ease into the different tone.
The middle section of the book was my favorite by a mile. I absolutely loved all the discussion and references to Polish history and literature, and how Amara connected that to her own life. There were a number of sections that I had to flag for a re-read because I found them so interesting or impactful. There's a moment at almost the exact midpoint of the book with Amara ruminating on the 'rationality of abandonment' that was the definition of literary to me, in the best way. There's a half dozen or so moments from that section of the book that stand out to me just as strongly that readers should experience for themselves.
The discussions of heritage, nationality, and a sense of belonging were by far the biggest draws for me and what kept me reading. It's one of the few times in recent memory where I had myself convinced I could read and be drawn in by strict lit-fic, because I could have read 100 more pages of Amara's musings on Czeslaw Milosz and Polish heritage.
I recommend One Night In Warsaw and it makes me eager to see more from Erica, especially with the literary focus through the middle of the book. For all Amara's focus on Milosz, I feel she would take great comfort as well in Friedrich Nietzsche's affirmation: "Suppose that we said yes to a single moment, then we have not only said yes to ourselves, but to the whole of existence. For nothing stands alone, either in ourselves or in things; and if our soul did but once vibrate and resound with a chord of happiness, then all of eternity was necessary to bring forth this one occurrence—and in this single moment when we said yes, all of eternity was embraced, redeemed, justified and affirmed."
March 17, 2026
Lovely and fun
"A reminder that if nothing I do really matters, then I get to choose what matters to me."
"A reminder that if nothing I do really matters, then I get to choose what matters to me."
December 15, 2025
Another great book by Erica Vipond! Received this book as an ARC and though my review is a little late (apologies!) I am more than happy to be sharing it now.
I found this book to be a poignant examination of what it means to know where you come from, couched in a thrilling romp through Europe. MILD SPOILERS: The revelation in Part 2 absolutely reminded me of Black Widow, and really kicked the action into high gear (in fact, the intrigue was my favorite part of the story). Ms. Vipond's first work Starling Darling also dealt with an element of Intrigue and Mystery, and in my opinion, One Night in Warsaw really showcases Ms. Vipond's ability to concoct a Thicker Plot. My mild critiques are only that it's a little adjective/adverb-heavy, the rising action takes a while to ramp up, and I wish it was a little heavier on dissecting the complicated family relationships (both past and present) at play. Otherwise, this book is another excellent transportive read, great for anyone who loves daring scenic adventures with a bittersweet core.
I found this book to be a poignant examination of what it means to know where you come from, couched in a thrilling romp through Europe. MILD SPOILERS: The revelation in Part 2 absolutely reminded me of Black Widow, and really kicked the action into high gear (in fact, the intrigue was my favorite part of the story). Ms. Vipond's first work Starling Darling also dealt with an element of Intrigue and Mystery, and in my opinion, One Night in Warsaw really showcases Ms. Vipond's ability to concoct a Thicker Plot. My mild critiques are only that it's a little adjective/adverb-heavy, the rising action takes a while to ramp up, and I wish it was a little heavier on dissecting the complicated family relationships (both past and present) at play. Otherwise, this book is another excellent transportive read, great for anyone who loves daring scenic adventures with a bittersweet core.
December 18, 2025
I hope Erica finds sophomore success with this one. She certainly hooked me enough to ensure I stayed up and read it all in one night. I received a complimentary copy, as the author and I are friends, but now I’ll happily buy this to own and re-read. Vipond’s books are the kind of slow-burn thriller that are so fun even when you know nothing about the world being discussed, saving what you’ve seen or read in other movies, TV shows, and books. And she knows how to weave in romance. I expected to be most interested in the romance but in the end it was that intrigue that kept me awake, and still reading, all night. I also connected with that need to know where we come from and the level to which it can drive our actions or reactions. Because of that, I think this could have spent more time on family relationships but I wasn’t upset at the amount that it did. One Night in Warsaw is a good pick for those who love romance married with thrilling adventure. Starling Darling, Erica’s first book, had an element of intrigue and I think this book shows that she can continue to evolve her plots.
December 26, 2025
Geographical romance with a thrilling plot.
February 21, 2026
Erica has such a beautiful voice. This story has all the elements. Romance, suspense, action, and excellent writing. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews