Silver Nights

by Jane Feather

An Arranged Marriage

Free-spirited Sophia is a tempestuous heiress capable of turning heads and breaking hearts. Ordered into a loveless marriage that could bring her even greater riches, Sophia accepts her fate—until she sets her eyes on Adam, the virile nobleman who is to escort her to her future husband's estate.

Adam is immediately captivated by Sophia's heated sensuality, which sears through his cool reserve and makes him forget his duty. As for Sophia, she is powerless to resist his intense masculinity and air of mystery. Rebelling against her impending marriage, Sophia willfully surrenders herself body and soul to Adam's intense passion...only to discover that the price of forbidden love could be her life.

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Historical Fiction, Georgian, Russia, Fiction

356 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1989

About the author

Jane Feather (born Jane Robotham) is a popular British–American writer of historical romance novels. In 1984 she wrote five contemporary romances under the pseudonym Claudia Bishop. She is a New York Times-bestselling, award–winning writer, and has more than ten million romance novels in print.

Reviews

[Serena Miles · Rating 3 out of 5]

Este libro tiene varios problemas serios. El primero que da por entendida la historia de amor, he alucinado cuando dicen que se quieren cuando no hay nada que indique que se han enamorado. El segundo que nuestra protagonista pasa de ser una persona fuerte a una débil y viceversa en cuestión de segundos. El último cuarto de la novela me ha sobrado y no comprendo el comportamiento de Sofía en muchas de las cosas que hace.
Este libro iba para cuatro estrellas y se ha quedado en tres

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read: 8/15/24
2.5 stars
A disappointing story!
RTC

[Ligaro · Rating 3 out of 5]

2'75 🌟
La parte buena del libro es la novedad de Rusia, su exotismo. Ha habido cosas muy interesantes en ese sentido
Sin embargo, la historia de amor es inexistente, la autora no la cuenta. Pero no porque sea instalove, el tiempo sí que pasa. Simplemente la autora ha decidido no escribirlo. Los protagonistas no me han convencido. Él no acaba de mostrarse bien y ella no es coherente, tan pronto parece que va a ser una cosaca de la estepa rusa, como de repente una dama que no es capaz de defenderse.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is NOT the cover of my edition of the book. I couldn't find my cover anywhere! It had a gorgeous blonde woman on the cover - who was nothing like the author described Sophia. This book was interesting in that it took place in Russia during Catherine's reign. (I read this shortly after I got back from my vacation in Russia, so it was cool that I knew the places that were described!) It was a captivating story, and Sophia and Adam had beautiful chemistry. I had one major complaint, and I know this is going to make me sound bad...but I prefer the sex in my romance books to be a bit more explicit. When reading this, I kept thinking "did they actually have sex or not?" Don't leave me in doubt! But it was still a great love story.

[Issis · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bueno, recuerdo que esta autora me encantaba hace años. No sé si es que yo he cambiado mucho en cuanto a gustos lectores (que es obvio que sí), o que este libro no es ni de lejos de sus mejores, que lo mismo leo otro y me gusta como antes. El caso es que este libro parece como un primer borrador con una corrección y ya. Falta detallar, ahondar en personajes y en las escenas...
La prota pintaba super bien y de repente cuando pasan los capitulos se va edulcorando poco a poco.
Las escenas de sexo no me han gustado en absoluto. Ellos se enamoran con una velocidad pasmosa y pese a que es un amor prohibido no hay ninguna escena que te tenga con el corazon en un puño.
Me ha faltado mucho, una pena.

[Bärbel Schoess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Al principio es difícil enganchar... pero luego llega un punto en donde simplemente no puedes dejar de leer.
Paul Dmitriev es un maldito y se merece lo que le pasó, y lo que ocurre con los otros dos... VIVA LA FELICIDAD, SEÑORES!
me sorprendió bastante el hecho de encontrarme con un personaje (Adam Danilevski) hombre de aquella época que tratase a una mujer como se debe, y no como una inferior.
Aquel polaco está en mi listas de AP junto a otro, que curiosamente tiene descendencia polaca....

[Isabella · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pues aquí está mi reseña...
¿Han leído ese tipo de libros que como portada tienen hombres y mujeres semidesnudos, que tienen fama de ser super pasionales y malos?, Bueno este libro es eso pero en Rusia.

Te entretiene lo acepto, pero ya, no es cómo que aporte algo o sientas algo. Una maestra de mi escuela me lo recomendó por qué me gustaba la romántica, y bueno... Sí me pregunta si me gustó voy a tener que mentir.

Le doy una estrella más por qué te adentran en el mundo de una Rusia al mando de Catalina, la grande. Dónde te puedes imaginar los magníficos escenarios de ese siglo, sin embargo no quita la deficiencia en los personajes.

Sofía esperaba más de ti y terminaste siendo la mujer más imprudente y loca.
Adam pudiste ser el perfecto cliché de el héroe de la dama en apuros, pero la marraneaste.

Eso sí, y cómo buen punto pongo el hecho de que te engancha MUCHO, te da miedo lo que pueda ocurrir y es raro por qué yo no conecté con los personajes, pero tenía tanto miedo de Paul alias "maldito sádico" Dimietriv.
(Viejo más detestable).

Y ya amigos, lo terminé y terminé igual jaja.

Recomendado para los que les gustan las novelas, literal tiene trama de novela.

Isa.

[Kataklicik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, what a stressful read this was! And never have I rooted for the adulterous affair as I have for this one!

Jane Feather doesn't disappoint with this offering. The historical anecdotes and the setting for this romance is not your usual run-of-the-mill fodder. And beware the twist on your heartstrings. Sakit hati, and rasa nak hempuk pun ada. Didn't expect to feel so much for a romance novel!

[Mariane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Exactement ce à quoi je m'attendais. Ça se lit bien, sans être une lecture extraordinaire.

[Inma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Es uno de los mejores libros que he leído nunca. Me envolvió desde la primera página hasta la última, aunque el final era más que evidente

[Kat Ashworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

An epic tale of courage, resilience and love for which the cover art and book description to not do justice.

[Olga · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not sure if I didn’t like it because of the setting.

[Elle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love authors like Jane Feather, because I always get an infusion of authentic history along with (usually) a ripping good adventure/love story. This one, set in Catherine the Great's Russia, is no exception. Feather always steeps you in the lives of these people, their culture, the little details, always without bogging the story down. These are not 21st century people in period costumes, but products of their times.

This is an instance where the cover copy must've been written by someone who didn't read the book, because there's a bit that isn't quite right.

Sophia is the granddaughter of one of the myriad of princes in Russia. Her parents died the day she was born, wrongly accused of treason against Czarina Catherine. She's been raised on the steppes by her doting grandfather who gives her a rather unorthodox upbringing, so that she's a terrific rider, a crack shot, and while she has learned some court like manners she hasn't had to use them much. She has just come of age and is the only heiress to a great deal of wealth.

Enter Adam, a Polish count and military man, tasked by Catherine to escort Sophia to court, where she is to marry Paul, another prince.

Sophia IS NOT reconciled to this until she meets Adam. She only learns of it FROM Adam, and she fights it -- and Adam-- tooth and nail until she finally realizes this is a battle she won't win. Then suddenly, after the guy has refused to give her time to get used to the idea, refused to let her go anywhere unguarded, forced her to ride for long hours in a carriage even tho she warns that she has motion sickness and even tho it does make her violently ill, after he's taken her clothing so she can't leave the inn at night (she does sorta bring this on herself but still, it's awfully high handed and humiliating ) she's all buddies with him. The turnabout kinda gave me whiplash.

Turns out Paul is one of the nastier villains I've read about in some time. Seriously. He's not physically abusive toward Sophia, but every little misstep, every indication of independent thought, is punished by hurting those she cares about, servants who accompanied her, her horse, etc. (Adam saves the day more than once). He is actually the one who accused her parents (nobody bothers to tell her this), because he wanted her mum and thought if he could get her father executed she would have him. So now he's paying the family back by taking the daughter and abusing her. Like many abusers, he isolates her so she can't tell anyone. And when she finally does get a chance to tell and plead for her freedom, she isn't taken seriously. Instead, her husband is told and he tries to kill her.

By the time she and Adam finally hook up, in my view Adam has some more things to account for. We learn that he knew Paul was a tyrant and capable of vile abuse, and that he had a penchant for marrying heiresses and burying them. The way this is phrased it seems Adam suspects that Paul has done away with prior wives. So, while Adam does try to help Sophia once she's married, the question is, once he gets her to court, at least, why doesnt he warn her--we learn that Catherine wouldve let her out of the betrothal if she didn't like Paul, but she had no reason to dislike him when he was on his best behavior before the wedding. So Adam could have saved her from this horror with just a word. Moreover, he physically drags her to this guy--yes, he was under orders, but still, we have no sense that he's reluctant to force her. He redeems himself by the end, but I kinda didn't like him for a good part of the book because I felt he was at least partly responsible for her suffering.

Anyway, I loved the story and the glimpse into Catherine's Russia, Though the disposition of the villain was a little disappointing. By the time we reach the end, I really wanted to see him suffer for all the deliberate and vicious cruelties he showered on Sophia. He does receive his just reward, but offstage, and it seems a bit too quick to be satisfactorily painful. Yeah, I'm a vengeful witch!

[Mayra Carrasco · Rating 3 out of 5]

TERMINÉ! Ufff, me costó un mundo engancharme con este libro y agarrar vuelo con la lectura, pero ya por la página 100, 100 y algo se puso bueno y logré leer con la rapidez usual.

Noches plateadas se trata sobre la sociedad rusa antigua, enfocándose en la historia de tres personas, Sofía Alexeyevna, Adam Danilevski y Paul Dmitriev.
Sofía, una mujer rusa poco común, irreverente y educada de una forma distinta. Adam Danilevski, un polaco, coronel de ejército bueno, educado pero con fantasmas del pasado que lo atormentan. Y Paul Dmitriev, un MALDITO general de ejército que odio con todo mi ser :'D xD.

La historia es básicamente sobre Sofía, quien vive alejada de la sociedad Rusa en la casa de campo de su familia con su abuelo el Príncipe Golitskov. A esta pacífica casa llega la orden imperial de que Sofía se tiene que casar con Paul Dmitriev y junto a ésta orden llega Adam, el (por decirlo de una forma) "ayudante más fiel" de Paul, que tiene la misión de llevarla a San Petersburgo para que Sofía entre en sociedad, conozca a su futuro marido y finalmente se case.

Sofía es una chica poco común con una personalidad distinta a las de las típicas mujeres de sociedad, Adam sucumbe a sus encantos y termina enamorándose de ella, así como ella de él. Es aquí cuando comienzan los problemas, porque Sofía no puede negarse a la orden imperial y se casa con el maldito de Paul Dmitriev, quien pidió a Sofía como esposa solo como una venganza personal contra los Golitskov. Dmitriev años atrás quiso a la madre de Sofía y no la pudo tener, por eso ahora va a por la hija, pero se encuentra con la desagradable (para él) sorpresa de que Sofía no es una mujer que se doblegue o que sea delicada como si lo era su madre. Es por esto que Paul (conocido por su frialdad y brutalidad) convierte el mundo de Sofía en un infierno.

-------------------------
En general me costó mucho agarrar vuelo con este libro porque (al menos las primeras 100 páginas) contienen MUCHA descripción y no tantos diálogos. Jane Feather se va en planas y planas de descripción sobre habitaciones, sentimientos, pensamientos, etc... cosa que no me gusta mucho. Si destaco que al ser así la narración la autora logra que los lectores nos metamos mucho más en esta sociedad rusa antigua.

En otro aspecto sobre la narración, se me hacía un poco confuso a ratos como lo hacía Jane. Está relatado en tercera persona, cosa que no me molesta, pero resulta que la autora tiene una forma muy abrupta de abordar los personajes. En un momento estamos hablando sobre lo que piensa Sofía y en otro sobre lo que piensa Paul o Adam o cualquier otro personaje pero el cambio es muy de la nada, por lo que uno tiende a confundirse y no saber si lo que está leyendo es lo que siente tal personaje u otro.

La historia y el ambiente que encontramos en Noches plateadas me ha gustado mucho, no es parecida a nada que halla leído y a pesar de que me costó encontrar el ritmo al final ya lo hice y me llegué a emocionar en una que otra parte.

3 Estrellas porque me gustó pero me costó mucho encontrar el ritmo y no me gustan las narraciones tan descriptivas y abruptas.

[Sasha]

Quite possibly one of the most stressful romance novels I’ve ever experienced. This is nerve-wracking, I tell you—I have never had to dutifully and distressingly slog through so much suffering and despair. The Imperial Russia this presents has never been so hostile to characters of the romance novel—were these two ever happy in the normal way? And not in the Oh goodie, your tyrant of a husband—who happens to be my boss—didn’t even think of killing you this time around way? Dude. The heroine—spirited Sophy something or the other—marries some asshole who happens to have had the hots for her mother, whom he’d conspired against in the days of yore. The hero’s aforementioned husband’s aide-de-camp.

The adultery doesn’t make this book peculiar, it’s all the goddamned obstacles Jane Feather threw their way, all the life-threatening and politically damaging consequences that’d come by the hero and the heroine if they decide to fight for their stupidly intense love. There’s a guy named Boris! I have nothing else to say about the plot, I’m too wrecked!

I like angst in my romance novels. This is not angst. This is just giving the characters one strong kick in the gut very early on, and then keeping them down until the Epilogue. Ugh. It was not so much rooting for the characters to find love and keep that love peacefully, deservingly, romance-novelly. It was, by god, a matter of Justice. I closed the book nearly weeping with relief. If this Happily Ever After had feet, I would throw myself at it.

Oh, lord, I am still so very stressed.

[Jan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jane Feather is a talented writer of historical romance, but this is not one of her best. She goes into much detail about 18th century Russian history, the land and culture. I am grateful to her for that. Since I count myself a historybuff, I googled Catherine the Great's family tree in order to understand how she became ruler and some of her relationships mentioned in the novel, which are factual. Thanks, Ms. Feather, for the history lesson.

It is unusual for a heroine to be an adulteress. But I was rooting for Sophie because her husband, Paul, was such a vicious abuser. However, I did like Sophie and Adam and wanted them to get together, but I was disappointed in their love scenes. I agree with another reviewer: their love scenes are brief and not very sensual. I had to re-read them to see what really happened. Of course, this book was written in 1989; the genre has changed a lot since then.

Another problem I had was that Adam seemed to come to Sophie's rescue, just by chance mind you, on too many occasions. Not really realistic. And where did the author/editor get the blond model for the cover? The heroine has dark hair throughout the book! This shows neglect on somebody's part.

Jane Feather will always be one of my favorite authors, but not all of her novels are my favorite.

[Mudpie · Rating 3 out of 5]

like a reader wrote, the book is horribly fascinating as in I read with dread not knowing what evils Dimitriev has planned for Sophie...I really find it far fetched that Sophie and Adam could conduct their affair without the gossips being wiser. reading this book really gave me high blood pressure as the couple suffer so much not knowing when her evil husband will be around to catch them out. The irony of being an adulterer making someone's wife pregnant is very cruel to Adam I feel...such an honourable man torn between honour and love...

ps. my book cover shows a sexy blond but our heroine has chestnut hair and sable lashes...

[Vivisection · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought I had already read this book because of the dying mother at the beginning. I was glad to find out that was not the case as I have been trapped inside due to inclement weather and forced to read what was laying about the house. After some crappy historicals, it was nice to actually have an historical grounding.

None the less, there was way too much hinting and not enough doing. I kept thinking fade to black at some emotional cruxes in an effort to move the plot forward.

Not bad for a rainy day, though.

[Laura Bradbury · Rating 4 out of 5]

I generally enjoy Jane Feather's Historical Romances and this one did not disappoint. It had me galloping over the Russian steppes on a Cossack stallion to rendezvous with my grey eyed Polish lover.

The thing I probably loved the most about this story was its setting in Russia which provided several hours of wonderful escapism. Highly recommended if you feel like travelling to Kiev without flying on Aeroflot.

[Vicky · Rating 5 out of 5]

un hermoso libro, lleno de giros y complicaciones, con una dramática historia de amor. Simplemente genial, de fácil lectura y agradable. El final un poco aburrido, pero lo merecido para Sofía y Adam <3

[Hope4flowers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book.

[Marti · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favorite Jane Feather - The end does not justify the mean.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Would read again because it is not a different setting

[Jessie · Rating 4 out of 5]

very well written & a story you want to end happily

[Rebekah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I Love finding romance books that are set outside of England or Scotland or the United States. They tend to be a rare find and a good one is even rarer. This book did not disappoint.

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Uh, who is that supposed to be on the cover? (My book had the blue cover.)

[Annarose · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember reading it a long time ago and liking it. It was kind of sweet as a historical romance novel.