Midnight Sins by Lora Leigh (Heroes and Heartbreakers #1)
August 2, 2011
Romantic Suspense
Paperback
St. Martin’s Press
Reviewed by Helyce
Wow! How do I even begin to write about this book? I feel like a need a disclaimer: I am a huge Lora Leigh fan. I completely adore her Breed series as well as her Elite Ops/Navy Seals books. I’ve read the Nauti Boys books too, but seriously-if you’ve read those you know that those are fluff-good sexy time reads with hot studly boys who are good at sex and can make their women come multiple times. The plot, just okay; enough to keep me interested-but honestly, sex and hot good looking men was it. My imagination thanks Ms. Leigh for that!
Midnight Sins is the first in a new series that centers around three cousins, Rafer, Crowe and Logan and their fight to regain an inheritance that is rightfully theirs; left to them by their mothers. Rafer, Crow and Logan’s mothers were the daughters of very influential, founding families of Sweetrock, Colorado-the Rafferty, Corbin and Roberts’s families. But these young women had married three brothers, Samuel, David and Benjamin Callahan who were from the wrong side of the tracks. When all three couples died in a freak accident, they left behind their sons who were only 10, 12 and 13 at the time. Not only were these boys orphaned, they were also immediately disowned by their mother’s families and were taken in and raised by an uncle. The question is why? What are the secrets? How did the Rafferty/Corbin/Roberts triad really acquire the Callahan lands? Why are people dying? Who is pulling the strings and what does this person have on the triad that made them disown three innocent young boys right after they lost their parents?
Midnight Sins is Rafer’s story and begins when he is 20 years old. He, Logan and Crowe are still very close and they are still very much ostracized by the community. To associate with a Callahan is a bad thing, and people steer clear of them because their mother’s families still have too much influence on the town and can really make life difficult for anyone that crosses them. But Jaymi Flannigan doesn’t care. Rafe is a friend and was very special to her late husband, Tye. Jaymi and Rafe are close, but it’s no love connection and they actually break up within the first chapter of the book. But Jaymi is getting these anonymous phone calls, threatening her if she continues to see Rafe. She blows it off, doesn’t take it seriously and doesn’t tell anyone about them. When she is kidnapped and subsequently murdered, the Callahan cousins are arrested. They are being framed, but it is clear that the powers that be will do anything to get rid of the Callahan brothers. Why exactly are they such a threat?
Cambria Flannigan is Jaymi’s younger sister. At 13 she had a huge crush on Rafer, but her sister was dating him and well, she was just a kid. After Jaymi’s death Rafer left town with his cousins, joined the military, and was not around much, but she saw him off and on over the years and as she got older, her feelings got stronger, but she never acted on them. Rafe was well aware of Cami’s crush over the years and as she matured and got older, he too could not ignore his feelings for her. They meet quite by chance at an airport one day and end up getting together for just one, explosive encounter. This leads to other chance meetings over the years but nothing every really comes of it until Cami learns that Rafe has moved back to his ranch in Sweetrock full time. Of course, they get together, fight their attraction, etc. but eventually neither can really fight their feelings for each other and they won’t let anyone or anything keep them apart.
I was extremely disappointed in this book. Not the story line-I thought the premise of the story was very good. I was very much intrigued by the alluded to “secrets” and finding out the who, what and why of the whole thing. In this, the book has so much freaking potential I could scream. There could have been so much more exploration into the families, their backgrounds, how the founding family triad acquired the Callahan land (clearly it was underhanded) and why. There is so much innuendo about the deaths being suspicious but no one investigates? These three powerful families lose their daughters in a car accident and their response if to disown their grandsons? On top of that, there are horrible discrepancies in the timeline as well as simple things like the characters names. At one point Cami looks at her phone and sees the caller i.d. says Rafer Samuel Callahan then not 10 or 12 pages later Cami is having a conversation with Marshal Roberts, Rafe’s maternal grandfather and he states that Rafe’s given name is Marshal Rafer Callahan. Now, could it be Rafer changes his name at some point to disassociate himself from his maternal family, absolutely, but it is never explained at all in the book. One of my pet peeves with this book was the constant repetitive information about the feud between the Callahan and Rafferty/Corbin/Roberts families. The original feud is clearly explained on page 3 of chapter one, yet it is brought up again and again and again. And worse, we get no additional information, no answers to important questions, not even a hint as to who is “large and in charge” and while a killer is revealed and dealt with, I still have so many questions.
Lastly, I have to state that while I could buy the relationship with Rafer and Cami because it’s set up well in the beginning even though Cami is only 13. By the way, there is no illicit anything between them. It is truly a crush of a young girl on an older boy and I really didn’t get any of the ‘ick’ factor because he once dated her older sister. What was bad was that in spite of Rafe’s childhood, he came off as a good, caring, loving man to me. Cami, too, was a strong young woman who was very independent and had been basically on her own since the age of 13. So I really could not buy the alpha-dom that Rafe becomes during sex and I certainly could not buy Cami’s submissive side.
So, for the potential of what this story could have been and the fact that the intrigue was enough to keep me reading, even though I didn’t get all the answers I wanted I give this book a D-.
Rating: D-
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It sounds like she is having the same consistency and timeline problem she had in Live Wire, the last Elite Ops book. That book was such a disappointment because of it. She is clearly in need of a new editor. I was looking forward to this book, however, the plot sounds like a regurgitated Nauti Boys plot and the editing problems means I will not be reading. Oh well, maybe she will have a good one soon.
Jay, I’ve heard that there are those who feel that this was a replay of the Nauti books. I didn’t get that at all, not a bit. I have not read Live Wire yet-I wasn’t ready for that series to be over so I put it off. Maybe that’s a good thing. I agree, she needs some help with keeping timelines and simple facts straight. Thanks for stopping by.
I heard there’s major editing errors, as in no editor worked on this and blinding mistakes. The reviews on Amazon are mainly 2 stars and under because of the sheer horrible writing this book is.
Hi KB: I’ve also heard that she doesn’t use an editor and it really showed. Seriously, though, there was potential. The story was there-it just needed a boost. I’ll probably regret it, but I don’t think I can stop myself from checking out the 2nd book when/if it comes out. :)
Helyce, I was looking forward to Live Wire and bought it on release day. I don’t even know if the story was good I was so distracted by the glaring mistakes, i.e. enter the bedroom leave the kitchen. I hope either Lora Leigh or her publisher get the memo on the editor. I don’t know if I will read another one. Take my advice and don’t read Live Wire. It will ruin the series for you.
That’s too bad. Isn’t it Jordan’s story? I’ve been waiting forever for his, even though I knew he’d end up with Tehya…:(
After the last Breed book was such a custer fuck, I’ve decided that I can’t give this author another cent of my money. I have a limited monthly book budget so I’ll be getting any new Leigh books from the library. I agree with Jay, the author is in dire need of an editor.
You know, I read the last breed book and I don’t recall as many timeline or editing type errors. I did realize at one point that something was missing and heard that printer left out several pages. They were apparently on her website, but I never went back to look for them. I’m so looking forward to Law’s Justice-I have been waiting for his story-but I am worried. I hope she’s got a new editor now!
It took a few MONTHS, but the missing scene is finally posted, but really, at this point, I’ve moved on. I originally was going to go back and trade in my “defective book” for a new one, but why bother now. I just hope that Lawe’s book is good. I don’t want this series to have “jumped the shark” with so much left to tell.
Boo. *whispers* I’ve never read a Lora Leigh.
Great review, Helyce! I was looking at this on Amazon the other day and with 90 ratings, the average was 2 stars!!! I couldn’t believe it. Must really be a bad one, lol.
Hi Juliana, it’s sad but true, many problems-but so much potential. I can only hope that she can fix whatever is going on with her team because she’s awesome!
Tori, Lora Leigh has some verra smexy books. I love the Nauti Boys and the Seals Elite Ops. They are worth the read.
Tori, her Breed series is like 20+ books strong and I really liked every one. The older ones through Samhain were all about the world building! I’m not ready to give up on her yet. I hope she gets her editing woes under control!!! Her Elite Ops/Navy seals romantic suspense books were good too. I’m keeping my fingers crossed!
Lora has a no editing clause in her contract, so don’t look for her next book to be edited.
KB: Mandi told me that. Why would an author do that? Can’t she see the problems? How can a publisher allow it? Bummer. :(
Ego trip. They think they are two good to be edited. I know of 3 other authors who won’t be edited, one of which really surprised me.
Maybe they’ll catch a clue when people stop buying. I’m loyal, but I won’t waste money no matter how much I love an author.
And now you have me uber curious on who the other two are! **wink**
Lora Leigh is one of my FAV authors. I DNF Midnight Sins :-( I LOVE her Nauti Boys, Breeds, & Seals Elite Ops. Yet I too was disappointed in her last Breed book & Live Wire.
Yes, I can see where many would DNF this book-but I was determined to get answers to two things. Unfortunately, one was answered but for me it didn’t affect the overall story arc and the other I guess will be answered in the next book.
Laurell K Hamilton and Anne Rice. The biggest shocker was Lori Foster, which I heard from a reliable source.
LKH is not a surprise, by any stretch. Nice though she may be at Dragon*Con, woman still needs someone to triple edit. And Rice was an easy figure out, too. Who else would spend 5 pages describing a curio cabinet in the corner that had no relevancy to the scene? Okay, fine…maybe it was the drapes, too.
I’ve never read Hamilton and I haven’t read Rice in years. I am surprised by Lori Foster-I just read the first three Men of Honor books and they were great. I can some people can pull it off!
KB/KT Grant, WOW you’re well informed! Darn, I read Laurell K. Hamilton, Anne Rice, & Lori Foster too. Seems “no editor” is an industry trend. Pretty shortsighted decision that won’t pay off if you ask me.
For whatever reason they don’t want an editor, that’s fine, but can’t they at least find someone to proof read? I have even found spelling mistakes and grammatical errors in Lora Leigh. I read Lori Foster and I haven’t ever noticed it.
Uh oh, this is one I’ll be passing on. I’ve enjoyed a few of her books (black ops?) but she gets a little too into the overplaid drama, the “I can’t be with you because I can’t”, and of course the soul saving buttsex for me.
Anyhow – thanks for saving us from bad read with your review. I totally feel you on a book that has potential and wastes it!!
Hi May-yeah bummer all around. I’m not ready to give up on Lora Leigh just yet. I love her Breed series too much. But we’ll see what happens.
Thank you for your review! I too am a HUGE Breeds fan! I have forgiven a lot because well, you understand. But after the mixups with Navarro’s Promise and some of the other problems I’m hearing about, and KT’s info above… It may be time to reconsider my book choices.