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You are here: Home / Anthology / Review: Midnight Scandals Anthology

Review: Midnight Scandals Anthology

September 3, 2012 by Mandi 9 Comments

Midnight Scandals

Midnight Scandals Anthology
Historical Romance
Released: August 28, 2012
Self Published

Reviewed by Mandi

One Starlit Night by Carolyn Jewel

Viscount Northword or Crispin is back home after ten years. Much has changed, especially his relationship with his childhood friend and lover, Portia Temple. Years and years ago, they fell in love, but they had some dark days together, as often young people do, and had a bad break. Crispin went on to leave and marry someone else, while Portia has been stuck in her small town, living with her brother and his wife Eleanor. Eleanor wants great things for Portia – London, fancy gowns, and a husband that will further her husband’s career. Portia just wants out of her brother’s house, and has decided to marry a local man, even though it is not a love match. But now Crispin is back, and seeing him makes them both realize, the past can’t be forgotten.

This is a story of two people who loved each other so much, but had so much hurt between them for the past ten years that it is too scary and too hard to think of ever having that love again. They are now ten years older, and wiser and while they set out just to be acquaintances, the attraction between them can’t be ignored. Carolyn Jewel writes the best sexual tension and romance scenes. So sensual and always wicked. Portia is so unhappy in her life, that it takes a great deal of effort on Crispin’s part to show her how to be happy again. They have so much history together, some memories so good, some memories so devastating. But they slowly work through them, and Crispin finally convinces Portia to take another chance. Really well done romance. Rating: B+

What Happened at Midnight by Courtney Milan

Mary Chartley’s father embezzled money from his partnership and then took his life. And now his partners want to be paid. While some of the partners are threatening Mary harm, the youngest partner John Mason comes on the scene and demands at least a little respect for Mary. They met because of this partnership, and have been courting. But John really needs his investment back, needing the money to support his young nephew who lost his father. John is certain Mary must know what her father did with the money, but she refuses to speak. With nothing left to do, they part ways.

Eighteen months later, John by chance hears from someone that Mary is now a lady’s companion in Doyle’s Grange. He heads up there to confront her again about the missing money, but he finds a different Mary. This Mary is working for a man who is imprisoning his wife and Mary. She is not being paid, and is living in forced isolation. As he starts to learn the truth about the embezzlement, John and Mary start a new friendship, and a plan to escape the man she works for.

Courtney Milan writes a novella with such a different feel. John is an expert at drainage fields, and finds himself outside, tackling problems and finding solutions. Mary is in a prison of sorts, while she is not being physically abused, she is not getting a salary, and she can’t leave the house. The oppressiveness of their situation is really intense. And while John is protective of her, he is also not the alpha, growly type so it takes a little time for him to analyze everything.. He soon learns the truth about the missing money and that Mary is desperate for a friend. I like how their relationship is mended and trust slowly builds. This novella takes place years after Carolyn Jewel’s but set in the same world. We see the characters briefly from her novella here and the crossover.works nicely.

This one isn’t as sensual as Carolyn Jewel’s installment, but I found it romantic nonetheless. Rating: B

A Dance in Moonlight by Sherry Thomas

Taking place right where Ravishing the Heiress ends, Isabelle is heart broken over losing not only her husband in India, but then a second chance at love with Lord Fitzhugh. By chance she meets Fitzwilliam, who not only shares the name of ‘Fitz’ but looks exactly like him. So much so, Isabelle kisses him thinking it is the Fitz that just broke her heart. The new Fitz also lost his wife, so as the two of them start to talk, Isabelle realizes she has a lot in common with the new Fitz, even if he does remind her so much of the man she lost.

I didn’t like this contribution. I didn’t like that the new Fitz resembles the old Fitz so much. It just felt weird. This is a super short story, and not enough time is spent to give us a believable love story. This feels almost like an extended epilogue to Ravishing the Heiress with a  quick love story thrown in, rather than Isabelle and Fitz’s story. Didn’t work very well for me. Rating: C-

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Filed Under: Anthology, B Review, C Review, Carolyn Jewel, Courtney Milan, Historical Romance, Self Published, Sherry Thomas

Comments

  1. Brie says

    September 3, 2012 at 9:31 am

    Jewel’s novella was so good! I don’t know why it resonated with me so much, maybe because I don’t read much historical so when I find one I like I tray to enjoy it as much as I can, and also because I thought it was such an original subject, not just for historical romance but romance in general. What a lovely voice, must go read her backlist.

    I also loved Milan’s, I think she’s better with the short format than with full-length. The hero was so dreamy! And I felt the heroine’s pain. The resolution was a bit too perfect, but overall it was an enjoyable story.

    The Thomas story, I want to forget. It doesn’t work because I wasn’t interested in the heroine’s HEA when I read Ravishing the Heiress, I didn’t even like her, and now she gets a hero that looks exactly like Fitz? Sorry, but no.

    But overall I’m so happy I read it, the first two novellas are worth the whole price.

    Great review!

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    • Mandi says

      September 4, 2012 at 7:52 am

      Yes..you must go read Jewel’s backlist!

      Agree this anthology is worth the $ for the first two stories.

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  2. Jen says

    September 3, 2012 at 10:51 am

    For me, Milan’s novella was the best and the Sherry Thomas story was terrible. I wasn’t real hyped about the blurb to begin with but then it just got worse as I was reading it. Disappointing end to the anthology.

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    • Mandi says

      September 4, 2012 at 7:53 am

      Yes…it didn’t make any sense. At least the first two were really good.

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  3. may says

    September 3, 2012 at 1:53 pm

    ok, thinking that last one I just skip when I get around to reading this… but thinking I’ll be leaving this one unread on kindle for a bit. Great review!!!

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  4. blodeuedd says

    September 3, 2012 at 2:08 pm

    Dunno about that last one..hm. But then anthologies always seem to have better ones and not so good ones

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  5. Kaetrin says

    September 4, 2012 at 1:32 am

    I haven’t read Ravishing the Heiress yet – I should hold off reading the Sherry Thomas story in Midnight Scandals intil then at least? (Although it doesn’t seem to be very popular among bloggers I trust, so maybe I will skip it completely).

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    • Mandi says

      September 4, 2012 at 7:54 am

      It would make more sense to read Ravishing the Heiress first – although I say read Ravishing and then just skip this novella.

      But read the anth for the Jewel and Milan!

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  6. aurian says

    September 5, 2012 at 3:57 am

    It really has been a while since I read anything positive about a Sherry Thomas story, so I will cross her of my list. But the other two stories sound good.

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