Title: A Kiss at MidnightAuthor: Eloisa James
Ideal Age Range: Adult
Mass Market Paperback: 370 Pages
Copyright Date: August 2010
Blurb: Miss Kate Daltry doesn’t believe in fairy tales…or happily ever after.
Forced by her stepmother to attend a ball, Kate meets a prince…and decides he’s anything but charming. A clash of wits and wills ensues, but they both know their irresistible attraction will lead nowhere. For Gabriel is promised to another woman-a princess whose hand in marriage will fulfill his ruthless ambitions.
Gabriel likes his fiancée, which is a welcome turn of events, but he doesn’t love her. Obviously, he should be wooing his bride-to-be, not the witty, impoverished beauty who refuses to fawn over him.
Godmothers and glass slippers notwithstanding, this is one fairy tale in which destiny conspires to destroy any chance that Kate and Gabriel might have a happily ever after.
Unless a prince throws away everything that makes him noble…
Unless a dowry of an unruly heart trumps a fortune…
Unless one kiss at the stroke of midnight changes everything.
My Rating:(★★★★) I picked up A Kiss At Midnight because Cinderella is my favorite fairy tale mixed with the fact that the story is a historical romance set in the regency time period, which is also happily my favorite time period that romance novels come in. Those two things make for almost a magical blend of perfection for me.
There is no real magic in the story, nor any talk of a squash turning into a beautiful carriage to take Cinderella to the ball, but there is a unconventional Godmother and three little yapping Maltese, referred to as “the rats”. Oh, and a prince. And the impoverished young lassie that is the main heroine of the story as well, of course!
As far as romance novels go, this is one of those romances that I would probably term as Warm to Hot. The sex scenes are few, only two, although there are a few other instances where there are stolen kisses. I am not one to shy away from the more explicitly detailed romance novels, but I have to be honest and say that most of the ones that I read are the sweetly/sensual ones rather than the sexy/erotic ones. I have read quite a few of all kinds, but I prefer the aforementioned sweet ones better.
More romance than sex, but the sex isn’t smoothed over either. Eloisa James does a great job mixing humor into her stories as well as detailing the attraction that builds between the characters. Even better than that? I love her attention to detail of the angles of the hero’s face, or the inner turmoil the heroine must overcome to live happily ever after.
There is only one thing I didn’t really like about A Kiss At Midnight. That is the fact that there is no actual action taken upon by Kate, the main character that suddenly turns Gabriel’s un-attraction to her into attraction. It seemed like on one page he thought she was quite plain and on the verge of ugly, and then suddenly he was smitten with her and thought she was the loveliest girl on the planet. I don’t remember reading about her saying or doing anything to warrant the sudden change in attitude from him. But it happens.
I think if you like romances loosely based on fairy tales or if you like romances similar to Julia Quinn’s novels, then this book by Eloisa James may tickle your fancy. It surely tickled mine!
Quotes: “Potatoes,” he said. “You compare yourself to a potato?”
Similar Titles: Desperate Duchesses by Eloisa James, The Duke and I by Julia Quinn
What I’m Reading Next: I’ve put on hold Eldest by Christopher Paolini and am now readingMockingjay by Suzanne Collins.
☆«·´`·.¸★☆★¸.·´`·»☆
My Rating System:
★ = didn’t like it
★★ = it was ok
★★★ = liked it
★★★★ = really liked it
★★★★★ = it was amazing
© demureconnoisseur/ Stacy Grey
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