When I first picked up this book I was really excited, some of my favorite storylines are those that are enemies to lovers. There is always so much chemistry and sparks occurring between the characters. I just love it. With this book I honestly don't know why I kept reading. Actually I do know why, I was curious to see what was going to happen with the hero and heroine when they finally got together. I really shouldn't have wasted my time because it wasn't worth it. This book was just so lackluster. The chemistry between Conner and Venus was just felt flat and lacking the sparks that I love.
From the beginning I had issues with the storyline. It just seemed to be a bit all over the place and a lot of characters and events just seem to pop up out of nowhere that seem to mess with the flow of the story. I found myself confused by it all more than once. There was just too many characters and interloping storylines going on that just seemed to detract from the Conner and Venus' story. These two are supposed to be the main focus, but I felt like their story was just a side note to the mystery that is going on in the book and the only reason I kept reading this book was to see their relationship progress.
I really needn't have bothered finishing because there just wasn't any sizzle with them. Once they got together that was it, nothing really special happens or there wasn't really much that happened beforehand. They just go from hating each other to instantly in love and it just make no sense to me. It wasn't believable at all. I would have love to see more flirting between them before they jumped into bed with each other. I like reading romances to experience the romance with the characters and I just didn't feel any with Venus and Conner. Their relationship just didn't seem like it had a natural progression. The author constantly tells us how much they both hate each other and then all of a sudden all that hate and resentment is gone? Just didn't make sense to me.
I also hate that somehow everything is wrapped up in a pretty little bow. Somehow all of the problems that occurred in the book are magically fixed and everyone gets a HEA. How does that happen? That isn't realistic at all. It just felt so phony.
I think one of my main issues is I was unable to connect with the heroine Venus. I just did not like her. She is constantly moaning about how much she hates Connor for what he did to her father, yet it's okay to attempt to seduce him to get information. Also, every time something happens she starts to cry. I have never read a book where the heroine cries so much. It seemed like every other page she was crying about something. It was highly annoying.
As for Connor, I found that I really did enjoy him and I loved when we were able to see things through his point of view. I love that he was so protective of Venus and is even willing to sleep in his car in order to be there in case something were to happen. He just wants her to be safe. He may have been a bit stubborn and set in his ways, but he is willing to do anything to protect the ones he loves and cares about.
All in all, I didn't completely hate this book but I definitely did not love it. I might be a bit hesitant to pick up something from this author in the future. This book just had a few too many misses for me to willing pick up another from this author.
**ARC copy provided by
NetGalley**
RATING:
Lara Adrian is able to pack a whole lotta story in a novella and believe me, that is not an easy task. I'll be honest, I'm normally not the biggest fan of novellas or short stories, it usually feels as if things are packed in or as if important items are left out. That was definitely not the case with A Taste of Midnight. Lara was able to pack so much information in the novella without me feeling bombarded with facts and items that were not needed. The story was exactly the perfect length.
Erica Ridley learned to read when she was three, which was about the same time she decided to be a writer when she grew up. Over the course of her school years, she graduated from self-illustrated stories written in crayon to dramatic sagas filling reams of spiral notebooks.
Caroline Linden knew from an early age she was a reader, but not a writer. Despite an addiction to Trixie Belden and Nancy Drew, she studied physics and dreamed of being an astronaut. She earned a math degree from Harvard College and then wrote software for a financial services firm, all the while reading everything in sight, but especially romance. Only after she had children, and found herself with only picture books to read, did she begin to make up a story of her own. To her immense surprise, it turned out to be an entire novel--and it was much more fun than writing computer code. Seven years, eight books, two Red Sox championships, and on dog later, she has never been happier with her decision. She lives with her family in New England.
USA Today best-selling author and double-Rita finalist Kieran Kramer writes Regency historical romances for St. Martin's Press. IF YOU GIVE A GIRL A VISCOUNT, the fourth and last book in her lighthearted Impossible Bachelors series, is on store shelves now. Her new series, House of Brady, premiers in 2012. A former CIA employee, journalist, and English teacher, Kieran's also a game show veteran, karaoke enthusiast, and general adventurer.
Miranda Neville lives the glamorous life of a romance novelist, which means wearing pajamas all day during terrifying deadlines. She writes historical romances set in her native England, though she wasn’t actually alive during the Regency era. Publishers Weekly has praised her “mixture of hilarity, mystery and passion.” THE DANGEROUS VISCOUNT won the 2011 Gayle Wilson Award for Excellence in the historical category. Her fifth historical romance for Avon, CONFESSIONS FROM AN ARRANGED MARRIAGE, will be released March 27, 2012.
Lecia Cornwall lives in Calgary Alberta, in the foothills of the beautiful Canadian Rockies, with two grown children, four cats, a chocolate labe and a husband who puts up with all of the above with remarkable patience. Lecia's debut novel was published by Avon in April 2011. Watch for her first Christmas e-novella on December 20, and her second print book on December 27. And, she is, of course, busy working on yet another book.
I'm a native St. Louisan who spent twenty years working in hospitals, 16 as a trauma nurse in two of the biggest trauma centers in St. Louis. I'm from a large Irish Catholic family, am married, have my own kids, and now pursue my second career and biggest dream, writing books. The genres I specialize in right now are romance, which I write as Kathleen Korbel, and suspense, which I write as Eileen Dreyer. My dreams are to make the New York Times list, to see a book made into a movie, to see more places in the world, and to have land in Ireland. All my other dreams have been realized.
An award-winning author of erotic romance, Monica Burns penned her first short romance story at the age of nine when she selected the pseudonym she uses today. From the days when she hid her stories from her sisters to her first completed full-length manuscript, she always believed in her dream despite rejections and setbacks. A workaholic wife and mother, Monica believes it’s possible for the good guy to win if they work hard enough.
A life-long lover of stories and adventure, it was either become a stuntwoman for the movies or live out those adventures from the safety of her PJ’s and computer. Award-winning author, Robyn DeHart chose the latter and couldn’t be happier for doing so. Known for her unique plotlines and authentic characters, Robyn is a favorite among readers and reviewers. Publishers' Weekly claims her writing to be "comical and sexy" while the Chicago Tribune dubs her "wonderfully entertaining." Robyn is a three-time RT Bookclub Reviewers' Choice award nominee,and her book SEDUCE ME won for the 2009 Best Historical Romantic Adventure. The same book also won the inaugural RomCon Reader’s Crown award.
ANNA CAMPBELL has written six multi award-winning historical romances for Avon HarperCollins and her work is published in eleven languages. Always a voracious reader, Anna decided when she was a child that she wanted to be a writer. Once she discovered the wonderful world of romance novels, she knew exactly what she wanted to write. Anna has won numerous awards for her Regency-set romances including Romantic Times Reviewers Choice, the Booksellers Best, the Golden Quill (twice), the Heart of Excellence, the Aspen Gold and the Australian Romance Readers Association's favorite historical romance (three times). Her books have twice been nominated for Romance Writers of America's prestigious RITA Award and twice for Australia's Romantic Book of the Year.
SARA LINDSEY began writing during her senior year of college. The rest, as they say, is history… or rather, historical romance. Sara divides her time between her native Los Angeles and Manhattan, where she is pursuing her graduate degree in information and library science.
I was really excited to read this book. These types of tropes are normally some of my favorites but with this one I felt like it was just missing something. I didn't really feel any chemistry between the hero and heroine. I'm not sure if it's because this was a novella and the author just didn't have enough time to develop their relationship but I honestly had trouble believing in them and their feelings towards one another. Don't get me wrong, I really liked both the hero and the heroine, I just would have liked to see more interaction between them.
