A Waltz at Midnight

Feb 27, 2012 Jess the Romanceaholic rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: short-story-or-novella, historical, family-issues, 2012-read, secret-identity, steam-level-warm, what-a-tangled-web-we-weave

This is a Quickie Review. For the full review, please visit The Romanceaholic.com

Expected Release Date: February 27, 2012 (Available Now!)
Publisher: Harlequin
Imprint: Carina Press
Author’s Website: http://www.cristamchugh.com/
My Source for This Book: Netgalley
Part of a Series: No
Series Best Read In Order: N/A
Steam Level: Warm

This was a very sweet, incredibly romantic novella, and I absolutely adored it. While not a sensual romance, the emotion that developed over the course of this love story mor...more

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Mar 05, 2012 Tracey rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley, 19th-century, romance

Received from Netgalley for review, thank you. This was actually a short story or novella (I find it hard to tell on the Kindle), taking place very soon after the end of the Civil War. It centers on Susanna, who has seen her life turned upside-down: their father was killed in the war, their house and land destroyed in Sherman's March, their mother died soon after, and Susanna's brother was sent home from battle with a leg less than before. The two of them have come north to the only refuge avail...more Received from Netgalley for review, thank you. This was actually a short story or novella (I find it hard to tell on the Kindle), taking place very soon after the end of the Civil War. It centers on Susanna, who has seen her life turned upside-down: their father was killed in the war, their house and land destroyed in Sherman's March, their mother died soon after, and Susanna's brother was sent home from battle with a leg less than before. The two of them have come north to the only refuge available to them, to act as servants at an aunt's boarding house, where the boarders are young ladies attending Vassar. Mostly horrid snobs, these.

One boarder who is neither horrid nor a snob, Charlotte, is a wealthy bluestocking, not the prettiest of creatures, who is secretly in love with a local doctor. He loves her as well, but their marriage appears impossible: she is being herded into an unwanted but financially beneficial courtship by her father and the young man's. The two have never met, but the gentleman, Theodore (Ted) is coerced into writing her a letter to open negotiations.

I find I don't know a huge amount about etiquette in the US in this period – but from what I understand this would be unheard of in England in 1886. Maybe things were different here …

The letter, as reluctantly sent as it is received, is not … congenial, shall we say. Charlotte – not the sharpest of knives in the drawer – flutters off for help to Susanna, whom she knows to be far cleverer. Susanna, outraged and with Charlotte's full cooperation, dashes off a sharp response, signs it as Lottie, and sends it off. Far from putting our Teddie off, it intrigues him, and so begins a correspondence which explores both their feelings about the war, and travel, and life in general, and, of course, the two fall in love. This is fine with Teddie, as his father has made it clear that it is his duty to marry the girl; for the girl, who is not actually the girl, it's a bit awkward.

It was a sweet little story. It was wise to keep it at this length; anything longer would have gotten monotonous and even more improbable than the story already was. The writing was not terrible: though it waxed purple, that was, somewhat, in keeping with the time – there has never been a more purple-prose period than the 1800's. Still, there are a few rough patches.

Though the primary influence for the story has to have been Cyrano, there are references throughout to Cinderella, right down to Susanna, constantly cleaning fireplaces in the boarding house, seeing herself as being covered with soot and ashes, and a comment from Lottie about how pretty she is when she's not covered in ashes. I wouldn't go so far as to say Teddie is a Prince Charming, but he's a bit of all right, and all in all this is an appealing, agreeable little story. (less)

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Mar 28, 2012 Book Utopia rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical, het, romance

I love epistolic stories, and the romantic premise of this appealed to me. However, the end result proved too simple for my tastes, ultimately becoming something I had troubles remembering just a day later.

As a tale, it’s a simple one. Susanna works as a maid in her aunt’s boardinghouse for young women attending college. A transplanted Southerner, she is now reliant on her aunt’s good graces to support her and her brother who was injured during the war. One of the girls in the boardinghouse rece...more I love epistolic stories, and the romantic premise of this appealed to me. However, the end result proved too simple for my tastes, ultimately becoming something I had troubles remembering just a day later.

As a tale, it’s a simple one. Susanna works as a maid in her aunt’s boardinghouse for young women attending college. A transplanted Southerner, she is now reliant on her aunt’s good graces to support her and her brother who was injured during the war. One of the girls in the boardinghouse receives a letter from a would-be suitor, but because she’s in love with someone else, she asks the more eloquent Susanna to write a letter back posing as her to discourage him. Susanna agrees to do it only after she is offered payment, but after she exchanges a couple letters with the man, she begins to realize it’s not quite the onerous task she originally thought it would be.

Knowing the length ahead of time, I didn’t expect much. There wouldn’t be time for real depth, just some letters back and forth, hopefully romantic, and a sweet HEA. That’s what there is, but the problem lies with the fact that the conflict that gets introduced – a surprising depth to Theodore’s issues as well as his feelings regarding the duplicity when he finds out – get completely dismissed in the transition between his discovery and the ending. All of a sudden, there’s the HEA, with no real explanation as to how Theodore suddenly is okay with the fact that he’s been deceived for so long when more is really needed. He comes across as incredibly wishy-washy as a result, which does nothing to bolster him as an appealing hero.

Susanna fares slightly better, as she at least has a spine and stands up to some of the more awful girls in the boardinghouse as well as Theodore’s rather obnoxious responses. But my respect for her wears thin as her letters progress, mostly because I can’t fathom how the early ones are ever meant to truly discourage him from courting her. The intelligence I’m told she has doesn’t seem to manifest, and I’m left only half-invested in whether or not everything will work out.

When all is said and done, it’s a forgettable story with unmemorable characters that never seem to have to live up to the promise that’s hinted at several times within the text. Even for a short novella, it failed to do much more than kill the time it took to read.(less)

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Mar 09, 2012 Kristine (Book Geek Diaries) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance, march-2012

A Waltz at Midnight was a sweet, romantic little novella set after the Civil War. Our main female character, Susanna, had to move from the South to New York to survive. She works at her aunt's boarding house, which houses Vassar students, to earn a living and to save up for her brother's Bar exam. While working there she is persuaded by one of the residents, Charlotte, to reply to a letter from an unwanted suitor. This turns into so much more, as Susanna continues to exchange letters with the su...more A Waltz at Midnight was a sweet, romantic little novella set after the Civil War. Our main female character, Susanna, had to move from the South to New York to survive. She works at her aunt's boarding house, which houses Vassar students, to earn a living and to save up for her brother's Bar exam. While working there she is persuaded by one of the residents, Charlotte, to reply to a letter from an unwanted suitor. This turns into so much more, as Susanna continues to exchange letters with the suitor, Theodore Blakely, also known as Teddy. They form a connection to each other through these letters, but that's not at all what Charlotte wants. So she makes Susanna pose as her at a masquerade ball to tell Teddy the truth and end it once and for all. But Susanna kept waiting for the right time, which never came. Instead, midnight comes around, the deadline Charlotte had given her. Susanna has to leave, and she tells Teddy to never call on her. Teddy doesn't listen, and ends up calling on Charlotte, which lead him to finding out the truth.

The characters were likable, with both Susanna and Teddy experiencing hardships in their past. Through their letters, they are able to express these hardships, which have never been told to another person. Though they were able to connect like this and their love story was sweet, it was almost too easy. There wasn't really any conflict, other than Susanna lying to Teddy about who she was in her letters. But then, that was resolved really easily too. I thought it could've been a bit longer. Teddy went to confront Susanna, and after an apology, he pretty much forgave her. Susanna kind of seemed more upset than him. I don't know...if I was lied to by the supposed love of my life, I'd be a lot more upset than Teddy seemed to be. But that's just me. And the fact that he's not so upset and everything seems to go easily for the characters, especially him looking past their differences (him from the North, her from the South, etc.), makes this a sweet, but unrealistic love story. Add in the the Cinderella tendencies of this story: stroke of midnight and leaving clothing behind, and it's definitely got a fairytale feel.

But I like fairytales and happy endings and unrealistic love stories, because it makes me happy and helps me get away from the real world for a bit. So overall, I did like the story. It was a sweet and easy read. I recommend it if you're looking to relax and get away from the real world for a little while.

(NOTE: I received a review copy from Netgalley and receive no compensation for writing this review.)(less)

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Mar 06, 2012 Rebecca rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, novellas, reviewed, historical-romance

You can also read this review at Reflections on Reading Romance

I’ve always been a sucker for Cinderella stories, and the novella A Waltz at Midnight is no exception. This novella runs short, as it’s only about 21,000 words long, and it reads really quickly, no doubt because of the epistolary format. In fact, it reads more like an extended short story than a novella. The narration is broken up by letters between the hero and heroine, and while I enjoyed the different format, I quickly found myse...more You can also read this review at Reflections on Reading Romance

I’ve always been a sucker for Cinderella stories, and the novella A Waltz at Midnight is no exception. This novella runs short, as it’s only about 21,000 words long, and it reads really quickly, no doubt because of the epistolary format. In fact, it reads more like an extended short story than a novella. The narration is broken up by letters between the hero and heroine, and while I enjoyed the different format, I quickly found myself focusing primarily on the letters and skipping the narration. That said, A Waltz at Midnight is a sweet love story, and I look forward to reading more of Ms. McHugh’s work.

The novella is set in New York just after the Civil War ends. Susanna Parkwell is from South Carolina, but when the war ends, she and her wounded Confederate soldier brother find themselves penniless. They’re working at their Aunt’s boarding house in New York and keeping low profiles in the hopes that no one will realize that the brother served in the Confederate army. The boarders are for the most part spoiled young ladies attending school, but one of the ladies has befriended Samantha and asks for her help rejecting an unwanted suitor.

Theodore Blakely is being forced by his father to court Charlotte. He’d rather be an artist than work in his father’s firm, so he decides to send Charlotte a rude letter in the hope that she’ll reject him, releasing him from his family obligation. Unfortunately, Charlotte enlists Samantha’s help in responding to the letter, and Samantha’s reply intrigues Theodore. He and “Charlotte” exchange a series of letters, managing to fall in love. But when he writes that he plans to meet the woman he believes to be Charlotte at a ball, Samantha and Charlotte scramble to find a way to send Samantha to the ball.

This was a very sweet romance, and Samantha’s letters to Theodore demonstrate a great deal of intelligence and spirit. Because of the brevity of the novella, the majority of the text is taken up by the letters, and I felt that the narration suffered in places in comparison with the letters. The story is fairly tame in terms of sensuality – the hero and heroine exchange one kiss – so this is a story you could easily recommend to your grandmother. I would like to see more of Ms. McHugh’s work, because this was a very romantic story with a setting I don’t usually enjoy reading about, yet it totally worked for me.

I received a copy of this novella for review from the publisher through NetGalley.(less)

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Feb 26, 2012 Christine rated it 5 of 5 stars

After the Civil War, a brother and sister from the south are forced to take refuge helping at their aunt’s boarding house in New York in exchange for a place to stay. Susanna Parkwell hates their circumstances, but does her best to carry out her duties and keep the rich northern girls who are boarding there happy. She goes above the call of duty when one of the boarders, Charlotte, begs Susanna to help her break it off with an unwelcome suitor by crafting a letter to him, but signing Charlotte’s...more After the Civil War, a brother and sister from the south are forced to take refuge helping at their aunt’s boarding house in New York in exchange for a place to stay. Susanna Parkwell hates their circumstances, but does her best to carry out her duties and keep the rich northern girls who are boarding there happy. She goes above the call of duty when one of the boarders, Charlotte, begs Susanna to help her break it off with an unwelcome suitor by crafting a letter to him, but signing Charlotte’s name. Susanna’s cleverness in her reply backfires, though, and Theodore Blakely becomes more determined than ever to court “Charlotte.” How will Susanna get out of this one without upsetting Charlotte and keeping her own heart from getting broken?

This premise of this novella sounded interesting to me from the beginning, but I never imagined how much I would love this story! While it was short, the history and the setting seem extremely realistic and the characters are well-developed and come alive through the telling of the story. It is a romantic story that while aimed at adults, would be interesting and suitable for young adults who enjoy historical romances.

The turn of events that lead to a break-up letter becoming a true courtship through heartfelt letters is entertaining and romantic. It is ironic that Susanna only feels able to be herself and pour out her true feelings about marriage and the war when she is pretending to be someone else. This fact of course complicates things when Susanna feels she has met her soul mate in Teddy.

I absolutely love the sweet ending of this story! My only criticism is the conclusion could have been drawn out a little more to allow the reader to savor the resolution. Because of the short length of the story, you don’t get to see the fallout of the decisions made by Susanna, Teddy, and Charlotte. However, based on what is said, I was left happy and satisfied with the book’s ending.

I received this book from NetGalley, through the courtesy of Carina Press, in exchange for an honest review.
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Feb 19, 2012 Laura rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley, romance-and-or-erotica, short_story-collection-or-novella, rtheme-letters

I waffled between four and five stars, mostly because I try to be very picky about five star reads. It's five stars for what it is, an extremely short (~55 pages) and direct sweet romance. On one hand, I would have liked it to be longer because I enjoyed it so much, on the other,I enjoyed how concise the story was, there aren't any extra obstacles thrown in just for funsies, nothing that felt like padding. Perhaps Susanna and Teddy fell in love a bit quickly. I like the trope of falling in love...more

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Jan 25, 2012 Christopher rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review was originally posted on The Historical Romance Critic.

Thoughts After Reading:
I'm giving McHugh's A Waltz at Midnight a perfect rating, but with a mild caveat. As the "word count" suggests, this novella is a bit on the short side and thus a list price of $2.99 seems a bit steep to me. Price concerns aside, though, A Waltz at Midnight is a beautifully sweet (and perfectly clean) post-Civil War romance. The war has left the heroine destitute and and with a family consisting solely of h...more

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Feb 21, 2012 Becky Moe rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: novella, historical, netgalley

Honestly, I really thought this was more of a 2 1/2 star read, but I guess I'll round up...

It wasn't a bad story, it just was rather unremarkable. It's a quick read--well under 100 pages--but even so I thought it could have used a lot more development...characters, plot, romance. The concept was cute (Cinderella-ish story partly told through an exchange of letters) and had a lot of promise, it just didn't feel as if it quite delivered all it could have to me. I'm willing to round up on the stars...more

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Feb 17, 2012 Rie_dominique rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ada-di-rak-gw, ebook, american-historical-romance, fiksi, favorites, love-the-cover, romance, shortstories

Cerita yang lumayan manis. Khas Cinderella. Bersetting di New York setelah perang saudara di Amerika. Susannah dan Hank, kakaknya, yang telah kehilangan keluarga dan rumah dalam perang pindah ke New York untuk tinggal bersama bibinya yang dijadikan boarding house atau rumah kos-kosan. Yang tinggal disana adalah para nona-nona kaya yang sedang menjalani pendidikan di Vassar.

Di rumah ini Susannah harus menjadi peran sebagai pembantu, berbeda 180 derajat dari kehidupan yang sebelumnya sebagai gadis...more

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Feb 16, 2012 Vidya Tiru rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is a short, sweet, Cinderella-ish romantic novella. I always love reading books where most of the story is conveyed by means of letters exchanged between the characters or even in diary format where the main character writes in a journal in letters. This book is set after the Civil War and Susanna along with her brother (injured in the war), is forced to live with her aunt because the war ended up leaving the siblings destitute. To keep a roof over their heads, Susanna has to work in the bo...more

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Jan 31, 2012 Rane rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: american-setting-hr-romance, first-reads-arcs-netgallery

Short and sweet. A Waltz At Midnight was a fun little Cinderella-ish HR treat. That starts off with a single unromantic letter that later becomes a correspondences between two people in a hard spot in their lives as their letters reveal feelings and emotions they haven't been able to express and through these letter love blossoms between the two.

There's something very romantic about penned down letters, almost like those notes you would send your bf/gf in high school. Most of the story takes p...more

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Feb 07, 2012 Ruth rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: regency-victorian, net_galley, historical-romance

This was a nice little quick Cinderella-based story, provided by netgalley. It didn't blow my mind away, but it was pleasant enough.

I liked the basic concept, and I particularly liked how the author wove together several historical elements into the story, the Civil War, the start of structured female advanced education in the US and the feeling of industrial advancement that lead to the US being a great industrial power. All those elements were in there, BUT I just don't think enough was made o...more

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Jan 24, 2012 Natella rated it 2 of 5 stars

My Rating: 2.5 of 5

A woman receives a completely unromantic letter from a potential suitor, and turns to her servant to dissuade him. Susanna, posing as Charlotte, continues writing to the suitor and their letters become increasingly personal.

This is a fun short story, and the beginning is especially entertaining to read. The main character is rather likable, though she lacks any flaws. McHugh’s language is quite descriptive, and pushes the reader through the entire story.

Often Susanna would wri...more

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May 10, 2012 Alex rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-review, historical, net-galley, rainy-day-reads, romance

The Deal: In 1866, Susanna and her brother are living in Poughkeepsie with an aunt who runs a boarding house for Vassar students. Waiting on privileged Yankee princesses is not ideal but Susanna is happy to have a roof over her head. And when one of the boarders, Charlotte, receives a most unromantic letter from a suitor, and asks Susanna for help rebuffing the sender, Susanna decides to help her.

It was only supposed to be one letter, but soon Susanna finds herself in a sort of pen-pan relation...more

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Feb 03, 2012 willaful rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley, story-novella-or-anthology, impersonation-masquerade-deceit, rated-g-or-pg

A Cindrella theme mixes sweetly with a falling in love by letter plot. Susanna has come down in the world since the Civil War, and now waits on Vassar students who live in her aunt's boardinghouse. When one of them asks her for help in replying to a stiffly rude courtship letter from a man she most definitely does not want to marry, Susanna enjoys the opportunity to tell the writer what she thinks of him. It becomes a regular job, providing much needed money to help Susanna's injured brother. Bu...more

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Mar 06, 2012 Jen (Red Hot Books) rated it 3 of 5 stars

3.5 Stars
This short story takes place shortly after the American Civil War and features a Southern girl forced into work at an aunt's boarding house, in order to have money to care for herself and her injured brother. The boarding house is filled with wealthy young Yankee women attending college. When one of them begins to get letters from an unwelcome suitor, she pays Susanna to write back and discourage the man.

The letters begin as terse and sharp, but slowly Susanna and Teddy begin to look fo...more

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Feb 23, 2012 Bookworm1858 rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-2012, romance, historical-fiction, netgalley

Sometimes you just want a quick jaunt with a sweet romance, you know? And that's what you get in this story. Unusually, as I am a Regency romance reader first and foremost, this story is set in 1866 New York with a country still hurting from the scars of the Civil War. Susanna is a servant in her aunt's boarding house near Vassar College, where she waits on various spoiled rich girls. One day Charlotte tosses aside an unromantic letter from a potential suitor and Susanna writes a curt response o...more

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Mar 18, 2012 Sarah (The Brazen Bookworm) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-non-regency

Full review published here: http://www.brazenbookworm.com/2012/03...

Cute Cinderella-esque novella set in post-Civil War New York. A short read but a sweet one.

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Apr 01, 2012 Ashley Deniz rated it 2 of 5 stars

When I read the synopsis for this story I was so excited, I loved the premise, I already like the characters and I was ready to jump in. After I jumped in I was ready to jump back out. I guess i missed the memo that this was a SHORT story because I feel like I got no detail whatsoever. I mean one minute the hero is mad the next everything is good. The letters written back and forth between the hero and heroine were great but I feel the story was rushed in between the letters. I am so disappointe...more

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Apr 03, 2012 Amyra rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley

New York, 1866

Quando la sua signora riceve una lettera completamente non romantica da un potenziale corteggiatore, la serva Susanna Parkwell viene incaricata di scrivere una risposta appropriata. Anche se esitante a prendere parte all’inganno, Susanna accetta, non pensando mai che il corteggiatore rifiutato possa riscriverle indietro.

Theodore Blakely è orripilato dai complotti della famiglia per farlo sposare, ma viene incuriosito dallo spiritoso rifiuto che riceve da “Charlotte”. Dopo essersi s...more New York, 1866

Quando la sua signora riceve una lettera completamente non romantica da un potenziale corteggiatore, la serva Susanna Parkwell viene incaricata di scrivere una risposta appropriata. Anche se esitante a prendere parte all’inganno, Susanna accetta, non pensando mai che il corteggiatore rifiutato possa riscriverle indietro.

Theodore Blakely è orripilato dai complotti della famiglia per farlo sposare, ma viene incuriosito dallo spiritoso rifiuto che riceve da “Charlotte”. Dopo essersi scambiati diverse lettere, Ted è convinto di aver trovato l’anima gemella in quella pensierosa e comprensiva corrispondente, così chiede di corteggiarla formalmente.

Anche se piena di vergogna per le sue bugie, Susann non riesce a resistere alla possibilità di incontrere Ted di persona. Finge di essere Charlotte ad un ballo natalizio, dove si ripromette di dirgli la verità. Ma quando l’orologio batterà la mezzanotte, Susanna avrà il coraggio di rivelargli la sua vera identità, rischiando di perdere l’uomo che ama?

Il più grande lato positivo di questo “libro” è la sua brevità, è il classico romanzo breve che si può leggere tutto d’un fiato in una serata. L’eroina era una lady sudista che con la guerra ha perso tutto, beni e famiglia, costringendola ad emigrare al nord e a lavorare come serve per mantenere lei e il fratello mutilato. Charlotte è a Vassar, collegio per donne ricche, è giovane, ingenua, ma soprattutto già innamorata di un medico. Per questo quando la famiglia la costringe a prendere in considerazione Theodore, figlio di un ricco imprenditore, vede in Susanna, la cinica, spiritosa e intelligente lady diventata serva, la soluzione a tutti i suoi problemi.

Teddy è un po’ più nebuloso, non proprio il nostro classico eroe, aveva disertato dopo una ferita ed era scappato in Europa, viene ostracizzato dalla famiglia per la sua codardia e per il suo desiderio di dipingere, ma vuole essere una persona migliore per essere degno di “Charlotte”.

Ovviamente il lieto fine è assicurato, è una fiaba del periodo industriale per passare la serata.

Si ringrazia NetGalley per la gentile preview.(less)

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Oct 20, 2012 Habrewer rated it 3 of 5 stars

A Waltz at Midnight by Crista McHugh
* I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Because of the war Susanna and her brother Jake lost everything, including his leg. They now live with in the north with their aunt while her brother attends law school. She is working for their aunt because she has nowhere else to go plus it is helping her brother fund his classes.

The girls are not nice to her and it’s all she can do to hold her tongue. Charlotte is the only one...more A Waltz at Midnight by Crista McHugh
* I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Because of the war Susanna and her brother Jake lost everything, including his leg. They now live with in the north with their aunt while her brother attends law school. She is working for their aunt because she has nowhere else to go plus it is helping her brother fund his classes.

The girls are not nice to her and it’s all she can do to hold her tongue. Charlotte is the only one that is kind to her and she is in need of help. She convinces Susanna to help her write a letter to an unwanted to suitor to discourage him without upsetting Charlotte’s family. Things don’t go as planned and Susanna and Theodore begin writing on a regular basis.

Theodore is being pressured by his father to form a union with Charlotte to obtain a patent they own. He is not happy about being forced into this relationship and tries to dissuade her with his horrifying stories of the war. What he never counted on was finding a kindred soul that he was able to share his truest desires and wishes with. She was refreshing in her responses and wasn’t shocked by anything he told her.

Susanna may have fallen in love with Ted but she feels guilty for her part in the whole ruse. After agreeing to meet him at a ball, things don’t go as planned and Charlotte’s secret is out. How will Susanna ever be able to face Ted again after she lied to him?

Susanna is a woman that wants to be loved and have a family but she feels like she will never have that opportunity since the war destroyed her life. She is a strong female that is trying to make the best of a bad situation and trying to help her brother get through law school. When she was asked to help Charlotte write the letter, she was conflicted but the money she was offered would help them move out that much sooner.

When she starts corresponding with Ted, she looks forward to the letters because he shares the world with her through his stories. She feels like she is stuck where she is with no way out. He sends her little trinkets sometimes and those are among her most cherished possessions. With every letter she falls more and more in love with him.
Ted is a former soldier that walked away from the battlefield. He has traveled to Europe but is now home. He loves to draw and doesn’t want to work for his father. He isn’t honest with himself or his father about what he is passionate about. Through Susanna’s encouragement he finds a way to mesh his love of drawing into the designs of the steam engine.

The masquerade ball is the perfect setting for them to meet and Susanna to convince him they had no future. You felt sorry for both of them because it’s obvious that she is in love with him and doesn’t want to walk away. He has plans for them that don’t coincide with hers. I loved the ending though, it was perfect.

Overall, I enjoyed this story and was pulling for this couple from the beginning. I give A Waltz at Midnight 3½ Flaming Hearts.
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Apr 10, 2012 Alexa Yupangco rated it 3 of 5 stars

(Review originally posted on Alexa Loves Books)

Oh, I absolutely adore a cute romance - and A WALTZ AT MIDNIGHT actually delivers that! I was drawn to the romance between Susanna and Theodore like a moth to a flame, mostly because it was sweet and endearing. This story is definitely a Cinderella tale... but I still liked it!

My favorite aspect of the story is that Theodore, otherwise known as Ted, and Susanna communicate initially through letters. Sure, Susanna is participating in a deception as...more

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Mar 12, 2012 Kinley Baker rated it 5 of 5 stars

A Waltz at Midnight is a sweet, short read and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Some of the letters had me laughing out loud because I thought they were so well done. I definitely recommend for historical readers who want a novella that gives the reader enough time to experience emotion. The pace was perfect and kept me engaged until the very end. If you find the blurb compelling, definitely check out this book because it delivers on the promise of the summary.

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Apr 03, 2012 Tia rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 3-kindle, romance, 1-netgalley

I really enjoyed this story/novella. Susanna is a servant and her and her brother Hank (a victim of war) live at the Boarding House that their Aunt Martha runs at Vassar College. Susanna is asked to pretend to be Charlotte Hulmstead, one of the nicer girls at the house, and write letters to a suitor Charlotte wishes would go away. Susanna is uneasy about the deceit but realizes she could use the money for a greater good, to pay for the fees for her brothers Bar Exam. What started as an simple ta...more

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Jul 06, 2012 Roz rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is one of those stories where you know how it's gonna end, but it still managed to make you hold your breath til it reaches its intended, well-deserved happy ending. The meeting of the hero/heroine did not disappoint. I really like the scene where Teddy goes chasing after Susanna for answers. Cute read, with a tiny serving of post-war angst. Just the way I like it!

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Jun 20, 2012 Jennifer Whitehead rated it 2 of 5 stars

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

I enjoyed this little epistolary novella. I thought it was cleverly crafted and sweetly romantic. I enjoyed the flirtation via written word, mainly because I find that fanciful and fun. I felt that the brisk pace and lack of sensuality made it an enjoyable little "snack" of a book, one that could be enjoyed in a single afternoon.

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Mar 09, 2012 BD Whitney BookWenches rated it 4 of 5 stars

"A Waltz at Midnight" is a sweet Cinderella story set in 1860s New York. Although the story is not especially deep due to the brevity of the piece, I enjoyed the characters and found that they were pretty well developed. The plot had enough conflict to engage my interest throughout the story as well.

Full review here: http://www.bookwenches.com/march12rev...

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Jan 27, 2012 Joanne rated it 4 of 5 stars

'A Waltz at Midnight' is a Cinderella-type story. It is a very sweet historical and romantic novella with no sexual content. If you are looking for a light-hearted read without explicit sex this is a book for you. I felt the book ended a bit abruptly and could have done with an extra paragraph just to finish it off. If it had an epilogue it would have been 5* as I really did enjoy the story and the development between the characters.

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Jan 24, 2012 Tara Chevrestt rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-release, historical-fiction, kindle, romance, netgalley

What a lovely read. It was short, but I feel it was the perfect length for what it was: a historical romance began through letters, involving deceit, high emotions, the baring of souls, and secrets.

It's after the Civil War and Susanna is a former southern belle now housemaid in a school for ladies. When one of the ladies obtains an unwelcome suitor via mail and her father's wishes, she pays Susanna money to write the letters and maintain the correspondence as she has eye and her heart elsewhere....more

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title link	preview: A Waltz at Midnight
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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13239146-a-waltz-at-midnight?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1325037124l/13239146.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13239146-a-waltz-at-midnight?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]A Waltz at Midnight by Crista McHugh[/url]

A Waltz at Midnight

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