Midnight Pleasures (Dark-Hunter, #3.5; Wild Wulfs of London, #0.5)

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Midnight Pleasures (Dark-Hunter Universe #3.5)

by Amanda Ashley (Goodreads Author) (Contributor), Maggie Shayne (Goodreads Author) (Contributor), Sherrilyn Kenyon (Contributor), Ronda Thompson (Contributor)

4.07 of 5 stars 4.07 · rating details · 5,754 ratings · 155 reviews

Handsome and sensual, surrounded by an aura of danger, mystery, and the forbidden, a lover steps from the shadows. But is he mortal? Or is he an ancient god, a sorcerer, or a mythical beast who can possess a woman's heart...and her very soul?

Four of romance's most popular authors have created this spellbinding collection of stores filled with dark passion and desire. Under...more

Paperback, 384 pages

Published November 17th 2003 by St. Martin's Paperbacks

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Sep 20, 2010 Julie (Mom2lnb) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Fans of PNR Romance, Sherrilyn Kenyon, The Dark-Hunters

Shelves: desert-island-keepers, fantasy-romance, paranormal-romance, read-2009

Reviewed for THC Reviews
"4.5 stars" I thoroughly enjoyed Phantom Lover. It had elements that were reminiscent of both Fantasy Lover and Dance with the Devil, my two favorite Dark-Hunter novels to date, only with its own twists and turns. Phantom Lover was also an introduction of sorts to the Dream-Hunters, as it is the first story in the series to have these beings as main characters. I really liked the uniqueness of Erin and V'aidan's first meeting and early relationship development taking plac...more

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Mar 12, 2013 Julie (Mom2lnb) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Fans of PNR Romance Novellas, The Dark-Hunters

Shelves: desert-island-keepers, paranormal-romance, read-2009

1 like · like · see review

Mar 08, 2010 Tara rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2010, anthology, paranormal-romance

After reading all the stories the highest rating on couldn't bring the average up. I bought the book for the SK story but never got around to reading it. But because of the book challenge this month I decided to take on the whole book and while I liked the SK story (it was after all a familiar world), my favorite was the Amanda Ashley story. I would like to read more about the characters in that story.

Darkfest by Amanda Ashley
3/8/10- This was an interesting story and obviously it was either a se...more After reading all the stories the highest rating on couldn't bring the average up. I bought the book for the SK story but never got around to reading it. But because of the book challenge this month I decided to take on the whole book and while I liked the SK story (it was after all a familiar world), my favorite was the Amanda Ashley story. I would like to read more about the characters in that story.

Darkfest by Amanda Ashley
3/8/10- This was an interesting story and obviously it was either a series prequel or at the very least a story prequel, and it felt that way. It takes place in a "distant land before recorded time", that sounds suspiciously Scottish... A wizard called Darkfest is alone and has been that way for at least 300 hundred years. He is fighting the darkness within him and denying himself to do it. Channa Leigh is a blind girl from the village below and he is enchanted with her. Unable to help himself he changes forms into a wolf and goes to her and discovers when they touch she can see. When he father comes to the wizard for help, he asks for Channa as payment. She agrees and while in his castle she starts to wonder if he might be the wolf. She loves and trusts the wolf but she is uncertain of the wizard. He just wants love. And even if they have a happily ever after, how long will it last? Not a bad story although I wish it felt more complete instead like the first 100 pages of a 400 page novel. Good story. Off to research a sequel! 3 stars

Phantom Lover by Sherrilyn Kenyon
3/5/10- I bought this whole book for this story. It was okay. I probably would have enjoyed it more had I read it about halfway through the series, but at this point when I've finished all the books to date and all but 3 of the short stories, this book really didn't have anything new to add. Erin McDaniels is an office worked who is having nightmares. V'Aidan comes to her dreams to save her. Even something about the ending reminded me of the first dream hunter book. Like I said I think this story is like 3 1/2 in the series, it's the first short story and is the introductions of the dream hunters. But like I said, I read all the books first so this story just fell flat. 2.5 stars

Under Her Spell by Maggie Shayne
3/6/10- Meh. Alexander Quinn is a handsome and successful producer on a show that reminds me of Charmed. In order to help add some credibility to the witches on the show they hire Melissa St. Cloud, a Witch, a professor and a lot of other official things, to be a consultant. Alex and Melissa are immediately drawn to each other with an intense attraction. Alex is surrounded by serious negative energy but won't listen to Melissa's warnings about it. So they spend the story fighting with each other about magic while not fighting the attraction and ending on a very anticlimactic note followed by a sappy epilogue. Like I said, Meh. 2 stars

A Wulf's Curse by Ronda Thompson
3/8/10- It's 1820 and Elise Collins is trying to get away from her uncle and a marriage he arranged for her for the money. So she runs away and joins the circus. She slips into an unoccupied wagon and falls asleep. In reality that wagon belongs to Sterling Wulf the lion tamer. He tries to give her every reason to leave, but she's determined to have an adventure. Unfortunately her adventure may be the end of him.

This story read like an after school special. I was beaten over the head with the moral of the story- To be loved unconditionally, one must love unconditionally. And love = happiness. A quick read but not very exciting. 2.5 stars(less)

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Nov 04, 2009 Julie (Mom2lnb) rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of PNR Romance, Shifters, Short Stories, or any of the Authors

Shelves: paranormal-romance, read-2009

Reviewed for THC Reviews
Darkfest by Amanda Ashley – Darkfest was a generally enjoyable read for me, mainly because of its fairy tale quality. It takes place at an unspecified time in the past which has a medieval feel to it, making it the first historical paranormal story I've read. The main characters were pretty likable. The hero, Lord Darkfest, has a mysterious air about him. He is a 300-year-old, nearly all-powerful wizard who is also a wolf shifter and has hints of even darker things in hi...more

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Mar 27, 2008 Cherie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Though I didn't care for some of the stories in this anthology all that much, I'm still glad I read it because I did enjoy the story by Ronda Thompson. :)

"Darkfest" by Amanda Ashley
My Rating: 3 stars
The price of saving her dying mother is Channa's promise to spend a year at the castle of tormented nobleman, Lord Darkfest... to obey him as his servant or, as his secrets are revealed, to become his salvation. And her own.

I found this one a bit chintzy and sappy. And then I realized I didn't really...more

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Nov 14, 2011 Jilly rated it 3 of 5 stars

I wanted this book for Kenyon's story. I'm a fan and I hadn't had the opportunity to read this Dream Hunter story so I had to get it. Finally got it through PaperBackSwap.com.

Darkfest was an interesting story and I was enjoying it up until their search for something to cure her blindness. At that point the story seemed to go a little astray. I mean the story is kind of set in a magical setting but then it isn't something really magical with their love that can cure her. Could have been better.

Ph...more

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Jan 14, 2011 Jen (Red Hot Books) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: dark-hunter, wild-wulfs-of-london, historical-romance, pararnormal-romance, anthology

"Midnight Pleasures" isn't the best anthology I've ever read, but it has stories from two series I enjoy, so it was worth a read.

The first story is Amanda Ashley's "Darkfest." I've never read anything from her before. The title character is a dark wizard who has never known love. He is very powerful and he is taken with Channa Leigh, a virginal blind village girl. He visits her village in the form of a wolf and somehow, when she touches him, she can see. But he knows he can't stay with her as a...more "Midnight Pleasures" isn't the best anthology I've ever read, but it has stories from two series I enjoy, so it was worth a read.

The first story is Amanda Ashley's "Darkfest." I've never read anything from her before. The title character is a dark wizard who has never known love. He is very powerful and he is taken with Channa Leigh, a virginal blind village girl. He visits her village in the form of a wolf and somehow, when she touches him, she can see. But he knows he can't stay with her as a wolf. When Channa Leigh's mother becomes ill, her father begs Darkfest for help and he agrees to heal the woman in exchange for a year with Channa Leigh in his fortress. The story was sweet. Not terribly strong, but not bad. There were some things (like his taste for blood and problems with the sunlight) that were never really fleshed out. And speaking of flesh, despite the fact there was much talk about them both being virgins... their relationship was never consummated. Bummer.

The second story was Sherrilyn Kenyon's "Phantom Lover." This is part of her Dark/Dream Hunter universe. V'Aiden is a Greek God of sleep (for lack of a more complex explanation.) He falls in love with Erin in her dreams. She's been plagued by monsters in her sleep which are draining her for power. And he comes to her rescue. Can they make it work even though he is not human and they live in two different worlds? I'm a huge fan of the Dark/Dream Hunters, so I really enjoyed this one. As always, Kenyon's storytelling is sexy and enthralling. I can't say if someone unfamiliar with the series would enjoy it as much as I did. But I thought it was great.

Maggie Shayne's "Under Her Spell" is next. It features Melissa, a white witch who has been hired by a tv show about the supernatural, to consult on its accuracy. She is quickly drawn to her new boss, but she realizes he is surrounded by dark energy. It turns out his father was a dark wizard who is reaching out to him beyond the grave and only Melissa can save his soul. It was kind of... well, meh, for me. I didn't hate it, but I wouldn't have any interest in reading any more about these characters.

And the last novella is "A Wulf's Curse," part of Ronda Thompson's Wild Wulfs of London series. The story centers on Sterling, the youngest of the Wulf brothers. He ran away from his London home 10 years earlier when he father triggered the family curse. Dad turned into a wolf at the dinner table, then committed suicide. His mother killed herself shortly after. The curse is triggered by love, so Sterling has no interest in losing his heart. But when the beautiful Elise stows away in the carnival where he works, he can't help but fall for her innocent charms. It was sweet addition to the series. Steamy love scenes and a great happy ending. My only beef is, that unlike the resolutions that other Wulf stories had, we didn't get to see Sterling beat his curse. We just have to assume it all works out in the end.

Overall, the collection of stories was fair. I really enjoyed the Kenyon and Thompson offerings. The other two are just ok. 3 1/2 stars, but I'll round up on the merit of the two I liked.
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Jan 20, 2012 Caitlyn rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance, paranormal-romance, shifters, werewolves, short-story

I read this anthology for Sherrilyn Kenyon's Phantom Lover, I also enjoyed Darkfest by Amanda Ashley (3 stars) and A Wulf's Curse by Ronda Thompson (3.5 stars) but I was unable to finish reading Under Her Spell by Maggie Shayne.

Phantom Lover
Erin has been plagued with livid nightmares which leave her physically drained; suddenly she is rescued by a ‘knight in shining armour’ and the dream changes. Erin and her hero V’Aiden make passionate love and now every time Erin falls asleep there’s V’Aiden...more

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Mar 23, 2011 Jenny Delandro rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: vampires, shifter-fantasy, compilations-short-stories, paranormal-romance

BOOK ONE
DARKFEST - Amanda Ashley
3 stars
Immortal gifted being lives alone ina castle overlooking a valley and he becomes interested in a blind girl from the village Channa Leigh
(view spoiler)...more

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Dec 14, 2011 Kelly-Jane rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fucked-up-relationships, i-haz-dis, it-hurts-like-i-can-t-even-tell-you, i-m-so-conflicted, warning-sex-scenes, mmm-cheesy-cheese-cheese, to-be-punlished, burn-baby-burn

This a review of Phantom Lover. Just so you know.

Oh my God. Oh my fucking God. Why? Why did I read this? I hate myself.

I am a fan of Sherrilyn Kenyon, so I couldn't bring myself to give it a one star rating, but my God, that's what it deserved.

HOLY FUCKING SHIT THE INSTA-LOVE.

So much insta-love. I can't even... I just can't.

Characters

Erin
I hate you so much. You don't even know. I hadn't realised Kenyon had it in her to write such a shitty heroine. Where are the Sunshines, the Aimee Peltiers, th...more

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Apr 14, 2011 Samantha rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: genre-paranormal-romance, anthology

Darkfest by Amanda Ashley

This story had some weird kind of beauty and the beast/ medieval quest vibe going on. Darkfest is a reclusive wizard who can change into a large black wolf, Channa is a blind village girl who he, for some reason, is drawn to. Even though I couldn't quite see why the two characters were drawn to each other so strongly, I still enjoyed the story. Ashley could've went the overbearing alpha route with Darkfest but she didn't and in fact made him a pretty nice guy. My only re...more Darkfest by Amanda Ashley

This story had some weird kind of beauty and the beast/ medieval quest vibe going on. Darkfest is a reclusive wizard who can change into a large black wolf, Channa is a blind village girl who he, for some reason, is drawn to. Even though I couldn't quite see why the two characters were drawn to each other so strongly, I still enjoyed the story. Ashley could've went the overbearing alpha route with Darkfest but she didn't and in fact made him a pretty nice guy. My only real problem with the story was that it felt like Ashley was trying to cram way too many plot elements into 80 some odd pages, so the story felt rushed and the obstacles facing Channa and Darkfest felt too easily resolved. Other than that I really enjoyed the setting and magic elements of the story.

Phantom Lover by Sherrilyn Kenyon

This was above and beyond the best story in the book. Erin is physically drained from the terrifying dreams she keeps having, until a hero named V'Aidan suddenly appears out of no where in one of them. But once V'Aidan saves her from the monsters he can't leave her be and is suddenly in her dreams every time she closes her eyes. Now Erin has the problem of not wanting to be awake. This story is set in Kenyon's dark hunter universe but there is not really any mention of the dark hunters so if you're not into that series, you're still safe with reading this one.

Under Her Spell by Maggie Shayne

Melissa lands the job of her dreams, working as a tech consultant for a paranormal TV show. Her only problem is that her boss seems to be messing around with the dark arts, so of course Melissa decides that she must take it upon herself to save him. I really didn't remember much about this story from the first time I read it, if that tells you anything. This was mostly just an okay read. Nothing really wrong with the story, but nothing really fantastic either. I found myself getting a little bored with the plot about halfway through, but I did enjoy the characters.

A Wulf's Curse by Ronda Thompson

Elise runs away from an arranged marriage to a man who sounds like Blue Beard and hides among a traveling circus. Another okay story. I really enjoyed the traveling circus setting, but the plot, of the hero keeping the heroine at arms length for hidden reasons, got a little old pretty fast. However, Thompson's take on the werewolf curse was interesting and all the characters she incorporated into the story were pretty good in how she managed to make them all not blur together.
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May 02, 2013 Natalie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Amanda Ashley's story - Historical paranormal romance. Ho hum, standard fare.

Sherrilyn Kenyon's story - #3.5 in the Dark/ Dream/ Were Hunter series. If you've liked the others in the series then you'll enjoy this one too. Standard story for this series but this is a good series so...

Maggie Shayne's story - Good writing but a little annoying with zero chemistry between the two leads. Hmm, maybe not so good.

Ronda Thompson's story - #0.5 in the Wild Wulfs of London series. More historical paranorma...more

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Apr 25, 2013 Kaycee Sapinoso rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adult-romance, charming-hero, cute-couple, dark-hunter, fantasy, favorite-series, fantasy-romance, greek-mythology, gothic-romance, hot, lovable-hero, in-love-with-the-hero, not-so-bad-boy, paranormal-romance

Phantom Lover by Sherrilyn Kenyon is a short and quick read and an introduction to the Dream Hunter.

This is my casting:

HOT. HOT. HOT.

This is my Erin.

Erin McDaniels has been haunted by some really awful nightmares lately. Then she met V’Aidan. She found herself wanting to spend more time with him because just being with him made her happy and contented.

V’Aidan is a hot-smokin’ dream-god who rescued Erin from a nightmare and brought her to a happy place. Another of Sherrilyn Kenyon's tortured mal...more

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Jul 22, 2012 Merve Özcan rated it 3 of 5 stars

http://kitabisevda.blogspot.com/2012/...
Tür: Paranormal Antoloji
Sayfa:384
Dil:İngilizce
Türkçe: Çevrilmedi.
2003'te yayımlanan bir antoloji Midnight Pleasures. İçinde farklı yazarlardan 4 farklı hikaye barındırıyor.
Darkfest by Amanda Ashley --3
Phantom Lover by Sherrilyn Kenyon--4
Under Her Spell by Maggie Shayne --4
A Wolf's Curse by Ronda Thompson --3
Sherrilyn Kenyon'un Türkiyede çıkan, Aşk Kölesi adlı kitabının ait olduğu seriye ait Phantom Lover.Tabii hiç bir karakter aynı değil. Aslında bakarsanı...more http://kitabisevda.blogspot.com/2012/...
Tür: Paranormal Antoloji
Sayfa:384
Dil:İngilizce
Türkçe: Çevrilmedi.
2003'te yayımlanan bir antoloji Midnight Pleasures. İçinde farklı yazarlardan 4 farklı hikaye barındırıyor.
Darkfest by Amanda Ashley --3
Phantom Lover by Sherrilyn Kenyon--4
Under Her Spell by Maggie Shayne --4
A Wolf's Curse by Ronda Thompson --3
Sherrilyn Kenyon'un Türkiyede çıkan, Aşk Kölesi adlı kitabının ait olduğu seriye ait Phantom Lover.Tabii hiç bir karakter aynı değil. Aslında bakarsanız Aşk Kölesi bile pek o seriye dahil değil, sadece bir kaç karakter...
Darkfest, Amanda Ashley'in (Night Serisi için) Klasik vampir- masum kız hikayesini anlatıyordu.
Kör bir kıza ilgi duyan güçlü bir vampir'in ona görüşünü geri verme çabasını okuyoruz bu hikayede.
Pek sevdiğim söylenemez, özellikle adamın kendi gücünün tam olarak farkında olmaması beni biraz soğuttu. Genlerinde ejderha kanı olur da nasıl son anda bunu fark edersin?Üstelik bir resimden....

Phantom Lover ise rüyalarında saldırıya uğrayan bir kadına aşık olan bir rüya savaşçısını okuyorduk. Hikayeyi uzun zaman önce okumuştum o yüzden geri dönmedim ama her zaman rüya aleminde geçen hikayeleri sevmişimdir.V'aidan'ın sevgi arayışı ise her zaman dokunaklı gelmiştir bana.

Under Her Spell,babası kötü bir büyücü olan Alexander ile ona yardım etmeye çalışan Melissa arasında geçer. Hikaye içinde hoşlandığım şey bir çok cadı unsurunun bulunmasıydı. Hikayenin sonunda ki konuşma ise gerçekten beni etkiledi. Karakterlerin inkar aşamasından geçmemesinin de büyük etkisi oldu hoşlanmamda.

A Wolf's Curse. Bir Hist paranormaliydi. Ben pek hist okuyamıyorum ama içinde paranormal varsa su gibi akıp gidiyor.Hikaye Sterling adlı bir aslan terbiyecisi ve acımasız birisiyle evlendirilmeden kaçan Elise(İngiliz leydisi) arasında geçiyor. İlk başta paranormal bir öğesi yok gibi geldi bana ve şaşırdım ama hikayein ortasına doğru erkek karakterimizin bahsettiği "lanet"in ne olduğunu öğrenmiş olduk ve olay açığa kavuştu. En çok komiğime giden şey adam orada kurda dönüşüyor, acı içinde kıvranıyor, ama hala nasıl bu hale geldiğini anlatacak dermanı kendinde buluyor.
Pek bayıldığım bir antoloji olmadı ama kısa kısa olan hikayeler güzeldi.(less)

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Aug 03, 2011 Jaime rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal, romance

I bought this book strictly for the Dark-Hunter story from Sherrilyn Kenyon. And though I wasn't impressed with the first two Dream-Hunter books, this Dream Hunter story was excellent. Even though there are no familiar faces or places from the D-H universe, the story was so well done that I found myself completely engrossed. Erin has been having nightmares - skotos are feeding off her in her dreams until she prays for a champion who actually appears. V'Aiden is not what he seems, and his secret...more

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Sep 27, 2010 Meagan rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: anthology, paranormal-romance

This anthology is created by 4 well-known authors

Darkfest by Amanda Ashley
This book is about an immortal wizard named Darkfest who has untold power and lives alone in a mansion. Channa, a blind girl who lives in the village below his castle, sparks his interest. He has a chance to claim her when he heals her dying Mother and asks in return that she spend a year at his castle.
Not my favourite story of the anthology. It was a little too tacky, I didn’t warm to the male lead, and it seemed to be...more This anthology is created by 4 well-known authors

Darkfest by Amanda Ashley
This book is about an immortal wizard named Darkfest who has untold power and lives alone in a mansion. Channa, a blind girl who lives in the village below his castle, sparks his interest. He has a chance to claim her when he heals her dying Mother and asks in return that she spend a year at his castle.
Not my favourite story of the anthology. It was a little too tacky, I didn’t warm to the male lead, and it seemed to be set in a time long past but I never really got the sense of what that time was like. Overall the romance seemed forced and not the best story from Ashley.
** (2 Stars)

Phantom Lover by Sherrilyn Kenyon
Erin McDaniels is afraid to sleep-until, plagued by recurring nightmares where she is confronted by of terrifying beasts. One night her dream is different when a handsome warrior arrives to save her. Erin becomes increasingly fascinated with her dream lover who hides his own dark secret which may separate them forever.
I wasn't too impressed with this story either. It was a bit too sappy for me and the plot mediocre at best. I found the world of the gods fascinating and if the author had explored that area more I would have found the book a lot more interesting.
** (2 Stars)

Under Her Spell by Maggie Shayne
Melissa St. Cloud begins her dream job, a consultant for a TV series about a white witch. Melissa has plans to enhance the authenticity of the show but is confused by the strong attraction she feels towards her new boss Alex. Melissa must educate Alex about the ways of witchcraft before he is pulled towards a dark magic that may destroy him.
An intriguing idea for a book but the plot really lacked authenticity. I didn’t believe the romance between the 2 characters and was put off by the seemingly endless way Melissa educated everyone about “Wicca”.
** (2 Stars)

A Wulf's Curse by Ronda Thompson
Elise steals aboard a wagon after running away from an arranged marriage. Unbeknownst to Elise she is finds herself in a travelling circus and in the bed of the Beast Master, Sterling Wulf. Elise begins to suspect there is more than meets the eye when it comes to Sterling, and despite denying her desire for him she is pulled into his world and his danger.
Overall, this was the best short story out of all. I liked the concept of Thompson’s werewolves and I also liked the strong female lead Elise. I liked the author's writing style and the storyline outside of the romance with the travelling road show.
*** ½ (3 ½ Stars)
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Jan 07, 2013 Krissque rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-loved

This is a wonderful short story about a dream Slotos. I cried at the end and even though it was a short story I enjoyed it very much.

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Jun 11, 2013 Exina rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review is only for 'Phantom Lover'.

'Phantom Lover' is the story of V’Aidan, a Dream-Hunter, and Erin McDaniels.

The plot is smartly built. The odd, discursive dreams turn into some volatile reality. The human world and the supernatural one exist closely each other. There are interesting twists and turns, nothing is what it seems.

I was bored a little by V’Aidan’s whining about his true nature and his feelings, around the middle of the story. It was exaggerated, and unnecessary. The end is too...more

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Aug 12, 2011 t'irla ~The BookSlayer~ rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: wouldn't recommend

Recommended to t'irla ~The BookSlayer~ by: had a Dream Hunter story in I wanted to read

Shelves: anthology, sherrilyn-kenyon

This one was a tough read for me. I enjoyed the Dream Hunter story by Sherrilyn Kenyon but have to say I was disappointed with the other three novels. Darkfest by Amanda Ashley held my attention briefly but found it dragged on and we never got to know the characters in depth. Lord Darkfest falls in love with a blind peasant girl. Kinda sums up the entire story. Under Her Spell by Maggie Shayne was disappointing. I felt that she was just trying to further her Wiccan agenda rather than make a full...more

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Feb 10, 2011 ♆ BookAddict ~ La Crimson Femme rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-romance, vampire

Darkfest by Amanda Ashley
This is kind of a re-interpretation of Beauty and the Beast. It was sweet. I enjoy Ms. Ashley's stories so this one hit the spot.

Phantom Lover by Sherrilyn Kenyon
THIS is why I read the book. I love Ms. Kenyon books. I enjoy the Dark Hunter world and this one tided me over until her next Dark Hunter book. Plus, reoccurring nightmares? Totally up my alley.

Under Her Spell by Maggie Shayne
I'm a fan of Ms. Shayne but this one didn't do it for me. It was just okay. I was not...more

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Jun 28, 2011 ♥ Sarah ♥ rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: anthologies, dragons, fantasy, weres-shifters, witches-wizards, ghosts-phantoms, ilb, historical-romance, paranormal-romance

Darkfest by Amanda Ashley: (4 stars)
Darkfest is the creepy and secluded wizard on the hill. The village below his castle is frightened and awed by his powers. He doesn't care much about them, until he comes across Channa Leigh, who somehow breaks through his cold and icy heart.

I thought this was pretty good. The only thing is I actually would have loved this to be a full novel. There was a solid story here in my opinion and, while the beginning was done at a really good pace, the ending seemed t...more

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Jul 27, 2010 N.L. Riviezzo rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: angels-immortals-gods-demigods, demons-djinns-spirits, library-reads, read-in-2010

The 4 star rating is for Phantom Lover. While I did read the other stories, I couldn't get into them -- right now. I will come back to this anthology at another time to try & give the other stories a fair chance. Just cannot do that for them at this time.

I enjoyed the interactions between Erin and V'Aidan. I found them both to be rather interesting characters and it is a shame that their story is so short but I think a full-length novel would have ruined the intensity portrayed with their re...more

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May 12, 2010 Jennifer rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recommended to Jennifer by: jennsicurella@verizon.net

Shelves: paranormal-other

Midnight Pleasures is a paranormal romance collection containing four short stories. None of the stories stood out in this book. All had different elements, but ultimately all were less than spectacular. The major problem is that everything felt kind of cliched and all of the stories were forgettable. None were truly bad, but a short story should, in essence, be all punch, all passion, all intrigue, all whatever the point of the story is, and none of the stories had that excitement or tension a...more

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Aug 08, 2009 Megan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-romance, vampire-romance, anthology

I only read the novellas by Amanda Ashley, Maggie Shayne and Sherrilyn Kenyon.

“Darkfest” by Amanda Ashley is about a sorcerer Darkfest (the hero) and the blind heroine (Channa Leigh) he falls in love with. Not one of Ms. Ashley’s usual paranormal historical romance. Two stars.

“Phantom Lover” by Sherrilyn Kenyon is number 3.5 in Ms. Kenyon’s Dark-Hunter series (meaning it comes in between “Night Embrace” and “Dance with the Devil”). This is Ms. Kenyon’s first attempt at writing about the Dream-...more

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May 16, 2009 Mojca rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: anthology, series-dream-hunters, kenyon-macgregor, part-of-a-series, maggie-shayne, amanda-ashley, ronda-thompson, gr-author, series-wild-wulfs-of-london, historical-romance, weres, paranormal-romance-fantasy, own, georgian, regency

Since I'm starting on Ronda Thompson's Wild Wulfs of London series, I had to reread this anthology, since it hosts the story of the youngest brother, Sterling.
The story, the last in the book, was nothing extraordinary, even a little boring at times, and created a completely different lycan mythology that we know. Apparently for the Wulf boys to change into the furry howlers, the moon factor comes in second. It's the love that sets the beast free, which I found rather peculiar, since the love is...more Since I'm starting on Ronda Thompson's Wild Wulfs of London series, I had to reread this anthology, since it hosts the story of the youngest brother, Sterling.
The story, the last in the book, was nothing extraordinary, even a little boring at times, and created a completely different lycan mythology that we know. Apparently for the Wulf boys to change into the furry howlers, the moon factor comes in second. It's the love that sets the beast free, which I found rather peculiar, since the love is supposed to set everything right, heal all wounds etc.
I wasn't convinced and I really hope the three full-length novels will fare better.

Amanda Ashley's contribution was, at least for me, the weakest of the bunch. The characters and the supposedly historical language put me off big time. Not to mention a few unanswered questions, like what happened to Darkfest's adversity to light, his sudden hunger for blood (Was he turning into a vampire? Did she save him from that fate?) and what was supposed to happen after the story ended. We learned that Darkfest has lived for more than three centuries so was immortal (or had an incredibly long life-span), but Channa Leigh was, for all I know, a simple mortal woman. Did she became immortal when she married him? Did he become mortal when he married her?
All these unknowns!

It is Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dream-Hunter novella that earned this anthology its three star rating. So it wasn't as edgy as her latest work, but it's always nice to travel back in time and read something a little lighter from under her pen.
It was a pretty straightforward SK story with the hero that turns out to be the initial bad-guy, but the love for a woman makes him a good-guy, which ends in suffering and torment, until the love of the previously mentioned woman sets him free and they all live happily ever after. Sappy maybe, but boy did I like it.

Maggie Shayne's story held much potential at the beginning, with the strange and potent attraction between the two leading characters offering all sorts of possibilities. But the end result with the cuckoo warlock ghost visiting his son from the grave to get his gorgeously tight, hot, young body, hit my enthusiasm with the force of a truck, pulverizing it in an instant.(less)

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Apr 20, 2008 Kathrynn marked it as to-read-eventually

Shelves: series-dark_hunter_kenyon, own, romance-paranormal, series-wild_wulfs_thompson, anthology

This book contains 4 short stories. They are:

1. Darkfest by Amanda Ashely
- The price of saving her dying mother is Channa's promise to spend a year at the castle of tormented nobleman, Lord Darkfest...to obey him as his servant or, as his secrets are revealed, to become his salvation. And her own.

2. Phantom Lover by Sherrilyn Kenyon (Dark-Hunter, #5)
- Haunted by recurring nightmare of terrifying beasts, Erin McDaniels is afraid to sleep--until a hero arrives in her dreams to save her...and mak...more

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Aug 10, 2009 Diana rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: anthologies, supernatural, romance

Darkfest: A blind girl with an enchanting voice catches the eye of a powerful wizard who has lived in solitude for 300 years.

This was a cute and sweet story, with a fairy-tale-like feel to it, most reminiscent of Beauty and the Beast.

Phantom Lover: Stalked by evil in her dreams, Erin discovers a protector, V'Aidan.

Very sweet, but a little confusing, especially in the mythology relating to the rest of the series.

Under Her Spell: Melissa, a Wiccan, is hired as a consultant on a TV series run by Al...more

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May 15, 2009 Kathryn rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: anthologies, paranormal-romance

I am only reading Kenyon's story. It's the only one I skipped because I didn't have this book at the time. Then I'll be all caught up on Kenyon's new order for the Dark-Hunter series...

So, I think I'm taking a break from this series, again. When I want fluff, this is ideal, but I think I'm currently all fluffed out. I just want to read until I get to Acheron, so I will come back to these. I now need something serious/frightening.

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Apr 30, 2009 crayolaab rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2009, romance, fantasy

I was not really impressed with this book. I skimmed two of the stories and read two more. The first, Darkfest by Amanda Ashley, was not bad but not really a novel concept either. The second, in the Dark-Hunter series, was the reason I read it - but I didn't feel it added much to the Dark-Hunter world, and the plot was pretty basic. The other two stories had interesting characters but boring worlds and tired plots.

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Dec 16, 2011 MLE rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance

The first and last stories in this anthology only rate one star in my book, I'm not fond of the perfect virginal main character.

The two middle stories were fun and entertaining, and I was especially fond of Maggie Shayne's contribution. It's always nice to read a romance where the heroine does more than sit around and wait to be rescued, and she definitely delivered with a strong, confident, and capable heroine.

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Quotes from Midnight Pleasures

“I would never have written it without you. (Erin)
And I would never have lived without you. (V'Aiden)” — 12 people liked it

“Actually, it’s my younger brother who has me ticked, but since you brought up the boyfriend thing, take my advice; Be the black widow. Find a guy, have fun with him, then eviscerate him in the morning before he can brag about it to his friends. (Chrissy)” — 8 people liked it

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Midnight Pleasures (Dark-Hunter Universe #3.5)

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