Mistress at Midnight

Men of Danger #2

by Sophia James

The darkest hours of the night bring the deepest passions...
Haunted by rumors following her husband's suspicious death, Aurelia St. Harlow has withdrawn from society. To secure her family's future, there's only one man who can help. And that man demands payment - with a kiss!
Lord Stephen Hawkhurst finds the troubled beauty impossible to resist. But Aurelia is suspected of treason and, as England's greatest spy, Hawkhurst must uncover her every secret.
As the truth unfolds, so does their desire. Drawn together in the dark of the night, they unleash passions neither has ever experienced before....

Genres: Romance, Historical Romance, Historical, Harlequin Historical, Regency

288 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published August 20, 2013

About the author

Georgette Heyer novels formed Sophia James' reading tastes as a teenager, but her writing life only started when she was given a pile of Mills & Boons to read after she had had her wisdom teeth extracted! Filled with strong painkillers, she imagined that she could pen one, too. Many drafts later, Sophia thinks she has the perfect job writing for Harlequin Historical, as well as taking art tours to Europe with her husband, who is a painter.

Reviews

[Sandi *~The Pirate Wench~*]

Re-read Still a 4 star read

Setting: Victoria England
2nd book in the "Men of Danger" series

I never read book 1 mostly because it's at Christmas time, and if it isn't the season..I then cant get into Lol! So decided to re-read and then read book 3.

Aurelia St.Harlow needs Lord Stephen Hawkhurst, a distant relation to help launch Aurelia's sister into society.
They strike a bargain...and seal it with a kiss.
Stephen is contemplating his empty life when he is propositioned by the mysterious beauty. Stephen finds her loyalty to her family and her bravery in the face of a heartless society quite intriguing.
But when she turns out to be at the center of his investigation, he is totally thrown for a loop and realizes he is pining for a woman with more secrets than he has of his own!
This story will be a hit for both Regency and Victorian Fans.
A great story of disguise and deception, passion and betrayal, and of two lonely hearts who find hope, love and each other despite the lies and secrets that surround them.
Lots of continuous action and such memorable characters to keep the reader glued to the last page. I look forward to more from this author and the next "Dangerous Man" in the series and his lady love.

[Amarilli 73]

Il migliore della trilogia.
Lord Stephen Hawkhurst, il più cupo del trio di amici, spia ancora in piena attività per la Corona inglese, è talmente sfiancato da morti e tradimenti da essere sull'orlo della pressione. Per sua fortuna, Aurelia, rappresentante di una famiglia in rovina, senza eredi maschi e con quattro donne da maritare, decide che lui è l'uomo della Provvidenza.
Stephen non lo sa, ma Aurelia è scaltra e pronta a tutto; lui pensa di averla giocata con un bacio, mentre lei sta pianificando molto più lontano.
Piaciuti entrambi, trama avventurosa. 5 stelline.

[Leandra Azer]

2.5 stars. The story seemed to always allude to things, hints and whispers of dark pasts... But they continued to allude. Never did we get her full start to finish story, just hints and teases throughout that left me frustrated.

In comparison his history was repeated and drawn out and discussed by multiple characters.

I did like him as a character, and I admired her strength and resolve. But I felt the book was trying to be more Noir and dark but kind of just drew me on a hazy vague journey.

[Tasi Scanlon]

Good Reading

This author is one of my favorites and she does not disappoint. However I think with some proof reading and proper editing her books would have excelled both in sales and fame. Her character building stories with a strong story line makes her books a joy despite editing issues.

[Meg]

An enjoyable read with sympathetic characters. But how, in Victorian England, did a man remarry after his wife left him? Aurelia has step sisters, so her father obviously did, but divorce was difficult and very expensive. And no mention was made of this happening.

[Mary]

Read 1/15-22/19

[Katja]

I got this book in a freebie regency collection. It's quite a lovely emotional read with a somewhat unusual plot.

[Tara Lewis]

A fun romp. I have the sneaking suspicion that this was a longer, more detailed book aggressively edited to fit the M&B requirements. It felt like there was much more there.

[Crystal]

I was easily confused with this story and what was happening to who. I really didn't like the characters.

[Pamela Fernandes]

This book could have done with a better title. Aurelia is a widow and the start of the story is very promising. Lord Hawkhurst is contemplating suicide and she is a paragon of society. All she asks is an invitation to society where she can bring out her sister.
The chemistry between the two characters is good. His well meaning friends and Cassie trying to play matchmaker moves the pair along. But there were things that were just left hanging, like what exactly did Charles, her dead husband do to Aurelia. In the beginning she says he expected her to do things, when Hawk asks her, she says he left her alone. That was quite jarring and we never really knew. Also her sudden desire to change clothes from black which she'd worn for three years to colorful clothes to get his eye, when she felt guilty about drawing him away from Elizabeth Berkley, whom he wanted to marry, was a bit out of character. It's a nice warm read. It could have been expanded and more solid.

[Caro]

This was a pretty good book. I would go with 3.75 stars. I liked the characters and their strength. There were plenty of emotions, good personalities, a little suspense, a dollop of action, some steaminess, and a good HEA. This is something I wouldn't mind reading again, and more for the relaxing, cuddle/snuggle kinda book. After reading this I would like to read more about the other character's stories (I'm getting the feeling this is part of a series) and get better acquainted with them. I definitely liked this circle of friends and the families. I think one of my fave characters would be Alfred, even though he didn't really have a huge part, he was a great personality and made me wish I had an Alfred. This was mostly was a little slower but it still moved and I enjoyed reading it. Enjoy!

[Kelly]

I think this book has been the nail in my Sophia James book coffin. The misses are far exceeding the hits for me.

I read the first chapter of this book, then I had to read it again. Then I tried to digest the first chapter and thought, no I still don't know what is happening or what has happened... SO I read it again. I still have no real idea of why either of them were there or what actually happened between them.

The language was flowery and superfluous, the characters were flat and dull...

Midnight can keep it's Mistress, I certainly don't want to know about her.

[Harlequin Books]

"James' new novel is about disguise and deception, passion and betrayal. This is a tale of two lonely hearts who find hope, love and each other despite the lies and secrets surrounding them. Memorable characters and continuous action make this novel a must for both Regency and Victorian fans." RT Book Reviews, rated 4 stars

Miniseries: Men of Danger
Category: Historical Romance

[Carrie]

I was greatly looking forward to starting this book and it did not disappoint! Aurelia was an excellent character and the hero complimented her beautifully right from the start. I enjoyed the mystery of her husband's death as well as the treason elements. Overall a great plot, very enjoyable from start to finish!

[Harlequin Historical]

Miniseries: Men of Danger
Category: Historical Romance

[Kim]

great series. get next book.

[Lady Alexandrine]

"He reached forwards to take a vibrant red curl with his finger, the silk of it falling across his palm."

This book is an early Victorian romance (it starts in 1855 so it is not a Regency romance). The main characters are: a young red-haired widow and a brooding spy, both of them hiding dark secrets from the past. It was an easy, light-hearted read with interesting plot and nice characters. Sophia James did a good job, the book is well-written, there is really nothing to complain about, but somehow… it felt so average. Still, it will be perfect for you if you want to forget about reality and turn your thoughts elsewhere for a few hours.

image via Wikimedia Commons (from the Metropolitan Museum of Art)