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What Happened at Midnight
When John Mason discovers that his fiancée's father has embezzled thousands of pounds from their mutual business, he's furious. When his betrothed, Miss Mary Chartley, flees, taking the money and all the evidence with her, he's outraged. He plans to bring the woman he once loved to account--and he’ll shed no tears when he does.
But when he finds Mary, she's not living a life of luxury. Instead, she's, serving as a companion in exchange for a pittance. The more he attempts to untangle the truth, the more he remembers why he first loved Mary...and how much he wishes he could do so again.
What Happened at Midnight was previously published in the anthology Midnight Scandals. It is a novella of about 35,000 words.
But when he finds Mary, she's not living a life of luxury. Instead, she's, serving as a companion in exchange for a pittance. The more he attempts to untangle the truth, the more he remembers why he first loved Mary...and how much he wishes he could do so again.
What Happened at Midnight was previously published in the anthology Midnight Scandals. It is a novella of about 35,000 words.
104 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 14, 2013
57 people are currently reading
717 people want to read
About the author
Courtney Milan
68 books5,483 followersCourtney Milan writes books about carriages, corsets, and smartwatches. Her books have received starred reviews in Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, and Booklist. She is a New York Times and a USA Today Bestseller.
Courtney pens a weekly newsletter about tea, books, and basically anything and everything else. Sign up for it here: https://bit.ly/CourtneysTea
Before she started writing romance, Courtney got a graduate degree in theoretical physical chemistry from UC Berkeley. After that, just to shake things up, she went to law school at the University of Michigan and graduated summa cum laude. Then she did a handful of clerkships. She was a law professor for a while. She now writes full-time.
Courtney is represented by Kristin Nelson of the Nelson Literary Agency.
Courtney pens a weekly newsletter about tea, books, and basically anything and everything else. Sign up for it here: https://bit.ly/CourtneysTea
Before she started writing romance, Courtney got a graduate degree in theoretical physical chemistry from UC Berkeley. After that, just to shake things up, she went to law school at the University of Michigan and graduated summa cum laude. Then she did a handful of clerkships. She was a law professor for a while. She now writes full-time.
Courtney is represented by Kristin Nelson of the Nelson Literary Agency.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 132 reviews
January 12, 2023
Mary's father embezzled money from his business partners (one of the partners, John, was Mary's fiance). After her father's suicide, Mary leaves her life behind to work as a lady's companion.
After Mary ends their engagement and leaves with barely a trace, John becomes convinced that Mary knows where the money is. After he hears her name mentioned in a letter, he goes to the neighborhood to search for her.
I really liked Mary, but John frustrated me sometimes. He does get better as the book goes on, though.
This novella was pretty complicated given its length. It had a second-chance romance, a mystery about missing money, and a villain who was abusing his wife and employees by isolating and controlling them. I think the book would have worked better if it was longer, but I still enjoyed reading it.
After Mary ends their engagement and leaves with barely a trace, John becomes convinced that Mary knows where the money is. After he hears her name mentioned in a letter, he goes to the neighborhood to search for her.
I really liked Mary, but John frustrated me sometimes. He does get better as the book goes on, though.
This novella was pretty complicated given its length. It had a second-chance romance, a mystery about missing money, and a villain who was abusing his wife and employees by isolating and controlling them. I think the book would have worked better if it was longer, but I still enjoyed reading it.
April 2, 2013
Courtney Milan is one of my favorite historical romance authors, and stories like What Happened at Midnight are why. Sweet, sexy, romantic, and witty, her stories take you on an exciting adventure, sure to leave you with a smile on your face.
From the cover:From the very first pages I knew this was going to be a story worth reading, and not just for the entertainment value. All of Ms. Milan’s books take us deep into the hearts, minds, and souls of the characters while reminding us again and again of what’s most important in life; loving and being worthy of love in return.
When John Mason discovers that his fiancée's father has embezzled thousands of pounds from their mutual business, he's furious. When his betrothed, Miss Mary Chartley, flees, taking the money and all the evidence with her, he's outraged. He plans to bring the woman he once loved to account--and he’ll shed no tears when he does.
But when he finds Mary, she's not living a life of luxury. Instead, she's serving as a companion in exchange for a pittance. The more he attempts to untangle the truth, the more he remembers why he first loved Mary...and how much he wishes he could do so again.
What Happened at Midnight was previously published in the anthology Midnight Scandals.
My sincerest thanks to Ms. Milan for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. As always, it was a pleasure!
June 1, 2024
That epilogue had me down bad
February 5, 2017
I had read and enjoyed Her Every Wish, another Milan novella, so I hoped I would like this one too. And it was okay, but it seemed to be missing something. The characters were a bit bland, and I didn't quite understand why the nephew was supposed to receive money (I may have missed it being explained). I didn't get why, at the end, . I did like the general setup and there were some cute moments. I just wished for a little more from this story.
2.5 stars.
2.5 stars.
April 6, 2019
Stuff you can generally rely on getting when you read a Courtney Milan-penned story:
- complicated issues for the hero, heroine, or both
- a headstrong heroine, who wants to do more than the lot assigned to her in life. Let's not also forget that she's also very sure of her sexuality, for the most part
- a hero, who understands the value of loving and supporting the woman in his life
- credible, real-life angst
As such, this story ticked all the boxes. It was by no means disappointing, but if you're looking for a pretty solid story, this will do the trick.
- complicated issues for the hero, heroine, or both
- a headstrong heroine, who wants to do more than the lot assigned to her in life. Let's not also forget that she's also very sure of her sexuality, for the most part
- a hero, who understands the value of loving and supporting the woman in his life
- credible, real-life angst
As such, this story ticked all the boxes. It was by no means disappointing, but if you're looking for a pretty solid story, this will do the trick.
March 6, 2018
3.5 Stars
Yesss Courtney Milan's novella game is so strong. I think it's really hard to pull off any novella because it's hard to fit all the plot, character development and smut into a less than 200 page story. I liked this one for several reasons. First, the portrayal of a possessive, abusive person was incredibly realistic. Most spousal abuse comes in the form of subtle acts, verbal and emotional meant to manipulate, and this was very accurate. Kudos to Milan for a realistic portrayal of abuse. Second, the dialogue was wonderful and not at all tedious. It was fast paced which I loved.
And even though they had the plainest, commonest, boringest in the world... Wait for it...
John.
and
Mary.
Lol it's honestly been so long since I've read a novel with such plain names! But they were both sweet and competent characters, flawed yet not annoyingly so. Both very self aware, and I liked their relationship. And the SEX.
Well, let's just say it wasn't as tame or boring as I thought it would be, given their names lol. still can't get over it cause it got pretty steamy.
Yesss Courtney Milan's novella game is so strong. I think it's really hard to pull off any novella because it's hard to fit all the plot, character development and smut into a less than 200 page story. I liked this one for several reasons. First, the portrayal of a possessive, abusive person was incredibly realistic. Most spousal abuse comes in the form of subtle acts, verbal and emotional meant to manipulate, and this was very accurate. Kudos to Milan for a realistic portrayal of abuse. Second, the dialogue was wonderful and not at all tedious. It was fast paced which I loved.
And even though they had the plainest, commonest, boringest in the world... Wait for it...
John.
and
Mary.
Lol it's honestly been so long since I've read a novel with such plain names! But they were both sweet and competent characters, flawed yet not annoyingly so. Both very self aware, and I liked their relationship. And the SEX.
Well, let's just say it wasn't as tame or boring as I thought it would be, given their names lol. still can't get over it cause it got pretty steamy.
April 3, 2013
Review posted on Demon Lover's Books & More
4.5
This was originally published in the anthology Midnight Scandals, see my review here
This story begins at the precise moment that Mary’s father’s business partners are ransacking her house looking for the money he embezzled. Mary is in the process of running away when one of the partners decides to beat the information out of her. Her fiancé John steps in, but he doesn’t stop her from leaving him. You see, he was one of her father’s business partners too.
Mary’s whole life changed from that moment on. She faces hardships that she should never have had to face. And she winds up in an unusual position. She is a lady’s companion, but the husband is over-protective of the two women.
When John ends up near the Grange 18 months later, everything is thrown into upheaval. And for the better.
I love Courtney Milan’s writing. The amount of emotion she is always able to evoke amazes me. The only thing I really didn’t like, is that once John admitted something to Mary, she was upset, but she took it in stride. Sometimes that works, sometimes it doesn’t. I wanted more from her. Her reaction was just too easy for my taste.
This was a wonderful story, though and I love who Mary became. I also love that John appreciated who she became. Milan writes such wonderful heroes.
4.5
This was originally published in the anthology Midnight Scandals, see my review here
This story begins at the precise moment that Mary’s father’s business partners are ransacking her house looking for the money he embezzled. Mary is in the process of running away when one of the partners decides to beat the information out of her. Her fiancé John steps in, but he doesn’t stop her from leaving him. You see, he was one of her father’s business partners too.
Mary’s whole life changed from that moment on. She faces hardships that she should never have had to face. And she winds up in an unusual position. She is a lady’s companion, but the husband is over-protective of the two women.
When John ends up near the Grange 18 months later, everything is thrown into upheaval. And for the better.
I love Courtney Milan’s writing. The amount of emotion she is always able to evoke amazes me. The only thing I really didn’t like, is that once John admitted something to Mary, she was upset, but she took it in stride. Sometimes that works, sometimes it doesn’t. I wanted more from her. Her reaction was just too easy for my taste.
This was a wonderful story, though and I love who Mary became. I also love that John appreciated who she became. Milan writes such wonderful heroes.
March 27, 2013
This was a wonderful romance about a love thought gone. Mary Chartley is forced to take a position as a lady's companion after her fathers death and subsequent revelations about his embezzlement. To make matters worse, her fiance, John, is one of the men he stole from. Devastated, she returns his ring and flees saying she has no idea where the money went. When John should suddenly show up at a neighboring estate of her new position, she is sure he is there to turn her in. But John sees how subdued Mary has become, he is determined to find out what happened once and for all. As they find scant time together, as Mary is being 'protected' by her employer and has no time for herself, they slowly find their way back to each other and a very satisfying conclusion to the embezzlement dilemma. Courtney Milan is one of my favorite authors and she has yet again crafted a romance that is beautiful and deep with an eye for detail that I enjoy. I may have learned a bit more about drainage systems than I would have liked but it sets the tone for the period very well. 4 1/2 stars
February 7, 2017
The best thing about reading a Courtney Milan's book is they're always refreshing. I love the sobering topics she usually infuses like feminism, and other relevant issues. The otp is also cute so there's that.
June 26, 2014
As I've previously stated, I love Milan's writing, and usually her novellas are my favorite. She has a talent for writing shorter stories that makes me incapable of putting them down until I'm finished with then. This one, however, rang a bit ridiculous for me. I didn't understand the heroine's motives behind keeping her secret to begin with. If she loved John, she should have been able to confide in him about what happened. The fact that she didn't while she apparently did love him to distraction just didn't make any earthly sense to me.
Despite that hiccup, I enjoyed the story. Refreshing characters and an intriguing plot. Milan writes novellas that surpass some full-length novels I've read.
Despite that hiccup, I enjoyed the story. Refreshing characters and an intriguing plot. Milan writes novellas that surpass some full-length novels I've read.
September 1, 2015
Classic plotline of "she done him wrong" or HAS she? Not a bad rendition of it, but not Courtney Milan's most inspired piece.
March 27, 2020
a novella that reminds me of the fact that, no matter her faults, courtney milan is still far and away my favorite romance novelist. this was a perfectly satisfying little snack that did a lot of things right and really nothing wrong for me.
I can't recall reading any other romance novels that dealt with the type of abuse we see here. I think milan handled it deftly and in such a way that we feel its full chilling impact but not for so long that the novella loses its untroubling tone. I also much preferred this early milan novella's politics to those of the lady always wins, which was also first published in 2012. this one felt much more like the milan I know, am comfortable with, and appreciate.
mary chartley's father embezzles thousands of pounds from his business partners--including john mason, mary's recent fiancé--before killing himself. john is furious with mary and thinks she's in on it; the fact that she flees and goes into hiding doesn't help the case for her innocence. however, after managing to track her down once more--in the employee of sir walter patsworth and his wife--it's difficult for him to untangle the threads of his anger, his hurt, and his attraction to her.
there is a lot of talk of SOIL and DRAINAGE in this book! so much so that it actually had me looking shit up. very interesting tbh.
I can't recall reading any other romance novels that dealt with the type of abuse we see here. I think milan handled it deftly and in such a way that we feel its full chilling impact but not for so long that the novella loses its untroubling tone. I also much preferred this early milan novella's politics to those of the lady always wins, which was also first published in 2012. this one felt much more like the milan I know, am comfortable with, and appreciate.
mary chartley's father embezzles thousands of pounds from his business partners--including john mason, mary's recent fiancé--before killing himself. john is furious with mary and thinks she's in on it; the fact that she flees and goes into hiding doesn't help the case for her innocence. however, after managing to track her down once more--in the employee of sir walter patsworth and his wife--it's difficult for him to untangle the threads of his anger, his hurt, and his attraction to her.
there is a lot of talk of SOIL and DRAINAGE in this book! so much so that it actually had me looking shit up. very interesting tbh.
December 3, 2019
I totally thought that I’ll never finish it after starting and getting to chapter 4 a few month ago. Yesterday around midnight I decided that it was time for bad decisions, so I started to finish it — that resulted in me not going to my two morning classes. I know, bad bad bad...
Nevertheless, I actually stopped the first time just before things started to be interesting. My main problem the first time was something to do with how John acted and the whole ordeal. I probably just wasn’t in the mood. This novella is another one that Courtney Milan did well. I still appreciate how she makes her stories out of common but fairly serious domestic situations of the past. This one portrays an abusive marriage and how a woman is powerless in those.
For me, this didn’t work as well as the two others I’ve read by her, but I really liked the connection of the main characters. Also, the epilogue was a nice touch.
Solid 3.5 stars
Nevertheless, I actually stopped the first time just before things started to be interesting. My main problem the first time was something to do with how John acted and the whole ordeal. I probably just wasn’t in the mood. This novella is another one that Courtney Milan did well. I still appreciate how she makes her stories out of common but fairly serious domestic situations of the past. This one portrays an abusive marriage and how a woman is powerless in those.
For me, this didn’t work as well as the two others I’ve read by her, but I really liked the connection of the main characters. Also, the epilogue was a nice touch.
Solid 3.5 stars
October 5, 2018
Content warning: ⚠️ Implications of domestic violence/abuse of power, verbal violence against women ⚠️
I didn’t enjoy this one as much as I’ve liked Courtney Milan’s other books, and perhaps I wasn’t in the right headspace for this book. The story opens with the heroine in peril from her father’s business partners, who believe he has swindled them and absconded with their money. She’s engaged to one of the business partners, who thinks she’s hiding the money and her father’s whereabouts. (This is just in the first few paragraphs of the book!)
The hero spends over half the book stomping around, being judgy and resentful of his one-time fiancée. Quite a bit of the story is a redemption arc for the heroine, who has to come into her own and take control of her life. What was missing for me was the hero’s redemption arc. There *is* one, but it wasn’t quite satisfying. It was sort of like we were supposed to know these characters from a different book...is this a sequel?
I didn’t enjoy this one as much as I’ve liked Courtney Milan’s other books, and perhaps I wasn’t in the right headspace for this book. The story opens with the heroine in peril from her father’s business partners, who believe he has swindled them and absconded with their money. She’s engaged to one of the business partners, who thinks she’s hiding the money and her father’s whereabouts. (This is just in the first few paragraphs of the book!)
The hero spends over half the book stomping around, being judgy and resentful of his one-time fiancée. Quite a bit of the story is a redemption arc for the heroine, who has to come into her own and take control of her life. What was missing for me was the hero’s redemption arc. There *is* one, but it wasn’t quite satisfying. It was sort of like we were supposed to know these characters from a different book...is this a sequel?
January 31, 2023
If nothing else, this novella has convinced me to give Milan another go. I tried another book of hers once and it was a DNF - can’t remember why.
There were elements of this I loved: namely, the shocking reveal of what was in the trunk and the monstrous Sir Walter storyline. But the love story didn’t grab me, because it wasn’t set up properly at the start and we didn’t get flashbacks or anything to do the work instead. The embezzlement storyline seemed hastily tied up too.
Overall, this was fairly compelling but tried to do too much.
There were elements of this I loved: namely, the shocking reveal of what was in the trunk and the monstrous Sir Walter storyline. But the love story didn’t grab me, because it wasn’t set up properly at the start and we didn’t get flashbacks or anything to do the work instead. The embezzlement storyline seemed hastily tied up too.
Overall, this was fairly compelling but tried to do too much.
May 19, 2017
4+ stars. This novella has some of the things I admire most about Courtney Milan's writing: strong heroines and heroes, full character development, and complete storyline. Not one word was wasted, each has a purpose. The reader is not left asking how, why, or what happens next. That takes skill. Ms. Milan has that.
January 2, 2017
I liked some of this story though it wasn't my favorite of Milan's and I think it's mainly because there is such a pile-on of misogyny from so many badly behaving men that the heroine feels victimized in spite of Milan's attempts to represent her as strong and victorious. I suppose the biggest problem I had with the story is that the hero is a jerk for half of the story. From the opening pages, John jumps to the worst possible conclusions about Mary when it is revealed that Mary's missing-in-action father has embezzled thousands from the firm where John shares partnership. Like the other two male partners in the firm, John immediately assumes that Mary is an accomplice. He's not entirely without justification though in assuming Mary has some complicity, but readers learn quickly that Mary is quiet and subdued because her father has committed suicide and she wants that fact hidden. Despite a loving courtship, John assumes nearly the very worst about his fiance and Mary is willing to walk away from the engagement without a fight, and that early plot development puzzled me. We do learn that Mary blames herself for her father's misguided actions and so her self-loathing allows John to misunderstand her and Mary to make some poor choices, but all of this is convoluted and confusing in just one single chapter.
Also, John publicly humiliates Mary by insinuating that she is less than a "lady" in front of two despicable men, one of whom represents a clear and present physical danger to Mary, and that makes John nearly unforgivable to me. Milan developed the theme of a man humiliating the object of his affection in public in the earlier novella, Unlocked, and I struggled with it there as well as it is kind of is a deal-breaker for me, even when the men reform and regret their behavior by the end. In What Happened at Midnight, John tracks Mary down where she is living in penury and hiding and once again insinuates in front of another hulking and villainous man that Mary is not a "lady." In both situations in this story, it is absolutely clear to Mary that John is trying to slut-shame her publicly. One could argue, I suppose, that he has little recourse left to him to enact revenge though law enforcement probably would have provided a very different trajectory here and transformed this story into something other than a romance. Being a romance though, John is left to discover through cunning and devious methods the truth about Mary. She is vindicated and then has John's efforts to help reveal the reason behind her father's suicide and the location of the missing money.
This is a story though where Mary's father victimized his daughter despite good intentions, where her lover victimized her out of anger and distrust, where her employer victimized her out of a desire to control women, where her father's partners victimized her to get control of the firm's fortune, and in passing there is a man Mary seeks for help who tries to victimize her by blackmailing her for sex. Perhaps there was just one too many of these men that I wanted in one story! It bears stating though that since this is a Milan story, Mary perseveres in the end, but her victory felt a bit unsatisfactory after all that had passed.
Also, John publicly humiliates Mary by insinuating that she is less than a "lady" in front of two despicable men, one of whom represents a clear and present physical danger to Mary, and that makes John nearly unforgivable to me. Milan developed the theme of a man humiliating the object of his affection in public in the earlier novella, Unlocked, and I struggled with it there as well as it is kind of is a deal-breaker for me, even when the men reform and regret their behavior by the end. In What Happened at Midnight, John tracks Mary down where she is living in penury and hiding and once again insinuates in front of another hulking and villainous man that Mary is not a "lady." In both situations in this story, it is absolutely clear to Mary that John is trying to slut-shame her publicly. One could argue, I suppose, that he has little recourse left to him to enact revenge though law enforcement probably would have provided a very different trajectory here and transformed this story into something other than a romance. Being a romance though, John is left to discover through cunning and devious methods the truth about Mary. She is vindicated and then has John's efforts to help reveal the reason behind her father's suicide and the location of the missing money.
This is a story though where Mary's father victimized his daughter despite good intentions, where her lover victimized her out of anger and distrust, where her employer victimized her out of a desire to control women, where her father's partners victimized her to get control of the firm's fortune, and in passing there is a man Mary seeks for help who tries to victimize her by blackmailing her for sex. Perhaps there was just one too many of these men that I wanted in one story! It bears stating though that since this is a Milan story, Mary perseveres in the end, but her victory felt a bit unsatisfactory after all that had passed.
January 13, 2018
4 ✯✯ "Midnight" stars
/
HEA:
Cheating:
This was honestly such good read!! Especially for it being a novella.
Don't let this keep you from reading the novella but it does contain mentions of attempted sexual assault/coercion.
The plot focuses on John Mason, who discovers that Mary, his fiancee's father had embezzled a lot of money and intends to get to the bottom of the matter by bringing revenge upon Mary after she leaves.
However, after he finally does find her, he's very surprised to see her living in humble but dire straits.
I really liked that John, however angry he was with her, never took his "revenge" too far like in some other heroes in romance novels . At first, he's very hesitant to trust her again but slowly ends up remembering all the reasons he fell in love with her all over again.
Mary was such an amazing character. I have to admire for all the tragedies she endured yet she kept on going no matter what and tried to make something of herself. But it made me so sad to see how drastically Mary had changed in the short time she had disappeared and learned about the harsher truths of society in that period. I think Milan did a perfect job of showing her how quickly jaded she had become in order to survive in her situation and the way the she demonstrated corruption in the upper classes or those with authority. I'm glad she highlighted abuse doesn't have to be physical, but it can be emotional or verbal as well.
Despite their many troubles, the one thing that I loved about them as a couple that they communicated not much at first, I'll tell you that but there were no drawn out, dramatic misunderstandings that made it any less enjoyable.
I felt so disgusted when Mary recalled and despite everything, even with danger to herself, she never stopped trying to
Lastly, I think the epilogue was very heartwarming and perfect.
/
HEA:
Cheating:
June 27, 2023
Decidí leer esta novela porque me encantó The Governess Affair, y aunque no me ha parecido tan buena ni me ha gustado tanto, se deja leer.
En este libro los personajes no me han parecido tan creíbles, sobre todo porque no soy fan de las segundas oportunidades, me cuesta tragar la píldora del olvido (olvido todo lo pasado, que generalmente suele ser para no olvidar y empezamos de nuevo, lo que se llama “pelillos a la mar”), con lo cual, pasando este punto, la historia está bastante bien, es entretenida, es romántica, el final es muy bueno y sobre todo, los personajes van creciendo y cambiando a medida que se desarrolla la trama.
Recomendable como lectura ligera para pasar un buen ratito.
3.5 stars.
En este libro los personajes no me han parecido tan creíbles, sobre todo porque no soy fan de las segundas oportunidades, me cuesta tragar la píldora del olvido (olvido todo lo pasado, que generalmente suele ser para no olvidar y empezamos de nuevo, lo que se llama “pelillos a la mar”), con lo cual, pasando este punto, la historia está bastante bien, es entretenida, es romántica, el final es muy bueno y sobre todo, los personajes van creciendo y cambiando a medida que se desarrolla la trama.
Recomendable como lectura ligera para pasar un buen ratito.
3.5 stars.
January 18, 2015
***REREAD UPDATE (1/15)***
I don't know what happened, but I reread this last night and I liked it WAAAY better than the first time around. Maybe I was just in the right mood, but I really loved how strong Mary was in all the crappy situations life threw at her. So I'm bumping my rating up to a 4.
***ORIGINAL REVIEW***
Not necessarily my favorite of Milan's novellas but still plenty enjoyable. I just thought it lacked a little of Milan's usual finesse.
Rating: 3.5 / 5
I don't know what happened, but I reread this last night and I liked it WAAAY better than the first time around. Maybe I was just in the right mood, but I really loved how strong Mary was in all the crappy situations life threw at her. So I'm bumping my rating up to a 4.
***ORIGINAL REVIEW***
Not necessarily my favorite of Milan's novellas but still plenty enjoyable. I just thought it lacked a little of Milan's usual finesse.
Rating: 3.5 / 5
December 13, 2016
3.5 stars
I am a bit of a Julia Quinn and Lisa Kleypas lover. So picking up a new historical romance that is neither of theirs is a BIG step for me. That being said I will totally read another of Courtney Milans books! This was a pleasant read. I really enjoyed the way the characters developed. The only complaint I have it the guy. He was a bit to in-tuned with his feelings. I really wanted him to be more of a jerk. Jerks are the best.
I am a bit of a Julia Quinn and Lisa Kleypas lover. So picking up a new historical romance that is neither of theirs is a BIG step for me. That being said I will totally read another of Courtney Milans books! This was a pleasant read. I really enjoyed the way the characters developed. The only complaint I have it the guy. He was a bit to in-tuned with his feelings. I really wanted him to be more of a jerk. Jerks are the best.
August 16, 2014
3.5/5.0
An enjoyable story with substance the reader can sink her teeth into!
Read full review in the 2013 May issue of InD’tale Magazine.
An enjoyable story with substance the reader can sink her teeth into!
Read full review in the 2013 May issue of InD’tale Magazine.
November 6, 2013
Great things come in small packages, and Courtney Milan writes fantastic novellas! It amazes me how much plot and characterization she can achieve in only about 100 pages!
I really liked this story, about more of the "common" man than many historical romances.
I really liked this story, about more of the "common" man than many historical romances.
December 3, 2015
It was a novella that I think would have worked better as a full novel, with more space devoted to the multiple issues it wants to touch upon; it feels slightly repetitive compared to more fully developed Milan novels. Readable and quite alright, but somewhat forgettable compared to them.
March 28, 2013
Appears in Midnight Scandals.
August 26, 2020
Not enough angst or trauma to get on my shelves, but still, close to those themes and engaging to boot!
August 25, 2015
An OK rough draft of a longer story. It couldn't quite stand on its own as is, and could use having just about all aspects fleshed out some more.
August 28, 2015
3.5 stars. This was a wonderful introduction to Courtney Milan's writing. I can't wait to read more!
May 18, 2016
Courtney Milan is so perfect and good and important. I only wish this was a full length book so that I could have had more of it to enjoy on my flight
April 29, 2024
lupa what happened.
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