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Midnight Slave
From the back cover:
When jet-haired Jolene Warrington learned she was really a slave mistress's child and not her father's free white daughter, the Mississippi belle was devastated. Suddenly the desirable heiress was not only an orphan and a pauper...she'd been sold to an arrogant rancher to be his consort! The voluptuous beauty vowed that somehow she'd escape her owner before he robbed her of her virtue, but before she could break away, the virile Texan was taking liberties with her body--and stealing her heart in the bargain!
Independent Kurt Spencer never wanted to get permanently tangled up with any female. Then he saw the gorgeous ivory-skinned captive for sale and he couldn't walk by and leave her to a brutal master. But when the hot-blooded cattleman had his new "possession" within reach, his noble intentions became velvet seduction. Whispering that he'd grant her freedom after one night, Kurt urgently loved her...only to find he needed more--and he swore he'd forever make her his Midnight Slave.
When jet-haired Jolene Warrington learned she was really a slave mistress's child and not her father's free white daughter, the Mississippi belle was devastated. Suddenly the desirable heiress was not only an orphan and a pauper...she'd been sold to an arrogant rancher to be his consort! The voluptuous beauty vowed that somehow she'd escape her owner before he robbed her of her virtue, but before she could break away, the virile Texan was taking liberties with her body--and stealing her heart in the bargain!
Independent Kurt Spencer never wanted to get permanently tangled up with any female. Then he saw the gorgeous ivory-skinned captive for sale and he couldn't walk by and leave her to a brutal master. But when the hot-blooded cattleman had his new "possession" within reach, his noble intentions became velvet seduction. Whispering that he'd grant her freedom after one night, Kurt urgently loved her...only to find he needed more--and he swore he'd forever make her his Midnight Slave.
- GenresRomance
480 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 1988
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
July 5, 2018
Midnight Slave is set in the deep south prior to the American Civil War. It is a story about two sisters that were raised as twins in an aristocratic white southern family. The family lived on a prosperous plantation and owned many slaves.
Very early in the book we find out that the twins are really half sisters with the same father. One is white, one is quadroon (three quarters white, one quarter black slave). Because the sisters are both raised as equals, they are both unaware of their racial differences. Even though both sisters were raised as equals when it came to race, they were not emotionally treated as equals. One was pampered and loved and the other was all but ignored. This, of course, did affect their personalities but maybe not in the way you expect. Upon their father’s death, the sisters are told about their racial differences and this sets into motion the deceit and betrayal of one sister against the other.
Johanna, the mean, nasty, jealous sister, throws her sister Jolene into the brutal life of slavery. Jolene is treated badly by all her “owners” except the last. Her final “owner” is Kurt Spencer. Kurt owns a ranch in Texas and is traveling to his family’s plantation in Alabama for his brother’s wedding. Kurt and Jolene’s relationship develops throughout the story in their coincidental meetings.
There are many secondary characters in the book and you are never left wondering their back story or what they are thinking or feeling. They are very involved and central to the story.
I thought this book was a good read. The pace of the book moved along great for me. I did get the “it’s an awfully small world” feeling because everybody was connected. The story takes place in Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama and you have three different families which are not related in any way. It has a very “six degrees of separation” feel to it.
The book has a lot of tension between the characters, misunderstandings between the hero and heroine (jeez, just tell each other how you feel already!!), forced seduction, attempted rape, attempted hangings, and slavery. There are characters that believe strongly in slavery and characters that believe that slavery is very wrong. The “n” word is used A LOT so you have now been warned.
I have only told very little about what goes on in the book. The summary I gave above only tells what happens through about the first third of the book. I didn’t want to summarize the entire book because then why would you have any reason to read it. :)
***This book review has been provided by the No Book Left Behind Campaign! A Bodice Ripper Readers Anonymous group initiative to review the un-reviewed!***
Very early in the book we find out that the twins are really half sisters with the same father. One is white, one is quadroon (three quarters white, one quarter black slave). Because the sisters are both raised as equals, they are both unaware of their racial differences. Even though both sisters were raised as equals when it came to race, they were not emotionally treated as equals. One was pampered and loved and the other was all but ignored. This, of course, did affect their personalities but maybe not in the way you expect. Upon their father’s death, the sisters are told about their racial differences and this sets into motion the deceit and betrayal of one sister against the other.
Johanna, the mean, nasty, jealous sister, throws her sister Jolene into the brutal life of slavery. Jolene is treated badly by all her “owners” except the last. Her final “owner” is Kurt Spencer. Kurt owns a ranch in Texas and is traveling to his family’s plantation in Alabama for his brother’s wedding. Kurt and Jolene’s relationship develops throughout the story in their coincidental meetings.
There are many secondary characters in the book and you are never left wondering their back story or what they are thinking or feeling. They are very involved and central to the story.
I thought this book was a good read. The pace of the book moved along great for me. I did get the “it’s an awfully small world” feeling because everybody was connected. The story takes place in Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama and you have three different families which are not related in any way. It has a very “six degrees of separation” feel to it.
The book has a lot of tension between the characters, misunderstandings between the hero and heroine (jeez, just tell each other how you feel already!!), forced seduction, attempted rape, attempted hangings, and slavery. There are characters that believe strongly in slavery and characters that believe that slavery is very wrong. The “n” word is used A LOT so you have now been warned.
I have only told very little about what goes on in the book. The summary I gave above only tells what happens through about the first third of the book. I didn’t want to summarize the entire book because then why would you have any reason to read it. :)
***This book review has been provided by the No Book Left Behind Campaign! A Bodice Ripper Readers Anonymous group initiative to review the un-reviewed!***
March 14, 2021
This review is of “Midnight Slave” by Rochelle Wayne.
The book begins in Mississippi, 1840. Two women will give birth on this night at Cedarwood plantation. One is the plantation mistress, Charlotte Warrington. The other is a slave, Millie. Millie dies in childbirth, but her child, a daughter, survives. Charlotte gives birth to twin daughters, but only one survives. Upon learning that Millie’s daughter is alive, Charlotte decides to pass off both girls as hers (all three children have the same father, Charlotte’s husband, Sam Warrington). She compels a slave, Della, in her conspiracy. However, Della later confesses Charlotte’s plan to Sam.
Fast forward 18 years. Charlotte, Sam and Della have all passed away. The girls, named Jolene, the heroine of the book and Johanna, are now adults, with very different personalities. Jolene is sweet, kind and warm. Johanna is...not. And after Johanna discovers that she is Millie’s daughter, and therefore a slave, Jolene will discover just how hateful Johanna can be.
Johanna conspires with her lawyer/lover Robert Hawkins, to change Sam’s will-which states that Johanna is Black-to claim that Jolene is Milie’s daughter. Soon after, Johanna sells Jolene into slavery. While trying to escape a slave trader, Jolene is injured. She is taken to the doctor by Kurt Spencer, the hero of the book and a Texas rancher. Kurt is returning to his childhood home in Alabama for his stepbrother Richard’s wedding. Accompanying Kurt is his best friend and fellow rancher Daniel, a freed former slave. Daniel has come with Kurt to try to buy the freedom of his mother, Lucy, from Willow Hill plantation owner John Delmar. Obtaining Lucy’s freedom, however, will be a daunting task. Lucy will eventually gain her freedom.
Jolene is sold into slavery to Delmar. She escapes temporarily, and ends up in Kurt’s room. They both have too much to drink, and Kurt rapes Jolene. After this, Jolene is returned to Delmar and taken to his plantation in Alabama. Delmar lives with his two children, son Alan and daughter, Sabrina, for whom Jolene will be working for as a personal maid. Kurt finds Jolene, buys her from Delmar-he will free her-and takes her with him to his ancestral home, where we meet his father, Edward, stepmother Katherine, and Richard. There will be much drama to follow, which will affect many lives, and not to everyone’s betterment.
Meanwhile, back in Mississippi, Johanna is up to her usual scheming and living high. What she doesn’t know is , her house of cards is about to collapse. Thomas Warrington-Sam’s brother and an attorney who has been living in England for the last twenty years-has come back home, and he knows the truth. (Sam sent Thomas a copy of his will).
In the end, Johanna is exposed as the person she is, Jolene regains her rightful heritage, she and Kurt marry, move to Texas and have their Happily Ever After.
Upside: There are many things I appreciate about Ms. Wayne’s writing style. 1. She writes very vividly. I don’t feel when I read her books that I am reading a book, but actually watching her characters’ lives play out in front of me. That’s one of my main criteria in determining whether I like a book or not. 2, Ms. Wayne involves her supporting characters. Some authors only use their supporting characters to advance a storyline, play off the lead characters or as filler. That’s not the case with Ms. Wayne. Her supporting characters are integral parts of her stories and she treats them as such, giving them scenes without the hero and heroine, allowing them to speak their own voices and thoughts.
Downside: Most of the characters in “Midnight Slave” aren't particularly likeable. The only really likeable characters for me were Daniel, Lucy and Mary Jane, a slave whom Jolene befriends and Daniel later marries. Jolene is a fairly nice character, but she is also a serial liar-some of this is for self-preservation. After Kurt rapes Jolene he is a non-factor for me, no matter how much Ms. Wayne tries to redeem him. Most of the characters in the book are mean, self-centered, racist, or a combination of all three. Without going through all the details, Johanna basically faces no consequences for her evil. There is a lot of racial language in the book. Many of the issues Jolene and Kurt had with each other could have been resolved earlier if they had talked WITH each other as opposed to talking at and to each other.
Sex: The love scenes are not graphic nor erotic. Some of her earlier and later books have more descriptive love scenes.
Violence: Assault, battery, shooting, whippings and killings take place in “Midnight Slave”. The violence is not graphic.
Bottom Line: “Midnight Slave” has good qualities as a book, but enough issues to keep it from being a 5 star book.
The book begins in Mississippi, 1840. Two women will give birth on this night at Cedarwood plantation. One is the plantation mistress, Charlotte Warrington. The other is a slave, Millie. Millie dies in childbirth, but her child, a daughter, survives. Charlotte gives birth to twin daughters, but only one survives. Upon learning that Millie’s daughter is alive, Charlotte decides to pass off both girls as hers (all three children have the same father, Charlotte’s husband, Sam Warrington). She compels a slave, Della, in her conspiracy. However, Della later confesses Charlotte’s plan to Sam.
Fast forward 18 years. Charlotte, Sam and Della have all passed away. The girls, named Jolene, the heroine of the book and Johanna, are now adults, with very different personalities. Jolene is sweet, kind and warm. Johanna is...not. And after Johanna discovers that she is Millie’s daughter, and therefore a slave, Jolene will discover just how hateful Johanna can be.
Johanna conspires with her lawyer/lover Robert Hawkins, to change Sam’s will-which states that Johanna is Black-to claim that Jolene is Milie’s daughter. Soon after, Johanna sells Jolene into slavery. While trying to escape a slave trader, Jolene is injured. She is taken to the doctor by Kurt Spencer, the hero of the book and a Texas rancher. Kurt is returning to his childhood home in Alabama for his stepbrother Richard’s wedding. Accompanying Kurt is his best friend and fellow rancher Daniel, a freed former slave. Daniel has come with Kurt to try to buy the freedom of his mother, Lucy, from Willow Hill plantation owner John Delmar. Obtaining Lucy’s freedom, however, will be a daunting task. Lucy will eventually gain her freedom.
Jolene is sold into slavery to Delmar. She escapes temporarily, and ends up in Kurt’s room. They both have too much to drink, and Kurt rapes Jolene. After this, Jolene is returned to Delmar and taken to his plantation in Alabama. Delmar lives with his two children, son Alan and daughter, Sabrina, for whom Jolene will be working for as a personal maid. Kurt finds Jolene, buys her from Delmar-he will free her-and takes her with him to his ancestral home, where we meet his father, Edward, stepmother Katherine, and Richard. There will be much drama to follow, which will affect many lives, and not to everyone’s betterment.
Meanwhile, back in Mississippi, Johanna is up to her usual scheming and living high. What she doesn’t know is , her house of cards is about to collapse. Thomas Warrington-Sam’s brother and an attorney who has been living in England for the last twenty years-has come back home, and he knows the truth. (Sam sent Thomas a copy of his will).
In the end, Johanna is exposed as the person she is, Jolene regains her rightful heritage, she and Kurt marry, move to Texas and have their Happily Ever After.
Upside: There are many things I appreciate about Ms. Wayne’s writing style. 1. She writes very vividly. I don’t feel when I read her books that I am reading a book, but actually watching her characters’ lives play out in front of me. That’s one of my main criteria in determining whether I like a book or not. 2, Ms. Wayne involves her supporting characters. Some authors only use their supporting characters to advance a storyline, play off the lead characters or as filler. That’s not the case with Ms. Wayne. Her supporting characters are integral parts of her stories and she treats them as such, giving them scenes without the hero and heroine, allowing them to speak their own voices and thoughts.
Downside: Most of the characters in “Midnight Slave” aren't particularly likeable. The only really likeable characters for me were Daniel, Lucy and Mary Jane, a slave whom Jolene befriends and Daniel later marries. Jolene is a fairly nice character, but she is also a serial liar-some of this is for self-preservation. After Kurt rapes Jolene he is a non-factor for me, no matter how much Ms. Wayne tries to redeem him. Most of the characters in the book are mean, self-centered, racist, or a combination of all three. Without going through all the details, Johanna basically faces no consequences for her evil. There is a lot of racial language in the book. Many of the issues Jolene and Kurt had with each other could have been resolved earlier if they had talked WITH each other as opposed to talking at and to each other.
Sex: The love scenes are not graphic nor erotic. Some of her earlier and later books have more descriptive love scenes.
Violence: Assault, battery, shooting, whippings and killings take place in “Midnight Slave”. The violence is not graphic.
Bottom Line: “Midnight Slave” has good qualities as a book, but enough issues to keep it from being a 5 star book.
September 12, 2011
Every book I've read by Rochelle Wayne I've enjoyed, including this one.
Set in the old South during the antebellum period, it's a story of two sisters, one a daughter of a prosperous white plantation owner and his wife, the other a daughter of the plantation owner and his slave. Born only hours apart, the 2 sisters grew up ignorant of this secret.
[image error]
Johanna
Jolene
When I was young I had a neighbor friend in her late 80's. Sometimes she would tell me stories of her life. Born and raised in the South, I had a hard time reconciling my thoughts regarding this fun, intelligent and loving woman as she told stories a time or two of watching "niggers" strung up and hung by her white neighbors. To me it was a horror, to her it was as if she were talking about non entities. I figured it was just the way she was raised.
Well, this story delves into some of these attitudes that originated way back when and how it affected both white and black. This is what set this book apart from others I've read written for this time period.
A little over 500 pages, it follows the adventures of one sister who is sold into slavery by the other and what she experienced along the way including in depth, well written secondary characters.
Of course this is a romance so ultimately the H, Kurt Spencer, enters the adventure and becomes the new 'master' of the h. A Texas rancher, he has returned to the South for his younger brother's wedding.
Slavery
Violence
Hatred
Abuse
Steamy Sex
Murder
Some irritating plot cliches including Lies/Deception/Misunderstandings
(not alot, but any of these cliches drive me nuts)
Set in the old South during the antebellum period, it's a story of two sisters, one a daughter of a prosperous white plantation owner and his wife, the other a daughter of the plantation owner and his slave. Born only hours apart, the 2 sisters grew up ignorant of this secret.
[image error]
JohannaJoleneWhen I was young I had a neighbor friend in her late 80's. Sometimes she would tell me stories of her life. Born and raised in the South, I had a hard time reconciling my thoughts regarding this fun, intelligent and loving woman as she told stories a time or two of watching "niggers" strung up and hung by her white neighbors. To me it was a horror, to her it was as if she were talking about non entities. I figured it was just the way she was raised.
Well, this story delves into some of these attitudes that originated way back when and how it affected both white and black. This is what set this book apart from others I've read written for this time period.
A little over 500 pages, it follows the adventures of one sister who is sold into slavery by the other and what she experienced along the way including in depth, well written secondary characters.
Of course this is a romance so ultimately the H, Kurt Spencer, enters the adventure and becomes the new 'master' of the h. A Texas rancher, he has returned to the South for his younger brother's wedding.
Slavery
Violence
Hatred
Abuse
Steamy Sex
Murder
Some irritating plot cliches including Lies/Deception/Misunderstandings
(not alot, but any of these cliches drive me nuts)
August 22, 2018
A pretty good read
Want to read
March 14, 2021Kyle Onstott knockoff...
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews