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The Midnight Man
The less you know about Ramsay, the better . . . Lady Helena Hartford knows nothing about Nicholas Ramsay. Rumored to be the richest man in England, he appears out of the shadows and commands her to trust him. Newly widowed, Helena is the target of powerful forces determined to seize her fortune by committing her to an asylum. Losing her wealth means nothing, but losing her freedom to the fetid air and hopelessness of Bedlam would be a never-ending horror. Nicholas has his own reasons for pursuing Lady Hartford. Familiar with the scandalous reputation her artwork has inspired, he is focused on revenge but supremely unprepared for the immediate, gut-clenching desire she invokes. As their uneasy alliance gives way to intense passion, enemies are circling ever nearer, intent on a shocking agenda. And Helena has no choice but to trust this mysterious, unpredictable man who could be her savior, or the means of delivering her to her worst nightmare . . .
- GenresRomance
334 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
April 12, 2009
After three tries, I finally gave up. Yes...a book I couldn't finish! "The Midnight Man" by Charlotte Mede hit all my wrong 'buttons'. I didn't like the characters, I didn't like the plot, and I think I got whiplash of the mind from jumping back and forth between characters, locations, and schemes.
There may be readers who enjoy this book, but I'm not one.
There may be readers who enjoy this book, but I'm not one.
September 7, 2015
This was a dollar store find I'd picked up sometime within the last 5 years or so, one of many I pick up and toss on the ol' TBR mountain. It was picked for my March pick-it book in WaMRL, and since I'm in such a reading-lag this year, I'm only just now getting 'round to reading it here in August. It's all good though. So far, it's interesting. Different, but not bad really. We'll see how it turns out :)
Finished. It was ok, readable enough, and the set-up was interesting, but the 'hero' was not very likable at all, and the h, while a better character, made way too many rash decisions and acted without thinking many times. Also, her horrible past needed to be explained way better than it was. I was supposed to believe she'd been abused and mistreated, but aside from one little flashback of her deceased husband talking down to her at the dinner table, no details were given about her past 'trauma'. Did he beat her, did he tie her up and treat her like a dog, did he just insult her intelligence one too many times? I don't know! It was never said. So I could've used way more details there, what had happened to her to give her the attitude she has now? Also, a thing that bugged me, if she was married to a duke, that would make her a duchess, right? That's never mentioned. Nor is she ever treated as a duchess would be. No one addressed her as 'your grace' or anything. She could've been a street girl for all the mention that was made of her position. Even a scandalous duchess is still a duchess, and, maybe I'm wrong, but I think she would still warrant some better treatment. Instead, the villains chase her around, with the constant threat of spending the rest of her life in Bedlam. All because she's supposedly 'crazy'. So she wanted to be an artist, big whoop. It never even said what sorts of pictures she painted that warranted people to think she was crazy. There was something about bright colors, bold lines, possibly a nude... I never did find out what was so awful about her paintings. She supposedly took some lovers after the abusive husband died, but there was no mention of why they didn't 'do anything' for her either. Mystical woman who can only feel real lust when partnered with her special match I suppose? The hero, and I call him this very loosely, was pretty much a jerk... nothing special about him that I saw. He was dark, and broody, and rich, with cold grey eyes, and ninja-like fighting skills, and never-before-heard-of prowess in the bedsport. He was not very nice to her, and the whole time, he's plotting about how he's going to make her trust him with the deepest possible trust by saving her life a few times and making mad love to her many times, then his plan is to ditch her on an island. Because her father shipped him off on a convict ship as a child for some transgression (that is never explained) whilst working in a factory he owned. So.. ship the daughter off, the daughter who never knew anything about it, and ta-da! Revenge. I was like... ok. So, through this whole book, there was absolutely no love-type relationship feelings. Lust, sure, but no affection, and barely anything that would even remotely resemble a friendship even. Then, in like the last chapter, suddenly he realizes he loves her and can't bear to live without her. He comes to her rescue in the nick of time, saving her from Bedlam with his ninja-skills, and they live happy-ever-after. Heck, by then, I was wanting to read about what was happening to the patients in Bedlam... even that was glossed over and not detailed! I was like... phooey, and I thought it was going to be the most interesting part xD
But anyway, despite my sniping here, it wasn't horrible I suppose. The idea was good, and the writing itself didn't give me anything to complain about, but the characters didn't really give me any feels. Neither one was the most likable, and the antagonistic bent of almost every one of their interactions left me wanting something else. Maybe I'm just too settled and conflict-avoiding to truly enjoy these sorts of drama-filled relationships, the melodramatic sorts of hate-to-love stories. I don't know.
Oh, and a side-note, and not really anything to do with the story itself... I've been watching a lot of G.o.T lately... and the hero of this book's name is Ramsay... so... it didn't help that I'm sitting here picturing him like ! Lol.
Finished. It was ok, readable enough, and the set-up was interesting, but the 'hero' was not very likable at all, and the h, while a better character, made way too many rash decisions and acted without thinking many times. Also, her horrible past needed to be explained way better than it was. I was supposed to believe she'd been abused and mistreated, but aside from one little flashback of her deceased husband talking down to her at the dinner table, no details were given about her past 'trauma'. Did he beat her, did he tie her up and treat her like a dog, did he just insult her intelligence one too many times? I don't know! It was never said. So I could've used way more details there, what had happened to her to give her the attitude she has now? Also, a thing that bugged me, if she was married to a duke, that would make her a duchess, right? That's never mentioned. Nor is she ever treated as a duchess would be. No one addressed her as 'your grace' or anything. She could've been a street girl for all the mention that was made of her position. Even a scandalous duchess is still a duchess, and, maybe I'm wrong, but I think she would still warrant some better treatment. Instead, the villains chase her around, with the constant threat of spending the rest of her life in Bedlam. All because she's supposedly 'crazy'. So she wanted to be an artist, big whoop. It never even said what sorts of pictures she painted that warranted people to think she was crazy. There was something about bright colors, bold lines, possibly a nude... I never did find out what was so awful about her paintings. She supposedly took some lovers after the abusive husband died, but there was no mention of why they didn't 'do anything' for her either. Mystical woman who can only feel real lust when partnered with her special match I suppose? The hero, and I call him this very loosely, was pretty much a jerk... nothing special about him that I saw. He was dark, and broody, and rich, with cold grey eyes, and ninja-like fighting skills, and never-before-heard-of prowess in the bedsport. He was not very nice to her, and the whole time, he's plotting about how he's going to make her trust him with the deepest possible trust by saving her life a few times and making mad love to her many times, then his plan is to ditch her on an island. Because her father shipped him off on a convict ship as a child for some transgression (that is never explained) whilst working in a factory he owned. So.. ship the daughter off, the daughter who never knew anything about it, and ta-da! Revenge. I was like... ok. So, through this whole book, there was absolutely no love-type relationship feelings. Lust, sure, but no affection, and barely anything that would even remotely resemble a friendship even. Then, in like the last chapter, suddenly he realizes he loves her and can't bear to live without her. He comes to her rescue in the nick of time, saving her from Bedlam with his ninja-skills, and they live happy-ever-after. Heck, by then, I was wanting to read about what was happening to the patients in Bedlam... even that was glossed over and not detailed! I was like... phooey, and I thought it was going to be the most interesting part xD
But anyway, despite my sniping here, it wasn't horrible I suppose. The idea was good, and the writing itself didn't give me anything to complain about, but the characters didn't really give me any feels. Neither one was the most likable, and the antagonistic bent of almost every one of their interactions left me wanting something else. Maybe I'm just too settled and conflict-avoiding to truly enjoy these sorts of drama-filled relationships, the melodramatic sorts of hate-to-love stories. I don't know.
Oh, and a side-note, and not really anything to do with the story itself... I've been watching a lot of G.o.T lately... and the hero of this book's name is Ramsay... so... it didn't help that I'm sitting here picturing him like ! Lol.
June 7, 2009
The Midnight Man has one eye catching opening chapter. “Oblivion is what she craved”, is the first line in this very dark and at times sensual historical romance by Charlotte Mede. This is not a fluffy read, but an angst filled romance over land and by sea with a woman bent on her own destruction, along with those who want to help speed along her pain and suffering. There is also a man who is obsessed with her and wants her for his own her, while at the same time he wants to punish her for the sins of her father.
Lady Helena Hartford is a very rich widow who is a protégée in the art world. She lives and breathes to paint. Her now deceased father sold her quite callously into a titled marriage. When we are introduced to Helena, she is in an opium den, high on the smoke, trying to forget her woes. Helena has quite the reputation at flaunting her nose at society with her shocking pieces of art and her countless lovers. Her husband’s nephew, the Bishop of Sissinghurst wants Helena removed and sent to Bedlam on grounds of immoral insanity, licentiousness and salaciousness. If Helena is considered insane, he will be able to take over her fortune. And if she dies in the asylum, all the better. But as Helena hides away in the haze of opium, she is saved by Nicholas Ramsay. Ramsay also has quite the reputation. He has power and money and is not one to be crossed. He saves Helena for his own purposes. He desires her but wants her to suffer because of what her greedy father did to him when he was a boy.
Helena fights Ramsay tooth and nail and believes he is working for Sissinghurst. Ramsay has his own plans for Helena, which is very selfish and a bit cruel. Ramsay is also the host and benefactor of the X Club, a group of scientific minds that support Charles Darwin’s theories. They need Helena’s artistic abilities to provide evidence to support their cause. Since these bones and fossils Darwin found cannot be transported back to England, Helena will go with Ramsay to the other side of the world, as he says, where Helena will capture their likeness on paper. She will escape the clutches of her nephew and also help a wonderful cause. Helena has no choice but to accept and with that Ramsay will continue to seduce her and speed along her downfall.
Ramsay has some very shady plans for Helena that includes making her his lover on their long journey. He wants her to be overcome with pleasure in the sex act before he proceeds with his punishment. Ramsay has lusted after Helena for years, but his feelings for her are at odds with his final goal, his revenge. Even though he will stick with his plans till the bitter end, he will make sure Helena experiences the heights of passion with him. He wants her to let go, to fall apart in his arms before he rips apart her heart and soul. His plan is to make her fall in love with him and to crave his body. And when she does, his revenge will be complete.
Charlotte Mede has written a dark and at times depressing romance with The Midnight Man. I have to admit this was quite the uncomfortable read because of the tension, fear and lack of trust Helena has for Ramsay, which is understandable if I were in her shoes. Her father treated her like cattle and sold her to the highest bidder, which happened to be her husband. Charlotte doesn’t go into great detail about Helena’s marriage, but from what is told, you can assume her husband was a sexual abusive man who enjoyed hurting his wife both in the physical and spiritual sense. Even though Helena has had lovers, she has never found joy in sex; that is until Ramsay comes along.
Ramsay is a bit of a mystery, never really fully explained. The reader is given some insight on why he is so hell bent on destroying Helena, which includes his callous treatment and attitude towards Helena. I felt this was a bit too much in some ways. Even though their relationship is an uncomfortable and I should say unstable one, The Midnight Man has a nice gothic feel to it. There may be no dark castles or things that go bump in the night to scare the heroine, but there are demons, deep in a person’s soul. The physical demon is Sissinghurst who hides behind his own religion for the things he does. What he has planned for Helena is even worst than what Ramsay has in store for Helena.
Poor Helena cannot get a break, but she is not that typical heroine who will be walked all over. She does try to stand up to Ramsay. Ramsay in turn tries to seduce her every chance he gets, he wants her to understand what a woman’s pleasure is, even though his methods are questionable throughout the whole story. Is there a HEA in their future? Well, this is a romance after all…
The Midnight Man is not a book for everyone and some may question Ramsay’s motives as being very un-hero like. I have to give Charlotte credit for writing a psychological historical thriller that taps deep into the darkness of men’s souls. Helena and Ramsay may not be your ideal couple but I was fascinated by the story Charlotte has penned. Dark and brooding are the best words to describe The Midnight Man and I wouldn’t mind seeing what other future books Charlotte Mede has in store.
Lady Helena Hartford is a very rich widow who is a protégée in the art world. She lives and breathes to paint. Her now deceased father sold her quite callously into a titled marriage. When we are introduced to Helena, she is in an opium den, high on the smoke, trying to forget her woes. Helena has quite the reputation at flaunting her nose at society with her shocking pieces of art and her countless lovers. Her husband’s nephew, the Bishop of Sissinghurst wants Helena removed and sent to Bedlam on grounds of immoral insanity, licentiousness and salaciousness. If Helena is considered insane, he will be able to take over her fortune. And if she dies in the asylum, all the better. But as Helena hides away in the haze of opium, she is saved by Nicholas Ramsay. Ramsay also has quite the reputation. He has power and money and is not one to be crossed. He saves Helena for his own purposes. He desires her but wants her to suffer because of what her greedy father did to him when he was a boy.
Helena fights Ramsay tooth and nail and believes he is working for Sissinghurst. Ramsay has his own plans for Helena, which is very selfish and a bit cruel. Ramsay is also the host and benefactor of the X Club, a group of scientific minds that support Charles Darwin’s theories. They need Helena’s artistic abilities to provide evidence to support their cause. Since these bones and fossils Darwin found cannot be transported back to England, Helena will go with Ramsay to the other side of the world, as he says, where Helena will capture their likeness on paper. She will escape the clutches of her nephew and also help a wonderful cause. Helena has no choice but to accept and with that Ramsay will continue to seduce her and speed along her downfall.
Ramsay has some very shady plans for Helena that includes making her his lover on their long journey. He wants her to be overcome with pleasure in the sex act before he proceeds with his punishment. Ramsay has lusted after Helena for years, but his feelings for her are at odds with his final goal, his revenge. Even though he will stick with his plans till the bitter end, he will make sure Helena experiences the heights of passion with him. He wants her to let go, to fall apart in his arms before he rips apart her heart and soul. His plan is to make her fall in love with him and to crave his body. And when she does, his revenge will be complete.
Charlotte Mede has written a dark and at times depressing romance with The Midnight Man. I have to admit this was quite the uncomfortable read because of the tension, fear and lack of trust Helena has for Ramsay, which is understandable if I were in her shoes. Her father treated her like cattle and sold her to the highest bidder, which happened to be her husband. Charlotte doesn’t go into great detail about Helena’s marriage, but from what is told, you can assume her husband was a sexual abusive man who enjoyed hurting his wife both in the physical and spiritual sense. Even though Helena has had lovers, she has never found joy in sex; that is until Ramsay comes along.
Ramsay is a bit of a mystery, never really fully explained. The reader is given some insight on why he is so hell bent on destroying Helena, which includes his callous treatment and attitude towards Helena. I felt this was a bit too much in some ways. Even though their relationship is an uncomfortable and I should say unstable one, The Midnight Man has a nice gothic feel to it. There may be no dark castles or things that go bump in the night to scare the heroine, but there are demons, deep in a person’s soul. The physical demon is Sissinghurst who hides behind his own religion for the things he does. What he has planned for Helena is even worst than what Ramsay has in store for Helena.
Poor Helena cannot get a break, but she is not that typical heroine who will be walked all over. She does try to stand up to Ramsay. Ramsay in turn tries to seduce her every chance he gets, he wants her to understand what a woman’s pleasure is, even though his methods are questionable throughout the whole story. Is there a HEA in their future? Well, this is a romance after all…
The Midnight Man is not a book for everyone and some may question Ramsay’s motives as being very un-hero like. I have to give Charlotte credit for writing a psychological historical thriller that taps deep into the darkness of men’s souls. Helena and Ramsay may not be your ideal couple but I was fascinated by the story Charlotte has penned. Dark and brooding are the best words to describe The Midnight Man and I wouldn’t mind seeing what other future books Charlotte Mede has in store.
August 5, 2010
The Midnight Man was a very difficult book to get into. I had to force myself to finish it, which I usually don't do. The heroine was very unlikeable and proved wanton and foolish too many times to be credible. The hero wasn't fleshed out nearly enough, and I got tired of reading about his broad shoulders.
The story skips around from head to head and got me a tad confused at times. I know this was supposed to be an historical romance, but the excessive use of ten dollar words really broke the flow and rhythm, and then other times the speech patterns fit more modern day colloquialisms. The cheesy use of cliches also made me roll my eyes several times.
After plodding through this, the story itself turned out to be interesting, but it was too chopped up and poorly written to make it believeable enough to sweep you along.
The villians were truly villainous, and that was one point of the story I thought was done well. They dripped evil while outwardly appearing wholesome.
Ultimately, though, the only reason I would recommend this book is for a course on how NOT to write a novel.
The story skips around from head to head and got me a tad confused at times. I know this was supposed to be an historical romance, but the excessive use of ten dollar words really broke the flow and rhythm, and then other times the speech patterns fit more modern day colloquialisms. The cheesy use of cliches also made me roll my eyes several times.
After plodding through this, the story itself turned out to be interesting, but it was too chopped up and poorly written to make it believeable enough to sweep you along.
The villians were truly villainous, and that was one point of the story I thought was done well. They dripped evil while outwardly appearing wholesome.
Ultimately, though, the only reason I would recommend this book is for a course on how NOT to write a novel.
October 20, 2008
Fast-paced Victorian novel with a heroine in danger, some of which she brings onto herself, and the hero who constantly saves her for his own ends. The so-called "hero", who plans to punish an innocent party for crimes committed against him, doesn't strike me as very heroic.
May 24, 2009
kind of a frustrating book and the ending is real quick.
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January 18, 2010This was one of the best bokks I've read so far. So good i'm rereading it.
August 28, 2017
I didn't care for this book. It was very confusing from the beginning.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews