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Fly Me to the Moon #4
A Midnight Feast
Houston, Texas, 1965
Margie Dunsford relishes her role as the leader of the astronaut wives. With her children away and her guests canceling, she faces a terrifying prospect: an entire Thanksgiving weekend alone with her husband.
Mitch knows the fire has gone out in his marriage, but he fears if he attempts to reignite it, Margie will freeze him out forever. Now he’s determined to use the distraction-free weekend to win her back.
Twenty years of resentments can’t be erased in a few fevered days, and Margie and Mitch will have to learn how to speak with their hearts instead of their hurts if they are going to save their marriage.
Margie Dunsford relishes her role as the leader of the astronaut wives. With her children away and her guests canceling, she faces a terrifying prospect: an entire Thanksgiving weekend alone with her husband.
Mitch knows the fire has gone out in his marriage, but he fears if he attempts to reignite it, Margie will freeze him out forever. Now he’s determined to use the distraction-free weekend to win her back.
Twenty years of resentments can’t be erased in a few fevered days, and Margie and Mitch will have to learn how to speak with their hearts instead of their hurts if they are going to save their marriage.
First published October 30, 2017
About the author
Emma Barry
26 books131 followersEmma Barry is a teacher, novelist, recovering academic, and former political staffer. She lives with her high school sweetheart and a menagerie of pets and children in Virginia, and she occasionally finds time to read and write.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
September 7, 2022
I finally broke A Midnight Feast out of my emergency file and hello perfect, angsty novella.
The authors truly explore this marriage in trouble with exquisitely shattering interior thoughts between perfect on the outside wife Margie, mother of six, head of the astronaut wives club and her husband Mitch. The plot device of the absolute terror of being alone with one's longtime partner/husband with all the children out of the house and none of the guests coming over to buffer the distance and coldness that has grown between you, whew. I felt this in my bones and soul.
Also captured so well is how the miscommunication trope is so actually true and so absolutely devastating, especially as we the readers are privy to Mitch's innermost thoughts and desires, the ones he has no idea how to express to his wife, the woman he still very much loves. He NOTICES her, the patriarchy and society and his career have just made it almost impossible for him to be open with her, to be honest. He takes all of his cues from her, and Margie has slowly closed her heart, and her bed (gosh hearing how he still tried to touch her, and then the two twin beds showed up, devastating). I'm going to use devastating a lot in this review.
And Margie, who knows how terrible marriages can go, is so grateful her marriage is solid, if without passion and honesty. She has no evidence of but believes Mitch must be having affairs; so many of the men do. She's just Margie. Just the quiet one propping up Mitch's entire career, his children, his lifestyle, his home. Keeping the heart warm on the home front. Never letting herself be fragile, scared, or emotional except in her one sanctuary, her bedroom.
All of these tensions leading up to Thanksgiving and after, juxtaposed with Margie & Mitch falling in love in the 50s is exquisitely wrought and achingly beautiful in both the historic and emotional details.
I could go on forever, but if you read one historical novella ever, this is the one.
CW: perceived infidelity (none has happened), cold marriage
The authors truly explore this marriage in trouble with exquisitely shattering interior thoughts between perfect on the outside wife Margie, mother of six, head of the astronaut wives club and her husband Mitch. The plot device of the absolute terror of being alone with one's longtime partner/husband with all the children out of the house and none of the guests coming over to buffer the distance and coldness that has grown between you, whew. I felt this in my bones and soul.
Also captured so well is how the miscommunication trope is so actually true and so absolutely devastating, especially as we the readers are privy to Mitch's innermost thoughts and desires, the ones he has no idea how to express to his wife, the woman he still very much loves. He NOTICES her, the patriarchy and society and his career have just made it almost impossible for him to be open with her, to be honest. He takes all of his cues from her, and Margie has slowly closed her heart, and her bed (gosh hearing how he still tried to touch her, and then the two twin beds showed up, devastating). I'm going to use devastating a lot in this review.
And Margie, who knows how terrible marriages can go, is so grateful her marriage is solid, if without passion and honesty. She has no evidence of but believes Mitch must be having affairs; so many of the men do. She's just Margie. Just the quiet one propping up Mitch's entire career, his children, his lifestyle, his home. Keeping the heart warm on the home front. Never letting herself be fragile, scared, or emotional except in her one sanctuary, her bedroom.
All of these tensions leading up to Thanksgiving and after, juxtaposed with Margie & Mitch falling in love in the 50s is exquisitely wrought and achingly beautiful in both the historic and emotional details.
I could go on forever, but if you read one historical novella ever, this is the one.
CW: perceived infidelity (none has happened), cold marriage
October 15, 2019
This is a marriage in trouble story about Margie and Mitch who have been married for 20 years and have 6 kids. Mitch is a military man turned astronaut and Margie is the perfect wife. But underneath they are distant and cold. They don't talk anymore, it's been years since they had sex. They even sleep in separate twin beds!
The book does a lot of jumping around on the timeline. We read about when they first met and fell in love, and various other important events during their marriage. The authors do a great job of showing us how their marriage slowly devolves into polite distance. They also do a good job of showing how both were responsible for their problems. Margie puts all her effort into being the perfect supportive wife and mother, making her husband's career her top priority. She doesn't talk to Mitch and tell him her problems and shuts him out. And Mitch is so involved in his military, then astronaut life, that he's hardly ever home and they become like strangers. He only shows up to be "fun dad" for a few weeks and then leaves again, leaving Margie behind to put everything back together again.
The first 2/3 of the book is shown in flashback with the breakdown of the relationship, and the last 1/3 is when they finally, finally talk about their honest feelings and begin to work toward fixing things. There was no big grovel, and I didn't expect it since they are both equally responsible in my eyes. But they do have a good and honest conversation with I love yous. They both decide to work hard on fixing things and regaining trust.
I liked this book, but I guess I was expecting more romance. Most of the book was filled with the H/h growing apart and acting like idiots. I wanted more of the reconciliation and the love. This book takes place in the 1950's and 1960's and it was painfully obvious how little emotional and mental support there was for servicemen and their wives. And I'm sure they wouldn't have bothered to go to counseling even if it were available. I'm so glad that attitudes have changed regarding mental health and marriage counseling. These characters would have benefited so much from that.
Safety
The book does a lot of jumping around on the timeline. We read about when they first met and fell in love, and various other important events during their marriage. The authors do a great job of showing us how their marriage slowly devolves into polite distance. They also do a good job of showing how both were responsible for their problems. Margie puts all her effort into being the perfect supportive wife and mother, making her husband's career her top priority. She doesn't talk to Mitch and tell him her problems and shuts him out. And Mitch is so involved in his military, then astronaut life, that he's hardly ever home and they become like strangers. He only shows up to be "fun dad" for a few weeks and then leaves again, leaving Margie behind to put everything back together again.
The first 2/3 of the book is shown in flashback with the breakdown of the relationship, and the last 1/3 is when they finally, finally talk about their honest feelings and begin to work toward fixing things. There was no big grovel, and I didn't expect it since they are both equally responsible in my eyes. But they do have a good and honest conversation with I love yous. They both decide to work hard on fixing things and regaining trust.
I liked this book, but I guess I was expecting more romance. Most of the book was filled with the H/h growing apart and acting like idiots. I wanted more of the reconciliation and the love. This book takes place in the 1950's and 1960's and it was painfully obvious how little emotional and mental support there was for servicemen and their wives. And I'm sure they wouldn't have bothered to go to counseling even if it were available. I'm so glad that attitudes have changed regarding mental health and marriage counseling. These characters would have benefited so much from that.
Safety
November 1, 2017
(reviewed from an ARC provided by the authors.)
3 1/2 stars. I remember the first novella in this historical series, A Midnight Clear, as pure sweetness and optimism. Although this one starts with Thanksgiving, 1965, and ends with a happy epilogue on Valentine's day, it's a more sobering holiday read.
We've seen Margie and Mitch in previous books in the series: Margie is leader of the astronaut's wives, a bossy perfectionist, and Mitch is egotistical and has a "wandering eye." But their inner lives tell a more sympathetic story. Margie's talents for organization have become her whole life, after having to wrangle six children while her husband is frequently deployed, and then comes home to be the "fun parent" who disrupts the routine. And her fears for his life, first as a fighter pilot and then as an astronaut, have caused her to emotional and physically distance herself from him. Mitch is lonely and doesn't know how everything went wrong. (He is never actually unfaithful, though does cut it fine at one point.)
When Margie's carefully orchestrated Thanksgiving dinner winds up with no guests, they're left alone together, just what she doesn't want. But Mitch sees it as a chance to recapture the zest and passion of their first years together, if he can only figure out the right way to do it.
The story is poignantly and sensitively told, with flashbacks showing how Margie and Mitch got to this impasse, and a believable amount of effort following their commitment to try again. I particularly liked Margie's emotional arc, which brings her more fullfilment in life without requiring her to change who she basically is.
3 1/2 stars. I remember the first novella in this historical series, A Midnight Clear, as pure sweetness and optimism. Although this one starts with Thanksgiving, 1965, and ends with a happy epilogue on Valentine's day, it's a more sobering holiday read.
We've seen Margie and Mitch in previous books in the series: Margie is leader of the astronaut's wives, a bossy perfectionist, and Mitch is egotistical and has a "wandering eye." But their inner lives tell a more sympathetic story. Margie's talents for organization have become her whole life, after having to wrangle six children while her husband is frequently deployed, and then comes home to be the "fun parent" who disrupts the routine. And her fears for his life, first as a fighter pilot and then as an astronaut, have caused her to emotional and physically distance herself from him. Mitch is lonely and doesn't know how everything went wrong. (He is never actually unfaithful, though does cut it fine at one point.)
When Margie's carefully orchestrated Thanksgiving dinner winds up with no guests, they're left alone together, just what she doesn't want. But Mitch sees it as a chance to recapture the zest and passion of their first years together, if he can only figure out the right way to do it.
The story is poignantly and sensitively told, with flashbacks showing how Margie and Mitch got to this impasse, and a believable amount of effort following their commitment to try again. I particularly liked Margie's emotional arc, which brings her more fullfilment in life without requiring her to change who she basically is.
January 4, 2021
Over the last year, my reading...or lack thereof, I should say, was frankly appalling. I have missed reading. And reviewing. And Goodreads. I know why I didn't read much: I had a baby during a pandemic and was more prone than usual to doomscrolling Twitter due to said pandemic and a presidential election like no other. But the truth is, you can always find an excuse. So I'm leaving the doomscrolling where it belongs - in 2020.
I'm a big fan of Emma Barry and Genevieve Turner's Fly Me to the Moon series, a charming and smart chronicle of the lives and loves of the pioneers of America's space program. A Midnight Feast is no less absorbing, following the highs and lows of Margie and Mitch's 20-year-marriage. I love a good couple-on-the-rocks story, although I realize that is a tough sell for some. I wanted to smack Mitch even as I felt badly for him, and I couldn't fathom how Margie held it all together. But observing how they came together, fell apart, and put themselves together again? Painful, uplifting, bittersweet, heartwarming. Very much like life.
I'm a big fan of Emma Barry and Genevieve Turner's Fly Me to the Moon series, a charming and smart chronicle of the lives and loves of the pioneers of America's space program. A Midnight Feast is no less absorbing, following the highs and lows of Margie and Mitch's 20-year-marriage. I love a good couple-on-the-rocks story, although I realize that is a tough sell for some. I wanted to smack Mitch even as I felt badly for him, and I couldn't fathom how Margie held it all together. But observing how they came together, fell apart, and put themselves together again? Painful, uplifting, bittersweet, heartwarming. Very much like life.
August 24, 2020
I’m surprised at how much this surprised me: something about what a good guy Mitch was, contrasted with the way people saw him, versus the way Margie saw him - all those differences made this such an unexpected read. The tiny details that drew them apart worked, too, but nothing so much as the public personas of Mitch and Margie. It’s good stuff.
I didn’t get such a good sense of the family, or of the workplace camaraderie, and I’ve been big on reads and rereads that have a really strong sense of one or the other lately (that Florand perfume series - whatever happened with the final book?!), so maybe that’s one reason this didn’t entirely work for me. Or maybe it’s the brevity of it all.
That said, this is the first new-to-me book I’ve been able to read in a while, so points for that.
I didn’t get such a good sense of the family, or of the workplace camaraderie, and I’ve been big on reads and rereads that have a really strong sense of one or the other lately (that Florand perfume series - whatever happened with the final book?!), so maybe that’s one reason this didn’t entirely work for me. Or maybe it’s the brevity of it all.
That said, this is the first new-to-me book I’ve been able to read in a while, so points for that.
November 1, 2017
Midnight Feast is a lovely second chance romance novella for a couple who've been together for years but have lost the spark that made them fall in love in the first place.
Margie and Mitch Dunsford had a whirlwind romance, but the glitter wore off soon enough with the birth of six children, and Mitch's demanding career as a pilot and a key member of the early American space program. Margie did everything she could to support Mitch's career, and became a leader among the astronauts' wives. Now they are virtual strangers, and when a planned Thanksgiving party with a bunch of their friends turns into dinner for two, they have to face facts - if they don't do something to fix what's wrong between them, their marriage won't survive. Will they have the courage to face their fears, take responsibility for their own actions, and try to recapture what brought them together in the first place?
It's no secret that I love this modern historical series with its wholly believable look back at the 1950s and 1960s race to space. Clearly well researched, every book looks at a different aspect of the complicated space program. This one gives equal time to the ones left behind - the families of the astronauts who have to deal with the ever present reality that their spouses, brothers, fathers are involved in a dangerous and life threatening career. It doesn't sugarcoat the losses, or the stress of waiting to hear good or bad news. For Margie, the initial glow of love faded with the day to day drudgery of being a single mom while Mitch was away more days than he was at home. It made her into the bad cop to his good cop, with him being the celebrated and loved father when he'd return home to the kids while she had to deal with real life at home. And the rumors of infidelity at parties away from home haven't helped.
The story weaves between the early days of their courtship and marriage in the mid 1940s during World War II and the present day, showing just where they lost their way. Sex was never their problem at the start, and being alone for the first time in years gives them the excuse to forget the problems between them and indulge in what makes them both feel good. It doesn't fix things but it opens the door to communication and that's the first step to fixing their relationship. The loss of one of Mitch's co-workers in a fiery accident several years earlier had a profound effect on them both that they've never talked about before, and with the doors open they can finally get everything out in the open. The resulting story is sometimes bittersweet, but ultimately hopeful and with a believable happy ending.
This review also appears at: https://straightshootinbookreviews.co...
Note: a copy of this story was provided by the authors for review.
Margie and Mitch Dunsford had a whirlwind romance, but the glitter wore off soon enough with the birth of six children, and Mitch's demanding career as a pilot and a key member of the early American space program. Margie did everything she could to support Mitch's career, and became a leader among the astronauts' wives. Now they are virtual strangers, and when a planned Thanksgiving party with a bunch of their friends turns into dinner for two, they have to face facts - if they don't do something to fix what's wrong between them, their marriage won't survive. Will they have the courage to face their fears, take responsibility for their own actions, and try to recapture what brought them together in the first place?
It's no secret that I love this modern historical series with its wholly believable look back at the 1950s and 1960s race to space. Clearly well researched, every book looks at a different aspect of the complicated space program. This one gives equal time to the ones left behind - the families of the astronauts who have to deal with the ever present reality that their spouses, brothers, fathers are involved in a dangerous and life threatening career. It doesn't sugarcoat the losses, or the stress of waiting to hear good or bad news. For Margie, the initial glow of love faded with the day to day drudgery of being a single mom while Mitch was away more days than he was at home. It made her into the bad cop to his good cop, with him being the celebrated and loved father when he'd return home to the kids while she had to deal with real life at home. And the rumors of infidelity at parties away from home haven't helped.
The story weaves between the early days of their courtship and marriage in the mid 1940s during World War II and the present day, showing just where they lost their way. Sex was never their problem at the start, and being alone for the first time in years gives them the excuse to forget the problems between them and indulge in what makes them both feel good. It doesn't fix things but it opens the door to communication and that's the first step to fixing their relationship. The loss of one of Mitch's co-workers in a fiery accident several years earlier had a profound effect on them both that they've never talked about before, and with the doors open they can finally get everything out in the open. The resulting story is sometimes bittersweet, but ultimately hopeful and with a believable happy ending.
This review also appears at: https://straightshootinbookreviews.co...
Note: a copy of this story was provided by the authors for review.
November 3, 2017
I loved this. This is my favorite of the holiday novellas that go with this series. Let's just say I identify with Margie a lot. (Not at all with her feelings toward her husband but with her personality and how she runs things.) And I was really surprised by how much sympathy I had for Mitch. I knew they would end up redeeming him but I wasn't expecting to like him so much from the very start. I just really love how this gets at how hard marriage is and how much both people need to work at it.-particularly when you marry young. The story's central problem is lack of communication and the fear that can result as you start making assumptions and filling in the gaps the silence is leaving behind. The way that resolved was incredibly well done.
October 24, 2017
A Midnight Feast by Genevieve Turner and Emma Barry
Fly Me to the Moon #6.5
Love…LOVE…L*O*V*E this series! This may be historical romance but it is my history or at least times I remember so very well. Each book brings back memories and each book has issues to explore and truths to share.
In this holiday novella we learn more about Margie and Mitch Dunsford. The two met in 1945, had a whirlwind romance, married and began the grind and glory of being in the US Air Force. Over the years Margie does her part to make Mitch a success while working her way to the top of the wives group. In 1965, after twenty years of marriage, their relationship seems to have lost its luster even though both seem to have reached the pinnacle of Air Force life with Mitch an astronaut and Margie featured in magazines with other astronaut wives and families. With a long Thanksgiving weekend on their own they have the opportunity to explore why and where things may have gone wrong and determine whether or not it is worth trying to make their relationship better. With flashbacks to the past the reader is given insights into why the two are not so close and why they may or may not want to be close again.
There are truths that hit close to home for me in this book. I have been married nearly twice as long as Margie and Mitch and sometimes have wondered in ways these two do in the book. Making a marriage work is not always easy and often not what one expects when embarking on the journey on one’s wedding day…and just having it “work” may not be enough…
Anyway…I loved the story and look forward to reading more in this series as soon as it is finished. I also plan to revisit some of the books already out because this book has made me want to remember again how much I enjoyed reading the previous books the first time around.
Thank you to the authors for the ARC – This is my honest review.
5 Stars
Fly Me to the Moon #6.5
Love…LOVE…L*O*V*E this series! This may be historical romance but it is my history or at least times I remember so very well. Each book brings back memories and each book has issues to explore and truths to share.
In this holiday novella we learn more about Margie and Mitch Dunsford. The two met in 1945, had a whirlwind romance, married and began the grind and glory of being in the US Air Force. Over the years Margie does her part to make Mitch a success while working her way to the top of the wives group. In 1965, after twenty years of marriage, their relationship seems to have lost its luster even though both seem to have reached the pinnacle of Air Force life with Mitch an astronaut and Margie featured in magazines with other astronaut wives and families. With a long Thanksgiving weekend on their own they have the opportunity to explore why and where things may have gone wrong and determine whether or not it is worth trying to make their relationship better. With flashbacks to the past the reader is given insights into why the two are not so close and why they may or may not want to be close again.
There are truths that hit close to home for me in this book. I have been married nearly twice as long as Margie and Mitch and sometimes have wondered in ways these two do in the book. Making a marriage work is not always easy and often not what one expects when embarking on the journey on one’s wedding day…and just having it “work” may not be enough…
Anyway…I loved the story and look forward to reading more in this series as soon as it is finished. I also plan to revisit some of the books already out because this book has made me want to remember again how much I enjoyed reading the previous books the first time around.
Thank you to the authors for the ARC – This is my honest review.
5 Stars
July 15, 2020
I liked this more than I expected to, given that I'm not a big second chance romance person, especially when the couple has drifted apart because the wife is perfect and the husband is distracted. But it did win me over in the end, because Mitch really does put the effort in and make a real change, and he never tries to pass blame onto Margie. I also like the constant reminder that literally everyone admires Margie's intelligence and skills; she's not dismissed as a housewife at all but admired for it, which is a nice change from the usual attitude.
November 11, 2017
I liked this so much. It's painful in all the ways the best marriage in trouble romances are, and I really liked the resolution and the work that Margie and Mitch put into fixing things.
This series is so good for me.
This series is so good for me.
November 26, 2017
I wish this had been longer so that I could really have gotten into it, but it was still an excellent read.
June 24, 2022
My favorite trope! And I think it was quite successful. It is a novella, but because I'd read one other book in the series, I already had a sense for the (frankly wonderful) setting. I think this charts what can go wrong in a marriage in an efficient and believable way. The authors also worked hard within the confines of a pretty short book to give us an earned and believable reconciliation. I really felt their 'new' marriage would stick. Other things I loved: These two were not perfect people. They were ambitious, vain, hard on each other, and sometimes unlikable. But they also felt real and lovable.
So far this series is just peachy! I'm glad to have found it.
So far this series is just peachy! I'm glad to have found it.
December 9, 2020
I love a good marriage in trouble/second chance romance trope and this book did NOT disappoint. I loved Mitch and Margie, their cold, distant marriage and the flashbacks to how they used to be and how they found their way back to each other was both poignant and heartbreaking and bittersweet. Not to worry, it was a beautiful, hopeful, uplifting HEA and I loved the realism of it, of knowing that you couldn't fix a marriage overnight, that it took time and trust earned over that time to fix it and make it even stronger.
May 25, 2022
A lovely and thoughtful story that tracks all the ups and downs of Margie and Mitch's love story and chronicles how they start to rebuild their marriage over the course of one Thanksgiving weekend. Similarly to the other holiday-ish novellas in this series, the characters get a lot of development in a short number of pages but it never feels overstuffed and the pacing is spot-on.
January 10, 2018
Wow this series! Earth Bound is one of my all time favourite romances and the novellas so far (A Midnight Kiss and A Midnight Clear) have been super sweet and swoony. This novella is very different - dark and angsty and bitter but oh so lovely!
Read
November 14, 2017review to be posted soon
November 6, 2017
PSA: $ .99 on Kindle right now.
Nice review here: http://dearauthor.com/book-reviews/ov...
I enjoy this series. Intriguing setting (1950's/Space Race/Astronauts), and it's nice to see a more realistic/not-quite-so-rosy viewpoint of this era.
Nice review here: http://dearauthor.com/book-reviews/ov...
I enjoy this series. Intriguing setting (1950's/Space Race/Astronauts), and it's nice to see a more realistic/not-quite-so-rosy viewpoint of this era.
November 26, 2022
This was such an accomplished romance from a structural/technical standpoint, as well as a really fascinating historical look at "women's work" as both labor and performance. Which is, already, a lot to juggle, especially while trying to construct a story that's also emotionally moving. And while it didn't always hit every note perfectly for me, on the whole this novella succeeded really well at its many tasks. I'd recommend this to anyone who wants a little bit of holiday melancholy, a fantastically-developed sense of time and place, and an unsparing approach to the marriage-in-trouble trope.
We start right in the middle of the trouble in this marriage, with Margie - an astronaut's wife and nationally-famous "happy homemaker"- preparing a Thanksgiving feast. It's obvious from the start that her incredibly-involved holiday prep is both something at which she excels, and a means of avoiding any serious conversation with her husband Mitch. The story alternates between present-day scenes of Mitch and Margie's seemingly irreparably-chilled marriage, and a series of flashbacks about how they drifted so far apart. The narrative presents a devastatingly small-scale and realistic explanation for what happened to them: there are no big fights or horrible secrets or crushing infidelities here. Just a couple of very young people who fell in lust (with the background of Mitch's impending deployment during WWII), and then never really had time to fall in love outside of the spotlight - and life-or-death pressures - that Mitch's job placed on both of them. And ultimately, the book shows that what it takes to put their marriage back together isn't any sort of grand gesture or bare-all conversation, but an equally long series of tiny decisions to support each other and communicate better. Especially in such a short number of pages, the way this novella commits to the idea of slow erosion and careful reconstruction as parts of a long-term relationship is really impressive.
This book also definitely gave me plenty of food for thought on one of my favorite topics- how jobs play into characterization and conflict in romance. Because on the one hand, a job can be such a great way to develop a character's personality, their wants and their goals, outside of their romantic relationship. But on the other... it can also play into into the whole "your value is your productivity/glorification of overwork" culture we're all mired in? And I thought A Midnight Feast offered such an unusual take on this question. Because it's clear how Mitch's employment has put a lot of pressure on their marriage: he has an incredibly high-powered and dangerous job as an astronaut, he's only home a few months out of the year, and his devotion to his work seems to have taken precedence over building a solid foundation with Margie. But slowly, the novella flips things around to show us that the main "job" in this book is actually Margie's. She's the one who has to keep their home running, raise six children, manage all the other astronaut wives, and do it skillfully enough that it makes a nice cover for Life magazine. And the fact that she both has to run this entire enterprise all on her own, and then shift it around on a dime to fit Mitch into it at the rare times he's home (a fact which he utterly fails to recognize) is what has truly driven the wedge into their marriage.
And, WHEW, there's so much going on with that! I thought this book was fascinating in the way that it treated domestic work as meaningful labor, and explored just how destructive to happiness treating your life as a product can become. And I appreciated that, in the end, the "solution" wasn't to have Margie step out of public life. She clearly takes an immense amount of pride in her work and her domestic competence, and I loved seeing that rewarded, both by her getting a job as a magazine columnist, and Mitch finally realizing how he needs to contribute to the labor she's been doing alone for a decade. And I especially loved the little stolen moments they have at the end outside of their life-as-consumable-product.
Of course, I wouldn't go so far as to say this book is radical: it's definitely not interested in whether there are options for organizing your life outside of the nuclear family, heterosexual marriage, or conventional gender roles. But I do think it shows that accepting all of those things unquestioningly - ascribing them value in and of themselves - can be constraining to happiness. And particularly in the context of 1960s America, watching Mitch step down from the highest-profile aspects of his job so that he can work to support what Margie is creating (both a family and a family-as-product) is really fascinating.
If I had one major complaint, it would be the same as I've had with the other two books I read in this Fly Me To The Moon series: they're just a bit more brain-books than heart-books. Which is to say, I have an endless appreciation for their smarts about structure and characterization and genre, but... they never quite reach out and fully grab me? Sometimes I think they're almost too tidy, and my heart needs a little bit of mess.
Anyway, I still really loved this. For the texture and consideration it gives Margie's life, especially, and the unflinching look at the little ways the pressures of the world can break down a marriage, and what it takes to put it back together again.
We start right in the middle of the trouble in this marriage, with Margie - an astronaut's wife and nationally-famous "happy homemaker"- preparing a Thanksgiving feast. It's obvious from the start that her incredibly-involved holiday prep is both something at which she excels, and a means of avoiding any serious conversation with her husband Mitch. The story alternates between present-day scenes of Mitch and Margie's seemingly irreparably-chilled marriage, and a series of flashbacks about how they drifted so far apart. The narrative presents a devastatingly small-scale and realistic explanation for what happened to them: there are no big fights or horrible secrets or crushing infidelities here. Just a couple of very young people who fell in lust (with the background of Mitch's impending deployment during WWII), and then never really had time to fall in love outside of the spotlight - and life-or-death pressures - that Mitch's job placed on both of them. And ultimately, the book shows that what it takes to put their marriage back together isn't any sort of grand gesture or bare-all conversation, but an equally long series of tiny decisions to support each other and communicate better. Especially in such a short number of pages, the way this novella commits to the idea of slow erosion and careful reconstruction as parts of a long-term relationship is really impressive.
This book also definitely gave me plenty of food for thought on one of my favorite topics- how jobs play into characterization and conflict in romance. Because on the one hand, a job can be such a great way to develop a character's personality, their wants and their goals, outside of their romantic relationship. But on the other... it can also play into into the whole "your value is your productivity/glorification of overwork" culture we're all mired in? And I thought A Midnight Feast offered such an unusual take on this question. Because it's clear how Mitch's employment has put a lot of pressure on their marriage: he has an incredibly high-powered and dangerous job as an astronaut, he's only home a few months out of the year, and his devotion to his work seems to have taken precedence over building a solid foundation with Margie. But slowly, the novella flips things around to show us that the main "job" in this book is actually Margie's. She's the one who has to keep their home running, raise six children, manage all the other astronaut wives, and do it skillfully enough that it makes a nice cover for Life magazine. And the fact that she both has to run this entire enterprise all on her own, and then shift it around on a dime to fit Mitch into it at the rare times he's home (a fact which he utterly fails to recognize) is what has truly driven the wedge into their marriage.
And, WHEW, there's so much going on with that! I thought this book was fascinating in the way that it treated domestic work as meaningful labor, and explored just how destructive to happiness treating your life as a product can become. And I appreciated that, in the end, the "solution" wasn't to have Margie step out of public life. She clearly takes an immense amount of pride in her work and her domestic competence, and I loved seeing that rewarded, both by her getting a job as a magazine columnist, and Mitch finally realizing how he needs to contribute to the labor she's been doing alone for a decade. And I especially loved the little stolen moments they have at the end outside of their life-as-consumable-product.
Of course, I wouldn't go so far as to say this book is radical: it's definitely not interested in whether there are options for organizing your life outside of the nuclear family, heterosexual marriage, or conventional gender roles. But I do think it shows that accepting all of those things unquestioningly - ascribing them value in and of themselves - can be constraining to happiness. And particularly in the context of 1960s America, watching Mitch step down from the highest-profile aspects of his job so that he can work to support what Margie is creating (both a family and a family-as-product) is really fascinating.
If I had one major complaint, it would be the same as I've had with the other two books I read in this Fly Me To The Moon series: they're just a bit more brain-books than heart-books. Which is to say, I have an endless appreciation for their smarts about structure and characterization and genre, but... they never quite reach out and fully grab me? Sometimes I think they're almost too tidy, and my heart needs a little bit of mess.
Anyway, I still really loved this. For the texture and consideration it gives Margie's life, especially, and the unflinching look at the little ways the pressures of the world can break down a marriage, and what it takes to put it back together again.
November 9, 2017
4.5 stars
Originally posted at For What It's Worth on 11/6/17: http://www.fwiwreviews.net/2017/11/mo...
Source: e-arc provided in exchange for an honest review
Hoo-boy! This book was intense. Margie and Mitch’s 20 year marriage is in trouble. They barely speak to each other unless it’s to impress company or the press when they pose as the perfect NASA couple. Unfortunately, this Thanksgiving, all their guests canceled and they are left alone to confront all the things that lead them to this moment.
Midnight Feast was such an unflinching look at what happens when time, kids, slights, and other priorities stack up over the years and chip away at the marriage until you’re left with nothing but resentments and a wall around your heart.
Margie is the perfect leader for the astronaut’s wives. She relishes the task and control but she’s often put her life on hold for Mitch’s career – first as a pilot, during WW II, and then as an astronaut. She’s raised 6 kids mostly on her own, only to have Mitch roll in a few months per year and be the *fun* parent and she’s hesitant to give up any of her control over the house.
Mitch feels like a stranger in his own home. He and Margie used to make the perfect team but more often than not she cuts him out of the life they built and he feels like they wouldn’t even notice if he never came back and they could easily move on if her was killed in action.
It’s easy to place blame on either of them at any given time, because they are both ambitious and hard headed, but if you’ve ever been in a long term relationship, you know this happens. It’s easy to fall in love – it’s harder to stay in love and do the work.
Margie and Mitch slowly break down their walls, and do the work. They story takes place over several months so it’s not a quick fix and I appreciated that.
While there’s a lot of anger and heartache, obviously, I found it it to be super romantic It’s when you see the flaws and make the choice to forgive and do what it takes to be together anyway that's super swoony to me.
I’ve been married for 30 years now. Kevin was in the Navy and out to sea for at least 1/2 a year in our early years, and so much of Margie’s loneliness and shuttering her heart out of fear spoke to me.
This is probably the darkest of the books in the series but it does have a happy ending and can be read as a stand alone, although I HIGHLY recommend this series.
Also, if you’re wondering about Mitch and if he cheated over the years – as hinted at in the series – you can click for spoilers
Originally posted at For What It's Worth on 11/6/17: http://www.fwiwreviews.net/2017/11/mo...
Source: e-arc provided in exchange for an honest review
Hoo-boy! This book was intense. Margie and Mitch’s 20 year marriage is in trouble. They barely speak to each other unless it’s to impress company or the press when they pose as the perfect NASA couple. Unfortunately, this Thanksgiving, all their guests canceled and they are left alone to confront all the things that lead them to this moment.
Midnight Feast was such an unflinching look at what happens when time, kids, slights, and other priorities stack up over the years and chip away at the marriage until you’re left with nothing but resentments and a wall around your heart.
Margie is the perfect leader for the astronaut’s wives. She relishes the task and control but she’s often put her life on hold for Mitch’s career – first as a pilot, during WW II, and then as an astronaut. She’s raised 6 kids mostly on her own, only to have Mitch roll in a few months per year and be the *fun* parent and she’s hesitant to give up any of her control over the house.
Mitch feels like a stranger in his own home. He and Margie used to make the perfect team but more often than not she cuts him out of the life they built and he feels like they wouldn’t even notice if he never came back and they could easily move on if her was killed in action.
It’s easy to place blame on either of them at any given time, because they are both ambitious and hard headed, but if you’ve ever been in a long term relationship, you know this happens. It’s easy to fall in love – it’s harder to stay in love and do the work.
Margie and Mitch slowly break down their walls, and do the work. They story takes place over several months so it’s not a quick fix and I appreciated that.
While there’s a lot of anger and heartache, obviously, I found it it to be super romantic It’s when you see the flaws and make the choice to forgive and do what it takes to be together anyway that's super swoony to me.
I’ve been married for 30 years now. Kevin was in the Navy and out to sea for at least 1/2 a year in our early years, and so much of Margie’s loneliness and shuttering her heart out of fear spoke to me.
This is probably the darkest of the books in the series but it does have a happy ending and can be read as a stand alone, although I HIGHLY recommend this series.
Also, if you’re wondering about Mitch and if he cheated over the years – as hinted at in the series – you can click for spoilers
July 29, 2019
For me it's Earth Bound and then A Midnight Feast. These two made me think and reconsider emotional entangledments and relationship dynamics on more than one account.
I was greatly interested in Margie and Mitch's story. This is the tale of a marriage through the ages, the disappointments, the love, the hope, the betrayals - lost and found trust in each other. Their relationship arc suited them, Margie falling in love with the army and Mitch bringing her with him was great. I loved their chemistry.
The only thing I am a bit itchy about is how the blame was focused on Mitch. They shared it, yes, but in the end, the picture was painted more so on the side of he needs to change than how Margie needs to accomodate him back again to their lives. At least for me, it seemed like his biggest fault was not fighting for her more, not trying to communicate till his last breath - which is a big one, don't get me wrong - but at the end of the day, he did everything he could in their bad years to make her happy in the separated existence she created to shelter herself from more hurt.
Yes, they both were responsible for their fallout, but neither of them tried to tell what was wrong. And Mich actually asked her to confide more than once. So I don't believe he was more to blame.
I was greatly interested in Margie and Mitch's story. This is the tale of a marriage through the ages, the disappointments, the love, the hope, the betrayals - lost and found trust in each other. Their relationship arc suited them, Margie falling in love with the army and Mitch bringing her with him was great. I loved their chemistry.
The only thing I am a bit itchy about is how the blame was focused on Mitch. They shared it, yes, but in the end, the picture was painted more so on the side of he needs to change than how Margie needs to accomodate him back again to their lives. At least for me, it seemed like his biggest fault was not fighting for her more, not trying to communicate till his last breath - which is a big one, don't get me wrong - but at the end of the day, he did everything he could in their bad years to make her happy in the separated existence she created to shelter herself from more hurt.
Yes, they both were responsible for their fallout, but neither of them tried to tell what was wrong. And Mich actually asked her to confide more than once. So I don't believe he was more to blame.
July 30, 2018
Moving story
This is certainly one of the best second chance romances I have read in ages. Although it could stand alone, having read the earlier books in the series primes you for Marjorie and Mitch, the perfect military wife and the screw-up astronaut husband. Watching them disassemble and reassemble their marriage is heart breaking and the fragility of their attempt to try again makes for a stunningly tense story. It is a remarkable portrait of how a marriage can fall apart and how difficult it is to put it back together. But it is also a testament to the power of love. I was cheering Mitch the whole way, and the suspense was palpable, it felt more than once that things had just gone too far. I spent most of the last half in tears, moved by the raw emotion of the story. I have enjoyed all of these space stories, but this one is a cut above. Excellent.
This is certainly one of the best second chance romances I have read in ages. Although it could stand alone, having read the earlier books in the series primes you for Marjorie and Mitch, the perfect military wife and the screw-up astronaut husband. Watching them disassemble and reassemble their marriage is heart breaking and the fragility of their attempt to try again makes for a stunningly tense story. It is a remarkable portrait of how a marriage can fall apart and how difficult it is to put it back together. But it is also a testament to the power of love. I was cheering Mitch the whole way, and the suspense was palpable, it felt more than once that things had just gone too far. I spent most of the last half in tears, moved by the raw emotion of the story. I have enjoyed all of these space stories, but this one is a cut above. Excellent.
August 10, 2018
Along with "Earth Bound," this may be my favorite Fly Me to the Moon yet. Not only is the historical setting fun and unique but this book is the love story of how Margie and Mitch Dunsford re-kindle their marriage. The book has flashbacks to their courtship and earlier times in their marriage and how they slowly get to the place where they're two strangers putting on a good show for the public. Barry and Turner did a great job with the complexities of Margie and Mitch, making neither one the goat or hero. I also like how Margie, supposedly the ultimate post-WWII housewife and mother, independently enjoyed what she did. There was no snark about how the uber-talented Margie was wasting herself. This was an emotional and satisfying read that was very different than many garden-variety romance novels.
February 28, 2019
This whole series is so brilliantly, insightfully, intelligently written. This book deals beautifully with the distance that can grow between a married couple years into their relationship, when life and children and careers can put distance between the couple, and when love itself is not enough. The silence and misunderstandings are such a looming shadow over their relationship. My heart ached for them, and it was nice to see another side of both of these characters who show up in the other books in the series, not always making a great impression.
I also love how the couples from the other books are presented in a different light, through the eyes of Mitch and Margie. In enjoy how the heroes and heroines in other stories are perceived differently by the hero and heroine in this story.
I also love how the couples from the other books are presented in a different light, through the eyes of Mitch and Margie. In enjoy how the heroes and heroines in other stories are perceived differently by the hero and heroine in this story.
January 21, 2023
I love the setting of this romance series (1960s Houston), and had heard great things about this book in particular. I knew that it featured a couple in a troubled marriage, but WOW was I not prepared for *how* troubled! I'm not sure if Barely Redeemed Bad Marriage counts as a trope--its closest cousin might be second-chance romance?--but I know it's one I don't plan to revisit. I think a lot of people might enjoy this book: the writing and aformentioned setting are fantastic, I just have a really low tolerance for angst on the page so was not the ideal reader. I fully intend to read other installments in this series, but have to admit I did not enjoy this one.
February 25, 2019
Second chances
Second chance romances are my kryptonite, but so few are done well. This one is perfect. We get to see inside this marriage of an astronaut and his wife in the 60s, and even though their lives are out of the ordinary, the problems inside their marriage are not. We feel for Marge and Mitch, identify with them and fall in love with them. The character development and pacing of this story couldn't be better. I rarely give 5 stars, and even more rarely write reviews. In this case, I had to. ❤
Second chance romances are my kryptonite, but so few are done well. This one is perfect. We get to see inside this marriage of an astronaut and his wife in the 60s, and even though their lives are out of the ordinary, the problems inside their marriage are not. We feel for Marge and Mitch, identify with them and fall in love with them. The character development and pacing of this story couldn't be better. I rarely give 5 stars, and even more rarely write reviews. In this case, I had to. ❤
November 1, 2017
Listen, romance friends, you need to get on the Fly Me To The Moon Series ASAP. Emma and Gen’s latest story is a novella about the woman who practically manages the other astronaut wives and her husband who is far from perfect, but also isn’t really sure where things went wrong between them. Everything about the plot is grounded in reality, but the emotions and swoony bits are out of this world. I cannot recommend this series enough.
August 4, 2018
Another great story
Mitch and Margie, married for 20 years and sharing 6 children, have lost site of their relationship between his deployments and her tendency to organize. But over the time between Thanksgiving and Valentine’s Day they rediscover why they came together in the first place. This is a wonderful addition to this series and I highly recommend it to all.
Mitch and Margie, married for 20 years and sharing 6 children, have lost site of their relationship between his deployments and her tendency to organize. But over the time between Thanksgiving and Valentine’s Day they rediscover why they came together in the first place. This is a wonderful addition to this series and I highly recommend it to all.
December 31, 2018
3.5 stars. This was probably my least favorite of the Fly Me to the Moon series. It was perfectly fine and I liked the look at Margie and Mitch, but it was also the most depressing. There was a marriage breaking down, death, and it just kind of dragged me down. Which isn't bad, but the other books in the series, even though they dealt with series subjects were a lot more fun.
November 29, 2019
I was already super obsessed with this series, but this book is definitely my favorite so far. As someone who has been married for 12 years, the way it shows the ups and downs of long-term relationships, and how sometimes the work women do in a marriage and in child-rearing can be invisible, was super relatable, especially knowing there's an HEA.
September 24, 2018
OKAY YOU KNOW WHAT? This hurt all of my feelings but I'm not mad about it.
I really liked reading about Margie and Mitch after seeing them in the other stories, and seeing them work at their marriage was super satisfying.
I really liked reading about Margie and Mitch after seeing them in the other stories, and seeing them work at their marriage was super satisfying.
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