*I received a free ARC of this book from Manic Readers in exchange of an honest review*

Rating : 4.5 of 5 stars

This was a very enticing and exciting story! Marisa is one of those heroines I just love - innocent in many ways, but still strong, generous and self-sufficient!

This review was first published on January 3rd 2013 at Risqué Reviews.

Donna Cummings does it again! Lord Midnight is an enticing tale of young Marisa who is a very strong-headed young woman and her discovery that love does indeed exist, albeit not in the place one could have expected. From the beginning of the story, she is planning her escape from Edmund, as he really makes her afraid on many levels. On her first morning at Edmund's estate, she goes for a ride and meets the emblematic highwayman near the woods. It is clear from the start that the chemistry between the highwayman and Marisa has everything that is lacking between Edmund and Marisa! The readers also realize that there is a history between Edmund and the highwayman, though he keeps his secrets away from Marisa, while still seducing her behind Edmund's back.

Lord Midnight is the name Marisa gives the highwayman when he declines to share his real name with her on his nightly visits to her bedroom. Their passion is building quickly, but he decides to do the right thing and not spoil her until she is married…

Donna Cummings masterfully shares the details of the slow seduction between Marisa and Lord Midnight, all the while showing her readers why it is important that Marisa continue to try to escape Edmund. When Marisa is close to a panic because the time for the wedding will be there shortly, Lord Midnight comes up with a brilliant idea to save her.

Filled with humor and romance, Lord Midnight is a quick and sweet read, and I appreciated reading about a strong woman even when everything that happened could have left Marisa without the courage to continue her quest for freedom.

There were some small things that made me not give it the full five stars, though, one of them being the frequent repetitions of the word 'leastwise'. I would also have liked to learn a little more about Bernard, as he was a very interesting side character. All in all it is a quite enjoyable story, and I think other historical romance fans would agree with me. I love the way the story unfolds, and it was great to feel like I actually got to know Marisa.

It was possible to imagine loving Marisa, for she was soft, yet strong, generous, and full of humor, and altogether too passionate for words. He thanked the Fates for putting her in his path, for he could not imagine his existence without her.

"Do not do anything to give me away." She nearly fainted at the words he had uttered upon entering her bed the very first time, when he had needed a hiding place. Only now the danger was so much more, and he knew it, judging from the sparkle in his eyes. "It would be a much less difficult task I you did not make me scream so," she retorted, treasuring his swift intake of breath.

This and other reviews can also be found on my blog (un)Conventional Bookviews. ( )

Reviewed by: Regan
Book provided by:Author
Review originally posted at Romancing the Book

This is an interesting Regency romance. Cummings’ writing is very good and she has presented a solid story, obviously taking care to convey a feeling for the period—and that is why I’m giving this book 4 stars. However, the middle of the story dragged for me. There just wasn’t that much happening, and after a while, the scenes in her bedroom with Gabriel began to feel repetitive.

The love scenes were also a bit strung out, though some might like that. Most of the story takes place in the Westbrook estate, at night or in Marisa’s bedroom. Except for the “extras,” the characters are few: the hero, heroine, her brother, the villain and two members of the hero’s band of thieves. Though he’s had years to plot how he can regain his lands and title his uncle stole from him, Gabriel seems to have no strategy. Cummings can write action and there was a pretty good action scene when Lord Westbrook tried to re-capture Marisa by force.

At times, Marisa seems overly naïve and at others a bit too experienced in physical love. I had a hard time getting a fix on her. The hero, Gabriel, is an honorable sort who is so polite and caring of Marisa, he seems a bit unreal. One would have thought the life he’d been forced to live would have hardened him more, but that is not the case.

I expect to see more novels from this worthy author but I’d like to see a more complex plot with more historical elements. This one was entertaining but could have been more suspenseful and more intriguing given her writing ability. ( )

I don’t normally read historical romance… heck, historical anything. I can probably count the number of books on two hands. I’m a modern girl, I like the ease of modern conveniences. But like I’ve said, occasionally I like to try to broaden my horizons. Enter Lord Midnight.

This book was really exciting for me from beginning to end! It caught me by surprise, I wasn’t expecting characters that I cared for, beautiful scenery, and drama to rival any other. There were words and terms that I don’t understand, since I don’t read this genre. But whatever I guessed at what they were was probably not too far off. I didn’t find it difficult to follow at all. The storyline moves swiftly and I found myself excited each time I could pick up my kindle and resume reading.

“I, too, have a need to be more singular than the other ladies of my acquaintance, “ she said.
“That requires no effort, Angel. I can assure you of that, “ he said with utter sincerity. He looked into her eyes once more, and nearly cried out at the trust shining back at him.

Ok, the goods. Gabriel. Whew! He was perfect! He has a lot of tragedy in his past, and he is out for revenge. He is dashing and sexy, intelligent and romantic. I think I’ve developed a thing for highwaymen! He is a bit hardened by the past, but inside still beats the heart of a lion. And once he meets his lioness, well, all bets are off. He was everything I hope for in a leading man. He definitely made me want to swoon!

And then we have Marisa. She has the unfortunate luck of being a woman in a time when women don’t really get to make their own choices regarding almost everything. She is about to be married to Lord Westbrook, a man who appears to be wonderful but you definitely know something slimey is below the surface. But she is not going to just go into a marriage without a fight. She is intelligent and cunning, and for every plan that gets destroyed to free her from her invisible cage, she devises a new plan. I really liked Marisa quite a bit. Marisa is in truth nothing like she appears. The times and circumstances dictate that she should be demure and obedient. But in actuality she is strong, intelligent, and surprisingly independent.

As the story went on, and Marisa and Gabriel got to know each other a bit more I really found myself caring for them more as a pair. I wanted so badly for them to be together. And of course I can’t blow the secret, but I can say that when these two get together sparks fly!

Lord Westbrook… he certainly is a vile man. He is more than just two-faced, he has multiple faces. I didn’t like him, and he made my skin crawl. In my mind he is a terrific villain, because at no point did I ever feel like “oh, I like the bad boy!”. Oh no, he garnered no sympathy or warm feelings from me. Every word and every move he made I felt like I had to watch for ulterior motives and sneaky behavior.

This is definitely a story I would recommend to my friends, whether or not they read the genre. Surprises and twists were plentiful. Some of the events made me cheer! I am definitely impressed and a new fan of the author, Donna Cummings. ( )

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

What a great story this was! We have a heroine, Marisa Dunsmore, who is betrothed to Lord Westbrook, who is the uncle to our hero, Gabriel DeVault, AKA Lord Midnight, and who is thought to be dead.

Marisa is not so happy with this forced arrangement by her father, but she has no choice if she’s to protect her aunt. As she and her brother are en route to Westbrooke Hall in order for her to spend some time with Lord Westbrooke, they are intercepted and robbed by a highwayman, and the encounter makes a lasting impression on both Marisa and Gabriel.

The romance between Gabriel and Marisa was sweet yet passionate, and the developing friendship, which, in turn, leads both to fall in love with one another, was very believable and a smart move on behalf of the author.

I’m giving this story a Top Pick rose because it’s well written with three-dimensional characters (and some secondary ones that are memorable as well), fast paced with witty dialogue, and in one word: DELICIOUS.

Melanie ( )