Midnight Kiss: Midnight Confessions\Midnight Surrender\Midnight Assignment [Mass Market Paperback]

MIDNIGHT KISSES is a collection of 3 short romantic stories surrounding the traditional kiss at midnight on New Year's Eve. I haven't always been a fan of short stories nor have I been a big fan of anthologies. I'm starting to understand the benefit of being able to sample a few different authors before spending larger amounts of money on them. After reading MIDNIGHT KISSES, I am already looking forward to reading more things written by Victoria Dahl.

*****
MIDNIGHT CONFESSIONS by Robyn Carr (96 pages)
2 Stars -- Too much Baggage

Sunny Archer is anything but sunny after she was left at the alter on New Year's Eve. She's been good and mad for a year now and wants to celebrate the anniversary of her biggest humiliation by herself. Unfortunately for her, her uncle and aunt have other ideas and drag her to the local bar for a New Year's Eve Party. There, she meets Drew who is smitten at first glance. Having sworn off men completely, Sunny brushes off Drew's attempts at friendliness. Drew perseveres and finally gets Sunny to thaw her frozen heart a bit to enjoy a fun New Year's Eve full of possibilities.

This story was dragged down by all the heavy baggage carried around by both Sunny and Drew. Instead of reading about a new romantic relationship developing between Sunny and Drew, we were treated to endless discussion and reflections on both of their failed relationships because Drew also has had his brush with a harsh break up with a fiancée. The entire story was about Sunny coming to terms (Finally after a year!) of being left holding the bouquet in a Vera Wang dress and no groom. We also got to hear all about Drew's less-than-stellar failed relationship and all his high-and-mighty wisdom he's learned from the ordeal. But really? Who shares all the details of their past relationships on their first date? Very little was spent on 2 new people coming together. There were a few moments of potential. However, when they finally get their stuff together, it ends.

Another problem I had with this story is that it felt like the author spent a great deal of time recapping the lives of all the townsfolk. It felt as if this were some filler for a series and she spent pages and pages recapping who's in love with whom and what so-and-so is doing. These people had no relevance to the present story, so why was it important? After doing a quick search, sure enough, these characters are all part of her Virgin River Series. I don't feel the need to read any of them now because I just got the huge recap on all her novels, and I wasn't even entertained by what story she did present here.

*****
MIDNIGHT SURRENDER by Jean Brashear (107 pages)
3 Stars -- Enjoyable but predictable

Jordan Parrish is a lawyer who loves to party and enjoys her reputation as a man-eater. She uses men like tissues and wants to be a bachelorette forever. To say she has commitment issues would be saying it lightly. Her well-meaning friend attempts to set her up with her husband's co-worker, Will Masterson. They don't quite hit it off while sitting next to each other at Thanksgiving dinner, but Will is bound and determined to get under her skin and show her she is worthy to be loved.

This is the kind of story that would have best benefited by more page time. Because it was a short story, things that could have been more developed were just left as romantic stereotypes and clichés. I never really felt connected to the main character Jordan. The development and change of her feelings and thoughts were only lightly covered making the ending a very dramatic change to what was previously established as her character. I did enjoy watching Will go about seducing this self-proclaimed man-eater. The story was enjoyable enough, just not anything to really set it apart.

*****
MIDNIGHT ASSIGNMENT by Victoria Dahl (95 pages)
4-1/2 Stars -- Stellar

Noah James and Elise Watson are stuck on a job together again. Neither are excited about it, but not because they don't like each other. Two years ago, they kissed while working together and things went to pieces. Noah even took a job transfer to get away. But today finds them on the same job over the Holidays. Even as they both attempt to avoid the other, they end up reconnecting and sparks fly.

This one was my favorite. I loved Noah and Elise! I loved that these two have a history. They already know each other. Their relationship has been in the making for years and has finally come to a head. They have things to sort out, and it was great watching them work through it all. I really liked that they actually talk about other things besides their feelings--the author takes the time to show them actually working together and with others. Also, Noah and Elise talk to others about things besides relationships. It added a level of believability that several other romantic stories lack. I loved uncovering their past and seeing how it would effect their future. We weren't thrown into pages and pages of flashbacks, but were filled in a bit at a time when necessary. It was beautifully done. The passion between them was hot and the ending sweet and believable. I wish this story was longer so I could have more time with Noah and Elise. I had never read anything by Victoria Dahl before and I'm eager to pick up another one of her stories.

*ARC provided by NetGalley*

Robyn Carr - Midnight Confessions

Obviously the big name author of the anthology and unfortunately she contributes a poor story to lead the book. One year to the date (December 31st) Sunny Archer was left at the alter in a Vera Wang wedding dress. She has spent the past year in a rage against all men, life and love in general. There is no aspect of her life that has not been affected over the past year from her trauma, her work has suffered (a photographer specializing in weddings etc), her friendships have suffered because she`s turned into a raging shrew, and her outlook on life has suffered. She has come to her Uncle Nate's house over the holidays to sulk in peace. Drew (brother to Marci and Erin of previous Virgin River books) has somehow managed to get a chunk of time off from his job as a Junior Surgical Resident at a major hospital, and has come to Virgin River for some quiet so he can study in peace. On New Year's Eve he decides to take a small break, and heads into Jack Sheridan's bar for a beer - where he meets Sunny.

I found this story to be quite typical of much of Carr's writing where an idealized man (kind, caring, thoughtful, giving, understanding, intelligent and of course handsome) is paired up with a woman who I frankly have a hard time relating to. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure it is traumatic to have your wedding plans run awry such as what happened to Sunny - but this entire story is basically her grabbing onto poor Drew and spending his entire New Year's Eve night analyzing everything that went wrong in her past relationship. And he lets her. For HOURS. Realistically it is very hard to imagine any sane man not faking an emergency text message or something to get away from her. I'm not sure who I felt more sorry for, fictional Drew having to spend his ONE NIGHT OFF IN GOD KNOWS HOW LONG listening to Sunny moan about her Ex, or me for the hour or so it took me to read it. Like a true Virgin River champ though, Drew not only puts up with the whackadoodle woman, he thinks she's adorable.

Given that about 80% of this book is an analysis of failed relationships, 10% is trotting out past Virgin River people and passing their kids and babies around for admiration, and maybe 10% actually deals with a possible relationship between Sunny and Drew, the story is just kind of a downer. Two stars at best.

Oh - and does anybody know? What is up with the title of this thing? Exactly what was confessed?

Jean Brashear - Midnight Surrender

This is a new to me author and to be honest I'm not even sure how to feel about this story. An extremely stereotypical lean and mean career woman, Jordan Parrish, is teamed up with Will Masterson, a carpenter who hails from Ireland and is looking for a round (ie plump) woman skilled in homemaking and child rearing to live with him in his fixer upper home and raise his future brood of children. He'd like Jordan's friend Marly, but unfortunately that woman is already married with 5 kids of her own. So Will is on the hunt for something similar. Instead, he finds himself drawn to the anti-Marly (Jordan). Jordan likes to spend her days and nights fighting in court as a lawyer, "man eating" and healing the hurts of her past with meaningless sex. Will likes to work in his wood shop and nurture stray animals. A true case of opposites attract, to say the least.

The story actually would have been okay enough, in that Brashear at least doesn't slap poor Jordan with a total personality change in order to make her suitable for Will. It was just reading it I started to get a really creepy feeling about Will and his stated goal of "gentling" Jordan to be more suitable to his life. I'm not sure exactly what all that "gentling" meant - but he seemed to think of himself as the Horse Whisperer of females. That's the way he described it, but to me it seemed like a whole lot of sexually exciting her and then walking away and leaving her frustrated.

The ending is a bit of a redemption of the personality flaws of both characters as they come to terms with each other. I'll give it three stars. I have a feeling that this type of story does have an appreciative audience who will enjoy it - just not my cup of tea.

Victoria Dahl - Midnight Assignment

I am a huge, huge fan of Dahl's Tumble Creek series and I'm happy to report that she did not disappoint me here with the final story.

Noah James and Elise Watson, both Federal Government employees, find themselves together in Omaha Nebraska in order to oversee the takeover of a small failed bank. The characters have a steamy past, as two years ago they shared a smoking hot kiss in a hotel hallway while on a similar assignment. At that time however Noah had to put a stop to the kiss, as he needed to end a relationship before he could morally pursue his interest in Elise. Unfortunately, mis-communication and insecurities between the two sabotaged any hopes they had of developing a relationship at that time.

Coming together is a struggle for these two, as they deal with missed communications, insecurities, having to negotiate the balance of work and personal relationships and the stress and fatigue that is inherent of their current assignment. Elise is the boss on the job and she has a very hard time disagreeing with Noah in that capacity, and then relating to him as a lover or a friend in the off hours. Elise fears that a relationship with Noah will harm her professionally, and in trying to safeguard against that she callously damages Noah's reputation.

The reader is never left with any question as to the chemistry between the two characters, although both Noah and Elise feel so vulnerable and exposed they have a hard time connecting and admitting their attraction.

I'll give this one 5 stars and note that I consider Victoria Dahl to be a rising star in her ability to write exciting believable characters and story lines that travel beyond the stereotypical. I hope to see more from her soon.

My wife and I are avid addicts of the Virgin River series, so Robin's novella is a great addition to the series. It comes right after Moonlight Road. It stands alone, but is best read directly after Moonlight Road, as the hero is the brother of the primary heroine , Erin, featured in Moonlight Road, and the most important setting happens in Erin, Ian, & Marcie's cabin. You will enjoy this novella much more if you have read the previous seven books in the Virgin River series.

The character development is not as deep as in the full lenght books, of course, but is quite sufficient, especially if you already love Virgin River. Robin gives enough backgroung of the main characters in each book from previous books, so that each Virgin River book can be read alone. This is sometimes boring to those who have read the previoius books, but is only fair if a new reader has not read the previous books and she only gives enough backgroung to help the new reader aclimate to Virgin River.

I hope that Robin writes many more Virgin River novellas about people who pass through and whose lives are changed by the magic of Virgin River, but do not drink the water, unless you want to have more children, or your first child if you are sterile! Everyone cannot stay in Virgin River after their life altering experiences there--the little town cannot support a dozen doctors ans lawyers!

I hope Robin will publish a book or two with 3 or 4 novellas set in Virgin River. And as a side note, I highly recommend the Grace Valley trilogy. I think the 3rd Grace Valley book is Robin's best book. And it gives you a greater appreciation of the crossover characters with the Virgin River books. I would like to see more interraction with some of the Grace Valley strange characters in the Virgin River books, since the ending of the Grace Valley trilogy precludes any additional books in that trilogy.

I highly recommend both series. They are not so-called chick books. Robin always has strong, sexy men that every man would love to be on e of them. And we men can learn a lot about how to have better relationships with each other, but especyally with women. And as for the tastefully done hot sex episodes, there is an underlying message that sex is only good in a loving, committed relationship, and she usually only recounts the initial sexual encounter in any detail!

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