Midnight Sons Volume 1: Brides for Brothers and The Marriage Risk [Audiobook, MP3 Audio, Unabridged] [Audio CD]

I love Debbie Macomber's books and I don't know why, because the plot basics are girl meets guy, instant love and then a break up and a lovely reunion - which says a lot about the quality of her writing that it can always draw you into her stories. Her characters are interesting each time yet they are much the same; but somehow she is able to pull you in and make an appealing book you don't want to put down. Midnight Sons is no exception, although I would have liked to have read more of the challenges of living above the Artic Circle especially in the winter. She makes a solid case of why her main female character, Abby would move to the artic with her 2 children and she does an adequate job of telling the 2 stories of why the 2 brothers, Sawyer and Charles would not want to get involved with love and especially marriage. All I know is she always draws me into her books, I enjoy them and am disappointed when they end - what more could you ask of a nice romantic book and better yet there will be more to come.

These two stories about lonely bush pilots in a small town near the Arctic Circle are totally charming. The escapades in these stories are truly hilarious. Ms. Macomber has the ability to imbue her characters with such personality the reader feels she knows them personally. The fact these stories take place in Alaska is a plus. Ms. Macomber knows how to describe the magnificence, vastness, and small-town friendliness perfectly. Also highly recommend ARROWS THROUGH TIME: A Time Travel Tale of Adventure, Courage, and Faith.

Set in Alaska, Midnight Sons Volume One consists of two novels by Debbie Macomber first published in 1995 - "Brides for Brothers" and "The Marriage Risk".

"Brides for Brothers"

The men of Hard Luck, Alaska are lonely and threatening to move so two of the O'Halloran brothers hatch up a scheme to bring women there. Abbey Sutherland is the first to sign up as she and her two children need a place to live. Hard Luck isn't quite what she thought it would be but she's determined to stick it out for the time being. But when she becomes attracted to Sawyer O'Halloran she realizes she has to do what is right for not only herself but her children.

"Brides for Brothers" is a cute romance novel. The initial set up of how to get the women to Hard Luck is a bit awkward and unbelievable, but Abbey is such a strong character she overcomes that flaw. Her reaction when she sees the cabin initially provided for her to live in is a wonderful moment that helps set her character and helps carry the story. As always in a Macomber book the children are extremely cute. Macomber does a great job of showing how beautiful yet so harsh parts of Alaska can be. The romance between Sawyer and Abbey is nicely done if a bit rushed. The end of the book is bound to put a smile on the reader's face.

"The Marriage Risk"

Lanni Caldwell expects to be in Hard Luck just long enough to clean out her grandmother's house - after that she plans a career as a journalist. The last thing she plans to do is fall in love, but fall in love she does with Charles O'Halloran. Charles finds himself falling in love with Lanni but Lanni realizes there is a huge obstacle in their way - she is the granddaughter of Catherine Harmon Fletcher - the woman who ruined the marriage of the parents of the O'Halloran brothers. Will the past stand in the way of true love?

"The Marriage Risk" is not one of Debbie Macomber's best novels. The whole set up of the feuding families felt forced as none of the main characters really knew what had happened in the past. Charles's wanting to protect his mother from painful memories was a noble move, but I kept wanting him check with his mother before making the decision (to her credit Macomber does address this later in the book). Macomber does wrap up the whole family feud thing quite neatly, but the whole story felt forced. Readers know that Charles and Lanni will end up together (this is a romance novel after all) and Macomber seems to be thinking of excuses to keep them apart to make the book longer. The best parts of the book are the glimpses of Abbey and Sawyer's wedding and honeymoon (this being a Macomber book the sex is only implied, never described).

"Midnight Sons" is a bit uneven but still a good book to read when you want to get away from it all for a few hours.

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