I really feel like this series peaked at Oracle's Moon. ( )

Listened to audio narrated well by Sophie Eastlake. I liked the characterizations, they really brought me into the story.

Julian Regilus, is the Nightkind King and I have to say from previous books I did not like him, nor did I expect to like him in this book.

Melisande is the daughter of the Light Fae Queen, as well as a movie star. She has a lot of talents and she'll need them all to get free.

These two have history, a heated affair that ended twenty years ago when Melisande betrayed him, but when she is taken by a renegade vampire he will do anything to get her back safe and sound.

Julian may be King but he's been messed up for awhile, starting with his split with Melisande and made exponentially worse when his sire went off the rails. All his nasty behavior from previous books gets explained and he becomes a much more likeable guy as he works to rescue Melisande and end the threat to the Nightkind demesne.

The good: I loved that Melisande was his partner all the way in their rescue and subsequent battles and she didn't back down from him when he got pissy.

The not so good: Consistency issues from 'Night's Honor' said the EMT had to drain out the poison from Xavier but it was Tess who drained Xavier. I also thought they made several bad choices when they were trying to escape like why would anyone stop to have sex when they were trying to escape, it could have cost them everything?

This book is a slow build, but once it picks up steam it takes off in a good way and ends with a hot steamy epilogue.

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Midnight's Kiss
3.5 Stars

Julian, the Nightkind King, and Melisande, the Light Fae heir, were once involved in a torrid affair until trust issues tore them apart and led to hurt feelings and a war of words. Thus, when Melly is taken hostage to use as leverage against Julian, no one is more surprised than he at his willingness to sacrifice himself for a woman he believes betrayed him … can Melly and Julian put aside their differences to escape their captors and protect the Nightkind demense from internal and external threats?

Series Note: It is highly recommended that the books be read in order for the backstory to Julian’s character. It is, however, essential to read book #7 prior to this as as book #8 is a direct continuation of that storyline.

A decent addition to the series but not one of the best.

Melly and Julian’s second chances romance has its moments with their bickering and “sex on the run” scenes ratcheting up the chemistry. That said, the whole 20 years of holding a grudge because they couldn’t or wouldn’t have an honest conversation with one another until they were locked up in a cell is definitely irritating. Furthermore, the reason for their silly misunderstanding is overly simplistic and it is difficult to believe how easily they were both deceived.

The secondary plot involving Justine’s attempts to take over the Nightkind council is underdeveloped and the identity of her accomplice is glaringly obvious. The confrontation scenes at the end are, nonetheless, action packed and satisfying and it was good to see Xavier and Tess as well as Carling and Rune.

All in all, Midnight’s Kiss is surprisingly entertaining despite its problems and I look forward to reading Graydon’s book, which is next. ( )

Once passionate lovers, it's been twenty years since the hero found out about the heroine's cheating betrayal and they parted ways. Now, in wake of the attack on his progeny in the previous book, the hero is suddenly called to the Fae queen to discover the heroine has gone missing. The heroine never forgave the hero for his cold and cruel break up all those years ago, especially considering the fact that she never cheated on him. But now, he has shown his true feelings to the enemy as he instantly offers himself up in her place. Tortured and beaten, the hero and heroine kill off the horde of rogue vampires and in the process rediscover a love and a fire that never truly died. The hero, though bitter and hurt still craves the heroine like a drug and will anything and everything to get her to safety. The heroine, betrayed but his lack of faith in her, feels the exact same way. It takes the danger in their prison to finally be the catalyst that brings them back together. It would have happened eventually I feel, their feelings for one another would have eventually won out over their pride. But it really hits home to see each other fighting tooth and nail for the life of the other. I really lied this book but I didn't absolutely LOVE it like I did Xavier's story. The romance and the spar between the two characters was hot and scorching the pages and the history these two characters has together made for a deep bond and a heartwarming story but I found myself a tad bit board at times. Most of the book is spent with them in the prison and when they fight the hoard, kill the enemy progeny and finally have the means of escape...they tae the time to have sex on the dirty dungeon floor. I felt put off by that, considering their wasting of time results in dawn approaching and the enemy vampire having time to return for a fight. Also, I did feel like the hero went from bitter, distant and harsh towards the heroine to being absolutely zeroed in on seducing her very quickly. I thin because the book was only 280 pages or so that the author felt a little rushes and forced the reunion between the two in order to fit in the rest of the plot. But, I can't say that I didn't really lie this book because I did enjoy it 90% of the time. Maybe my perspective is jaded because I freeing loved the previous installment. I'll read this book again down the road and probably grow to love it more. ( )

Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy.
allthingsuf.com

MIDNIGHT'S KISS promises to show the sexier side of the vampire from SERPENT'S KISS, as Julian was first heir to Carling's throne and then a threat to her life. And while this transition from villain to hero was successful, neither Julian nor Melly were able to steal my heart. If you love old lovers thrown together and working through past misunderstandings, MIDNIGHT'S KISS offers just that trope with a side of political intrigue, immortality, and vampirism.

While Harrison's vampiric society is intellectually interesting, political struggles alone weren't enough to keep me invested in our hero's well being. Even Julian's romance felt flat, as his reactions and reflections on Carling had more emotional impact for me than the rather telenovela explanation for his past break up with Melly (which managed to feel both predictable and a little ridiculous). Despite this, an Elder Races novel with a few weaknesses is still a sexy, well written Paranormal Romance that has me anxious for the installment in the series. Ignoring what kept Julian and Melly apart, their chemistry together is undeniable.

While Julian and Melly aren't going to unseat Dragos and Pia, or Grace and Khalil, or even Carling and Rune as my favorite Elder Races couple, they're still in good company. Getting a glimpse of Julian's motivations and relationships, both with Melly and his fellow vampires, was a nice compliment to his earlier presence in the Elder Races world. It was just that switch from villain to hero that was my favorite part of MIDNIGHT'S KISS, so new readers will be missing out if they start the series here.

Sexual Content: Sex scenes. ( )