However, I was disappointed that the second book, Midnight Lord, didn't match up with the characters and the story as the first book did. If this book was read first before Midnight Bride, I wouldn't blame readers to not read other books by Marlene Suson. For which I am glad that I read the first book first.
The story was long and boring. Very mediocre. There wasn't much action to keep the story exciting, much less interesting. I only finish the book so that I can see how Rachel reacted to Stephen's return to London. Summing up the book, I can say, the book is about an English Lord who escapes from a plantation as an indentured servant and finds himself being helped by a woman and her young brother. He recovers and wants to go back to London and seek revenge on the person who gave him to a slave ship to die. During his stay with the woman, he develops a strong character within himself as well as falling in love with the woman who help him to health.
I found Meg (Megan) to be annoying and has a low self-esteem throughout the book. She doesn't trust Stephen from the beginning. Not even til the very end of the book. Also, doesn't mention her love to him when Stephen confesses his love to her a couple of times. Says she went to London with him due to her love for him, yet I doubt that since she is married to him so has to do what he tells her to do. She even said that she can't love him if she doesn't trust him. So I doubt that she loved him til the very end when she realizes by others pointing that he was an Earl and not a murderer. When they did go to London, she then doubted his fidelity towards her since she thinks she's plain. I could understand her having some doubt and not trusting him in the beginning of the story but it dragged on til the end, which I find it annoying. He showed her a few times that he is one to be trusted. She didn't even thank him for saving her life from [drowning!!!]
What I can't stand in Stephen is that he doesn't stand firm with Meg when he should have when she told him that she doesn't believe in him. It seems that he is only interested in her feelings rather than his, but I guess that's a good thing sometimes. But I don't think it was good in this book. He should have told her that after showing she could trust him, that if she can't trust him, then he'd rather be without her. It would have made the story interesting if that was done and then have them reunited so Meg can have a wakeup call that she has to trust or she'll be left alone due to her inability to trust others.
I'm reading Midnight Bandit, and so far it's interesting. so do yourself a favor, read Midnight Bride and Midnight bandit first, then go to Midnight Lord if you really have to.
This is the 2nd book in a trilogy and though I haven't finished the 3rd book I love the suspense that builds throughout the story. Stephen Wingate, Earl of Arlington is your standard frivolous English rake that over indulges in everything that his station allows him and ignores all of his responsibilities. That was 2 years ago. The year is 1741 and having been kidnapped, striped of his identity and sold as a convicted murder in the colonies as an indentured servant, Stephen has finally escaped his brutish master. Barely alive he collapses in the Virginia wilderness on the doorstep of displaced Meg Blake (she has her own tale of woe) and her young brother Josh. Taking in a stranger who looks like an escaped convict was not exactly a responsibility that Meg needed with her already exhausting schedule but she was to soft hearted to leave him outside for the pack of wolves following his footsteps. Having talked in his feverish sleep; Meg is confused by the man who claims to have been kidnapped from England and is indeed "a well off gentleman " and his appearance-that of an escaped convict. As one thing leads to another the two characters begin to care for each other and when Josh is injured while hunting dinner, Stephen decides he cannot leave Meg with the harsh responsibilities of living in the wilderness. Thus for the first time in his life and despite the dangers to himself (of getting caught and returned to the plantation he escaped from) he stays beyond the time he needs to recover and Stephen puts the needs of another person before his own. He learns that there is more to life than chasing a beautiful woman, gambling and there is more than one type of education. Now, this is all fine and dandy but there are other events that are happening at the same time. Stephen wrote a letter requesting assistance to his younger brother (who was in the English army stationed in New York) for assistance in returning to England. Because of the delay in his brothers aide and the timely arrival of "bounty hunters" to take him back Stephen fears his brother is in league with his kidnappers. There is a shotgun wedding, and a return to England that was expected. I found myself entranced by the fear he would be recaptured and wanting to see him return to England with his new found love for all he had lost.
Personally, I was a little TOO glued to the book and there where a couple of twists that (had I come up for air) in my reading probably would have expected (but did not). So if you happen to come across this book, I hope you will enjoy it as there are plenty of things that happen I desperately want to mention! If you want to read this book by itself I think you would thoroughly enjoy it. However if you read the first book "Midnight Bride" I think it will give some of the characters more endearing qualities (or disreputable) of the friends and family he has lost.
