Midnight Marriage

It always intrigues me when an author understands the sway of romance. She understands the power of a look, the necessity of a gentle touch, the potency of desire. Undeniably, in MIDNIGHT MARRIAGE, Victoria Bylin understands the romance dance and exquisitely draws on its strength. In the future, Rafe LaCroix wants his wounded partner to ride a horse effortlessly, to bed a woman without shame, to stand proudly - unassisted. To achieve that enchantment, he needs help and Dr. Susanna Leaf is the only person who can give it to him. As a man on the run, Rafe LaCroix knows desperation and right now, his partner - his friend - is suffering. Rafe LaCroix may be a decent man, but the game of life has forced him to be hard and ruthless and Dr. Susanna Leaf had better grasp his meaning. Susanna Leaf is a doctor first and a woman second, but lately the lonely nights are growing long and Susanna finds herself wondering about a man's gentle touch. As a lead character, Dr. Susanna Leaf is appropriate and likable. Victoria Bylin writes her heroine as neither reckless nor overly gutsy; instead, she allows her reader to see a lonely woman. A woman who wants to be kissed and held; a woman who wants to sleep with a husband - like spoons in a drawer. What Ms. Bylin truly accomplished here was to make me want . . . more. More? Definitely! Unquestionably, MIDNIGHT MARRIAGE is brilliantly romantic and it appears Ms. Victoria Bylin is an author gifted with a lovely writing style, but in MIDNIGHT MARRIAGE, the ending stumbled. Simply put - HE let HER down. When the going got rough, the hero failed miserably - he ran away! Consequently, Bylin's beautiful book staggered and the finale finished with a forced conclusion. This could have been a truly great book, but the ending caused it to miss its potential. However, I remain eager, next time Victoria Bylin may well succeed into 'phenomenal' territory. Grade: B+ MaryGrace Meloche. Reviewed for RomanceDesigns. This review is based on an Advanced Reading Copy.