Duke of Midnight

I don't particularly care for violent and amorous passions being mixed together, such as the scene where (mild spoiler) she slaps him across the face, and he says "you bitch!" and then angrily starts kissing her. (And this is not after years of marriage or something where they both know it works for them, they've practically just met!) I get that both are high emotional states, (and this isn't entirely uncommon in romance novels), but, I just don't like it! It seems like quite negative behavior disguised as being romantic.
Also, he thinks she's like the goddess Diana, which is very complimentary(!), but then that's pretty much the only name he calls her by for the rest of the book! While they're having serious conversations, during show more sex, when telling her for the first time that he loves her...! He's probably meaning it like saying "my Goddess", but eesh. Does he love *this* actual woman or just some projection of another being she reminds him of?! We're generally partial to our own name, and I don't think most would be keen on a man just tossing it out and renaming her! All of that said though- the characters and their relationship are compelling. It was a bit hard to put down and I was always wondering how things would play out next. So, four stars, despite the issues I had with it.

On a 2nd read- The heroine has a strong backbone and I liked that even more this time. I still agree with my previous points about the hero, plus some new strong feelings about things, lol. (Minor spoiler)- He doesn't take care not to impregnate the woman he's determined not to wed. I hate that. She would be cast even further out of society if she became pregnant on top of being a fallen woman, and life would be pretty hard for the child also. To be fair, this apparently never crossed the heroine's mind either, but still. And he also lashes out repeatedly when he feels vulnerable, which I'm also not a fan of either, and is quite selfish! This time though I realized that not only did he lose his parents when he was still quite young and immature, but also because of his title, he pretty much stopped being guided by, or accountable to, anyone! So it makes a bit more sense that he would have some arrested development. He's been spoiled by being almost above reproach and having everyone jump to his bidding since he was nearly a child. He didn't really have to (or have much opportunity to) learn healthy conflict resolution. Really though, I'm almost surprised I didn't utterly despise him! He mostly just ended up interesting to me though. Spoiler- As well as the potential pregnancy being entirely ignored, the hero hardly spares a thought for how having a scandalous mistress would effect his young sister, or what his future wife might think of him keeping her cousin as his mistress on the side! I think society would frown on that in a big way! And he's feeling all this pressure to marry well to live up to ducal expectations, but never considers that marrying beneath him might, in fact, be preferable to bringing the scandal and shame listed above onto the family/title. The heroine considers some different aspects of the affair, but it seems unlikely that the hero, who plans and notes every detail about other things, would not appear to consider any of the ramifications. Near the end his sister mentions his lack of propriety as proof he loves the heroine... but it felt a bit spotty to me. It's a compelling read though, and this heroine is well suited to help the hero learn to be better! show less

**************************Spoiler Alert*************************
Review contain spoilers for the Maiden Lane series.

Elizabeth Hoyt never ceases to amaze me with her beautiful romantic tales, and Duke of Midnight is no exception. I didn't find the first half or so of the book to be quite as engaging as the last three in the Maiden Lane series, which is the main reason I knocked of the half star, but it was still a great story. The characters were likable, and I always felt like I understood them. The author continues her tradition of a fairy tale that mirrors the main story, excerpts of which begin each chapter. The writing was strong as usual, and the romance, while not quite as swoon-worthy as the previous three books, was still quite show more lovely once the hero and heroine really started getting to know one another. The love scenes were intense and steamy too. All in all, Duke of Midnight was another wonderful addition to this already wonderful series.

Maximus is a man who embodies a brooding intensity. He's extremely reserved and deeply introverted, treasuring his morning walks with only his dogs as companions. He also takes everything he does quite seriously, whether it's his work in Parliament, finding a suitable wife, or haunting the streets of St. Giles at night as the Ghost. However, we quickly discover that his graveness is fueled primarily by having borne witness to his parent's murders when he was only fourteen. Prior to that time, he was a typical mischievous boy, but after, he viewed it as his sworn duty to uphold their memory by not only finding their murderer and bringing him to justice, but also by doing everything as perfectly as he could to bring honor to his father's Dukedom. Maximus is a very pragmatic man who begins his pursuit of the heroine's cousin, Penelope, mainly because she's perfect for him on paper and he believes it is his responsibility as a Duke to marry. He thinks it's quite normal to enter into that commitment with someone he doesn't love. Of course, from the moment he meets Penelope's companion, Artemis, he is drawn to her and feels protective toward her. He recognizes and admires Artemis's inner strength, and enjoys her company when she joins him on his early morning walks. He finds that he can talk to her about deeper things that he could never discuss with Penelope. Despite that, he is devoted to doing what he thinks is the right thing for the Dukedom, which means that the only way he can entertain the notion of being with Artemis is with her as his mistress. In his mind, her family history of madness and her lowly position as a lady's companion make her unsuitable as anything more, yet it's obvious in his actions and the way he makes love to her that he cares for her fiercely. As I expected from his introduction in his sister, Hero's book, Maximus is a man of strong principles coupled with an underlying devotion that can be easy to miss, and he turns that passion on Artemis with an explosive effect. In spite of his take-no-prisoners attitude, Artemis effectively becomes his Achilles heel. It was so sweet that he thought of her as his goddess, and he couldn't bear to see her unhappy. Her honest pleading and tears for her brother did far more for her cause than her previously determined coercion.

For four years, Artemis has been living the life of the poor relation. After her parents died and her twin brother, Apollo, was wrongly accused of murder and committed to Bedlam, she had no one to turn to except her distant cousins. They were kind enough to take her in and give her a position as companion to Penelope, but the girl can be pretty self-centered. Artemis appreciates their generosity, but has little to call her own and feels like she's going to be stuck in the role of servant, at Penelope's beck and call, for the rest of her life. During this time, she has never doubted Apollo's innocence and visits him in the asylum every chance she gets. She is completely loyal to her brother and would literally do anything for him, especially if it means possibly getting him released from his prison. I did have a few reservations about her attempting to blackmail Maximus, but I understood why she was doing it. While Maximus did get angry about it, on some level, I think he also realized that it was something completely out of character for her to do and that it was an act borne out of desperation. Artemis appreciates him taking the time to listen to and speak with her which is something a woman of her low station rarely experiences. She recognizes the feral tiger buried beneath Maximus's cool facade and relishes engaging that part of him. Unlike most young women of the era, she doesn't have any maidenly fears, and in fact, fully enjoys giving herself to Maximus even when their love making is fierce and raw and even though it means she's become a fallen woman. Artemis loves Maximus so much, that a part of her is willing to accept any part of him she can get, even if it means only being his mistress. However, it doesn't stop her from feeling guilty about loving the man meant for her cousin. This leads her to make a very tough choice between becoming his kept woman and letting him go to prevent others from being hurt.

Together, Maximus and Artemis make a somewhat more reserved couple than others in the Maiden Lane series, but that's not to say they weren't appealing in their own way. I enjoyed the ease with which they can talk to one another. It created a nice connection, but I found that they weren't sharing a great deal of personal information about themselves, in the beginning, especially Maximus. Artemis was intelligent enough to discern on her own that Maximus was the Ghost, but he didn't offer much in the way of explanations about his endeavors until near the end of the story. On the flip side, Maximus had investigated Artemis as part of his thoroughness in searching for a wife, so he already knew a fair bit about her. With this being the case, I don't think there was quite as much room for getting-to-know-you moments as there could have been, which may have been why I didn't really start feeling the connection between them until later in the story. Also, between him playing it close to the vest, and her blackmailing him, it created some tension in their relationship that somewhat stifled the romance early on. Once he rescues Apollo and she expresses her appreciation by giving herself freely to him, things gradually start to change, but it's still a slow burn that required an explosive climax for Maximus to fully realize how much Artemis had come to mean to him and that she was worth risking everything for.

Duke of Midnight also boasts a number of well-drawn secondary characters. Many previous Maiden Lane cast members return in cameos or small supporting roles. Penelope of course, is front and center, being courted not only by Maximus but also by another much older duke. I have to admit I like the way the other man handled the sometimes spoiled heiress and was slightly disappointed that there was no solid resolution to their relationship. Asa, the black sheep of the Makepeace family, finally puts in an appearance in the epilogue as a friend of Apollo. Artemis acts as a temporary companion to Maximus's younger sister, Phoebe, whose eyesight continues to fail. Best of all though, was Apollo who is very protective of his sister. Every time she comes to visit him in Bedlam, he tries to put on a brave face so she won't worry about him, and he's concerned for her well-being when he begins to suspect that Maximus has seduced her. Apollo also has a noble streak in him, trying to rescue another poor unfortunate inmate in Bedlam from being raped, and ended up paying a high price for his bravery. I'm already enamored of his character, and since he played such a prominent role in this book, I can't help wondering if he might become the hero of the next one and who his heroine might be. No word on this yet, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Duke of Midnight was another engaging read in this series, and I can't wait to continue it when the next book comes out, hopefully in the spring of 2014. show less

Duke of Midnight
5 Stars

Beset by guilt and a desire to honor his father and his family name, Maximus Batten, Duke of Wakefield, seeks a wife worthy of his illustrious title. Lady Penelope Chadwicke seems to fit the bill despite her silly self-absorption. Fortunately or unfortunately for Maximus, it is Penelope’s cousin and companion, Artemis Greaves, who catches his eye and his heart, but Artemis has a secret that not only threatens the Duke’s reputation but both of their lives as well...

Definitely the best in the series so far.

The plot revolving around Maximus’s history as the Ghost of St. Giles and his search for the criminal who murdered his parents is reminiscent of the Bruce Wayne/Batman archetype right down to the alter ego, show more the loyal valet and the bat cave. All of this adds an extra layer of enjoyment as Batman just happens to be my favorite super-hero.

Artemis and Maximus opposites attract romance is simply captivating. The two have incredible chemistry and they steam up the pages just by looking at each other across a crowded room. Artemis’s courage, resilience and capacity for love make her an extremely appealing heroine, and it is particularly entertaining to see Maximus’s dark and brooding stoicism crack as he falls hopelessly for the one woman he feels he can never have.

The set-up of the next book featuring Artemis’s twin is intriguing and I look forward to learning more about Apollo and the crime for which he was unjustly incarcerated. show less

I'm finished, but I'm still kind of thinking about how to rate this. The heroine, she gets all the stars. And as Melody said, the nickname annoyed me. The hero...him, I don't know what to give him. He's obsessed, but with his own legacy. He's uncompromising on that. He's also upfront about that, and kind of a selfish asshole, and TBH, I kind of like myself a selfish asshole. He could be needlessly cruel, and unexpectedly demonstrative. He was definitely flawed, and I still can't tell if I love or hate him.

I'd like to add, there are as many references made to Artemis's name as there are references to the oak tree in Hot in Hellcat Canyon series (WAY TOO MANY). I thought the barefoot goddess in the woods with special powers over dogs show more was cute, but pointing out all the ways in which Artemis was so like her namesake became overdone.

Man, I'm not up for a great review-so let's leave it at this: Artemis: amazing. I'm still not sure despite his Batman backstory coupled with his Gordon-like relationship with Trevillion that Maximus won me over, but I honestly don't think it mattered. Their story was incredibly compelling to me. I am not sure I liked how quickly the big obstacle ironed itself out, yet other than that, I could go back and reread this any time. Bah-4 then. show less

Loads of fun. Hoyt's books are silly and over the top, especially the Maiden Lane series, and for me sometimes that works and other times it leads to painful amounts of eye rolling. Here is works, mostly because Artemis and Maximus are lovely characters. I will say I have not read these in order, and that has worked fine, but I am glad I came to this after having read so many of the earlier books because the climactic scene would have been baffling if I had not known about the earlier ghosts of St. Giles. All in all this book was charming.

Artemis Greaves has always been the woman in the background. As companion to her cousin, Penelope, nothing more is required of her. But a few chance encounters with Maximus Batten, Duke of Wakefield, and suddenly Artemis isn't as much in the background as she's accustomed. But getting involved with the Duke could drop her into the worst position in society.

Another solid entry in the Maiden Lane series. I appreciated the change that while Artemis is still part of the upper class, she only just remains there as a companion. Her verbal sparring with Maximus was enjoyable and I was pleased, as always, with the resolution of the plot. Be warned however, that the epilogue of this one offers up a much more cliffhanger-ish tease for the next show more book in the series than is typical. show less

I loved this Georgian historical, as I do all her books. Totally was into the whole Batman thing. It would have been nearly perfect, except for the sticky problem that Maximus, the Duke of Wakefield was so selfish about wanting Artemis - yet still intending to marry Penelope who was so awful! Points against him, but then again, you've got to have that angst and it would have been too pat otherwise. A little realism doesn't hurt. Still, it took him way to long to figure out that he was wrong. Still, a good story and lived up to all my expectations!