Midnight's Wild Passion by Anna Campbell

www.annacampbell.info

This book was incredible. I’m going to keep this review short so that I don’t waste precious time you could be using to rush to the store and pick up a copy to read – immediately. Our heroine, Antonia Smith/Lady Antonia Hilliard, is strong, passionate, sweet, loyal, caring, and bold. I mean, she's really got guts to match her sarcastic, flippiant tongue and I loved it. Reminiscent of everyone’s (or at least my) favorite Lord of Scoundrels she even points a pistol at our hero (and hits him with a large metal object). Speaking of our very compelling, atrociously rakish hero, Lord Nicholas Challoner - the Marquess of Ranelaw, who is in desperate need of reform and lovin' – is a darkly conflicted, deeply emotional, wonderfully sensual, sinfully sexy hero who I fell in love with before the first forty pages. The hero and heroine in Campbell’s novel are simply stunning - dazzling - they will leave you breathless and heady, waiting in pure, unadulterated anticipation for their next move or encounter.

As far as the rest of the book, Campbell writes beautifully. It was a pleasure to read a work by such an eloquent writer – of course, I knew I was in for an excellent read when the first sentence compared the ton ball Nicholas is attending to a whirling snowstorm. The flowing language added to the wonderful reading experience. As far as momentum, when I started this book everything appeared to be moving too fast. I thought to myself, “she’s going to lose steam. The book’s going to be a boring flop at the end. Damn”. I was wrong. Completely and utterly. The book, if anything, picked up speed and suspense as it wore on. The characters did not lose my interest, rather steadily gained it with their complexity, charm, and wit. There was nothing boring or unemotional anywhere in this book; it was choke-full and teeming with passion and love of all kinds and Campbell pushes us all the way through to the very happy ending.

The plot was focused almost solely on the passionate love developing between our characters. It was a gorgeous journey of love and lust, emotion and heat. Campbell sweeps us all off our feet on a daring, bold, romantic journey through both Nicholas and Antonia’s point of view. Overall, I felt their characters and the romantic plot were extremely well developed. I don’t want to tell you too much about the delightful chase and challenge of this book because I want you to go out and read it! Seriously. Right now.

Favorite quotes:

“And surely you don’t rely on some sparrow of a spinster to circumvent me. I eat chaperones for breakfast.” He ate courtesans and widows and other men’s wives for lunch and dinner, with much more pleasurable result.

“Don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone. I doubt anyone would credit it anyway. The rakish Lord Ranelaw in a lady’s bedroom for an entire hour without undoing a single button? Incredible.”

“Poor things were probably struck dumb by the size of your conceit.” (Antonia)
“By the size of something at any rate.” (Nicholas)

 “Sexy”ness rating: … *fans self vigorously* Wow. Nicholas has really learned the tools of the rakish trade

Overall Rating: A+

Bottom Line: This book has a beautiful, compelling hero, a strong, willful heroine, explosive passion, glittering balls, and a wonderful happy ever after. What else could you wish for – besides Nicholas all to yourself?

Pages: 400
Published: April 6, 2011
Genre: Historical