I hadn't read any Kleypas for a while when I started reading this book. It reminded me of how effective and seductive Kleypas is as a writer. She really does write a beautiful love story. Her stories are dreamy and elegant, full of imagery that draws me into the story and out of my everyday existence. She really is a wordsmith to this reader.I know a lot of fans were unhappy that Cam was not paired with Daisy, but I have no regrets. Cam and Amelia were meant to be together. Cam was searching for something that gave him a sense of home. He found it in Amelia. He found himself unsettled by living as a gadjo (non-Romany). He was almost disgusted with his adopted materialistic lifestyle, hating the fact that he couldn't seem to stop accumulating wealth, even though he tried very hard to lose money, investing in companies sure to fail, but always recieving windfall after windfall. Just when he is about to walk away from that life and return to the wandering ways of the Roma, he meets Amelia. She challenges and compels him as no other woman has. He wants her desperately, although she is clearly a woman who would need a settled man in her life. Yet, he cannot walk away from her. You realize it before Cam does that he is a goner. He tells himself he will walk away from Amelia, but you know that he's not going anywhere. For all his prior determination to leave Amelia alone, once he decides he wants to keep her, Cam is pretty much set on that path. I liked that about this story, as I love heroes in pursuit. I liked that although Cam does seduce Amelia, he has committed to her in his heart and won't go back on that commitment. I really enjoyed the part when Amelia woke up with his ring on his finger, and how she couldn't get it off. I thought that was a nice touch. It was interesting that Amelia was the reluctant one in this story, although it totally made sense. She had been let down by those who loved her. Her parents died on her, leaving her with three younger sisters to care for, and a brother who was intent on losing all of their income, and destroying himself after the loss of his fiancee. Not to mention the fact that her first love abandoned her for a girl whose father could help his career. She is determined not to marry, and feels content with watching over her family. She doesn't think she's anything special. So when Cam starts to pursue her so ardently, she does resist, at least at first. But Amelia is as drawn to Cam as he is to her. He is beautiful and wild, and temptation in an irresistible package. Knowing it's a bad idea to get involved with him, she cannot seem to avoid him or her feelings for him. It was a delicious love story to read. Amelia's somewhat bad-tempered moments are refreshing. I like sweet heroines a lot more than some readers, but it's also nice to see heroines who do have bad days and temperamental moments. Who do get frustrated and say things in anger. Amelia has a lot of responsibility and stress, and it was realistic for her to have moments where she showed that her nerves were frayed. Cam seemed to embrace her outspoken and at times somewhat abrasive behavior, enjoying that part of her equally with other aspects of her person. He was considerate to her needs, understanding her fears and doubts, and did everything he could to help her family, even before he had committed to marrying her. Cam truly showed that was steadfast, showing her that he could be relied upon. Considering the fact that Cam is half-Roma, and there was obviously a prejudice against the Roma, I enjoyed the fact that he showed the good traits that her prejudiced ex-fiance Christopher lacked, although he mocked and looked down on the "dirty, untrustworthy Roma." Despite the fact that Cam was Roma and that there were those who did not like the Roma was touched upon, but it wasn't truly an obstacle in their relationship. Cam looked at his heritage as being part of him, and knew he would not give her up, despite the prejudice they might face. I liked that he embraced his heritage, good and bad. As a fan of possessive heroes, I quite enjoyed him being so jealous of any man being near Amelia. The part where he finds out Amelia was alone with Christopher Frost, whew! (Okay I know I'm weird.) The elements of Romany heritage, culture, and language were very interesting to me. I don't really know much about them, so it was a nice little lesson to this history buff. I do have to say that Leo was bugging me. I feel bad that he lost his true love, but he didn't seem to realize that he wasn't just hurting himself, but his sisters who depended on him. I hope that we get to see him mature and get over his loss and become the person he was meant to be. I'm pretty sure that's what Laura (his lost love) would want for him. I loved the paranormal twist with the ghostly haunting that the Hathaways were experiencing, which was heavily tied into Leo's emotional issues. Very nicely done, adding to the delightful Victorian feel. As a fan of classic ghost stories, particularly set in the late 19th/early 20th century, I certainly enjoyed this twist in the story.The Hathaways are an entertaining family, each sister having a distinct personality that I hope to see more of. There were moments that their sisterly interactions reminded me of one of my favorite books, Little Women. You can guess who Win reminded me a little of.I loved the dynamic between Win and Merripen. I have a feeling their book will be wonderful, as it is very clear already how deep the love they have for each other is. Also it was so cool to see St. Vincent (sigh) and Evie, and Westcliff and Lillian. I like how down to earth Lillian is, and it's clear that she's been a great influence on Westcliff, although he's still bossy as ever. If I have one complaint, it's how quickly the conflict wrapped up with Amelia's ex-love, Christopher. That was a little too abrupt. All and all, a great reintroduction to a long favorite author of mine.
Rating: 4.5 Stars Mine Till Midnight is a novel that completely took me by surprise. Although its cover just screams "bodice ripper," don't let that fool you. In reality, Lisa Kleypas' first Hathaways novel is a story of tender relationships, growing family, and understanding love. It's a novel that defies most of the typical norms set on historical fiction, instead taking a less-trodden path and succeeding all the more for it. While you would expect plenty of sensual encounters, dashing dukes, and drama resulting from a severe lack of communication from most historical fiction novels, Mine Till Midnight delivers with sweet and adoring love scenes, steady character growth, and inner issues that the characters must face opposed to your run-of-the-mill drama. As such, it was a novel that might as well have been written for me and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. If anything is certain, it is that I will certainly be reading more of Kleypas as soon as I possibly can. Amelia Hathaway is a protagonist I liked even from the first page. When our story opens up, she is frantically searching for her elder brother who is squandering away the Hathaway's newly acquired wealth. With the help of a childhood friend and gypsy, Merripen, she traces her older brother, Leo, to an establishment run by the dark and enigmatic Cam Rohan. Cam, a gypsy himself, cannot help but find Amelia alluring and after helping her locate her brother, kisses her before residing to the fact that he will most likely never see her again. As fate would have it, however, the Hathaway's new residence happens to be neighboring to the home of Cam's own friends and before long, he is caught up in Amelia's life yet again. Cam, a mixture of gypsy and Irish blood, is an outcast is both worlds. Although he longs to be part of the nomadic tribes, he fails to realize that the Irish part of him retains strong roots and that his time spent as a civilized man is bound to cause difficulties if he were to return to the gypsy lifestyle. With the entry of Amelia into his life, however, he can't help but begin to fall for the beautiful woman. Amelia is fiercely independent and protective of her family. As orphans, the Hathaways have no one to care for them and as Leo is so often drunk or despondent due to the death of his fiancee, it is up to Amelia to run the household and oversee the well-being of her three younger sisters, Win, Poppy, and Beatrix. Cam sees Amelia for the woman she truly is; fearful of marriage after being jilted by a former lover, protective of her brood, and straining at the pressure put upon her. Amelia too sees Cam for more than a gypsy or an exotic mystery; she sees him as a man, well bred, intelligent, and alluring with his tales of gypsy lore. For me, the slow manner in which Cam and Amelia grew to gradually trust and depend upon one another was beautiful to watch unfold. While their initial interaction began with a kiss, their chemistry stayed checked while they got to know each other as friends and slowly began to give each other their hearts, even against their own will. In the midst of this blooming romance, we have the crazy Hathaway family. Each of the Hathaways had a distinct personality that was hard not to love. We have the soft-spoken, quite, and often sickly Win who is loved by Merripen from afar. We have Poppy, the sweet-tempered and helpful young girl growing into a woman and Beatrix, still somewhat a child but alluring with her love of pets. Leo, as the eldest, is the bad-boy of the family and, as such, I can't wait to read his story soon. It seems as if the men in this story, from Leo, to Cam, to Merripen, all retain an air of mystery while still showing their true sides of caring, worry, and love. Kleypas strikes a delicate balance with all of them, making them appear simultaneously vulnerable and strong, dark and light, protective and needing protection themselves. In this manner, she weaves a romance where both man and woman are equal, see eye-to-eye, and only bring out the best in one another. Mine Till Midnight utterly captivated me and I'm already missing the wacky presence of the Hathaways. Cam and Amelia's love story is one that will stick with me for a long time to come, mostly because they had to overcome their own inner obstacles to be together, whether it be their personal qualms, worries, or just the gossip that was sure to ensue from a union of English lady to gypsy. Yet, it all works out so perfectly and the characters are all so flawed and grow so wonderfully that one can't help but sigh in contentment when the last pages of this novel have been flipped. I'm hardly an expert on historical romances, but it is evident that Mine Till Midnight is something wholly different, unique, and beautiful from everything else out there. More than anything else, this novel is sweet. It is all laced with a romantic tinge of cute and adorable along with sensual, making it the perfect blend of just about everything. You can read this review" and more on my blog, Ivy Book Bindings.
What do You think about Mine Till Midnight (2007)?
Pooka at Midnight★★★★★ (This is a review of the audiobook.)It was pure pleasure to return to the first in Lisa Kleypas’ Hathaways series and the wonderful Rosalyn Landor, the narrator, brought it to life all over again. She does an excellent job of discerning these unforgettable characters’ voices with their multiple accents and distinct personalities. She helped me remember why this quirky family tugged on my heart strings the first time around. You can hear Cam and Amelia discover a tender, lasting love. **sigh** In addition, Ms. Landor coveys the aching emotions of Leo’s grief for his lost first-love. (I had forgotten she was also Amelia & Win’s best friend!) All this happens while the loving Hathaway family tries to settle into their new home and elevated social standing. I delighted in Merripin, Win, Poppy, and Bea and experienced the family bonds with love, tears, upsets, and laughter as if they were my own.
—Lisa Kay
There’s something just so special about a historical romance done the Lisa Kleypas way. Light, yet with substance. So much sexual passion and yet such tender love. Her books are always a delightful escape and her heroes are always so sigh-worthy.This is a touching story about a tight knit, albeit quirky, family consisting of four sisters, Amelia, Win, Poppy, and Beatrix; their one brother, Leo, and Merripen, who as a young boy was wounded and left for dead following a Gypsy hunt. He was brought into the Hathaway family by the siblings father and although they considered him one of them, he always kept himself apart - more than a servant, yet not quite part of their family. In Mine Till Midnight, while there are many, many things happening involving all of the siblings, the romantic focus of the story is on Amelia, the eldest of the Hathaway siblings, and Cam Rohan who we met in Devil In Winter. I’m not going to go into plot details, because there are several sub-stories going on and it would be too complicated, so I’ll just touch on the things I loved – or not so much – about this book.What I loved: I’ll start with Cam Rohan because I am, after all, a mature, red blooded woman with healthy desires who loves a hot, sexy man who wants to take charge in the bedroom and give as much pleasure as he gets. I especially love it when he… umm… errrr… that is to say… forgive me, for I digress. As I was about to say, I love how comfortable Cam is with who he is and who he isn’t. He knows what he wants and is willing to give up all his wealth to try and find it. He’s not a tortured soul in need of fixing, which is probably why I didn’t connect with him on some deeper level, but I wanted to bring him home and love him up all the same. What I loved and didn’t love: Amelia. Dear, sweet Amelia; what an interesting character she turned out to be. In fact, the very thing I admired most about Amelia is that which I also disliked about her. She’s a take charge kind of woman, getting the job done no matter the cost to her own happiness. Willing to set aside any hope for a marriage for herself, she set about trying to ensure the best possible future for her brother and sisters. She was very protective of the family, which in some ways is good, but we all know that you have to let people learn lessons on their own, sometimes. Amelia was so concerned about protecting them that she wasn’t letting them live. She was suffocating them. And even when Cam came along, offering to help share her burden, she kept refusing. She had some twisted sense of obligation and responsibility for the family that made me want to throttle her with my bare hands! Fortunately, that didn’t last too long and she eventually saw the error of her ways.Interestingly enough, the things that touched me the most about this book were not even related to Amelia and Cam, but Win and Merripen, which is who I felt the most connected to. It was heart wrenchingly clear that they care for each other – I’d even go so far as to say that they love each other. (view spoiler)[ In one heart breaking scene, Merripen has been badly burned in a house fire and infection has set in. Cam knows of a poultice that he’s certain will help, but would be very, very painful to apply. So despite Merripen’s hatred of morphine, knowing he’d refuse to take it, Win devises a plot to sneak it to him in mint tea. They make the tea very strong and overly sweet to try and mask the flavor of the drug, but Merripen can still taste it. In his weakened, delusional state of mind, he’s certain that Win is trying to give him an overdose to spare him any more suffering.I sobbed:Dying in her arms…cradled against her as he relinquished his scarred soul to the darkness…Win would be the last thing he would ever see, hear, feel. Had there been any tears in him, he would have wept in gratitude.He drank slowly, forcing down every swallow. He drank part of the next cup until his throat would no longer work, and he turned his face against her chest and shuddered. His head was spinning and sparks were drifting all around him like falling stars.Win set the cup aside and stroked his hair, and pressed her wet cheek to his forehead.And they both waited. “Sing to me,” Merripen whispered as the blinding darkness rolled over him. Win continued to stroke his head as she crooned a lullaby. His fingers touched her throat, seeking the precious vibration of her voice and the sparks faded as he lost himself in her, his fate, at last. (hide spoiler)]
—UniquelyMoi ~ 1-Click RockChick
I don't think I can say it enough: Lisa Kleypas is AMAZING.I wasn't sure what to expect at first with this book. I definitely didn't expect a ghost incorporated into the story. It sounds weird right? And though, while at first I didn't like the direction of that plot twist, it suddenly became an intricate part of the whole story making it much more mystical.But what really sold this was Cam Rohan. He was sublime. He was the alpha with the quiet disposition that could challenge the most rigorous fight while using the most gentle touch in seducing Amelia. He was enigmatic, mysterious, unpredictable and incredibly sexy. I don't often read about gypsies--last time being Jericho Barrons and that character still affects me till this day ;-D--, but I sure as hell want to if they all come looking like Cam(or Jericho, hehe!).Amelia was hard headed and annoying at times, always taking it upon herself to mind everyone's business. I understood her desire to provide structure and balance in her family especially with Leo being so incapacitated all the time. But she did go over board only to be tempered by Cam, another reason I loved him so much.This was a beautiful story giving us a glimpse of the predjudices of the day, that remain to this day unfortunately. I loved Amelia for her rejection of what society deems proper and for her bravery for deciding to be with a man that others forbade. It was lovely and sweet justice for all the haters out there, back then and now.This is the first in the Hathways series and also an HEA.
—Didi
