Saturday, April 2, 2011

Guest Review - - Midnight's Wild Passion

Midnight’s Wild Passion
By Anna Campbell
Publisher: Avon
Release Date: April 26, 2011




A notorious rake with an ancient name and enviable wealth, Nicholas Challoner, Marquess of Ranelaw raises eyebrows and ruffles feathers when he appears at a debutante ball where he is as out of place as a tiger at a tea party. What the denizens of London’s ballrooms don’t know is that Ranelaw is a man ruthlessly set on revenge, a revenge that has been years in the making. Long ago Godfrey Demarest charmed Ranelaw’s young sister into surrendering her virginity and then abandoned her. Two decades later another innocent young woman, Demarest’s daughter, Cassandra, provides Ranelaw with the perfect instrument for his revenge. A ruined life for a ruined life is definitely the Marquess’s motto.

Ranelaw has no doubt of his ability to seduce his victim, but this lord who boasts of his ability to eradicate chaperones is unprepared for Miss Antonia Smith, companion to Cassie. Experience has taught Miss Smith more than she ever wanted to know about rakes. Disowned by her family and forced to assume a disguise of “irreproachable rectitude” for the past ten years, Antonia is determined to protect her charge from repeating the mistakes made by Lady Antonia Hilliard, the girl Antonia Smith once was. The battle is on. Ranelaw and Antonia are engaged in a duel of moves and counter moves, complicated by the growing attraction that threatens to destroy his perfect revenge and her carefully constructed identity.

I’ll admit up front that I am not a fan of revenge plots. Had I been less a fan of Anna Campbell, I might well have passed on this one for that reason. For several chapters, Ranelaw seemed more villain than hero. I was repulsed not only by his willingness to destroy the life of an innocent but also by the fact that he recognizes the heinousness of his own actions and yet is not deterred from his plan. The struggle between Ranelaw’s darker and better selves is powerful, and the outcome seems in question for much of the novel. Just when the reader thinks that love may redeem him, the rake resurfaces:

He’d stared into her eyes, dark with confusion and unwilling passion, and for one, stark, horrible instant, he’d wished to be that different man. He’d wished to be worthy of her.

Hell, no. he was perfectly happy with who he was. He had more freedom than anyone he knew. He took what he wanted and discarded it when he’d had his fill. His world held no limits.

To my surprise, I found myself as a reader seduced by Ranelaw’s guinea gold hair and shades-of-gray heart. Like Antonia, I came to realize that “a reluctant hero skulked inside the Marquess of Ranelaw.”

I did like Antonia immediately. Ms. Campbell is well-known for her hot, angst-filled heroes, but she is equally skilled at creating remarkable, courageous heroines. Antonia is such a heroine. Some of my favorite romance heroines are those whose deepest nature is at odds with the image they present to the world. I’m happy to add Antonia to the list.

The secondary characters are also memorable. Cassie is a dear—young, idealistic, and loyal, with a surprising streak of pragmatism that surfaces at a crucial moment. Cassie’s father and Antonia’s benefactor, Demarest, is also an exceptionally well-drawn character—a carelessly kind man and indulgent father, who is nonetheless shallow, selfish, and incapable of accepting responsibility for his actions. I’d love to see more of Cassie and of Antonia’s brother, Henry.

Although her new novel lacks the darkness of Ms. Campbell’s earlier, Regency noir stories, it has all the emotional intensity and sizzling love scenes that one expects in an Anna Campbell novel. It’s another AC keeper! If you are a reader who sticks to light-hearted romance, this book is not for you. But for those who love a passionate, poignant romance that shows the redemptive power of love, I highly recommend Midnight’s Wild Passion.

~Janga

27 comments:

  1. Wow, color me REALLY HAPPY!!! Thanks, Janga. What a lovely review - still smiling over Ranelaw's grayish heart. So glad you loved the book!

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  2. Fantastic review, Janga. I'm a Huge fan of Anna Campbell, I can't wait to meet Ranelaw and Antonia!

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  3. Sounds like my kind of book. I like characters with depth and prefer them not to be bland. One cannot expect someone to drop a revenge plotted for almost 20 years lightly. The strength of character needed to care enough to seek revenge is also a strength that is needed to be a good hero. A change of heart isn't that easy. Isn't there a saying about love and hate being closely related?
    I will certainly be looking for this one.

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  4. Wonderful review, Janga! I totally agree with your assessment, although I have to admit, Ranelaw pretty much had me from hello--I'm a sucker for a bad boy when he can mock himself and has a thorough knowledge of how awful he is.

    Readers are in for a treat!

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  5. Great review. I know I will be reading this.

    marypres@gmail.com

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  6. Hi Anna! Having already read Midnight's Wild Passion I have to say that I agree with everything in Janga's wonderful review. Ranelaw is a hero worth waiting for!

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  7. You won't have to wait much longer now, Okie! Not only will AC fans gobble this one up but I think it's going to bring her even more new devoted fans!

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  8. One cannot expect someone to drop a revenge plotted for almost 20 years lightly.

    Librarypat, you are so right, especially when that revenge is rooted in his deep love for his sister.

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  9. Hi Christina! Welcome to the Dish! You said, I'm a sucker for a bad boy when he can mock himself and has a thorough knowledge of how awful he is.

    Yep, me too. I've always loved those bad boys. ;-)

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  10. Marybelle, this is one to definitely have on your "must buy" list!

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  11. Great review - I'm now shoving old ladies out of the way to get to the cash register, book in hand...

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  12. Great review - I'm now shoving old ladies out of the way to get to the cash register, book in hand...

    ROFL! Thanks, Julia! I love starting my morning with a smile!

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  13. Oh my! The heroine and I share the same name. lol Normally, I'm reluctant to read books where that happens, but since it's Anna Campbell I will make an exception. :D


    Great review, Janga!

    And what a beautiful cover!

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  14. Wow, great review Janga! Sounds like another award winning book from Anna. I will definitely buy this one!

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  15. If I hadn't already planned on buying Anna's book, this review would have made add it to my Kindle. Oh the agonies of owning a Kindle. Instant download satisfaction, horrible agony when it comes to not picking it up when I've other things to do.

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  16. Monica said, Instant download satisfaction, horrible agony when it comes to not picking it up when I've other things to do.

    LOL! I know, Monica! As soon as a book lands on my Nook I want to read it right now!

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  17. Antonia, the heroine in this book is a wonderful character so read and enjoy! :)

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  18. I already couldn't wait for this book, and NOW...UGH SO HARD! It sounds FABULOUS (not that I'm surprised)!

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  19. I read and loved this, too. And I told Anna that if she didnt write Cassie's book that I would hurt her...you know, by taking away Tim Tams or something like that. ;)

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  20. Great review! I'm looking forward to reading this one!

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  21. MWP truly is a wonderful book. I hope the review moves readers who might not have read an AC book before to try this one. Thanks for another great read, Anna.

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  22. Terrific review, Janga! I cannot wait to read this book!

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  23. Janga

    I loved this review and I gotta say this is one book I am really looking forward to reading can't wait WHOO HOO.
    Anna is an autobuy author for me I would never miss one of her books love em

    Have Fun
    Helen

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  24. Wow. With so much at stake, this is a setup for some sublime sexual tension, and I know Anna Cambell will not dissapoint in that area! Now I HAVE to get this one.

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  25. What a terrific review, and so well deserved, Anna. As you know, I adored this latest story. It's a real treat for any romance lover. Lots of passion and emotion and danger. I love that Antonia was poised on the brink of disaster, that the stakes were so high and the characters so believable. Most of all I think I enjoyed the snapping intensity between Antonia and Nicholas - the sense that they recognised the danger in the other and carried on such a fascinating relationship despite the danger of exposure to society.

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  26. Great review! I love Anna's books and have read most of them.

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  27. Anna's books are a must read for me. Her storylines and characters are riverting and, I just love the bad boys who eventually redeem themselves. I've read excerpts from MWP and, my blood is already steaming. Her books never fail to hold my attention from start to finish.

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