12 authors…12 unforgettable stories
The stroke of midnight ushers in many things. From hijinks and mischief to danger and evil, romance is the magic that binds these paranormal novellas together. Join 12 best-selling and award-winning authors as they explore the different shades of midnight in exclusive, never-before-released stories.
Liliana Hart: The Witch Next Door
Darynda Jones: A Lovely Drop
Shea Berkley: Dark Secrets: Stone Cold Dead
Dakota Cassidy: Witched at Birth
Claire Cavanaugh: Midnight Renegade
Rachel Grant: Midnight Sun
Trish McCallan: Spirit Woods
Angi Morgan: Bodyguards in Heels: Hit and Run Hallie
Robin Perini: Night of the Jaguar
Robyn Peterman: Switching Hour
Ann Voss Peterson: The School
Jenn Stark: Getting Wilde Twelve Shades of Midnight
Liliana Hart â 1 SUMMARY
This collection of books by a bevy of talented authors is beyond words great. Each short story gives you a brief introduction to each author and teases you just enough that you’ll have to control your itchy one click finger to not buy a book by each one. Instead of reviewing each of the 12 stories, I’d like to just highlight a few.
Darynda Jones’ Lovely Drop
First off, BOILER UP! You have no idea how big of a smile I had with your reference to my alma mater in your story (Purdue University). That little touch alone made an already great story simply marvelous! You’ll get extra kudos for the originally of the story and world itself. I honestly think if Darynda wrote a page long story on a bar napkin I’d still fall instantly in love with her written words. This woman seriously has the literary keys to my heart.
Switching Hour by Robyn Peterman
This story will have you in tears laughing!!
The Witch Next Door by Liliana Hart
This tantalizing tease of a very sweet beginning story will definitely peek your interest. I do believe that this is the beginning of a new series for Liliana.
ebook Обожаю, как пишет Даринда Джонс. И в этом сборники меня привлек только ее рассказ. И мне он очень понравился!
В ЛП он называется «С радостью в омут».
Какой была бы ваша жизнь, если бы вы могли вернуться на сутки назад ? Андреа использует свой дар, чтобы анонимно раскрывать бытовые преступления. Обладая столь могущественным даром, девушка даже не помышляет использовать его для своей выгоды. Представьте ее недоумение, когда девушку ловят и три дня подряд допрашивают в участке, а потом сажают в фургон, привозят на место престу��ления и просят девушку рассказать что произошло в доме... Коротко. Увлекательно. Интересно. С юмором и страстью. Мне очень понравилось. Замечательный перевод. Хочу еще.
ebook I kind of like these kinds of books, because I see new to me authos I would otherwise not read. This book did take me forever to get through, because despite the novella length stories, there were SEVERAL of them! This is actually a good thing... I mean, who likes buying a book that you'll be done with in a day?!? Starbucks, book...? weighing out options... This one is long enough to make it worth it!!
The only things I really didn't like were the few cliffhangers at the end & the steamy warning s that fell a little short, but that was more of a crack up than anything...
This one is totally worth the read, especially if you want a taste of other authors you may want to follow!! I did add a couple to my list after reading this book!! ebook I didn't read all the stories, so the rating is an average for the 3 stories I did read. Liliana Hart - The Witch Next Door - 3 stars - a sweet beginning to what I'm guessing is going to be a trilogy. Darynda Jones - A Lovely Drop - 4 stars - Unusual story and world, would be interested in more of this. Robyn Peterman - Switching Hour - 5 stars - because it made me laugh......a lot :) ebook This is a perfect read if you want a PNR without the time commitment of a full novel read. Each story is imaginative and short, enough for one night's read. I have to say I enjoyed Darynda Jones' the story the most, but I may be a little bias as I adore her Charley Davidson series. Here she introduces us to another fantastic heroine with unusual powers and a really dreamy hero...I may even like him better than Reyes. This short could easily be developed into a page-turning series. I would be first in line to purchase it - or at least I'd be very quick to one click it. ebook
♦ Only read A Lovely Drop by Darynda Jones
Another amazing story by Darynda Jones. This woman can tell tales like no other!
At first, this really sounds like a Charley Davidson story, which is not a complaint, but soon develops into a fascinating story of the life of Andrea Grace.
Andrea drops which is what she calls going back in time. She can only go back twenty-four hours but she can basically do it anywhere and anytime.
She was raised up to believe this was a family curse and to keep her gift private. And she does that for the most part...but she is drawn to unsolved crimes. She tries to help the police anonymously but soon gets found out and that's how she meets Special Agent Sebastian Strand.
Let me just tell you that DJ knows her way around the male-female dynamic. These two were quite steamy together, even with a rather unwelcomed peek at something else. Sebastian could give Reyes a run for his money...and that's saying a lot.
Andrea and Sebastian work a case together and it was really intriguing to see what all Andrea could do...and Sebastian. See, he has a gift himself.
I loved how things wrapped up but it seriously left me wanting more. Unfortunately, I didn't find out if there will be anymore of Sebastian and Andrea but I'm keeping my *fingers crossed*
Favorite quotes:
♥ “My boss is quite taken with you.”
“Good to know. I’ve had my eye on a jet for a while.”
ebook The Witch Next Door by Liliana Hart ~ 2 1/2 Stars
This story caught my interest in the beginning, but lost me shortly there after. It became too confusing. I couldn't tell what was past and what was present. I think because of that I just couldn't connect the way I should have.
A Lovely Drop by Darynda Jones ~ 5 Stars
This story was a book packed into a few pages. Of course, I would have expected no less from Darynda. This one pulled me in from page one and I was sad to see it end. The idea of her being able to time travel but only 24 hours back intrigues me. I would love to see more of these characters and find out what happens after this story.....HINT HINT Darynda!
Stone Cold Dead by Shea Berkley ~ 3 Stars
I liked this story, but a key point was missing for me. We never found out what Arana was or why she was cursed. I would have liked to have more of her back story. I realize these are short stories, but I felt that was a big piece of information that was never given. The story itself was interesting. I liked the fact that mere humans were able to slay the big bad vampires. The characters were badass. I really liked that the female was a strong lead that didn't need rescuing.
Witched at Birth by Dakota Cassidy ~ 5 Stars
This was another story that seemed like a book. I loved the characters and the story line. This author is new to me but I can't wait to read more from this author! I wish there were more of this story. I really need to find out what happened to Zelda and I definitely need more of Winnie and Ben...and of course Lola!
Midnight Renegade by Claire Cavanaugh ~ 4 Stars
This one started out a little slow for me. Although I can’t say why it may be that I had just finished the previous story that was fun and light and went straight to this one that is serious. But, it quickly picked up.
It had a strong female lead which I love, but I didn't find it sexy per se because I kept picturing something akin to the Hulk for Alex. I liked all the different abilities and all the action in the end. The mind reading added an element of fun to mix with their inappropriate thoughts. I would like to read more.
Midnight Sun by Rachel Grant ~ 2 Stars
I couldn't connect with this one. There just wasn't enough back story on the characters for me to really care about them. Another thing that may have clouded my judgement on this one is the strong instant physical attraction. Whether it was supernaturally induced or not. I felt like we were told about the attraction not really shown.
Spirit Woods by Trish McCallan ~ 4 Stars
I really liked this one. The mystery of the woods, the long lost love. I fell in love with Meechum. I would have liked to read more about these characters and of course I am dying to know who's foot prints were in Logan's house. I will be checking out this series. Maybe we can get some answers in the upcoming book.
Body guards in Heels: Hit and Run Hallie by Angi Morgan ~ 3 Stars
I liked the family aspect of this one. Hallie is an FBI agent turned small time PI. Her first job is from an old flame who happens to be her former partner. When things went south with her last job in the Bureau she packed up and left the FBI and him.
I would have liked a bit more of their back story, but it was a good read.
Dark Guardians: Night of the Jaguar by Robin Perini ~ 4 Stars
This one grabbed me from page one. The ultimate love story tragedy. Vampires and the Order who hunt them. Talk about your kick ass female, WOW. She can take down several men before they even know what hit them. She was definitely fierce! And Cade was very sexy and alpha. I would like to read more of this story!
Switching Hour by Robyn Peterman ~ 4 Stars
I loved that this story was a continuation of Witched at Birthed by Dakota Cassidy. I'm so glad we got Zelda's story and it was great. Watching Zelda interact with the cat and the rest of the animals was hilarious. I would love to read more of Winnie's and Zelda's stories!
Unfortunately, I was unable to finish the last 2 stories of this book before the review was due. I do plan on finishing them and will update this review once they are done.
I received this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
ebook This was a great collection of paranornal romances of all types. Found of couple of new authors to me and series I plan to follow.
Liliana Hart: The Witch Next Door – This has great promise – 3 triplet sisters who are witches who have the responsibility of keeping their small town safe from another which hunt which took out their ancestors in the past. Each of the sisters looks different and each all have their own power which is unlike the others. They know something bad is coming and are trying to prepare for it. There is also a reincarnation plot between the main couple that switches back and forth that was also intriguing. My only complaint is where the story stopped.
Darynda Jones: A Lovely Drop – What a cool concept – really liked this one. All of the women in Andrea Grace family have a gift. They can go back 24 hour in time. This took its toll on her mother and Andrea has tried to not use her gift for fear she would be exploited by either the government or by bad guys. She cant help but get involved to help those that have been murdered though. When she anonymously tries to warn the police about a terrorist attempt this gets her brought in for questioning and then asked to use her gift to find out what happened on some recent murders of uncover operatives. She ends up working with Special Agent Sebastian Strand (who is hot hot hot) Hope to see more of these two in future books.
Shea Berkley: Dark Secrets: Stone Cold Dead - Wow the writing of the fighting scenes were so realistic. This is about vampires but they are not the main characters. They are the evil beings that are being fought by 2 mortal brothers and an immortal cursed woman who is a bad ass. And if that isn’t strange enough there are two little girls they become guardians of when their mother is killed and the vampire queen wants them for nefarious purposes. I was glad to see this was the start of a new series and the next book comes out in March.
Dakota Cassidy: Witched at Birth - I think I laughed pretty much from beginning to end in this very humorous look at woman who has to make some big changes in her life. Winnie and her best friend Zelda are in Witch jail. Winnie lost her mother at a young age and since then has had some anger issues. She never used her magic for good and her latest stunt of blowing up the warehouse of her ex-boyfriend has landed her in Witch jail where all her powers were stripped away. For her parole she is sent to Paris, Texas where she has a month to prove she has learned the error of her ways. Problem is her ex-boyfriend Ben now lives in Paris and he is put in charge her during her time there and if that wasn’t enough she is made to be the assistant of preschool aged little witches and warlocks who have the same behavior issues she did growing up. Along with the humor Winnie also comes to realize how she has acted in the past – quick to anger – hasn’t been the right way to handle her grief over the loss of her mother and she also realizes she over reacted to thinking Ben dumped her. Even though this was a novella size you got a complete story.
Claire Cavanaugh: Midnight Renegade - This was a nice change of pace in a collection full of witch stories. This one is about soldiers who were experimented on without their approval and the ones who not under mind control were set to be eliminated but instead ended up with some crazy super powers. The leader of the Seals team Alex managed to live through both a serum of cyanide and a fire but is now a extremely strong man with healing powers and can summon fire and lighting with his hands. His only mission has been to find the doctor that did this to him and his team and kill him. That doctors daughter Samantha is a FBI agent who gets a mysterious message from the father she through was dead to go to a specific set of coordinates to find Alex. What she gets is dead when an assassin blows up her team. Alex finds her and gives her some of his blood which heals her and she then herself gets a pretty neat ability. Alex isn’t happy when he finds out who she really is but the two now being hunted by a team of killers go on the run to find her father and try and find out the truth to what happened to Alex’s team. This was full of action and if it would have been a movie tons of special effects. There were 3 more guys from Alex team alive who also got the same serum as he did and their books are the next in the series. I’m looking forward to reading Begay’s story.
Rachel Grant: Midnight Sun - Sienna Aubrey travels to the Bering Straits with a mask she had stolen from the museum she was working for as a Native American Graves Repatriation Act specialist. She knew the mask belong to the Itqaklut tribe and that it had been stolen and wants to return it to the tribe even knowing she was breaking the law. The mask itself also seemed to have a strange effect on her causing nightmares and strange premonitions. She hoped that bringing it back to where it belonged would stop all of that. Sienna mistakes Rhys Vaughan for his cousin who doesn’t correct her as Chuck is in the hospital after someone tried to kill him. Rhys thinks Sienna might have something to do with it or at least knows who does and he wants to find out what he can from her. The mask causes these two to have some erotic dreams together. The rest of the story is figuring out what the mask really wants and why someone wanted to kill Chuck. Even though it was an erotic short – this author always manages to bring in her background of archeology into all her books and some true life history.
Trish McCallan: Spirit Woods - Spirit Woods introduces us to the town of Jamesville that’s surrounded by a forest that has been labeled Spirit Woods for all the strange things people have seen in them. Its been called haunted and dangerous. It also seems to resurrect the dead. That concept fascinated me. This is a novella so the pace is pretty quick but the story was no less captivating and I am looking forward to reading more about the Spirit Woods in upcoming books. Along with all the mysterious things going on it also had a reunion romance between the now town vet and one of the towns police officers. They had dated briefly in college which didn’t end so well do to a huge misunderstanding by the heroine. I liked that the hero who had never believed in supernatural things before coming to town didn’t hesitate in believing that something weird was defiantly going on. This one I know for sure has a second book coming out in February.
Angi Morgan: Bodyguards in Heels: Hit and Run Hallie - Hallie Barton was a FBI agent in New York. She loved the thrill of chasing bad guys and was sleeping with her partner Gage Owens. While undercover trying to catch one of the FBI’s 10 most wanted she starts to hear voices in her head and blows the mission. She then leaves the FBI and her boyfriend behind to go to Dallas to live with her Grammy to figure out what was going on with her. Once there she finds out being able to read minds is a family gift or curse depending on how she wants to look at it. She gets a PI license and 2 years later Gage comes to her for help with a witness he needs protected. This was the start of a new series so the setting up of the detective agency with her two cousins who also have a “gift” along with their Grammy who’s funding the start up and running the office was a big part of the book along with their first case and Gage and Hallie reconnecting again.
Robin Perini: Night of the Jaguar - Robin Perini: Night of the Jaguar – Cade Peterson is a vampire hunter for the Order of the Jaguar. His need for vengeance over the death of his brother spurs him on. But with each kill he risks his own soul to become as black as the evil vampires he kills. He comes upon a small group of people being slaughtered by a vampire in the jungle and in shock watches a woman kill the vampire. Aiyana lives in the jungle. She is almost one with it and has skills unlike Cade has ever seen. He knows there is something different about her but he cant put his finger on it. He also knows that when she disappears back into the jungle he should just let her go and continue on with his mission of killing vampires but something about her attracts him and he follows her and his whole life changes.
Robyn Peterman: Switching Hour - Robyn Peterman: Switching Hour – We met Zelda in Dakota Cassidy: Witched at Birth. We didn’t know what happened to her once she and Winnie left the Witch’s prison. Her conditions for her parole were to go to West Virginia to look into the death of her Aunt that she didn’t even know existed. Zelda was quite the colorful character and defiantly more guarded and self centered. Once she finds out that her Aunt’s job was being the town’s animal whisper that healed all the shifters that lived in the town it didn’t take long before she came to care about them but yet still refused to commit to being her aunt’s replacement. It took a wolf shifter who claims to be her mate and a huge surprise at the end to finally get her to let her guard down and set up roots somewhere.
Ann Voss Peterson: The School - This had bit of a creep factor. Two young children outside of an abandoned school one goes in and doesn’t come out. In the mother’s frantic search for her son an eerie paranormal tale erupts. When Rachel and her neighbor Nate who used to work for IPPO – Investigations of Paranormal Phenomena and Occult – go into the school to try and find her son Rachel ends up being tormented from her own past – something that the paranormal being does – hits on your worst fears and makes you think you are reliving them again. This was not it seems a first book in a series so there were a few things I didn’t know what they were referring to but overall I really enjoyed the creep factor of this one.
Jenn Stark: Getting Wilde
ebook ITS ON SALE FOR .99 CENTS ON AMAZON
What an amazing collection of short stories/books. And on a frugal note for us one click addicts out there. It is so worth the $4.99 price tag for the twelve short stories we get.
Many of the authors within Twelve Shades of Midnight need to turn these short stories in to full fledge books/series. (I’m talking to you Darynda Jones) This is a perfect way to get to know “new to you” authors and for long time and new fans alike it’s a great way to get you fill between books.
Smart, sexy and mysterious reads with some sweetness added in. A perfect stocking stuffer read for the holidays.
I loved it!
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ebook Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy
When reading anthologies I find myself wanting more of some of the stories featured. This feeling came to me on almost every story in TWELVE SHADES OF MIDNIGHT. They ranged from sweet and sexy to thrilling and dangerous and I will not be satisfied with just these paltry few drops of sweet sweet storytelling. Lucky for us many of these stories will be expanded on! Here are my thoughts on a few of the ones that really stood out for me.
The Witch Next Door by Liliana Hart is a tale about a few witch sisters who protect a town and an encounter with a past love for one of them. It ends on such a tease it would be criminal to not write another story or even series about what mysterious dangers they are running into.
A LOVELY DROP by Darynda Jones has a quite capable heroine who can time travel 24 hours into the past and of course uses her powers for good solving crimes. This story packs a punch in so few pages and I loved exploring this 24 hour time travel concept and how it can be used to help solve crimes. More please!
STONE COLD DEAD by Shea Berkley was a longer story in comparison to the others. The main characters were pretty badass and one of them was a supernatural creature I admit to not encountering in urban fantasy/paranormal romance. This one was pretty dark and thrilling. I enjoyed how the female lead was kind of an avenging superhero.
WITCHED A BIRTH by Dakota Cassidy was hilarious, sweet, and touching. It was basically everything I excepted from a Dakota Cassidy book. We've got a bad girl turned good, rekindling romances, and Baba Yaga being crafty and clever. I want more from this story as I have to know what happens to some of the other characters featured here. This story felt like a whole book with a full plot combined with a clear backstory for the main characters.
BODYGUARDS IN HEELS: HIT AND RUN HALLIE by Angi Morgan This one was a funny, lighthearted story about a FBI agent turned private investigator. I enjoyed the case though I felt like there could have been more information about Hallie's past. Luckily there probably will be more about her as noted by the author's promise at the end of the story.
SWITCHING HOUR by Robyn Peterman This was about Zelda, Winnie's friend from the Dakota Cassidy story which was a pleasant surprise since I had been wondering what happened to Zelda after getting out of jail. Zelda's hilarious banter with her cat Fabio was the highlight for me.
ebook
