Customer Reviews

Hotter After Midnight

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Dr. Emily Drake is a person who knows that everything is not as it seems. Known as the Monster Doctor, Emily's patients consist of vampires, shifters, charmers, and demons. As an empath, Emily has the ability to sense the emotions of those who are Other, and uses this talent to help them navigate the trials and tribulations of being Other in a society that views what is different as being dangerous. But when a blue-eyed Shifter turns up at her office, even do-gooder Emily is a little hesitant. Shifters are notoriously volatile and occasionally psychotic, and Emily knows from past experience how dangerous it can be to get involved with one. But when the shifter in question tells her he's a cop, and he's requesting her help with an investigation involving the Other, Emily agrees to play along.

Colin Gyth is a shifter who goes through great pains to hide who he is from those around him. As a cop, he knows how dangerous life is even without admitting to others the beast that he carries inside him. When victims start turning up with their throats ripped out and animal hairs on their bodies, Colin is angry that one of his own could be so cruel. But with the help of the Monster Doctor, he's determined to get to the bottom of things before anyone else turns up dead. Getting to hang out with the beautiful, green-eyed empath is just a perk that comes with the job...

Hotter After Midnight is my first story by Cynthia Eden. I'm always hesitant to try new authors because it's easy to get burned with so many new paranormals popping up every day. This one was a good venture. Hotter After Midnight was a cross between urban fantasy and romantic suspense with all the best elements of each. The mystery was at the forefront of the story, but not over the top or overbearing, and the romance was passionate and intriguing. Colin was an alpha hero just like I like them, all possessive and protective, he made sure that no one went near his lady without answering to him for it. And Emily was a sweet, interesting heroine who I both liked and admired--which is rare. This story is great for anyone who likes paranormals about all types of supernatural beings--vampires, werewolves, demons, etc--but also wants something entertaining and suspenseful to boot.

Here's two people who lived their lives feeling like outsiders from the human race--Emily because she could sense The Others and Colin because he didn't know he WAS an Other (he was orphaned as a toddler).

At age seven, Emily discovers her father's body after he blows his head off, then her mother throws her into a mental institution because, being a child, she doesn't know to keep quiet whenever she sees or senses an Other. Now a successful psychologist with a patient roster of Others (fun concept, fun scenes), she finds that she STILL needs to keep her abilities hidden.

Raised in several foster homes after his parents' death, not knowing what he was, not even knowing The Others existed, Colin experiences his first shift at puberty and spends much of his life feeling like a freak, forced to hide and control his animal side. Even later, after he began to sense that he wasn't the only Shifter, he never knew about vampires, charmers, demons, etc. His own partner tried to kill him when he found out what he was!

Set up for some heavy, angsty, get-over-yourself, intense drama, right? They'll be healed by the Power of Lurve and live Happily Ever After, right? WRONG! They don't need to heal. They both have it together. THAT was the hand they were dealt and THIS is who they are now in their separate successful lives. What they find with each other is the chance to be themselves, to be loved and trusted because of, and in spite of, who and what they are. But they WORK toward that trust as they work together solving a series of preternatural murders.

Now, don't get me wrong, the book's not perfect. Eden fell back on the heap big macho wolf finds his mate in the teeny, tiny spitfire of a woman cliché. And the climactic scene confronting the villain was a bit of a let down--WHY'd he do it? Well, it kind of amounts to... "Because He Could.". Acceptable, yes, but I would have preferred something more.

Despite those two quibbles, the second I shut this book, I immediately could see Emily and Colin in a series of books solving preternatural crimes like Savich and Sherlock in Catherine Coulter's romantic suspense FBI series-- only this one's way hotter... and has The Others. Their sidekicks are even already in place-- McNeal, Colin's boss; Dr. Smith, the coroner; and Brooks, Colin's partner. Hell, I could even see this as a TV show.

We learn just enough about Colin and Emily in this book to want to see them work together again. But we aren't subjected to the angst of them working through an overabundance of personal drama. We know who they are and we LIKE them together. This kind of bottled lightning doesn't strike too often. I suspect it's the kind of magic that an author couldn't deliberately set out to catch.

So here's hoping that Ms. Eden (and Brava) will realize the characters are right there, already in place, just waiting for the call telling them they've got another Others mystery to solve.

HOTTER AFTER MIDNIGHT by Cynthia Eden is a paranormal romance, one like the reader has never read before. Emily, a psychologist for 'Others', those of Vampires, Succubus, and other supernaturals. She also has the ability to read minds as well as distinguish between the different 'Others' with her talents. Upon being approached by Colin, who she sensed was a shifter, an 'Other' that she refrains from due to their dangers. As Colin is a detective, he brings Emily to a scene of crimes as she becomes involved in assisting to determine who is killing others which brings Emily and Colin to work together to solve the killings There will be a race for their lives and their love, that has scenes that are so captivating. Colin and Emily too have an instant reaction to one another that in intense with sexual tension as well as the growing love that shows throughout the story.

Full with different scenes that some make you chuckle, like when Emily is with her 'Other' clients, make you shiver when they both are fighting for their lives and each other, and sighing when their love grows through the story and their coming together being intense with tension and exhilaration. Definitely a keeper, this book won't be staying long on the shelf for a re-read. HOTTER AFTER MIDNIGHT is one that you've never read anything like it before! Totally unique with a writing voice that reads this story like a movie unfolding. The reader will be on the edge of their seats awaiting what will happen next because there's no time to pause when reading HOTTER AFTER MIDNIGHT.

HOTTER AFTER MIDNIGHT is the most unique and creative read in paranormal romance this year. Both fighting a past, that's you can't help getting emotional with, that will swell you with tears, as you learn their past and go with them as they heal, trust and learn to love again. The beast in Colin comes out with his love for Emily, and that is exactly what Emily needed to move on in her life. HOTTER AFTER MIDNIGHT by Cynthia Eden, should be your next read as soon as you grab it from the stores, is a truly exceptional story that deserves even more praise. Read it and spread the word!

Hotter after Midnight is an engaging story of a shape shifting cop and a psychic psychologist/profiler who are trying to catch a supernatural serial murderer without---here's the tricky part---alerting humans to the fact that these supernatural beings (the "other")really do exist. Along the way, there's sex, suspense, a little romance, sex (it's worth reiterating that part) and a few cute one liners.

I am relatively new to paranormal romance, so I am judging (perhaps unfairly) this book by contemporary romance standards. But, I really believe that all romance novels should have the same basic elements no matter what sub-genre: an interesting plot, good character development and a happy ending. Oh, and sex :)

By those standards, Hotter after Midnight is a pretty good read. Perhaps because I am not a regular to this genre, I was a little overwhelmed by the number and variety of paranormal beings that were discussed in the book. Demons and shifters were intrinsic to the plot. However, I thought it was unnecessary to include some of the other beings. The inclusion of the vamps, succubi, charmers, etc. made it more difficult for me to suspend disbelief and buy into the idea of shifters and demons in the first place. I can believe in the existence of supernatural beings as an exceptional species. But, I have difficulty with the notion of supernatural beings existing on a large scale. It's just too 'out there' for my taste.

Aside from that, I had some smaller issues with unrealistic dialogue, especially during the love scenes. It took me out of the moment. And, there were a few small plot holes and unresolved issues. But, that didn't necessarily detract from my enjoyment of the book.

This is the first time I've read this author's work. I found her characters engaging (even if there were a few too many in the book) and the story itself was suspenseful and fast paced. So, overall, I enjoyed it. But, I think my next foray into this genre will have to appeal to my inner wereskeptic

With heroine, Emily Drake, a human psychiatrist whose ability to see the psychic imprints of paranormal individuals aids her with her paranormal patients like the hemophobic vampire, and hero, werewolf police detective, Colin Glyth who is back in "the closet" after an unforturnate "outting" attempt there was much to like about the Eden's paranormal romantic suspense, Hotter After Midnight. The leads come together when Emily is tapped to use her special abilities to help track down the killer in a murder investigation that Colin is leading. While Emily is determined to keep their relationship purely professional, Colin is disturbed that Emilly can "see" his secret but immediately recognizes her as his mate and is not going to allow her to keep any distance between them. The background story with the murder investigation is acceptable but it really doesn't do more than keep the pair in close contact until Colin can break down Emily's resistance.

But the leads were both quite likable and they both had enough common ground in pasts that forced them to keep their natures secret. Both Colin and Emily had experience with betrayals as well. I've read an awful lot stories with leads that had deep dark tormented debilitating pasts, so it was refreshing for a change of pace that their pasts didn't result in over the top tormented baggage and that their issues were actually woven into the story. I also liked that the author manage to draw out the consummation of the attraction between the pair, including having them decide to `stop' instead of just relying on `friendus interruptus' or such to slow them down.

The supporting cast was also good. I liked Colin's human partner Brooks (he's next up for a story of his own), Colin's boss police chief McNeal, the Medical Examiner Smith who gets her eyes opened to the paranormal world in a violent way, and demon Niol, even as dark and evil as he was supposed to be, he had my sympathy for his loss.

I enjoyed Hotter than Midnight, but I have to admit that near the end I started skipping through the love scenes. Another reviewer mentioned this too, and don't get me wrong I knew this was a Brava and I like romances that are a bit steamy, but once the characters' sexual relationship was well established and especially after they were `mated', I got bored with the play by play - I just didn't need it to be so detailed every time they got together. So I would have like to have seen the love scenes pared down near the end just a little bit, mostly because there were pieces of the story I wanted to know more about. Why does Emily's mom think that Emily's evil? What kind of `para' is McNeal? And what was with the rift between McNeal and Smith, knowing a bit more about their past would have made his reaction to her peril more powerful.

These are minor nits though and won't be enough to keep me from checking out Brook's story Midnight Sins and I will probably try the upcoming anthology Everlasting Bad Boys too, because it was Eden's intriguing contribution to the anthology When He Was Bad, her collaboration with Shelley Laurenston, that had me hunting up Hotter After Midnight in the first place.

I am fairly new to the romance genre in general yet have explored several different authors with Kresley Cole and her IAD series being my favorite thus far. This is my first book by Cynthia Eden -- the alpha male, "Others" aspects being similarities to Cole's IAD series that I enjoyed and drew me to purchase "Hotter After Midnight". That is where the similarities ended for me unfortunately.

"Hotter After Midnight" fell very flat for me. There was absolutely NO romance in my personal opinion. The story seemed to go from "blah blah...solving crime" to "let's have some sex" and then back to "blah blah...more police work". I felt no EMOTION from the characters and that's a big deal for me. There was no tension or sensuality at all. I do enjoy sex scenes...I have no qualms about gratuitous sex in these types of books. hehe Some sex scenes in this book were better than others but they all were fairly boring and full of "his stabbing tongue" and her "womanly scent that filled the room". I would have appreciated the smell thing if it was made specific to Colin having heightened sense of smell since he was a shifter but that wasn't the case. I normally don't nitpick about such things in sex scenes but her scent wafted through the air so much I was beginning to think the poor woman needed to go have it checked out by her doctor.

--Spoilers--
I have to admit that police, crime mysteries aren't my most favorite thing to read or watch on television so it's quite possible I lost a bit of interest in this book due to that fact. This book came across to me as a crime mystery book with just sporadic sex scenes thrown in. Again...no romance. I had a hard time getting drawn into the plot and, after struggling to maintain interest, the ending was just bad.

The "all of a sudden" she's in love with him "more than she's ever loved anyone" was completely unbelievable. These two never even really talked to each other, unless it was about the case. A few rounds of good sex was all that there was to this couple. The whole thing about Emily being Colin's "mate" reminded me of Cole's IAD series but Colin lacked any depth to his character whatsoever. It was just "I want to mark her. Mine!" and then back to business as usual. It was mentioned that the Others mate with their specific kinds but at the end Colin was like...Oh, she's my mate. How'd that happen? Oh well, fate's funny that way. I'm guessing because Emily is apparently unique with her abilities she can be his mate. It would have been nice to have had a bit more explanation on that.

Then there's the actual crime itself -- the murders. Between Emily and a seemingly powerful and perceptive Niol, you would think someone would have suspected the killer, especially since he had been fooling around with Niol's sister. But no, the only explanation we get is that he's just slightly more powerful and was able to mind control everyone at all times. I just didn't buy it. The suspense surrounding what type of shifter Colin was, was pretty lame as well. When it's finally revealed in the story it's just a major "well duh" moment.

Overall, this book certainly isn't the worst thing I ever read. It had some good moments and the concept that Emily was a therapist to Others was fun (and could have been explored more in my opinion). However, if I had the choice to purchase this book over again, I wouldn't.

What a life Dr. Emily Drake lives! As a therapist that specializes in treatment of bewildered vampires and perplexed demons, she has a birds-eye view of the problems, fixations and tribulations of the "Others." Upon linking with detective Colin Gyth, a closet wolf shapeshifter, Emily finds out a whole lot more than she wanted or expected to about the shadow side of her life. Even though she believes she has a handle on the gift that enables her to know and recognize the Others, during her travails and experiences with Colin she learns that what she doesn't know may kill her.

The relationship that builds between Emily and Colin is fraught with not only the typical relationship angst, but the dark attraction of Colin's shapeshifter nature is confusing to them both. Colin has spent most of his life not understanding his abilities, and trying to stifle his shapeshifter nature, and Emily has always prided herself on avoiding relationships with Others. Nevertheless, they bring out the beast in each other, with a passionate vibrant desire that threatens to engulf them, and takes them closer to danger, and to the Night Butcher. This murder case is complicated by the past, and threatens to overwhelm any future that Emily and Colin might share, so its resolution is necessary, and fast!

The therapy idea is clever and well played out, and the concept of therapy for Others is both amusing and intriguing. The thought that vampires can suffer from midlife crises, or that sex-demons can have mother fixations is certainly a twist on the theme of therapy and its benefits. It is also encouraging to read how Emily and Colin each deal with their uniqueness (her ability to sense Others, and his ability to shapeshift) is also an echo for many "normal" lives - we all have something special about us that requires understanding and enhancement.

The romance and sex scenes are definitely hot and heavy; the erotica in this book is well done and keeps the romance alive, even though the scenes are fiery and very sensual. Not for the reader who is bothered by sexual intensity and explicitness.

The quality of this book lies in its ability to provide several different facets for the reader. There is the mystery - who is the Night Butcher, and what does he want? There is the romance and sex - will she or won't she, and will he be overcome by his wolfish nature? The paranormal forces at work are a bit scary and somewhat overpowering, as with a well-written thriller, which keeps the reader glued to the page. The approach of the author is one of humor and sensuality; Cynthia Eden understands the value of keeping readers on the edge of their seats, wishing for more. It would be a great first book in a series!

Reviewed at Bitten by Books Paranormal Fiction Review Site by Readerwoman

2.5 stars.

I don't know what rubbed me wrong in this book. It has all the elements I usually like in romance: an interesting setting with an original interaction between humans and supernatural beings; an Alpha hero in law-enforcement; a smart heroine; no purple prose; a bit of mystery. Still I never found myself really immersed in the story, my mind was hovering and what I usually overlook when I am engrossed in the story slowly became annoying.

I think I didn't like the initial interaction between hero and heroine. I like really Alpha heroes and heroines who decides to be overcome by them without trying to project a holier-than-thou attitude, but I wasn't able to believe the words spoken by the main couple. The dialogue seemed stilted, the writing didn't flow. It's probably a problem of style, of writing rhythm that didn't sit well with my tastes. I also think that Colin's past could have been explored further to make his character more rounded and less cave-man. There was probably some humor in certain situations, but it got lost on me.

It's a pity because I think the action part was very well done and the concept of the story was well thought and original. I'll read the next book because I always take a second chance with a new (for me) author.

Just read this first book in the Midnight Trilogy by Eden, and I wish I could say I loved it, but I didn't. It was just OK. Had a pretty thin plot, and I found the dialogue "clunky" & a bit cheesy - just not very natural. One thing that drove me crazy was having so many sentences in the dialogue cut short at the end with a long dash....like the character had been interrupted just before finishing what they were saying. It happens continuously throughout the book. So I'd describe the writing style as unpolished, which I could deal with if the story was great.

But I didn't find the story so great - again, just OK. As for romance, there's not much build up on that front....it just sort of happens early on. And the plot - it was pretty basic; guess I just need a little more mystery, intrigue and action. I'm usually pretty lenient with my critiques, but I'd give this one a 2.5. I also hate to give up, and I know how "first books" can be. So I'll check out the sample for book 2. But if the writing style hasn't improved, I'm movin' on (especially with the kindle version priced on the high side). Unfortunately I tend to compare other writers to Moning, Andrews, Briggs, Laurenston..... I know all can't be this good, but I need something that's a little closer & with a stronger female lead.

i'm relatively new to the kindle world and love finding new treasures. this book is one. if you are a fan of sk's dark hunters and fun entertaining stories about things that go bump in the night consider buying this book. very worth it. i'm off read cynthia's next book in the series. this was a captiving standalone however with no cliff hangers. i'm ready to learn the secondary characters stories. thanks for the hours of enjoyment cynthia. =)