Customer Reviews

Hunting Midnight

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I can't believe I'm giving this book a five-star rating when I gave the predecessor only two stars, but Hunting Midnight, the follow-up to Catching Midnight, is a true phenomenal, spellbinding read. This novel picks up where Catching Midnight left off. Ulric, the leader of a pack of shape-shifting vampires known as "upyr," is heartbroken. Gillian, the love of his life and object of his fixation, has left him for a mortal. In order to keep his pain at bay, he has one-night stands with mortal women. But when a particular mortal woman named Juliana, desperate to escape from an arranged engagement, asks for help, his existence isn't the same. Juliana, wooed by Ulric's sensuality and charisma, wants to become upyr, but she does not know that Ulric does not possess the ability to convert her into one...

I love the combination of romance and erotica in this novel. It is far steamier than the first installment and it doesn't go on explaining the life of the upyrs like in the first part. Also, the characters are far better developed this time around. It was great to get reacquainted with some of the characters. All I knew about Ulric in Catching Midnight was that he was very possessive, but he is far more dimensional in Hunting. And he is one irresistible hero! I even found myself thinking that wolves, at least the ones in the novel, were sensual and erotic. Though I find it strange that in this series the characters are shape-shifting vampires. I always thought that in these sorts of books the characters are either vampires or shape shifters, not both. But I suppose that paranormal fiction writers are free to be as creative as they want to be. Anyway, I also loved the medieval setting. The aforementioned setting added a great deal of magic and darkness to the story. This is classic Emma Holly! She awoke my senses, my heart and intellect with this phenomenal gem. There's a slight cliffhanger in Hunting, which means that there are more surprises to come. Perhaps the next installment will center on Gytha or Bastien. I cannot recommend this gem enough! But you have to read Catching Midnight first or else you won't know the whole story.

They roamed the Scottish forests for centuries until 1370. Ulric, leader of the pack of upyr shapeshifters, is irate that the female he should be protecting, Gillian selected someone else to be her mate. Angry, Ulric leaves the safety of the forest and his pack to wander the streets of Bridesmere to see what the excitement of humans is to Gillian.

Juliana Batoc flees an arranged betrothal. Ulric sees her, but instead of his usual taste for human blood, he feels a need to keep her safe due to some weird attraction. He agrees to help her, but soon she knows his deepest secrets and demands he bring her over as he has done with her virginity. He wants nothing more, but first she must meet the pack who must accept her as one of them. Inside that Eden resides a new snake prepared to cause trouble for the pack through the human female.

Though very similar in tone to its predecessor CATCHING MIDNIGHT, fans of historical vampire romances will appreciate Emma Holly's paranormal tale. The strong couple and his pack make believers of the audience. The story line hooks the reader with its prime theme of acceptance of her by his kin though the intrigue of the troublemaker makes it a bit too easy to reject Juliana even if it adds suspense. Fans of fourteenth century paranormal tales will enjoy HUNTING MIDNIGHT.

Harriet Klausner

This book has it all: adventure, romance, HOT love scenes, and great paranormal characters. I recommend this book to anyone looking for a wonderful paranormal romance. Before reading this book, I was in a "reading rut". I had a hard time finishing any book that I started until I found this one. It is going to stay with me for a long time and I can't wait to read more in this series!

I've been a fan of Emma Holly's from her Black Lace days, and this new series is no exception. I would probably rate the first "upyr" book, CATCHING MIDNIGHT, as a 3-4 star read, but this one is a solid 5! Very sexy, very intriguing, and slightly dangerous. I wish there were more medievals like this!

Setting - England, Bridesmere 1370 --- Enter the world of Emma Holly, an author that will spin you another tale of the Upyr - shape shifting immortals. Upyrs are generally content to stay hidden in their own woods - running in packs and feeding off of the animal inhabitants of the forest. Except, Ulric, leader of the pack, betrayed by his long time lover, has left the safety of the forest and now roams the streets of Bridesmere to see what humans have to offer. Would it be fate then that on these streets he would meet Juliana Buxton, the once dutiful daughter of a successful merchant? Fleeing from a betrothal with a much older and wealthier man, Juliana noticed the aura surrounding Ulric - which in it's own way was unusual for a human to see. Ulric who was in the process of `thralling' a crowd, as would a `pied piper', immediately sensed Juliana and the attraction would be mutual. Learning of her plight he agrees to assist her in an escape, mainly as a step in seducing her, but as the two travel across the land to his domain, Juliana on an erotic journey of her own in which there was no return, would be the one to enthrall Ulric who fought hard against feelings for any woman -- his feelings still raw from so recent a betrayal of the woman he had loved for so long.

In a word - WOW! This is Emma Holly who, in my mind, is rapidly becoming one of the most amazingly sensual erotic writers of the decade! Yes, I read the first book in the series, CATCHING MIDNIGHT, and loved it as I became acquainted with the race of Upyrs. In this sequel, which is easily a stand alone, you will be introduced again to these shape-shifting immortals and be in for the treat of your lives if you like your reading sprinkled liberally with BLAZINGLY HOT and sensually explicit encounters coupled with a beautiful and tender `love' story! What more can I say - the story is solid, the characters are well defined, it introduces you to new characters (Bastien and Emile), brings back some of the older lovable ones, yet still lets you feel the emotions of tenderness that only a beautiful love story can do. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and can only hope to see a continuation with Bastien's story in the very near future. --- Marilyn, Official Reviewer for www.historicromancewriters.com

At the end of Catching Midnight, I wondered what laid ahead for Gillian and Aimery, but we can wait for another book in this series for that! Hunting Midnight is Ulric - Gillian's ex-lover - and Juliana's story.

The story begins with a mysterious duo, one I would love to see in the next book of this series! - seeking refuge and a new home. Their quest gives the story its general theme, but it's the love between life mates that drives the plot.

Juliana is a maiden fleeing the clutches of an older, amoral bethrothed, and Ulric is a heart-broken pack leader lost without love. From the moment these two meet sparks fly - literally. As Ulric initiates Juliana into the world of sensuality, she helps him find love again.

Emma Holly's second foray into paranormal eromatica is even better than the first and a definite must read for Holly fans. As I hinted at earlier, my wish for the next book in this series ... A story about Bastien

I was pleasantly suprised by this book. Most of the erotica I have read has been disappointing in that there was no storyline-basically like soft core porn for women . Not true with this story. I found this paranormal romance engaging, the wolfen like creatures, the upyr, interesting, the the affection/love between the two main characters endearing which make the sex scenes, IMO, far more enjoyable. Nice supporting characters, I can see where they would make interesting leads in future books. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes fantasy, werewolf, paranormal romance-except if you have no taste for explicit sex scenes, then skip it. Otherwise 4 1/2 *'s!

Ulric, the alpha male shapeshifting umpyr (read: vampire) of Holly's first book in this series, CATCHING MIDNIGHT, comes back. In this book he meets his surly, sulking match with the perfect heroine, one who doesn't let him brood over his hurt feeling or his wounded pride (See CATCHING MIDNIGHT). A little bt spoiled, she is on the run herself from a disasterous arranged marriage, and is fascinated by Ulric's charisma, and his strange powers.

The secondary characters in this book, Ulric's pack, really make the book. The dynamics and personalities really flesh out and enrich HUNTING MIDNIGHT.

As to the world, Holly really unifies her themes and concentrates on one or two elements of the umpyr existance, instead of trying to explain it all, and that makes HUNTING MIDNIGHT flow and come together better than its predecessor. This is a must read.

There's a reason Emma Holly is known for her HOT reads and "Hunting Midnight" is a shining example! Yes, it's erotic, yes it's hot...but the story line is facinating and the love story very romantic. Ms. Holly has a talent for making her heroines strong and believable...and well, we ALL want her hero's to be our own!

I think what I liked most about "Hunting Midnight" is not only was it a great story, but it had a sweet, tender and meaningful ending. Not only did it offer Emma's customary scenes of pure hot sexuality, it offered a solid story, terrific, loveable characters and all of the emotion and passion we like to see in today's romances.

Thanks Ms. Holly! Keep 'em coming!

This book starts out h-o-t-t HOT, languishes at tepid for a while in the middle, and then finishes off nicely. But all the good spicy stuff is front-loaded.

The heroine, Juliana, is magnificent. I really liked her. She has never minded being a dutiful and obedient daughter, and has competently run her father's household since the death of her mother. But now her father wants to marry her to a tyrant, and because she knows marraige to this man would be intolerable she decides to run away. She's like the tree that bends with the wind but doesn't break, pliant but incredibly strong.

That's why she's so well suited to Ulric, an uber-alpha vampire-werewolf king who's primitive even by the standards of the fourteenth century, when the novel takes place. Juliana is submissive enough to get along with a man like Ulric, but not so weak as to be crushed by him. Throughout the novel Ulric absorbs some of Juliana's curiosity and respect for others, while Juliana takes on some of Ulric's natural authority and strength. They really compliment one another.

In the beginning, Juliana blackmails Ulric into taking her away from her home town and guaranteeing her protection until the end of the summer. Ulric does so begrudgingly; he sleeps with Juliana because she's there and she's desirable, not because he cares for her. She worms her way into his heart very slowly, but eventually Ulric realizes that he's fallen in love. That's when things go downhill - Ulric gets it into his head that he needs to be "gentle" with the woman he loves, and "put her needs first" but somehow this translates to having infrequent, tepid sex. Naturally this makes Juliana feel rejected and misunderstandings ensue.

Emma Holly is great and I very much enjoyed HUNTING MIDNIGHT. I'm a bit iffy on this vampire/werewolf hybrid race, but she's talented no matter the subject matter.