Customer Reviews

Kissing Midnight (The Fitz Clare Chronicles-Upyr Books)

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

 

 

SYNOPSIS:
Edmund Fitz Clare is an upyr, a vampire who can change into a wolf, but a much more compationate type upyr than most might expect. He longs to care for humans and have someone care for him and so adopts three children from an orphanage. These three are not related in any way but have formed a bond within the orphanage and Edmund cannot bare to separate Graham, Ben and Sally. He takes them all to be his adopted children. As he is taking Sally to school for her first day he asks a fifteen year old girl, Estelle, to help Sally adjust to school. This is how the story of a most unusual family begins. Years later Estelle's parents are killed and she goes to live in the Fitz Clare household. Edmund has always been attracted to Estelle but has never shown this attraction to make sure he doesn't influence her unduly. Estelle is now 25 and has decided to move into her own apartment. Now she and Edmund will allow their true feelings to show.

OPINION:
This is Emma Holly writing at her best. The story takes place in London in 1933 so the atmosphere of the book is different from the usual "vampire tale" and makes it very interesting. Instead of chapter numbers or titles, each chapter is called by the location name where most of the action takes place. I really enjoyed that because London is one of my favorite cities in the world to visit. I loved the way she made these characters come alive and made even the most unusual traits for Edmund and his natural son, Robin who is also an upyr, seem plausable. The dynamics within the Fitz Clare family are fully explored. The politics among the different elders within the upyr factions are covered. Ms Holly takes the time to set up this new series very well. And I found out at the end of the book just WHY that set up had been so thorough......because this book is a cliff hanger. It is not a standalone book unless you never want to find out what happens to Edmund after his confrontation with the rogue upyrs.

This book contains a lot of sexual situations. There is sex between many different couples during the course of this story playing out. These scenes are written very well by Ms. Holly and their number makes much more sense to me now that I know this is a continuing saga. Edmund and Estelle are a wonderful couple and there are all kinds of hints throughout the book that we haven't seen anything yet. I'm thinking that Estelle, Graham and maybe even Ben will find that they have all been drawn to each other for many reasons. The character of Sally got on my nerves a little because she is such a spoiled brat but I'm hoping situations will make her grow up very quickly.

RECOMMENDATION:
Highly recommended if you enjoy very sensual novels, if you enjoy vampire or shapechanger novels or if you just love Emma Holly's writing. Thank goodness "Breaking Midnight" will be out in July and "Saving Midnight" will be out in August. Looks like we have a really hot summer to look forward to. It's a shame that I have so little patience though. I'm already running various possible scenarios in my mind and I have only just finished reading the first book in the trilogy.

Kissing Midnight, like all of author Emma Holly's recent paranormals is firmly on the erotic side of PNR moreso than Holly's earlier Midnight series (Catching Midnight, Hunting Midnight, Courting Midnight ).

So, as you can garner from the mixed reviews, whether you will enjoy Kissing Midnight largely depends on whether you like a bit of sex with your story or a bit of story with your sex. Kissing Midnight falls in the later category and provides sensual parity for pretty much all of its characters: leading man wolfshifting upyr Edmund, his love Estelle, all Edmund's adopted children - and all the vamp background characters except poor Robin (Edmund's biological son) who is the only one going through a dry spell. Even though there are hints of nautiness (foster - so not actual - siblings do the taboo), for Holly the sensuality level (as opposed to the sensual density) is a degree or two milder than her last couple of erotic paranormals, all menage or BDSM (except for one light bondage scene) or MM is offscreen. Most of the couplings are intense and frantic, but Holly varies her sensual language so that even with the large number of love/lust scenes they don't end up feeling repetitous.

My reading tastes generally fall more on the steamy side of mainstream than the erotic, but while I would have preferred a bit more story, I did really like wolf-shifting upyr Edmund - you'll remember him and few other characters from the earlier Midnight books. Edmund is centuries old and very sweet and vulnerable in his love and protectiveness for his adopted human family and in his persuit of the young woman Estelle who has called to his heart since he first met her as teen. While Estelle has lived with Edmund's family after the death of her parents, Edmund doesn't pursue Estelle until she is of age and out of his house, so unlike some other readers this didn't bother me. Let's face it if you actually stop suspending disbelief, a relationship with someone older than your great-grandparents is squicky whether you be 15, or 50, so I try not to let in too much reality when I read vamp romances.

The story itself is very simple, some power hungry vamps are using one of Edmund's foster sons to manipulate Edmund into taking out his vampire queen former lover. But despite the simplicity I liked the build up of all the conflict, the (for Edmund) frightening transition and the cliff hanger ending enough that I might consider reading the next book- although I strongly suspect that with the way things end for Edmund the next book may be up outside of my sensuality comfort zone, so I will likely prescreen it before deciding. The trilogy continues in Breaking Midnight and completes with Saving Midnight).

I have always been an Emma Holly fan, if her name is on it, I will buy it. So speaking as a die hard fan I will tell you that I feel like this series is a whole new wonderful direction for Ms Holly and I loved it! Kissing Midnight has been a wonderful addition to her Upyr series while having it's own identity.

The previous reviewer gave you the synopsis so I won't do that. What I will tell you is that not only is this a love story between a man (well an Upyr) and a woman it's a family love story. The moments between Edmund and his children as well as the siblings relationship really tug at my heartstrings and those moments are so poignant that it sometimes brings tears to my eyes.

That's what I love about Ms Holly, she brings the spice but she also brings the emotion. I couldn't put Kissing Midnight down (which made for a long night for me). There are very few books that give you a glow after you've read them but this does and left me breathless and waiting for her next book. Brava Ms Holly!

Kissing Midnight was a disappointing read. I felt like the back story of Edmund, Estelle and his family was missing. So the beginning felt rushed, and I never really felt like the characters were fully fleshed out. I also found some of the dialogue and behavior pretty silly, especially Edmund's children, Graham, Ben and Sally. Sure, there was plenty of sex in this book, mostly between Edmund and Estelle since this is their love story. But it wasn't enough to save this book. Even the love story between Edmund and Estelle was lackluster in my opinion, not much tension or conflict between them. This is the first book in a series and I won't be reading any more.

I thought this book was fantastic! I liked the story, I liked the fast moving pace (it didn't drag on endlessly trying to kill me with angst). I loved the romance between Edmund and Estelle and I LOVED THE SEX! Some say it was too much, but I guess that all has to do with your personal preference. I like it steamy and in abundance, especially with Vampire novels and this book delivers! The only thing I was upset about was the cliff hanger ending, but I'm on my way to buy the next one so that won't last long. Great read!

What can I say, but WOW! Ms. Holly has started a new series - The Fitz Clare Chronicles. This series takes you inside the world of vampires, and you learn that besides the "normal" blood drinking kind there is another - the "upyrs" - they are shapeshifting vampires.

In Kissing Midnight, Ms. Holly has started the series with a family, a slightly unusual family, the father is a upyr who has adopted human children, not for the purpose of using them as convient food as you might think, but to have a family, to give them a chance at being a family. She introduces you to the patriach of the family - Edmund Fitz Clare, upyr vampire and almost elder of his kind. You also get a peek at his blood family, a brother and son both of whom are also upyrs. You get to meet the children that Edmund adopted - Sally, Ben and Graham as well as the unexpected addition to their family of Sally's best friend - Estelle.

In Estelle, Edmund has discovered someone whom he desires, but does nothing about it because at the time she comes to live with them she's only a teen, one who has been unexpedectly orphaned and injured in a freak lightning accident. Once grown however things change, and Edmund has a harder and harder time not acting on his desires until things just kind of spill over.

The back of the ARC gives this blurb and in my opinion it's a great description.

Edmund Fitz Clare has been keeping secrets he can't afford to expose. Not to the orphans he's adopted. Not to the lovely young woman he's been yearning after for years. He's an upyr - a shapeshifting vampire - desperate to redeem past misdeeds.

Estelle Berenger knows better than to fall for her best friend's father - besides being sexy, brilliant, and kind, he's also quite eccentric! Estelle could overlook Edmund's peculiar allergy to the sun if this were his only oddity. Instead, he seems to hold the key to her own mystery: ever since she was truck by lightning as a teenager, she's had abilities - and - strengths - no normal woman should possess.

The star-crossed pair might be able to resist each other, but deep in the the heart of London, a vampire war is brewing, a conflict that threatens to throw Edmund and Estelle together - and to turn his beloved human family against him....

The author gives us all the variations in human nature in a story that will keep us reading not only this installment but others in the series. The bad guys and girls use every trick in their repertoire to try to take down Edmund and destroy the love his family feels for him. There's suspense to keep us guessing and romance that will keep us enchanted. Family dynamics are an important part of the tale that Ms. Holly makes both complicated and simple. It's a classic battle between love and hate, sometimes inside the characters as they grow through their feelings. This is great reading for all fans of the paranormal. - Dee Dailey

The book started out with great potential. But after awhile, I lost interest with the main couple Edmund/Estelle. Instead, Sally/Ben is MUCH steamier and more interesting to read.
I would have rated this 3 stars but Sally/Ben deserved 1 more.
Shapeshifting vampire concept is amusing but the story is missing something to spice up.

Edmund Fitz Clare has never fully reconciled himself with what he has become as an Upyr and his past failures as a father. To make up for the past Edmund has adopted several war orphaned children and brought them into his home to raise as his own. And while the endeavor has been largely successful and rewarding for Edmund, he has encountered a young lady during these years that tempts him beyond reason. However, as the young woman is a dear friend to his children, now grown, he fears that his attraction is impossible and would taint her. But Edmund never counted on Estelle's determination to pursue her attraction to him and her ability to see past his glamour.

But when temptation becomes too great Edmund succumbs and his relationship with Estelle becomes explosive. Still, Edmund knows someone is stalking his family and that they are all in danger - but what can he do when he doesn't know where the threat comes from?

Kissing Midnight is an epic that in true Emma Holly fashion will wrap you in the sensuality and mystery from the first page. Edmund is a fascinating man, full of contradictions and vulnerability that serve to make him much more than a mere fascination as a fantastic Upyr, but his true attraction lays in his internal battle to remain distant from Estelle. Estelle is a surprising woman that challenges expectations and Edmund's perceptions of her at every turn. As we have come to expect from Emma Holly, Kissing Midnight is full of sensual moments between several couples that only heighten the suspense and romance and will leave every fan breathlessly awaiting the next installment of this magnificent saga! Be warned though, this book ends in a huge cliffhanger that will leave you desperately eager to pick up the next book in this series! The set up and detailed development of the Upyr world and the Fitz Clare family is magnificent and it only serves to whet the reader's appetite for more and find out how all the different plot lines will come together and resolve themselves into a happy ending for Estelle and Edmund, but also all the other characters that peak into the story to spice it up. Pick up Kissing Midnight for a powerfully emotional read that is action packed and steamingly hot!

Sabella
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

I have long been a fan of Ms Holly and this book doesn't disappoint! She has taken her Upyr series and brought it up to another level. If you are already a fan you will love it, if you haven't read Ms Holly's work before this is a great book to jump into her work with. You don't have to read her previous Upyr books to read this one, yet once you have finished devouring the FitzClare Chronicles (which I did) you'll want to go back and read them.