Midnight Marriage (Harlequin Historical) [Mass Market Paperback]

Victoria Bylin (Author)

Book Description

Series: Harlequin Historical | Publication Date: January 1, 2006

A LIFESAVER AND A DEAD-EYE SHOT

Dr. Susanna Leaf was a woman of startling contradictions, and Rafe LaCroix found every one of them too intriguing for his own good. He couldn't risk staying anywhere for long, but with her alluring innocence Dr. Leaf invited a man to linger—and made him desire things he'd long since lost the right to yearn for….

HE'D KIDNAPPED HER

All in a good cause, Susanna Leaf admitted, but Rafe LaCroix was a powder keg of unpredictability and wore his secrets as close as his battered trail duster. Yet his raw masculinity compelled her in ways that reminded her she was a woman first and a physician second. And that—more than anything else—made him dangerous.

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Midnight Marriage teaches you to grab on and hold tight to those you love most." -- Kim Swiderski, Writers Unlimited

"The fast pace is tempered by the gentle passion that shimmers through the pages." -- Kathe Robin, RT BookClub Magazine, January 2006

"This fabulous story has earned RRT's Perfect 10 award!" -- Diana Risso, Romance Reviews Today

"Through all of the hurt, Victoria gives healing to her characters that forgiveness can bring." -- Trudy, onceuponaromance.net

Five Blue Ribbons! -- Dorine Linnen, romancejunkies.com

From the Inside Flap

A LIFESAVER AND A DEAD-EYE SHOT Dr. Susanna Leaf was a woman of startling contradictions, and Rafe LaCroix found every one of them too intriguing for his own good. He couldn't risk staying anywhere for long, but with her alluring innocence, Dr. Leaf inivted a man to linger--and made him desire things he'd long since lost the right to yearn for...

HE'D KIDNAPPED HER All in a good cause, Susanna Leaf admitted, but Rafe LaCroix was a powder keg of unpredictability and wore his secrets as close as his battered trail duster. Yet his raw masculinity compelled her in ways that reminded her she was a woman first and a physician second. And that--more than anything else--made him dangerous.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Harlequin (January 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0373293844
• ISBN-13: 978-0373293841
• Product Dimensions: 6.4 x 4.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,395,413 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Victoria Bylin writes about cowboys, outlaws and preachers. Her early books were mainstream romances for Harlequin Historicals. She is currently writing inspirationals for Steeple Hill. Vicki's books have finaled in the ACFW Carol Awards, the Rita Awards and the Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Awards. She and her husband have been married forever and have two grown sons. Vicki has California roots, but she and her husband now live in Lexington, Kentucky with their crazy dog. Anyone who has owned a Jack Russell Terrier will understand exactly what she means by "crazy."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Splendid until THE Stumble. 4 Huge Stars., December 30, 2005

By 

MaryGrace Meloche (Ontario, Canada.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Midnight Marriage (Harlequin Historical) (Mass Market Paperback)

It always intrigues me when an author understands the sway of romance. She understands the power of a look, the necessity of a gentle touch, the potency of desire. Undeniably, in MIDNIGHT MARRIAGE, Victoria Bylin understands the romance dance and exquisitely draws on its strength.

In the future, Rafe LaCroix wants his wounded partner to ride a horse effortlessly, to bed a woman without shame, to stand proudly - unassisted. To achieve that enchantment, he needs help and Dr. Susanna Leaf is the only person who can give it to him. As a man on the run, Rafe LaCroix knows desperation and right now, his partner - his friend - is suffering. Rafe LaCroix may be a decent man, but the game of life has forced him to be hard and ruthless and Dr. Susanna Leaf had better grasp his meaning.

Susanna Leaf is a doctor first and a woman second, but lately the lonely nights are growing long and Susanna finds herself wondering about a man's gentle touch. As a lead character, Dr. Susanna Leaf is appropriate and likable. Victoria Bylin writes her heroine as neither reckless nor overly gutsy; instead, she allows her reader to see a lonely woman. A woman who wants to be kissed and held; a woman who wants to sleep with a husband - like spoons in a drawer.

What Ms. Bylin truly accomplished here was to make me want . . . more. More? Definitely! Unquestionably, MIDNIGHT MARRIAGE is brilliantly romantic and it appears Ms. Victoria Bylin is an author gifted with a lovely writing style, but in MIDNIGHT MARRIAGE, the ending stumbled. Simply put - HE let HER down. When the going got rough, the hero failed miserably - he ran away! Consequently, Bylin's beautiful book staggered and the finale finished with a forced conclusion. This could have been a truly great book, but the ending caused it to miss its potential. However, I remain eager, next time Victoria Bylin may well succeed into 'phenomenal' territory.
Grade: B+

MaryGrace Meloche.
Reviewed for RomanceDesigns.
This review is based on an Advanced Reading Copy.