Customer Reviews

Midnight Run (Midnight Series, Book 2)

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Where has this author been all my adult reading life? Better yet, where have I been that I'm just recently discovering her? Well, it's all good now, because there's no stopping me from reading everything this author will ever produce. Sure, I've got a keeper shelf, but I've never vowed to buy a book just because a particular author's name graced the cover. I'm breaking that particular dry spell and claiming here and now that Lisa Marie Rice's books will always be a must buy for me. Here's why:

Claire Parks is a woman on a mission. Having been terminally ill most of her young life, she's more than ready to experience all the things she never had the opportunity to. Wild parties, the rougher side of life, you name it, she wants to experience it. Sex? Well, absolutely! She's on the prowl for a good time and when she meets undercover Lieutenant Bud Morrison at a club, she just knows she's safe and secure with him. When the good cop gives her a ride home, thinking a white trash guy like him could never get close to a princess like her, he's in for the surprise of his life when he gets an invite into her home. What proceeds is the best, no holds barred sex of his entire life. It was dirty, it was rough and it was a turning point for him and Claire both. He know's he's found something special and he's not about to let Claire slip through his fingers. When they each find out who the other really is though, will their new found love be enough to hold them together? Or will Claire's tragic past drive them apart?

This is not erotica as I have read it before by other authors. Rice consistently produces heartfelt and heart wrenching stories, with the perfect mix of naughty and nice, that just make me want to read them over and over. There's a depth to her writing, her characters, that readers seldom see in other books. There's a good solid plot line that, so far, interweaves nicely with the other two books in this series (first "Midnight Man", "Midnight Run" then "Midnight Angel"). Bud Morrison has a very strong presence in the book, very much a rugged alpha male meets Pierce Brosnan-like persona. Strong and formidable, yet dashing, kind and extremely caring all in one. He's outraged at any foul treatment of women and children and he takes his job as a cop, protector if innocents, seriously. Claire is the type of heroine you just want to weep for, because of her tragic past and her determination to actually LIVE, then stand up and cheer for her (kind of a "You go, girl"!) when she gets a man like Bud. Actually, you could almost feel jealous of her, but hey, it's fiction ladies. Alas, siiighhh, these men are not real. So, if you haven't read Lisa Marie rice's books yet, don't just pick up this one - get them all! Prepare to absolutely live in her books. The stories are so compelling, the men so HOT, you'll wish you were one of the heroines of her books.

Having recently discovered this author, I am busily obtaining all her backlist. Once again, Ms. Rice excells at creating larger-than-life characters. The heroine's tentative entry into a sexual relationship, the hero's suprized tumble into (gasp!)love, are tender and funny. The heat in the sex scenes gains it's intensity from thier love.

I am an omnivorous reader of all fiction, and it has been years since I was impressed by a romance author to this extent. Readers of Linda Howard and Suzanne Brockmann would not regret reading Lisa Marie Rice. I can hardly wait for the third book!

So many times a sequal is not as good as the 1st, but this book did not disappoint.

Bud is a hot alpha male and Claire is the perfect beautiful counterpart. A very heartwarming emotional read. It is nice to read a story with a great balance of suspense and hot chemistry.

Lisa Marie Rice is a very talented underappreciated author who once you read her books will have you hooked. She is mega talented and capable of writing extremely sizzling sex at the same time she is writing a well thought out story that brings each of her characters wonderfully alive.

In this story Claire Parks a very rich but sheltered young woman meets a very hardened police officer and they fall head over heals in love with one another. There are many twists that I do not want to ruin for you, but trust me that you will not be bored. I strongly recommend this book and also the other two "Midnight" books. Her earlier books are also worth your time.

This was a great story, I fell in love with Claires sweetness and the way the autor portrayed her, and who would not love a man like Bud? SO caring and in love with her. I tingle when I think of that snake tattoo, and those who have read the book know what I mean. What woman would not want a big tender man like that to come along and rescue her? I love Rice and hope that her other books are as wonderful.A keeper.

what a wonderful discovery ms.rice is!packed with sexual tension,yes,but,ms.rice does not forget the romance as so many erotica writers tend to do.this author's writing is sensual,funny and unexpectedly tender.a rare talent to be compared with lora leigh,shannon mckenna,denise agnew,etc..do not miss this series!midnight man and midnight run are two of the best books i have read this year.i can't wait for the next one!i highly recommend both books.

I completely agree with other reviewers. This is an awesome story.
I am almost so sure that Ms Rice is Ms.Shannon McKenna whose words and style unique.
I recommend you highly, you won't be disappointed.
Have a great read.

This was a book I stumbled upon while looking around the reviews on Amazon. What a great discovery!
I've already ordered Lisa Marie Rice's "Midnight Man," which was the first in this trilogy; and "Midnight Angel," the third.
Midnight Run is a well-developed story with a macho cop and a woman who's battled life-threatening illness and is just now in her mid-20s healthy enough to spread her wings and live a little. They fall for each other immediately, but it's believable and the love scenes (okay SEX scenes :) are well done.
At first, Bud doesn't realize Claire's so fragile so he treats her as a normal grown-up woman. And she loves that, having been coddled and smothered by the well-meaning attentions of her loved ones.
When things change and her beloved cop becomes a control freak, she has to take a stand. Won't ruin the story by letting any cats out of the bag.
Totally agree with the reviewer who compared this to Linda Howard. In fact, although I love Linda Howard's work I wondered if it would be mean to send her this book as a kind of hint that she needs to GET BACK to this kind of plotting and characterization.
And I wonder about the allegation that Lisa Marie Rice and Shannon McKenna are one and the same. That's probably not true, at least we better hope it's not as one author--unless she's Nora Roberts--is not as prolific as two.
But if this rumor grows in strength to the "Paul McCartney is dead" level, garnered from the Abbey Road album cover, then that reviewer's work is done :)

STORY BRIEF:
Bud is a homicide police lieutenant. Claire is a single child from a wealthy family. For years she battled leukemia but survived. She was kidnapped for ransom but was rescued. She has been sheltered and living under armed guards for some years. She recently moved into her own little house, got a new job and wants to start experiencing life. She goes to a nightclub with a coworker and meets Bud. The first half of the book is their meeting and spending the weekend together having lots of sex. After that, Bud learns of her past illness and starts treating her like he's afraid she'll break. Bud loves her but won't have sex with her because he fears he might hurt her. She is upset over this.

REVIEWER'S OPINION:
This is the second book in the Midnight series. It was ok, but not as good as Midnight Man. Too much pondering in the minds. It could have used more plot, action or events. The characters are a strong, protective, needs-a-lot-of-sex police guy and a delicate poetry-loving princess. The ending was great with fragile Claire turning into a kick-butt heroine.

Although each book can be read as a stand alone, if you're thinking of reading all three, definitely read them in order. Bad guy "A" causes a conflict in the first book which is resolved. The same "A" conflict is repeated in the second book where it is told from the perspective of Bud and Claire. At the end of the second book bad guys "B" are causing a conflict which is resolved. The same "B" conflict happens again at the beginning of the third book but is told from the perspective of the third-book characters.

DATA:
Story length: 227 pages. Swearing language: strong. Sexual language: strong but nothing kinky. Number of sex scenes: 8. Total number of sex scene pages: 69. Setting: current day Portland, Oregon. Copyright: 2002. Genre: erotic contemporary romance.

OTHER BOOKS:
For a list of my reviews of other Lisa Marie Rice books, see my 4.5 star review of "Midnight Man" posted 3/17/09.

Lieutenant Tyler "Bud" Morrison is scoping out a seedy club when he sets eyes on Claire. She looks like a princess and she's completely out of her element in the wild danceclub. When she's abandoned by her friend and accosted by leering male revelers, he swoops in and plays the gallant knight to her fair damsel and takes her home. Expecting to give her a handshake and a nice-knowing-ya on her doorstep, he's stunned to hear her invite him inside......for coffee.

Claire Parks is free of the leukemia that has ravaged her body for nearly a decade. She's finally able to shake off her father's suffocating but well meaning strictures and is going to live a little. In case she hasn't told you, she's fine. The handsome stranger named Bud comes to her rescue and as he drives her home, she works up the courage to ask him inside......for coffee.

They don't have any coffee, but they do spend the weekend together in naked splendor, where they engage in some seriously kinky iambic pentameter sex. After the course of the 48 hours, their idyllic weekend is busted when Claire's father comes to see her and when he sees Bud, instead of being upset and appalled, he's frankly grateful and relieved. Her father reveals to Bud how he has been terrified of leaving his girl alone in the big, bad world and he hopes he can leave her in his capable hands. His fears transfer to Bud and suddenly he's treating Claire with kid gloves. Claire is fine and refuses to live in another suffocating parent/child relationship, especially now that she's a healthy adult. Just when she's got Bud back where she wants him, the danger surrounding her friend, Suzanne, spills over into her life. The brutal torture/murder of a friend spurs Bud into protective mode and without thinking of her feelings, stashes her away, determined to protect her from a desperate man who is out to protect his secrets.

This was a great book. There was hardly any time wasted on stupid ditherings between the hero and the heroine and they right away acknowledged that they loved each other. Whether or not they can live together is a different story however and I thought it was cute. Now that Claire has experienced hard, screaming sex, she wants more of it. (sheesh, who wouldn't) Unfortunately once Bud realizes that she used to be sick as a child, he treats her like porcelain and she's not liking it. When she comes to his office dressed for seduction, Bud's half hearted protestations wane in the face of her aggressive advances and it's really funny. I really liked Claire and her ability to embrace life and I thought Bud's attempts to be a gentleman was a hoot. We get some glimpses into John and Suzanne's HEA and I liked how they are still evolving as a couple.

This was a very amusing, sexy and exciting sequel to Midnight Man. Well, it's not exactly a sequel. Apparently, the events in Midnight Run are coinciding with the events in Midnight Man and Midnight Run also sets up the story for Midnight Angel, so the three stories definitely need to be read in order or you are going to get confused. There isn't as much outside drama in this book as was in the first book, it mostly runs on self inflicted angst. There was a lot more humour in this one though as opposed to John and Suzanne's story but Bud is no less a man than John was. In fact, he's much more forceful in bed than John was. He's a little more commanding and dominant, too. Delicious. I can't wait to read Midnight Angel. Enjoy!