Winter Nights: Round Midnight\Until Christmas\Kwanzaa Angel (Arabesque) (Mass Market Paperback)

by Donna Hill (Author), Francis Ray (Author), Shirley Hailstock (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Readers willing to indulge in fairy-tale endings, relentless holiday goodwill and romance as mushy as Gramma's cornbread stuffing may enjoy these three stories packaged in a holiday volume aimed at the African American romance audience. Ray's "Until Christmas," features a heroine whose career path borders on camp. Accountant Samantha dislikes the "backbiting office atmosphere" and, instead, aspires to the position of housekeeper for a high-school principal and his two sons. Samantha's beauty, unfailing kindness and near-mythic cooking ability ensure a happy ending. In Hailstock's "Kwanzaa Angel," Erin has remained in her hometown after college to purchase her very own department store. Even harder to believe than this feat is her lingering wound at having been stood up 16 years earlier at the prom?and her lasting crush on the cad himself. Perfunctory Kwanzaa rituals strewn throughout explain the title. In "Round Midnight," Hill at least adds some snappy dialogue and prose, both of which are sorely missing from the first two stories. The protagonist, a female psychiatrist, hosts a late-night radio advice show, complete with R&B songs corresponding to the evening's topic. Few readers will buy the shrink's choice of romantic partner, who turns out to be a creep.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal
Continuing the tradition of a winter holiday trilogy focusing on Christmas, Kwanzaa, and New Year's, three of the Arabesque line's favorite writers join forces to produce a hardcover collection that, despite a few lapses in language, is filled with all the warmth and festivity of the season and will be welcomed by their fans. A widowed high school principal with twin boys hires a beautiful accountant-turned-innkeeper as his housekeeper with predictably romantic results in Francis Ray's "Until Christmas." Shirley Hailstock reunites a small-town department store owner with the man who humiliated her at her junior prom in "Kwanzaa Angel"; and a 35-year-old late-night radio psychologist finds unexpected romance with the station's program director in Donna Hill's very urban "Round Midnight Late Night Talk with Soul." Sensual, romantic, and family-centered, this diverse group of holiday tales will appeal beyond its African American market and should be considered by any library looking for holiday romance anthologies.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Kimani Press (October 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1583145915
• ISBN-13: 978-1583145913
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,586,100 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cold Nights, but warm hearts, January 14, 2001

By	Luv2Read "imareader2" (Baton Rouge, LA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Winter Nights (Hardcover)

Francis Ray's, "Until Christmas" is a touching novella about a young woman who not only touched the heart of the high school principal, Ethan Rawlings, but Samantha also won the hearts of Ethan's twins, Alan and Alex. Samantha, aka "Sam," was hired as a combination housekeeper, babysitter temporarily, but only until Christmas. At least, that is what Ethan told the twins and Sam, as well as himself. However, it was much too late for all of them to abide by this decision. Each was starved for the other's affections and each had become too attached to give up. The twins, not only saw Sam as their housekeeper/babysitter, but they saw her as a friend. She could play ball and was not afraid of their dog. The twins' affection went deeper still. Although they were in contact with their grandmother, they were still minus a mother figure. Sam with her winning ways, not only because she was a good cook and let them help her in the kitchen, but because it was who she was, had become special to them and they wanted her with them full time. Not only had Sam become special to them and the twins had become special to Sam, but Sam had also affected the twins' dad. Ethan's feelings for Sam were more than that of an employer, more than that of a friend. Somehow, in that short time, Sam had imbedded herself into Ethan's heart. Was he willing to allow a new love interest into his life or was he still shadowed by the deceit and experience of his ex-wife and the deceased mother of his twins. Ethan thought he had a solution to the problem when he reluctantly agreed to keep Sam, "but only until Christmas." However, love does not have a set time to go away. Therefore, until Christmas, turned out to a lifetime of love for Sam, Ethan, Alan and Alex. "Until Christmas" was the best. Way to go, Ms. Ray.

"Kwanzaa Angel" was a sweet remembrance into the past with a chance to correct the future. Erin had been hurt in the past by Raimi, who had reentered her life. Would Erin give in to her feelings that never dissolved for Raimi and become involved in a new relationship or would she revert back into the past? "Kwanzaa Angel" was about the Kwanzaa celebration, but with a twist of love for Erin and Raimi. Good story.

"'Round Midnight" was about the New Year's celebration. I loved the story of Dr. Summer Lane, the psychologist who now has a job at the radio station as a counselor on the air. Her show airs around midnight. It is at the radio station where Summer meets Tre Holland, one of the bosses. Everyone thinks Summer is a snow or ice maiden because Summer stays to herself and does not socialize with the others. However, Tre is attracted to Summer and sets out to melt the snow. Summer also has feelings for Tre and wants the ice to melt from around her heart. However, after getting together, somewhere while the ice is melting another freeze comes along and the ice around Summer's heart becomes another block of ice. Summer and Tre suffer heartship and are temporarily separated. Tre sets out to recapture Summer's love and to permanently melt the ice. He knows a new year will be approaching and is determined to be in Summer's life when the new year begins. So, he sets out around midnight to make it happen. Will Tre succeed in his endeavor? Read "'Round Midnight" and see what the New Year has in store for Summer and Tre. Great story with just the right amount of heat.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Three of Arabesque's best, just got better !!!!, March 3, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Winter Nights (Hardcover)

I just finished this two-thumbs up book by Arabesque's best three authors: Hailstock, Hill, and Ray. In my opinion, from writers of hits like Forever Yours, Break Every Rule, Clara's Promise, and Chances Are; there was no doubt in my mind these three stories would be fantastic, too. Let's just say, I wasn't disappointed!!

First, I read Hill's "Round Midnight" and I simply fell in love with Summer and Tre. They were destined for each other. Of course, around midnight when Tre called the station I cried my little eyes dry. I thought the other stories couldn't get better. Until I read, Hailstock's "Kwanzaa Angel", I admit I was skeptical at first because I'm not into the Kwanzaa thing, but I loved this story about innocent Erin who eventually found her Prince Charming (Raimi Price). Keep hope alive girlfriends, don't give up on that first crush - there's still hope!!! Then, I read Ray's "Until Christmas", let me just say I was no more good after Ethan wrote 'Until Christmas' for Samantha.

In my opinion, whether it's the Christmas season or not you gotta experience this book for yourself. Run don't walk.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Three heartwarming holiday tales that will warm your heart!, October 8, 1998

By	Dera R Williams (Oakland, CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Winter Nights (Hardcover)

BET Books makes it's debut with this holiday trilogy fromthree of romance's best writers that will surely bring readers muchcheer. In Until Christmas by Francis Ray, Ethan Rawlings has come back to his small hometown to become the principal of the high school after living in Philadelpia. He is the father of twin eight year-old boys who mean the world to him so he would not trust their care to just anyone. So when Samantha Clak strolls into his office for an interview he is very skeptical. She is young, pretty, and highly educated. But he doesn't count on both his boys and his parents taking to her and decides she can stay until Christmas. But then she begins to feel like family. In Shirley Hailstock's Kwanzaa Angel, Erin Scott encounter a little lost girl in the department store she owns. When she find out the girl's uncl is no other than Raimi Price, the boy who deserted her at the Senior Ball, she is surprised and then flustered when he doesn't remember her. This was the love of her life and now he is back in town to spend the holidays with his sister. Later on that evening on the first night of Kwanzaa (Umoja) at the community cener they meet again. Raimi now knows who she is and is fascinated by Erin. But can she trust her heart to a man that one betrayed her? Dr. Summer Lane has all of the answers on her nightly radio show in Donna Hill's Round Mignight. With R&B music from Anita Baker and the Whispers thrown in with advice about love relationships, the doctor is guilty of not taking her own medicine. Tre Holland, the program director thinks the former psychologist is stuck on herself, but encouaged by his sister he decides to take a chance on asking her out. Summer knows Tre fought againt airing her show so she is leery of him and starting an on-the-job relationship. All of their doubts and fears culminate on New Year's Eve night when the show is aired live. These are thre well-written, entertaining stories that will leave the readers feeling all cozy and warm during the holiday season.