What do you think?
Rate this book
Vampire/Werewolf Trilogy #1
Chasing Midnight
There are far worse evils than jazz and lipstick--By day, Allegra Chase lives among the artists and eccentrics of 1920s Greenwich Village, in search of adventure. By night, she haunts the city's back alleys and seedy speakeasies, driven by a more primal hunger. Here, amid the glitz and unrestrained morals of jazz-age society, even a vampire can fall prey to the temptations of the flesh. One look into the golden eyes of the dashing Griffin Durant, and Allegra knows she's not dealing with just a man....Though their kind have been enemies for centuries, Griffin has never encountered a vampire as independent, uninhibited or eager for his touch as Allegra. Yet their newfound desire is threatened by a jealous vampire master, and a race war seems inevitable. Griffin and Allegra must struggle to stay out of harm's way--and hold on to their dream of an eternity of passion.
496 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 25, 2007
18 people are currently reading
808 people want to read
About the author
Susan Krinard
76 books330 followersTrained as an artist with a BFA in Illustration from the California College of Arts and Crafts, Susan Krinard became a writer in 1992 when a friend read a short story she'd written and suggested she try writing a romance novel. A long-time fan of science fiction and fantasy, Susan began reading romance -- and realized what she wanted to do was combine the two genres. Prince of Wolves, her first romance novel and one of the earliest to feature a werewolf hero, was the result. Within a year Susan had sold the manuscript to Bantam as part of a three-book contract, and the novel went on to make several bestseller lists.
Since then, she's written and published over fourteen paranormal and fantasy novels, and written stories for a number of anthologies, both fantasy and romance. Both the anthology Out of This World (which included Susan's "Kinsman") and the novel Lord of the Beasts appeared on the New York Times Bestseller List.
Susan makes her home in New Mexico, the "Land of Enchantment", with her husband Serge, their dogs Freya, Nahla and Cagney, and their cat Jefferson. In addition to writing, Susan's interests include music of almost every kind, old movies, reading, nature, baking, and collecting unique handmade jewelry and decorative crafts.
Since then, she's written and published over fourteen paranormal and fantasy novels, and written stories for a number of anthologies, both fantasy and romance. Both the anthology Out of This World (which included Susan's "Kinsman") and the novel Lord of the Beasts appeared on the New York Times Bestseller List.
Susan makes her home in New Mexico, the "Land of Enchantment", with her husband Serge, their dogs Freya, Nahla and Cagney, and their cat Jefferson. In addition to writing, Susan's interests include music of almost every kind, old movies, reading, nature, baking, and collecting unique handmade jewelry and decorative crafts.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
June 13, 2012
Synopsis:
Allegra Chase was turned into a vampire by her father’s close friend. It was her only chance to live to the full and have some fun. As a teenager she fell ill (something sounding like a progressive muscular dystrophy) and, abandoned by her posh friends, boyfriend and even her mother, she was left to wait for her death in an empty house with only one servant. Small wonder that, being given the second chance, she took it without regrets and never looked back. Small wonder she doesn’t want to swear allegiance to anybody – be it a vampire, a human or a werewolf, even if it means she is an oddball in New York, considered a traitor or a dissenter. Who cares when you can hound Greenwich Village with your bohemian friends in tow, having the time of your life?
Griffin Durant’s parents and siblings, a whole family of werewolves, were killed by a fire when he was just 14. He was able to save only his little sister, Gemma. Then he was drafted and the First World War left his psyche horribly scarred even though he survived. Now Griffin, a wealthy bachelor living in Long Island NY, wants nothing more than forgetting who and what he is. He steers clear from the local pack or, in fact, any supernatural creatures and tries to find his sister a nice, respectable human husband. However a teenage girl during roaring twenties is able to stir trouble as efficiently as her contemporary peers – Gemma clearly doesn’t share the outlook of her conservative older brother.
Allegra and Griffin meet and have to cooperate because their friends get into serious trouble. Soon enough it becomes obvious that the disappearance of Margot De Luca, a friend of Allegra and a daughter of a local mafia boss and Malcolm Owen, a poor playwright and her beloved, is a part of a larger scheme of a truly sinister character. What will take to discover who really stands behind it?
What I liked:
At first I thought it was just another vampire novel with a kick-ass heroine but set at the beginning of the 20th century (that’s why the subtitle). After all vampire fiction is as common as muck nowadays. This one was a bit different, though.
Maybe it was because of the period. Roaring Twenties in the USA (but not only of course) were the era of jazz, prohibition and mafia, the time of flappers, a "new breed" of young Western women who wore short skirts, excessive makeup, bobbed their hair, listened to jazz, drove automobiles (imagine that!) smoked, had casual sex and generally flaunted their disdain for what was then considered acceptable behavior. Allegra is such a flapper even if for slightly different reasons – she finds it an excellent way to express her love for freedom. Yes, she frequents speakeasies ( establishments that illegally sells alcoholic beverages), has a bunch of bohemian human friends and seduces men but only in order to drink their blood. This novel proves that a vampiress doesn’t have to wear black leather, wield a catana (or another sharp weapon) to be considered a kick-ass heroine. The strength of Allegra lies in her psychological make-up – she can think and she uses her brain, she is altruistic up to a point, she knows what she wants and she doesn’t hesitate to get it. Overall the vampires and werewolves of New York fit that period perfectly, bootlegging, fighting among themselves for supremacy, not unlike in any good mafia and dreaming about the ultimate supremacy.
Psychological veracity was another feature I really appreciated. Allegra and Griffin are dynamic characters. They fall in love almost at first sight but it takes them very long to overcome their own limitations and prejudices. Griffin is shocked by Allegra’s free manners and independence, not to mention the fact that werewolves despise vampires. Allegra cannot believe Griffin wants to suppress his natural instincts of a predator and expects the same from his sister. It takes them long to see that they are really very much alike, even longer to trust each other at all. They don’t jump to bed instantly, their relationship rings true and is a pleasure to follow – in my opinion it was a real highlight of the story. I liked little Gemma and her clumsy attempts to imitate Allegra as well, it was a good move to make her play a bigger role than that of a supporting damsel in distress.
The world building was ok – perhaps not very original or especially prominent but still interesting enough to add to the story.
What I didn’t like:
I admit the plot had its weaknesses, especially at the end. In my opinion everything is resolved far too slickly during one bloody showdown; then main leads and their friends get their orange blossom- scented HEA, bad people kill each other, summertime and the livin’ is easy…at least in Long Island.
I was especially surprised when the elders of the pack, who had an excellent opportunity to fleece poor Griffin, willingly reduced their claim by half because…they feared too much money might have a degenerative effect on the werewolves. Excuse me? You are a bunch of brutal mafiosos and all of a sudden there are no greedy people among you? Have you had an epiphany of a sort? It would be far better if Griffin, a rich, clever businessman after all, found a legal loophole or drove a really hard bargain and snatched a part of his money back. But he, poor puppy, was too busy being in love or saving his beloved Allegra and the pack had to take pity on him…a bit too good to be true, don’t you think? Especially that he and the pack were hardly on friendly terms…
I am also not a fan of the cover art. Seriously, the book is about Roaring Twenties and instead of flappers dancing charleston or mafia boys shooting each other they put just a blue face with amber eyes with a were in the background...I would never pick it up just because of the cover.
Final verdict:
It was a really nice surprise – I liked this book much better than I thought I would. It was far more intelligent than your ordinary vampires-and-werewolves story. I recommend it to people who like their paranormal romance with some historical flavour, a nice backstory and a HEA guaranteed! BTW there are two more books of this series but it seems each of them features a different set of characters so you can easily read them as stand-alones!
Strong three stars .
Allegra Chase was turned into a vampire by her father’s close friend. It was her only chance to live to the full and have some fun. As a teenager she fell ill (something sounding like a progressive muscular dystrophy) and, abandoned by her posh friends, boyfriend and even her mother, she was left to wait for her death in an empty house with only one servant. Small wonder that, being given the second chance, she took it without regrets and never looked back. Small wonder she doesn’t want to swear allegiance to anybody – be it a vampire, a human or a werewolf, even if it means she is an oddball in New York, considered a traitor or a dissenter. Who cares when you can hound Greenwich Village with your bohemian friends in tow, having the time of your life?
Griffin Durant’s parents and siblings, a whole family of werewolves, were killed by a fire when he was just 14. He was able to save only his little sister, Gemma. Then he was drafted and the First World War left his psyche horribly scarred even though he survived. Now Griffin, a wealthy bachelor living in Long Island NY, wants nothing more than forgetting who and what he is. He steers clear from the local pack or, in fact, any supernatural creatures and tries to find his sister a nice, respectable human husband. However a teenage girl during roaring twenties is able to stir trouble as efficiently as her contemporary peers – Gemma clearly doesn’t share the outlook of her conservative older brother.
Allegra and Griffin meet and have to cooperate because their friends get into serious trouble. Soon enough it becomes obvious that the disappearance of Margot De Luca, a friend of Allegra and a daughter of a local mafia boss and Malcolm Owen, a poor playwright and her beloved, is a part of a larger scheme of a truly sinister character. What will take to discover who really stands behind it?
What I liked:
At first I thought it was just another vampire novel with a kick-ass heroine but set at the beginning of the 20th century (that’s why the subtitle). After all vampire fiction is as common as muck nowadays. This one was a bit different, though.
Maybe it was because of the period. Roaring Twenties in the USA (but not only of course) were the era of jazz, prohibition and mafia, the time of flappers, a "new breed" of young Western women who wore short skirts, excessive makeup, bobbed their hair, listened to jazz, drove automobiles (imagine that!) smoked, had casual sex and generally flaunted their disdain for what was then considered acceptable behavior. Allegra is such a flapper even if for slightly different reasons – she finds it an excellent way to express her love for freedom. Yes, she frequents speakeasies ( establishments that illegally sells alcoholic beverages), has a bunch of bohemian human friends and seduces men but only in order to drink their blood. This novel proves that a vampiress doesn’t have to wear black leather, wield a catana (or another sharp weapon) to be considered a kick-ass heroine. The strength of Allegra lies in her psychological make-up – she can think and she uses her brain, she is altruistic up to a point, she knows what she wants and she doesn’t hesitate to get it. Overall the vampires and werewolves of New York fit that period perfectly, bootlegging, fighting among themselves for supremacy, not unlike in any good mafia and dreaming about the ultimate supremacy.
Psychological veracity was another feature I really appreciated. Allegra and Griffin are dynamic characters. They fall in love almost at first sight but it takes them very long to overcome their own limitations and prejudices. Griffin is shocked by Allegra’s free manners and independence, not to mention the fact that werewolves despise vampires. Allegra cannot believe Griffin wants to suppress his natural instincts of a predator and expects the same from his sister. It takes them long to see that they are really very much alike, even longer to trust each other at all. They don’t jump to bed instantly, their relationship rings true and is a pleasure to follow – in my opinion it was a real highlight of the story. I liked little Gemma and her clumsy attempts to imitate Allegra as well, it was a good move to make her play a bigger role than that of a supporting damsel in distress.
The world building was ok – perhaps not very original or especially prominent but still interesting enough to add to the story.
What I didn’t like:
I admit the plot had its weaknesses, especially at the end. In my opinion everything is resolved far too slickly during one bloody showdown; then main leads and their friends get their orange blossom- scented HEA, bad people kill each other, summertime and the livin’ is easy…at least in Long Island.
I was especially surprised when the elders of the pack, who had an excellent opportunity to fleece poor Griffin, willingly reduced their claim by half because…they feared too much money might have a degenerative effect on the werewolves. Excuse me? You are a bunch of brutal mafiosos and all of a sudden there are no greedy people among you? Have you had an epiphany of a sort? It would be far better if Griffin, a rich, clever businessman after all, found a legal loophole or drove a really hard bargain and snatched a part of his money back. But he, poor puppy, was too busy being in love or saving his beloved Allegra and the pack had to take pity on him…a bit too good to be true, don’t you think? Especially that he and the pack were hardly on friendly terms…
I am also not a fan of the cover art. Seriously, the book is about Roaring Twenties and instead of flappers dancing charleston or mafia boys shooting each other they put just a blue face with amber eyes with a were in the background...I would never pick it up just because of the cover.
Final verdict:
It was a really nice surprise – I liked this book much better than I thought I would. It was far more intelligent than your ordinary vampires-and-werewolves story. I recommend it to people who like their paranormal romance with some historical flavour, a nice backstory and a HEA guaranteed! BTW there are two more books of this series but it seems each of them features a different set of characters so you can easily read them as stand-alones!
Strong three stars .
June 23, 2023
Great series
Really enjoyed it
Really enjoyed it
April 21, 2010
What an irritating book. I finished it, but was sorry I'd spent the time. Ms. Krinard is a competent writer as far as putting words on the page, and has a real talent for setting. This took place in Roaring 20's New York and sounded so promising. It started out well, with a nice evocation of the tensions in society between the Jazz Age Babies and the stuffy society types. She didn't maintain that feel for time and place as much after the first third of the book. She did do some interesting things with tensions between human mobsters, vampire bootleggers and werewolves, and there was a somewhat intricate mystery plot going as well. So I did keep reading. For all 488 pages.
Unfortunately, her characters were mostly pasteboard and I never did take to the main characters (or the secondary characters, for that matter), or care as I was supposed to for what happened to them. I actually fell asleep during the Big Sex Scene. True, it was a Friday night and I was tired, but I never remember that happening before!
Then the intricate plot that largely kept me reading fell apart, becoming a fuddled welter at the end. Like I said, I was sorry I'd spent the time.
Unfortunately, her characters were mostly pasteboard and I never did take to the main characters (or the secondary characters, for that matter), or care as I was supposed to for what happened to them. I actually fell asleep during the Big Sex Scene. True, it was a Friday night and I was tired, but I never remember that happening before!
Then the intricate plot that largely kept me reading fell apart, becoming a fuddled welter at the end. Like I said, I was sorry I'd spent the time.
Read
September 6, 2012I liked this book in the beginning, but then it began to drag. The hero of our story started out and ended with a stick up his butt. Our heroine began carefree and fun, but also ended up with a stick up her butt.
Please forgive my vulgarity.
I SOOO wanted to enjoy this book/series, and have not been let down my Ms. Krinard writing before. But this story line just slogged down. To many twists to an already complicated plot. To many arch-nemesis, and you really didn't know who was on who's side. There was no relationship building between characters, and I found it really hard to root for the good guys by the end. To the point that I really skim read the last 5 chapters because I couldn't believe the story wasn't ending.
I will not continue with this series, but I will continue to be a fan of Ms. Krinard writing.
Please forgive my vulgarity.
I SOOO wanted to enjoy this book/series, and have not been let down my Ms. Krinard writing before. But this story line just slogged down. To many twists to an already complicated plot. To many arch-nemesis, and you really didn't know who was on who's side. There was no relationship building between characters, and I found it really hard to root for the good guys by the end. To the point that I really skim read the last 5 chapters because I couldn't believe the story wasn't ending.
I will not continue with this series, but I will continue to be a fan of Ms. Krinard writing.
March 28, 2011
Allie Chase is a new vampire. Vampires and Werewolves don't mix. She falls for a werewolf still traumatized by war. The setting is in New York in the 1920's.
Read
March 29, 2011I LOVED IT!!!! I would like to read more of Susan Krinard's books and hope I can read more cause I love to read and am curently writing a book.
August 15, 2020
In the first Roaring Twenties novel, Allegra (Allie) Chase is a newly made vampire and wants nothing more than to have fun. After two years of freedom, her patron Cato dies (the vampire who converted her) and now Raoul, the powerful master of the vampire clan, wants her for himself.
Werewolf Griffin Durant despises his wolf nature. He fought in the Great War and only wants to live in peace, but he can’t let go of the past. He shuns the wolf clan in the city and wants his younger wolf sister, Gemma, to marry into the human elite of New York society, so she’ll be safe. Gemma, however, rebels at every turn. A chance encounter leads Griffin to Allie. Though he disapproves of her flapper lifestyle, he’s also fascinated with her. Most wolves and vampires hate each other, but neither Griffin nor Allie are so close-minded. After a few of their mutual human friends go missing, they work together to find them and fall deep into a conspiracy that spans all three species in the city: wolf, vampire, and human.
I understood Griffin’s and Allie’s motivations, but I couldn’t connect with either of them. Griffin is definitely a beta hero. He hates violence and was very old-fashioned. Allie was flamboyant and wild, but her attitude was often selfish and disrespectful. Despite the sexual tension between the H/h, there was only one sex scene and very little romance. Much of the plot was about finding the missing humans, Mal and Margot, and not on the H/h falling in love.
While I enjoyed the secondary characters of Gemma, Wyatt, Mal, Margot, and Ross, there were so many other side characters that it was hard to keep track of who belongs to which group and where their loyalties lie. Some of the plot twists were confusing, as was the history of the vampire and wolf races, but most of my questions were answered at the end.
There’s a HFN ending. As a vampire, Allie will live for hundreds, maybe thousands of years, but Griffin will die in maybe a hundred years.
I’m hoping there will be more world building in the later books, so I’m looking forward to reading the next story in the trilogy.
3 Stars
Werewolf Griffin Durant despises his wolf nature. He fought in the Great War and only wants to live in peace, but he can’t let go of the past. He shuns the wolf clan in the city and wants his younger wolf sister, Gemma, to marry into the human elite of New York society, so she’ll be safe. Gemma, however, rebels at every turn. A chance encounter leads Griffin to Allie. Though he disapproves of her flapper lifestyle, he’s also fascinated with her. Most wolves and vampires hate each other, but neither Griffin nor Allie are so close-minded. After a few of their mutual human friends go missing, they work together to find them and fall deep into a conspiracy that spans all three species in the city: wolf, vampire, and human.
I understood Griffin’s and Allie’s motivations, but I couldn’t connect with either of them. Griffin is definitely a beta hero. He hates violence and was very old-fashioned. Allie was flamboyant and wild, but her attitude was often selfish and disrespectful. Despite the sexual tension between the H/h, there was only one sex scene and very little romance. Much of the plot was about finding the missing humans, Mal and Margot, and not on the H/h falling in love.
While I enjoyed the secondary characters of Gemma, Wyatt, Mal, Margot, and Ross, there were so many other side characters that it was hard to keep track of who belongs to which group and where their loyalties lie. Some of the plot twists were confusing, as was the history of the vampire and wolf races, but most of my questions were answered at the end.
There’s a HFN ending. As a vampire, Allie will live for hundreds, maybe thousands of years, but Griffin will die in maybe a hundred years.
I’m hoping there will be more world building in the later books, so I’m looking forward to reading the next story in the trilogy.
3 Stars
November 16, 2018
Después de una larga resaca, me he puesto nuevamente al ruedo en el mundo de la lectura con Para toda la eternidad, libro que elegí para el Reto Sofalero de noviembre, ya que tenía que buscar uno ambientado en los años 20.
Es de esos libros que me gustan pero no me gustan (¿A alguien más le pasa esto? jajaja) suena complicado pero no lo es tanto. Los puntos positivos son: La ambientación en los años 20, algo que no recuerdo haber leído, tenemos la moda, la ley seca, los bares nocturnos y la gente "estirada" de la alta sociedad, todo muy bien reflejado en la trama. A eso hay que sumarle, el personaje de Allie, mi favorito por muy lejos, una mujer vampiro que busca su independencia, ama su libertad y le importa un bledo lo que digan de ella. Tenemos vampiros, tenemos hombres lobos, humanos gángster y además un misterio por resolver, tejes y manejes por todos lados que hacen que la lectura sea amena, más allá de la tensión romántica entre los protagonistas.
Y sí, ahora viene la parte mala, Griffin, el hombre lobo, de tan caballero que es termina siendo un machista, que cree que todas las mujeres deben ser protegidas y no pueden defenderse por sí solas, aunque sean vampiresas o mujeres lobo. Supongo que también está relacionado con la época, pero se me hizo insufrible el pobre muchacho. Lo segundo negativo ... y esto también es a gusto personal es que al final fue todo too happy, me gusta más el drama y las cosas no tan felices, pero salvo eso la historia es muy buena y recomendable para quienes gustan del romance paranormal.
Es de esos libros que me gustan pero no me gustan (¿A alguien más le pasa esto? jajaja) suena complicado pero no lo es tanto. Los puntos positivos son: La ambientación en los años 20, algo que no recuerdo haber leído, tenemos la moda, la ley seca, los bares nocturnos y la gente "estirada" de la alta sociedad, todo muy bien reflejado en la trama. A eso hay que sumarle, el personaje de Allie, mi favorito por muy lejos, una mujer vampiro que busca su independencia, ama su libertad y le importa un bledo lo que digan de ella. Tenemos vampiros, tenemos hombres lobos, humanos gángster y además un misterio por resolver, tejes y manejes por todos lados que hacen que la lectura sea amena, más allá de la tensión romántica entre los protagonistas.
Y sí, ahora viene la parte mala, Griffin, el hombre lobo, de tan caballero que es termina siendo un machista, que cree que todas las mujeres deben ser protegidas y no pueden defenderse por sí solas, aunque sean vampiresas o mujeres lobo. Supongo que también está relacionado con la época, pero se me hizo insufrible el pobre muchacho. Lo segundo negativo ... y esto también es a gusto personal es que al final fue todo too happy, me gusta más el drama y las cosas no tan felices, pero salvo eso la historia es muy buena y recomendable para quienes gustan del romance paranormal.
October 19, 2024
A complicated story with lots of characters and twists and turns, it was hard to sort out who were on which side a lot of the time. It was also complicated by the author using a characters first name sometimes and then switching to their surname, often in the one paragraph. The love story between Allie and Griffin was perplexing - werewolves and vampires don't mix. But the family ties were strong and it was obvious that Griffin loved his sister and wanted the best for her.
September 8, 2017
Una historia ambientada en una época no muy común para ser de vampiros y hombres lobo, la historia en general es buena, sin embargo creo que el desarrollo va bien y entonces de golpe todo se resuelve. Entretenida, pero hasta ahí.
3.5 estrellas
3.5 estrellas
December 4, 2018
I admit I wasn't expecting this storyline. I liked the story but found the time period more difficult. Just because it's usually a flashback taking me to the time period. It was good, and I loved the mixes of species and the necessity for it.
April 22, 2019
Although it took a little bit to ‘get me’, the story was entertaining and moved along at a nice pace.
I may not revisit the series- or I might.
Certainly a ‘popcorn’ book.
I may not revisit the series- or I might.
Certainly a ‘popcorn’ book.
April 28, 2023
A DNF, not for me.
June 27, 2023
Inacabado
June 9, 2019
Couldn’t get into this book. Finally made it through but it was slow moving to me
March 2, 2008
I'm tossing up between 1 and 2 stars for this book. I really didn't like it much, and it was a struggle to finish it. I don't think I've ever said this about a book before, but really, it was a good 100 pages too long. The characters were cliched - which, granted, they often are in this genre, but they usually have some quality that gives them charisma, or the writing boosts them up and makes you interested. Here, especially all the "bad guys" (and there are loads of them), are horrible cartoonish figures. The dialogue is stilted and self-conscious, which makes me feel embarrassed while reading it. There's only one sex scene and it's pretty uninspiring and boring, especially after a great deal of sexual tension.
It's like Krinard wanted to lift paranormal romance out of the usual mould by giving it more of an urban fantasy bent, but I'd say she failed miserably. The "mystery" is highly predicatble, which just makes me bored, the politics are lame and I couldn't help thinking that if she'd just stuck to the more usual formula it might have been more enjoyable. It might please some pnr readers who hate the soul-mate device - there's none of that here, hence all the unfulfilled sexual tension - but making vampires and werewolves more human just detracts from the whole fantasy aspect of paranormal romance.
There's also the issue of setting and time: it's set in New York in the 1920s, and I don't think Krinard was very comfortable with it. What I mean is, I didn't feel confident that she felt confident in writing a historical novel, and with all the Godfather-ish cliches I don't think she's a real expert on the period, or the place. That brings me to the writing: it's flat, the grammar is often clumsy and poorly edited, and it's been a while since I've come across a book where the character's names are mixed up: at one point, Allie (the vampire) is called Margot (another vampire); elsewhere Gemma (Griffen's sister, and werewolf) is called Allie; and at another place De Luca, the human mobster boss, is called Durant (Griffen Durant, the werewolf). How the hell does this kind of thing happen, really? It doesn't give me a whole lot of confidence that the author is in control of the plot here.
Well, after all that I guess I can't give it anything higher than 1 star.
It's like Krinard wanted to lift paranormal romance out of the usual mould by giving it more of an urban fantasy bent, but I'd say she failed miserably. The "mystery" is highly predicatble, which just makes me bored, the politics are lame and I couldn't help thinking that if she'd just stuck to the more usual formula it might have been more enjoyable. It might please some pnr readers who hate the soul-mate device - there's none of that here, hence all the unfulfilled sexual tension - but making vampires and werewolves more human just detracts from the whole fantasy aspect of paranormal romance.
There's also the issue of setting and time: it's set in New York in the 1920s, and I don't think Krinard was very comfortable with it. What I mean is, I didn't feel confident that she felt confident in writing a historical novel, and with all the Godfather-ish cliches I don't think she's a real expert on the period, or the place. That brings me to the writing: it's flat, the grammar is often clumsy and poorly edited, and it's been a while since I've come across a book where the character's names are mixed up: at one point, Allie (the vampire) is called Margot (another vampire); elsewhere Gemma (Griffen's sister, and werewolf) is called Allie; and at another place De Luca, the human mobster boss, is called Durant (Griffen Durant, the werewolf). How the hell does this kind of thing happen, really? It doesn't give me a whole lot of confidence that the author is in control of the plot here.
Well, after all that I guess I can't give it anything higher than 1 star.
March 16, 2015
(3.5)
Los personajes principales me parecieron buenos, no diré que fueron espectaculares porque no es así; Allie es una mujer demasiado independiente, lo cual fue bueno para mi que eso no cambiara en el libro... a lo que me refiero es que se mantuvo firme en el libro, siempre supo lo que quería y tomaba decisiones pensando en cada cosa, en verdad, es difícil encontrar a una protagonista así. Por otro lado Griffin, ese hombre tenía sus demonios, al igual que Allie sabía como controlar las situaciones e incluido él mismo; el primer encuentro entre ellos me impresiono, fue interesante leerlos no lo negare, al igual que su romance fue entretenido y nunca abarco la historia dejando aún lado todo el drama.
Los personajes secundarios también toman un papel de igual importancia en el trama de la novela, llaman la atención pero nunca siento la tensión en ellos durante el libro, no pasa, lo extraño es que aunque el libro no es malo pero olvidaba a los personajes demasiado rápido, al parecer no dejaban una buena impresión para que recordara sus nombres.... claro que eso no paso como con dos personajes pero eso no quita que a los demás les faltara algo para que me llagaran más tanto ellos como sus acciones.
El trama del libro esta bien organizado (a pesar de que olvidaba a casi todos los personajes), me parece interesante sobre los "grupos" que forman en la ciudad y los secretos que guardan las personas de ahí, como también las escenas de acción, fueron buenas, de eso no me quejo mucho, incluso cuando los personajes contaban las cosas que ya había leído fue un punto a favor d la autora que supiera ser breve sin darle vueltas a las cosas para saber la versión de cada uno (casi casi).
Cuando llego a las últimas páginas las cosas mejoran en todos los sentidos que pueda tener el libro (desde lo romántico hasta llegar a los enemigos), me gusto como concluye la historia, fue bueno como cierra el capitulo de ambos protagonistas, y me hace tener curiosidad por algunos personajes.
En conclusión, es un libro que entretiene, es bueno pero también es de los que me parecen que son fáciles de olvidar.... al menos a mi me pasa.
Los personajes principales me parecieron buenos, no diré que fueron espectaculares porque no es así; Allie es una mujer demasiado independiente, lo cual fue bueno para mi que eso no cambiara en el libro... a lo que me refiero es que se mantuvo firme en el libro, siempre supo lo que quería y tomaba decisiones pensando en cada cosa, en verdad, es difícil encontrar a una protagonista así. Por otro lado Griffin, ese hombre tenía sus demonios, al igual que Allie sabía como controlar las situaciones e incluido él mismo; el primer encuentro entre ellos me impresiono, fue interesante leerlos no lo negare, al igual que su romance fue entretenido y nunca abarco la historia dejando aún lado todo el drama.
Los personajes secundarios también toman un papel de igual importancia en el trama de la novela, llaman la atención pero nunca siento la tensión en ellos durante el libro, no pasa, lo extraño es que aunque el libro no es malo pero olvidaba a los personajes demasiado rápido, al parecer no dejaban una buena impresión para que recordara sus nombres.... claro que eso no paso como con dos personajes pero eso no quita que a los demás les faltara algo para que me llagaran más tanto ellos como sus acciones.
El trama del libro esta bien organizado (a pesar de que olvidaba a casi todos los personajes), me parece interesante sobre los "grupos" que forman en la ciudad y los secretos que guardan las personas de ahí, como también las escenas de acción, fueron buenas, de eso no me quejo mucho, incluso cuando los personajes contaban las cosas que ya había leído fue un punto a favor d la autora que supiera ser breve sin darle vueltas a las cosas para saber la versión de cada uno (casi casi).
Cuando llego a las últimas páginas las cosas mejoran en todos los sentidos que pueda tener el libro (desde lo romántico hasta llegar a los enemigos), me gusto como concluye la historia, fue bueno como cierra el capitulo de ambos protagonistas, y me hace tener curiosidad por algunos personajes.
En conclusión, es un libro que entretiene, es bueno pero también es de los que me parecen que son fáciles de olvidar.... al menos a mi me pasa.
December 27, 2011
I read Chasing Midnight last fall, and have since reread bits and pieces. In the vast sea of paranormal romance the thing that stands out the most about this series is the time period-vampires and werewolves in 1920s New York. This seems to be an altogether rare combinations, and I liked it for that alone.
The Plot: Allegra Chase is a fiercely independent vampire woman who is searching for a friend who has recently disappeared after having been turned vampire himself. Griffin is a werewolf who spends his life hiding from his wolf-side in favor of a society that is unaware of the existence of non-humans. He joins forces with Allegra when his own good friend goes missing and he suspects a connection to the vampire clan. As they fight to save their friends, they are drawn to one another and ultimately fall in love.
The setting and time period are quite interesting, and surprisingly perfect for characters like vampires and werewolves. The night clubs, the fashion, the gang wars,the societal restrictions all blend seamlessly with the paranormal world in which vampires and werewolves fight to keep the peace between their races, and to keep their existence hidden from humans.
The plot, while difficult to follow at times, is fairly engaging. There is a lot of action and mystery to be had along with the romance.
Allegra is a very interesting character. She embodies the defiant 20s flapper type, full of her own independence and sexuality, not afraid to break rules. Griffin is a fitting balance for her in an almost opposites-attract sensibility.
I had one really big issue with this book--length. Some of the content, while engaging, was unnecessary and could have easily been cut down to 300 pages. Krinard seemed to be concerned with fitting in as much detail as possible, and it simply was not needed-it can become tedious and hard to follow. There is a lot of filler, and it requires a great deal of patience on the part of the reader.
I would recommend this book to both paranormal and historical fans. 3.5 stars.
The Plot: Allegra Chase is a fiercely independent vampire woman who is searching for a friend who has recently disappeared after having been turned vampire himself. Griffin is a werewolf who spends his life hiding from his wolf-side in favor of a society that is unaware of the existence of non-humans. He joins forces with Allegra when his own good friend goes missing and he suspects a connection to the vampire clan. As they fight to save their friends, they are drawn to one another and ultimately fall in love.
The setting and time period are quite interesting, and surprisingly perfect for characters like vampires and werewolves. The night clubs, the fashion, the gang wars,the societal restrictions all blend seamlessly with the paranormal world in which vampires and werewolves fight to keep the peace between their races, and to keep their existence hidden from humans.
The plot, while difficult to follow at times, is fairly engaging. There is a lot of action and mystery to be had along with the romance.
Allegra is a very interesting character. She embodies the defiant 20s flapper type, full of her own independence and sexuality, not afraid to break rules. Griffin is a fitting balance for her in an almost opposites-attract sensibility.
I had one really big issue with this book--length. Some of the content, while engaging, was unnecessary and could have easily been cut down to 300 pages. Krinard seemed to be concerned with fitting in as much detail as possible, and it simply was not needed-it can become tedious and hard to follow. There is a lot of filler, and it requires a great deal of patience on the part of the reader.
I would recommend this book to both paranormal and historical fans. 3.5 stars.
August 21, 2025
The one thing Griffin and Allegra have in common is their differences. Griffin, a werewolf tormented by PTSD from the war and the death of his parents and siblings, has separated himself from the pack. Living with his sister, trying to control his inner beast and avoid succumbing to his basic instincts, Griffin can be called a suppressed man. Allegra is the opposite. Changed into a Vampire on her death bed, Allegra had a maker who was kind to her and treated her like a daughter. Now that he’s dead, Allegra is separated herself from the Vampires and the asshole who rules them. The asshole who wants to control her. But where Griffin avoids life’s entertainment, Allegra embraces them.
Neither Griffin nor Allegra expects anything to come of their sexual attraction to one another, especially with the taboo thought of a Vampire and Werewolf being together. However, it seems like fate keeps them coming back. A friend of Griffin is in love with e a newly turned Vampire and when they go missing, the tangled web of politics between Vampire/Werewolf and human capture Griffin and Allegra.
I found this book very entertaining, but not in the way in which I’m used to. In this addition to Susan Krinards beautiful world of Vampire and Werewolf, the romance definitely fell second to the plot. There was romance, don’t get wrong but I didn’t feel as if it was the focus.
Allegra was a deceptively imprisoned free bird. She was careless and care free on the outside, living her life in lavish parties and dancing at clubs. But she was deeply affected by the makers death and in turn, tormented by the threat of being enslaved to the Vampire leader. She wasn’t emotionally involved because she couldn’t be.
Griffin was a gentleman. A man trying his best to protect his sister and live his life after the war. He kept tight control over her life and his sister, but at heart, he was a kind and loyal man. He hated violence, but he fought for those he loved. He thought Allegra to be a floozy at first before being charmed by her.
Great book.
Neither Griffin nor Allegra expects anything to come of their sexual attraction to one another, especially with the taboo thought of a Vampire and Werewolf being together. However, it seems like fate keeps them coming back. A friend of Griffin is in love with e a newly turned Vampire and when they go missing, the tangled web of politics between Vampire/Werewolf and human capture Griffin and Allegra.
I found this book very entertaining, but not in the way in which I’m used to. In this addition to Susan Krinards beautiful world of Vampire and Werewolf, the romance definitely fell second to the plot. There was romance, don’t get wrong but I didn’t feel as if it was the focus.
Allegra was a deceptively imprisoned free bird. She was careless and care free on the outside, living her life in lavish parties and dancing at clubs. But she was deeply affected by the makers death and in turn, tormented by the threat of being enslaved to the Vampire leader. She wasn’t emotionally involved because she couldn’t be.
Griffin was a gentleman. A man trying his best to protect his sister and live his life after the war. He kept tight control over her life and his sister, but at heart, he was a kind and loyal man. He hated violence, but he fought for those he loved. He thought Allegra to be a floozy at first before being charmed by her.
Great book.
March 16, 2010
Hmmm...Where to begin with this first in the Vampire/Werewolf Trilogy by Susan Krinard? "Chasing Midnight" was the first novel I have read from this particular author, and it certainly won't be the last. I enjoyed her style of writing, how vivid she portrayed the characters and their surroundings, and I really did like the premise of this story and how it was based in the "roaring 20's." The story was very light as far as the whole werewolf and vampire aspect. I expected more bloodshed and fighting between and within the two species. I also expected more politics as well, but overall it was just a nice fantasy love story between a vampire and a werewolf. The romance between the main characters was also very mild, yet really very sweet and nicely done, particularly in this old-fashioned setting. I will be continuing on with this trilogy with Dark Of The Moon to see what happens and where the characters I met in this book have ended up! If your into light romances with paranormal attributes and interesting twists and turns throughout the story, then you will like "Chasing Midnight" by Susan Krinard!
November 6, 2013
I found this book while I was getting Born to be Wild and though it is a bit long in places it was a good book. Not the type of good I'm usually used to but it was worth the $1.25 I paid for it. That is saying way too much! XD I kept expecting someone in the book to pull out a cell phone or be older but it took place way too early (1920s) for that to happen.
This book is definitely long but I persevered and enjoyed it. Honestly I have read better romance in pathetically awful books than was in this book. I mean c'mon! I will just have to deal with it but I hate how the characters can fight and fight while wanting to sleep together at the same time. Talk about wrong! I must say you can skip this book if you ever come across it.
For more please go to http://nookbookmerlin.blogspot.com/20...
This book is definitely long but I persevered and enjoyed it. Honestly I have read better romance in pathetically awful books than was in this book. I mean c'mon! I will just have to deal with it but I hate how the characters can fight and fight while wanting to sleep together at the same time. Talk about wrong! I must say you can skip this book if you ever come across it.
For more please go to http://nookbookmerlin.blogspot.com/20...
May 24, 2017
Griffin Durant is ashamed to be a werewolf. Suppressing his instincts whenever possible to avoid acting like an animal. He inflicts his beliefs and fears on his 17 year old sister, Gemma who is bored and rebellious. Allegra Chase is a vampire and proud of it. Very sick as a child and turned on her death bed at 24, Allie refuses to be tied down by anything or anyone. The sparks really fly between Griffin and Allie and with the addition of Gemma's budding independence, Griffin may have just met his match.
I'm far too young to have known anything about prohibition and flappers but it seems to me the author tried to mix too many things for a truly enjoyable story. It was overly long and drawn out at times. An overall good start to the series but I'm hoping the next one is more concise.
I'm far too young to have known anything about prohibition and flappers but it seems to me the author tried to mix too many things for a truly enjoyable story. It was overly long and drawn out at times. An overall good start to the series but I'm hoping the next one is more concise.
November 15, 2014
Vampires. Werewolves. The Roaring Twenties. What could go wrong? Just about everything, apparently. Here's a novel suffering for lack of a good editor - it could have easily lost a hundred pages and been a better book for it. It's laboring under a false sense of complexity, with an overabundance of plot threads the weight of which the narrative simply can't support. Remarkably boring for a novel with poison, bootlegging, and warring supernatural critters, but then I suppose I should have taken warning when Krinard announced in her acknowledgements that she was inspired by the movie Chicago. *headdesk*
December 28, 2010
Liked it!! Allie is my fav..:-)
As Usual story that spread around the Vampire and Warewolf This novel telling about the Romance between them. Allie as a Vampire has falling love with Griffin as she known before that he is such kind of Warewolf. Susan Krinad as Writer can describe how easy Allie's character as a single independent, beautiful, brave, and passion of person.
But the less from this romance is so few about the romance between them, a specially between Allie and Grifin. They're both most denied each other about their developing love..but still cool to end it.
As Usual story that spread around the Vampire and Warewolf This novel telling about the Romance between them. Allie as a Vampire has falling love with Griffin as she known before that he is such kind of Warewolf. Susan Krinad as Writer can describe how easy Allie's character as a single independent, beautiful, brave, and passion of person.
But the less from this romance is so few about the romance between them, a specially between Allie and Grifin. They're both most denied each other about their developing love..but still cool to end it.
July 10, 2011
Overall I enjoyed this book - it reminded me of the Underworld series in a way.
The story was interesting and the characters were likeable.
The writing on the whole was good but I felt there was some room for improvement in style and also in the 'pre-publication checking" as I found a few errors of name etc in the print.
My overall review - an enjoyable story that is worth a read but there are better novels out there.
The story was interesting and the characters were likeable.
The writing on the whole was good but I felt there was some room for improvement in style and also in the 'pre-publication checking" as I found a few errors of name etc in the print.
My overall review - an enjoyable story that is worth a read but there are better novels out there.
October 17, 2014
Stunning, sexy vampire siren meets ruggedly handsome and virile werewolf. The 2 main characters, Allegra and Griffin, were really well written and were supported by great minor characters but I have to admit that after my love affair with Twilight,this one was a good story but didn't reel me in and make me want to read future offerings. What can I say, once a Team Jacob, always a Team Jacob!!
March 1, 2008
a good romp, but the end kind of happened a bit quickly. i'd have preferred she go for maybe 50 pages more, and detail stuff out. but still a fun bit of paranormals in the twenties. thumbs up for my first romance read ^_^.
September 4, 2009
Krinard has good ideas, but I find her books difficult to read. It may just be because of the setting - Prohibition-era New York. Historicals never were my favorite; however, I read Come the Night before realizing it was part of a trilogy and had to know how it all started.
December 22, 2010
I was kind of slow to really get into it. But as I read I found myself wanting to know the characters more. Not as fast-paced and page-turning as some books I've read, though I did like it. I love the twenties. And I love Griffin, just his name does wonderful things to me. Such a gentleman. :)
January 17, 2012
An okay read, however the emotions that occurred between the characters felt far to superficial to really enjoyed. Vampire and Werewolf met once were intrigued, had to let go. Meet again loved each other...LOL well it felt as though it did happen almost like this.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews