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Pennyroyal Green #8
It Happened One Midnight
More than one beautiful woman’s hopes have been dashed on the rocky shoals of Jonathan Redmond’s heart. With his riveting good looks and Redmond wealth and power, the world is his oyster—until an ultimatum from his father and a chilling gypsy prophesy send him hurtling headlong toward a fate he’ll do anything to avoid: matrimony.
Intoxicating, elusive Thomasina de Ballesteros has the bloods of London at her feet. But none of them knows the real Tommy—the one with a shocking pedigree, a few too many secrets, and a healthy scorn for rakes like Jonathan.
She is everything Jonathan never wanted. But on one fateful midnight, he’s drawn into Tommy's world of risk, danger…and a desire he’d never dreamed possible. And suddenly he’s re-thinking everything...including the possibility that succumbing to prophesy might just mean surrendering to love.
Intoxicating, elusive Thomasina de Ballesteros has the bloods of London at her feet. But none of them knows the real Tommy—the one with a shocking pedigree, a few too many secrets, and a healthy scorn for rakes like Jonathan.
She is everything Jonathan never wanted. But on one fateful midnight, he’s drawn into Tommy's world of risk, danger…and a desire he’d never dreamed possible. And suddenly he’s re-thinking everything...including the possibility that succumbing to prophesy might just mean surrendering to love.
371 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 25, 2013
156 people are currently reading
2659 people want to read
About the author
Julie Anne Long
38 books2,954 followersWell, where should I start? I've lived in San Francisco for more than a decade, usually with at least one cat. I won the school spelling bee when I was in 7th grade; the word that clinched it was 'ukulele.' I originally set out to be a rock star when I grew up (I had a Bono fixation, but who didn't?), and I have the guitars and the questionable wardrobe stuffed in the back of my closet to prove it.
But writing was always my first love.
I was editor of my elementary school paper (believe it or not, Mrs. Little's fifth grade class at Glenmoor Elementary did have one); my high school paper (along with my best high school bud, Cindy Jorgenson); and my college paper, where our long-suffering typesetter finally forced me to learn how to typeset because my articles were usually late (and thus I probably have him to thank for all the desktop publishing jobs that ensued over the years).
Won a couple of random awards along the way: the Bank of America English Award in High School (which basically just amounted to a fancy plaque saying that I was really, really good at English); and an award for best Sports Feature article in a College Newspaper (and anyone who knows me well understands how deeply ironic that is). I began my academic career as a Journalism major; I switched to Creative Writing, which was a more comfortable fit for my freewheeling imagination and overdeveloped sense of whimsy. I dreamed of being a novelist.
But most of us, I think, tend to take for granted the things that come easily to us. I loved writing and all indications were that I was pretty good at it, but I, thank you very much, wanted to be a rock star. Which turned out to be ever-so-slightly harder to do than writing. A lot more equipment was involved, that's for sure. Heavy things, with knobs. It also involved late nights, fetid, graffiti-sprayed practice rooms, gorgeous flakey boys, bizarre gigs, in-fighting—what's not to love?
But my dream of being a published writer never faded. When the charm (ahem) of playing to four people in a tiny club at midnight on a Wednesday finally wore thin, however, I realized I could incorporate all the best things about being in a band — namely, drama, passion, and men with unruly hair — into novels, while at the same time indulging my love of history and research.
So I wrote The Runaway Duke, sent it to a literary agent (see the story here), who sold it to Warner Books a few months after that...which made 2003 one of the most extraordinary, head-spinning years I've ever had.
Why romance? Well, like most people, I read across many genres, but I've been an avid romance reader since I got in trouble for sneaking a Rosemary Rogers novel out of my mom's nightstand drawer (I think it was Sweet Savage Love). Rosemary Rogers, Kathleen Woodiwiss, Laurie McBain...I cut my romance teeth on those ladies. And in general, I take a visceral sort of pleasure in creating a hero and a heroine, putting them through their emotional paces, and watching their relationship develop on the page. And of course, there's much to be said for the happy ending. :)
And why Regency Historicals? Well, for starters, I think we can blame Jane Austen. Her inimitable wit, compassion and vision brought the Regency vividly to life for generations of readers. If Jane Austen had written romances about Incas, for instance, I think, we'd have racks and racks of Inca romances in bookstores all over the country, and Warner Forever would be the Inca Romance line.
But I'm a history FREAK, in general. I read more history, to be perfectly honest, than fiction (when I have time to read!) these days. When we were little, my sister and I used to play "Littl
But writing was always my first love.
I was editor of my elementary school paper (believe it or not, Mrs. Little's fifth grade class at Glenmoor Elementary did have one); my high school paper (along with my best high school bud, Cindy Jorgenson); and my college paper, where our long-suffering typesetter finally forced me to learn how to typeset because my articles were usually late (and thus I probably have him to thank for all the desktop publishing jobs that ensued over the years).
Won a couple of random awards along the way: the Bank of America English Award in High School (which basically just amounted to a fancy plaque saying that I was really, really good at English); and an award for best Sports Feature article in a College Newspaper (and anyone who knows me well understands how deeply ironic that is). I began my academic career as a Journalism major; I switched to Creative Writing, which was a more comfortable fit for my freewheeling imagination and overdeveloped sense of whimsy. I dreamed of being a novelist.
But most of us, I think, tend to take for granted the things that come easily to us. I loved writing and all indications were that I was pretty good at it, but I, thank you very much, wanted to be a rock star. Which turned out to be ever-so-slightly harder to do than writing. A lot more equipment was involved, that's for sure. Heavy things, with knobs. It also involved late nights, fetid, graffiti-sprayed practice rooms, gorgeous flakey boys, bizarre gigs, in-fighting—what's not to love?
But my dream of being a published writer never faded. When the charm (ahem) of playing to four people in a tiny club at midnight on a Wednesday finally wore thin, however, I realized I could incorporate all the best things about being in a band — namely, drama, passion, and men with unruly hair — into novels, while at the same time indulging my love of history and research.
So I wrote The Runaway Duke, sent it to a literary agent (see the story here), who sold it to Warner Books a few months after that...which made 2003 one of the most extraordinary, head-spinning years I've ever had.
Why romance? Well, like most people, I read across many genres, but I've been an avid romance reader since I got in trouble for sneaking a Rosemary Rogers novel out of my mom's nightstand drawer (I think it was Sweet Savage Love). Rosemary Rogers, Kathleen Woodiwiss, Laurie McBain...I cut my romance teeth on those ladies. And in general, I take a visceral sort of pleasure in creating a hero and a heroine, putting them through their emotional paces, and watching their relationship develop on the page. And of course, there's much to be said for the happy ending. :)
And why Regency Historicals? Well, for starters, I think we can blame Jane Austen. Her inimitable wit, compassion and vision brought the Regency vividly to life for generations of readers. If Jane Austen had written romances about Incas, for instance, I think, we'd have racks and racks of Inca romances in bookstores all over the country, and Warner Forever would be the Inca Romance line.
But I'm a history FREAK, in general. I read more history, to be perfectly honest, than fiction (when I have time to read!) these days. When we were little, my sister and I used to play "Littl
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 409 reviews
February 21, 2017
I knocked a star off of this one because it was literally chapter 5 before I gave a shit.
Chapter 1 was their idiotic meeting that went on for way too long and was stupid and cheesy. (I don't expect serious believability in my HR, but come on! They meet while she is standing in the bushes, spying on a guy, and then suddenly a cigarette lights up right behind her and there he stands. Is this HR or some sort of film noir crap? Of all the bushes in all the world, he had to walk into mine. *cue ridiculous jazz music*)
Chapter 2 was him remembering his cheesy meeting, along with a meeting he had earlier, and then seeing his sister. *sigh*
Chapter 3 was his father telling him he MUST marry a young woman from a good family within a month or else. Why? Because. reasons.
Chapter 4 was learning a little about the heroine. And, then more filler about the hero.
Finally, at chapter 5, it started to get going a bit. But still, this was a slow-start. And, the romance was a bit slower too. But, I liked that part. Insta-love is annoying.
Eventually, it all paid off, though. I ended up liking both of them and liking their little missions of mercy. I like a good bleeding-heart cause. I've even been known to support a cause or two in my day. So, it all ended up becoming a good little story. Eventually.
Chapter 1 was their idiotic meeting that went on for way too long and was stupid and cheesy. (I don't expect serious believability in my HR, but come on! They meet while she is standing in the bushes, spying on a guy, and then suddenly a cigarette lights up right behind her and there he stands. Is this HR or some sort of film noir crap? Of all the bushes in all the world, he had to walk into mine. *cue ridiculous jazz music*)
Chapter 2 was him remembering his cheesy meeting, along with a meeting he had earlier, and then seeing his sister. *sigh*
Chapter 3 was his father telling him he MUST marry a young woman from a good family within a month or else. Why? Because. reasons.
Chapter 4 was learning a little about the heroine. And, then more filler about the hero.
Finally, at chapter 5, it started to get going a bit. But still, this was a slow-start. And, the romance was a bit slower too. But, I liked that part. Insta-love is annoying.
Eventually, it all paid off, though. I ended up liking both of them and liking their little missions of mercy. I like a good bleeding-heart cause. I've even been known to support a cause or two in my day. So, it all ended up becoming a good little story. Eventually.
October 29, 2020
3.5 Stars
While this is a more unique storyline/main characters, it's a little forgetable. I read this two days ago and I had to reread the blurb to remind myself what this book was about. But despite that, I did like this book. The heroine, 'Tommy', comes from a unique background and uses her wiles not to trap a wealthy husband but rather to obtain enough wealth to help with her secret plans. The hero, Jonathan, is not the rake he seems to be and instead has a hidden do-good-er streak that leads him into personal trouble. The two of them together enact a lot of good, and also a good bit of steam.
While this is a more unique storyline/main characters, it's a little forgetable. I read this two days ago and I had to reread the blurb to remind myself what this book was about. But despite that, I did like this book. The heroine, 'Tommy', comes from a unique background and uses her wiles not to trap a wealthy husband but rather to obtain enough wealth to help with her secret plans. The hero, Jonathan, is not the rake he seems to be and instead has a hidden do-good-er streak that leads him into personal trouble. The two of them together enact a lot of good, and also a good bit of steam.
July 28, 2013
4.5 stars.
I'm woefully behind on the Pennyroyal Green series - in fact, the last one I read might have been book three - but that didn't matter when it came to reading this, the eighth in the series.
Jonathan Redmond is the youngest son of Isaiah Redmond, renowned businessman and investor. He views Jonathan as something of a wastrel and even when the latter tells his father that for the past couple of years he's been making investments in small businesses and asks to join his father's consortium, Isaiah dismisses him out of hand. It's plain that he has terribly low expectations of his son and instead of encouraging him in his business endeavours, Isaiah tells Jonathan he must marry within the year or be cut off without a penny.
As is the case with most of the young, handsome and charming men of historical romances, getting leg-shackled isn't exactly to Jonathan's taste. But as things stand, most of the young women of the ton are throwing out lures, and he supposes that one is as good as another and prepares himself to choose a girl to marry from their number.
He is vaguely acquainted with Miss Thomasina de Ballesteros, the daughter of a Spanish courtesan who presides over the weekly salons held at the home of the eccentric Countess Mirabeau. Thomasina – “Tommy” – acts as hostess at these functions; she is vivacious, attractive and witty, having the gift of making whichever young man she is speaking to feel as though he is the only man in the room. Jonathan’s friend Argosy is smitten, as are many of the young bloods who attend the salons, but Jonathan takes a more cynical view. Possessed of an inordinate degree of charm himself, he is well aware of Miss de Ballesteros’ modus operandi and watches from the sidelines as other men moon over her and make bets as to who will be her next lover.
The highlight of the book for me was the superbly witty exchanges between the two leads. Both are highly intelligent and sharp-tongued with fabulous senses of humour, and I especially liked Jonathan’s ability to laugh at himself. He’s gorgeous to look at and knows it, but he’s not vain and frequently makes a joke of his attractiveness.
After he and Tommy have rescued Charlie from the mill
I really hope that’s the author taking a poke at the frequent references to the way heroines always seem to be able to describe exactly what scent is favoured by their men.
And then, when they are about to embark upon another daring rescue and Jonathan is wondering whether he ought to adopt a disguise:
But there is much more lurking beneath the banter, and it’s not long before Tommy has embroiled Jonathan in her dangerous scheme to rescue workhouse children who have been sold to work as little more than slaves in service, in mills and other businesses and who are being badly mistreated. It doesn’t take Jonathan long to guess at Tommy’s reasons for being so devoted to doing what little she can for these children – and he surprises himself with his own capacity to care about them. The scenes in which he interacts with some of these children – especially the rascally Charlie – are tender, funny and very genuine. That’s another thing that makes him such an attractive hero – he’s devoted to his family of course (despite his strained relationship with his father), but he discovers in himself a huge wealth of concern and caring for these poor, mistreated children who have no-one to care for them or about what becomes of them.
He also finds that he cares deeply about Thomasina, too, and the way the romance unfurls gradually as the pair get under each other’s skins is a real delight.
Running alongside the hi-jinks surrounding Tommy’s exploits and the burgeoning romance is Jonathan’s determination to achieve success with his investment schemes and prove himself to his father. He shows himself to have a fine head for business and comes up with a superb marketing strategy to launch the printing business in which he is a partner by using the ton’s well-known appetite for juicy gossip.
I thought It Happened One Midnight was a thoroughly enjoyable read and it’s made me want to catch up with the rest of the series sooner rather than later. It was very well-written and I liked that the fluffy exterior had darker undertones dealing with issues which were certainly coming to the fore at the time. Jonathan was a wonderful hero – handsome, intelligent, wonderfully caring and possessed of a wit on which you could cut yourself shaving (!). He loved his family very much and was man enough to realise that life is short and sometimes you have to make your own happiness. He stood up to his father in a manner that allowed them to maintain a relationship and I thought, all in all, that he was a very mature, well-grounded individual.
Tommy was one of the more unusual heroines I’ve encountered in the pages of historical romances, but I felt that she wasn’t one of those who was written as ‘feisty’ for the sake of it. She had had a hard life and had learned to look after herself - often the hard way - and she found it genuinely difficult to believe that she had at last found someone who was prepared – and she could trust – to shoulder some of her burdens. The sexual tension between them was delicious, the love scenes were both romantic and sexy and I liked that neither character lost their sense of humour when they were in bed together. Out of it, Tommy matched Jonathan step for step and quip for quip, and while she may not have been the unspoiled virgin so often featured in romantic novels, they were a very well-suited couple and I can definitely see her making an excellent politician’s wife.
It Happened One Midnight is an entertaining and very enjoyable read that strikes a good balance between the romance and the more serious issues running alongside. Highly recommended.
With thanks to Avon and Edelweiss for the review copy.
I'm woefully behind on the Pennyroyal Green series - in fact, the last one I read might have been book three - but that didn't matter when it came to reading this, the eighth in the series.
Jonathan Redmond is the youngest son of Isaiah Redmond, renowned businessman and investor. He views Jonathan as something of a wastrel and even when the latter tells his father that for the past couple of years he's been making investments in small businesses and asks to join his father's consortium, Isaiah dismisses him out of hand. It's plain that he has terribly low expectations of his son and instead of encouraging him in his business endeavours, Isaiah tells Jonathan he must marry within the year or be cut off without a penny.
As is the case with most of the young, handsome and charming men of historical romances, getting leg-shackled isn't exactly to Jonathan's taste. But as things stand, most of the young women of the ton are throwing out lures, and he supposes that one is as good as another and prepares himself to choose a girl to marry from their number.
He is vaguely acquainted with Miss Thomasina de Ballesteros, the daughter of a Spanish courtesan who presides over the weekly salons held at the home of the eccentric Countess Mirabeau. Thomasina – “Tommy” – acts as hostess at these functions; she is vivacious, attractive and witty, having the gift of making whichever young man she is speaking to feel as though he is the only man in the room. Jonathan’s friend Argosy is smitten, as are many of the young bloods who attend the salons, but Jonathan takes a more cynical view. Possessed of an inordinate degree of charm himself, he is well aware of Miss de Ballesteros’ modus operandi and watches from the sidelines as other men moon over her and make bets as to who will be her next lover.
The highlight of the book for me was the superbly witty exchanges between the two leads. Both are highly intelligent and sharp-tongued with fabulous senses of humour, and I especially liked Jonathan’s ability to laugh at himself. He’s gorgeous to look at and knows it, but he’s not vain and frequently makes a joke of his attractiveness.
After he and Tommy have rescued Charlie from the mill
”I’m sure you always smell like starch and soap and bay rum.”
It startled both of them into a moment of awkward silence, the sudden inventory of how he smelled.
“You left out ‘and a certain ineffable manly goodness native only to you.’”
I really hope that’s the author taking a poke at the frequent references to the way heroines always seem to be able to describe exactly what scent is favoured by their men.
And then, when they are about to embark upon another daring rescue and Jonathan is wondering whether he ought to adopt a disguise:
”… a disguise will not be necessary. In fact, I think it will be most effective if you look exactly the way you do now.”
“Which is how...? Desire incarnate?”
But there is much more lurking beneath the banter, and it’s not long before Tommy has embroiled Jonathan in her dangerous scheme to rescue workhouse children who have been sold to work as little more than slaves in service, in mills and other businesses and who are being badly mistreated. It doesn’t take Jonathan long to guess at Tommy’s reasons for being so devoted to doing what little she can for these children – and he surprises himself with his own capacity to care about them. The scenes in which he interacts with some of these children – especially the rascally Charlie – are tender, funny and very genuine. That’s another thing that makes him such an attractive hero – he’s devoted to his family of course (despite his strained relationship with his father), but he discovers in himself a huge wealth of concern and caring for these poor, mistreated children who have no-one to care for them or about what becomes of them.
He also finds that he cares deeply about Thomasina, too, and the way the romance unfurls gradually as the pair get under each other’s skins is a real delight.
Running alongside the hi-jinks surrounding Tommy’s exploits and the burgeoning romance is Jonathan’s determination to achieve success with his investment schemes and prove himself to his father. He shows himself to have a fine head for business and comes up with a superb marketing strategy to launch the printing business in which he is a partner by using the ton’s well-known appetite for juicy gossip.
I thought It Happened One Midnight was a thoroughly enjoyable read and it’s made me want to catch up with the rest of the series sooner rather than later. It was very well-written and I liked that the fluffy exterior had darker undertones dealing with issues which were certainly coming to the fore at the time. Jonathan was a wonderful hero – handsome, intelligent, wonderfully caring and possessed of a wit on which you could cut yourself shaving (!). He loved his family very much and was man enough to realise that life is short and sometimes you have to make your own happiness. He stood up to his father in a manner that allowed them to maintain a relationship and I thought, all in all, that he was a very mature, well-grounded individual.
Tommy was one of the more unusual heroines I’ve encountered in the pages of historical romances, but I felt that she wasn’t one of those who was written as ‘feisty’ for the sake of it. She had had a hard life and had learned to look after herself - often the hard way - and she found it genuinely difficult to believe that she had at last found someone who was prepared – and she could trust – to shoulder some of her burdens. The sexual tension between them was delicious, the love scenes were both romantic and sexy and I liked that neither character lost their sense of humour when they were in bed together. Out of it, Tommy matched Jonathan step for step and quip for quip, and while she may not have been the unspoiled virgin so often featured in romantic novels, they were a very well-suited couple and I can definitely see her making an excellent politician’s wife.
It Happened One Midnight is an entertaining and very enjoyable read that strikes a good balance between the romance and the more serious issues running alongside. Highly recommended.
With thanks to Avon and Edelweiss for the review copy.
October 10, 2019
Reread Sept 2019 as part of a buddy read and upgraded to a full 5 stars! This couple, their bantering, the writing, the complexity of the series - just sublime! Due to time-constraints, I'll limit this update to just one quote:
“So . . . I take it you’ve been kissed before?”(after their first kiss) He was trying for irony. But his voice sounded odd. Thick and pensive. As though he’d sustained a blow to the head.
“As have you, I suspect.” Hers sounded very like his in her own ears. She suspected they were both struggling to speak over the sensual tumult in their bodies. She felt like she’d been tossed rudely about on some kind of wave and thrown roughly to shore.
There was a pause.
“Apparently not,” he finally said cryptically, half to himself. He still sounded dazed.
The original review from Feb 2016:
4.5/5. Marvellous writing. The dialogue between the protagonists is sharp and witty. The heroine, Tommy, is strong, intelligent and dignified in the face of the many knock downs life has dealt her. The hero, youngest son of the powerful Redmonds, is effortless charming and inherently decent as he strives to make his own impact in life and earn his respect from his arrogant and autocratic father. The introductory chapter detailing their first meeting heralds the explosive future interactions as they circle around one another warily, recognising their intellectual equal in one another, enjoying the stimulation and challenge the other provides. This tentative acquaintance evolves into a friendship of sort as they explore the hidden depths and strengths of one another. Passion is never far from the surface, but love, well, love as usual never comes easily, made more difficult by their differing social backgrounds.
"I’m not precisely a rake, you know.”
“Oh, do forgive me. What precisely does one call a man who enjoys an allegedly unbroken string of conquests?”
“The word ‘conquest’ implies a great degree of effort. Can I help it if they just . . . fall at my feet?” He tried and failed to suppress a smile that was, admittedly, rakish. “It wasn’t always that way. And only a fool would refrain from the occasional partaking of such . . . serendipitous bounty.”
“They fall at your feet? The way birds plummet from the sky in a proverbial biblical plague?”
He whistled, impressed. “Not even my sister has yet thought to call me a biblical plague.”
“So . . . I take it you’ve been kissed before?”(after their first kiss) He was trying for irony. But his voice sounded odd. Thick and pensive. As though he’d sustained a blow to the head.
“As have you, I suspect.” Hers sounded very like his in her own ears. She suspected they were both struggling to speak over the sensual tumult in their bodies. She felt like she’d been tossed rudely about on some kind of wave and thrown roughly to shore.
There was a pause.
“Apparently not,” he finally said cryptically, half to himself. He still sounded dazed.
The original review from Feb 2016:
4.5/5. Marvellous writing. The dialogue between the protagonists is sharp and witty. The heroine, Tommy, is strong, intelligent and dignified in the face of the many knock downs life has dealt her. The hero, youngest son of the powerful Redmonds, is effortless charming and inherently decent as he strives to make his own impact in life and earn his respect from his arrogant and autocratic father. The introductory chapter detailing their first meeting heralds the explosive future interactions as they circle around one another warily, recognising their intellectual equal in one another, enjoying the stimulation and challenge the other provides. This tentative acquaintance evolves into a friendship of sort as they explore the hidden depths and strengths of one another. Passion is never far from the surface, but love, well, love as usual never comes easily, made more difficult by their differing social backgrounds.
"I’m not precisely a rake, you know.”
“Oh, do forgive me. What precisely does one call a man who enjoys an allegedly unbroken string of conquests?”
“The word ‘conquest’ implies a great degree of effort. Can I help it if they just . . . fall at my feet?” He tried and failed to suppress a smile that was, admittedly, rakish. “It wasn’t always that way. And only a fool would refrain from the occasional partaking of such . . . serendipitous bounty.”
“They fall at your feet? The way birds plummet from the sky in a proverbial biblical plague?”
He whistled, impressed. “Not even my sister has yet thought to call me a biblical plague.”
May 15, 2021
I just reread this for a buddy read and it is still so good, even mere months later. So good, in fact, I'm bumping this up.
Please read Georgie-Sarah's review bc she captures my feelings perfectly
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
______________
Oh, uh, I have a bad crush on these here characters.
When characters are confident and they love each other and they know they love each other and they love loving each other?
That.
Please read Georgie-Sarah's review bc she captures my feelings perfectly
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
______________
Oh, uh, I have a bad crush on these here characters.
When characters are confident and they love each other and they know they love each other and they love loving each other?
That.
February 19, 2023
Read this book!!
Heartwrenching and unforgettable. Expertly paced. This was the most moving and profound of all the books in the series for me so far. Featuring a fearless heroine and cocky rake Hero who finds his inspiration and purpose...not sure why this book isn't talked about as often as book 5 because it is all sorts of magnificent. Everything about this book is absolutely wonderful. Adventurous, sensual, moving, enthralling, angst and overcoming hardship...this book had it all. As always, the humour is spot on. This book is why I read books. If you're looking for a hopeful, uplifting story featuring two heroes in the true sense of the word, it's this one.
💚
Heartwrenching and unforgettable. Expertly paced. This was the most moving and profound of all the books in the series for me so far. Featuring a fearless heroine and cocky rake Hero who finds his inspiration and purpose...not sure why this book isn't talked about as often as book 5 because it is all sorts of magnificent. Everything about this book is absolutely wonderful. Adventurous, sensual, moving, enthralling, angst and overcoming hardship...this book had it all. As always, the humour is spot on. This book is why I read books. If you're looking for a hopeful, uplifting story featuring two heroes in the true sense of the word, it's this one.
💚
May 23, 2015
4.5 stars
Truly, this author can do no wrong.
I love how unique all the books in this series are, while there's still Julie Anne Long's great writing to back them up. This one reminded me somehow of Colin's book, The Perils of Pleasure. Colin is one of my favourite heroes in the series. I have a soft spot for funny, easy-going guys. I'm not normally the brooding type of girl. I loved Jonathan for the same reasons I loved Colin. His cheerful nature, his kindness and his open heart completely won me over. Thomasina is strong, courageous and not your run-of-the-mill historical romance heroine.
I like how this series is a bit modern, with characters that dare to defy the conventions of their time, but still manages to read very much like historical romance and not a contemporary in disguise.
The attraction between the hero and the heroine took a long time to develop in this one. Up until around 40% they were just friends and nothing more. Even though Julie Anne Long always writes slow burn romances, the characters are usually at least attracted to each other almost from the beginning. That's just one more thing that proves how unique every book in this series is.
I really don't have much to say about this book or this series. Just close your eyes and pick a book. Any book. You won't be disappointed.
Truly, this author can do no wrong.
I love how unique all the books in this series are, while there's still Julie Anne Long's great writing to back them up. This one reminded me somehow of Colin's book, The Perils of Pleasure. Colin is one of my favourite heroes in the series. I have a soft spot for funny, easy-going guys. I'm not normally the brooding type of girl. I loved Jonathan for the same reasons I loved Colin. His cheerful nature, his kindness and his open heart completely won me over. Thomasina is strong, courageous and not your run-of-the-mill historical romance heroine.
I like how this series is a bit modern, with characters that dare to defy the conventions of their time, but still manages to read very much like historical romance and not a contemporary in disguise.
The attraction between the hero and the heroine took a long time to develop in this one. Up until around 40% they were just friends and nothing more. Even though Julie Anne Long always writes slow burn romances, the characters are usually at least attracted to each other almost from the beginning. That's just one more thing that proves how unique every book in this series is.
I really don't have much to say about this book or this series. Just close your eyes and pick a book. Any book. You won't be disappointed.
October 28, 2024
Original review October 2019: Very enjoyable read. Best one in the series so far. Jonathan and Tommy were both very likeable, and both showed character development through the book. The banter was great, and the steady development of their love for each other was lovely to read. I will definitely be going to back to this one again some time.
April 15, 2025
Note: Some of my goodreads shelves can be spoilers
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥
Humor: Yes, a bit
Perspective: third person from hero and heroine (and a bit from Violet, a side character)
More character focused or plot focused? character
How did the speed of the story feel? medium
When mains are first on page together: almost immediately
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: Yes, maybe 1-2 months later
Format: listened to audiobook from the library (Hoopla)
Why I chose this book: I am determined to finish this series!
Mains: This is a M/F relationship between a cishet hero and heroine
(Descriptions found at end of my review)
Should I read in order?
Overall I would say yes because the family dynamics really involve over the course of the series and you will really fall in love with these familes...but the romance itself does stand alone and I think it would be okay to pick up by itself because most of the book is really focused on the couple.
Basic plot:
Jonathan is doing everything to avoid matrimony and the dreaded ten children a fortune teller informed him were in his future – but as he gets roped into an adventure with Thomasina, he finds himself not worrying about falling...
Give this a try if you want:
- Regency
- hero’s father wants him to marry
- class difference
- investor minded hero
- forbidden love – Jonathan’s father forbids the match
- medium steam but a slower burn – 3ish full scenes (one was longer with a few acts but they were together so I combined the flame) with 2 being very near the end of the book
Ages:
- I didn’t catch either on audio (hate not being able to search on audio!)
First line:
The moon lay on its side like a discarded pickax, the stars diamond smithereens strewn all around it.
My thoughts:
I have been really loving Long’s writing style. She does such a good job of immersing in the character’s world and making me care about the mains. She has such fantastic character depth. And I love a good slow burn and she does such a good job of building up the tension layer by layer and making you really care when they actually touch each other and I love that.
This read was really pleasant – I liked it and went through it fast. I was surprised by all we learned about Thomasina’s past and I adored how hard Jonathan was falling for her. I loved how protective he was. I loved how much he cared. And I loved the ending.
But when I look at the book compared to my other favorites of the series, this one is just lacking a bit. There’s just something missing in it – some level of heartbreak or angst I’m not sure. But I just didn’t feel like it was one I would come back to overall in the series. So, a very pleasant read overall!
Few random reading stats for this author
# of books read: 9
Average rating: 4.22 stars
Favorite book: What I Did for a Duke
Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes, safe sex aspects, consent, pregnancy/child in the story:
Extra stuff like what my review breakdown means, where to find me, and book clubs
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥
Humor: Yes, a bit
Perspective: third person from hero and heroine (and a bit from Violet, a side character)
More character focused or plot focused? character
How did the speed of the story feel? medium
When mains are first on page together: almost immediately
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: Yes, maybe 1-2 months later
Format: listened to audiobook from the library (Hoopla)
Why I chose this book: I am determined to finish this series!
Mains: This is a M/F relationship between a cishet hero and heroine
(Descriptions found at end of my review)
Should I read in order?
Overall I would say yes because the family dynamics really involve over the course of the series and you will really fall in love with these familes...but the romance itself does stand alone and I think it would be okay to pick up by itself because most of the book is really focused on the couple.
Basic plot:
Jonathan is doing everything to avoid matrimony and the dreaded ten children a fortune teller informed him were in his future – but as he gets roped into an adventure with Thomasina, he finds himself not worrying about falling...
Give this a try if you want:
- Regency
- hero’s father wants him to marry
- class difference
- investor minded hero
- forbidden love – Jonathan’s father forbids the match
- medium steam but a slower burn – 3ish full scenes (one was longer with a few acts but they were together so I combined the flame) with 2 being very near the end of the book
Ages:
- I didn’t catch either on audio (hate not being able to search on audio!)
First line:
The moon lay on its side like a discarded pickax, the stars diamond smithereens strewn all around it.
My thoughts:
I have been really loving Long’s writing style. She does such a good job of immersing in the character’s world and making me care about the mains. She has such fantastic character depth. And I love a good slow burn and she does such a good job of building up the tension layer by layer and making you really care when they actually touch each other and I love that.
This read was really pleasant – I liked it and went through it fast. I was surprised by all we learned about Thomasina’s past and I adored how hard Jonathan was falling for her. I loved how protective he was. I loved how much he cared. And I loved the ending.
But when I look at the book compared to my other favorites of the series, this one is just lacking a bit. There’s just something missing in it – some level of heartbreak or angst I’m not sure. But I just didn’t feel like it was one I would come back to overall in the series. So, a very pleasant read overall!
Few random reading stats for this author
# of books read: 9
Average rating: 4.22 stars
Favorite book: What I Did for a Duke
Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes, safe sex aspects, consent, pregnancy/child in the story:
Extra stuff like what my review breakdown means, where to find me, and book clubs
February 20, 2021
Okay. Wow. WOW. I thought I loved the older Redmond son, Miles, and his story with Cynthia (Pennyroyal Green #2, and I did, I really did) BUT I loved this one more. Jonathan is the best kind of rake—the inadvertent rake, the I-didn't-mean-to-break-hearts, I'm-not-trying-to-be-so-charming rake & easygoing youngest Redmond son. He's decidedly less sexual and seductive than a lot of rakes are written, and I loved that—he's just one of those guys who really can't help that he's genetically gifted with charm and persuasion. It doesn't hurt that he's genuinely a good person—he steps in between innocents and harm, he sees his father's autocratic rule of their family as decidedly unjust, and he's devoted to his siblings. And as soon as we see him meet Tommy, we realize he's not nearly as easygoing as we thought. Jonathan cares. Deeply.
Enter Thomasina—Tommy. I. Love. Tommy. She's one of my favorite kinds of heroine—strong and soft; determined and schooled by the world, yet compassionate and still guided by her heart. Life has dealt Tommy some bad shit, and rather than become a cold-hearted cynic, she grabs life with two hands and fights to make sure the wrongs done to her as an illegitimate child forced into child labor aren't done to more innocent children. The commentary and history of child labor practices is Dickensian level bleak and difficult but so well explored and so victoriously challenged in this story.
Jonathan and Tommy were my favorite kind of couple, and one of my favorite tropes—bantering, teasing, flirty friends (then lovers). While from wildly different backgrounds and initially decidedly uninterested in anything beyond their professional use for each other, they're quickly forced into being on each other's side, and they soon realize how much they have in common in their belief systems and convictions. These two were a perfect pairing of minds and bodies—their chemistry was *incredible*. Physically, psychologically, emotionally. It was the best kind of torture waiting for this slow-burn-fuse to fully ignite. When it did, it was so damn good.
On top of that, Julie Anne Long is an incredibly gifted writer. I soaked up her smooth metaphors, the just-right amount of descriptive language to set the scene and paint the characters before me. The opening line of this book made me gasp, and I had a sense right there I was in for something special. I tend to 5-star books I know I'll keep thinking about, that really stuck with me. This book? I wish I could give it 10.
The Pennyroyal Green series is only loosely related standalones, and you really aren't missing anything except names of couples (but this is romance, so we know they ended up together anyway, whether you read it or not) when you pick them up out of order. If you want an exemplary title from Julie Anne Long, this is a great one to start with. It's my new favorite. Now off to read the next available one from my library...
Enter Thomasina—Tommy. I. Love. Tommy. She's one of my favorite kinds of heroine—strong and soft; determined and schooled by the world, yet compassionate and still guided by her heart. Life has dealt Tommy some bad shit, and rather than become a cold-hearted cynic, she grabs life with two hands and fights to make sure the wrongs done to her as an illegitimate child forced into child labor aren't done to more innocent children. The commentary and history of child labor practices is Dickensian level bleak and difficult but so well explored and so victoriously challenged in this story.
Jonathan and Tommy were my favorite kind of couple, and one of my favorite tropes—bantering, teasing, flirty friends (then lovers). While from wildly different backgrounds and initially decidedly uninterested in anything beyond their professional use for each other, they're quickly forced into being on each other's side, and they soon realize how much they have in common in their belief systems and convictions. These two were a perfect pairing of minds and bodies—their chemistry was *incredible*. Physically, psychologically, emotionally. It was the best kind of torture waiting for this slow-burn-fuse to fully ignite. When it did, it was so damn good.
On top of that, Julie Anne Long is an incredibly gifted writer. I soaked up her smooth metaphors, the just-right amount of descriptive language to set the scene and paint the characters before me. The opening line of this book made me gasp, and I had a sense right there I was in for something special. I tend to 5-star books I know I'll keep thinking about, that really stuck with me. This book? I wish I could give it 10.
The Pennyroyal Green series is only loosely related standalones, and you really aren't missing anything except names of couples (but this is romance, so we know they ended up together anyway, whether you read it or not) when you pick them up out of order. If you want an exemplary title from Julie Anne Long, this is a great one to start with. It's my new favorite. Now off to read the next available one from my library...
August 12, 2022
4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I've read almost the entire Pennyroyal Green Series in order (except #7) and have really liked it. I love that JAL has a writing style that is closer to that of a historical fiction writer and she creates relatable, heart-wrenching emotional intimacy time and time again. It Happened One Midnight was no exception. I loved Jonathan Redmond in this book. He turned out to be such a babe. Honestly, I wasn't that warm to him after reading the previous books. I'd seen the carefree little brother who was sweet enough and helpful enough, but I'd never seen the depth in him. That ended up being a plot point because this heroine (Tommy) was resourceful, brave, smart and deeply lonely and in Jonathan she found a partner in "crime." It was she that helped him see himself for the kind, fearless, loving person he is.
This was a bit of a slow burn, but once they got going there was a lot of steam. 🌶
I've read almost the entire Pennyroyal Green Series in order (except #7) and have really liked it. I love that JAL has a writing style that is closer to that of a historical fiction writer and she creates relatable, heart-wrenching emotional intimacy time and time again. It Happened One Midnight was no exception. I loved Jonathan Redmond in this book. He turned out to be such a babe. Honestly, I wasn't that warm to him after reading the previous books. I'd seen the carefree little brother who was sweet enough and helpful enough, but I'd never seen the depth in him. That ended up being a plot point because this heroine (Tommy) was resourceful, brave, smart and deeply lonely and in Jonathan she found a partner in "crime." It was she that helped him see himself for the kind, fearless, loving person he is.
This was a bit of a slow burn, but once they got going there was a lot of steam. 🌶
May 3, 2016
It Happened One Midnight is the 8th book in Julie Anne Long’s wildly popular Pennyroyal Green series. I’m not exaggerating when I say that this series represents the very best in the historical romance genre, and from the first page to the last this book is brilliant!
Blurb…Besides It Happened One Midnight, I’ve only read the first 2 books, The Perils of Pleasure and Like No Other Lover, and gave them both 5 stars. The way Ms. Long tells us about the adventures – and misadventures – of these characters is storytelling at its best. I feel as though I’m right there beside them, not just reading about their trials and triumphs, but actually experiencing everything with them!
More than one beautiful woman’s hopes have been dashed on the rocky shoals of Jonathan Redmond’s heart. With his riveting good looks and Redmond wealth and power, the world is his oyster—until an ultimatum from his father and a chilling gypsy prophesy send him hurtling headlong toward a fate he’ll do anything to avoid: matrimony.
Intoxicating, elusive Thomasina de Ballesteros has the bloods of London at her feet. But none of them knows the real Tommy—the one with a shocking pedigree, a few too many secrets, and a healthy scorn for rakes like Jonathan.
She is everything Jonathan never wanted. But on one fateful midnight, he’s drawn into Tommy's world of risk, danger…and a desire he’d never dreamed possible. And suddenly he’s re-thinking everything...including the possibility that succumbing to prophesy might just mean surrendering to love.
Jonathan Redmond is an amazing man. I adore him, flaws and all. Thomasina "Tommy" de Ballesteros, is a force to be reckoned with. Intelligent, quirky… she and Jonathan are the perfect match. Their sense of humor, laugh out loud banter, sexual chemistry, and at times the poignancy surrounding, have made them a couple I won’t soon forget.
I really can’t say enough good about the Pennyroyal Green series. If you’re a historical romance fan you’ve probably already read it, but if you haven’t you need to get on that now. Or, if you’ve never explored the genre but would like to try it out, this is a great series to start with!
An ARC was provided by Avon Books. In appreciation I’m giving them an honest review.
April 23, 2015
It had been some years since I last read a Pennyroyal Green book.
And I don't even know why.
I absolutely loved #5 in the series What I Did For a Duke. And so far the latest volumes _ unlike the first ones _ have not disappointed me.
This one _ due to unknown circumstances -_- _ has been sitting on my TBR pile for quite some time, and during the first time I picked it up, I couldn't seem to pass the first pages.
Now, after having gone through some YA reads that bored me to death, I was more than ready to start an historical romance with adult characters, who would hopefully behave as adults.
I am happy to report that they did! ;)
There's not much to say about this one: this is a story of friends to lovers romance.
When you look at Tommy _ Thomasina *poor girl*_ and Jonathan's situation, they don't seem to have anything in common. But at their hearts, they're passionate people that care deeply about justice being made. And I loved them for it.
I also had a few laughs at Jonathan's expense every time, children _ his future children _ were mentioned.
"Jonathan shook his head to and fro. “They’re bloody exhausting. It’s always ‘don’t!’ and ‘stop that!’ and ‘be quiet!’ or ‘speak up!’ . . . they’re completely anarchic creatures. Animals make infinitely more sense.”
“Children?”
“What else!”
When to that one adds their friendship, the story was pretty much perfect.
"Thank you, Jonathan."
"You're welcome, Burden."
See? :D
And I don't even know why.
I absolutely loved #5 in the series What I Did For a Duke. And so far the latest volumes _ unlike the first ones _ have not disappointed me.
This one _ due to unknown circumstances -_- _ has been sitting on my TBR pile for quite some time, and during the first time I picked it up, I couldn't seem to pass the first pages.
Now, after having gone through some YA reads that bored me to death, I was more than ready to start an historical romance with adult characters, who would hopefully behave as adults.
I am happy to report that they did! ;)
There's not much to say about this one: this is a story of friends to lovers romance.
When you look at Tommy _ Thomasina *poor girl*_ and Jonathan's situation, they don't seem to have anything in common. But at their hearts, they're passionate people that care deeply about justice being made. And I loved them for it.
I also had a few laughs at Jonathan's expense every time, children _ his future children _ were mentioned.
"Jonathan shook his head to and fro. “They’re bloody exhausting. It’s always ‘don’t!’ and ‘stop that!’ and ‘be quiet!’ or ‘speak up!’ . . . they’re completely anarchic creatures. Animals make infinitely more sense.”
“Children?”
“What else!”
When to that one adds their friendship, the story was pretty much perfect.
"Thank you, Jonathan."
"You're welcome, Burden."
See? :D
October 1, 2013
It Happened One Midnight is a delightful chapter in the ongoing Pennyroyal Green series. Once again, Julie Anne Long puts together a most unlikely pair and makes you believe in their love and devotion to one another. For all of her glamour and charm, Tommy is dead serious in her dedication to saving abused children forced to labor in mills, one at a time. Jonathan, on the other hand, is something of a wastrel who lives down to his father's low expectations of him. And yet, there's really more to him, which Tommy sees and helps Jonathan to realize.
Along with the serious exposition of early 19th century social conditions, there is the delightful banter that Long is known for. Truly, there's just the right mix of humor and angst.
Although this is the eighth book in the series, it works perfectly as a stand-alone. If you haven't read any of the others, though, especially the magnificent What I Did For a Duke, you're really missing out on a wonderful set of stories.
Thanks to Avon and Edelweiss for an advance review copy.
Along with the serious exposition of early 19th century social conditions, there is the delightful banter that Long is known for. Truly, there's just the right mix of humor and angst.
Although this is the eighth book in the series, it works perfectly as a stand-alone. If you haven't read any of the others, though, especially the magnificent What I Did For a Duke, you're really missing out on a wonderful set of stories.
Thanks to Avon and Edelweiss for an advance review copy.
April 9, 2022
Jonathan Redmond is known for breaking the hearts of London’s debutantes, though this was never his intention. With his handsome face and his family’s money, he can’t help but attract the ladies, but he’ll do whatever he can to avoid the marriage ultimatum his father has thrust upon him.
Thomasina de Ballesteros has all the men of London clamoring for her attention, but none of them knows who she really is. She has entirely too many secrets to keep and has no interest in entertaining rakes, especially the notorious Jonathan Redmond.
Thomasina embodies all the things Jonathan has never wanted for himself. Yet, somehow, he finds himself drawn into Tommy’s world of risk-taking and soon discovers a part of himself he never thought to meet, the one capable of great love. She soon has him reconsidering everything and drawing up new plans for his life, ones that might now include love and marriage.
This may be a new favorite for me in the Pennyroyal Green series, or at least a close second to A Notorious Countess Confesses. I absolutely adored Jonathan as a hero and Thomasina was a lovely heroine for him. Everyone in his life underestimated him and his family clearly didn’t really know him at all, even those he was closest to. This tugged at my heartstrings, but it made Thomasina shine even more because she did believe in him and saw the real him pretty early on in their acquaintance. I loved that neither Thomasina nor Jonathan really shied away from their feelings for one another, even though they were both scared. Thomasina was terrified and even considering other options, but when Jonathan asked her to trust him, she did and that’s one of the strongest and most realistic examples of love I’ve yet read. I adored the fact that Jonathan stood up to his overbearing father, refusing to be cowed and instead going after what he wanted for himself, even telling his father off for his heavy-handed machinations.
All of this would’ve been cute enough for me but add in the fact that Jonathan just couldn’t stop himself from helping others and stepping in when he saw someone in need of help, and I was a little in love with him myself. It was so gratifying to see all that finally culminate into something good for Jonathan and his nearly immediate dedication to working to end child labor just made him that much more perfect. Thomasina’s story was heart-rending, but I loved that she wouldn’t let herself be intimidated by those more powerful than herself or scared away from loving Jonathan. These two believed in each other and each was perhaps the first to truly see the other for who they are and that was perhaps my favorite part of the story.
Blog link: https://mustreadalltheromance.blogspo...
Thomasina de Ballesteros has all the men of London clamoring for her attention, but none of them knows who she really is. She has entirely too many secrets to keep and has no interest in entertaining rakes, especially the notorious Jonathan Redmond.
Thomasina embodies all the things Jonathan has never wanted for himself. Yet, somehow, he finds himself drawn into Tommy’s world of risk-taking and soon discovers a part of himself he never thought to meet, the one capable of great love. She soon has him reconsidering everything and drawing up new plans for his life, ones that might now include love and marriage.
This may be a new favorite for me in the Pennyroyal Green series, or at least a close second to A Notorious Countess Confesses. I absolutely adored Jonathan as a hero and Thomasina was a lovely heroine for him. Everyone in his life underestimated him and his family clearly didn’t really know him at all, even those he was closest to. This tugged at my heartstrings, but it made Thomasina shine even more because she did believe in him and saw the real him pretty early on in their acquaintance. I loved that neither Thomasina nor Jonathan really shied away from their feelings for one another, even though they were both scared. Thomasina was terrified and even considering other options, but when Jonathan asked her to trust him, she did and that’s one of the strongest and most realistic examples of love I’ve yet read. I adored the fact that Jonathan stood up to his overbearing father, refusing to be cowed and instead going after what he wanted for himself, even telling his father off for his heavy-handed machinations.
All of this would’ve been cute enough for me but add in the fact that Jonathan just couldn’t stop himself from helping others and stepping in when he saw someone in need of help, and I was a little in love with him myself. It was so gratifying to see all that finally culminate into something good for Jonathan and his nearly immediate dedication to working to end child labor just made him that much more perfect. Thomasina’s story was heart-rending, but I loved that she wouldn’t let herself be intimidated by those more powerful than herself or scared away from loving Jonathan. These two believed in each other and each was perhaps the first to truly see the other for who they are and that was perhaps my favorite part of the story.
Blog link: https://mustreadalltheromance.blogspo...
June 13, 2013
What I liked:
Jonathan Redmond: He was strong, sexy and much deeper and smarter than most people, including his own family, give him credit for. When his father gives him an ultimatum-marry or lose the family money-he scoffs it off until the lovely Tommy captures his attention. When he learns the true nature of what Tommy is dealing with, he can not help but be drawn in and help her, protect her...fall in love with her.
Thomsina de Ballesteros: Tommy holds many secrets close to her and has built up a persona that London believes. Is she a courtesan? Does she have Spanish princess blood in her? Beneath all that is the scars from her past and running into Jonathan one midnight changes her life forever.
The romance: Tommy and Jonathan just connect right away and it was such a delight to watch it grow into a deep, permanent love. Jonathan handles his arrogant father in a good way and it really showed his depth of feelings for Tommy.
The mystery aspect: I'm a little bit vague here since Tommy's secrets come out in their own time and they add a deeper undertone to this story. I loved how the mysterious gypsy reading Jonathan receives in the beginning comes true in a most unexpected way!
Family: I loved Jonathan and his expecting sister Violet together. It added humor and heart which I enjoyed.
What I did not like;
Not much really but I did feel like the romance almost moved a bit too slow. Nitpicky I know, but I felt my attention shifting a little too easily.
Overall, another solid winner from Julie Anne Long in a very strong historical romance series. This story could easily be read on its own but it will make you anxious to read previous ones and new ones yet to come. Wit, charm, true love, heat, family with a deeper undertone that is sure to touch your heart, It Happened One Midnight is sure to please historical romance fans!
eARC provided by Avon Book via edelweiss
Jonathan Redmond: He was strong, sexy and much deeper and smarter than most people, including his own family, give him credit for. When his father gives him an ultimatum-marry or lose the family money-he scoffs it off until the lovely Tommy captures his attention. When he learns the true nature of what Tommy is dealing with, he can not help but be drawn in and help her, protect her...fall in love with her.
Thomsina de Ballesteros: Tommy holds many secrets close to her and has built up a persona that London believes. Is she a courtesan? Does she have Spanish princess blood in her? Beneath all that is the scars from her past and running into Jonathan one midnight changes her life forever.
The romance: Tommy and Jonathan just connect right away and it was such a delight to watch it grow into a deep, permanent love. Jonathan handles his arrogant father in a good way and it really showed his depth of feelings for Tommy.
The mystery aspect: I'm a little bit vague here since Tommy's secrets come out in their own time and they add a deeper undertone to this story. I loved how the mysterious gypsy reading Jonathan receives in the beginning comes true in a most unexpected way!
Family: I loved Jonathan and his expecting sister Violet together. It added humor and heart which I enjoyed.
What I did not like;
Not much really but I did feel like the romance almost moved a bit too slow. Nitpicky I know, but I felt my attention shifting a little too easily.
Overall, another solid winner from Julie Anne Long in a very strong historical romance series. This story could easily be read on its own but it will make you anxious to read previous ones and new ones yet to come. Wit, charm, true love, heat, family with a deeper undertone that is sure to touch your heart, It Happened One Midnight is sure to please historical romance fans!
eARC provided by Avon Book via edelweiss
April 30, 2021
I really enjoyed “It Happened One Midnight”! Jonathan (not Johnny. Or even John.) and Tommy (Thomasina) are both such fun, witty, well-rounded characters that I love in a romance novel.
They were genuine platonic friends for the first half of the book before falling in love. I liked how naturally their relationship deepened and that they didn’t play games to deny their growing affection and respect for each other. There is sufficient angst in the story - mostly from Tommy’s background - but I felt like it was evenly balanced with the playfulness and love that surrounded them whenever they were together.
Overall, this book has a “certain amount to recommend” it! It is a delightful light-hearted read with requisite JAL grade A banter and delicious steamy scenes.
They were genuine platonic friends for the first half of the book before falling in love. I liked how naturally their relationship deepened and that they didn’t play games to deny their growing affection and respect for each other. There is sufficient angst in the story - mostly from Tommy’s background - but I felt like it was evenly balanced with the playfulness and love that surrounded them whenever they were together.
Overall, this book has a “certain amount to recommend” it! It is a delightful light-hearted read with requisite JAL grade A banter and delicious steamy scenes.
June 29, 2013
This poor book,it didn't quite get a fair shake from me. This series started in 2008. This is the 8th book in the series and there is still no Olivia/Lyon book. At first I enjoyed the lead up with little tidbits here and there about O/L, however, I am quite honestly past anticipation and ambivalent until their book comes out. You can honestly only drag something out for so long, I've forgotten tidbits of their storyline that was thrown out and lost a lot of passion for their story. Now I just know Ian Eversea, Argosy, and Lavay will probably have books before O/L. I've given up being excited.
However, I did delightfully enjoy the fantastic word play and playfulness between this book's leads Jonathon and Tommy. The cheeky little devils were fun to read. The overall pace and actual storyline was, eh ok. Julie Anne Long can be very hit or miss for me. Anyway I'd give it a 3.5 stars if we were allowed to do such things on Goodreads.
However, I did delightfully enjoy the fantastic word play and playfulness between this book's leads Jonathon and Tommy. The cheeky little devils were fun to read. The overall pace and actual storyline was, eh ok. Julie Anne Long can be very hit or miss for me. Anyway I'd give it a 3.5 stars if we were allowed to do such things on Goodreads.
June 15, 2021
4.75 Stars
I’d waited patiently for Johnathan’s book since having met the playful and fun Redmond brother in book #2. Unsurprisingly, there was much hidden depth to his character, solidifying him as a favorite in the series. What was surprising was the slower start to this one. It took until chapter 8 for this story to really kick in for me. Although, my expectations were probably at an all-time high after coming in from reading books 6&7. My two favorites. While this series has been stellar in regards to the author’s deft use of literary devices, wit, and cohesiveness between the separate books, the second half of the series has been outstanding all around.
Along with an overall great story, It Happened One Midnight had maybe the best ending in the series. If it wasn’t for the likely series crescendo that will be Lyon's book (#11,) I might have thought that this story was the conclusion to the series. It was that good.
December 14, 2018
4.5 stars. Slow start as I got back into the rhythm of her writing. It can sometimes feel like you accidentally wandered into the middle of a scene in a movie you don't even have a vague description for, when randomly picking up a Pennyroyal series' book.
I also always feel like Long takes way too long to describe the features (hair color, eyes etc) of her main characters.
By the time she does, usually midway through the book, you've already formed a picture of the main characters in your head (because you figure she isn't giving you a full one).
Then she goes and throws things like "his eyes are blue!" at you, all the way in chapter 15, so you have to mentally scratch off the dark ones you gave him to fill in that previously missing factoid (clearly my pet peeve).
Although the running gag about her hair (the colour of which, as a result, I am still unsure of) was rather delightful.
This aside, it was fantastic overall, as is often the case with Long's work. I'm not even hating on the practically stolen book title from my favorite classic movie "It Happened One Night"!
Passionate relationship, lovely build up, compatible leads, actual time given to fall in love, causes worth fighting for, cute children, quirky encounters, generally sensible decision making, feelings and choices discussed, fleshed out characters, no Big Bad... basically all the things that make a novel good.
Plus so many fabulous quotable lines, descriptions and enjoyable paragraphs I'd end up quoting the entire book if I included then all. Such engaging use of language, I really appreciated the following lines:
“Her heart launched into her throat when a man moved into the room.
Every cell in her body seemed to loan itself to seeing. She gulped glimpses as he passed through.”
---
“She didn’t tolerate fools, which amused him. In fact, talking to her had been a bit like taking off tight boots at the end of a long day: she had felt peculiarly comfortable, peculiarly spacious, in the way other women simply weren’t, by contrast.”
---
“I wasn’t happy, Jonathan. I didn’t even know it. I could scarcely put a finger on why. It only felt like . . .”
She stopped.
“Go on.”
“Like I would go mad from the constraints of being me”
---
“She pivoted and aimed the full radiant beam of her attention at Argosy, who’d returned, champagne in hand, with the air of a warrior bearing the head of his queen’s enemy.
“Lord Argosy,” she greeted him delightedly. “How impossible it is to resist a man who sees to my needs.”
Just like that, she threw what amounted to a net woven of sunshine and jewels over Argosy. He basked, captivated, his envy of Jonathan forgotten, and in a few short minutes he was convinced he was her favorite, simply by the quality of her attention”
---
“He wasn’t a heartbreaker. Or rather, he never set out to do it. He could never understand how women did it so freely, offered hearts without telling a man they were doing it, and then accused a man of stomping on a gift he hadn’t known he’d possessed. Didn’t they know what a dangerous business love was? How reckless it was to fall in? Falling in love alone was proof of insanity.”
---
“He had his father’s stare when he was having a good hard think; there was a squirm-inducing, almost accusatory quality to it that would have innocent people confessing to crimes they hadn’t committed, just to get a little relief from its intensity.”
---
“His voice must be what Poseidon’s voice sounds like, Jonathan thought. It was fathoms deep, as if it had needed to travel miles through him in order to reach the surface. He was lost in admiration at what a creature this man was”
---
“What I need to do tonight shouldn’t take very long or be very difficult at all,” she concluded brightly.
He supposed she meant that to be encouraging.
He waited.
“Unlike last time,’ she said, a little less confidently.
He waited some more.
“I might have been a bit . . . injured last time,” she concurred weakly.
“Are you appealing to my sense of chivalry now? You must be desperate.”
“I’m small. So very small and delicate. The world is a dangerous place for the likes of me.”
He rolled his eyes”
---
“He reflected upon the carriage ride there, during which he’d learned that six year olds never stop moving. As if they’ve just discovered all of their limbs, and fingers and toes and tongue, and need to break them in, like a new pair of shoes. The conversation had gone something like this:
Don’t kick, Sally.”
She stopped kicking, and beamed at him, as if she’d been kicking specifically to get him to say things to her.
And then she inserted her finger in her nose.
“Don’t put your finger in your nose,” he ordered.
She pulled it out of her nose and wiped it on her dress.
“Don’t wipe your . . .”
He wondered if all children required constant calibration. It was like learning to manage the ribbons of a high flyer drawn by unpredictable horses.”
---
“She laughed, delighted, and her eyes scrunched at the corners. It was odd, but he loved how they did that, for it made them seem like stars.”
---
“They were shoved over to her like a chess piece, those words.
Your move.”
---
“She’d earned her confidence through use, and it was a muscular thing. He’d been born with his; it was his birthright”
---
I also always feel like Long takes way too long to describe the features (hair color, eyes etc) of her main characters.
By the time she does, usually midway through the book, you've already formed a picture of the main characters in your head (because you figure she isn't giving you a full one).
Then she goes and throws things like "his eyes are blue!" at you, all the way in chapter 15, so you have to mentally scratch off the dark ones you gave him to fill in that previously missing factoid (clearly my pet peeve).
Although the running gag about her hair (the colour of which, as a result, I am still unsure of) was rather delightful.
This aside, it was fantastic overall, as is often the case with Long's work. I'm not even hating on the practically stolen book title from my favorite classic movie "It Happened One Night"!
Passionate relationship, lovely build up, compatible leads, actual time given to fall in love, causes worth fighting for, cute children, quirky encounters, generally sensible decision making, feelings and choices discussed, fleshed out characters, no Big Bad... basically all the things that make a novel good.
Plus so many fabulous quotable lines, descriptions and enjoyable paragraphs I'd end up quoting the entire book if I included then all. Such engaging use of language, I really appreciated the following lines:
“Her heart launched into her throat when a man moved into the room.
Every cell in her body seemed to loan itself to seeing. She gulped glimpses as he passed through.”
---
“She didn’t tolerate fools, which amused him. In fact, talking to her had been a bit like taking off tight boots at the end of a long day: she had felt peculiarly comfortable, peculiarly spacious, in the way other women simply weren’t, by contrast.”
---
“I wasn’t happy, Jonathan. I didn’t even know it. I could scarcely put a finger on why. It only felt like . . .”
She stopped.
“Go on.”
“Like I would go mad from the constraints of being me”
---
“She pivoted and aimed the full radiant beam of her attention at Argosy, who’d returned, champagne in hand, with the air of a warrior bearing the head of his queen’s enemy.
“Lord Argosy,” she greeted him delightedly. “How impossible it is to resist a man who sees to my needs.”
Just like that, she threw what amounted to a net woven of sunshine and jewels over Argosy. He basked, captivated, his envy of Jonathan forgotten, and in a few short minutes he was convinced he was her favorite, simply by the quality of her attention”
---
“He wasn’t a heartbreaker. Or rather, he never set out to do it. He could never understand how women did it so freely, offered hearts without telling a man they were doing it, and then accused a man of stomping on a gift he hadn’t known he’d possessed. Didn’t they know what a dangerous business love was? How reckless it was to fall in? Falling in love alone was proof of insanity.”
---
“He had his father’s stare when he was having a good hard think; there was a squirm-inducing, almost accusatory quality to it that would have innocent people confessing to crimes they hadn’t committed, just to get a little relief from its intensity.”
---
“His voice must be what Poseidon’s voice sounds like, Jonathan thought. It was fathoms deep, as if it had needed to travel miles through him in order to reach the surface. He was lost in admiration at what a creature this man was”
---
“What I need to do tonight shouldn’t take very long or be very difficult at all,” she concluded brightly.
He supposed she meant that to be encouraging.
He waited.
“Unlike last time,’ she said, a little less confidently.
He waited some more.
“I might have been a bit . . . injured last time,” she concurred weakly.
“Are you appealing to my sense of chivalry now? You must be desperate.”
“I’m small. So very small and delicate. The world is a dangerous place for the likes of me.”
He rolled his eyes”
---
“He reflected upon the carriage ride there, during which he’d learned that six year olds never stop moving. As if they’ve just discovered all of their limbs, and fingers and toes and tongue, and need to break them in, like a new pair of shoes. The conversation had gone something like this:
Don’t kick, Sally.”
She stopped kicking, and beamed at him, as if she’d been kicking specifically to get him to say things to her.
And then she inserted her finger in her nose.
“Don’t put your finger in your nose,” he ordered.
She pulled it out of her nose and wiped it on her dress.
“Don’t wipe your . . .”
He wondered if all children required constant calibration. It was like learning to manage the ribbons of a high flyer drawn by unpredictable horses.”
---
“She laughed, delighted, and her eyes scrunched at the corners. It was odd, but he loved how they did that, for it made them seem like stars.”
---
“They were shoved over to her like a chess piece, those words.
Your move.”
---
“She’d earned her confidence through use, and it was a muscular thing. He’d been born with his; it was his birthright”
---
February 20, 2015
☆5 I LOVED This Book Stars!☆
I loved Jonathan's story! At first I thought it started too slow, but it really did pick up! Long sure knows how to write and transition a scene. She's one of those authors who has a way of making you feel like you're right in on the action and you're one on one with the characters.
I loved the dialogue, I couldn't get enough of the back and forth bantering between Jonathan and Tommy. And the love scenes were hot and scorching. It was nice to finally see someone stand up Isaiah Redmond for once! Jonathan's character was a breath of fresh air. He was not the usual, brooding sort of Lord or duke we always read about, but he was handsome, witty, charming and compassionate! I love when the hero fights for a good cause and the child labor issues was a good add on to the story.
This is definitely a great read and I really like the Pennyroyal Green series and What I Did For a Duke has been sitting at number one for me in this series, but after reading Jonathan's story, I must say there's a tie for number one. So here's my list:
1: What I Did For a Duke/It Happened One Midnight
2:Like No Other Lover/Between the Devil and Ian Eversea
3. A Notorious Countess Confesses/How the Marquess was Won.
Now I'm off to get Colin, Chase and Violets story!
I loved Jonathan's story! At first I thought it started too slow, but it really did pick up! Long sure knows how to write and transition a scene. She's one of those authors who has a way of making you feel like you're right in on the action and you're one on one with the characters.
I loved the dialogue, I couldn't get enough of the back and forth bantering between Jonathan and Tommy. And the love scenes were hot and scorching. It was nice to finally see someone stand up Isaiah Redmond for once! Jonathan's character was a breath of fresh air. He was not the usual, brooding sort of Lord or duke we always read about, but he was handsome, witty, charming and compassionate! I love when the hero fights for a good cause and the child labor issues was a good add on to the story.
This is definitely a great read and I really like the Pennyroyal Green series and What I Did For a Duke has been sitting at number one for me in this series, but after reading Jonathan's story, I must say there's a tie for number one. So here's my list:
1: What I Did For a Duke/It Happened One Midnight
2:Like No Other Lover/Between the Devil and Ian Eversea
3. A Notorious Countess Confesses/How the Marquess was Won.
Now I'm off to get Colin, Chase and Violets story!
February 20, 2024
4.5 “Cognac & satin” stars ✨
This book had the best ending by far out of the previous seven! This was a good slow burn with so much heart & happenings in between. Jonathan Redmond - what a man! I loved the way he stood up to his father and told him who he wanted to be with and for him to Man Up and deal with it! This one resonated with me so unexpectedly! The wit, the chemistry and the love story! Top notch read right here!
This book had the best ending by far out of the previous seven! This was a good slow burn with so much heart & happenings in between. Jonathan Redmond - what a man! I loved the way he stood up to his father and told him who he wanted to be with and for him to Man Up and deal with it! This one resonated with me so unexpectedly! The wit, the chemistry and the love story! Top notch read right here!
July 6, 2013
Long began her Pennyroyal Green series over five years ago with The Perils of Pleasure (2008). Sometimes I read the first book in a series, and I almost sense a force field around it so convinced am I that I have read the beginning of something truly extraordinary. That was the feeling I had after reading The Perils of Pleasure the first time. Each book in the series has reaffirmed my initial response. It Happened One Midnight joins What I Did for a Duke and The Notorious Countess Confesses on my all-time top 100 list (or about the top one percent of the romances I’ve read).
In this eighth Pennyroyal Green book, Long weaves a story that pairs two people who should never be a match and makes me believe they are perfect for each other. She makes the impossible seem destined and the unexpected seem ideal. Tommy sees in Jonathan all that he is and all that he is capable of becoming. If ever a heroine deserved a hero to cherish her, Tommy does. And Jonathan’s heart is large enough to cherish all the pieces of who she is. Theirs is a story that, from the opening scene through the epilogue, never makes a misstep. Once again Long gives readers a book in which true love is characterized by the ability to see the essential self of the beloved that lies beyond the masks created to protect and conceal.
As always with Long, part of the joy of reading the book comes from her prose. The opening description with its pickax moon and diamond smithereens of stars sings, and there are dozens of other passages that are lovely and lyrical. My favorite comes from the scene where the Earl of Ardmay is waiting with Jonathan and the other Redmond males (except for Lyon, of course)for Violet to give birth. Violet is having a difficult time, and the scene is a fraught one. Amid his fear for his sister, Jonathan thinks of Tommy:
And in his weariness, only one word came to Jonathan, like a prayer. Tommy, he thought, invoking what was good and real. Tommy. The word for love in his world right now. Tommy. And he supposed that the word that occurred to you in your darkest moments . . . well, that word meant love. That was how you knew. And perhaps that was the purpose of dark moments.
Earlier Tommy has distinguished between love and romance. She, like Jonathan, has come to understand that love ennobles the giver and renders meaningful small, daily expressions. It Happened One Midnight is deeply romantic, but even better, it is a heart-shatteringly beautiful love story with a sigh-evoking HEA. I highly recommend this book.
See full review at Just Janga:
http://justjanga.blogspot.com/2013/05...
In this eighth Pennyroyal Green book, Long weaves a story that pairs two people who should never be a match and makes me believe they are perfect for each other. She makes the impossible seem destined and the unexpected seem ideal. Tommy sees in Jonathan all that he is and all that he is capable of becoming. If ever a heroine deserved a hero to cherish her, Tommy does. And Jonathan’s heart is large enough to cherish all the pieces of who she is. Theirs is a story that, from the opening scene through the epilogue, never makes a misstep. Once again Long gives readers a book in which true love is characterized by the ability to see the essential self of the beloved that lies beyond the masks created to protect and conceal.
As always with Long, part of the joy of reading the book comes from her prose. The opening description with its pickax moon and diamond smithereens of stars sings, and there are dozens of other passages that are lovely and lyrical. My favorite comes from the scene where the Earl of Ardmay is waiting with Jonathan and the other Redmond males (except for Lyon, of course)for Violet to give birth. Violet is having a difficult time, and the scene is a fraught one. Amid his fear for his sister, Jonathan thinks of Tommy:
And in his weariness, only one word came to Jonathan, like a prayer. Tommy, he thought, invoking what was good and real. Tommy. The word for love in his world right now. Tommy. And he supposed that the word that occurred to you in your darkest moments . . . well, that word meant love. That was how you knew. And perhaps that was the purpose of dark moments.
Earlier Tommy has distinguished between love and romance. She, like Jonathan, has come to understand that love ennobles the giver and renders meaningful small, daily expressions. It Happened One Midnight is deeply romantic, but even better, it is a heart-shatteringly beautiful love story with a sigh-evoking HEA. I highly recommend this book.
See full review at Just Janga:
http://justjanga.blogspot.com/2013/05...
September 2, 2013
5 stars! A truly epic delight!
I just finished this book last night and loved every bit of it.
Although this book is number 8 in the Pennyroyal Green series, it can easily stand alone. A splendid read, well written and full of delicious chemistry. It also has the perfect amount of steam between Tommy (heroine) and Jonathan (hero).
The plot is simply fabulous! I love how Ms. Long writes. This is one of the best books I’ve read this year.
Laughing with him was strangely a bit like drinking champagne. She wanted more of it, and the more she had of it, the giddier she felt.
Thomasina de Ballesteros is one of the best female characters I’ve read in a long time. She’s strong and independent but she also is very human and her personality will make you fall in love with her.
Jonathan is an exceptional hero. He’s full of humor & wit. He’s also brave but vulnerable to an extent. I loved his character. He’s also very easy to love right from the beginning.
“Say it again.”
“I love you.” These magical powerful words that she never dreamed she’d be able to say to anyone.
And the look, look at what it did to Jonathan Redmond’s face when she said them. What a humbling power she held.
He recovered, and smiled a slow satisfied smile. “Of course you love me. How could you help it?”
He gathered her abruptly into his arms then, and he bent to kiss her senseless.
The banter between Tommy and Jonathan had me cracking up almost immediately. Ms. Long did an exceptional job making the characters come alive and be believable.
If you’ve never read historical romance before, take an irrevocable step and start with Julie Anne Long. You won’t regret it. :)
I just finished this book last night and loved every bit of it.
Although this book is number 8 in the Pennyroyal Green series, it can easily stand alone. A splendid read, well written and full of delicious chemistry. It also has the perfect amount of steam between Tommy (heroine) and Jonathan (hero).
The plot is simply fabulous! I love how Ms. Long writes. This is one of the best books I’ve read this year.
Laughing with him was strangely a bit like drinking champagne. She wanted more of it, and the more she had of it, the giddier she felt.
Thomasina de Ballesteros is one of the best female characters I’ve read in a long time. She’s strong and independent but she also is very human and her personality will make you fall in love with her.
Jonathan is an exceptional hero. He’s full of humor & wit. He’s also brave but vulnerable to an extent. I loved his character. He’s also very easy to love right from the beginning.
“Say it again.”
“I love you.” These magical powerful words that she never dreamed she’d be able to say to anyone.
And the look, look at what it did to Jonathan Redmond’s face when she said them. What a humbling power she held.
He recovered, and smiled a slow satisfied smile. “Of course you love me. How could you help it?”
He gathered her abruptly into his arms then, and he bent to kiss her senseless.
The banter between Tommy and Jonathan had me cracking up almost immediately. Ms. Long did an exceptional job making the characters come alive and be believable.
If you’ve never read historical romance before, take an irrevocable step and start with Julie Anne Long. You won’t regret it. :)
June 7, 2018
(Tropes: Class / Culture Divide, Forbidden Love, Unrequited Love)
I am reading this series all out of order, so I can’t remember who’s who anymore – and Colin, who is Colin again? There's a curse?
Doesn’t matter.
It took me a little while to get into this book – the set up took several chapters. BUT, when it got going it got going!
*****
“Tell me you haven’t thought about me every single night. The taste of me. The feel of me. The smell of me. Tell me you haven’t been haunted the way I have.”
“Haunted? Not for a single moment,” she murmured, as she unbuttoned the first of his buttons. “Not by your smile. Not by your laugh. Not by how your thighs look in those trousers.”
This won her a little smile.
“I always knew you were a liar,” he murmured back.
*****
Jonathan and Thomasina (Tommy) are not an ideal match. She has secrets and needs someone with money. While he’s of the ton (a 3rd son with no money of his own) he needs someone his father will approve of. And he has 6 months to do it. So even though there is a massive insta like the moment they meet, they both acknowledge they are all wrong for each other.
(Yeah, even this one doesn’t believe it)
- “I simply turned, and there you were behind me at the costermonger’s cart. Almost as if you knew exactly where I was. Just as I suspect I saw you because I expected to see you.”
An ambiguous, interesting, charged little silence followed. It thrummed with the tacit understanding that they had each perhaps made an actual effort to find each other in the crowd. Had in fact been quite aware of each other in the throng.
And how can they resist? They have so much fun together.
- “I might have been a bit . . . injured last time,” she concurred weakly.
“Are you appealing to my sense of chivalry now? You must be desperate.”
“I’m small. So very small and delicate. The world is a dangerous place for the likes of me.”
- “The word ‘conquest’ implies a great degree of effort. Can I help it if they just . . . fall at my feet?” “They fall at your feet? The way birds plummet from the sky in a proverbial biblical plague?”
He whistled, impressed. “Not even my sister has yet thought to call me a biblical plague.”
“What does the ‘H’ stand for?”
“Horatio. Are you going to mock me for it?”
“Of course,” she said, surprised he would even ask.
- “Yes. I prefer to kiss lips made of lava and silk.”
Their silence could not have been more instant, mutual, and shocked if he had slapped her.
“Lava . . . and . . . silk . . . Jonathan?” She repeated on an incredulous hush, all trembling, tamped hilarity, and wonder. “That is . . . did you really just say, ‘lava and—’ ”
“Hush!” he said, stifling an amazed, mortified laugh, which was shot through with a peculiar torment. “I’m appalled, too. It just . . . came out that way. Shhh.”
And they can’t help falling for each other.
- How buoyant life seemed with him about, and how giddy the mundane could become, how safe the world seemed. And she didn’t know why she should feel her heart was both breaking and almost violently blooming all at once.
- And that’s when Jonathan knew, with surprise and a certain distant fatal amusement, that he was sunk. So this is what it feels like, he wondered. It’s horrible and magnificent all at once.
Being all wrong for each other, they pretend there's nothing serious going on.
- “Miss me, Tommy?”
A little silence. “Didn’t we just see each other?” She took pains to sound bored.
He gave her a slow smile. Then Jonathan mouthed, “Liar.”
- And he thought, go ahead and breathe me in. Starch and soap and bay rum. Want me. Want me. “I’m off to Sussex. Try not to pine.”
And though at the moment it felt a bit like tearing off a limb, he crammed on his hat, and left.
“If only you knew . . . how important you are. How good you are. How necessary you are. To the people who love you.” To me. To me. To me. She didn’t say those last words aloud. But he heard it.
**********
4 stars.
I am reading this series all out of order, so I can’t remember who’s who anymore – and Colin, who is Colin again? There's a curse?
Doesn’t matter.
It took me a little while to get into this book – the set up took several chapters. BUT, when it got going it got going!
*****
“Tell me you haven’t thought about me every single night. The taste of me. The feel of me. The smell of me. Tell me you haven’t been haunted the way I have.”
“Haunted? Not for a single moment,” she murmured, as she unbuttoned the first of his buttons. “Not by your smile. Not by your laugh. Not by how your thighs look in those trousers.”
This won her a little smile.
“I always knew you were a liar,” he murmured back.
*****
Jonathan and Thomasina (Tommy) are not an ideal match. She has secrets and needs someone with money. While he’s of the ton (a 3rd son with no money of his own) he needs someone his father will approve of. And he has 6 months to do it. So even though there is a massive insta like the moment they meet, they both acknowledge they are all wrong for each other.
(Yeah, even this one doesn’t believe it)
- “I simply turned, and there you were behind me at the costermonger’s cart. Almost as if you knew exactly where I was. Just as I suspect I saw you because I expected to see you.”
An ambiguous, interesting, charged little silence followed. It thrummed with the tacit understanding that they had each perhaps made an actual effort to find each other in the crowd. Had in fact been quite aware of each other in the throng.
And how can they resist? They have so much fun together.
- “I might have been a bit . . . injured last time,” she concurred weakly.
“Are you appealing to my sense of chivalry now? You must be desperate.”
“I’m small. So very small and delicate. The world is a dangerous place for the likes of me.”
- “The word ‘conquest’ implies a great degree of effort. Can I help it if they just . . . fall at my feet?” “They fall at your feet? The way birds plummet from the sky in a proverbial biblical plague?”
He whistled, impressed. “Not even my sister has yet thought to call me a biblical plague.”
“What does the ‘H’ stand for?”
“Horatio. Are you going to mock me for it?”
“Of course,” she said, surprised he would even ask.
- “Yes. I prefer to kiss lips made of lava and silk.”
Their silence could not have been more instant, mutual, and shocked if he had slapped her.
“Lava . . . and . . . silk . . . Jonathan?” She repeated on an incredulous hush, all trembling, tamped hilarity, and wonder. “That is . . . did you really just say, ‘lava and—’ ”
“Hush!” he said, stifling an amazed, mortified laugh, which was shot through with a peculiar torment. “I’m appalled, too. It just . . . came out that way. Shhh.”
And they can’t help falling for each other.
- How buoyant life seemed with him about, and how giddy the mundane could become, how safe the world seemed. And she didn’t know why she should feel her heart was both breaking and almost violently blooming all at once.
- And that’s when Jonathan knew, with surprise and a certain distant fatal amusement, that he was sunk. So this is what it feels like, he wondered. It’s horrible and magnificent all at once.
Being all wrong for each other, they pretend there's nothing serious going on.
- “Miss me, Tommy?”
A little silence. “Didn’t we just see each other?” She took pains to sound bored.
He gave her a slow smile. Then Jonathan mouthed, “Liar.”
- And he thought, go ahead and breathe me in. Starch and soap and bay rum. Want me. Want me. “I’m off to Sussex. Try not to pine.”
And though at the moment it felt a bit like tearing off a limb, he crammed on his hat, and left.
“If only you knew . . . how important you are. How good you are. How necessary you are. To the people who love you.” To me. To me. To me. She didn’t say those last words aloud. But he heard it.
**********
4 stars.
June 5, 2022
Lately, the books I've been reading involve the heroine (and a hero in one book) helping lower-class women and/or children have better lives through a charity organization or secret rescues like in this book, and I'm discovering that I don't enjoy reading about this particular subplot. Hence, I didn't enjoy reading this book. I think it's great that they want to help those who can't help themselves, but I don't want to read about it in a romance novel. Give me balls, soirees, and house parties!
The first half of the book was slow but it does have good banter between the H/h. However, that wasn't enough to keep me from skimming the book since it was lacking in the romance department. I think things started to get more interesting for me in chapter 23 out of 31 chapters (the last 25% of the book). I do not like Isaiah Redmond (Jonathon's father). I was thrilled that both the hero and heroine made Isaiah realize that his controlling ways were hurting his family more than anything (i.e. Lyon and Miles). It was nice to see Jonathan, the youngest Redmond, stand up to his father and for his father to in the epilogue. Let's see how Isaiah handles Lyon's choice in his book!
This is the 8th book I've read by Julie Anne Long, and I think I can expect the steam level in her books to be pretty low even though the H/h are pretty amorous in this book compared to the couples in her other books in this series.
All righty! Three more books to go!
The first half of the book was slow but it does have good banter between the H/h. However, that wasn't enough to keep me from skimming the book since it was lacking in the romance department. I think things started to get more interesting for me in chapter 23 out of 31 chapters (the last 25% of the book). I do not like Isaiah Redmond (Jonathon's father). I was thrilled that both the hero and heroine made Isaiah realize that his controlling ways were hurting his family more than anything (i.e. Lyon and Miles). It was nice to see Jonathan, the youngest Redmond, stand up to his father and for his father to in the epilogue. Let's see how Isaiah handles Lyon's choice in his book!
This is the 8th book I've read by Julie Anne Long, and I think I can expect the steam level in her books to be pretty low even though the H/h are pretty amorous in this book compared to the couples in her other books in this series.
All righty! Three more books to go!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 28, 2013
IT HAPPENED ONE MIDNIGHT BY JULIE ANNE LONG, JUNE 25, 2013 AVON BOOKS
I once commented to a writer that there are only so many Duke’s to go around but if you read historical romance, you would trip over them. So here it is a story of the youngest son. In Regency England a younger son wasn’t allowed to work and was basically useless. So how do you make a love story with a younger son interesting? You have Julie Anne Long write it. I have a confession to make, I like my hero’s a little bit rough around the edges. Jonathan Redmond has been described and talked about as though he’s a young buck with no direction, so for me this hero would be a problem. The book starts out as him being funny and poor, two things I dislike in a main hero. Thomasina de Ballestershas is described as a borderline courtesan, another least favorite of mine. Thankfully I love Julie Anne Long and I was in for the long haul. The beauty in her writing is that she can take an impossible situation and make it believable. Jonathan is desperate to find investors for his new idea and his rich family won’t support him. Thomasina is desperate to escape poverty and Jonathan is just the right person to help her. The friendship and love that develops between the two is beautiful and believable and that’s what makes her such an amazing writer. She takes two people who would not work with any other writer and makes an amazing book.
I once commented to a writer that there are only so many Duke’s to go around but if you read historical romance, you would trip over them. So here it is a story of the youngest son. In Regency England a younger son wasn’t allowed to work and was basically useless. So how do you make a love story with a younger son interesting? You have Julie Anne Long write it. I have a confession to make, I like my hero’s a little bit rough around the edges. Jonathan Redmond has been described and talked about as though he’s a young buck with no direction, so for me this hero would be a problem. The book starts out as him being funny and poor, two things I dislike in a main hero. Thomasina de Ballestershas is described as a borderline courtesan, another least favorite of mine. Thankfully I love Julie Anne Long and I was in for the long haul. The beauty in her writing is that she can take an impossible situation and make it believable. Jonathan is desperate to find investors for his new idea and his rich family won’t support him. Thomasina is desperate to escape poverty and Jonathan is just the right person to help her. The friendship and love that develops between the two is beautiful and believable and that’s what makes her such an amazing writer. She takes two people who would not work with any other writer and makes an amazing book.
July 8, 2013
This is a Quickie Review. For the full review, please visit The Romanceaholic.
Expected Release Date: June 25, 2013
Publisher: HarperCollins
Imprint: Avon
Author’s Website: http://www.julieannelong.com/
My Source for This Book: Edelweiss
Part of a Series: Yes, Book 8, Pennyroyal Green Series
Series Best Read In Order: Works well as a standalone
Steam Level: Steamy
Pet Peeves: None
Favorite Tropes: Second+ Son, Wickedly Funny
It isn’t often that I read a book that makes me laugh, makes me tear up, makes me fan myself, and makes me grin even as I turn the final page. This book did that and more.
With an ideal combination of tension and humor, steam and sweetness, I couldn’t put it down, and have, in fact, already read it twice at the time of this review.
Our heroine, Tommy, had so much passion, for her mission to end child labor, for her determination to gain acceptance by her natural father, and for life itself, that I couldn’t help but love her. Jonathan, too, tugged my heartstrings, with his tenuous relationship with his father, and his affection for Tommy as well as his own growing passion for her cause.
This is, without a doubt, one of the best historical romances I’ve read all year.
Expected Release Date: June 25, 2013
Publisher: HarperCollins
Imprint: Avon
Author’s Website: http://www.julieannelong.com/
My Source for This Book: Edelweiss
Part of a Series: Yes, Book 8, Pennyroyal Green Series
Series Best Read In Order: Works well as a standalone
Steam Level: Steamy
Pet Peeves: None
Favorite Tropes: Second+ Son, Wickedly Funny
It isn’t often that I read a book that makes me laugh, makes me tear up, makes me fan myself, and makes me grin even as I turn the final page. This book did that and more.
With an ideal combination of tension and humor, steam and sweetness, I couldn’t put it down, and have, in fact, already read it twice at the time of this review.
Our heroine, Tommy, had so much passion, for her mission to end child labor, for her determination to gain acceptance by her natural father, and for life itself, that I couldn’t help but love her. Jonathan, too, tugged my heartstrings, with his tenuous relationship with his father, and his affection for Tommy as well as his own growing passion for her cause.
This is, without a doubt, one of the best historical romances I’ve read all year.
July 20, 2013
I became hooked on this author when I bought the first book of the Pennyroyal Green series on sale. I absolutely loved Perils of Pleasure and I've always found Long's stories to be entertaining and often moving. But that first book was always the best. This one nearly equals it. I absolutely loved both lead characters and I loved the conclusion.
Having been a bit disappointed in the last installment (even after forgiving the huge publishing screw-up that left an incredible number of typos and editing mishaps in the text), I'm thrilled to have just enjoyed a story that's everything that's good about JAL.
Having been a bit disappointed in the last installment (even after forgiving the huge publishing screw-up that left an incredible number of typos and editing mishaps in the text), I'm thrilled to have just enjoyed a story that's everything that's good about JAL.
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