Meet the Earl at Midnight

Midnight Meetings #1

by Gina Conkle

It's going to take a Beast to tame this Beauty

Enigma Earl. The Phantom of London. That's what the gossip pages call Lord Edward Greenwich, a mysterious nobleman who doesn't show his face in London Society. With a reputation like that, no wonder Lydia Montgomery is horrified to be dragged from bed and packed off to live with him to save her mother from penury.

While Lydia has received all of the training a lady should endure, she's decidedly un-ladylike. She despises her corset and isn't interested in marriage. She'd prefer to remain unmarried and spend her time improving her art. But if she wants a chance at happiness, she'll have to set aside her fear of the earl and discover the man hiding behind the beast.

Will Edward and Lydia's greatest discovery be each other before time runs out?

Book 1 in the series Midnight Meetings

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Beauty and The Beast, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Regency

352 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published May 6, 2014

About the author

Learn more about her books at Gina or connect with her via her newsletter
https://ginaconkle.com/newsletter-2/

Reviews

[Caz · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an AUDIO review, so the narration factors into the overall grade, which is a B-, broken down as B+ for narration and C for content at AAR.

It should be noted that I listened to this audio and wrote this review some months before reading the next book in this series, The Lady Meets Her Match

I selected this title for review solely because Marian Hussey is the narrator. I’ve listened to her a couple of times recently and was very impressed with her performances in Brenda Joyce’s Splendor and Lucinda Brant’s Salt Bride, so I’ve been scouring Audible to find more of her work to listen to. When Meet the Earl at Midnight showed up, I jumped at the chance to review it.


It’s the first book in a new series by Ms Conkle which very loosely reworks well-known fairy tales. This one is a riff on Beauty and the Beast, with the opening very closely mirroring that section of the story in which the heroine’s father delivers up his daughter to the Beast as part of a deal – in this case, to pay off his debts and keep him and his son from going to prison.

The Beast in question is the reclusive Earl of Greenwich – known throughout society by a variety of monickers, including “The Beast of Greenwich” or “The Phantom Earl”. He needs a wife urgently and isn’t too worried as to where she comes from, as long as she is young enough to give him an heir. Lydia Montgomery’s stepfather has been embezzling funds from the earl’s successful shipping company, and has offered Lydia in lieu of the debt. Lydia is disgusted, but her prime concern is not for herself; she’d rather be away from her stepfather’s home anyway. Her beloved mother could be incarcerated along with her husband, something from which she would never recover, so Lydia agrees to go with the earl, secretly hoping that she will be able to bring him to see that a marriage between them – an earl and a nobody - is a bad idea.

It quickly becomes apparent that the earl – Edward – is set on the marriage for his own ends. When Lydia confesses to him that she’s not a virgin he says they should wait a month before marrying (or doing anything else!), as he naturally wants to make sure that any child she bears as a result is his. Lydia understands his reasons and goes along with his plans, still hoping to dissuade him from marrying her.

But she can’t deny that she finds Edward very attractive, despite the scars he bears on one side of his face and body. He’s also not at all the beastly creature that society has dubbed him; he’s witty, highly intelligent, and passionately dedicated to the scientific pursuits which have gained him renown far and wide. In him, Lydia recognises something of a kindred spirit; she is as dedicated to her desire to paint and exhibit her work as Edward is to science, and their similarity of outlook helps to draw them together.

Gina Conkle writes well and has created two interesting and engaging protagonists in Edward and Lydia. There is certainly a good deal of chemistry between the leads, although the romance is under-developed and poor Edward is cock-blocked rather too often! I have no problem with delayed gratification in a romance; indeed it’s part of the box-of-tricks of the romance author. But it’s overdone on this occasion, with the couple being interrupted every time they got into a passionate clinch, and it got irritating quickly.

And this leads me on to the fact that there are a number of other inconsistencies within the book that I found distracting and which ultimately took me out of the story.

For instance, Lydia is obviously an intelligent young woman and yet she allows herself to be dragged out of bed in the middle of the night and handed over to a complete stranger without question or protest. It’s said on several occasions that Lydia has agreed to marry Edward in order to protect her mother but after the odd letter to the woman, she seems to forget all about her. We never meet Lydia’s mother in the story, and I have no idea what happened to her in the end. Why does Edward insist on waiting a month before wedding and bedding Lydia? If he wants to be sure she’s not already pregnant, he only has to wait until after her next “monthly”. And he never asks her how long it is since she last had sex – it could have been years, in which case there is no need to wait! His reasons for wanting a hasty marriage (and an equally hasty impregnation of his bride!) are ultimately selfish and he point-blank refuses to see that the concerns expressed both by Lydia and his mother (with whom he has a love/hate relationship) are valid ones because he is so intent on his purpose. Edward fails – or refuses – to see that marriage and the possibility of impending fatherhood require a re-evaluation of his situation. And the resolution, when it comes, is something he could have done at any time, which makes the previous conflict an unnecessary contrivance.

All this isn’t to say that I disliked the book – I didn’t. I was just disappointed because it could have been so much better had things been tightened up a little. The time devoted to the needless “conflict” would have been better spent on developing the romance.

Fortunately, however, the audiobook is shifted from the “not bad” category to the “good” one by virtue of Marian Hussey’s excellent performance. I enjoyed listening to her so much that many of the issues I’ve outlined above only intruded upon my conscience after I’d turned the audio off because her narration kept me sufficiently engaged in the story as to make them less obvious at the time of listening. Ms Hussey has a pleasant, attractive voice which is easy to listen to, her enunciation is very clear and the narrative is expressive and well-paced. She differentiates very effectively between all the characters, and her performance of Edward is especially good; she lowers her pitch slightly and adds a harder edge to his speech which leaves no doubt as to his masculinity and which never sounds strained or false. Her portrayal of his mother, too, is excellent. The character immediately comes across as overbearing and unlikeable, but Ms Hussey brings a degree of color and shade to her interpretation that convey the woman’s inner vulnerability in a way that is perhaps more difficult to discern on the page.

I’m giving the audiobook a qualified recommendation, mostly because of the excellent narration. The story is entertaining enough and I would certainly consider reading or listening to more from Ms Conkle as she clearly has the ability to tell a good story. But this is ultimately Marian Hussey’s show; she is definitely a narrator to watch and I’m eager to hear more from her.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review posted at: Swept Away By Romance

Story Rating ~ 4 Stars
Hero Rating ~ 4 Stars
Heroine Rating ~ 5 Stars
Romance Rating ~ 4 Stars
Heat Level ~ 3 Stars
Ending ~ 4 Stars
Overall Rating ~ 4 Stars

This was a surprisingly delightful read about a young woman who is traded by her stepfather to cover a debt owed to Lord Edward the Earl of Greenwich. Lord Edward is also known as "The Phantom of London", due to the fact that he does not show his face in society. The deal was that Lydia would marry him so that he could sire a much desired heir with her. Of course Lydia had no idea that a bargain had been made between her stepfather and Edwards when she was rushed late in the evening to a rather undesirable establishment. She basically had no choice; it was either go with Lord Edward or lose her mother, stepfather and stepbrother to debtor’s prison.

I could REALLY feel the attraction between Edward and Lydia. They both were excellent characters and I don’t think there was anything about them that I did not like. I loved that we got a close up glimpse into each of their passions, hers as a gifted painter, and his as of a man of science.

Edward was a handsome man, except one side of his face and chest had terrible scars. I loved that fact that Lydia was attracted to him despite his disfigurement. She never once shied away when looking at him. This surprised Edward and realized he had never known a woman who was quite like her. He found himself opening up and they became closer and closer as time passed by. There was plenty of dialogue between them which made this story very entertaining and move along quite nicely. It was also refreshing that Edward was NOT a rogue, like so many heroes of historical romances are these days.

I usually get bored fast when reading a book that takes place mostly in the same setting, but not with this book. There was plenty on things going on with a lot of the secondary characters that added extra interest to this read.

As for the heat, I like my books on the hot side, and unfortunately this was not. The sexual tension was high throughout the read, but the one love scene that was added was well done and VERY SENSUOUS. I wish there would have been one or two more of these scenes, because Gina Conkle sure knows how to write a very heated love scene. Despite my feelings on the heat level, it did NOT take away from my overall rating on this read.

In the end, we are treated to an epilogue that gave Edward and Lydia a very happy ending which left me with a huge smile.


*A copy of the book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review*

[ᑭᑌᑎƳᗩ [Punya Reviews...] · Rating 4 out of 5]

My review contains spoilers and they're mostly my thoughts as I went with the book...

Gina Conkle is fast becoming one of my favorite authors just because her tone and storytelling ability is refreshingly different, especially in the arena of Historical romance. But I had a tough time rating Meet the Earl at Midnight, book 1 of the new Midnight Meetings series. On one hand, I enjoyed many aspects of this story, on the other, it had its frustrating moments too. Let me see if I can elaborate.

Late one night, our heroine, Lydia finds herself out of her comfy bed and on her way to an urgent midnight meeting, on the request of her stepfather. At first, she thought her younger brother has gotten into one scrape or the other, and her stepfather being a good-for-nothing, wants her to help out, as usual. But what she finds when she arrives at her destination not only shakes the sleep off of her eyes, but also makes her dumbstruck. Apparently, it’s her stepfather who has gotten into trouble. In return, he has reached an understanding with the offended party; by ‘selling’ her to this... stranger who wouldn’t even show his face as he comes to claim his ‘prize’. The man seemed to be a nobleman, if his clothing and cultured tone says something. And it’s apparent that he wants a MOC with her ASAP, and wouldn’t shy away from using her mother’s ill health and the fear of ending up in workhouse to acquire what he wants.

Soon though, as her stepfather slinks away leaving her alone at the mercy of this stranger, who takes pity on her by revealing half of his face and his identity. It’s the Enigma Earl, the reclusive Earl of Greenwich! What the hell? Lydia has no idea what she’s just gotten herself into, no thanks to her POS stepfather. For now though, the Earl wants her to go with him where she can be comfy at his house and ponder upon her latest predicament.

The morning reveals to Lydia the grandeur of Greenwich’s estate and the sudden, and significant, change of her own state of being. She’s lived her life in rather humbly, so Lydia doesn’t know much about money. She’s given a grand room to stay, grand food to eat. But what she wants is to meet the Earl and state her case again, to see if she can get out of this predicament without the hasty marriage. She finds the Earl at his usual workplace, the greenhouse. Apparently, the Earl is a botany enthusiast. Not that Lydia knows anything about his habits since he’s such a recluse that all everyone seems to read or hear about him is gossip. But it’s very apparent that the Enigma Earl doesn’t care to hold up his social obligations as his stature requires.

... And it’s all because Edward has no interest in society, nada! He was not even the heir to begin with. All of Edward’s passion since his childhood revolved around things of scientific nature, especially botany. Yep, he’s a complete nerd. He has had the opportunity to nurture his passion too, until his elder brother died so unexpectedly, leaving the Earldom without any heir. And now, Edward is the heir, and he must beget one... and soon. You see, he has been planning this great expedition for long years now; something that’d take him to the ends of the world in search of exotic plans, or to places like the Far East. Edward even has his own ship so that his expedition goes smoothly. Unfortunately, when his brother died, he took all of Edward’s freedom with him to the grave, burdening him with the numerous responsibilities of the Earldom. Now he needs to marry and SOON before he can leave for this journey. Who knows what this journey to the unknown would hold for him. He might not even return alive, so he must make sure he leaves an heir to carry on with Greenwich name. Though his mother, the Dowager, is adamant he marry one of the fresh young things out of school, very much wanting to thrust one or the other in his face, Edward wants the marriage in his own term. He wants his bride to know the truth of this marriage so that there’s no misunderstanding later. But what he never counted upon was to be completely taken aback by one Miss Montgomery. One look at her midnight hair and the fire in those beautiful blue eyes, and Edward’s mind was set. In due time, she’d be his bride. Time that he can’t waste any longer.

His ‘formal’ introduction to Lydia went rather less than stellar. Edward knew he had to face his soon-to-be fiancée on the broad daylight. But Lydia finds him in his hiding place aka Greenhouse all by herself. And she seems completely unfazed by the scar on his face that he likes to hide away, thanks to another long ago expedition gone wrong, leaving him with a scarred body as well. Edward doesn’t consider himself handsome, not at all. His amorous endeavors, up till now, remained few and far between since his first, and only love, has been science. But boy he’s tempted to kiss and touch Lydia whenever she’s near. Her body language tells him that the attraction is very much mutual, which is a very good thing, even for a MOC. But when the time comes, would he be able to break this attraction and tell her that she’d probably be a widow even before the year is over? That she’d have to carry a child and rear it alone because he wouldn’t be around? That is something begins to eat at Edward, though he remains very adamant about leaving for the expedition. Everything is set in motion, he just can’t back off now.

Lydia finds the blonde, tall, muscular and very nerdy Edward attractive no doubt. The mark on his face doesn’t bother her. Though she, at first, doesn’t know why this rush to the altar, Lydia is willing to consider the proposal. And though her welcome from the Earl is rather chilly, Lydia finds friends in the servants of the manor. Edward, on the other hand, definitely doesn’t like people around when he’s working. Though now she knows why he doesn’t want to be in the society, Lydia is also pretty adamant of knowing more about the mysterious Earl of Greenwich that everyone talks about, but no one has ever seen! To make a place for herself, Lydia proposes to do the drawings for Edward’s notes on the plants and whatnots. She does a pretty good job of it too, and Edward has no way but to let her work with him. Not good for his peace of mind, but he didn’t want her out his sight either.

Now, this is what frustrated me the most. This ‘introductory’ part for Lydia and Edward took too many pages IMO. I’d go as far as to say nothing interesting happened for at least 150 or so pages. My ARC copy had around 400 pages, and it’s not because I wasn’t enjoying it. I wanted them to connect a little better and not presume things, then act on it. There were some misunderstandings that made me shake my fist in the air. Sometimes it was Edward, the other times, Lydia. And that ‘goal’ for which they came together. Oh boy, it took them quite a long time to get to that! Maybe it was me because their chemistry was great. I couldn’t wait for them to get to that part.

Truth be told, Lydia was a far cry from what Edward’s perfectionist mother would consider a perfect Countess for him. When she comes down for a visit, she’s horrified by this commoner bumpkin lumbering about the house, more so when Edward makes it clear to her that ONLY Lydia will do. He never bothered about Lydia’s commoner status before and he’s not changing his mind now. The uppity dowager, seeing no other option, takes it on to herself (rather resigned) to ‘train’ Lydia to become the perfect Countess, already assuming all her work would go down the drain. This ‘training session’ brought up some hilarious moments with dresses, books, eggs... er, don’t even ask! But by now, Lydia was also falling for the elusive Earl, so she wanted to make him and his mother happy. So each morning, off she went marching to her skirmishes with the venerable dowager.

Lydia learns of Edward’s plans quite early in the story. And though she didn’t agree on it, she thought that in due time, she’d make him change his mind. But Edward is as stubborn as they come. The more time he spends with Lydia, and those kisses they exchange, the more he feels that his resolve to go away is weakening. But science is his true calling, and he must sacrifice for it! Though I understood Edward’s single-minded determination, I more sympathizing with Lydia. She didn’t entangle herself into this mess by herself, and now that she’s gone and fallen in love with the oaf, he’s doing everything to break her heart. I especially felt sad for her when she thought about the whole thing; about losing Edward and then rearing their child all on her own scared the living daylights out of her. She didn’t want that kinda life, without Edward by her side.

And this, became the issue at hand, the issue for misunderstanding. Even though they marry and seems to be having a grand time after that, Edward’s dogged determination about going away wears thin on Lydia. At one point, with her MIL’s blessing who didn’t want to lose her only living son, Lydia does something to slow down Edward’s journey. When revealed, this ends in a serious fight. Lydia is then forced to leave when an angry Edward loses his temper over the whole matter. I didn’t like it but Edward needed this kick on his own arse to see things clearly. Obviously he was in love with his wife, but nothing, it seems, could veer him away from it. I could see Lydia was plain desperate to change his mind, which ends in a disaster. Her heart is now broken after all.

The separation for months seems to bring some new perspective into this relationship. It was obvious that both loved and missed each-other dearly, but the misunderstanding carried on. Lydia, of course, was trying to live the life of an acclaimed artist, albeit under a pseudonym, her talent finally acknowledged by the Ton. Her status of that of a Countess estranged from her husband also bringing in interested men around her. Edward, on the other hand, was stewing into the mess of his own making. Though he was still making arrangements for his journey, his mind was whirling more around his doomed marriage, and his beautiful wife’s ‘betrayal’ (I don’t mean cheating, there was NO cheating in the story). He couldn’t help keeping track of what she’s been doing, to know how she’s been even if from the cutting on the gossip sheets.

After a very insightful conversation with his mother, and his friend and confidante, Mr. Bacon, understanding dawned on Edward. He begins to realize that though he held science so dear to his heart, it’s not nearly as dear as to what he’d be leaving behind when he sets sail for the unknown; his Lydia. But he wouldn’t know if he had another chance with her unless he’s the one to take that first step and undo the damages that he wrought in the first place. And so, our Greenwich Phantom finally decides to show his face in the public, at a viewing of Lydia’s artwork, in hopes to win his lady back. If the scar on his face and body never bothered his lovely wife, to hell with society!

The epilogue was so heart tugging! I loved seeing the whole family together and Edward not really having to give up on his dream as they journey together for that expedition. Or so I assumed. The arrival of the new Greenwich heir only made the journey sweeter for them.

Overall, despite the initial frustration, I enjoyed this story a lot. Gina Conkle’s writing style remains as excellent as ever. Meet the Earl at Midnight has an inherent beauty and the beast theme that’d definitely appeal to the lovers of Historical Romances. 4 stars.

I’d love to see the secondary characters like Mr. Bacon having their own stories. Already psyched about the next installment, The Lady Meets Her Match, which would be Edward’s beautiful housekeeper Miss Mayhew and his investor friend, a businessman named Cyrus Ryland’s story. Lydia was initially jealous of Miss Mayhew due to her looks and the suspicious nature of her employment. But don’t worry, nothing untoward happened between her and Edward, as Lydia later discovers, finding a friend in the housekeeper. Miss Mayhew definitely has a ‘past’. There were scenes here hinting that she and Ryland have this thing going on. Glad to see their book is coming along so soon!


This ARC was provided to me by Sourcebooks Casablanca via netgalley which didn’t influence my review and rating in any way.

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book I have read by Gina Conkle but it sure won’t be the last!! Meet the Earl at Midnight was an amazing book full of so much more then a quick romance. The two main characters, Edward and Lydia are two very different but similar people in many ways. They are from different stations in life, however neither really care what society says about them. Edward is “The Phantom of London.” He gains that title, among others, after he has a horrific run in with pirates. Edward is an Earl in London and cares not for his title and standings in society. He is in love with science and all that it has to offer, that is until a need to have an heir starts to become unavoidable. Lydia is the step-daughter to a man that works for the Earl. She is also the pawn in a man’s world after her step-brother tries to steal from Sanford Shipping and then tries to cover it up. Lydia is quick on her feet. She is stubborn, beautiful and has a great sense of humor. She is shocked to find out what her step-father has planned for her and is not overly happy about any of it. Lydia is an extremely talented painter who wants to sell her paintings and become famous. I loved the banter between Edward and Lydia. They had me giggling and shaking my head at them and their humor throughout the book. For two people who had just met, they sure seemed to be able to tease and jest with each other easily. I loved Gina’s writing! She is a very talented author who captures your attention from the very first page and you cannot put her book down. I read this book in less than two nights and was left smiling at the ending. You are able to feel as if you are truly apart of her book, characters and their story. I could feel all of Lydia’s emotions as if they were my own. What an amazing ride Meet the Earl at Midnight is! Thank you Gina for allowing me the opportunity to read and review your book and thank you for a wonderful book!

[Anita · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to the audio of this book by Marian Hussey and found her performance of this book just wonderful. She used different voices for each character and the reading was very entertaining. The story was a take on the Beauty and the Beast trope. Not sure why, but this book just dragged on and on for me. The audio was excellent, but the plot was just not that great and it didn't grab me and make me want to continue listening.

Lord Edward Greenwich, an Earl, has need of a bride and since he doesn't go about in London society, he has a problem. He also is unlike any other Lord. He prefers to spend his time in scientific exploration rather than in the salons of London society. After an unfortunate incident that left him virtually a recluse and the end of his first engagement, he is running short of time to solve his problem.

Lydia Montgomery is the daughter of an estate steward, but her father died, and her mother's second husband racked up enormous debts leaving her mother at risk. Her stepfather and the Earl came to an agreement and Edward has decided that Lydia Montgomery is just the woman to solve his problem, even if she had to be dragged from her bed and basically given to the Earl.

Lydia had decided that she wasn't interested in marriage. She was going to make a career as an artist. but being a woman is a problem. With her mother's welfare at stake, she decided to give the Earl's proposition great consideration. What she finds interesting is that she finds herself more than a little drawn to the Earl. The more she learns about him, the more she falls for him.

My thanks to the Publisher and Author for providing a complimentary digital Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this novel via NetGalley. This is my fair, honest and personal review. All opinions are mine alone and were not biased in any way.

[Tin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclosure: I requested this ARC from Netgalley. Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca and Gina Conkle for the opportunity. Yes, this is an honest review.

* * *

Edward and Lydia are an unconventional set of main characters. He loves science more than anything else and she loves art more than anything else.

And Gina Conkle's novel has a very unconventional way of storytelling: I imagine it like a house full of closed doors where many questions are posed at every opportunity. The doors open eventually, but they lead to more closed doors.

The story begins at midnight, when Lydia is woken up and brought by her stepfather to a meeting in an unsavory part of town. There, Lydia comes 'face to face' with Lord Edward Sanford, known in the papers as The Phantom of London, Enigma Earl, The Greenwich Recluse, etc. It is when her stepfather and stepbrother's perfidy and her role in rectifying the situation by marrying the mysterious Lord Sanford are revealed.

Why would Lord Sanford make such a bargain? Why her? Why the rush? These are some of the questions raised at the start. Add to that: Is Lord Sanford truly a hideous beast? What happened to him? Lydia also has some secrets to tell -- and she is biding her time to reveal them. When Lydia arrives at Lord Sanford's estate, more questions are asked: Who is Claire Mayhew, Sanford's very beautiful housekeeper? What is her relationship to Sanford?

Note, though, that this is not an exercise in futility because Gina Conkle reveals the answers at the perfect moment. The whole set-up makes this a compelling read as the questions propel you from one page to the next.

As Lydia familiarises herself with her new home, it also gives her the chance to know her soon-to-be husband better -- and she likes the man she uncovers: Edward is deeply devoted to his work studying plants, but he has sacrificed science for his family when his father and older brother both died, leaving him to take care of his mother and sisters. He is a man torn between his passion and his duty -- but he now believes he has come up with a win-win situation, which involves marrying Lydia.

"My father and brother finessed their way through life ... politics, shipping ... both were skilled with people, where I lack all patience," he said quietly, speaking only to her. "My passion, my purpose is science. I've buried this too long."
- loc 2085

It was all going according to his schedule -- until Lydia walks into his life and throws everything off-kilter. She invades his personal spaces and takes up his precious time -- and, while Edward is supposed to feel invaded and imposed upon, Edward actually (albeit grudgingly) enjoys Lydia's companionship. What began as an impersonal/business arrangement becomes deeply personal as our hero and heroine slowly fall in love with each other.

Everything that I've said so far is just the tip of the iceberg: there's even more to love, read and think about in Gina Conkle's Meet the Earl at Midnight. When Edward's mother arrives, our hero finally reveals why marriage and begetting an heir have suddenly become an urgent matter for him. In that moment, Lydia realises all that she stands to lose if she doesn't make her move soon.

I am impressed with the layers of detail and story that Meet the Earl at Midnight contains: it's a Beauty-and-the-Beast love story, but it's also a story about what we sacrifice for the sake of love. Conkle raises a lot of thought-provoking questions in the story -- ones that challenge not only the hero and heroine, but also the reader. When Lady Sanford, Edward's mother, approaches Lydia with her offer, what would I do in Lydia's place?

The primary reason to leave was her art; the singular reason to stay was a man.
- loc 2809

This is not a story with external/physical barriers and obstacles, but one where the conflict lies within the hearts of Edward and Lydia -- and they struggle with it because the experience of this kind of love is new to them.

"I find I want to kiss you, my lord, but I'm baffled by that, since I'm also angry with you at the same time."
- loc 2094

* * *

How could he forget her instructions days ago to deposit all her art supplies in the ballroom? Probably because that brain-muddling embrace outside the gallery scrambled clear thinking. He recalled the distraction of burying his face in the softness of her hair. Her presence seeped into him the same way her simple lemongrass scent invaded his senses. Right now, breathing heavily from exertion, he'd swear her scent surrounded him.
- loc 2347

Meet the Earl at Midnight is an insightful story with endearing characters. A truly wonderful book from Gina Conkle. ^_^ It will be released on May 6, 2014.

[Becca · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm stopping this at 31%. I just don't want to pick it up again at this time. It was too much work to read and digest. The storytelling style is different and may work for some people, but it was too circuitous for me. I like description but still a constant forward motion--this story meandered a little too much and I found myself getting lost often.

[Preeti ♥︎ Her Bookshelves · Rating 4 out of 5]

A scarred botanist and an independent-minded artist
My first by the author and I admit to being surprised, in a good way.
The MCs are well etched, worthy and fresh as is their version of the 'beauty and the beast'.
Their interactions hold interest and then a necessary dose of angst is stirred in, at the end.
3.65*

I only wish the h understood his need to travel, better. For one who's so passionate about her art, she's blind to his aspirations. Yes, the epilogue takes care of it but then we are not even told where they're returning from. And then conversely, I worried about her traveling pregnant, giving birth God knows where and how, and an energetic toddler on a ship? *smh*

[Lady Wesley · Rating 3 out of 5]

More like 3.5 stars. It took me a long time to finish this one, which usually means that I'm not loving it. But -- not hating it either.

[eyes.2c · Rating 4 out of 5]

...surprising!

'If a woman's old enough to wear a corset, she's old enough to know midnight meeting's spell trouble.'
Well that opening salvo certainly grabbed my attention.
Bargained off to meet her stepfather's debts and to keep her mother safe, Lydia Montgomery decides to meet Lord Sandford, the Earl of Greenwich's demands, with her own strings attached!
Edward's passion is for uncovering the secrets of exotic plants. He has decided to set his things in order, get himself a wife and heir, before sailing off, maybe never to return, on a scientific expedition to collect plant samples from the Africa's.
As he is a recluse, badly scarred from an encounter with pirates on a previous voyage, this seems the way to proceed.
In fact he has some interesting observations attached to him by society. There's elusive, eccentric, The Phantom of London, mad, diseased, and The Greenwich Recluse to name a few. The way he has decided to solve his problem certainly fits with some of the monikers.
Both Lydia and Edward, Lord Edward Christopher James Sandford, ninth Earl of Greenwich, that is, are fascinating characters.
Lydia has more than a talent for painting. This talent helps her to enter into her Earl's heart and will later set them at odds with each other.
Edward's mother, the countess, is a piece of work. She is appalled that her son is marrying a commoner! The early interplay between her and Lydia is amusing and difficult, yet she and Lydia form an uneasy alliance in an attempt to keep the Earl at home.
Then there's the mysterious housekeeper, the beautiful Miss Mayhew. I don't feel that the mystery of her is ever resolved. Occasionally, the mysterious Miss Mayhew had me feeling like I'd wandered into the pages of Wuthering Heights, or some other gothic novel.
The middle dragged a tad, as Lydia struggled to be true to herself, but the resolution of the struggle between Lydia and the Earl was handled in an interesting manner with some surprising outcomes.
This beauty and the beast story has some interesting depths and special moments.

A NetGalley ARC

[Diana N. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I felt so conflicted and a bit frustrated throughout this book.

Lydia was being forced into a marriage to fix her family's debt and didn't know about it until meeting Edward for the first time. Then he places an arbitrary month out there before allowing them to get close and actually marry. She comes to live with him and is definitely outspoken and needs to learn how to be more part of higher society. The crazy part is that Edward is a bit of a scientific recluse. Lydia's soon to be mother in law doesn't like her, but doesn't want Edward to leave on his scientific expedition. Is being in kahoots a good idea to keep him from going?

So many times I wanted the romance to just happen between Lydia and Edward. Everytime they got close, someone always interrupted. I was hoping for more of a steamy connection earlier. That would have made the threat of being apart later on more impactful. I just wanted them to succumb to the teasing and temptations of eachother.

I enjoyed this book, but just wanted more passion in the romance and drive to move the plot along faster.

Thank you to Dreamscape and Netgalley for providing me a copy of this Audiobook for my honest review.

[Kym · Rating 4 out of 5]

Setting: England, 3/27/1768
Genre: Romance
This is a review of the audio format, so forgive any misspellings of character or place names.
Edward Sanford, Earl of Greenwich, has 3 months to get and impregnate a wife, as he is scheduled to depart on a 3 year mission. Because he was recently jilted by a woman of his class due to his scarring, he is reduced to bargaining for the step-daughter of a larcenous clerk in his employ. Lydia, not even apprised of the situation, refuses to cooperate. Then Lord Greenwich threatens to have her step-father brought up on charges and sent to prison, and her mother sent to debtor's prison. Naturally, she acquiesces. They have to wait a month until they can marry and consummate the union, so she moves into his home for the duration. What follows is a couple from diverse backgrounds getting to know one another, witty dialogue and situations, and passion. They can't follow up on the passion due to the constraints of the one month waiting period, which adds a bit of tension.
The characters are enjoyable. Both Lydia and Edward are fully realized, and both have issues that could impede the development of deeper emotions. The work-through of their differences and the growing strength of a kind of symbiosis in their similarities is believable in the context of the genre (yeah, yeah, I know there are those who will nit pick the accuracy of the historical behavior of the characters. But to them I say "go read a non-fiction on the society and mores of the Georgian era". So there!). Interactions with one another, and alterations in their environment and activities, provide opportunities for growth. Even the major secondary character grows a little bit.
Let me now address my peeve. It's so important to me that I can't refer to it as a pet. Things that can ruin my enjoyment of a book are grammar and vocabulary. Conkle's grammar is wonderful! I didn't have to red-pencil in my head as I listened. I didn't notice this until I had to stop to read something on my ereader, and the errors there kicked me out of what I was reading. The lack of errors in this book really pleases me. Readers shouldn't notice the grammar at all, because a well-written piece will keep them immersed. Moving on to vocabulary. Many writers get the reading level of their audience all wrong. The New York Times is written at the 7-9th grade level, and the VA writes their education material at the 3rd grade level due to a lower literacy rate in some of their older patients. I think we can handle a 5th or 6th grade level, don't you? The reading level and vocabulary in this don't make you break out the dictionary, nor does it make you think it's inappropriate for lower elementary students. Overall, the grammar, sentence structure, and vocabulary were well-done for us readers.
Regarding the audio format: The production was excellent. There were no over-long pauses, and the narrator's respirations weren't noticeable. Marian Hussey provided a very nice performance, with good and consistent differentiation of characters.

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an ARC through NetGalley.

Meet the Earl at Midnight is a sweet, Historical Romance, retelling of Beauty and the Beast. Lydia's stepfather essentially trades her womb in exchange for some of his and his son's debts. The earl of Greenwich, Edward, is on a tight schedule and needs an heir. He hasn't been able to find a bride, since he's known as a hermit, never going out into Society. Even if it weren't for his scarred face, he still probably wouldn't venture out, so this arrangement suits him fine. Lydia just wants her mother to be cared for and to pursue her painting, so she goes with the earl without too much of a fuss.

I did like Meet the Earl at Midnight, but for the most part, it's slow going. There isn't much of a romance at all until it's nearly over. In the meantime, Lydia and Edward bicker a bit, since plenty of misunderstandings crop up. Then they get to know each other, and actually end up combining their talents and working together. Edward is a scientist, studying plants for medicinal use. While he's a genius in the greenhouse, his diagrams and penmanship are a mess, which is where Lydia steps in. I actually really enjoyed this part, since I found the older science to be pretty fascinating, and I found their interactions quite cute.

Enter Lady Elizabeth, Edward's mother. She is the stereotypical, monster-in-law. No one is good enough for her son, especially a commoner like Lydia. She insults Lydia every chance she gets even under the guise of teaching her to be a proper lady. Luckily, Lydia isn't some wilting flower and can bite back a bit, so there was some humor in their relationship. However, things kind of drop off toward the end when the two team up for some mutual goal. I was highly disappointed in Lydia for what she did. She was trying to help, but with selfish intentions, and I just didn't feel okay with that.

Meet the Earl at Midnight had a lot of things that I loved, but it took a bit too long to get anywhere. Lydia and Edward do share a quite steamy wedding night, but there's no declarations of love until the very end. Even then, I didn't believe Edward's feelings, since nowhere in his narrative did he consider the possibility of loving her. Lydia, on the other hand, had a very specific moment of realization. In the end, I liked it, but wish things had developed differently.

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.

[Stormi (StormReads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

First Thoughts: It's flirty, enticing and a great read! This is my second book from this author and I can't wait to read the next book in the Midnight Meeting series!

Meet the Earl at Midnight was a fun read about two characters who even though they were of a different class they were still very similar. It sort of draws off a little from the classic Beauty and the Beast tale. Edward, Lord Sanford is known as Lord Phantom because her never shows his face at any of the ton society balls. He was marred in an incident aboard a ship with pirates and has a horrible bunch of scares on one side of his face and chest. He is a scientist and more interested in his scientific pursuits than socializing and after a failed attempt at finding a bride of social standing he decides to try something different.

Lydia only knew that she was going to a meeting at midnight to help out her step brother Tristan get out of a mess. She had no idea that her step father was trading her to an earl to get him and his brother out of trouble. The Earl needs a bride so he can produce and heir and he doesn't have a lot of time in which to do it. He doesn't have time for social niceties nor does he care that the lady is not of noble birth. He sort of tricks her once he finds out she had no clue about the arrangement by telling her that he would see that her mother went to debtors prison if she didn't go with him.

Edward is passionate about science and Lydia is passionate about art and that is the one thing that they can understand each other on. Edward likes how she is blunt and not anything like the girls of the ton. Lydia find him to be handsome despite his scars. There is an attraction that pulls them together even through the strange circumstances, but will it be enough to keep them together.

Lydia is a fun characters, she has a lot of spunk and I loved how blunt she was with the Countess, Edwards mother. Some of the things she said had me laughing so hard. Edward could be a bit of a beast, but he also had a good heart. He doesn't have very good people skills and he would rather be along with his plants, but Lydia brings out the best in him.

I really enjoyed the story line in this romance and would recommend it to anyone who loves historical romances.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beauty and the Beast theme is a favorite of a mine so when I read the synopsis of this book I knew I had to read it. Edward is scarred and is happy being basically a recluse working with his plants however he needs a wife and heir. Lydia is betrothed to Edward without her knowledge which of course infuriates her. She is a strong person and is not about to sit back and let her life be dictated to by her stepfather. However she agrees, reluctantly, to go along with the betrothal. I really enjoyed the witty banter between Edward and Lydia. Both gave as good as they got.Their relationship was a beautiful part of the story.They grew to respect and then love each other - it was not a love at first sight so when they realized their love it was a big smile moment. Looking forward to more of Gina's books.

[N.N. Heaven · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great retelling of Beauty and the Beast, set in the Georgian era. Once I started, I couldn't put it down.

My Rating: 5 stars

Reviewed by: Mrs. N

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (4/23/2019)! 🎁

[Caroline · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.25/5. (Re)releases 10/6/23. This is a review of the audiobook, narrated by Marian Hussey.

Vibes: Beauty and the Beast, nerdy hero, a surprisingly experienced heroine, forced marriage.

When Lydia is taken to meet the reclusive Earl of Greenwich, Edward, she doesn't understand that her stepfather and brother have put themselves in debt to the earl. The only payment he wants? A wife to give him an heir. Although she doesn't intend to go through with the marriage, Lydia accompanies the earl to his estate, where she quickly discovers that there is much more to him--and his plan for the future--than meet the eye. If she marries him, he plans on giving her relative freedom within a short amount of time; but once she actually gets to know Edward as a person, will she want it?

Here's the thing. Gina Conkle is a solid writer, I love Beauty and the Beast, there are some unique takes on the character beats here, and the leads have chemistry. So why didn't this work for me?

Well--pacing is everything.

Quick Takes:

--I want to point out the things I found unique about this book, which was originally published nearly a decade ago. Lydia is a fun, confident heroine who isn't a rebellious renegade type, but also isn't at all missish. She's not a virgin, and there isn't some particularly tragic backstory to all that. She just wanted to get with a guy and he turned out to be a douchebag. But she had fun before that! She's described as a "hoyden" a little too often, and at times she can be a bit too perky, but overall, I found her likable and I appreciated that she wasn't just this sweet girl who existed purely to soothe Edward's tormented soul.

And despite Edward being one of those heroes who has this super beautiful one side of his face and a super scarred other side, he kind of defies a lot of the stereotypes there. Yes, he avoids society; but he's not nearly as tortured about the scars as you would expect, and a lot of his character arc revolves around him being like. Obsessed with plants. And worms. Did this always work for me? Uh, well, no, but I appreciated the creativity.

--Edward and Lydia do have chemistry, and there is an immediate sexual tension between them that is boosted by the fact that she knows what sex is and does in fact like it. She's not afraid of her own sexuality, or his for that matter, and that was a really nice change of pace. And like I said, the writing is good, which makes it easy to get engaged from the start. The issue is that the early engagement and momentum is totally lost, because...

--The pacing of this book is really off, and I have to think that a different editorial hand would have perhaps tightened it up. I was kind of shocked when I realized how little had happened at the 50% mark, because you really do begin so strongly. I was excited about the beginning. Like, I thought these two were going to GET DOWN to the business pretty quickly, based off the immediate sparks and innuendo.

What begins the slowdown is the fact that Lydia tells Edward she's not a virgin, which he isn't super bad about, the bar is underground, but... He does insist that they wait a month before getting married in order for him to ensure that she's not carrying another man's child. Which is not an unheard of trope in historicals, I've seen it before.

However, here it doesn't make sense for a couple reasons. For one thing, when the book begins Edward is going to basically dip for a long journey in three months, and the journey is long and dangerous and family trauma and so on, and as such he wants to basically leave a wife behind, pregnant with his heir. Already, this is kind of a flimsy plan because, as the book acknowledges, that is not a lot of time to get someone pregnant. Also, it might not even be a boy. Hell, it might not even be born alive. But whatever, I can wave that away.

But if the need for an heir--which is more about satisfying familial legacy obligations than Edward's own personal desires for an heir--is so great, and he is willing to have Lydia stay at his estate for the month prior to the marriage anyway... Why not just go ahead. Does the child have to be HIS? I mean, who could really prove anything? Additionally, why does he have to wait a month? Just wait until her next period, which will probably come sooner. (This is a tactic used to great effect in Elizabeth Lowell's Untamed, where the hero is like ready to GO as soon as she's had her period, and if that worked for Medieval Times McGee, I don't know why it couldn't work for Georgian Botanist Earl.) I mean, it's not foolproof, but it's pretty good and will give you some extra time to try. Sort of. Not really sure how that lines up with fertile windows, but honestly! I don't think local Georgian Botanist Earl does either!

--And after this one big obstacle to our leads at least knowing each other carnally (I mean, I'm not saying they have to be IN LOVE early in the story, but at least getting somewhere) occurs, there are then a million little broken moments. Oops, his mom walked. Whoops, here's his housekeeper. Oh no, here's an Issue. It just killed the excitement I had and made me really, really frustrated.

I'm all for obstacles to lovers being together, but this felt like obstacles to basic progress, and that just hurts a romance, always.

--To be clear, I would say that if you love love love a slow burn, this may work for you. I found the degree of slow burn contrived. However, I won't deny that the sexual tension in this novel was well done, and those who throw down for a slow burn above all else may really like this. I'll admit: if I'd known how slowly this burned ahead of time, I wouldn't have requested it, because slow burns are pretty hit or miss for me and prolonged slow burns often don't work for me at all.

--That said, on an audiobook note, Marian Hussey is a very good narrator. I've heard her narrate books before, and she does a very good job of differentiating male voices in a pleasing way--voicing the opposite gender well is always tough, so I appreciate that.

The Sex:

There is one sex scene. It's solid, but it is very late in the story, and you don't really have much physical buildup to it. Furthermore, because this sex scene happens so late in the story and so much hinges on these two consummating the relationship, you then have a total rush to the finish line of the entire romance arc, physicality aside.

Ultimately, I just felt like this was a great start that totally wasted its own potential. Which kind of annoyed me more than a book that was bad from the start would. I'm not against trying other works by Gina Conkle because she clearly has the ability to write romance, but I do think I'll need to read some reviews first to ensure that the pacing quickens.

Thanks to Netgalley and NYLA for providing me with this audiobook. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Jackson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bored.... I agreed it’s also plodding

I tried so hard to like this book and I did in the very beginning when Edward was a beast hiding his face and disagreeable. But then it was all pleasantries and easy going overly descriptive crap. Not much happened that went anywhere. Very frustrating and I was 8+hours in before the first kiss and since that was over 75% I skipped to the live scene and if wasn’t even that great.. DNF the final 1/8 of the book

[Marietere T · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Historical Beauty and the Beast retelling.

Thought it was a cute Beauty and the Beast retelling. I loved the way the whole story played out and liked the narrator. It was very cute.

Thank you NetGalley for the audio-arc version of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Dottie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A captivating twist on Beauty and the Beast! Actually rated 4.5! Taken from my review at RomanceJunkies.com:

Edward Seton, the Earl of Greenwich, appears often in the scandal sheets. Avoiding society, he is referred to as the Phantom of London and the Greenwich Recluse, among other names. A well-known scientist, he disappeared from society years ago and is rarely seen out during the day. Some believe he suffers from madness and others think he is horribly disfigured due to disease. Respectable mamas will not let him near their daughters. But he needs an heir. Recently, his clerk, George, and his apprentice, Tristan, who happens to be George’s son, were caught stealing from his business, Sanford’s Shipping. Overhearing that the earl needs an heir, George offers his stepdaughter in exchange for being allowed to go free.

When Lydia’s stepfather arrives at her home in the middle of the night, urging her to go with him to get Tristan out of trouble once more, she reluctantly goes with him. Little does she know that her stepbrother and stepfather have been caught stealing and are trying to use her to get out of being charged with theft. After meeting the earl, whose face she cannot see because he is swathed in clothing, and discovering what her relatives are up to, Lydia is furious. Her first love is painting and she has plans, which do not include marriage. She longs to sell her work in London. Although she no longer cares what happens to George and Tristan, when the threat extends to her mother, Lydia is unable to refuse the earl. She agrees to his terms of marrying him and providing him with an heir and possibly, a spare.

What she doesn’t know is that the earl is under time constraints and must find a bride and have a child on the way in less than three months. As time passes and she falls in love with her husband, Lydia has two goals; sell her paintings in London and keep her new husband by her side. Will she be able to stop Edward from boarding the ship for his trip, and if so, will her desire to sell her paintings come between them?

MEET THE EARL AT MIDNIGHT, the first book in debut author Gina Conkle’s MIDNIGHT MEETINGS series, is a deliciously witty, sexy historical romance that is sure to leave readers clamoring for more. Lydia is a very independent person and extremely determined to carry out her own plans, but her love for her mother softens the edges of her character somewhat, making her more likable. Edward has his own little world and even tries to forbid Lydia from entering his bedroom and his lab, but her persistence in spending time with him begins to draw him out of his shell. As they learn about each other’s quirks and secrets, they begin to form a true relationship, but is it enough to get them to compromise?

A twist on BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, this tale of theft, blackmail, marriage, secrets, sexual tension, clever repartee, ingenuity and love will leave readers yearning for more. A truly entertaining debut, Ms. Conkle is an author to watch for!

Dottie, RomanceJunkies.com

[Toula · Rating 5 out of 5]

Regency romance . First in the series . Hero is Edward . Heroine is Lydia
Edward is “The Phantom of London.” He gains that title, among others, after he has a horrific run in with pirates. Edward is an Earl in London and cares not for his title and standings in society. He is in love with science and all that it has to offer, that is until a need to have an heir starts to become unavoidable. Lydia is the step-daughter to a man that works for the Earl. She is also the pawn in a man’s world after her step-brother tries to steal from Sanford Shipping and then tries to cover it up Her step-father is just as worse . He is very very discusting i wanted to go right throught the story and slap him. now on the heroine. Gina. Lydia is the step-daughter to a man that works for the Earl. She is also the pawn in a man’s world after her step-brother tries to steal from Sanford Shipping and then tries to cover it up. Lydia is quick on her feet. She is stubborn, beautiful and has a great sense of humor. She is shocked to find out what her step-father has planned for her and is not overly happy about any of it. Lydia is an extremely talented painter who wants to sell her paintings and become famous. I loved the banter between Edward and Lydia. They had me giggling and shaking my head at them and their humor throughout the book. For two people who had just met, they sure seemed to be able to tease and jest with each other easily. I loved Gina’s writing! She is a very talented author who captures your attention from the very first page and you cannot put her book down. Lydia sees what Edward is doing and she wants to help him be recognized so she sends some papers to the king. meanwhile Edwards mother , the countess, whats to mold Lydia to what a countess should be and how to act. Also at the time the noblility use to wear Powder in the hair and Edward tells his mother NO POWDER IN LYDS HAIR. They do get married and things go along fantasticly. One thing leads to another and Edwards gets a missive from the King and he knows it was Lydia. He tells her to pack her bags and Leave the House the land and even England . A month Passes and Lydia is in the news . Edwards is beside himself . He wants Lydia back.
Get the story to see if he leaves and go on the expedition, do them make up , does Lydia become a success with her painting . Do they have a family

[ShortyS · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars
I didn’t like it. I’m not really sure why but it didn’t took hold of me one bit.
The main point may be that I didn’t like the main character. Edward I just thought dull and not really worth the effort and Lydia was boring and sometimes downright dislikeable. The side characters weren’t any better, his mother was especially disagreeable. So I couldn’t sympathize with any of them and never became interested in their story.
But maybe it also just wasn’t the right time for me to read this book. I have reading phases were a special theme or setting is just the right thing and others won’t work for me at all, so perhaps at another time it may have gotten more stars, but I don’t think I would have liked Lydia much more.

*** Beware! Some minor spoilers ahead! ***

Lydia was too self-centered and untrustworthy for me.
I didn’t like all her snooping around. She has no reason to invade his privacy and she did it rather fast. It’s not like she was there for weeks and it’s the only way she saw to get to know him. She never really tried the polite ways.
I also didn’t like how tempted she was to break her word to Edward after his mother offered her money. It didn’t sit well with me, especially because her prospects at his side looked even better, especially in the long term.
And then she even sabotaged his work. And after she betrayed his trust and even forged his signature and interfered in his work, she is the one offended and sulking.

Edward was so obsessed with his work and his upcoming voyage that everything and everyone else became unimportant. That may not be negative but it also didn’t make me interested in him.
It also meant that the advertised “Beauty and the Beast” theme couldn’t take hold. He may be scared and may be troubled because of it, but he was just too focused on his plans to make it matter.

[Debbie McCreary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meet the Earl at Midnight is the first book in Gina’s new series, Midnight
Meetings. Unfortunately, this meeting is for the bargaining of Miss
Lydia Montgomery for payment for debts. As Lydia is dragged from her bed in the middle of the night by her stepfather, she is brought to a dark room in an inn. Still in a sleepy fog, she is expecting to help her step-brother get out the trouble.. Instead, she finds 2 men waiting for them. When her stepfather addresses one man as
“Milord” she recognizes the tall man in the shadows as Lord Sanford, the elusive Earl of Greenwich. When she learns she is be to be the bargaining tool in payment for a debt, she is outraged. The bargain: she is to become wife of Lord Sanford and produce an heir for him. Unwilling to be the bargaining tool of her stepfather, she refuses until faced with the fact her mother would be placed in debtors prison. Not being allowed to even to return home, Lord Sanford brings her to his house. They both have secrets that they have kept from each other. Getting to know each other better, they are drawn closer, yet the secrets have the power to pull them apart. Lydia is a spirited, blunt lady that stands up to the Earl. Can a marriage made in payment for a debt survive and end in love? Or will the secrets they each have tear them apart? Throw in the mother of the Earl who is against the marriage, and Gina
has written a book that goes beyond the normal relationships. I enjoy a spirited h, and Lydia was not a disappointment. The witty batter between the h/H was fun and kept me wondering if they would be able to have the happy ever after. I enjoy Gina’s writing and look forward to the second book in this series.

[Blodeuedd Finland · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's not often I come across a hero like this. Half his face normal, the other side filled with scars. He does not want to go out in society, he can't get anyone to marry him.

There is our story, he needs a woman and an heir. Luckily he finds Lydia, a spinster, an artist, a woman who says what she wants. But who needs to save her family. While Edward is a scientist and now a recluse. I liked him. And I sure wanted Lydia to save him, for him to move on, for them to be happy.

Most of the book, and then I mean most takes place in his house. It really is about them getting to know each other. I liked that as when they spent so much time together I believed them falling in love.

A nice romantic tale

[Nola Arganbright · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received my copy of the Meet The Earl at Midnight by Gina Conkle as a Get Well gift in January when I broke my arm. What an amazing gift to recover with.
Gina has such a gift for bringing life to her characters. I realize that the story is based on the story of Beauty and the Beast but the reader becomes so involved in the characters and their world that any flaws just evaporate. Lydia and Lord Sanford drove me mad! I was talking to them as I read and messaging Gina-- Why! When? The replies of just wait did nothing to ease my anticipation of the next scene. I love Gina Conkle books and never have enough patience waiting for her next book out for either of her series!

[Darbella · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lydia and Edward. Lydia is smart, a hoyden, and not a virgin. Edward is reclusive. Some parts seemed very wordy. Some parts flowed well. Sometimes some of the things that happened in this story did not make sense. One example: We are told that Lydia is very, very smart at the same time she is being tricked (rather obviously I thought) by her step dad. The epilogue was lovely. I really appreciated the author giving us a glimpse of Lydia and Edward in the future.

[Erica Chilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars.

Meet the Earl at Midnight was a delight to read. I was thoroughly engaged, reading the book cover to cover in one sitting (which was a feat, as it wasn't a short book). Gina Conkle is a new-to-me author, who I found when I was awarded the pleasure to read the second book in this series for review. I purchased the first (Meet the Earl at Midnight) in order to be caught up, and was pleasantly surprised.

Gina Conkle's writing style was mature, written in a way to lend to historical accuracy without sounding pretentious (many in this genre add superfluous words to sound historical) The flow was a breeze to read- nothing jarring. The characterization was consistent and flowed cohesively throughout.

The hero and heroine were 3-dimensional characters. Edward was a mysterious, introvert scientist who was physically and emotionally scarred. Lydia was a strong female lead, where the author was able to keep the character assertive without being pushy, domineering, demanding, or overtly annoying. In fact, Lydia knocking Edward down for size was pure perfection. The characters fed from one another. Edward would be misogynistic (according to the era), yet his inability to bend was a comfort, as it made him consistent (unlike in most books where the characters do, say, act, and react in contradicting ways). Instead of turning into an irrational, hormonal female, like Edward expected, Lydia surprised him by taking his insults in stride, and thwarting him at every turn, earning everyone's respect without coming across as crass, unmanageable, and vapid.

I loved the entire cast of characters- flawed, realistic, and consistent. What I adored the most was the dry wit during every interaction between Edward & Lydia. The tension was palatable, the wit was humorous without coming across as forced and over-the-top, and both had me blushing and grinning from ear-to-ear.

Meet the Earl at Midnight was a historical romance, but it wasn't a syrupy sweet romance. Character-&-story-driven, Conkle didn't rely on the usual trope of instant infatuation, lust, and the spewing of undying love.

Slowly evolving, realistic, the reader was drawn in emotionally, feeling as one with the characters as if they were real. Not overtly sexual, MtEaM was one of the best examples of less is more. The flirtatious, witty banter was heart-racing. After the build-up and tension, a simple kiss to a knee, or an accidental or premeditated brush of a hand, came across as more than an elaborate, sexually explicit scene in many a book.

Genre tags: Historical Romance | Unconventional, experienced woman | True Heroine & Hero | Scarred, alpha male | Earl & a commoner | Artist | Scientist (botanist) | Realistic (not light and fluffy, yet warn and endearing) | Witty humor that is never over-the-top or forced | Introversion | Marriage to beget an heir | Emotionally extorted into marriage | Historically accurate |

Recommended: Historical Romance Fans | Mature readers who appreciate a fully fleshed out story instead of the smoke and mirrors of sex and unnecessary angst (no mis-communications as the conflict, as any of this type of conflict that arises was cleared up within the next chapter)

Will I read more by this author: Absolutely. Starting book 2 in this series after my eyes have a rest and my Kindle charges. I look forward to reading more by this author.

[Cerian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally published at Rookie Romance.

This Beauty and the Beast style story set in Georgian England starts in a most intriguing fashion and continues to draw you in to the push and pull relationship that grows between Lydia and Edward.

Lydia is a very lively heroine, and I certainly admired her directness. She's not the type of woman to be easily cowed and when faced with the mysterious 'Phantom of London' in the middle of the night, she holds her ground and her composure. Lydia doesn't wish to marry and would much rather spend her time focusing on her art, but she agrees to marry Edward for her mother's sake. I thought she was a fun and refreshing heroine, although she does make some rather questionable decisions.

Edward hides himself away from society, using his scars as a excuse for his solitary lifestyle. He soon finds himself in need of a wife and heir, and rather quickly. Upon discovering Lydia's step brother was stealing from his shipping company, Edward agrees to forgive the crime in exchange for Lydia's hand in marriage. What Edward doesn't count upon is the way she makes him question his decisions with her blunt and fearless attitude. Edward is a very focused man, with a dry sense of humour and a sharp intelligence. He's very determined when it comes to his scientific pursuits, which are admirable but can blind him to the possibilities that are right in front of him.

I love Lydia and Edward together, they complement each other very well and balance each other's poorer traits. Neither of them particularly care for society and what it thinks, which lends them both a welcome sense of honesty. They are both very passionate and single-minded about their pursuits, but they find that they can learn from each other in these regards. They have a wonderful chemistry which makes it impossible for Edward to dismiss Lydia as he was going to do initially- as if she would let him though!

I very much enjoyed the way the story unfolded. There are plenty of questions to keep the reader intrigued. The first half of the book has a slower build up as Lydia and Edward learn more about each other, and then in the second half we start to have more answers and you see if Lydia and Edward make the right decisions about what is more important to them.

Overall, I'm impressed with the first book in Gina Conkle's 'Midnight Meetings' series. I enjoy the way the author can write unusual characters who seem to connect in different ways and find love despite the apparent impediments. I can easily imagine several of the characters in this book having their own stories, and with any luck we won't have to wait too long for their books!

*I received an ARC from the author, for my honest opinion. Thank you!

[Alice Stellar · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF. Not a Beauty and the Beast retelling - or at least, not enough of one.

You can stop reading here if you don’t want a rant. Otherwise, dear reader, read on….

I have read more Beauty and the Beast retellings than I can count. It’s my favorite type of story. Some retellings stick to the traditional formula, while others change things up. But this one quickly devolved from a typical “scarred hero” B&B story into…I’m not really sure. Basically just two people bantering while surrounded by sometimes impressive or reasonable historical details and other times absolutely staggeringly inaccurate ones (especially regarding clothing).

All of this could maybe be forgiven, but it felt very, very repetitive, and the entire idea of how our main characters Lydia and Lord Edward Greenwich ended up in their situation was so unlikely and illogical - and worst of all, could have easily been fixed, say, by having Lydia’s family be penniless lower aristocracy who feel they have everything to gain (including the book’s idea of forgiveness of debt and other transgressions) by their daughter marrying this reclusive, scarred man.

Speaking of the scars, if you are going to insist that this person has a complex about his scars or that others are so freaked out by them (like there is one scene where a seemingly reasonable and wise man is like, “You are rich and intelligent and a good person, but I would never let you marry my daughter because” (gestures at scars)) then let that be a thing. It is so weird that besides this one interaction and an initial scene where Lydia sees Edward’s appearance and quickly is fine with it, there are no conflicts, no complexes, no issues, even, caused by the damage from the mutilation Edward suffered.

Like, one of the big things in the book is that he has bad handwriting and can’t draw well. Could the author have maybe made this due to his hand being damaged? This would add a sense of anger and vulnerability and something to overcome and accept - but instead, it seems like nope, this is just a messy dude. (I say “seems” because I stopped reading 36% of the way through, so to be fair, maybe that is later revealed to be the cause of the problem.)

Which is fine, but then, since the scars and state of his body matter so little, why not have his “beastliness” be purely about his attitude - in fact, why not be bold and have this be an average-looking man (instead of a stunningly handsome but scarred one) who is just an antisocial, kind of jerky guy (but one with a good heart) whose attitude pushes people away, sort of like how it was done in the classic, could-be-considered-a-Beauty-and-the-Beast-retelling Pride and Prejudice?

(EDIT: After posting this review, I suddenly remembered that there are a few mentions of how the Earl has a reputation in the gossip columns for allegedly driving his prior fiance attempt suicide. But even though this is mentioned, to me it's so lost among the other details in this very detail-filled book, that as you can see, I forgot it! Also, I still am not entirely convinced that someone with such wealth and such a prestigious family name would find NO ONE ELSE among the nobility/aristocracy willing to marry him. In that era, money and status motivated so many high society marriages and caused people to overlook a lot, especially if it might only be rumors.)

So, all this to say, despite a promising albeit slightly confusing beginning, we are very quickly left with two people bantering and having weird conversations with each other that are a constant push-pull and full of repetitive phrases and descriptions (If I have to hear one more time that the Duke’s eyes are topaz, I will SCREAM! And wtf is this author’s fixation with embers falling from the fire and logs splitting? Maybe sexual undertones trying to be captured - AGAIN AND AGAIN? Same with the fixation on stockinged versus shod feet?).

Still, maybe, maybe all of this would still have kept me reading. There is that whole mystery about why the Duke flies into a rage anytime anyone mentions his strikingly pretty housekeeper, for instance. I’d like to know what the deal is there. But what did me in is the thing that’s probably the most repetitive of all the repetitive stuff in this book: The author constantly, CONSTANTLY, for some reason stops and describes Lydia and Edward as a woman and a man (respectively) and uses adjectives like “womanly” and “male”. All the time, like even something like "He gave a male laugh" or "his male hands". It’s weird. Maybe if neither had been around the opposite sex before? But we are assured time and again that both were/are, essentially, players.

This, and the Duke being intelligent and appreciative of Lydia’s wit and spirit, yet telling her to be quiet and ordering her around in random moments, just, well, to steal a phrase from the younger generation “gave me the ick.”

At first I thought it might just be one of those books where male dominance is supposed to be a turn on - I know this is sometimes a thing in Beauty and the Beast retellings. But then you’d get Lydia speaking like an equal and Edward being so happy she’s not vapid and really enjoying their conversation (his thoughts). At times it made me think of an older person who has set ideas about men and women just chatting along. But I'm not sure that's it, either. It just feels like a mess.

I can see from the reviews that there are a lot of people who enjoyed this book, so maybe this dynamic is just something I didn’t get. And I will say that I did enjoy the writing style for the most part (hence my giving it 2 stars instead of 1) - except for those weird repetitive things. But I just don’t want to continue. I came here for a Beauty and the Beast retelling that many readers said was “unique”, but that for me is just not what a true Beauty and the Beast retelling is about.

In its own right, this book might be a good Georgian (term used lightly) romance in general, but in that sense, for me, the scenario required suspending far too much disbelief. Yes, I can believe that a merchant’s daughter can live in a Beast’s enchanted castle, but I cannot believe that a man among the highest level of society in Georgian England who has to “produce an heir” would randomly decide to do this with some commoner when he could choose among many nobles in the kingdom, no matter his reputation. At a time when noble families would have their 16-year-old daughters marry diseased 80-year-old men for their fortunes, I cannot believe that someone from one of the noblest families in England who has some scars but is otherwise handsome and young, and who’s a bit curmudgeonly but not proven mad or dangerous or unable to reproduce, couldn’t find someone of his social class for this heir business. Even Bridgerton follows these rules, for heaven’s sake! Bridgerton!!!!

I think the reason I’m ranting so much isn’t because this is a bad adaptation or bad writing (on the whole). It’s the fact that this book could have been really good. I’m not angry, I’m disappointed.

…. Well, maybe a little angry, too.