Twelve Shades of Midnight

by Liliana Hart, Darynda Jones, Shea Berkley

12 authors…12 unforgettable stories
1 Amazing Anthology

Twelve Shades of Midnight

The stroke of midnight ushers in many things. From hijinks and mischief to danger and evil, romance is the magic that binds these paranormal novellas together. Join 12 bestselling and award winning authors as they explore the different shades of midnight in exclusive, never-before-released stories.

Liliana Hart - THE WITCH NEXT DOOR
Darynda Jones - A LOVELY DROP
Shea Berkley - DARK STONE COLD DEAD
Dakota Cassidy - WITCHED AT BIRTH
Claire Cavanaugh - MIDNIGHT RENEGADE
Rachel Grant - MIDNIGHT SUN
Trish McCallan— SPIRIT WOODS
Angi Morgan - BODYGUARDS IN HIT AND RUN HALLIE
Robin Perini - DARK NIGHT OF THE JAGUAR
Robyn Peterman - SWITCHING HOUR
Ann Voss Peterson - THE SCHOOL
Jenn Stark - GETTING WILDE

Which shade of midnight are you?

Genres: Anthologies, Paranormal, Romance, Paranormal Romance, Ebooks, Vampires, Novella

750 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 28, 2014

About the author

Liliana Hart spent five years teaching music in the public education system. She molded America’s youth, busted kids for smoking pot in the restrooms, and broke up illicit affairs behind the stage on a regular basis. (Liliana’s Addison Holmes Mystery Series, about a small town teacher who gets into a whole lot of trouble, is somewhat autobiographical, but she won’t confess to which parts).

Liliana began reading romance novels with all her new found free time, and when she ran out of things to read, she decided to write her own novels. The result was a 150,000 word thriller—a dazzling adventure—where the heroine was a thirty-year-old virgin assassin (Yes, you read that right). She couldn’t imagine why people weren’t knocking down her door to read it, but she persevered and began writing a second book. She finally got the hang of things, and eventually learned that losing one’s virginity wasn’t all that romantic after all. All of her books involve some kind of suspense (she just can't help herself), laughter, and a lot of steamy sex.

Since the failure of her first attempt, Liliana’s books have won awards such as: The Daphne Du Maurier, The Suzannah, The Linda Howard Award of Excellence, The Maggie, and many others. Her affiliations include Romance Writers of America and Mystery Writers of America.

Liliana loves to cook, and is addicted to reading, Internet Boggle, kickboxing, and Bones. She lives in a big, rambling house in Texas with a couple of cats to keep her company. She loves to get emails from readers.

Enjoy the Adventures!

Reviews

[Sharon ∞❥ is an emotional book junkie ❥∞ · Rating 5 out of 5]

♦ Only read A Lovely Drop by Darynda Jones

Another amazing story by Darynda Jones. This woman can tell tales like no other!

At first, this really sounds like a Charley Davidson story, which is not a complaint, but soon develops into a fascinating story of the life of Andrea Grace.

Andrea "drops" which is what she calls going back in time. She can only go back twenty-four hours but she can basically do it anywhere and anytime.

She was raised up to believe this was a family curse and to keep her gift private. And she does that for the most part...but she is drawn to unsolved crimes. She tries to help the police anonymously but soon gets found out and that's how she meets Special Agent Sebastian Strand.



Let me just tell you that DJ knows her way around the male-female dynamic. These two were quite steamy together, even with a rather unwelcomed peek at something else. Sebastian could give Reyes a run for his money...and that's saying a lot.

Andrea and Sebastian work a case together and it was really intriguing to see what all Andrea could do...and Sebastian. See, he has a gift himself.

I loved how things wrapped up but it seriously left me wanting more. Unfortunately, I didn't find out if there will be anymore of Sebastian and Andrea but I'm keeping my *fingers crossed*


Favorite quotes:

♥ “My boss is quite taken with you.” 

“Good to know. I’ve had my eye on a jet for a while.” 

[Tanja ~ KT Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

ITS ON SALE FOR .99 CENTS ON AMAZON

What an amazing collection of short stories/books. And on a frugal note for us one click addicts out there. It is so worth the $4.99 price tag for the twelve short stories we get.

Many of the authors within Twelve Shades of Midnight need to turn these short stories in to full fledge books/series. (I’m talking to you Darynda Jones) This is a perfect way to get to know “new to you” authors and for long time and new fans alike it’s a great way to get you fill between books.

Smart, sexy and mysterious reads with some sweetness added in. A perfect stocking stuffer read for the holidays.

I loved it!


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[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great collection of paranornal romances of all types. Found of couple of new authors to me and series I plan to follow.

Liliana Hart: The Witch Next Door – This has great promise – 3 triplet sisters who are witches who have the responsibility of keeping their small town safe from another which hunt which took out their ancestors in the past. Each of the sisters looks different and each all have their own power which is unlike the others. They know something bad is coming and are trying to prepare for it. There is also a reincarnation plot between the main couple that switches back and forth that was also intriguing. My only complaint is where the story stopped.

Darynda Jones: A Lovely Drop – What a cool concept – really liked this one. All of the women in Andrea Grace family have a gift. They can go back 24 hour in time. This took its toll on her mother and Andrea has tried to not use her gift for fear she would be exploited by either the government or by bad guys. She cant help but get involved to help those that have been murdered though. When she anonymously tries to warn the police about a terrorist attempt this gets her brought in for questioning and then asked to use her gift to find out what happened on some recent murders of uncover operatives. She ends up working with Special Agent Sebastian Strand (who is hot hot hot) Hope to see more of these two in future books.

Shea Berkley: Dark Secrets: Stone Cold Dead - Wow the writing of the fighting scenes were so realistic. This is about vampires but they are not the main characters. They are the evil beings that are being fought by 2 mortal brothers and an immortal cursed woman who is a bad ass. And if that isn’t strange enough there are two little girls they become guardians of when their mother is killed and the vampire queen wants them for nefarious purposes. I was glad to see this was the start of a new series and the next book comes out in March.

Dakota Cassidy: Witched at Birth - I think I laughed pretty much from beginning to end in this very humorous look at woman who has to make some big changes in her life. Winnie and her best friend Zelda are in Witch jail. Winnie lost her mother at a young age and since then has had some anger issues. She never used her magic for good and her latest stunt of blowing up the warehouse of her ex-boyfriend has landed her in Witch jail where all her powers were stripped away. For her parole she is sent to Paris, Texas where she has a month to prove she has learned the error of her ways. Problem is her ex-boyfriend Ben now lives in Paris and he is put in charge her during her time there and if that wasn’t enough she is made to be the assistant of preschool aged little witches and warlocks who have the same behavior issues she did growing up. Along with the humor Winnie also comes to realize how she has acted in the past – quick to anger – hasn’t been the right way to handle her grief over the loss of her mother and she also realizes she over reacted to thinking Ben dumped her. Even though this was a novella size you got a complete story.

Claire Cavanaugh: Midnight Renegade - This was a nice change of pace in a collection full of witch stories. This one is about soldiers who were experimented on without their approval and the ones who not under mind control were set to be eliminated but instead ended up with some crazy super powers. The leader of the Seals team Alex managed to live through both a serum of cyanide and a fire but is now a extremely strong man with healing powers and can summon fire and lighting with his hands. His only mission has been to find the doctor that did this to him and his team and kill him. That doctors daughter Samantha is a FBI agent who gets a mysterious message from the father she through was dead to go to a specific set of coordinates to find Alex. What she gets is dead when an assassin blows up her team. Alex finds her and gives her some of his blood which heals her and she then herself gets a pretty neat ability. Alex isn’t happy when he finds out who she really is but the two now being hunted by a team of killers go on the run to find her father and try and find out the truth to what happened to Alex’s team. This was full of action and if it would have been a movie tons of special effects. There were 3 more guys from Alex team alive who also got the same serum as he did and their books are the next in the series. I’m looking forward to reading Begay’s story.

Rachel Grant: Midnight Sun - Sienna Aubrey travels to the Bering Straits with a mask she had stolen from the museum she was working for as a Native American Graves Repatriation Act specialist. She knew the mask belong to the Itqaklut tribe and that it had been stolen and wants to return it to the tribe even knowing she was breaking the law. The mask itself also seemed to have a strange effect on her causing nightmares and strange premonitions. She hoped that bringing it back to where it belonged would stop all of that. Sienna mistakes Rhys Vaughan for his cousin who doesn’t correct her as Chuck is in the hospital after someone tried to kill him. Rhys thinks Sienna might have something to do with it or at least knows who does and he wants to find out what he can from her. The mask causes these two to have some erotic dreams together. The rest of the story is figuring out what the mask really wants and why someone wanted to kill Chuck. Even though it was an erotic short – this author always manages to bring in her background of archeology into all her books and some true life history.

Trish McCallan: Spirit Woods - Spirit Woods introduces us to the town of Jamesville that’s surrounded by a forest that has been labeled Spirit Woods for all the strange things people have seen in them. Its been called haunted and dangerous. It also seems to resurrect the dead. That concept fascinated me. This is a novella so the pace is pretty quick but the story was no less captivating and I am looking forward to reading more about the Spirit Woods in upcoming books. Along with all the mysterious things going on it also had a reunion romance between the now town vet and one of the towns police officers. They had dated briefly in college which didn’t end so well do to a huge misunderstanding by the heroine. I liked that the hero who had never believed in supernatural things before coming to town didn’t hesitate in believing that something weird was defiantly going on. This one I know for sure has a second book coming out in February.

Angi Morgan: Bodyguards in Heels: Hit and Run Hallie - Hallie Barton was a FBI agent in New York. She loved the thrill of chasing bad guys and was sleeping with her partner Gage Owens. While undercover trying to catch one of the FBI’s 10 most wanted she starts to hear voices in her head and blows the mission. She then leaves the FBI and her boyfriend behind to go to Dallas to live with her Grammy to figure out what was going on with her. Once there she finds out being able to read minds is a family gift or curse depending on how she wants to look at it. She gets a PI license and 2 years later Gage comes to her for help with a witness he needs protected. This was the start of a new series so the setting up of the detective agency with her two cousins who also have a “gift” along with their Grammy who’s funding the start up and running the office was a big part of the book along with their first case and Gage and Hallie reconnecting again.

Robin Perini: Night of the Jaguar - Robin Perini: Night of the Jaguar – Cade Peterson is a vampire hunter for the Order of the Jaguar. His need for vengeance over the death of his brother spurs him on. But with each kill he risks his own soul to become as black as the evil vampires he kills. He comes upon a small group of people being slaughtered by a vampire in the jungle and in shock watches a woman kill the vampire. Aiyana lives in the jungle. She is almost one with it and has skills unlike Cade has ever seen. He knows there is something different about her but he cant put his finger on it. He also knows that when she disappears back into the jungle he should just let her go and continue on with his mission of killing vampires but something about her attracts him and he follows her and his whole life changes.

Robyn Peterman: Switching Hour - Robyn Peterman: Switching Hour – We met Zelda in Dakota Cassidy: Witched at Birth. We didn’t know what happened to her once she and Winnie left the Witch’s prison. Her conditions for her parole were to go to West Virginia to look into the death of her Aunt that she didn’t even know existed. Zelda was quite the colorful character and defiantly more guarded and self centered. Once she finds out that her Aunt’s job was being the town’s animal whisper that healed all the shifters that lived in the town it didn’t take long before she came to care about them but yet still refused to commit to being her aunt’s replacement. It took a wolf shifter who claims to be her mate and a huge surprise at the end to finally get her to let her guard down and set up roots somewhere.

Ann Voss Peterson: The School - This had bit of a creep factor. Two young children outside of an abandoned school one goes in and doesn’t come out. In the mother’s frantic search for her son an eerie paranormal tale erupts. When Rachel and her neighbor Nate who used to work for IPPO – Investigations of Paranormal Phenomena and Occult – go into the school to try and find her son Rachel ends up being tormented from her own past – something that the paranormal being does – hits on your worst fears and makes you think you are reliving them again. This was not it seems a first book in a series so there were a few things I didn’t know what they were referring to but overall I really enjoyed the creep factor of this one.

Jenn Stark: Getting Wilde

[Redheaded Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Witch Next Door by Liliana Hart ~ 2 1/2 Stars
This story caught my interest in the beginning, but lost me shortly there after. It became too confusing. I couldn't tell what was past and what was present. I think because of that I just couldn't connect the way I should have.

A Lovely Drop by Darynda Jones ~ 5 Stars
This story was a book packed into a few pages. Of course, I would have expected no less from Darynda. This one pulled me in from page one and I was sad to see it end. The idea of her being able to time travel but only 24 hours back intrigues me. I would love to see more of these characters and find out what happens after this story.....HINT HINT Darynda!

Stone Cold Dead by Shea Berkley ~ 3 Stars
I liked this story, but a key point was missing for me. We never found out what Arana was or why she was cursed. I would have liked to have more of her back story. I realize these are short stories, but I felt that was a big piece of information that was never given. The story itself was interesting. I liked the fact that mere humans were able to slay the big bad vampires. The characters were badass. I really liked that the female was a strong lead that didn't need rescuing.

Witched at Birth by Dakota Cassidy ~ 5 Stars
This was another story that seemed like a book. I loved the characters and the story line. This author is new to me but I can't wait to read more from this author! I wish there were more of this story. I really need to find out what happened to Zelda and I definitely need more of Winnie and Ben...and of course Lola!

Midnight Renegade by Claire Cavanaugh ~ 4 Stars
This one started out a little slow for me. Although I can’t say why it may be that I had just finished the previous story that was fun and light and went straight to this one that is serious. But, it quickly picked up.

It had a strong female lead which I love, but I didn't find it sexy per se because I kept picturing something akin to the Hulk for Alex. I liked all the different abilities and all the action in the end. The mind reading added an element of fun to mix with their inappropriate thoughts. I would like to read more.

Midnight Sun by Rachel Grant ~ 2 Stars
I couldn't connect with this one. There just wasn't enough back story on the characters for me to really care about them. Another thing that may have clouded my judgement on this one is the strong instant physical attraction. Whether it was supernaturally induced or not. I felt like we were told about the attraction not really shown.

Spirit Woods by Trish McCallan ~ 4 Stars
I really liked this one. The mystery of the woods, the long lost "love". I fell in love with Meechum. I would have liked to read more about these characters and of course I am dying to know who's foot prints were in Logan's house. I will be checking out this series. Maybe we can get some answers in the upcoming book.

Body guards in Heels: Hit and Run Hallie by Angi Morgan ~ 3 Stars
I liked the family aspect of this one. Hallie is an FBI agent turned small time PI. Her first job is from an old flame who happens to be her former partner. When things went south with her last job in the Bureau she packed up and left the FBI and him.

I would have liked a bit more of their back story, but it was a good read.

Dark Guardians: Night of the Jaguar by Robin Perini ~ 4 Stars
This one grabbed me from page one. The ultimate love story tragedy. Vampires and the Order who hunt them. Talk about your kick ass female, WOW. She can take down several men before they even know what hit them. She was definitely fierce! And Cade was very sexy and alpha. I would like to read more of this story!

Switching Hour by Robyn Peterman ~ 4 Stars
I loved that this story was a continuation of Witched at Birthed by Dakota Cassidy. I'm so glad we got Zelda's story and it was great. Watching Zelda interact with the cat and the rest of the animals was hilarious. I would love to read more of Winnie's and Zelda's stories!

Unfortunately, I was unable to finish the last 2 stories of this book before the review was due. I do plan on finishing them and will update this review once they are done.

I received this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

[All Things Urban Fantasy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy

When reading anthologies I find myself wanting more of some of the stories featured. This feeling came to me on almost every story in TWELVE SHADES OF MIDNIGHT. They ranged from sweet and sexy to thrilling and dangerous and I will not be satisfied with just these paltry few drops of sweet sweet storytelling. Lucky for us many of these stories will be expanded on! Here are my thoughts on a few of the ones that really stood out for me.

The Witch Next Door by Liliana Hart is a tale about a few witch sisters who protect a town and an encounter with a past love for one of them. It ends on such a tease it would be criminal to not write another story or even series about what mysterious dangers they are running into.

A LOVELY DROP by Darynda Jones has a quite capable heroine who can time travel 24 hours into the past and of course uses her powers for good solving crimes. This story packs a punch in so few pages and I loved exploring this 24 hour time travel concept and how it can be used to help solve crimes. More please!

STONE COLD DEAD by Shea Berkley was a longer story in comparison to the others. The main characters were pretty badass and one of them was a supernatural creature I admit to not encountering in urban fantasy/paranormal romance. This one was pretty dark and thrilling. I enjoyed how the female lead was kind of an avenging superhero.

WITCHED A BIRTH by Dakota Cassidy was hilarious, sweet, and touching. It was basically everything I excepted from a Dakota Cassidy book. We've got a bad girl turned good, rekindling romances, and Baba Yaga being crafty and clever. I want more from this story as I have to know what happens to some of the other characters featured here. This story felt like a whole book with a full plot combined with a clear backstory for the main characters.

BODYGUARDS IN HEELS: HIT AND RUN HALLIE by Angi Morgan This one was a funny, lighthearted story about a FBI agent turned private investigator. I enjoyed the case though I felt like there could have been more information about Hallie's past. Luckily there probably will be more about her as noted by the author's promise at the end of the story.

SWITCHING HOUR by Robyn Peterman This was about Zelda, Winnie's friend from the Dakota Cassidy story which was a pleasant surprise since I had been wondering what happened to Zelda after getting out of jail. Zelda's hilarious banter with her cat Fabio was the highlight for me.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection of books by a bevy of talented authors is beyond words great. Each short story gives you a brief introduction to each author and teases you just enough that you’ll have to control your itchy one click finger to not buy a book by each one. Instead of reviewing each of the 12 stories, I’d like to just highlight a few.

Darynda Jones’ Lovely Drop

First off, BOILER UP! You have no idea how big of a smile I had with your reference to my alma mater in your story (Purdue University). That little touch alone made an already great story simply marvelous! You’ll get extra kudos for the originally of the story and world itself. I honestly think if Darynda wrote a page long story on a bar napkin I’d still fall instantly in love with her written words. This woman seriously has the literary keys to my heart.

Switching Hour by Robyn Peterman

This story will have you in tears laughing!!

The Witch Next Door by Liliana Hart

This tantalizing tease of a very sweet beginning story will definitely peek your interest. I do believe that this is the beginning of a new series for Liliana.

[Beebs · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't read all the stories, so the rating is an average for the 3 stories I did read. Liliana Hart - The Witch Next Door - 3 stars - a sweet beginning to what I'm guessing is going to be a trilogy. Darynda Jones - A Lovely Drop - 4 stars - Unusual story and world, would be interested in more of this. Robyn Peterman - Switching Hour - 5 stars - because it made me laugh......a lot :)

[♡ Sassy ~ Amy ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I kind of like these kinds of books, because I see new to me authos I would otherwise not read. This book did take me forever to get through, because despite the novella length stories, there were SEVERAL of them! This is actually a good thing... I mean, who likes buying a book that you'll be done with in a day?!? Starbucks, book...? weighing out options... This one is long enough to make it worth it!!

The only things I really didn't like were the few cliffhangers at the end & the steamy warning s that fell a little short, but that was more of a crack up than anything...

This one is totally worth the read, especially if you want a taste of other authors you may want to follow!! I did add a couple to my list after reading this book!!

[Tatiana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Обожаю, как пишет Даринда Джонс. И в этом сборники меня привлек только ее рассказ. И мне он очень понравился!

В ЛП он называется «С радостью в омут».

Какой была бы ваша жизнь, если бы вы могли вернуться на сутки назад ? Андреа использует свой дар, чтобы анонимно раскрывать бытовые преступления. Обладая столь могущественным даром, девушка даже не помышляет использовать его для своей выгоды. Представьте ее недоумение, когда девушку ловят и три дня подряд допрашивают в участке, а потом сажают в фургон, привозят на место преступления и просят девушку рассказать что произошло в доме... Коротко. Увлекательно. Интересно. С юмором и страстью. Мне очень понравилось. Замечательный перевод. Хочу еще.

[Sunny · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a perfect read if you want a PNR without the time commitment of a full novel read. Each story is imaginative and short, enough for one night's read. I have to say I enjoyed Darynda Jones' the story the most, but I may be a little bias as I adore her Charley Davidson series. Here she introduces us to another fantastic heroine with unusual powers and a really dreamy hero...I may even like him better than Reyes. This short could easily be developed into a page-turning series. I would be first in line to purchase it - or at least I'd be very quick to "one click" it.

[Emalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liliana Hart: The Witch Next Door ~ 1,5 stars
I liked the beginning, but after just a few pages it lost my interest. I got pretty confused by this whole past and present thing. Also I did have a big, big, BIG problem with this lust/love-at-first-sight thing and they all seemed to trust Barrett immediately even though he is a total stranger. I normally don't read books about witches and this backs up my opinion.

Darynda Jones: A Lovely Drop ~ 4,5 stars
I liked the idea of going to a spot in the room and being able to go 24 hours back in time. The only bad thing about this short story is that it was way too short. I need a full novel. I see a whole lot of potential here. Miss Jones, write a full novel!

Shea Berkley: Dark Secrets: Stone Cold Dead ~ 1.5 stars
I liked Baby and Sage, the children who were a big part of the story, but the rest ... Not so much. What bothered me the most is this instant love again. They love the other one after knowing each other for 1 hour and I have no idea on what this love is based. Also how did they solve the problem that she is immortal and he is only human? How should this work? There will be a second book but I won't buy it. Sorry.


Claire Cavanaugh: Midnight Renegade ~ 2 stars
This was kinda boring and there are some things I did not quite get. But I thought that the abilities of Alex and Samantha were pretty cool. Samantha is able to become invisible and Alex can throw lightning and controls fire. Won't buy the next installment though.

Robin Perini: Night Of The Jaguar ~ 1.5 stars
Okay, this was weird, like really weird. They meet - insta-love - they meet again - sex - trouble in paradise - kind of HEA ? I just didn't get this story. Won't by the next book in series.

I decided to skip all the stories about witches (I just don't like the theme) and some others because I did not feel like I could like them.
The only short story I actually enjoyed was A Lovely Drop, the others were meh.

Overall rating of 2.5 stars

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

PARTIAL REVIEW
I only read Darynda Jone's story: A LOVELY DROP
review 2/13/15 at http://fangswandsandfairydust.com/201...

Anthology provided by publicist. No remuneration was exchanged and all opinions presented herein are my own unless otherwise noted.


Anthologies are great for many reasons: They provide something for everyone – It’s a great way to sample an author without spending a lot of money and even if you aren’t crazy about all the stories there’s sure to be at least one you’ll enjoy. Since these box sets are usually very competitively priced giving new authors a shot won’t break the bank! And, if you want something quick, or are short on concentration, short stories can fill the bill. I always think of short things when I am traveling, or recuperating.

I am always enchanted by Darynda’s characters: smart, snarky, strong women and, smoldering hot men (also smart and strong). This short story features Andrea Grace, a woman with the ability to go back in time just 24 hours. She has been anonymously helping to solve crimes, but the powers that be finally catch on and involuntarily enlist her assistance. The characters are great and, for a short story well developed and the romance builds quite naturally between the characters. I’d certainly like to see them again.

The story starts off great, but becomes really intricate with international terrorists and a nasty motorcycle gang. I had a tough time understanding the plot and who was what in the cast of characters. Then, towards the end, I thought the story lost its cohesion and I thought the ending was contrived; to an extent all fiction is contrived, but this felt like it was reaching.

I had never read a story by Darynda without Charley Davidson in it, so I didn’t know what, or who to expect. Andrea is very different from Charley — still smart and snarky though (not as smart and snarky as Charley). Her power is not as all-important, save-the-worldy as Charley’s. But, it certainly demonstrated that Darynda has more than one story to tell and I enjoyed it.

I look forward to dipping into this anthology more and recommend this particular tale by Darynda Jones.

[Angel Hatfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

**I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review**
*I have only read most of the stories in this anthology so my reviews are only for the ones I finished
Liliana Hart - THE WITCH NEXT DOOR -
I found this story to be very interesting and I found I couldn't put it down once I started reading it. I even stalked the author's website for the next one. I thought the author did an excellent job of bring you into this tale of witchcraft, reincarnation, and soul mates:) 5 stars
Darynda Jones - A LOVELY DROP -
Being a big fan of Darynda Jones' Grim Reaper series, I was excited to see her releasing something new and I'm glad she didn't disappoint. This was another story where I couldn't put down the book until I was done with it. Normally I steer clear of any books that have to do with time travel, but this one is done very well that it keeps you wanting more. 5 stars
Shea Berkley - DARK SECRETS: STONE COLD DEAD -
This story definitely threw in an element of supernatural I hadn't read about. It's also very fast paced and really good. The only thing I had a problem with is that you don't find out why the woman is what she is. 4 stars
Dakota Cassidy - WITCHED AT BIRTH
I really loved this story. Winnie and her interactions with just about anyone and thing were really funny. I like how, over the course of the story, she was able to grow and heal. 5 stars
Claire Cavanaugh - MIDNIGHT RENEGADE -
Overall this was a pretty good story, especially for those that like SEALs mixed in with their paranormal books. The only complaint I have about this one is that I just didn't buy the immediate quick feelings between the main characters and it was kind of predictable. 3.5 stars
Rachel Grant - MIDNIGHT SUN -
I liked the way this story flowed. The drive that had the main character going all the way to Alaska was well written. For the most part I liked the interactions between the two main characters. There were some minor parts that were a little hokey but overall good story. 4 stars

[Melindeeloo]

These are place holders as I work my way through these...


Liliana Hart: The Witch Next Door

Darynda Jones: A Lovely Drop - (This is not a Charlie Davidson story) I liked this one alot I really liked the heroine whose power - she can rewind time 24 hours - is very cool but she puts herself in the sights of homeland security when she tries to use those powers for good. I hope this is the prequel to a news series, because I like to see more of the h and H.

Shea Berkley: Dark Secrets: Stone Cold Dead

Claire Cavanaugh: Midnight Renegade

Rachel Grant: Midnight Sun

Trish McCallan: Spirit Woods

Angi Morgan: Bodyguards in Heels: Hit and Run Hallie

Robin Perini: Night of the Jaguar

Robyn Peterman: Switching Hour and Dakota Cassidy: Witched at Birth - These were connected stories about two self centered witches who must clean up their acts after being released from witch jail for misusing their magic. Both stories were over the top and the humor was sort of a miss for me so I thought they were more on the ok side.

Ann Voss Peterson: The School

Jenn Stark: Getting Wilde -This story is the reason I fished this anthology of the finishi-mate pile- I just read the prequel One Wilde Night and really like it. This story was sort of a
Ish mash, it had potential but it ended sort of abruptly and needed to lay out just a tad more of the world. There are also two seduction scenes with two different guys and the is more going on besides the sensual manipulation, but I was confused about what else exactly that was. I am pretty sure that this story was expanded for its additional release, so I might need to check that out to see if thing were pulled together better.

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twelve Shades of Midnight is well worth the cost and the time invested in reading this collection. Several of the authors I only know for writing romantic suspense novel. However, they are master writers at the suspenseful paranormal, too. Here’s my thoughts on a few of the stories in the set.

The Witch Next Door by Liliana Hart is a favorite of mine. However, I do have one question for Liliana Hart – How could you end this with such a cliffhanger. Where are the other two sister’s stories? I saw no mention of them. They are needed soon!

A Lovely Drop by Darynda Jones and Stone Cold Dead by Shea Berkley are very good but I only know these authors as writers of paranormal. I’m sure that their fan base will enjoy these short novellas.

Witched at Birth by Dakota Cassidy is so much in a few pages. I have been reading this author for years. She can write about anything and make it interesting. However, again, need more of this series. What happens to Zelda?

Lastly, Rachel Grant (Midnight Sun) and Trish McCallan (Spirit Woods) are two authors whose work in the genre of romantic suspense I read. Both of their stories deal with spirits of the dead. I enjoyed both stories but Ms. McCallan’s Spirit Wood bordered on the spooky side. Also leaving some unanswered questions about the woods and those resurrected.

Stories range from 4 stars to 5 stars so over all 4.5 stars.
Copy provided by NetGalley for an honest review.

[Marta Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

I saw this and could not resist even though if honest I'd only heard of four of the authors here but an anthology is always a great idea . I love discovering new authors and a book like this is always a great idea. I adore the paranormal genre and so this book is absolutely perfect for me and even though not all these stories are particularly romantic I really enjoyed the opportunity to just dip into these stories. It's easy to just pick and choose which story appeals to the reader but I think you might miss out on the special way these amazing authors each tease about the following story.
I have to confess I had this book on my kindle for several weeks as I just picked it up when I was in the mood for a surprise as the new to me authors always delivered just that. Yes I did have favourites and it's obvious that some of the stories interested me more than others but it was nevertheless a fantastic collection with enough diversity to satisfy my lust for paranormal fiction. So if you fancy a sweet read then you will find it here, if looking for a mystery to solve then you will get your hearts desire too ! Filled to the brim with romance and fun too this was a fabulous discovery and now I've got new authors with new series to check out.

[Renataberger · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just read the first story The Witch Next Door by Liliana Hart. I loved this story it ended with a cliff hanger. I sure hope there is a followup book. Because it left me wanting to read more much more from these characters. My rating for the first book is 4 stars only because I need closure. Read Switching Hour by Robyn Peterman. I rate this book with a 3 . I didn't really care for the story. She also continually berated WV which is the state I'm from. For that alone I wanted to give it a rating of 2. I gave it a 3 only because I thought the wv remarks may be clouding my judgement.
Just finished A Lovely Drop by Darynda Jones. Interesting story. It was a first time read for me by this author. I will read other stories by her in the future.
Just finished “BODYGUARDS IN HEELS: HIT & RUN HALLIE Angie Morgan I would give this story a 2 or a 3. This story just didn't hold my interest. I found it boring. I went on to read “NIGHT OF THE JAGUAR by Robin Perini I found this story to be interesting. I would give it a 3 . It was very well written but had very little drama or excitement. I would read other stories by this author.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twelve great stories by great authors

This review is for Spirit Woods by Trish McAllen
I loved this novel Max Midnight whose return to his owner after a 17 year absence was a great book. I have read several of Trish's books and this one is fantastic and poignant because the author just recently lost her own golden retriever. Max Midnight also pops up in each of the other stories.
Dark Secrets: Stone Cold Dead tells the story of a stone Angel who falls in love with a family even though she turns into a stone Angel when the sun rises each morning. I hope the author will write more in this series.
Witching hour tells the story of one witches just spent 9 months in a witches prison. As a parolee she is sent to Arizona to watch over her former boyfriends niece who just lost her parents. I loved this story with its play on the 1980s, Cabbage Patch doll, pacer automobile with a French speaking GPS.

[Jeanie Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely amazing. I have only read five of the 12 stories but I couldn't wait to share my excitement! The typical anthology has at least a few stories that make it worth buying. I can guarantee that the first five books alone are worth more than the $4.99 price and know who some of the other authors are I am betting that the percentage is going to be high. I have already met three new authors through this collection and will be watching for the sequel (please please please) and going back to check out some of there other books. I have always stuck with Lilliana Harts lighter work and really enjoyed them but she started this group out with a bang that blew me away. I don't think if even need to comment on the awesome Darynda Jones. Thank you all for putting together this masterpiece.

[Kelly at · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review will be posted at www.books-n-kisses.com .

NUMBER OF HEARTS: 4
REVIEW:
This was a fun book to read. There are few of my favorites in here with a lot of new authors to me. While all of the stories were good. There were a few that were great and a few that were just a little less than good for me. But I am happy that I did get to read new authors. There are a few stories that I hope the authors will continue into a new series.

If you are looking to find some new authors I would highly recommend picking up a copy of Twelve Shades of Midnight.


Disclaimer:
I purchased this book and this review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

[Sandee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent! I enjoyed all of these stories. Some I enjoyed more than others, especially Darynda Jones' A Lovely Drop. I hope so much to read more about these characters. Beside's Darynda Jones, I also really enjoyed Liliana Hart's The Witch Next Door and Angi Morgan's Bodyguards in Heels: Hit and Run.I will read this book many more times. The only thing, out of all 12 stories, was the poor editing of just one of them. Midnight Renegade by Claire Cavanaugh. The story was alright but it was poorly edited and I found that very distracting. It makes me feel disrespected when Authors/Editors can't be bothered to provide a well edited story.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

AWESOME Boxed Set!
This is an awesome boxed set with amazing authors. Several of these authors are some of my favorite authors, and some I have never read before but will defiantly buy more books by all of these authors. If you like mischief, humor, danger, romance and paranormal then you need to buy this boxed set, you will not be disappointed. I hope each of these authors write more books with the same characters that were in their books.
A Review copy was provided to me in exchange for a fair and honest review. The free book held no determination on my personal review.

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

awesome value

Some books were three, some were fours and some were fives. Overall it was a great buy. I purchased it because Darynda Jones is one of my favorite authors. I was not familiar with the others. I really enjoyed some of the stories and will definitely read those authors again.

[Clare · Rating 3 out of 5]

If Darynda Jones hadn't have been in this collection, it would have scored lower (that particular story scores a good 4/5). I found myself skimming through some of the stories, just so that I could get on to the next one. I was rather disappointed.

[Merideth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I Just read this for the Darynda Jones story. It is about a girl that can travel 24hrs in to the past that gets involved with a secret agent. Interesting read a slight turn from Jone's norm. but still a nicely written story.

[Claudia Ayala · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wanted to read this book especially because I love Darynda Jones. And I loved her story and its characters.

I didn’t know the other authors, but a liked their stories (some more than others) and now I´ll keep them in mind for future reads.

[Katrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, this one was a good anthology with interesting variety of the stories. Dakota Cassidy, Robin Peterman and Jenn Stark are new authors for me, but someone who I will be definitely revisiting. A good read.

[Cheryl La Pa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome read! Have only read the one by Darynda Jones and it would make a perfect series (hint, hint). Darynda Jones never fails to impress. 10/10 Looking forward to diving into the other stories.

[Sive Nathi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Andrea's character,I hope Darynda Jones will give us more of her world

[fury_13 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Only read:

A Lovely Drop by Darynda Jones