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'Round Midnight
What is it about the Midnight Room?
In a choreographic tour de force, Laura McBride twirls four women through a Las Vegas nightclub, turning their separate lives into a suspenseful, intricate dance of mothers, daughters, wives, and lovers.
The One Who Falls in June hires a charismatic black man to sing at her club, but her fast-paced lifestyle runs aground as racial tensions mount.
The One Who Gets Honorata leaves the Philippines as a mail-order bride, then strikes it rich in the Midnight Room.
The One Whose Heart Is Engracia finds bad luck in the Midnight Room and becomes enmeshed in Honorata’s secrets when she confronts a man with a gun.
The One Who Always Coral struggles with her mysterious past until a desire to help Engracia steers her to the Midnight Room.
Wise and heartbreaking, jubilant and loving, ’Round Midnight is about the intensity and intimacy of four women’s lives, lives that are connected by secrets, courage, tragedies, and small acts of kindness. This brilliantly conceived, passionately written novel will resonate long after you turn the final page.
In a choreographic tour de force, Laura McBride twirls four women through a Las Vegas nightclub, turning their separate lives into a suspenseful, intricate dance of mothers, daughters, wives, and lovers.
The One Who Falls in June hires a charismatic black man to sing at her club, but her fast-paced lifestyle runs aground as racial tensions mount.
The One Who Gets Honorata leaves the Philippines as a mail-order bride, then strikes it rich in the Midnight Room.
The One Whose Heart Is Engracia finds bad luck in the Midnight Room and becomes enmeshed in Honorata’s secrets when she confronts a man with a gun.
The One Who Always Coral struggles with her mysterious past until a desire to help Engracia steers her to the Midnight Room.
Wise and heartbreaking, jubilant and loving, ’Round Midnight is about the intensity and intimacy of four women’s lives, lives that are connected by secrets, courage, tragedies, and small acts of kindness. This brilliantly conceived, passionately written novel will resonate long after you turn the final page.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published May 2, 2017
215 people are currently reading
6366 people want to read
About the author
Laura McBride
8 books338 followersLaura McBride is the author of the award-winning novels We Are Called to Rise (a #1 IndieNext pick) and In the Midnight Room (formerly 'Round Midnight, and also an IndieNext pick). A frequent speaker at One Book/One Community programs, Laura lives in Las Vegas, where she is an English professor at the College of Southern Nevada. To learn more, see: http://lauramcbrideauthor.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 417 reviews
May 27, 2018
Innovative, raw, authentic
This was definitely a sleeper. 'Round Midnight had me in its grips, wrapped itself around my soul,unwilling to let go. It was a quiet killer. I felt my body clench, as my breath left me. I was trying to savor each and every page, every verse. In terms of the writing, the phrase "wax poetic" definitely comes to mind. I had never read a novel by Laura McBride so I knew not what to expect of her writing. She wooed me by the end of the first chapter. She had me in her clutch by the end of the fifth. And by the end of the tenth chapter, my heart was racing, and I knew I wouldn't be getting a lick of sleep. Needless to say, Laura McBride has an effortless ability to weave words into lyrical prose and has an innate talent that cannot be matched.
This was definitely a sleeper. 'Round Midnight had me in its grips, wrapped itself around my soul,unwilling to let go. It was a quiet killer. I felt my body clench, as my breath left me. I was trying to savor each and every page, every verse. In terms of the writing, the phrase "wax poetic" definitely comes to mind. I had never read a novel by Laura McBride so I knew not what to expect of her writing. She wooed me by the end of the first chapter. She had me in her clutch by the end of the fifth. And by the end of the tenth chapter, my heart was racing, and I knew I wouldn't be getting a lick of sleep. Needless to say, Laura McBride has an effortless ability to weave words into lyrical prose and has an innate talent that cannot be matched.
April 19, 2017
Two children in Laura McBride's new novel have a conversation about a science lesson on quantum physics explaining that "Everything affects everything else". I don't know anything about quantum physics so I'll go with my heart and my gut and say that what makes everything in this story affect everything else is the wonderful way in which McBride tells a story connecting the lives of the four women she writes about. Each of these women has their own story which could stand alone, but place and circumstances bring them together in a way reminiscent of McBride's We Are Called to Rise.
June you might say is the linch pin, whose life with her husband Del sets the novel in motion. They open a casino in the '50's in a Las Vegas that was in its early stage of development, in a time where racism kept black people out of the casinos except on the stage as musicians and singers and except if you were friends with the owners as Eddie Knox, an amazing singer was. And so the complicated relationships begin. Honorata, comes to Vegas with a man, who bought her, yes bought . It is in the El Captain casino that her life changes. Engracia is a maid at the hotel and further on in the novel connects with Honorata and their lives are forever changed. Then there is Coral, half white, half black, a music teacher, struggling with her identity and not knowing her birth parents. Their paths cross in ways that reflect the chance meetings that perhaps have affected all of us in our lives, chance meetings which affect their lives moving forward. Flawed characters who I came to love, serious themes of people wanting a better life, racism, and undocumented individuals, secrets of their pasts - there is so much here.
I have to admit that her first novel touched me in a deeper way perhaps because it was based on a true heartbreaking incident but I definitely recommend this one, especially if you loved her first novel.
I received an advanced copy of this book from Touchstone/Simon & Schuster through NetGalley and Edelweiss.
March 21, 2017
3.5 As in her previous book, McBride returns to Las Vegas, this time in the fifties when it was a smaller town, with smaller casinos. June marries Del a man who owns a casino and works with him to make it a popular place by hiring outstanding talent. Eddie, a black singer helps make the casino the place to be and will have a huge impact on June and Del's future.
This first part was my favorite part, the atmosphere of the time wonderfully portrayed, June the most fleshed out character. The racism of the time, blacks could sing in the casinos but not stay in the rooms, lived in their own part of town and were not welcome in others. The mob backing the casinos, and having a huge say in how the town was run.
Eventually we meet three other women, but we never learn a huge amount about these women, just the parts necessary to impel the story forward. June would appear in and out of these parts and we will follow this story and the changing city of Vegas for sixty years. A book that highlights the changing face of racism, things may improve for one group but another group, another culture will take its place. This is where I felt the author was being too obvious, included too much to make her point. She includes an Asian, a woman from the Philippines, and an illegal Hispanic. The stories of all were well done but the parts with June remained my favorites. I did like that this was a book about not only Vegas but about women, showing that regardless of color we all have many of the same concerns. It all ties together in the end and though the ending was a bit predictable, I did like how it was brought around and found it fit well with the story. So all in all a good if at times imperfect read.
ARC from publisher
Publishes May 2nd by Touchstone.
This first part was my favorite part, the atmosphere of the time wonderfully portrayed, June the most fleshed out character. The racism of the time, blacks could sing in the casinos but not stay in the rooms, lived in their own part of town and were not welcome in others. The mob backing the casinos, and having a huge say in how the town was run.
Eventually we meet three other women, but we never learn a huge amount about these women, just the parts necessary to impel the story forward. June would appear in and out of these parts and we will follow this story and the changing city of Vegas for sixty years. A book that highlights the changing face of racism, things may improve for one group but another group, another culture will take its place. This is where I felt the author was being too obvious, included too much to make her point. She includes an Asian, a woman from the Philippines, and an illegal Hispanic. The stories of all were well done but the parts with June remained my favorites. I did like that this was a book about not only Vegas but about women, showing that regardless of color we all have many of the same concerns. It all ties together in the end and though the ending was a bit predictable, I did like how it was brought around and found it fit well with the story. So all in all a good if at times imperfect read.
ARC from publisher
Publishes May 2nd by Touchstone.
July 15, 2017
‘Round Midnight by Laura McBride is a 2017 Touchtone publication.
Absorbing, mesmerizing and impossible to put down-
This unique and original novel weaves together the lives of four women, who have close or fateful connections and spans decades in time, finally bringing them all together in one space and time, where they will help and support one another in ways they never expected or counted on.
Back in the fifties, June and her second husband, Del, are doing okay with a casino and lounge in Las Vegas, which is where the Midnight Club originates.
But, when they hire a handsome and charismatic, black lounge singer, that brings in lots of money, he becomes interwoven in their personal lives, and June and her marriage are never the same after that. So many lives will be affected by this situation, especially a young lady named Coral.
Fast forward in time and meet ‘lucky’ Honorata, who arrives in the United States from the Philippines to become a mail order bride. Things go horribly awry, until Hororata arrives in Vegas and hits the jackpot, freeing her from the prison she was trapped in.
Rounding things out is the heartbreaking story of Engracia, who inadvertently finds herself embroiled in a volatile situation with Honorata.
The one who fell in love, the one who wondered, the one who was lucky, the one who is heartbroken-
‘Did lives look sensible if you were outside them, and startling if you were in?’
All these women tell a powerful and emotional story as fate takes away the control they had over their lives, scattering them in directions far from the path they had envisioned for themselves.
The book only skitters across some deeper issues, like race relations, sexuality, immigration, and maybe even class distinctions, but instead takes a closer look at the choices these women were faced with after making like altering decisions or having them made on their behalf and how those choices managed to cross over into other’s lives over a long period of time.
‘It really feels: that the people I love are still present, are still real, are still near me.”
This story resonated with me because, while each of the four women were vastly different, each one flawed, or living with a troubled mind or heart, they all showed an inner strength that went beyond their family ties, husbands or lovers. It is also quite amazing how our lives often end up running parallel to people we’ve been hoping to connect with, but who remain elusive, or how complete strangers enter our lives and have such an enormous impact.
So maybe there is a little serendipity that brings these women together, despite the pain, heartbreak, and disappointments that led to this convergence, which is mostly a good thing, and will finally bring long overdue peace for some.
This is an interesting way of telling four distinct journeys that happened to interconnect with each other, and how they touch one another with much needed support and friendship.
4 stars
Absorbing, mesmerizing and impossible to put down-
This unique and original novel weaves together the lives of four women, who have close or fateful connections and spans decades in time, finally bringing them all together in one space and time, where they will help and support one another in ways they never expected or counted on.
Back in the fifties, June and her second husband, Del, are doing okay with a casino and lounge in Las Vegas, which is where the Midnight Club originates.
But, when they hire a handsome and charismatic, black lounge singer, that brings in lots of money, he becomes interwoven in their personal lives, and June and her marriage are never the same after that. So many lives will be affected by this situation, especially a young lady named Coral.
Fast forward in time and meet ‘lucky’ Honorata, who arrives in the United States from the Philippines to become a mail order bride. Things go horribly awry, until Hororata arrives in Vegas and hits the jackpot, freeing her from the prison she was trapped in.
Rounding things out is the heartbreaking story of Engracia, who inadvertently finds herself embroiled in a volatile situation with Honorata.
The one who fell in love, the one who wondered, the one who was lucky, the one who is heartbroken-
‘Did lives look sensible if you were outside them, and startling if you were in?’
All these women tell a powerful and emotional story as fate takes away the control they had over their lives, scattering them in directions far from the path they had envisioned for themselves.
The book only skitters across some deeper issues, like race relations, sexuality, immigration, and maybe even class distinctions, but instead takes a closer look at the choices these women were faced with after making like altering decisions or having them made on their behalf and how those choices managed to cross over into other’s lives over a long period of time.
‘It really feels: that the people I love are still present, are still real, are still near me.”
This story resonated with me because, while each of the four women were vastly different, each one flawed, or living with a troubled mind or heart, they all showed an inner strength that went beyond their family ties, husbands or lovers. It is also quite amazing how our lives often end up running parallel to people we’ve been hoping to connect with, but who remain elusive, or how complete strangers enter our lives and have such an enormous impact.
So maybe there is a little serendipity that brings these women together, despite the pain, heartbreak, and disappointments that led to this convergence, which is mostly a good thing, and will finally bring long overdue peace for some.
This is an interesting way of telling four distinct journeys that happened to interconnect with each other, and how they touch one another with much needed support and friendship.
4 stars
May 20, 2017
3.75★
Laura McBride’s sophomore novel was most enjoyable reading. As she did in We Are Called to Rise, there are multiple characters and narratives, this time surrounding four women. The individual story-lines are fleshed out over six decades and eventually intersect.
At the hub is June in 1950’s Las Vegas casino life, which was marvelously evocative of the era. My parents used to get away to Vegas in the 50s and bring back silver dollars for us kids and dance to records by members of the Rat Pack. Honorata’s journey as a mail order bride from the Philippines shared similar ground with a woman I worked with once who came to the United States in similar fashion during the 80s. Ironically, her domineering American husband suddenly moved them to Las Vegas one weekend and I never heard from her again. The briefer accounting of Engracia's story was quite moving to me at this particular time.
The opening dedication is "For all who grieve" and each of the women has her time with it to tell. Themes of race, loss, and identity are interwoven and will connect and influence each of their lives. Though it did not have the same emotional impact on me of her first novel, it was so readable and held my interest throughout. Fair to say this is Women’s Fiction and I would admit that the genre is not usually my reading preference, but when I really like it, as I did here, this is how it’s done.
Thanks to Touchstone, NetGalley, and Simon & Schuster for this eGalley.
Laura McBride’s sophomore novel was most enjoyable reading. As she did in We Are Called to Rise, there are multiple characters and narratives, this time surrounding four women. The individual story-lines are fleshed out over six decades and eventually intersect.
At the hub is June in 1950’s Las Vegas casino life, which was marvelously evocative of the era. My parents used to get away to Vegas in the 50s and bring back silver dollars for us kids and dance to records by members of the Rat Pack. Honorata’s journey as a mail order bride from the Philippines shared similar ground with a woman I worked with once who came to the United States in similar fashion during the 80s. Ironically, her domineering American husband suddenly moved them to Las Vegas one weekend and I never heard from her again. The briefer accounting of Engracia's story was quite moving to me at this particular time.
The opening dedication is "For all who grieve" and each of the women has her time with it to tell. Themes of race, loss, and identity are interwoven and will connect and influence each of their lives. Though it did not have the same emotional impact on me of her first novel, it was so readable and held my interest throughout. Fair to say this is Women’s Fiction and I would admit that the genre is not usually my reading preference, but when I really like it, as I did here, this is how it’s done.
Thanks to Touchstone, NetGalley, and Simon & Schuster for this eGalley.
May 9, 2021
I really enjoyed this story. I was a bit impatient at the beginning until what I felt was a quite shocking revelation at the end of the first section. I was all in after that! I love how all the women have a connection and the story is told by each of them. Lots of emotions while reading. I’m quite surprised I didn’t cry several times from both sadness and happiness (I was on the verge). I will most certainly read her next novel!
August 30, 2018
I received a free e-copy of In The Midnight Room by Laura McBride from NetGalley for my honest review.
In a Las Vegas nightclub named The Midnight Room, four women experience life-changing experiences. One gets lucky, one falls in love, one chooses happiness and one gets her heart broken. They all end up making choices they never would have thought they would make.
June leaves the East Coast and her marriage to marry another man who hopes to make it big in the casino business.
Honorata is a mail-order bride to a chi-town business man. She hits a big jackpot on a weekend trip with her husband at June’s casino.
Engracia leaves Mexico with her child and a broken heart. She decides to start a new life, and gets a job as Honorata’s maid.
Coral, is an African-American schoolteacher. She buys a house on the same street as Honorata. She discovers that she has a connection to the Midnight Room going back six decades.
All of these women find their lives entwined at The Midnight Room. A powerful and deeply moving read.
In a Las Vegas nightclub named The Midnight Room, four women experience life-changing experiences. One gets lucky, one falls in love, one chooses happiness and one gets her heart broken. They all end up making choices they never would have thought they would make.
June leaves the East Coast and her marriage to marry another man who hopes to make it big in the casino business.
Honorata is a mail-order bride to a chi-town business man. She hits a big jackpot on a weekend trip with her husband at June’s casino.
Engracia leaves Mexico with her child and a broken heart. She decides to start a new life, and gets a job as Honorata’s maid.
Coral, is an African-American schoolteacher. She buys a house on the same street as Honorata. She discovers that she has a connection to the Midnight Room going back six decades.
All of these women find their lives entwined at The Midnight Room. A powerful and deeply moving read.
June 3, 2017
I really enjoy Laura McBride's books. This, her second is about the intertwining lives of 4 very different women in early 1960 's Las Vegas and will appeal most to those who like to read about strong women who are able to take charge of their lives, even in an age and society which discouraged it. At a time of great gender, racial, cultural, and financial, differences it took much bravery to defy the norm. If you need an interesting book to get and hold your attention on the plane , beach , or your own front veranda this summer this would be a great choice. Though its already been a busy summer, I found this was a story I always looked forward to getting back to at the end of the day. The ending is terrific and though tinged with sadness (at the timing) it will still have you cheering. 4 stars
Thanks to Touchstone for a beautiful hard copy of this book.
Thanks to Touchstone for a beautiful hard copy of this book.
November 13, 2017
3.5 stars. I think what I like most about this author is that she has the ability to immediately grab my attention with her vivid descriptions. I felt for all four these women, especially Engracia, but June is definitely the character I'll remember the longest. Las Vegas is such a cool setting and the first part of the book did a really good job of painting of picture of what this city looked and felt like in the 1960's. I thought 'Round Midnight was written with more finesse than her first novel, We Are Called to Rise, but did not pack the same punch.
The Story: Spanning the six decades when Las Vegas grew from a dusty gambling town into the melting pot metropolis it is today, ‘Round Midnight is the story of four women—one who falls in love, one who gets lucky, one whose heart is broken, and one who chooses happiness—whose lives change at the Midnight Room.
The Story: Spanning the six decades when Las Vegas grew from a dusty gambling town into the melting pot metropolis it is today, ‘Round Midnight is the story of four women—one who falls in love, one who gets lucky, one whose heart is broken, and one who chooses happiness—whose lives change at the Midnight Room.
July 16, 2017
Before I start gushing how much I enjoyed this book I need to just mention that I was astounded to learn that atomic bomb detonations were a tourist attraction in Vegas in the late 1950’s. WHAT? I just had to google that and its bizarrely true.
This is a story about the interconnected lives of four women in Las Vegas, each of whom experiences a life-changing moment, all linked to a classic casino nightclub. As the story unfolds you find out how their lives are connected by secrets, courage, tragedies, and small acts of kindness.
June, the one who started the El Capitan casino with her husband Dell, who supported one of the few African American performers in a time where segregation was still prevalent.
Coral, a mixed-race teacher who desperately wants to know who her real parents are.
Honorata, the Filipina mail order bride who wins big at Vegas and her life changes forever.
Engracia, the illegal immigrant who struggles to keep her life together after a personal tragedy, working as a maid at the El Capitan.
I absolutely love how this author can draw you into the story within a page or two, how all the characters were three-dimensional and how you really get a sense of Vegas in the 1950s.
I adored We Are Called to Rise, and now with this second book I now know I will read anything this author writes.
Highly recommended.
This is a story about the interconnected lives of four women in Las Vegas, each of whom experiences a life-changing moment, all linked to a classic casino nightclub. As the story unfolds you find out how their lives are connected by secrets, courage, tragedies, and small acts of kindness.
June, the one who started the El Capitan casino with her husband Dell, who supported one of the few African American performers in a time where segregation was still prevalent.
Coral, a mixed-race teacher who desperately wants to know who her real parents are.
Honorata, the Filipina mail order bride who wins big at Vegas and her life changes forever.
Engracia, the illegal immigrant who struggles to keep her life together after a personal tragedy, working as a maid at the El Capitan.
I absolutely love how this author can draw you into the story within a page or two, how all the characters were three-dimensional and how you really get a sense of Vegas in the 1950s.
I adored We Are Called to Rise, and now with this second book I now know I will read anything this author writes.
Highly recommended.
July 25, 2016
Laura McBride does it again ladies and gentlemen. These characters, like those in We Are Called To Rise, will stay with you. They are certainly staying with me.
March 21, 2017
Laura McBride is truly one of the authors that we are most proud to publish. We can't wait for you all to read this astounding novel.
February 6, 2017
Everything about this book was splendid. McBride perfectly captured the flavor of Las Vegas through the years and the characters were authentically drawn and engaging. And the ending was sublime; I loved how all of the relationships came together. I agree with one reviewer who said she wanted more.
This is one of the best novels I've read in quite a while and will go out on a limb to say it will for sure be on my Best of 2017 list.
Readers of Cynthia Sweeney's The Nest, Elizabeth Strout's Olive Kitteridge, and most books by Wally Lamb will want to put this on their list.
Thanks to the publisher for the advance digital copy.
This is one of the best novels I've read in quite a while and will go out on a limb to say it will for sure be on my Best of 2017 list.
Readers of Cynthia Sweeney's The Nest, Elizabeth Strout's Olive Kitteridge, and most books by Wally Lamb will want to put this on their list.
Thanks to the publisher for the advance digital copy.
July 8, 2017
Maybe only 3.5, but I'm a fan of McBride's writing style. I like the way her storylines/characters revolve around each other, never quite touching until the climax (which felt a little rushed).
I really liked the Las Vegas setting, especially as we moved from the 1960s through present. Just a good interesting read.
I really liked the Las Vegas setting, especially as we moved from the 1960s through present. Just a good interesting read.
August 19, 2018
I’m not sure why the name of this book changed, but it’s being republished under a different name than ‘Round Midnight, the name under which it was published in hardcover. It’s a little ironic that I have ‘Round Midnight checked out from the library, and I didn’t even realize it was the same book as the ebook that I received to review.
There is just something about Laura McBride’s writing that I love — she really has a way of tapping into her character’s emotional state and building it into the plot, without making it seem sappy or manipulative. The plot unfolds slowly, without all the interconnections being immediately obvious, and in different hands, it could have seemed too unrealistic to work. But you’re rooting for each of these women, June, Honorata, Coral, and Engracia, and I very much enjoyed waiting to see how the story unfolded and their lives were brought together around the casino El Capitan.
I hope the re-release draws more attention to this book, because I think it was extremely well done as well as timely, in its examination of race and immigration status, the Las Vegas economy, and gender of course. The more things change, the more they stay the same, and this book illustrates it very very well.
I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
There is just something about Laura McBride’s writing that I love — she really has a way of tapping into her character’s emotional state and building it into the plot, without making it seem sappy or manipulative. The plot unfolds slowly, without all the interconnections being immediately obvious, and in different hands, it could have seemed too unrealistic to work. But you’re rooting for each of these women, June, Honorata, Coral, and Engracia, and I very much enjoyed waiting to see how the story unfolded and their lives were brought together around the casino El Capitan.
I hope the re-release draws more attention to this book, because I think it was extremely well done as well as timely, in its examination of race and immigration status, the Las Vegas economy, and gender of course. The more things change, the more they stay the same, and this book illustrates it very very well.
I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
July 8, 2017
Actual Rating: 4.0
This was one of the most unique books I've ever read, in terms of style. 'Round Midnight follows the lives of four women, who lead very different lives over the span of sixty years. There's June, who falls in love - not with the wrong person, but during the wrong time. There's Honorata, who is forced to leave her homeland to marry, but fortunately gets lucky and wins the jackpot; for the first time, she can do things on her own. There's Engracia, who unluckily gets her heart broken. And there's Coral, who doesn't know anything about her own past, but one day hopes she finally will.
This story was absolutely beautiful. I'm usually not one for historical fiction, but the setting was described very powerfully, which really added to an atmosphere of nostalgia the book had; there was a meshing of different cultures during an older time period that both made me realize how far we'd come as a society, but also reminded me that there was so much more to do.
Now, I'm typically not one for multiple perspectives either, but one very unique thing about this book is that it focuses more on the stories than on the characters, and though each woman had their own journey, it all came together. I wasn't that into Engracia's story (hence my four star), and Honorata's story was perhaps my favorite, but of course none of the stories would be the same if not for the others.
The writing style was, without a doubt, beautiful. Overall, this was a very compelling novel; hopeful and tragic, it might be one of my favorites of 2017 so far.
This was one of the most unique books I've ever read, in terms of style. 'Round Midnight follows the lives of four women, who lead very different lives over the span of sixty years. There's June, who falls in love - not with the wrong person, but during the wrong time. There's Honorata, who is forced to leave her homeland to marry, but fortunately gets lucky and wins the jackpot; for the first time, she can do things on her own. There's Engracia, who unluckily gets her heart broken. And there's Coral, who doesn't know anything about her own past, but one day hopes she finally will.
This story was absolutely beautiful. I'm usually not one for historical fiction, but the setting was described very powerfully, which really added to an atmosphere of nostalgia the book had; there was a meshing of different cultures during an older time period that both made me realize how far we'd come as a society, but also reminded me that there was so much more to do.
Now, I'm typically not one for multiple perspectives either, but one very unique thing about this book is that it focuses more on the stories than on the characters, and though each woman had their own journey, it all came together. I wasn't that into Engracia's story (hence my four star), and Honorata's story was perhaps my favorite, but of course none of the stories would be the same if not for the others.
The writing style was, without a doubt, beautiful. Overall, this was a very compelling novel; hopeful and tragic, it might be one of my favorites of 2017 so far.
August 17, 2017
Wow- again another wonderful book by Laura McBride!!
This book kept me up reading late at night & had me grabbing it first thing in the morning- I LOVE when a book does that!
I need to start by saying We Are Called to Rise was one of my most favorite books of 2014 & I still think about it & recommend it to people.
'Round Midnight starts out in the early days of Vegas with a young girl from NJ who ends up in Vegas married to a man who owns a casino.....we meet 4 very different women & the people who touched their lives, bad & good.
The story moves through the years & through the eyes of these women, each connected in ways they don't even realize....I loved the passion that was in this book-passion about a lover, a life, a family, freedom.....I cared about what happened to these people & I could not put this book down!
Thank you Touchstone Books for giving me the chance to read this & give an honest review & thank you again, Laura McBride
This book kept me up reading late at night & had me grabbing it first thing in the morning- I LOVE when a book does that!
I need to start by saying We Are Called to Rise was one of my most favorite books of 2014 & I still think about it & recommend it to people.
'Round Midnight starts out in the early days of Vegas with a young girl from NJ who ends up in Vegas married to a man who owns a casino.....we meet 4 very different women & the people who touched their lives, bad & good.
The story moves through the years & through the eyes of these women, each connected in ways they don't even realize....I loved the passion that was in this book-passion about a lover, a life, a family, freedom.....I cared about what happened to these people & I could not put this book down!
Thank you Touchstone Books for giving me the chance to read this & give an honest review & thank you again, Laura McBride
March 7, 2018
This was a nice easy read with some wonderful strong female characters and I felt so invested with some of them that I would have much rather stayed with them and their complicated lives and explored their emotional journey with them than change over too quickly to a new one. However it was an enjoyable read and elegant in its writing style.
April 24, 2017
Review originally posted at
All Books Considered: 4 STARS
This book is definitely one of my favorites of this year, so far! Admittedly, I requested this book because I grew up in Las Vegas and, although I no longer live there, there was something magical about growing up there before the boom, before the growth. And so I could completely relate to the setting in this book but I also loved the way the story was told. These characters had such meat - such sorrow and such depth - and they way their stories intertwined felt true and realistic to me. This was a book that I just couldn't stop reading; it was so seamless, so authentic. I'm going to read this author's first book now because I really love her voice and her writing - there's something in it that's hard to describe but something that I crave. I was kind of reminded of Anita Shreve when I read this but it had a uniqueness all its own as well. I think this would be a great summer read for anyone.
'Round Midnight comes out next month on May 2, 2017, and you can purchase HERE. I really loved this one so much and I definitely recommend it, especially if you love books with lots of intertwining lives and story lines over a span of time.
This book is definitely one of my favorites of this year, so far! Admittedly, I requested this book because I grew up in Las Vegas and, although I no longer live there, there was something magical about growing up there before the boom, before the growth. And so I could completely relate to the setting in this book but I also loved the way the story was told. These characters had such meat - such sorrow and such depth - and they way their stories intertwined felt true and realistic to me. This was a book that I just couldn't stop reading; it was so seamless, so authentic. I'm going to read this author's first book now because I really love her voice and her writing - there's something in it that's hard to describe but something that I crave. I was kind of reminded of Anita Shreve when I read this but it had a uniqueness all its own as well. I think this would be a great summer read for anyone.
'Round Midnight comes out next month on May 2, 2017, and you can purchase HERE. I really loved this one so much and I definitely recommend it, especially if you love books with lots of intertwining lives and story lines over a span of time.
There had been a bomb detonation ever five days all summer and fall. Operation Plumbbob. June called it Operation Plumbrich. Tourists flocked from all over the country, from Canada, from Mexico. People who wouldn't have come to Las Vegas otherwise. But everyone wanted see an explosion. Ever since National Geographic had described a bright pink mushroom cloud turning purple and then orange, spraying ice crystals like an ocean surf in the sky, people had been coming. They drove up the dusty road to Charleston Peak and leaned against their cars to watch the white dawn burst against the night, or they crowded into tiny Beatty and asked the locals if the air was safe.
September 5, 2018
The story centers around a Las Vegas nightclub called The Midnight Room in the 1950's. Four women who's lives intersect. Their pasts and their futures. June,Honorata,Engracia and Coral. All completely different. I love stories like this and it amazed me just how vivid it was. The 1950's, Las Vegas, the smokey jazz clubs. I was deeply moved by these four women's lives. How they came to be intertwined. This was everything I thought it would be. Deeply moving, masterful and so poetic it danced. This is the paperback edition of the hard cover called Round Midnight.
Dawnny- Book Gypsy
Novels N Latte
Book Blog
Dawnny- Book Gypsy
Novels N Latte
Book Blog
December 12, 2016
Love, love, love this book!
August 25, 2018
IN THE MIDNIGHT ROOM is an interesting story comprised of four narratives surrounding four women from four different pockets of time, set in Las Vegas, spanning from the sixties to present day. These women connect in ways both direct and indirect and all somehow come in contact with a casino nightclub called the Midnight Room. McBride's characters are diverse, different, and occasionally interesting.. but sadly I really only cared about one of the storylines; or rather one of the women leading part the story itself.
The way these characters come together, the climax of the story, happens at the very end (we have to earn it) and it was quite emotional. I loved it. It was beautiful and sad and, again, it was focused on the one character I actually liked.. and a second one I enjoyed, too, though not as much.
While I can appreciate the background and struggles of the other two character, I just.. honestly it felt like it could've been a whole other story. Or maybe I just could've read a full length about June, and Coral, as opposed to being distracted by anything (or anyone) else. I don't know. This was definitely a two star read for me and while the ending moved me enough to consider rounding up, ultimately I would've just preferred two separate stories. But the writing was good, if unnecessarily detailed at times, and the intent behind this story, with all the complications and hurdles of the times, had so much potential.
2.5 stars
** I received an ARC from Edelweiss and the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. **
The way these characters come together, the climax of the story, happens at the very end (we have to earn it) and it was quite emotional. I loved it. It was beautiful and sad and, again, it was focused on the one character I actually liked.. and a second one I enjoyed, too, though not as much.
While I can appreciate the background and struggles of the other two character, I just.. honestly it felt like it could've been a whole other story. Or maybe I just could've read a full length about June, and Coral, as opposed to being distracted by anything (or anyone) else. I don't know. This was definitely a two star read for me and while the ending moved me enough to consider rounding up, ultimately I would've just preferred two separate stories. But the writing was good, if unnecessarily detailed at times, and the intent behind this story, with all the complications and hurdles of the times, had so much potential.
2.5 stars
** I received an ARC from Edelweiss and the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. **
December 27, 2016
"Midnight" is a place--a club/cafe in one of the older nightclubs on Las Vegas' Strip--and is the scene that unites all four women in this story told over a period of several decades. The women all come from remarkably different places, but their stories interconnect in amazing ways. This is a beautiful novel about families and love and all the complications of human relations and the human condition. I especially liked the format of the book, with an opening scene of each section showing someone observing the main character of that section "'Round Midnight." This is a superb sophomore novel following author Laura McBride's first book, We Are Called to Rise. Look for it in May!
February 5, 2018
Maybe it's me, but the second half of this book just dragged. When you're just skimming through the pages during the tension-filled climax, well, that says something. I don't remember her first book being so slow.
The story of the first third was great and McBride should have just kept to it. By the last third, I really didn't care about the additional characters. The history of Las Vegas was more riveting than the characters.
The story of the first third was great and McBride should have just kept to it. By the last third, I really didn't care about the additional characters. The history of Las Vegas was more riveting than the characters.
December 2, 2016
This is a powerful, evocative read. Masterfully woven story that hits every emotion on the chart. I WANT MORE!!!!!
August 19, 2018
Our lives are imperfectly intertwined. One kindness can affect many lives. And if you let strangers in, it may as well be your life that is changed forever.
I’m a fan of this kind of stories. Stories with a bright star that doesn’t shine forever but fills others with its light and thus lasts far, far longer. Or stories that are multiple stories tangled up in a massive one, the scope of which is quite unfathomable when it begins, then it becomes everything, a fantastic punch line with a memorable, yet simple last line.
‘In The Midnight Room’ was more like the latter. A generational tale of women tackling prejudice and unfortunate circumstances. Women who loved their husbands, lovers, children, friends. Women who refused to accept help or those who sought it, hardened by life and wise beyond their years or not there yet. Incredible women with secrets, strong passions and dreams, sometimes regrets, too as it is the way of life.
(I don’t want to take away the pleasure of learning the truths of this story from you, fellow reader. So I will refrain from spoilers.) Laura McBride penned an incredible novel deep-rooted in her native Las Vegas. If I were the city’s mayor, I would list it as an obligatory read for everyone interested in their city’s beginnings in the entertainment business. From the very brink of 50s, through 60s, then 90s and modern times, the city’s history was a presence felt and welcome but skillfully hidden just beyond the curtain as the book is character driven first and foremost.
June is a white, daring woman with kindness in her heart. Honorata is a Philipino immigrant, a mail-order bride who gets lucky and wins the lottery. Engracia’s life is grief until she gets entangled in another woman’s secrets and becomes a savior. Coral has always wondered where she came from even if her adoptive family was loving and as true as they get. They all meet in the Midnight Room. Sometimes apart, sometimes together or many, many years from each other but the connection, a life-span long one is there to be discovered and embraced.
This beautifully written book sent me on a remarkable journey through decades of different realities. It filled me with joy and sorrow for its characters, made me sympathize with them immensely even if at first glance I could never ever relate to their lives’ circumstances. It was heart-stopping and so very, very real. It seems a shame it could only be appreciated by fans of historical fiction and generational drama (these, I guess, are intended audiences as the genres dictate) because it is just so full, so vibrant, wise and filling with hope. All women should read it, to say the least. It will stay with me for a long time—that it for certain and I couldn’t be more grateful and enriched for it.
**massive thank you to the publishers at Touchstone / Simon & Schuster and Edelweiss for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review**
I’m a fan of this kind of stories. Stories with a bright star that doesn’t shine forever but fills others with its light and thus lasts far, far longer. Or stories that are multiple stories tangled up in a massive one, the scope of which is quite unfathomable when it begins, then it becomes everything, a fantastic punch line with a memorable, yet simple last line.
‘In The Midnight Room’ was more like the latter. A generational tale of women tackling prejudice and unfortunate circumstances. Women who loved their husbands, lovers, children, friends. Women who refused to accept help or those who sought it, hardened by life and wise beyond their years or not there yet. Incredible women with secrets, strong passions and dreams, sometimes regrets, too as it is the way of life.
(I don’t want to take away the pleasure of learning the truths of this story from you, fellow reader. So I will refrain from spoilers.) Laura McBride penned an incredible novel deep-rooted in her native Las Vegas. If I were the city’s mayor, I would list it as an obligatory read for everyone interested in their city’s beginnings in the entertainment business. From the very brink of 50s, through 60s, then 90s and modern times, the city’s history was a presence felt and welcome but skillfully hidden just beyond the curtain as the book is character driven first and foremost.
June is a white, daring woman with kindness in her heart. Honorata is a Philipino immigrant, a mail-order bride who gets lucky and wins the lottery. Engracia’s life is grief until she gets entangled in another woman’s secrets and becomes a savior. Coral has always wondered where she came from even if her adoptive family was loving and as true as they get. They all meet in the Midnight Room. Sometimes apart, sometimes together or many, many years from each other but the connection, a life-span long one is there to be discovered and embraced.
This beautifully written book sent me on a remarkable journey through decades of different realities. It filled me with joy and sorrow for its characters, made me sympathize with them immensely even if at first glance I could never ever relate to their lives’ circumstances. It was heart-stopping and so very, very real. It seems a shame it could only be appreciated by fans of historical fiction and generational drama (these, I guess, are intended audiences as the genres dictate) because it is just so full, so vibrant, wise and filling with hope. All women should read it, to say the least. It will stay with me for a long time—that it for certain and I couldn’t be more grateful and enriched for it.
**massive thank you to the publishers at Touchstone / Simon & Schuster and Edelweiss for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review**
April 26, 2017
I almost gave up on this book. I was about 1/4 through and was not really engaging in the story. In the author's defense, I think it was mostly my fault. I just think I wasn't in the mood to read (I'd read about a dozen books back to back. I set the book down and did something else for a while.
When I went back to it, I was thinking why was I going to put this down? I started reading and was instantly mesmerized and finished the rest of the book.
This was an awesome read about several women who were all somehow connected. Of course, you don't see it at first, but when you do, it's amazing. I loved how the author took these women showed their best and their worst, their hardships, their secrets and their lives. And, then to take all of that and put them together? This was a phenomenal weave of "stories" that centered all on the El Capitan Casino.
An amazing story that I am so glad I did not put down.
Thanks Touchstone and Net Galley for approving and allowing me to read and review this book.
When I went back to it, I was thinking why was I going to put this down? I started reading and was instantly mesmerized and finished the rest of the book.
This was an awesome read about several women who were all somehow connected. Of course, you don't see it at first, but when you do, it's amazing. I loved how the author took these women showed their best and their worst, their hardships, their secrets and their lives. And, then to take all of that and put them together? This was a phenomenal weave of "stories" that centered all on the El Capitan Casino.
An amazing story that I am so glad I did not put down.
Thanks Touchstone and Net Galley for approving and allowing me to read and review this book.
July 29, 2017
A very interesting character study spanning from 1960's to Present with very different characters but in the end their stories all interconnect. It's set in Vegas, which I found interesting, and the writing is very compelling.
September 17, 2018
**In the Midnight Room generously provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.**
3 "Life perfects us..." Stars
I was intrigued by this novel from beginning to end. It's a book that tells four eerily similar stories of 4 distinctly different women. The premise of this book and how it's conceptualized is what kept me hanging on every word of Laura McBride's unique story. I refuse to say in this review that I loved this book, there were aspects that I didn't like at all. But the writing and the way the lives of these woman can resonate with any woman and how they interconnect really struck home and for that I was keenly aware of and invested in the book. Set in Las Vegas of the past, the city really comes alive as another player in the story and tells of these women's journey's spanning over the growth of the city, the growth of themselves, and the way we're all connected in big ways and small.
There are two women whose stories truly captivated out of the four. The one who fell in love and The one whose heart was brokenwere those two. I'm not getting into specifics because no spoilers but these two separate yet parallel journeys felt the most poignant to me. Most likely because I'm infatuated with how love effects, shapes, and changes us as humans. These women resonated most with me and are what I most took from the story.
In the Midnight Room hails as true women's fiction. And while I've never read Laura McBride's work I'm interested in her other stories. Her writing is unique and her story telling gives to the reader and allows a gambit of emotions to be felt. Lovers of women's fiction will really get into this one.
3 "Life perfects us..." Stars
I was intrigued by this novel from beginning to end. It's a book that tells four eerily similar stories of 4 distinctly different women. The premise of this book and how it's conceptualized is what kept me hanging on every word of Laura McBride's unique story. I refuse to say in this review that I loved this book, there were aspects that I didn't like at all. But the writing and the way the lives of these woman can resonate with any woman and how they interconnect really struck home and for that I was keenly aware of and invested in the book. Set in Las Vegas of the past, the city really comes alive as another player in the story and tells of these women's journey's spanning over the growth of the city, the growth of themselves, and the way we're all connected in big ways and small.
There are two women whose stories truly captivated out of the four. The one who fell in love and The one whose heart was brokenwere those two. I'm not getting into specifics because no spoilers but these two separate yet parallel journeys felt the most poignant to me. Most likely because I'm infatuated with how love effects, shapes, and changes us as humans. These women resonated most with me and are what I most took from the story.
In the Midnight Room hails as true women's fiction. And while I've never read Laura McBride's work I'm interested in her other stories. Her writing is unique and her story telling gives to the reader and allows a gambit of emotions to be felt. Lovers of women's fiction will really get into this one.
June 2, 2017
I love the way the story is told from different points of view and over a long time period. I found this book to be engaging, hard to put down.
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