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Her mother would absolutely die. Her father would send her away to a convent. And Sebastian and Quinn…she shuddered to think of her brothers' reaction were they to suspect what she was doing. Yet here she stood, poised to knock on the door of London's most renowned lover.

Lady Jenna's future may be promised to a man who leaves her cold, but she is determined to spend her present in the arms of Grayson Douglas, a rake whose prowess in bedroom activities is a legendary topic of London's most esteemed women. But she gets more than she bargained for as nights of passion turn into more and they both soon find themselves torn between duty and love.

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First published September 16, 2019

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About the author

Maya Banks

242 books21.5k followers
Maya Banks is the #1 New York Times, #1 USA Today and international bestselling author of over 50 novels. A wife and mother of three, she lives in Texas.

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5 stars
207 (40%)
4 stars
172 (33%)
3 stars
94 (18%)
2 stars
22 (4%)
1 star
11 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
Profile Image for Mysti.
1,995 reviews277 followers
December 2, 2024
It's short and sweet.

Lady Jenna (virgin) is set to wed Stewart, whom she doesn't love, in a wedding arranged by her father. She wants a chance to experience passion before she's wed so she seeks out a sexy man known to be a rogue, Grayson Douglas to take her virginity and give her some orgasms. Except Gray isn't a rogue at all and they end up falling in love. There are obstacles that try to keep Jenna away from Gray, including Stewart and his father, her two brothers, Sebastian and Quinn, and she also has people trying to kill her!! In the end, it's HEA.

I really like Jenna - she's not a simpering virgin - she just goes right out and asks for what she wants!!

AUDIO: I've both read and listened to this book and HIGHLY recommend listening. Tim Campbell is PERFECT for Gray. His accent makes me feel like I've stepped back in time! So delicious - made me purrrrr.

Short and sweet. Again, I enjoyed it.
Profile Image for Sarah.
142 reviews62 followers
September 22, 2019
3.5 rounded up to 4 since the hero wasn’t really a rake.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Averie.
1,121 reviews1,726 followers
May 10, 2022
This was just an okay read for me :/

There were things I liked about this book, and things I didn't like.

I liked the chemistry and steam between the two main characters. I loved the angst, forbiddeness to the relationship, and their longing glances across the room.

I did not like how judgemental the heroine was. She would hurt her loved ones by yelling at them and keeping so many secrets. Also, I did not really care for the side plot going on and found it to be a little lackluster and underexplained.

READ FOR THE HISTORICAL ROMANCE READATHON

TW: guns, blood, death, murder
Profile Image for butwhytho.
55 reviews2 followers
September 3, 2021
This was pretty forgettable. Insta-love (he didn’t want to breathe without her by ch5!) without any actual chemistry and a silly spy subplot. The h Grayson was also largely forgettable.

Jenna (h) is more memorable but only because she’s just this side of The Worst. 😆 LOL how rude and WTF is it really to show up at someone’s house and essentially say, “hey, word around town is that you’re a great and easy lay. Can I get in on that?🤗”? She’s also not always the brightest- for instance not until days after the affair has started did she even consider pregnancy. Throw in a sprinkle of I’m So Different syndrome and a dash of ageism and you’ve got Jenna.


It was just ok overall. Inoffensively meh. 2.5
Profile Image for Maika Medici.
588 reviews19 followers
February 22, 2023
⭐⭐⭐,5

Jenna non sa perché ma sente un fuoco invaderle le viscere, che in qualche modo riconduce al piacere che si scatena dall’unione di due persone. Tenta un approccio con il suo promesso sposo, amico d’infanzia, ma neanche una fiammella si accende in presenza di Stuart. Colpita dal fascino di Grayson Douglas e dalla fama di libertino, è convinta di placare la smania concedendosi a lui.

— Volevo sperimentare ciò di cui tante signore mormorano.

— Un giorno, quando vi sposerete, vostro marito sarà più che felice di mostrarvi le delizie dell’alcova.

Gray, in rispetto alla propria nomea, non rifiuta l’idea di farle da maestro e le dà appuntamento nella propria residenza a mezzanotte. Per Jenna che si è avvicinata a Londra per la Stagione prima del matrimonio – sola con i due fratelli dato che i genitori sono in vacanza in Italia –, non è per nulla complicato portare avanti la tresca, anche se qualcuno la sorveglia, interessato a un ciondolo di inestimabile valore.

La passione esplode tra Jenna e Gray ma entrambi cercano di soffocare un sentimento impossibile da vivere alla luce del sole tra una ragazza in possesso di un titolo e un semplice arricchito. Eppure la ragazza sa di dover confidarsi con qualcuno, di dover rompere il fidanzamento con le chiacchiere che ne seguiranno, anche perché Stuart nasconde un segreto dietro degli abiti da perfetto idiota. Un giallo si intreccia ai tormenti amorosi rischiando di buttare all’aria ogni spiraglio di felicità.

Appuntamento di mezzanotte mi ha messo molto a pensare, provocandomi reazioni e sensazioni diverse. Apparentemente strana, inusuale, la decisione di Jenna di farsi un amante, scegliendo tra l’altro il più chiacchierato, convinta di farla franca, di non essere scoperta. D’altro canto Gray non è esattamente come lo descrivono eppure si comporta tutt’altro che da gentiluomo – giustifichiamolo però per la folgorazione di cui è stato vittima appena l’ha vista!

Tuttavia, la lettura è molto piacevole se ci approccia senza troppe aspettative; c’è tanto materiale che forse andava più approfondito, curato. Il mistero avvolto intorno al ciondolo e la dualità di Stuart sono molto interessanti ma necessitavano di più tensione narrativa. Nonostante il nervoso (iniziale) per la figura di Stuart, mi ha molto affascinato Gray soprattutto per il rapporto con quella che definisce una cara amica e che riconduce al suo passato.

— Quando mi guardi, so che vedi una fanciulla viziata e testarda che gioca d’azzardo con il proprio futuro.

Tostissima è Jenna, e mi fa impazzire già nella prima scena del bacio con il promesso. Con qualche riserva, del tutto personale, mi sento comunque di consigliarlo per la sua originalità.
Profile Image for Romanticamente Fantasy.
7,976 reviews235 followers
March 2, 2023
Lulu' - per RFS
.
Londra 1816. Lady Jenna, sapendo bene che ormai la propria vita è segnata e che lo sposo prescelto dalla famiglia non è l’uomo dei suoi sogni, non è ancora pronta a sottomettersi a un gramo destino. Lei è una donna dallo spirito deciso e per nulla incline al compromesso pensa quindi di giocarsi il tutto per tutto e avere un’ultima fiammata di passione prima di convolare a delle nozze che promettono solo una esistenza disperata e noiosa. Nonostante i suoi fratelli sembrino consapevoli della sua ritrosia verso lo sposo e del suo desiderio di sottrarsi a queste nozze, nessuno è davvero disposto ad aiutarla. Così non le resta che tentare l’ultima mossa: farsi concedere dalla famiglia un periodo da trascorrere a Londra con i suoi fratelli dove intreccerà una frequentazione con Mr. Douglas, ricco e poco titolato libertino. Cosa le porterà questo scellerato accordo? e i loro consessi di mezzanotte alla fine cosa le daranno? Due anime tormentate e incapaci di piegarsi al destino che le loro vite gli hanno riservato saranno davvero capaci di amarsi? E se poi nessuno è quello che sembra essere? Il mistero si infittisce e all’improvviso ogni cosa cambia e si svela mostrando quanto nel mondo del ton l’apparenza sia tutto e le verità possano essere più di una.

La Banks entra nel vivo del cuore di una giovane donna, tracciandone un gradevole ritratto che riesce a far emergere la sua forza e la sua disperazione in un mondo di rigide convenzioni che sembrano strangolare la protagonista, nonostante la sua sia comunque una famiglia abbastanza unita. Le scelte di Lady Jenna si faranno sempre più audaci finendo per invischiarla in un complotto molto più grande di lei.

Un romanzo che scorre bene mostrandoci i vari volti dei personaggi con minuziosa e credibile ricostruzione, il che fa sì che la lettura non risulti mai lenta o noiosa. L’elemento del mistero dà il suo tocco in più e garantisce un colpo di scena davvero inatteso. Cosa dirvi care Fenici? Un libro che si guadagna a pieno titolo il seguito anche grazie alla sua indiscussa originalità.

Profile Image for atomickitten.
997 reviews161 followers
July 17, 2024
3.5 stars

Her eyes widened in shock. “Why then are you here?”

“Because I can’t live without you. I can’t imagine taking a breath without you next to me. I can’t envision going to bed at night and not having you beside me. I want to wake up in the morning with your hair in my face and your legs wrapped around mine.”




I liked it.

I didn't love it but I think it was good, although slightly uneven.

But that ending? And the Stuart transformation? That was good, I'll give you that.

So I am rounding it up to 4 stars.

Oh, and Gray was a sweetheart.

Profile Image for Kristen B..
315 reviews
June 10, 2020
I picked this one up because I've read several previous Maya Banks novels and enjoyed them. I haven't read the first three in this series, and I don't think one must have read them all to have followed this one. However, I wonder if Banks is really the romance author for me anymore. I found the premise of this one to be completely unbelievable for the time period, and I had a difficult time getting past that. It also included a pseudo-mystery thrown in that felt forced, rushed, and half-baked. It really could have worked without the whole locket thread, I believe, and may have been a stronger romance as a result. This book also would have benefited from better editing. There were outright wrong words used (such as "affect" when "effect" was meant), repeated words and phrases, and words left out. But Banks has finally moved away from putting dozens or more "napes" and "God's teeth" in, and that is nice. This one wasn't terrible, but it wasn't up to what I loved from Banks in her KGI and Montgomerys & Armstrongs series. I give it 2.5 stars, rounded up.
Profile Image for Amarilli 73 .
2,727 reviews91 followers
February 8, 2023
So di non poter sfuggire alla mia vita, al mio dovere. Desidero soltanto una breve parentesi.

3 stelline e mezzo.
Con questo quarto volume si conclude una serie che è in realtà composta da quattro storie autoconclusive, con quasi nessun punto in contatto (se non l'epoca). Mi sono anche accorta che il mio giudizio è stato sostanzialmente uguale per tutti i volumi, che ho trovato discreti, ma senza particolari fiammate.

L'elemento migliore di Appuntamento di Mezzanotte è senza dubbio la protagonista, Jenna. Unica figlia femmina, la fanciulla si è ritrovata promessa a un amico d'infanzia, senza poter far nulla per evitarlo. I genitori e i due fratelli le vogliono molto bene, ma il destino è quello.
Lei stessa, facendo buon viso, si è rassegnata (anche se Stuart, il promesso, è un giovane buono ma oltremodo eccentrico, e da quando aveva sedici anni si veste e si atteggia come un cicisbeo, con completi vistosi, modi affettati e svenimenti fuori luogo). Tuttavia, in coincidenza con la sua unica (e ultima) Stagione a Londra, decide di concedersi una parentesi di libertà, offrendosi a un noto libertino sulla piazza.

In realtà Grayson gode di una cattiva fama non meritata, ma questo Jenna lo scopre dopo aver dato inizio ai loro particolari appuntamenti di mezzanotte.
Nel frattempo si ritrova al centro di uno strano intrigo, collegato a un medaglione che possiede dall'adolescenza, anche se può comunque contare sul supporto dei fratelli e della servitù di casa (applausi al simpatico maggiordomo).

Il romanzo alterna parti piacevoli, raccontate con uno stile scorrevole e brioso. Come ho detto, Jenna mi è piaciuta e anche Grayson è un buon ragazzo.
Poteva essere una storia più riuscita, se soltanto l'aspetto mystery fosse stato gestito meglio e in modo più credibile. Invece nel finale le rivelazioni si susseguono stile "carramba, che sorpresa" e si passa dalla minaccia di duelli per lavare il disonore familiare a un tutti insieme appassionatamente, che mi aspettavo ma non così repentino.
Profile Image for Debra.
567 reviews
May 1, 2020
Bumped up to 3.5, because of Tim Campbell's narration.

I like this the best out of the two I read--grew bored listening to the 2nd one, and had no interest in the 3rd one. I still feel like I need to grab a book on sexual mores in Regency/Victorian England and find out how prudish upper class/titled women were (or not), confined by sexual double standards. Like I'm sure Lady Jenna could've done the usual of get married, crank out some heirs, and then take a lover like lots of other women did. But then who wants to wait that long? (And maybe ultimately she really was trying to create her own "out" of the engagement?)

I liked Jenna taking her brothers to task over their and men's hypocrisy when the jig is finally up for her, getting caught coming home late. YOU GO, GIRL.

One thing that's puzzling about Grayson, when you learn the truth and think about it too hard:
Profile Image for Kristy Mills.
1,933 reviews38 followers
February 4, 2020
I may have loved this one more than the first one in the series. I didn't read the two in between this book and the first because their storylines just didn't interest me. But this one was so good.

I loved that Grayson was not exactly who he was portrayed as in society. That was a nice little surprise.

I love it when the heroine getting injured or is in danger in some way and that is the catalyst for the Hero to realize he can't live without her. It took Grayson a little while to come around, even after her injury. But it was so satisfying when he finally did get his head on straight and decided to fight for her.
Profile Image for Storm.
214 reviews1 follower
November 17, 2023
Yeah, this was just OK.

It could've been good but it lacked a certain something. The story between the two main characters was interesting and believable. I really liked the MMC. Wasnt so caught up with the MFC. Some decisions she made were questionable and made me feel she lacked intelligence.
The sub plot and relative side characters could've done with some fleshing out.
However, it's a worth a read. If you go in with low-ish expectations you might be pleasantly surprised.
Profile Image for LINDA.
131 reviews2 followers
March 11, 2024
I held off on reviews for the entire series as I wanted to see if they all lived up to the first book, "Duchess of My Heart". I'm happy to say that Maya Banks has hit a home run with this series. Excellent story, character development, containing romance, sex in the correct context, suspense, and protagonists that I loved. I heartily recommend this series. Timothy Campbell delivered, as he always does, a top-notch narration!
Profile Image for Jai Rahim.
2,112 reviews
May 27, 2023
I really enjoyed this book. I like strong, unconventional heroines who are bold enough to take risks to achieve their goals. I also really liked that b infamous rakehell reputation wasn’t quite as it was reputed to be. The twist regarding Stewart surprised me, and it was interesting to see how the betrothal to him played out.
17 reviews
November 20, 2025
I almost didn’t read this because this is a trope I TRULY HATE. ‘Experienced rake teaches innocent virgin about sex and they fall in love’ But this story was just perfect. Well written characters. Intrigue to keep you interested, but that doesn’t take up too much of the story. It’s mostly all the couple falling in love and I loved it
968 reviews5 followers
October 3, 2019
Grey and Jenna (sprite)

Well written and a great story with inter action of all the characters so glad they had their HEA would highly recommend any of Maya banks recency books or highland books
Profile Image for Abbey Thompson.
625 reviews4 followers
January 8, 2020
Maya Banks always does good work. I found the heroine to be refreshingly forward-thinking and the hero wasn't as much of a schmuck, though it took him long enough to come around to things. The sexy bits were steamy without being too dumb/laughable. All in all, a good read.
200 reviews2 followers
April 21, 2020
I came upon this book from my library and had to listen to it. I was surprised when I saw who wrote the story. This is not a typical genre from the author. I have listened to many of her books and ha e enjoyed them. This book was interesting.
Profile Image for Niki.
3,654 reviews8 followers
November 4, 2022
I was excited to read the last book in this series by Maya Banks but have to say that I was quite disappointed. Book three I just finished and was great. I felt like this book was one giant sexcapade with no real story.
2 reviews1 follower
September 21, 2019
🥰

Oh my goodness all of the collections is so great I love then all! I very much recommend the collection!
Profile Image for Titilayomi Tosin.
27 reviews
October 3, 2019
The book is just too wonderful, i just couldn't drop it for a moment until i finish reading it.
Profile Image for Alesha Pegg.
39 reviews
November 30, 2019
Can’t get enough

Ah I want more, that’s the best problem to have! I want to know their next, the HEA is the most precious moment! Thank you!
702 reviews
January 12, 2020
It's what you think a romance story from the 1800 would be comprised of. I liked it a lot.
Profile Image for Elena.
1,590 reviews
March 1, 2021
3.5* - This one was much better than the previous two which were pretty boring! This one was an actual regency romance.... and while being somewhat implausible, it was still cute .
Profile Image for Cindy.
863 reviews1 follower
January 26, 2023
The romance was the best amongst the series and the mystery was also more interesting.
281 reviews
March 10, 2024
Lady Jenna and Grayson's romance was interesting and tearful at times. I listened to the audiobook and the narration was excellent. Highly recommend it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews

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