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Midnight Magic
this is a wonderful,rare work by ms.pargeter.if only she'd known how it would end.only her sense of debt to him persuaded her.with a fatalistic sense of disaster,maxine set out to charm nick fleming out of his interest in the land her step-father wanted.what would happen when he discovered her identity....
188 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1978
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About the author
Margaret Pargeter
104 books73 followersMargaret Pargeter was a popular writer of 50 romance novels in Mills & Boon from 1975 to 1986.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
September 6, 2018
This story starts off when Dennis the pussy whipped stepfather bullies the heroine Maxine into seducing the H Nick Fleming, in order to make the latter surrender a lucrative investment land contract. PWD ( Pussy Whipped Dennis ) wants to lure the heroine's mother ( his controlling, gold digging wife who ignores him but spends all his money travelling to distant archaeological sites ) back into his arms by bribing her with a brand new holiday home somewhere on the Mediterranean coast. The stupid heroine knows nothing about seduction or about men because she's only about 20 yrs old and has spent the last 2 years recuperating from a terrible car accident. PWD and her mother Jessica have ignored her all her life because they're selfish and inconsiderate parents, so what does Maxine do when Dennis comes up with his latest scheme? She agrees like the fool that she is because all she wants in life is to earn the approval of her uncaring parents. PWD now gains a new title: The Pimp. He is basically going to treat his young stepdaughter like a whore and use her as bait to make himself a lot of money. PWD the Pimp has the granddaddy of all jackass plans because his entire scheme depends on the fact that the H is such a ladies man that he will be putty in Maxine's hands. This was so f*****g stupid. Where's the logic in this ? If a handsome hot guy is such a tycoon and a ladies man, then it goes without saying that he probably has no difficulty getting women. In fact, according to PWD the Pimp, the H lives by the following philosophy when it comes to women:
Does PWD the Pimp think that Maxine ( while admittedly beautiful ) has a special sort of mystical vagina power that will bring Nick to his knees and make him give up millions of dollars ?
Moving on...
PWD the Pimp arranges for Maxine to attend a weekend house party where she will meet the H and use her non existent feminine wiles to manipulate him. It's a plan that's doomed to fail from the outset:
Meek little Maxine gets a makeover and ends up plastering on the make up and over spraying the perfume for her first encounter with the H.
This is Maxine, after the makeover:
And this is the H, Nick:
Things don't go so well for the poor heroine because Nick, while he is attracted to her youthful beauty, ends up making mocking comments about her horrible make up and awful perfume. Maxine feels ashamed and is stumped because she has no plans for the great seduction scheme and so she spends most of the time making idiotic rejoinders to all of the H's attempts at conversation. The heroine comes across as a very immature and clueless teenager and it is perhaps a miracle that Nick keeps wanting to spend so much time with her. He shows all signs of being truly besotted and the heroine is also starting to develop feelings for him. When they return to London, Maxine continues to date him and he is on the verge of proposing marriage to her when she blurts out the truth about PWD the Pimp's plans. This angers Nick who immediately denies that he was about to propose marriage to her. It is only at the very end of the novel that he admits he was going to propose and that she had hurt him by admitting that it was all a con deal.
Nick then dumps Maxine and I think she deserved it for having gone along with PWD the Pimp's disgusting plan. Nick tells her he never wants to see her again and she has to console an angry PWD the Pimp who still wants the land deal. PWD the Pimp then comes up with another plan and Maxine is also a key player ( go figure...) in the new scheme.
The land is in Spain and PWD the Pimp goes there, with Maxine, to try and negotiate the deal with the sleazy, greasy middle aged landowner. Nick is also there because he is still interested in the land deal. Maxine discovers that PWD the Pimp wants her to use her non existent feminine wiles on the sleazy Spaniard and Nick knows it as well so she is doubly embarrassed. Nick insults her a lot because he sees how the sleazy Spaniard keeps lusting over her. Unbeknownst to Maxine, however, the jealous and besotted Nick ensures that the sleazy Spaniard gets too drunk to try and seduce Maxine. On the second night, Maxine is not so lucky and she decides finally that she needs to look out for herself. She leaves a note for PWD the Pimp, telling him to go F himself and she takes off to go and hide in Nick's yacht.
Nick is mad when he finds her and somewhere in the middle of all their arguments he comes up with the idea that she needs to marry him in order to make things better. I am not gonna go into how this brand of Harlequin logic works because every loyal HP reader knows that marriage is always the H's idea of vengeance. Maxine and Nick get married in Spain, have their passionate love making scene ( that fades to black unfortunately ) and all might have worked out well until Maxine decides to steal Nick's money and buy a plane ticket for London. As usual, the heroine is acting like a drama queen because she thinks her love is unrequited. PWD the Pimp is back in England and he seems to have calmed down a bit. He apologizes to Maxine for his pimping schemes and goes off to Cornwall to await the arrival of his wife; apparently he's eager for phase 2 of the pussy whipping process to start. Nick tracks down Maxine and is mad at her for disappearing on him. He had been worried that something bad had happened to her. The dumb heroine hadn't had the good sense to even leave the guy a note. It all works out well though, because Nick tells her that he's been in love with her since they met at the house party. He also tells her that he told the sleazy Spanish guy to take the land deal and F himself with it ( ok so maybe I've paraphrased that part ).
The novel ends with the usual HEA but a part of me still thinks that Maxine is a little too insecure and dumb for such an intelligent and hot guy like Nick. I wished there had been an epilogue to show that Maxine had become more sensible with the passage of time. I laughed a lot at the H's gruff, manly declaration of love though. It was so old school and different from all the flowery, heartwarming lines we see in modern harlequins these days:
'Just tell me,' he cut in again, 'if you realise what you're saying about loving me. You'd better be sure, because I was sure you were worth more than a cool half million, and you won't have another chance to change your mind.'
Her heart in her throat, she clutched at him. 'You can't mean...?'
'That I love you, too? Your powers of deduction, my darling, are growing.'
With the first hint of tenderness he smoothed the heavy hair back from her hot brow, a slight smile in his eyes as they searched her wide, startled ones. 'I think I've loved you for a long time, certainly before we went to Spain. In fact I was about to ask you to marry me that night you first told me about your stepfather. That, I might tell you, came as a profound shock. I really believed you were out for all you could get—which was why I denied I'd been about to propose!'
Safety: No cheating. There's some mild wannabe OW and OM drama though.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 10, 2023
If she'd only known how it would end....
Unhappily, Maxine agreed to her stepfather's plan. Only her sense of debt to him had persuaded her.
With a fatalistic sense of disaster, she set out to charm Nick Fleming out of his interest in the land her stepfather wanted.
Her first meeting with this devastating man made her painfully aware of her limited experience. Maxine's instinct was to run: then, foolishly, she fell in love with him. What would happen when he discovered her real identity?
Unhappily, Maxine agreed to her stepfather's plan. Only her sense of debt to him had persuaded her.
With a fatalistic sense of disaster, she set out to charm Nick Fleming out of his interest in the land her stepfather wanted.
Her first meeting with this devastating man made her painfully aware of her limited experience. Maxine's instinct was to run: then, foolishly, she fell in love with him. What would happen when he discovered her real identity?
June 2, 2018
I think this is my first Margaret Pargeter book, one of those vintage Mills & Boon from 1978. A random book I found so I plunged right in.
Maxine was 21, recently home in London because she had spent the past two years in various Swiss clinics! Gosh her parents must be REALLY rich! We only found out much later, as Nick was persistent in asking her, that she was badly injured in a hit and run incident because she had tried to save a stray dog. The culprit was never brought to justice as the witnesses were too busy to save Maxine to note down the car/driver details.
Her stepfather Daniel and mother had the weirdest marriage; but then again her mother was an absent one (we never saw her in the book), preferring to go on archeological digs in the remotest places on earth. The past two years only saw her visiting Maxine six times?! So poor Maxine really missed her country home in Ware after being in various Swiss clinics. Now that she's in London, her stepfather asked her for "help". In a most muddled way he confided that his business needed this Spanish contract desperately; he had hoped the profits would allow him to retire in Spain overseeing this development, and hopefully entice her mother into staying with him. Her mother had a weak chest so the warmer Mediterranean climate would suit her better than England...now the only problem was the young upstart competitor Nick Fleming had been winning most of the lucrative contracts from him!
Now this is where Maxine could help! Get to know Nick Fleming, dazzle him for a while so he'd be distracted from business and in the meantime Daniel would work hard to win the contract! Easy right? Poor virginal Maxine was horrified and asked Daniel to talk to Nick Fleming man to man to give in! Her stepfather said of course Nick Fleming would not give way! So more emotional blackmail and Maxine reluctantly agreed to attend the weekend house party where Nick Fleming would be a guest.
Before the weekend Daniel had arranged for Maxine to be outfitted in some femme fatale haute couture because her wardrobe was frankly old fashioned! Virginal Maxine was worried about the low neckline but a wrap should help. Her first meeting with Nick Fleming was sure dramatic and memorable! She had not known who he was, but after fleeing back into her room, she prayed it wasn't him! But it was haha! I think this dramatic first meeting sure made him pay attention to her in a way a normal drawing room introduction wouldn't have done. Nick Fleming was afterall a well known lady's man!
Anyway the next few days/weeks felt like a whirlwind courtship and Maxine was in love with Nick (he was tender, mocking, forceful with her almost as if he could not trust her innocence, but could not help but overcome his own cynicism to be enchanted by the beautiful and naive Maxine). She begged Daniel to let her off but Daniel piled on the emotional blackmail regarding her mother, and Maxine told him after this she'd have paid off all "debts" to him. He agreed...and we all know just how trustworthy he was...not.
When things developed so far and fast with Nick, and Maxine felt sure he'd propose, she was so miserable she confessed it all to Nick. So of course he blew his top and reverted to his cruel, jaded self and refused to listen to her explanations. The evidence was pretty damning, and Nick implied he was only going to offer her to be his mistress, what was she thinking of, marriage?! Poor Maxine was devastated but thank goodness she did not say she loved him!
Maxine then told Daniel her cover was blown, could she have her job in his office back blah blah. Weeks later, Daniel asked her to go to Spain with him for the final pitch at the deal, as a getaway and also to double up as his secretary. Nick should NOT be in Spain... so said Daniel. *smirk*
And so Maxine flew to Spain with Daniel, but not before he outfitted her in haute couture again. Maxine now had too much clothes! And she noted that since her accident, everything seemed to make her feel apprehensive...she must be paranoid she thought, and vowed to regain her confidence. If she saw Nick she'd show him!
Arriving at the la casa Salvador, the guy giving out the land contract, Maxine should have trusted her hunch. First she found out the hostess senora had been dead three years! Daniel had let Maxine believe Salvador their host was a happily married man and his wife would be around. When she walked into the drawing room, she realised she was THE ONLY WOMAN there...in a relatively low cut gown. Oh no Daniel, you did not...AGAIN?! Her worst suspicions were confirmed when Salvador was all touchy feely and breathing down her cheek ALL THE TIME. Daniel played the perfect evasion game of course...oh and Nick was a fellow guest!
Long story short, Salvador wanted Maxine to join him for a relaxing ahem night cap after his meeting with Nick...it was pretty clear what he wanted, and he refused to take no for an answer. Nick had warned her the kind of man Salvador was but...what could she do? She panicked as it got later and decided to stowaway in Nick's boat, knowing he was catching the midnight tide to leave!
Nick was furious to see her of course, and dragged her off to his nearest Spanish pastor friend to be married. Yup, married LOL! His reasoning being 1) By telling Salvador she's left with Nick in her note she left behind, she'd damned his chances of winning the half a million dollar contract so he wanted REVENGE! 2) Her mother would suffer for Maxine's loss of reputation if it were known she'd sailed for weeks with Nick Fleming, known womaniser!
But before the wedding night could take place, Maxine finally succumbed to the stress of the past weeks, days, and the rough seas. Nick looked after her devotedly, and when she was still too weak for Nick to finish her seduction, he finally succumbed to his own exhaustion. Silly Maxine could not stay to be tortured by Nick (he was still going on about getting his revenge), while loving him so much, so she ran away with his money he left lying around. I thought it was just a few pounds, but it was enough to get her a plane ticket to London LOL!
Back in London, Maxine found Daniel at the flat and found out too that Salvador had blamed Daniel for Maxine running away with Nick! He was confident if left to things He'd woo Maxine successfully! Talk about pride haha! So convinced it was Daniel 's ploy to sabotage Nick, Salvador would award the contract to Nick and sell him the coveted land! Immediately Maxine knew Nick no longer needed to be married to her. Keeping the marriage a secret, she swore both Daniel and Millie to secrecy that she's going to their country house.
Meanwhile, Maxine found a job as mother's help, and the night before she left for the job, Nick showed up, scaring the daylight out of her! He was angry and cold, insisting on his wedding night. Maxine couldn't take it anymore and finally answered his question: she had run away because she loved him! She could not bear to see him lose years of his live trapped in a revenge marriage when he hated her...aww!
Nick was overjoyed and confessed his love too, that on the night Maxine told him about her stepfather, he WAS going to propose! That night with Salvador, he knew what was going to happen so he was spending the whole time making Salvador drunk! He was given the contract but had declined with all due respect.
After some purple prose, so quaint, we knew the marriage was consummated hehe...
I have read some not so good comments about Margaret Pargeter's books, so did not have much expectations of this. I have to say it's not bad, I've read much worse vintage M&B definitely! So a decent 3*.
Maxine was 21, recently home in London because she had spent the past two years in various Swiss clinics! Gosh her parents must be REALLY rich! We only found out much later, as Nick was persistent in asking her, that she was badly injured in a hit and run incident because she had tried to save a stray dog. The culprit was never brought to justice as the witnesses were too busy to save Maxine to note down the car/driver details.
Her stepfather Daniel and mother had the weirdest marriage; but then again her mother was an absent one (we never saw her in the book), preferring to go on archeological digs in the remotest places on earth. The past two years only saw her visiting Maxine six times?! So poor Maxine really missed her country home in Ware after being in various Swiss clinics. Now that she's in London, her stepfather asked her for "help". In a most muddled way he confided that his business needed this Spanish contract desperately; he had hoped the profits would allow him to retire in Spain overseeing this development, and hopefully entice her mother into staying with him. Her mother had a weak chest so the warmer Mediterranean climate would suit her better than England...now the only problem was the young upstart competitor Nick Fleming had been winning most of the lucrative contracts from him!
Now this is where Maxine could help! Get to know Nick Fleming, dazzle him for a while so he'd be distracted from business and in the meantime Daniel would work hard to win the contract! Easy right? Poor virginal Maxine was horrified and asked Daniel to talk to Nick Fleming man to man to give in! Her stepfather said of course Nick Fleming would not give way! So more emotional blackmail and Maxine reluctantly agreed to attend the weekend house party where Nick Fleming would be a guest.
Before the weekend Daniel had arranged for Maxine to be outfitted in some femme fatale haute couture because her wardrobe was frankly old fashioned! Virginal Maxine was worried about the low neckline but a wrap should help. Her first meeting with Nick Fleming was sure dramatic and memorable! She had not known who he was, but after fleeing back into her room, she prayed it wasn't him! But it was haha! I think this dramatic first meeting sure made him pay attention to her in a way a normal drawing room introduction wouldn't have done. Nick Fleming was afterall a well known lady's man!
Anyway the next few days/weeks felt like a whirlwind courtship and Maxine was in love with Nick (he was tender, mocking, forceful with her almost as if he could not trust her innocence, but could not help but overcome his own cynicism to be enchanted by the beautiful and naive Maxine). She begged Daniel to let her off but Daniel piled on the emotional blackmail regarding her mother, and Maxine told him after this she'd have paid off all "debts" to him. He agreed...and we all know just how trustworthy he was...not.
When things developed so far and fast with Nick, and Maxine felt sure he'd propose, she was so miserable she confessed it all to Nick. So of course he blew his top and reverted to his cruel, jaded self and refused to listen to her explanations. The evidence was pretty damning, and Nick implied he was only going to offer her to be his mistress, what was she thinking of, marriage?! Poor Maxine was devastated but thank goodness she did not say she loved him!
Maxine then told Daniel her cover was blown, could she have her job in his office back blah blah. Weeks later, Daniel asked her to go to Spain with him for the final pitch at the deal, as a getaway and also to double up as his secretary. Nick should NOT be in Spain... so said Daniel. *smirk*
And so Maxine flew to Spain with Daniel, but not before he outfitted her in haute couture again. Maxine now had too much clothes! And she noted that since her accident, everything seemed to make her feel apprehensive...she must be paranoid she thought, and vowed to regain her confidence. If she saw Nick she'd show him!
Arriving at the la casa Salvador, the guy giving out the land contract, Maxine should have trusted her hunch. First she found out the hostess senora had been dead three years! Daniel had let Maxine believe Salvador their host was a happily married man and his wife would be around. When she walked into the drawing room, she realised she was THE ONLY WOMAN there...in a relatively low cut gown. Oh no Daniel, you did not...AGAIN?! Her worst suspicions were confirmed when Salvador was all touchy feely and breathing down her cheek ALL THE TIME. Daniel played the perfect evasion game of course...oh and Nick was a fellow guest!
Long story short, Salvador wanted Maxine to join him for a relaxing ahem night cap after his meeting with Nick...it was pretty clear what he wanted, and he refused to take no for an answer. Nick had warned her the kind of man Salvador was but...what could she do? She panicked as it got later and decided to stowaway in Nick's boat, knowing he was catching the midnight tide to leave!
Nick was furious to see her of course, and dragged her off to his nearest Spanish pastor friend to be married. Yup, married LOL! His reasoning being 1) By telling Salvador she's left with Nick in her note she left behind, she'd damned his chances of winning the half a million dollar contract so he wanted REVENGE! 2) Her mother would suffer for Maxine's loss of reputation if it were known she'd sailed for weeks with Nick Fleming, known womaniser!
But before the wedding night could take place, Maxine finally succumbed to the stress of the past weeks, days, and the rough seas. Nick looked after her devotedly, and when she was still too weak for Nick to finish her seduction, he finally succumbed to his own exhaustion. Silly Maxine could not stay to be tortured by Nick (he was still going on about getting his revenge), while loving him so much, so she ran away with his money he left lying around. I thought it was just a few pounds, but it was enough to get her a plane ticket to London LOL!
Back in London, Maxine found Daniel at the flat and found out too that Salvador had blamed Daniel for Maxine running away with Nick! He was confident if left to things He'd woo Maxine successfully! Talk about pride haha! So convinced it was Daniel 's ploy to sabotage Nick, Salvador would award the contract to Nick and sell him the coveted land! Immediately Maxine knew Nick no longer needed to be married to her. Keeping the marriage a secret, she swore both Daniel and Millie to secrecy that she's going to their country house.
Meanwhile, Maxine found a job as mother's help, and the night before she left for the job, Nick showed up, scaring the daylight out of her! He was angry and cold, insisting on his wedding night. Maxine couldn't take it anymore and finally answered his question: she had run away because she loved him! She could not bear to see him lose years of his live trapped in a revenge marriage when he hated her...aww!
Nick was overjoyed and confessed his love too, that on the night Maxine told him about her stepfather, he WAS going to propose! That night with Salvador, he knew what was going to happen so he was spending the whole time making Salvador drunk! He was given the contract but had declined with all due respect.
After some purple prose, so quaint, we knew the marriage was consummated hehe...
I have read some not so good comments about Margaret Pargeter's books, so did not have much expectations of this. I have to say it's not bad, I've read much worse vintage M&B definitely! So a decent 3*.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 11, 2025
Pargeter writes a good Harlequin romance.
They are romantic, and seriously fun fluff.
They are romantic, and seriously fun fluff.
September 26, 2025
So so overwritten.
March 26, 2010
Its was an awesome book! It always kept you thinking!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews