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Walking After Midnight
The nude male body lay on the embalming table, battered beyond recognition. Gingerly, Summer McAfee, chairwoman, CEO, and sole employee of Daisy Fresh cleaning service, reached out to touch an arm to reassure herself that she hadn't just seen the corpse move. Suddenly, shockingly, her hand was in the viselike grip of a man very much alive and desperate enough to take her captive on a no-holds-barred run from cops, killers, and his own decidedly complicated past...
Summer's former life as a New York lingerie model had gone south with her marriage, leaving her, at thirty-six, single and back home in Tennessee, on her hands and knees scrubbing other people's bathrooms. But the drab present vanishes in a flash as she's forced to flee into the Tennessee wilds with the stranger she calls Frankenstein, first as his captive, then his companion, as they run from the enemies determined to destroy them both--straight into a raging passion that could only be the last laugh of fate...
Summer's former life as a New York lingerie model had gone south with her marriage, leaving her, at thirty-six, single and back home in Tennessee, on her hands and knees scrubbing other people's bathrooms. But the drab present vanishes in a flash as she's forced to flee into the Tennessee wilds with the stranger she calls Frankenstein, first as his captive, then his companion, as they run from the enemies determined to destroy them both--straight into a raging passion that could only be the last laugh of fate...
391 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1995
166 people are currently reading
1130 people want to read
About the author
Karen Robards
135 books3,240 followersKaren Robards is the New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly bestselling author of more than fifty books and one novella. She has won multiple awards including six Affaire de Coeur Silver Pen Awards for favorite author.
Karen has been writing since she was very young, and was first published nationally in the December 1973 Reader's Digest. She sold her first romance novel, ISLAND FLAME, when she was 24. It was published by Leisure Books in 1981 and is still in print. After that, she dropped out of law school to pursue her writing career.
Karen was recently described by The Daily Mail as "one of the most reliable thriller....writers in the world."
Karen has been writing since she was very young, and was first published nationally in the December 1973 Reader's Digest. She sold her first romance novel, ISLAND FLAME, when she was 24. It was published by Leisure Books in 1981 and is still in print. After that, she dropped out of law school to pursue her writing career.
Karen was recently described by The Daily Mail as "one of the most reliable thriller....writers in the world."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 145 reviews
March 16, 2012
I seriously enjoyed this book when I didn't think I would because the introduction to the hero is less than stellar. The heroine has been stood up by her employees(she runs a cleaning service) and is now alone cleaning up a funeral home, scared and singing songs when she finds the hero, who is not dead. He kidnaps her, is less than gentle with her and doesn't believe her when she tells him that she is not involved in what happened to him.
The heroine was a former lingerie model who returned home and got married to a jerk who wanted her to be perfect, so she toughed it out but she's now divorced, running her own business and 36.
She does find out who the hero is, a disgraced former cop who fell from fame after his best friend's wife committed suicide after admitting she had an affair with him, the hero lost his wife, friend, career & daughter and felt he deserved it, so he spent the next two and a half years drunk when he finally decided to straighten his life around and began questioning things, like the corruption investigation he was working on before his life went to hell & how did his best friend's wife get the key to his office.
I didn't think I would like a cheating hero & there is no excuse for cheating I agree but the hero never had a great marriage & his best friend had a habit of screwing around on his wife. Steve felt guilty for his action and ended it, Deedee(the best friend's wife) had always bee someone he wanted when he was younger and in a weak moment he gave in. We do learn in the end that his wife was screwing around on him with the best friend long before.
Okay, this was on the run story & well written. I especially enjoyed the nicknames these two had for each other Frankenstein & Rosencrans. Their relationship doesn't seem sudden at all and even the short time it took for them to fall in love, felt believable.
Very enjoyable book.
The heroine was a former lingerie model who returned home and got married to a jerk who wanted her to be perfect, so she toughed it out but she's now divorced, running her own business and 36.
She does find out who the hero is, a disgraced former cop who fell from fame after his best friend's wife committed suicide after admitting she had an affair with him, the hero lost his wife, friend, career & daughter and felt he deserved it, so he spent the next two and a half years drunk when he finally decided to straighten his life around and began questioning things, like the corruption investigation he was working on before his life went to hell & how did his best friend's wife get the key to his office.
I didn't think I would like a cheating hero & there is no excuse for cheating I agree but the hero never had a great marriage & his best friend had a habit of screwing around on his wife. Steve felt guilty for his action and ended it, Deedee(the best friend's wife) had always bee someone he wanted when he was younger and in a weak moment he gave in. We do learn in the end that his wife was screwing around on him with the best friend long before.
Okay, this was on the run story & well written. I especially enjoyed the nicknames these two had for each other Frankenstein & Rosencrans. Their relationship doesn't seem sudden at all and even the short time it took for them to fall in love, felt believable.
Very enjoyable book.
February 24, 2019
Actual rating: 2.5
Despite my love for Nora Roberts, straight-up romance is not a genre I often read. I love romance cased within other genres, and I guess this book is technically a mystery as well as a romance. But honestly, I would not have picked this upon on my own. My mom read the first chapter and it had her laughing hysterically. She told me that the main protagonist’s inner monologue while frightened reminded her so much of me that I just had to read it. Well, she was right. The first few chapters of this were absolutely hilarious, and I could definitely see myself in Summer.
And now comes a big however. The speed at which captor turned to love interest had me rolling my eyes so hard, and broke the camaraderie I had with Summer. Maybe I’m a prude, but I can’t imagine jumping someone a scant three days after they had kidnapped me and tied me up with my own bra. That’s a giant NOPE for me. The characters were super funny, right down to the little show dog that found herself thrown into the mix. And the plot was engaging, it really was. But there were so many eye-rollingly bad decisions that I think I almost sprained mine from repeating the action so frequently. But everything worked out for the best, as it should with this type of story.
If you’re looking for something mindlessly funny rife with sexual tension, you wouldn’t go wrong by choosing this one. But if you’re looking for a smidgen of depth and a believable romance, look elsewhere.
Despite my love for Nora Roberts, straight-up romance is not a genre I often read. I love romance cased within other genres, and I guess this book is technically a mystery as well as a romance. But honestly, I would not have picked this upon on my own. My mom read the first chapter and it had her laughing hysterically. She told me that the main protagonist’s inner monologue while frightened reminded her so much of me that I just had to read it. Well, she was right. The first few chapters of this were absolutely hilarious, and I could definitely see myself in Summer.
And now comes a big however. The speed at which captor turned to love interest had me rolling my eyes so hard, and broke the camaraderie I had with Summer. Maybe I’m a prude, but I can’t imagine jumping someone a scant three days after they had kidnapped me and tied me up with my own bra. That’s a giant NOPE for me. The characters were super funny, right down to the little show dog that found herself thrown into the mix. And the plot was engaging, it really was. But there were so many eye-rollingly bad decisions that I think I almost sprained mine from repeating the action so frequently. But everything worked out for the best, as it should with this type of story.
If you’re looking for something mindlessly funny rife with sexual tension, you wouldn’t go wrong by choosing this one. But if you’re looking for a smidgen of depth and a believable romance, look elsewhere.
October 9, 2011
This book starts out at midnight in a mortuary when a naked, beat up corpse suddenly grabs janitor Summer's hand and drags her into the middle of a life and death chase through the Smokey Mountains of Tennessee. Steve is not dead, but he is extremely frightening. She fights and spars with him and calls him Frankenstein and does every thing she can to get away from him. When she eventually gets back to her house she finds the men who tried to kill him are there and figures out they are a worse bet than he is.
Most of the book is the two of them on the run while they try to escape from the bad guys while the authorities have a BOLO for the two of them for crimes the baddies committed. Their relationship happens fast during their run but here it was believable. Except for a few scenes told by a ghost (it might sound a little hokey but it worked pretty well), all the scenes are the two of them together which makes great reading and helps with the falling in love quick believability. There is a mystery running through the book about just why the bad guys are after them, who they are and how can they be brought to justice.
The characters are different than most romance heroes/heroines. The heroine is 36. She used to be a lingerie model and she used to be married to the local police chief's son. After both of those things went south she started her own janitorial service. She is feisty and brave but not stupid. The hero, Steve, has definitely done wrong but he is sorry and seems very human. I absolutely loved him. He was a great character. I really believed that he cared for her.
"I think that maybe, just maybe, you were sent to rescue me from outer darkness," he said quietly. "When I first encountered you, in that funeral home, I didn't really care if I lived or died. Now I do."
The book is fast paced, exciting and well plotted. The dialog is good and my attention didn't flag at all. I really enjoyed the sniping they did at each other before they knew each other well.
Most of the book is the two of them on the run while they try to escape from the bad guys while the authorities have a BOLO for the two of them for crimes the baddies committed. Their relationship happens fast during their run but here it was believable. Except for a few scenes told by a ghost (it might sound a little hokey but it worked pretty well), all the scenes are the two of them together which makes great reading and helps with the falling in love quick believability. There is a mystery running through the book about just why the bad guys are after them, who they are and how can they be brought to justice.
The characters are different than most romance heroes/heroines. The heroine is 36. She used to be a lingerie model and she used to be married to the local police chief's son. After both of those things went south she started her own janitorial service. She is feisty and brave but not stupid. The hero, Steve, has definitely done wrong but he is sorry and seems very human. I absolutely loved him. He was a great character. I really believed that he cared for her.
"I think that maybe, just maybe, you were sent to rescue me from outer darkness," he said quietly. "When I first encountered you, in that funeral home, I didn't really care if I lived or died. Now I do."
The book is fast paced, exciting and well plotted. The dialog is good and my attention didn't flag at all. I really enjoyed the sniping they did at each other before they knew each other well.
November 22, 2023
2.5 stars
The book forced itself into insufferable cuteness and lost half a star from this reviewer. In any case it could never raise itself above the 3 star mark. Knew who the villain was almost from the word go and was surprised that the, supposedly, clever and brave cop could not see what was staring him in the face. The heroine was nothing more than your average annoying female, the bane of the genre (and can one tell me why when such heroines want to commit titanic stupidities the hero follows them into dodo land with just a hint of a shrug? And goes on to pledge eternal love, devotion and copious sperm produce to her?). As for the ghost, the less said the better, but a word of advice, if you are not writing a paranormal or a gothic (neo-, paleo-, post-, etc.) do not even think of introducing one into your story. And if you do happen to have such thoughts, have a dominatrix of an editor to beat them out of you. Spare the reader all that suffocating folly.
The book forced itself into insufferable cuteness and lost half a star from this reviewer. In any case it could never raise itself above the 3 star mark. Knew who the villain was almost from the word go and was surprised that the, supposedly, clever and brave cop could not see what was staring him in the face. The heroine was nothing more than your average annoying female, the bane of the genre (and can one tell me why when such heroines want to commit titanic stupidities the hero follows them into dodo land with just a hint of a shrug? And goes on to pledge eternal love, devotion and copious sperm produce to her?). As for the ghost, the less said the better, but a word of advice, if you are not writing a paranormal or a gothic (neo-, paleo-, post-, etc.) do not even think of introducing one into your story. And if you do happen to have such thoughts, have a dominatrix of an editor to beat them out of you. Spare the reader all that suffocating folly.
July 3, 2018
Αν εξαιρέσει κανείς την αρχή που ήταν ιδιότροπη, και πολλά υποσχόμενη το βιβλίο ήταν για τα μπάζα.
April 26, 2024
Summer McAfee (36) limpia en una funeraria y una noche se lleva el susto de su vida, porque «no estaba muerto no» (aunque tampoco estaba de parranda). Es Steve Calhoun (39), antiguo policía, caído en desgracia, a quien alguien quiere matar pero, ¿por qué?
Sale por patas de la funeraria llevándose con él a Summer, y buena parte de la novela transcurre en los bosques de Tennessee, en las montañas Smoky, o sea, dándome el gusto.
Tiene misterio y romance, de ese que el lector tiene que suspender la incredulidad, porque huyendo para salvar la vida ya me dirás qué ganas vas a tener de darle al tema. Pero bueno, así es el suspense romántico y por eso lo queremos. Lo que hace especial esta novela es un poco el sentido del humor, la chispa entre ellos, en más de un momento. Tiene un toque paranormal que no me gusta pero tampoco molesta demasiado.
Crítica más extensa, en mi blog.
Sale por patas de la funeraria llevándose con él a Summer, y buena parte de la novela transcurre en los bosques de Tennessee, en las montañas Smoky, o sea, dándome el gusto.
Tiene misterio y romance, de ese que el lector tiene que suspender la incredulidad, porque huyendo para salvar la vida ya me dirás qué ganas vas a tener de darle al tema. Pero bueno, así es el suspense romántico y por eso lo queremos. Lo que hace especial esta novela es un poco el sentido del humor, la chispa entre ellos, en más de un momento. Tiene un toque paranormal que no me gusta pero tampoco molesta demasiado.
Crítica más extensa, en mi blog.
November 18, 2010
Karen Robards always manages to keep me on the edge of my seat with mystery, fast paced action and a fullfilling love story tucked underneath with some intense love scenes. I love her books and can't wait to get ahold of some more. Each story of her's that I have read (this is only my 3rd) are very unique. I love the storylines! Summer McAfee is an ex lingeree model who is divorced and trying to make it on her own. She has a cleaning company that she has built from the ground up. Taking over the cleaning at a motrurary one night when her staff doesn't show up, she is a little creeped out at being in a building filled with dead bodies and is extremely jumpy. Going into the back room to shut a light off that was left on she sees a naked male body on the table that she could swear wasn't there before and to make matters worse she sees the naked body move it's leg. Slowly walking over to the body, she reaches out to feel it's pulse thinking she is really crazy, the body suddenly springs to life and grabs her hand. That naked body is none other than Steve Calhoun who has been beaten almost beyond recognition and left for dead in the morturary by thugs who were in the process of creamating him to keep him quiet. He has a notorious reputation from a deadly love triangle that was splashed all over the news three years before. Not sure if Summer is friend or foe and thinking she is foe, he takes her hostage as he makes his escape. What follows is a run for their lifes as they flee the goons who tried to kill him and now also want to kill Summer thinking she is envolved with Steve. Summer refers to him as Frankenstein being he is grotesquely black and blue. I really liked this book. We don't see sparks at first, it slowly builds up to something more as they are pushed into situation after situation of trying to survive. The bantering was hilarious and it was heartwarming to watch Summers feelings grow for Steve as we see the real man in him come out and we hear about each of their life stories. To add another quirk to the story is the ghost of Dedee, Steve's ex dead lover as she is brought back from the spirit world to help right a wrong. The sexual chemistry between Steve and Summer smokes up the pages and I loved watching these two find their way to eachother. The mystery and suspense in this book is amazing and is fast paced. I had a hard time putting this book down and wasn't sure about Steve through the first few chapters, but found myself pulling for him towards the end. Great read, for anyone who likes romantic suspense needs to read this book and any other of Karen Robards
March 29, 2015
I have thoroughly enjoyed many of Ms. Robards novels, however, this one seemed to me a total aberration. The lead female character is annoyingly stupid, the dialogue is hackneyed, the writing facile, there are way too many insignificant details which add volume to the text but do not contribute to any real characterization or plot development and I consistently had the feeling that the author wrote this during a long nap. The more of it I read, the cheesier it became. Not sure if I'll make it past the final 5 or 6 chapters. Sigh....
Unfortunately, the opening premise of the book might have led to a far better, and even a humorous story, a la Stephanie Evanovitch (must be the funeral home setting!). I'm convinced that Ms. Robards can do a far better job than this. Don't waste your time on it.
Unfortunately, the opening premise of the book might have led to a far better, and even a humorous story, a la Stephanie Evanovitch (must be the funeral home setting!). I'm convinced that Ms. Robards can do a far better job than this. Don't waste your time on it.
September 29, 2008
This was a page-turning romantic suspense set in the Smokey Mountains of Tennessee. I just couldn't put it down, and stayed up way too late last night reading it. The book's spooky beginning puts Summer, cleaning service owner, alone at night in a funeral home where she is suprised by a corpse that isn't exactly dead yet. It takes off from there to the forests and small towns of the Smokies where everyone seems to be an enemy, and where the man who kidnapped Summer starts looking like less and less of a bad-guy compared to those who are after him. There are points in this book where I had no idea how Summer and Steve were going to get out of the mess of a situation they were in. You'll just have to read it yourself to see how they pulled it off.
January 14, 2018
An oldie but a goodie. Loved the storyline, loved the hero, loved everything about it. Have read it numerous times.
Read
April 7, 2025I’m not really a fan of the romance/thriller. Despite my efforts, I’ve never finished a Nora Roberts book. I only finished this one because I skimmed the last quarter. Also, I can only stomach one unironic use of the word “goon”, and I make no allowances for the fact it was published in ‘95.
Anyway, not my thing, but adjacent enough to Jennifer Crusie’s style that I kept reading. (Crusie is the exception to the rule, okay?)
Anyway, not my thing, but adjacent enough to Jennifer Crusie’s style that I kept reading. (Crusie is the exception to the rule, okay?)
February 3, 2019
I read this many years ago in paper, back before GoodReads was a dream in anyone's eye. All I remembered was the dead guy on the table at the funeral home and carrying the pekingese dog through the woods. Robards uses a lot of pets with personality in her books. The hero and heroine spend a lot of time driving around and getting in and out of trouble before they reach the running through the woods part. This is basically a chase story, an escaping-the-bad-guys tale. It's a good one. I liked it. Good read.
June 1, 2020
M-am apucat să citesc cartea asta pe la 2 jumate noaptea. Pot să vă zic că primele 20 de pagini, m-au speriat al naibii de tare. Liniștea și întunericul din cameră s-a potrivit la fix cu "cadavrul" care mișcă și fantoma care bântuie, fapt pentru care nu am mai închis un ochi până dimineață cand am terminat de citit cartea. Și să fi vrut să dorm, n-aș mai fi putut.
Povestea e simpatică, destul de antrenanta... dar dumnezeule, toate relele pământului li se întâmplă numai lor. Când scăpau de o problemă, apărea alta. Așa ceva doar in filme vezi. ;)))
Personajele principale sunt haioase. Replicile si jocul de cuvinte pe care-l au (în special la începutul povestii), sunt delicioase. Faptul că ea îl pomenește pe Terminator de atât de multe ori, sperând într-o salvare divină a unui erou, toate schemele de "supraviețuire" știute evident din filme, fac din personaj unul ușor de plăcut. Nici Steve nu e mai prejos. Morocanos dar loial, cu sexappel și iubibil. M-au distrat.
A durat ceva până am înțeles care a fost treaba cu "un fel de politist", pentru că autoarea lasă pe final această dezvăluire... păstrând suspansul, iar asta iarăși este o bilă albă pentru poveste. Nu mi-a scăzut interesul absolut deloc pe toata durata lecturarii, pentru că mereu se intrampla ceva și mă ținea în priză.
Cartea are de toate: aventură, adrenalina, dragoste... Crimele se țin lanț și nu știi care va fi finalitatea. Ca și o concluzie, cartea e bine scrisă și are final fericit. Merita sa fie citită. Mi-a plăcut. 4 stele.
Povestea e simpatică, destul de antrenanta... dar dumnezeule, toate relele pământului li se întâmplă numai lor. Când scăpau de o problemă, apărea alta. Așa ceva doar in filme vezi. ;)))
Personajele principale sunt haioase. Replicile si jocul de cuvinte pe care-l au (în special la începutul povestii), sunt delicioase. Faptul că ea îl pomenește pe Terminator de atât de multe ori, sperând într-o salvare divină a unui erou, toate schemele de "supraviețuire" știute evident din filme, fac din personaj unul ușor de plăcut. Nici Steve nu e mai prejos. Morocanos dar loial, cu sexappel și iubibil. M-au distrat.
A durat ceva până am înțeles care a fost treaba cu "un fel de politist", pentru că autoarea lasă pe final această dezvăluire... păstrând suspansul, iar asta iarăși este o bilă albă pentru poveste. Nu mi-a scăzut interesul absolut deloc pe toata durata lecturarii, pentru că mereu se intrampla ceva și mă ținea în priză.
Cartea are de toate: aventură, adrenalina, dragoste... Crimele se țin lanț și nu știi care va fi finalitatea. Ca și o concluzie, cartea e bine scrisă și are final fericit. Merita sa fie citită. Mi-a plăcut. 4 stele.
January 12, 2020
Another oldie but goodie; I had read this years ago and was on a Karen Robards kick.
The hero is a bit of a jerk and the heroine is way too quick to jump into love...
Time changes us all, I guess, and so our taste in heroes and heroines changes as well.
The hero is a bit of a jerk and the heroine is way too quick to jump into love...
Time changes us all, I guess, and so our taste in heroes and heroines changes as well.
August 19, 2020
I love this book, I have read it before, but I wanted to re-read it because the story is so different and more intensely exciting than most romance stories. ❤
July 18, 2019
It was entertaining xD
March 16, 2017
DNF at ~30%
Ugh, the hero was insufferable!
He cheated on his wife and then described the event as "balled Deedee's brains out".
Charming.
Later, he describes the heroine, as a "hazel-eyed, brown-haired, bigtitted woman".
Charming.
He kidnapped her, threatened her life with a knife and then knocked her out by punching her in the face when she tried to get away.
Charming.
Oh, about the cheating thing? It's totally okay because he regretted it and anyway, he later found out that his wife had been cheating on him for a lot longer so it's all good!
Dickhead.
The book was also a little religious - the heroine prayed a lot and left her fate "in God's hands" a couple of times. No thanks.
Also, Summer spends like 20% of the story pissed off because Steve (the possibly violent murderer/definitely violent kidnapper) won't make a move on her. She literally says "he didn't even seem to realise she was a woman". For god's sake, just because only one of you has a Y chromosome it doesn't mean you HAVE to start ripping each other's clothes off.
But of course, they just had to have sudden, unprotected sex in the middle of fucking nowhere even though people were constantly hunting and shooting at them. That's true luuuuurve for you.
I'm slightly concerned because I have some of Karen Robards' other works on my Kindle (one standalone and her Dr Charlotte Stone series) that I was looking forward to, but now I'm not sure I want to give them a go.
Ugh, the hero was insufferable!
He cheated on his wife and then described the event as "balled Deedee's brains out".
Charming.
Later, he describes the heroine, as a "hazel-eyed, brown-haired, bigtitted woman".
Charming.
He kidnapped her, threatened her life with a knife and then knocked her out by punching her in the face when she tried to get away.
Charming.
Oh, about the cheating thing? It's totally okay because he regretted it and anyway, he later found out that his wife had been cheating on him for a lot longer so it's all good!
Dickhead.
The book was also a little religious - the heroine prayed a lot and left her fate "in God's hands" a couple of times. No thanks.
Also, Summer spends like 20% of the story pissed off because Steve (the possibly violent murderer/definitely violent kidnapper) won't make a move on her. She literally says "he didn't even seem to realise she was a woman". For god's sake, just because only one of you has a Y chromosome it doesn't mean you HAVE to start ripping each other's clothes off.
But of course, they just had to have sudden, unprotected sex in the middle of fucking nowhere even though people were constantly hunting and shooting at them. That's true luuuuurve for you.
I'm slightly concerned because I have some of Karen Robards' other works on my Kindle (one standalone and her Dr Charlotte Stone series) that I was looking forward to, but now I'm not sure I want to give them a go.
January 11, 2013
I just finished this novel and to say that I was disappointed is an understatement.
A fellow reader told me that this was a great read and so my expectations were really high.
I found the mystery pretty thin. I also am always amazed when supposedly intelligent women have spontaneous, unprotected sex with men they hardly know. Especially in a case like this when the guy is completely unknown and could possibly be a murderer. Even if he wasn't, at the time this book was written, I like women who are a little more savvy about their sexual health.
I also have difficulty with the idea that they are running for their lives, in imminent fear of death but the recurring theme seems to be their lust for each other, I cannot imagine any person being in fear for their ives or at the very least, for their future as free people running spending so much time horny??? I don't mind suspending belief, to a certain point but this book asks us to forget our common sense altogether.
Nothing that happens here really makes any sense at all and the "bad guys" are such caricatures that I cannot remember a single one of their names and the generic label of "bad guys" seems to be sufficient for what the author did with these characters.
I really enjoy an interesting ghost storyline incorporated in a novel. Here the ghost was gratuitous. She pops in and out enough to make the hero seem a little nuts This was not a horrible quick read but it was not a good rad either.
A fellow reader told me that this was a great read and so my expectations were really high.
I found the mystery pretty thin. I also am always amazed when supposedly intelligent women have spontaneous, unprotected sex with men they hardly know. Especially in a case like this when the guy is completely unknown and could possibly be a murderer. Even if he wasn't, at the time this book was written, I like women who are a little more savvy about their sexual health.
I also have difficulty with the idea that they are running for their lives, in imminent fear of death but the recurring theme seems to be their lust for each other, I cannot imagine any person being in fear for their ives or at the very least, for their future as free people running spending so much time horny??? I don't mind suspending belief, to a certain point but this book asks us to forget our common sense altogether.
Nothing that happens here really makes any sense at all and the "bad guys" are such caricatures that I cannot remember a single one of their names and the generic label of "bad guys" seems to be sufficient for what the author did with these characters.
I really enjoy an interesting ghost storyline incorporated in a novel. Here the ghost was gratuitous. She pops in and out enough to make the hero seem a little nuts This was not a horrible quick read but it was not a good rad either.
June 11, 2021
If the 36 year old heroine of this novel had referred to herself as “over the hill” one more time, I would have hurled the book across the room and then burned it. What baffles me is that the author was around 31 at the time. She can’t have really thought 36 was over the hill. As you can tell, I did NOT appreciate it.
I also wasn’t really a fan of the way she thinks about Steve as not handsome over and over but then tells him he’s handsome. And her constant wish for the terminator to show up was obnoxious. The way he treated her in the beginning was awful, and I struggled to believe their love for each other until the very end. I also have an issue with a hero who has cheated in the past.
This was a library book sale purchase, and I’m glad I didn’t spend more than 25 cents on it.
I also wasn’t really a fan of the way she thinks about Steve as not handsome over and over but then tells him he’s handsome. And her constant wish for the terminator to show up was obnoxious. The way he treated her in the beginning was awful, and I struggled to believe their love for each other until the very end. I also have an issue with a hero who has cheated in the past.
This was a library book sale purchase, and I’m glad I didn’t spend more than 25 cents on it.
November 28, 2022
This early novel by Karen Robards strains the reader's credulity, requires a map to keep all the loose plotlines straight, and wanders a bit--but it is breathtaking and awesome like a carnival ride turned up to speed "11". I'd read it before but long enough ago that this re-read was better than the first time, and I enjoyed it very much. Robards' characters are not squeaky-clean, stories are gritty in the extreme, and resolutions are not neatly tied for all eternity. I like that. And I really liked this book. Highly recommended to fans of romantic suspense, mystery, or chick lit who can tolerate a minor paranormal influence.
September 18, 2014
Este es uno de los libros más raros que he leído nunca. Y cuando digo "raro", quiero decir muy, muy raro. Nada de peculiar o diferente, no, raro. Además, esta historia de secuestro y suspense con amorio fantasmal incluido no puede ni de lejos, llamarse romántico. La novela no fue lo que esperaba, mis expectativas se quedaron en nada. ¿Mas obras de Karen? Con todo mi respeto, pero no gracias.
September 3, 2010
This is the type of book that keeps me up all night reading. With hair raising adventure mixed with unbeatable romance, needless to say I loved the book.
My review: http://bit.ly/axSrHp
My review: http://bit.ly/axSrHp
April 6, 2016
Crazy-est book ever. Romp... Fun... Funny...
April 27, 2021
[Some minor spoilers for the beginning.]
This is enjoyable, if you wish to turn off your brain and sensibilities. That isn't to say it's a bad novel, just that it's easy to tell it's a product of its time.
STORY:
The novel's introduction to our male lead is less than stellar. He kidnaps the main character Summer, stripping her of her upper clothes, gagging her with her socks, and handcuffing her with her own bra. He's terrifying, a monster to Summer, dragging her around and forcing her into a car chase. She's shot at within the first two chapters, all while bare.
I chalk this up to the 80s' fascination with kidnapping as romance (see: the original Terminator). Mike is obviously preferable to the bad guys, but he still strips her of her dignity and clothing and forces her into danger.
From then, the story dissolves into fugitive romance, the plot semi predictable. It's entertaining, albeit problematic at its core.
CHARACTERS:
The author spends a good amount of time devoted to how apparently ancient Summer is in the eyes of the world. (She's 37.) This is made relevant to her as a person because she's a former lingerie model and her former husband acted like she was a slave to his whims and household. She's decent and somewhat fleshed out as a character, even if she's chained to a terrible male lead.
Ah, Mike. I have some shit to say about you....
Mike is a terrible protagonist. I'm saying it full stop. He cheats on his wife, alienates his daughter in the process, and kidnaps an innocent woman. It's all handwaved in the end, but it doesn't cancel how garbage he is. Just, yikes. Sorry not sorry, bud.
The addition of the ghost was nonsensical in a mostly grounded story about two fugitives. While a neat addition, it makes zero sense.
The dog was fun. Gotta wonder how traumatized it was when the MCs banged.
RANDOM NOTES:
There was a bizarre obsession with body hair within the story. Mike being hairy is mentioned several times. While I personally don't like chest hair (who wants a carpet rubbing against you?), I don't mind it in stories, but it was repetitively mentioned. Summer having a wild bush was also somewhat admired (? it's just pubes, Mike) and discussed like they were boobs.
Also, in the times where we're in Mike's head, he thinks about how nice her tits looked while she was trussed up and...yikes. I'm not even gonna dive into that. Gross.
This is enjoyable, if you wish to turn off your brain and sensibilities. That isn't to say it's a bad novel, just that it's easy to tell it's a product of its time.
STORY:
The novel's introduction to our male lead is less than stellar. He kidnaps the main character Summer, stripping her of her upper clothes, gagging her with her socks, and handcuffing her with her own bra. He's terrifying, a monster to Summer, dragging her around and forcing her into a car chase. She's shot at within the first two chapters, all while bare.
I chalk this up to the 80s' fascination with kidnapping as romance (see: the original Terminator). Mike is obviously preferable to the bad guys, but he still strips her of her dignity and clothing and forces her into danger.
From then, the story dissolves into fugitive romance, the plot semi predictable. It's entertaining, albeit problematic at its core.
CHARACTERS:
The author spends a good amount of time devoted to how apparently ancient Summer is in the eyes of the world. (She's 37.) This is made relevant to her as a person because she's a former lingerie model and her former husband acted like she was a slave to his whims and household. She's decent and somewhat fleshed out as a character, even if she's chained to a terrible male lead.
Ah, Mike. I have some shit to say about you....
Mike is a terrible protagonist. I'm saying it full stop. He cheats on his wife, alienates his daughter in the process, and kidnaps an innocent woman. It's all handwaved in the end, but it doesn't cancel how garbage he is. Just, yikes. Sorry not sorry, bud.
The addition of the ghost was nonsensical in a mostly grounded story about two fugitives. While a neat addition, it makes zero sense.
The dog was fun. Gotta wonder how traumatized it was when the MCs banged.
RANDOM NOTES:
There was a bizarre obsession with body hair within the story. Mike being hairy is mentioned several times. While I personally don't like chest hair (who wants a carpet rubbing against you?), I don't mind it in stories, but it was repetitively mentioned. Summer having a wild bush was also somewhat admired (? it's just pubes, Mike) and discussed like they were boobs.
Also, in the times where we're in Mike's head, he thinks about how nice her tits looked while she was trussed up and...yikes. I'm not even gonna dive into that. Gross.
January 14, 2021
I liked this book and the plot but there were a few things that really annoyed, which didn’t really have anything to do with the plot.
I thought that the way the characters met was interesting and I liked what they did when they were on the run. Some of the story was a bit boring as when not much was happening, there was a lot of descriptions or things that the main characters were thinking which was boring. I liked that there were a few chapters from the different POV as it showed different things that were happening at the same time but I didn’t really like Deedee’s ghost perspective as I found it boring and pointless.
The main characters were fine and I liked how they interacted with each other but some of the things that Summer did annoyed me a bit. The fact that Steve cheated on his ex-wife made it a bit hard for me to like him. I know that they didn’t have a happy marriage but they were trying to stay together which meant that he either shouldn’t have cheated or he should have divorced his wife and then slept with Deedee. Shouldn’t the fact that they had a daughter make him think about how him cheating would affect her?
The last chapter was a bit vague because it didn’t really show what Steve and Summer’s future would look like.
I like this author’s books but I don’t think that this book was for me as while the plot and characters were good, there were a few small things that annoyed me.
I thought that the way the characters met was interesting and I liked what they did when they were on the run. Some of the story was a bit boring as when not much was happening, there was a lot of descriptions or things that the main characters were thinking which was boring. I liked that there were a few chapters from the different POV as it showed different things that were happening at the same time but I didn’t really like Deedee’s ghost perspective as I found it boring and pointless.
The main characters were fine and I liked how they interacted with each other but some of the things that Summer did annoyed me a bit. The fact that Steve cheated on his ex-wife made it a bit hard for me to like him. I know that they didn’t have a happy marriage but they were trying to stay together which meant that he either shouldn’t have cheated or he should have divorced his wife and then slept with Deedee. Shouldn’t the fact that they had a daughter make him think about how him cheating would affect her?
The last chapter was a bit vague because it didn’t really show what Steve and Summer’s future would look like.
I like this author’s books but I don’t think that this book was for me as while the plot and characters were good, there were a few small things that annoyed me.
October 11, 2024
My rate of success with Karen Robard's books is spotty at best. With this one being a quick DNF only a couple of chapters in.
The rough and rather ruthless introduction to our hero did little to endear him as someone I remotely wanted the heroine to get together with, regardless of whatever might transpire after the beginning of the book.
I completely understand having an alpha male aggressive hero, they are one of my favorites! But many of the heroes in Robard's books push the line into unlikable. They are violent, often hurting the heroine at the beginning of the book. In the case of "Frankenstein", our "hero" of this book, he forces her to drive at a ridiculously dangerous rate of speed with his foot plastered over hers in what felt completely irrational and unnecessary. She can't control the car around curves like that, and they end up crashing. Something I 100% blamed Frankenstein for. Like, what was the point? Wouldn't it have been smarter to actually let her drive in a way that kept the car under control and in one piece? Apparently not 😣
I also enjoy the kidnapping trope, which is why I end up accidentally picking up more of Robard's books LOL, she seems to like writing those. 😋 But I have yet to find one that I actually like enough to finish. Most often the hero is disappointing and the heroine is obnoxious, either acting like a child or acting like a stuck-up prissy princess.
Here I didn't exactly read enough to form much of an impression of Summer, but I guess that says something as well. 🥱
The rough and rather ruthless introduction to our hero did little to endear him as someone I remotely wanted the heroine to get together with, regardless of whatever might transpire after the beginning of the book.
I completely understand having an alpha male aggressive hero, they are one of my favorites! But many of the heroes in Robard's books push the line into unlikable. They are violent, often hurting the heroine at the beginning of the book. In the case of "Frankenstein", our "hero" of this book, he forces her to drive at a ridiculously dangerous rate of speed with his foot plastered over hers in what felt completely irrational and unnecessary. She can't control the car around curves like that, and they end up crashing. Something I 100% blamed Frankenstein for. Like, what was the point? Wouldn't it have been smarter to actually let her drive in a way that kept the car under control and in one piece? Apparently not 😣
I also enjoy the kidnapping trope, which is why I end up accidentally picking up more of Robard's books LOL, she seems to like writing those. 😋 But I have yet to find one that I actually like enough to finish. Most often the hero is disappointing and the heroine is obnoxious, either acting like a child or acting like a stuck-up prissy princess.
Here I didn't exactly read enough to form much of an impression of Summer, but I guess that says something as well. 🥱
November 8, 2023
Sometimes that's all it takes. Takes only one week to find the right person. The author made this statement believable.
The male main character Steve could eat all the dirt for all I cared, this book has the 90's masculinity at its shiniest, which left me wondering how our view of gender equality changed in these 30 years.
Steve had an affair with his best friend's wife and she took her own life out of guilt. In this book, he kidnapped FMC, while doing so, he brutalized her, punched herjaw, grabbed her hair multiple times, pushed her, took off her clothes without consent, used her bra to constrain her, left her naked, groped her breast without consent again, taunted her, made her less comfortable as possible, etc
To be fair, his first thought about her was that she was one of the accomplices but this certainly was not the right way to treat a suspect especially with him being a detective and all that. Poor her just a 36 years old janitor in a small town earned her living by cleaning the morgue.
Despite its flaws, this book has all we need to be concluded as a successful one - exciting mystery elements, all-rounded well-written characters (albeit obnoxious), adventurous outdoorsy forced proximity, and an adorable prized dog.
The male main character Steve could eat all the dirt for all I cared, this book has the 90's masculinity at its shiniest, which left me wondering how our view of gender equality changed in these 30 years.
Steve had an affair with his best friend's wife and she took her own life out of guilt. In this book, he kidnapped FMC, while doing so, he brutalized her, punched herjaw, grabbed her hair multiple times, pushed her, took off her clothes without consent, used her bra to constrain her, left her naked, groped her breast without consent again, taunted her, made her less comfortable as possible, etc
To be fair, his first thought about her was that she was one of the accomplices but this certainly was not the right way to treat a suspect especially with him being a detective and all that. Poor her just a 36 years old janitor in a small town earned her living by cleaning the morgue.
Despite its flaws, this book has all we need to be concluded as a successful one - exciting mystery elements, all-rounded well-written characters (albeit obnoxious), adventurous outdoorsy forced proximity, and an adorable prized dog.
July 11, 2025
“Slumped over like that, you look kinda like the Hunchback of Notre Dame.”
“Then we make a fine pair of monsters, don’t we, Frankenstein?”
Ang astig ng opening nito kasi tipong naglilinis ka ng cr sa funeral homes, na-encounter mo iyong gumalaw na bangkay pls 😭. Tapos hinostage and na-threaten pa siya huhu. Agree me doon sa isang comment na parang ang hirap i-imagine na tinutukan ni Steve si Summer ng scalpel at first meet tapos siya ang leading man huhu. I enjoyed them skipping town to town, getting mugged by bad guys, Muffy peeing sa bad guys 😂, making love sa vines (good thing no snake hahaha), outdoor camping, alternative plans for duping bad guys and etc. Kahit na super daldal ni summer as heroine, natuwa me sa kanya talaga. Hindi siya iyong tipong damsel in distress na maghihintay ma-save eh. Talagang iyong DIY flamethrower niya from F/X2 movie using hairspray and match, hahaha, astig.
Pero truthfully, if binigay agad iyong backstory ni steve as cuckolding his bff's wife, aayawan ko agad ito eh.
“Then we make a fine pair of monsters, don’t we, Frankenstein?”
Ang astig ng opening nito kasi tipong naglilinis ka ng cr sa funeral homes, na-encounter mo iyong gumalaw na bangkay pls 😭. Tapos hinostage and na-threaten pa siya huhu. Agree me doon sa isang comment na parang ang hirap i-imagine na tinutukan ni Steve si Summer ng scalpel at first meet tapos siya ang leading man huhu. I enjoyed them skipping town to town, getting mugged by bad guys, Muffy peeing sa bad guys 😂, making love sa vines (good thing no snake hahaha), outdoor camping, alternative plans for duping bad guys and etc. Kahit na super daldal ni summer as heroine, natuwa me sa kanya talaga. Hindi siya iyong tipong damsel in distress na maghihintay ma-save eh. Talagang iyong DIY flamethrower niya from F/X2 movie using hairspray and match, hahaha, astig.
Pero truthfully, if binigay agad iyong backstory ni steve as cuckolding his bff's wife, aayawan ko agad ito eh.
October 1, 2019
Summer McAfee is a divorced former lingerie model who now runs her own cleaning business in Murfreesboro, TN. She's cleaning one of the local funeral homes late one night after her crew failed to show, when one of the bodies in the embalming room moves. Steve Calhoun, a former TN state detective has been severely beaten, but manages to overcome Summer. When his attackers show up, they manage to escape, but his foes are close behind. Three years earlier he had been investigating "bad" cops when the woman he'd had an affair with - his best friend's wife, Deedee, is found dead - hung in his office. Removed from his job, divorced and separated from his daughter, he goes on a 3 year binge. When he finally comes out of it he tries to figure out what happened. It turns out Mitch, the friend, is behind most of their problems and Deedee's death. Some sex, not too offensive, language, but good plot.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 24, 2020
There is no such thing as a mediocre Robards book, and this is no exception. Fast paced, loaded with suspense, action, and a few passionate encounters, Walking After Midnight would make a terrific Netflix movie. Statuesque and brave heroine, tough ,virile hero , a ghost with a quirky sense of humor, and a cast of brutal goons help pace this thriller which gives the reader a fantastic ride to the very end.
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