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Stroke of Midnight
New York Times bestselling author Carly Phillips reunites two long-ago lovers for a bittersweet holiday reunion. But what will it take for them to forget the past, and warm up to the scintillating promises of the future?
352 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2004
2 people are currently reading
722 people want to read
About the author
Carly Phillips
407 books9,785 followersNY Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestseller, Carly Phillips is the queen of Alpha Heroes, at least according to The Harlequin Junkie Reviewer.. Carly married her college sweetheart and lives in Purchase, NY along with her crazy dogs who are featured on her Facebook and Instagram pages. The author of over 75 romance novels, she has raised two incredible daughters and is now an empty nester. Carly’s book, The Bachelor, was chosen by Kelly Ripa as her first romance club pick. Carly loves social media and interacting with her readers. Want to keep up with Carly? Sign up for her newsletter and receive TWO FREE books at www.carlyphillips.com.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
February 18, 2013
❤❤❤
This anthology contains three charming little holiday short stories. Midnight Angel by Carly Phillips spans a few days before Christmas up to New Years Eve and deals mostly with long lost love. Mine at Midnight by Jacquie D'Alessandro takes place right before Christmas and deals with lots of Christmas parties. And Meet Me at Midnight by Janelle Denison is all about New Years and resolutions.
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Midnight Angel by Carly Phillips
❤❤❤
A high-school crush was never meant to last. It's time we both move on.
Dylan
That's how Hollywood actor Dylan North (Northwood) left town and broke his high-school sweetheart's heart. 10 years later he's returned to Acton, Massachusetts for Christmas and plans to win her back.
Dr. Holly Evans went to Yale, like her father and his father before him. She focused on her studies and has made a habit of keeping men at a distance. After Dylan broke he heart with a crummy note and no explanation, it's all she could do. She thought she and Dylan had plans. She'd study medicine and he'd become a Broadway star. They'd stay together.
10 years later, on the verge of a marriage proposal, Dylan's back and Holly fears that if she lets her heart get involved, Dylan will crush it like he did before. Holly's current boyfriend John, wants a commitment and tells Holly she should spend a few days with Dylan or alone, whichever, but he wants her to make a decision about the future and deal with the past. Holly agrees so they can heal wounds and perhaps she can live with having him back for just a few days, knowing he won't stay. This gives Dylan the perfect opportunity to spend time alone with Holly, and to ease back into her life slowly (as slowly as 100 pages allow) and then permanently.
This is a contemporary, predictable romance that the author notes was inspired by the film Win a Date with Tad Hamilton. Nothing wrong with predictable but I could muster a lot of excitement for it. This was also my first Carly Phillips read. I wonder if this is indicative of her writing? It was a bit too close to chick lit for my taste but the steamy scenes were good. I'd imagine they'd be even better in a full length novel. I give this story an underwhelming 3 stars based on my preferences, otherwise it wasn't a bad story and the writing was decent so I think it's a keeper holiday story for most romance readers.
Meet Me at Midnight by Janelle Denison
❤❤❤½
Shane Wimer and Alyssa Harte (both 26) have known one another since they were 5 and have become the best of friends. Shane has also been in love with Alyssa for several years, an attraction that is getting harder and harder to hide. Alyssa has vowed that for her New Years resolution she's going to open herself emotionally on a search for Mr. Right. Alyssa watched her mom slowly close herself off to the world after she lost her husband. Alyssa doesn't want to end up the same way so she's making a change now. Shane realizes that if Alyssa's really ready for a relationship then he's not going to lose her to another guy so he comes up with a plan that will culminate with Alyssa meeting the One for her at midnight on New Years.
There are a few things in life that make me a very amenable gal. One is cupcakes. If you bring me cupcakes I'll do just about anything you want. Another is kittens. Again, you bring the kittens and I'm as docile as... well, a kitten. In writing/reading the same rules apply. Cupcakes and kittens go a long way. This story had neither. What it did supply me, which happens to be among my favorites, is a plot element that is as potent as a cupcake or kitten; it' electronic messaging. I know what you're thinking: who gets excited by instant messaging? Well, I do. And even when terrible authors have used this device (à la Fifty Shades - sorry FSoG lovers) it was compelling and ended up my favorite part (of an awful series). So it's no wonder I loved the all to brief use of (secret identity) IMing in this little story. It's simply a great way to squeeze in innuendo, sensuality, intrigue, some belly butterflies, charm, the list goes on. It almost always works and it worked here even though the language and encounters are brief and mild. This is a friends to lovers story that spends 95% of the time focusing on just the couple. It's an accomplished and sweet story. This was my 2nd Dension short story and this one is much preferred.
Mine at Midnight by Jacquie D'Alessandro
❤❤❤½
Georgia event planner, Merrie Langston, runs her own small business, Perfect Parties, and between now and Christmas Eve she has 6 Christmas parties scheduled all requiring her as an elf and Louis as Santa. But when Louis calls from Vegas to let her know he's eloped and won't be back until the New Year, Merrie's in a pinch and needs someone for the Baxter twins' party that starts in, oh no -- a half hour! Luckily she's meeting her business neighbor and financial planner/account, Tom Farrell, at that time and she begs him to fill in, just this once. Tom is handsome and nice but he's also nothing like Merrie. She's a free spirit, happy, smiley, sweet and fun. Tom's so serious and lives to work and he's constantly frustrated with Merrie for keeping her business receipts unorganized and in baggies. But she gets Tom to agree, reluctantly, and he's does an amazing job playing the part. Merrie's so impressed she's asks him to play Santa for the next 5 parties and Tom can't believe it, but he says yes. He had a good time and Merrie makes him happy and makes him forget things he doesn't want to remember this time of year. So one night, not wanting to leave Merrie so soon her asks if he can help her make cookies for the next days event and after that night they make lots of cookies, so to speak, until their personality differences and reality pops them out of their Christmas bubble.
Gosh, I cried a little in this one. Tom made me so angry and I felt so hurt (for Merrie) at one point. I hold a grudge a little longer than Merrie apparently though. There were some super sweet and super sexy moments. What I liked most was how it just felt real. Merrie and Tom are acquaintances for two years and a believable happenstance enlightens them to a connection they share, something they both would have never noticed without it.
Jacquie D'Alessandro is the reason I hunted this book down. I have read 3 (now 4) of D'Alessandro's short stories and all of them were good but two were fantastic. I recently went on a search to acquire her series novels so I could spend days and days in D'Alessandro's worlds. She might require a restraining order before I'm done. That's how much I like her. This story was no different. Very cute, emotional, funny and sweet.
Mine at Midnight is also available as a stand alone ebook.
This anthology contains three charming little holiday short stories. Midnight Angel by Carly Phillips spans a few days before Christmas up to New Years Eve and deals mostly with long lost love. Mine at Midnight by Jacquie D'Alessandro takes place right before Christmas and deals with lots of Christmas parties. And Meet Me at Midnight by Janelle Denison is all about New Years and resolutions.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Midnight Angel by Carly Phillips
❤❤❤
A high-school crush was never meant to last. It's time we both move on.
Dylan
That's how Hollywood actor Dylan North (Northwood) left town and broke his high-school sweetheart's heart. 10 years later he's returned to Acton, Massachusetts for Christmas and plans to win her back.
Dr. Holly Evans went to Yale, like her father and his father before him. She focused on her studies and has made a habit of keeping men at a distance. After Dylan broke he heart with a crummy note and no explanation, it's all she could do. She thought she and Dylan had plans. She'd study medicine and he'd become a Broadway star. They'd stay together.
10 years later, on the verge of a marriage proposal, Dylan's back and Holly fears that if she lets her heart get involved, Dylan will crush it like he did before. Holly's current boyfriend John, wants a commitment and tells Holly she should spend a few days with Dylan or alone, whichever, but he wants her to make a decision about the future and deal with the past. Holly agrees so they can heal wounds and perhaps she can live with having him back for just a few days, knowing he won't stay. This gives Dylan the perfect opportunity to spend time alone with Holly, and to ease back into her life slowly (as slowly as 100 pages allow) and then permanently.
This is a contemporary, predictable romance that the author notes was inspired by the film Win a Date with Tad Hamilton. Nothing wrong with predictable but I could muster a lot of excitement for it. This was also my first Carly Phillips read. I wonder if this is indicative of her writing? It was a bit too close to chick lit for my taste but the steamy scenes were good. I'd imagine they'd be even better in a full length novel. I give this story an underwhelming 3 stars based on my preferences, otherwise it wasn't a bad story and the writing was decent so I think it's a keeper holiday story for most romance readers.
Meet Me at Midnight by Janelle Denison
❤❤❤½
Shane Wimer and Alyssa Harte (both 26) have known one another since they were 5 and have become the best of friends. Shane has also been in love with Alyssa for several years, an attraction that is getting harder and harder to hide. Alyssa has vowed that for her New Years resolution she's going to open herself emotionally on a search for Mr. Right. Alyssa watched her mom slowly close herself off to the world after she lost her husband. Alyssa doesn't want to end up the same way so she's making a change now. Shane realizes that if Alyssa's really ready for a relationship then he's not going to lose her to another guy so he comes up with a plan that will culminate with Alyssa meeting the One for her at midnight on New Years.
There are a few things in life that make me a very amenable gal. One is cupcakes. If you bring me cupcakes I'll do just about anything you want. Another is kittens. Again, you bring the kittens and I'm as docile as... well, a kitten. In writing/reading the same rules apply. Cupcakes and kittens go a long way. This story had neither. What it did supply me, which happens to be among my favorites, is a plot element that is as potent as a cupcake or kitten; it' electronic messaging. I know what you're thinking: who gets excited by instant messaging? Well, I do. And even when terrible authors have used this device (à la Fifty Shades - sorry FSoG lovers) it was compelling and ended up my favorite part (of an awful series). So it's no wonder I loved the all to brief use of (secret identity) IMing in this little story. It's simply a great way to squeeze in innuendo, sensuality, intrigue, some belly butterflies, charm, the list goes on. It almost always works and it worked here even though the language and encounters are brief and mild. This is a friends to lovers story that spends 95% of the time focusing on just the couple. It's an accomplished and sweet story. This was my 2nd Dension short story and this one is much preferred.
Mine at Midnight by Jacquie D'Alessandro
❤❤❤½
Georgia event planner, Merrie Langston, runs her own small business, Perfect Parties, and between now and Christmas Eve she has 6 Christmas parties scheduled all requiring her as an elf and Louis as Santa. But when Louis calls from Vegas to let her know he's eloped and won't be back until the New Year, Merrie's in a pinch and needs someone for the Baxter twins' party that starts in, oh no -- a half hour! Luckily she's meeting her business neighbor and financial planner/account, Tom Farrell, at that time and she begs him to fill in, just this once. Tom is handsome and nice but he's also nothing like Merrie. She's a free spirit, happy, smiley, sweet and fun. Tom's so serious and lives to work and he's constantly frustrated with Merrie for keeping her business receipts unorganized and in baggies. But she gets Tom to agree, reluctantly, and he's does an amazing job playing the part. Merrie's so impressed she's asks him to play Santa for the next 5 parties and Tom can't believe it, but he says yes. He had a good time and Merrie makes him happy and makes him forget things he doesn't want to remember this time of year. So one night, not wanting to leave Merrie so soon her asks if he can help her make cookies for the next days event and after that night they make lots of cookies, so to speak, until their personality differences and reality pops them out of their Christmas bubble.
Gosh, I cried a little in this one. Tom made me so angry and I felt so hurt (for Merrie) at one point. I hold a grudge a little longer than Merrie apparently though. There were some super sweet and super sexy moments. What I liked most was how it just felt real. Merrie and Tom are acquaintances for two years and a believable happenstance enlightens them to a connection they share, something they both would have never noticed without it.
Jacquie D'Alessandro is the reason I hunted this book down. I have read 3 (now 4) of D'Alessandro's short stories and all of them were good but two were fantastic. I recently went on a search to acquire her series novels so I could spend days and days in D'Alessandro's worlds. She might require a restraining order before I'm done. That's how much I like her. This story was no different. Very cute, emotional, funny and sweet.
Mine at Midnight is also available as a stand alone ebook.
February 28, 2017
4 very nice romantic stories set at the holidays. Carly's storyline concerns an actor coming home to rekindle a romance with the girl he left behind. Janelle's storyline has two best friends wanting to take it to the next step but while he's more willing; she's afraid of ruining their great friendship. Jacquie's storyline involves a young business woman and her accountant. She's bright and bubbly and he's a stuffed shirt. Makes for an interesting romance.
March 8, 2022
Midnight Angel-I didn't like at all. The hero was an arrogant ass that never really apologized. The heroine was an idiot that fell right back in his arms without a decent apology.
Meet Me at Midnight-best story of the anthology; enjoyed these best friends taking the chance on something more.
Mine at Midnight-decent story but nothing fabulous; and the main characters won't make it long term as they are too different. A week in bed sure; long term no way.
Meet Me at Midnight-best story of the anthology; enjoyed these best friends taking the chance on something more.
Mine at Midnight-decent story but nothing fabulous; and the main characters won't make it long term as they are too different. A week in bed sure; long term no way.
January 17, 2021
It’s copyrighted 2004, so that’s probably when I bought it. I rediscovered it when going through boxes of books that had been stored in the basement for 10–15 years. The tech references are obviously dated, but the stories are still sweet and satisfying HEAs.
September 9, 2019
Midnight Angel by Carly Phillips — 4 out of 5 stars; This was a cute story about giving love a second chance and not letting it slip through your fingers a second time. Dylan and Holly had some pretty good chemistry from the onset, and I loved that Dylan, a famous movie star, was ready to leave the glitz and glamour of Hollywood behind to return to his hometown and settle down someplace quiet (I'm a sucker for guys that wanna find Ms. Right and start a family). One of the few complaints I have with this story has to do with John, a mutual friend of Dylan and Holly's. But even then, it's a minor issue, and it didn't really ruin my enjoyment of the story. I also took a bit of an issue with the ending, as I felt Holly was being asked to take this huge leap of faith with very little reason to trust what Dylan was saying. Yes, I know, that's what a leap of faith is, and sure, we the readers know he's sincere, but the problem with short stories is that there was so little time for Dylan to actually prove himself to Holly. Again, though, it didn't ruin my enjoyment of the overall story or even the ending itself.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Meet Me at Midnight by Janelle Denison — 1 out of 5 stars; This was the first story, short or otherwise, that I've ever read of Ms. Denison's, and going solely by this, I'd have to say she's not a bad writer at all. In fact, she managed to make love scene dialogue somehow not-hokey, and that's quite a feat in and of itself. It's just too bad that the dialogue actually did get hokey towards the end of the story, and that the story itself was really lacking. For the most part, it's a typical story of a guy secretly in love with his best friend but the friend doesn't see him in 'that way' until he gets up the courage to try to woo her. It's been done before, and sorry, but Ms. Denison didn't really add much of anything new to it. Plus, I'm deducting major points for Shane groping Alyssa while she slept. I mean, I'm glad he stopped himself from 'seducing' (read: raping) her while she was unconscious, but that doesn't make up for the fact that he was kissing and fondling her while she was in that state. Sure, she was kissing him back, but only because she was reacting to a dream she was having, and besides, sleeping people can't give consent!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mine at Midnight by Jacquie D'Alessandro — 5 out of 5 stars; This story is my favorite in this anthology (as if my rating didn't already make that obvious). Tom and Merrie were just so cute together, and I knew from the very start that they were going to be my favorite couple. I loved that Merrie was this cute, sexy little Santa's elf who was so full of creativity and just brimming with the Christmas spirit, and that she refused to compromise who she was for anyone, even Tom. And speaking of Tom, I loved that Merrie brought him out of his anti-Christmas funk, and had him thinking about a future with her, one that involved starting a family (again, I'm a sucker for guys that wanna settle down). Now, that's not to say that everything was Christmas lights and candy canes. They fought, of course, but in the end, things were were resolved in a manner that I felt was very natural, if a bit quick.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Meet Me at Midnight by Janelle Denison — 1 out of 5 stars; This was the first story, short or otherwise, that I've ever read of Ms. Denison's, and going solely by this, I'd have to say she's not a bad writer at all. In fact, she managed to make love scene dialogue somehow not-hokey, and that's quite a feat in and of itself. It's just too bad that the dialogue actually did get hokey towards the end of the story, and that the story itself was really lacking. For the most part, it's a typical story of a guy secretly in love with his best friend but the friend doesn't see him in 'that way' until he gets up the courage to try to woo her. It's been done before, and sorry, but Ms. Denison didn't really add much of anything new to it. Plus, I'm deducting major points for Shane groping Alyssa while she slept. I mean, I'm glad he stopped himself from 'seducing' (read: raping) her while she was unconscious, but that doesn't make up for the fact that he was kissing and fondling her while she was in that state. Sure, she was kissing him back, but only because she was reacting to a dream she was having, and besides, sleeping people can't give consent!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mine at Midnight by Jacquie D'Alessandro — 5 out of 5 stars; This story is my favorite in this anthology (as if my rating didn't already make that obvious). Tom and Merrie were just so cute together, and I knew from the very start that they were going to be my favorite couple. I loved that Merrie was this cute, sexy little Santa's elf who was so full of creativity and just brimming with the Christmas spirit, and that she refused to compromise who she was for anyone, even Tom. And speaking of Tom, I loved that Merrie brought him out of his anti-Christmas funk, and had him thinking about a future with her, one that involved starting a family (again, I'm a sucker for guys that wanna settle down). Now, that's not to say that everything was Christmas lights and candy canes. They fought, of course, but in the end, things were were resolved in a manner that I felt was very natural, if a bit quick.
July 6, 2009
I would give it a 3.5. It was a very cute anthology of three short stories. A light, breezy read that is a great vacation/beach book. The characters are likable and the story lines are good...plus some of the sex is steamy! Nothing substantial in it, but it doesn't pretend it is!
October 11, 2011
Good emotion in these three steamy stories especially the first two were the male pursued the female but pondering make my rating 3.5* 1) Actor Dylan returns to town and Dr. Holly. 2) Shane thinks about his best friend Alyssa. 3) Party planner Merrie needs her accountant Shane.
November 5, 2007
read 11.14.06
August 18, 2009
I bought this because there is a story by my fav -- Carly Phillips. Kind of predictable, but enjoyable. Her story was definitely the best. Read during the holiday season.
October 17, 2008
If you're ever stuck in a foreign country and there are no other books in English around, then read this. But you'll still wish you had something else. Short story romances just don't work.
March 26, 2009
I don't like anthology short stories
September 14, 2011
I don't think I'll ever be a huge fan of short stories but this was a cute collection of holiday romance stories.
January 22, 2014
three cute holiday themed romance stories - carly phillips is always great and the other two dont disappoint either!
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December 27, 2017Three novellas of New Year's Eve will tempt those looking for sweet, steamy encounters. Whether your appetite is piqued for stories of opposites attracting, co-worker romance, or second-chance affairs, when the midnight countdown begins, you'll experience fireworks.
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