What do you think?
Rate this book
Midnight Lover
Your father is alive...
Those four words irrevocably changed Leonie Lincoln's whole conception of her past. She had to find him, talk to him—discover the hidden "whys" about herself.
But however remote West Africa seemed in England, when she got there some things were surprisingly immediate—like the threat of tribal war and domineering foreign correspondents.
"Take some advice, " Greg Thornton told her when he learned about her mission. "Fly back to England. There are all manner of dangers in the jungle...."
Those four words irrevocably changed Leonie Lincoln's whole conception of her past. She had to find him, talk to him—discover the hidden "whys" about herself.
But however remote West Africa seemed in England, when she got there some things were surprisingly immediate—like the threat of tribal war and domineering foreign correspondents.
"Take some advice, " Greg Thornton told her when he learned about her mission. "Fly back to England. There are all manner of dangers in the jungle...."
187 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published May 1, 1982
64 people want to read
About the author
Charlotte Lamb
261 books316 followersSheila Ann Mary Coates Holland
aka Sheila Holland, Sheila Coates, Charlotte Lamb, Sheila Lancaster, Victoria Woolf, Laura Hardy
Sheila Ann Mary Coates was born on 1937 in Essex, England, just before the Second World War in the East End of London. As a child, she was moved from relative to relative to escape the bombings of World War II. Sheila attended the Ursuline Convent for Girls. On leaving school at 16, the convent-educated author worked for the Bank of England as a clerk. Sheila continued her education by taking advantage of the B of E's enormous library during her lunch breaks and after work. She later worked as a secretary for the BBC. While there, she met and married Richard Holland, a political reporter. A voracious reader of romance novels, she began writing at her husband's suggestion. She wrote her first book in three days with three children underfoot! In between raising her five children (including a set of twins), Charlotte wrote several more novels. She used both her married and maiden names, Sheila Holland and Sheila Coates, before her first novel as Charlotte Lamb, Follow a Stranger, was published by Mills & Boon in 1973. She also used the pennames: Sheila Lancaster, Victoria Wolf and Laura Hardy. Sheila was a true revolutionary in the field of romance writing. One of the first writers to explore the boundaries of sexual desire, her novels often reflected the forefront of the "sexual revolution" of the 1970s. Her books touched on then-taboo subjects such as child abuse and rape, and she created sexually confident - even dominant - heroines. She was also one of the first to create a modern romantic heroine: independent, imperfect, and perfectly capable of initiating a sexual or romantic relationship. A prolific author, Sheila penned more than 160 novels, most of them for Mills & Boon. Known for her swiftness as well as for her skill in writing, Sheila typically wrote a minimum of two thousand words per day, working from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. While she once finished a full-length novel in four days, she herself pegged her average speed at two weeks to complete a full novel. Since 1977, Sheila had been living on the Isle of Man as a tax exile with her husband and four of their five children: Michael Holland, Sarah Holland, Jane Holland, Charlotte Holland and David Holland. Sheila passed away on October 8, 2000 in her baronial-style home 'Crogga' on the Island. She is greatly missed by her many fans, and by the romance writing community.
aka Sheila Holland, Sheila Coates, Charlotte Lamb, Sheila Lancaster, Victoria Woolf, Laura Hardy
Sheila Ann Mary Coates was born on 1937 in Essex, England, just before the Second World War in the East End of London. As a child, she was moved from relative to relative to escape the bombings of World War II. Sheila attended the Ursuline Convent for Girls. On leaving school at 16, the convent-educated author worked for the Bank of England as a clerk. Sheila continued her education by taking advantage of the B of E's enormous library during her lunch breaks and after work. She later worked as a secretary for the BBC. While there, she met and married Richard Holland, a political reporter. A voracious reader of romance novels, she began writing at her husband's suggestion. She wrote her first book in three days with three children underfoot! In between raising her five children (including a set of twins), Charlotte wrote several more novels. She used both her married and maiden names, Sheila Holland and Sheila Coates, before her first novel as Charlotte Lamb, Follow a Stranger, was published by Mills & Boon in 1973. She also used the pennames: Sheila Lancaster, Victoria Wolf and Laura Hardy. Sheila was a true revolutionary in the field of romance writing. One of the first writers to explore the boundaries of sexual desire, her novels often reflected the forefront of the "sexual revolution" of the 1970s. Her books touched on then-taboo subjects such as child abuse and rape, and she created sexually confident - even dominant - heroines. She was also one of the first to create a modern romantic heroine: independent, imperfect, and perfectly capable of initiating a sexual or romantic relationship. A prolific author, Sheila penned more than 160 novels, most of them for Mills & Boon. Known for her swiftness as well as for her skill in writing, Sheila typically wrote a minimum of two thousand words per day, working from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. While she once finished a full-length novel in four days, she herself pegged her average speed at two weeks to complete a full novel. Since 1977, Sheila had been living on the Isle of Man as a tax exile with her husband and four of their five children: Michael Holland, Sarah Holland, Jane Holland, Charlotte Holland and David Holland. Sheila passed away on October 8, 2000 in her baronial-style home 'Crogga' on the Island. She is greatly missed by her many fans, and by the romance writing community.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
June 6, 2017
Very disappointing. I can't respect a heroine who lets everybody, from her stepfather to her fiance to the hero of the piece run her life, including major life decisions such as marriage. At one point, she lets the hero speak for her even though she is the one being directly asked important questions. She keeps silent and glances at the hero every time, encouraging him to speak for her. And she relishes it. That just doesn't sit right with me :(
October 3, 2016
This has to be one of the worst CL I have ever read.
The story starts off fairly good with the guy getting out of the jungle and all. However, soon he was manipulating to get his own way just like everyone has ever done to her in her life.
He wants his cake and eat it too!
Not compromising here cause I can get her when I feel like it and go off and be in the jungle to report on stupid nonsense.
For the love of God, grow up!
You are almost 40 here!
Get real and I can see her Alone for years on end and him going out from town to town doing the single guy thing while she worries at home.
He is not a hero he is a selfish bastard set in his ways and manipulating an innocent girl who has always been manipulated by others.
I did not like the hero or heroine.
Too stupid to live was a phrase taken from her behavior.
Never never again for me here!
The story starts off fairly good with the guy getting out of the jungle and all. However, soon he was manipulating to get his own way just like everyone has ever done to her in her life.
He wants his cake and eat it too!
Not compromising here cause I can get her when I feel like it and go off and be in the jungle to report on stupid nonsense.
For the love of God, grow up!
You are almost 40 here!
Get real and I can see her Alone for years on end and him going out from town to town doing the single guy thing while she worries at home.
He is not a hero he is a selfish bastard set in his ways and manipulating an innocent girl who has always been manipulated by others.
I did not like the hero or heroine.
Too stupid to live was a phrase taken from her behavior.
Never never again for me here!
August 28, 2011
Well this was a different kettle of fish. It was one of those where you just had to decide not to get upset about how totally wimpy and doormatish the heroine was. She was only 20 though so that helped. Hopefully she'll grow a spine as she gets older.
General review of plot below.
Strange little book but kept my interest once I gave up being irritated that she was such a wimp. Hero and heroine did not spend a lot of time together but the book was seriously short.
General review of plot below.
Strange little book but kept my interest once I gave up being irritated that she was such a wimp. Hero and heroine did not spend a lot of time together but the book was seriously short.
March 10, 2022
eh. Not my favorite by this author. Lots of potential here but neither character was very memorable. This would have been a perfect place for an intense OTT controlling manipulator, but the H wasn't really like that. Every time I was expecting him to be outrageous, he failed me. He got her out of danger and helped maneuver her out from under her overbearing step father and boyfriend.... but at the end of the day he was was pretty snooze-y next to some of CL's more colorful heros. And sure, the h is used to being bossed around by the men in her life... but she's TWENTY. I'm not sure what other readers expected out of her. I thought she was pretty plucky when you take into account the very sheltered upbringing she had. I mean, she set off for Africa all by herself to find her long-lost father, despite her step father's and her fiance's disapproval. She didn't even know she'd be welcome. That's a lot of backbone, in my book. Is it surprising that she's attracted to another bulldozer? Not really? It's what she's used to, and he seems to support her making decisions as long as she's safe.
No, the age gap and and heroine aren't the issue here. It was the underwhelming H, who should have been way more interesting, and the complete lack of sex. They just kiss a couple times. For the amount of sexual tension, I was expecting something a bit more intense and explosive.
Bottom Line? it was an ok read. I didn't hate it.
SAFETY SQUAD SPOILERS
- no cheating or sharing
- no OW drama
- OM drama - the h is supposed to marry OM
- no dubcon - a couple forceful kisses, but she was into it
- h is a 20 yr old virgin
- H is a 38 yr old experienced man, we assume.... we don't really get any details of his past sex life
- this book is clean
No, the age gap and and heroine aren't the issue here. It was the underwhelming H, who should have been way more interesting, and the complete lack of sex. They just kiss a couple times. For the amount of sexual tension, I was expecting something a bit more intense and explosive.
Bottom Line? it was an ok read. I didn't hate it.
SAFETY SQUAD SPOILERS
- no cheating or sharing
- no OW drama
- OM drama - the h is supposed to marry OM
- no dubcon - a couple forceful kisses, but she was into it
- h is a 20 yr old virgin
- H is a 38 yr old experienced man, we assume.... we don't really get any details of his past sex life
- this book is clean
September 9, 2023
No idea what relevance the title has. No one was anyone's lover in this story. The h, 20 year old Leonie, browbeaten by her stepfather and fiance, heads to Africa to reunite with her previously unknown to her mission doctor father. She meets Greg, a hardbitten 38 yr old foreign correspondent on the plane transfer. Some nice instalust does not translate into much, despite their "fake" marriage which promised a lot more. Ah well. Unrest, a hasty departure from Africa and a reunion once her wedding plans to former steamrollering fiance are firmly underway still does not lead to much. I know she's only 20 but the way she lets everyone push her around is pathetic. There was potential for a lot more passion, sadly unrealized. A miss, I'm afraid.
February 28, 2021
She is 20 going on 2 years old. Even the H says to her she is just a baby. He is right.
She is not only young in biological age, but also in mental age. She goes wherever people tell her to go. She does whatever people tell her to do.
Charlotte Lamb is one of my favourite vintage HP writers, but I didn’t like this one. There was zero input from the h. She was too much of a push-over.
She is not only young in biological age, but also in mental age. She goes wherever people tell her to go. She does whatever people tell her to do.
Charlotte Lamb is one of my favourite vintage HP writers, but I didn’t like this one. There was zero input from the h. She was too much of a push-over.
August 2, 2021
Your father is alive...
Those four words irrevocably changed Leonie Lincoln's whole conception of her past. She had to find him, talk to him--discover the hidden "whys" about herself.
But however remote West Africa seemed in England, when she got there some things were surprisingly immediate--like the threat of tribal war and domineering foreign correspondents.
"Take some advice, " Greg Thornton told her when he learned about her mission. "Fly back to England. There are all manner of dangers in the jungle....
Those four words irrevocably changed Leonie Lincoln's whole conception of her past. She had to find him, talk to him--discover the hidden "whys" about herself.
But however remote West Africa seemed in England, when she got there some things were surprisingly immediate--like the threat of tribal war and domineering foreign correspondents.
"Take some advice, " Greg Thornton told her when he learned about her mission. "Fly back to England. There are all manner of dangers in the jungle....
April 21, 2011
Ick - a 38-year-old man and a 20-year-old girl. Bleah.
November 22, 2024
Midnight Lover is the one man that switched Leonie’s world upside on her dangerous journey through Africa to meet the father she never knew was alive. Greg Thornton was a carefree reporter and a brave adventurer, who himself was afraid of the irresistible pull he felt towards Leoine and his growing curiosity about her. To escape the civil war in the dry lands they had to go through a fake marriage ceremony, which will undeniably link their fates forever. A beautiful romance of Charlotte Lamb, Greg & Leonie are very likable characters and I loved the way their soul deep romance developed!
October 19, 2020
I thoroughly enjoyed this book!
The age gap between Leonie and Greg is quite large but I think it worked splendidly.
I couldn't quite understand but I think Leonie's mother's name is also Leonie. Charlotte Lamb never confirmed it which left me completely confused.
Unfortunately I hadn't realized that the second hand book that I purchased had the last couple of pages missing, so I don't know how it ended, but luckily Charlotte lamb is a talented writer so I can picture it vividly.
The age gap between Leonie and Greg is quite large but I think it worked splendidly.
I couldn't quite understand but I think Leonie's mother's name is also Leonie. Charlotte Lamb never confirmed it which left me completely confused.
Unfortunately I hadn't realized that the second hand book that I purchased had the last couple of pages missing, so I don't know how it ended, but luckily Charlotte lamb is a talented writer so I can picture it vividly.
March 6, 2022
The ending part was the BEST for me. She really sat there and let him do the arguing love it
March 27, 2016
The title did not seem relevant to the story since nothing happened at midnight and they were not lovers. The love story was unconvincing at least on his part. I could see a 20 year old inexperienced girl falling for an older man but I couldn't see the attraction from his point of view.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews