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Midnight #3
Midnight Angel
Her nightmares don't stop when she opens her eyes…
In one night, talented musician Allegra Ennis lost her sight, her father and her career in a brutal attack she can't remember. Now she's alone in a world of darkness, her only company the nightmares in her head…and a killer is stalking her every move.
Scarred and disfigured by war, tough former SEAL Douglas Kowalski never thought a beauty like Allegra could love someone like him. He doesn't expect more than a one-night stand. But when Allegra's life is threatened, Kowalski realizes he will do anything to keep her safe—and by his side.
304 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 17, 2005
387 people are currently reading
2554 people want to read
About the author
Lisa Marie Rice
57 books1,610 followersLisa Marie Rice is eternally 30 years old and will never age. She is tall and willowy and beautiful. Men drop at her feet like ripe pears. She has won every major book prize in the world. She is a black belt with advanced degrees in archaeology, nuclear physics, and Tibetan literature. She is a concert pianist. Did I mention her Nobel Prize? Of course, Lisa Marie Rice is a virtual woman and exists only at the keyboard when writing erotic romance. She disappears when the monitor winks off.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 284 reviews
October 8, 2010
This is book three in the Midnight series and my favorite of them all because not only was it was an incredibly hot read but more importantly, it was also a beautiful love story. I’d venture to say it was a Beauty and the Beast meets An Officer and a Gentleman modern day fairy tale.
Douglas’ face was horribly scarred. People either stared at him or looked away. He knew he wasn’t attractive in the least, and that women were repulsed by his appearance, so when Allegra was introduced to him and didn’t turn away, he was shocked – hopeful – until he came to realize she was blind. Let me tell you, as stalwart as he was about it, my heart broke for him in that moment when reality came rushing through.
Allegra had had a promising musical career, until her very crazy agent went, well… very crazy. He killed her father and nearly killed her, too. Allegra was left blinded and comatose in the brutal attack and was unable to testify, so with the help of a high priced attorney he literally got away with murder. Sentenced to a mere several years in a nut house for the rich and famous, he had time to stew over how Allegra had ruined him, and now that she’d come out of the coma and might be a threat to him after all, he decided that he wasn’t about to take any chances. He might be locked up, but there were always other ways…
Overall, even though there were a couple of small things that annoyed me, personality conflicts between myself and Allegra, I still enjoyed the story very much. It was heartbreaking at times, and heartwarming at others, and the heat was high and plentiful!
I’ll close now by going on record as saying that I am now hooked on Lisa Marie Rice and can’t wait to read more by this author!
May 4, 2018
First time for me reading this author, finally making the jump because one my friends was reading it.
It was okay. I liked it but didn't enjoy myself that much. The suspense was reduced to zero for me as it was pretty clear what was happening to the heroine. as for the romance part... Well, I'm not a real fan of insta love and this one was just that.
Alpha male finding the one. Alpha male protecting the one. Alpha male fucking the one. For hours.
I've been quite turned OFF by the repetitive mention of bodily fluids, and I couldn't help but laugh out loud at the hero "particular" condition. (He could stay hard for hours. Not 1, or 2 but like a day. )
The story was nice, the idea was nice, a beauty and the beast romance trope, but there wasn't that much in it to please the romance reader in me.
It was okay. I liked it but didn't enjoy myself that much. The suspense was reduced to zero for me as it was pretty clear what was happening to the heroine. as for the romance part... Well, I'm not a real fan of insta love and this one was just that.
Alpha male finding the one. Alpha male protecting the one. Alpha male fucking the one. For hours.
I've been quite turned OFF by the repetitive mention of bodily fluids, and I couldn't help but laugh out loud at the hero "particular" condition. (He could stay hard for hours. Not 1, or 2 but like a day. )
He watched her for a long while as the sweat cooled on his skin. He'd sweated horribly, the sheets were wet with it and with semen. He'd pumped what felt like several quarts of come into her and wondered if he'd dehydrated himself.
The story was nice, the idea was nice, a beauty and the beast romance trope, but there wasn't that much in it to please the romance reader in me.
April 23, 2020
"I love you," he said quietly. "So much it scares me. I've only known you for a couple of days yet I feel like I've loved you all my life. I know I'll love you for the rest of my life."
This was one of my favorite novels by LMR and my most adored book in the Midnight series. I couldn't ask for a more perfect alpha hero than Douglas and a more endearing heroine than Allegra. Douglas was instantly drawn to her the second he heard her singing and playing the harp, like a moth to a flame. But then he learned she was blind, and the attraction he felt towards her grew into something more: he was captivated by her. He was a giant man with a big scar on his face. He was far from handsome and the type of man people turn their heads away from, yet he was gentle, caring, and protective of Allegra.
I fell in love with these two the moment this story started. They were both perfect together and in a short span of time fell deeply in love with each other. To be honest? I don't care and I'm not at all bothered by the insta love/lust going on between Douglas and Allegra. This book just proves that when you love someone, you don't care about their looks or imperfections, you don't see their faults or their scars. You simply see the beauty in their flaws and love them above all for who they are, and that's the real beauty of love.
But why rate this 4.5 and not perfect 5 stars? I took away a half star because the constant mention of Douglas' previous sexual encounters with other women in his thoughts when he was intimate with Allegra vexed me. And this happened often. A lot. He was more of comparing what he was before when he was with other unimportant women, and what he was now with Allegra. Ms. Rice does this style even in her previous books. And it irked me. It's okay for me if the hero thinks of his past sexual encounters with other women he'd been to bed with and compares it in the present, how completely different he is now blah blah. But to do this often? *shakes head*
Despite my displeasure, LMR's alpha heroes are definitely not hard to love. You can never hate them, because you could feel how deeply besotted they are with their heroines. They are passionate, overprotective and possessive. And can be very emotional when it comes to sex, too. That's what I love about LMR. Midnight Angel is a modern retelling of the tale Beauty and the Beast and by far my favorite version. It will melt your heart into a puddle on the ground.
And this line was just the icing on top of the cake:
"Oh Douglas, I knew it. I just knew you'd be a beautiful man."
Rating: 4.5 stars.
POV: 3rd person—Dual
Series: 3rd book in the Midnight series. Can be read as standalone.
Cliffhanger: No.
HEA:
Cheating:
This was one of my favorite novels by LMR and my most adored book in the Midnight series. I couldn't ask for a more perfect alpha hero than Douglas and a more endearing heroine than Allegra. Douglas was instantly drawn to her the second he heard her singing and playing the harp, like a moth to a flame. But then he learned she was blind, and the attraction he felt towards her grew into something more: he was captivated by her. He was a giant man with a big scar on his face. He was far from handsome and the type of man people turn their heads away from, yet he was gentle, caring, and protective of Allegra.
I fell in love with these two the moment this story started. They were both perfect together and in a short span of time fell deeply in love with each other. To be honest? I don't care and I'm not at all bothered by the insta love/lust going on between Douglas and Allegra. This book just proves that when you love someone, you don't care about their looks or imperfections, you don't see their faults or their scars. You simply see the beauty in their flaws and love them above all for who they are, and that's the real beauty of love.
But why rate this 4.5 and not perfect 5 stars? I took away a half star because the constant mention of Douglas' previous sexual encounters with other women in his thoughts when he was intimate with Allegra vexed me. And this happened often. A lot. He was more of comparing what he was before when he was with other unimportant women, and what he was now with Allegra. Ms. Rice does this style even in her previous books. And it irked me. It's okay for me if the hero thinks of his past sexual encounters with other women he'd been to bed with and compares it in the present, how completely different he is now blah blah. But to do this often? *shakes head*
Despite my displeasure, LMR's alpha heroes are definitely not hard to love. You can never hate them, because you could feel how deeply besotted they are with their heroines. They are passionate, overprotective and possessive. And can be very emotional when it comes to sex, too. That's what I love about LMR. Midnight Angel is a modern retelling of the tale Beauty and the Beast and by far my favorite version. It will melt your heart into a puddle on the ground.
And this line was just the icing on top of the cake:
"Oh Douglas, I knew it. I just knew you'd be a beautiful man."
Rating: 4.5 stars.
POV: 3rd person—Dual
Series: 3rd book in the Midnight series. Can be read as standalone.
Cliffhanger: No.
HEA:
Cheating:
March 7, 2008
This is my favorite Lisa Marie Rice book so far. It's basically a Beauty and the Beast type story. The heroine (Allegra) is a beautiful singer/musician who recently lost her sight after a brutal attack that she can't remember; the hero (Douglas) is an opera loving, former Navy SEAL, scarred and disfigured by war. Douglas is far from handsome, but he has a beautiful soul, and Allegra can see that. When Allegra's life is threatened by a stalker, Douglas does everything he can to protect her.
Douglas and Allegra are beautiful together; their romance is passionate and erotic, and you can really believe that they are falling in love.
This was a fast paced read for me (even though it's about 300 pages)--it was hard to put down. There was not one dull moment. Their love story was beautiful and believable, and there was a very touching epilogue. This book has everything I look for in a romance!
Douglas and Allegra are beautiful together; their romance is passionate and erotic, and you can really believe that they are falling in love.
This was a fast paced read for me (even though it's about 300 pages)--it was hard to put down. There was not one dull moment. Their love story was beautiful and believable, and there was a very touching epilogue. This book has everything I look for in a romance!
February 21, 2022
This just my be my favorite book from the Midnight series. As all the reviews I've read said this was a "Beauty and the Beast" love story and it was beautiful. I absolutely fell in love with Douglas! He was so beautifully gentle with Allegra, a recently blinded young woman who was beaten, and because of the brutal beating lost her eyesight.
Don't let his gentleness for Allegra fool you, he is a warrior and when his Allegra is threatened he will stop at nothing to make her world safe for her. We also get more of John & Suzanne and Bud & Claire. I love how LMR wove these books together, this book picked up where Midnight Run left off.
Favorite Quotes:
"I love you". He said quietly. "So much it scares me. I've only known you a couple of day's and yet I feel like I've loved you all my life. I know I'll love you for the rest of my life".
"Oh Douglas, I knew it. I just knew you'd be a beautiful man"
Don't let his gentleness for Allegra fool you, he is a warrior and when his Allegra is threatened he will stop at nothing to make her world safe for her. We also get more of John & Suzanne and Bud & Claire. I love how LMR wove these books together, this book picked up where Midnight Run left off.
Favorite Quotes:
"I love you". He said quietly. "So much it scares me. I've only known you a couple of day's and yet I feel like I've loved you all my life. I know I'll love you for the rest of my life".
"Oh Douglas, I knew it. I just knew you'd be a beautiful man"
December 25, 2012
Another hot steamy book, short, intense and wonderful. I liked this book the best out of the series, It is a modern day erotica version of Beauty and the Beast. Douglas is a big scary macho caveman with a heart as big as the moon. Lover of music and the beauty he finds in it. He is stunned and speechless when he hears Allegra singing. Douglas is quite used to people being intimated and frightened of him, he has a terrible scar on his face and has gotten quite good at not letting anyone in or seeing his soft side. So when he is enchanted by Allegra he knows it will go nowhere because she will react to him the same way everyone does. but of course she doesn't because she is blind, she is not prejudice of his looks, she is attracted to the man.
And of course there is Allegra's story, blinded by an assault from her former manager. She was in a coma and wakes up blind and with no memory. She has terrible waking nightmares, flashbacks and is struggling to deal emotionally as well as physically as life as a blind person.
Then of course all hell breaks loose, there are bad guys and danger and a story that kept my attention until the end. Again I would have liked more story about Allegra dealing with her blindness and more about Douglas and his life, but that doesn't take away that i really enjoyed this book. I honestly have not read a great deal of "erotica" books so to speak, but if they are like these then I can say "bring them on".....
And of course there is Allegra's story, blinded by an assault from her former manager. She was in a coma and wakes up blind and with no memory. She has terrible waking nightmares, flashbacks and is struggling to deal emotionally as well as physically as life as a blind person.
Then of course all hell breaks loose, there are bad guys and danger and a story that kept my attention until the end. Again I would have liked more story about Allegra dealing with her blindness and more about Douglas and his life, but that doesn't take away that i really enjoyed this book. I honestly have not read a great deal of "erotica" books so to speak, but if they are like these then I can say "bring them on".....
August 4, 2016
Another great one from Lisa Marie Rice. I loved the beauty and the beast theme. This rough and dangerous ex-seal turned into mush when he meets his beauty. If you like to read about protective men who take complete care with their women, this is the book and series for you. I love how we got to read a bit more on the couples from book 1 & 2. Great series!
December 17, 2012
Loved it!
The best one in the series (my opinion)!
This was such an amazing rendition of "Beauty and the Beast"!
Douglas *swoon* loved your patience, kindness, tenderness, and above all your love for sweet Allegra!
Bravo!
The best one in the series (my opinion)!
This was such an amazing rendition of "Beauty and the Beast"!
Douglas *swoon* loved your patience, kindness, tenderness, and above all your love for sweet Allegra!
Bravo!
May 23, 2015
4,3 Stars - I love these "cave men" - so alpha.
Another hot, exciting and fun book in the Midnight Series by Lisa Marie Rice. Midnight Angel, the third and last book in the series was just like the other two a story about a big tough ex-warrior (former SEAL) who finds his first love in a beautiful girl in need.
Douglas Kowalski is not pretty but he loves beautiful music and when he meets the blind singer Allegra Ennis, he becomes captivated by her. She is the most beautiful thing he had ever seen, and his task is now to take care of and make love to her ...
Three books are enough, the arrangement is quite similar in each book - but OMG I'll miss this series, and these three wonderful cave-men. This book is probably the sweetest of the three. A beautiful Beauty & the Beast story that is so soft and tender. I loved this hero Douglas almost more just because he was so humble. He had never experienced that a woman or any women looked twice after him - Heartbreaking nice.
I got both the romance and a bit of suspense. The heroine is lovable and she got my heart. As an added bonus I got to meet the two lovely (now married) couples from book 1 and 2 of the series. And so this incomparable man Douglas, I gasp ...
Perfect, I got everything.
Hot, hot - it boils in these books! Highly recommended for an entertaining, steamy and romantic reading.
I LIKE - it's just so good reading for a girl like me ...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
... a wonderful series, almost a little sad that it's over.
The Midnight series:
Note; read most preferably in the correct order ...
Another hot, exciting and fun book in the Midnight Series by Lisa Marie Rice. Midnight Angel, the third and last book in the series was just like the other two a story about a big tough ex-warrior (former SEAL) who finds his first love in a beautiful girl in need.
Douglas Kowalski is not pretty but he loves beautiful music and when he meets the blind singer Allegra Ennis, he becomes captivated by her. She is the most beautiful thing he had ever seen, and his task is now to take care of and make love to her ...
Three books are enough, the arrangement is quite similar in each book - but OMG I'll miss this series, and these three wonderful cave-men. This book is probably the sweetest of the three. A beautiful Beauty & the Beast story that is so soft and tender. I loved this hero Douglas almost more just because he was so humble. He had never experienced that a woman or any women looked twice after him - Heartbreaking nice.
I got both the romance and a bit of suspense. The heroine is lovable and she got my heart. As an added bonus I got to meet the two lovely (now married) couples from book 1 and 2 of the series. And so this incomparable man Douglas, I gasp ...
Perfect, I got everything.
She kissed him softly on the ear and whispered,
"I love you, too, Douglas."
Kowalski exploded. The was no other word for it.
Hot, hot - it boils in these books! Highly recommended for an entertaining, steamy and romantic reading.
I LIKE - it's just so good reading for a girl like me ...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
... a wonderful series, almost a little sad that it's over.
The Midnight series:
Note; read most preferably in the correct order ...
March 12, 2009
*Sigh sigh* and we’re talking the good kind here ;) Douglas Kowalski –not a name I’d associate with OMG-short intake of breath-followed by another-OMG with some tears pooling in your eyes. What a great character :) He will melt your heart. He’s a do not mess with kind of guy who just turns into a loveable teddy bear around Allegra. Rice has the beauty and the beast theme down pat here without getting too sticky sweet. There’s some very hot tamale steam going on too(!). She did do a very good (and frightening) job of describing the horror of suddenly being blind. You could feel the walls closing in on you at times.
My only complaint is the excess of everything which was why I couldn’t give it a 5 star rating. The hero is 5 stars hands down but the writing isn’t. There are too many extremes one right after another throughout the book: so incredibly beautiful, horribly ugly, incredibly complete, exhilarating joy etc etc –superlative city :-/ There’s something about Rice’s writing that lacks the extra polish to be a really good writer IMO. She’s good but it could be so much better maybe with better editing. Some of the emotion during the steam scenes were a bit ruined for me with words like “cunt” and “fuck” because they seemed to be thrown in as if the author remembered it was erotica so you just need to use a “rawer” kind of language. I don’t think you need a euphemism but it was how those words suddenly appeared that didn’t really match the moment.
The story is a quick read and quite the page turner at times. I didn't really buy the I love you so soon but I tried not to think about it so much being that how it all turned out was very satisfying.
Overall though the hero is amazing and the ending chokes you up somewhat. This book that weighs a ton was well worth the wrist strain at 2am ;)
My only complaint is the excess of everything which was why I couldn’t give it a 5 star rating. The hero is 5 stars hands down but the writing isn’t. There are too many extremes one right after another throughout the book: so incredibly beautiful, horribly ugly, incredibly complete, exhilarating joy etc etc –superlative city :-/ There’s something about Rice’s writing that lacks the extra polish to be a really good writer IMO. She’s good but it could be so much better maybe with better editing. Some of the emotion during the steam scenes were a bit ruined for me with words like “cunt” and “fuck” because they seemed to be thrown in as if the author remembered it was erotica so you just need to use a “rawer” kind of language. I don’t think you need a euphemism but it was how those words suddenly appeared that didn’t really match the moment.
The story is a quick read and quite the page turner at times. I didn't really buy the I love you so soon but I tried not to think about it so much being that how it all turned out was very satisfying.
Overall though the hero is amazing and the ending chokes you up somewhat. This book that weighs a ton was well worth the wrist strain at 2am ;)
December 18, 2014
4.5 stars
My second LMR book and my favorite so far. Her plots seem to be the same more or less: powerful, strong man meets beautiful woman and they fall in love within a a few days' period, while some bad guys are after them. And they have a lot of sex during those days. I mean a lot of HOT sex!
Though these books may sound as a huge cliche, I like them! They'll never be candidates for a pulitzer prize, but they're well-written, entertaining, fast paced, have some very yummy heroes and surprisingly don't stay just in the sex but do quite well in expressing the feelings and growing love between the hero and heroine.
The reason I liked this even more than Dangerous Passion, was that the heroine was not a doormat or a weakling despite being blind. She has a mind of her own and wasn't afraid to stand her ground. And the hero was as I said delicious. Despite being was described as scarred and ugly, I felt in love with him. He was sweet, tender, loving and vulnerable underneath all that bravado.
Personally, I'm mostly into angsty and emotional reads so this is not keeper staff for me, but I can easily picture myself re-reading it in the future. I'll definitely try out the rest of the series as well.
My second LMR book and my favorite so far. Her plots seem to be the same more or less: powerful, strong man meets beautiful woman and they fall in love within a a few days' period, while some bad guys are after them. And they have a lot of sex during those days. I mean a lot of HOT sex!
Though these books may sound as a huge cliche, I like them! They'll never be candidates for a pulitzer prize, but they're well-written, entertaining, fast paced, have some very yummy heroes and surprisingly don't stay just in the sex but do quite well in expressing the feelings and growing love between the hero and heroine.
The reason I liked this even more than Dangerous Passion, was that the heroine was not a doormat or a weakling despite being blind. She has a mind of her own and wasn't afraid to stand her ground. And the hero was as I said delicious. Despite being was described as scarred and ugly, I felt in love with him. He was sweet, tender, loving and vulnerable underneath all that bravado.
Personally, I'm mostly into angsty and emotional reads so this is not keeper staff for me, but I can easily picture myself re-reading it in the future. I'll definitely try out the rest of the series as well.
June 10, 2008
Ladies, when you're right, you're RIGHT! I LOVED this book! I got so wrapped up in it, I completely stopped jumping from it to the other books I'm currently reading. The hero - as tough as they come, but so sweet, tender and giving when dealing with the heroine. And Allegra - a formerly self-assured woman with newly acquired vulnerabilities, both empotional and physical, but not TSL (in fact, a musical genius). A couple with an instant attraction, no stupid misunderstandings, a genuine (albeit FAST) deepening of feelings for each other, danger lurking around the corner, hot yet poignant bedroom scenes, WHAT'S NOT TO LOVE? My only complaint ... I would have enjoyed a few more pages between the end of the action and the epilogue, just a little while longer to savor the relationship between these two before everything's wrapped up. And the ending? Short, but potent. And enough to say it all.
May 16, 2012
Midnight Angel started with a bang but fizzled in the middle. Kowalski and Alanna, our two main characters, meet just before armed men attempt to rob famous jewels being exhibited in the event they are attending. Seeing Kowalski evaluate the situation and take charge was thrilling, specially because it showed the mad skillz he acquired as a SEAL. After the exciting action at the beginning, the book took the predictable path for this series where the couple spent a couple of days isolated from others and fall madly in love fairly quickly.
Their attraction wasn't unbelievable because they had music in common - it was interesting to have a big tough guy like Kowalski loving all sorts of music, even opera - but given her fragile state and her unwillingness to accept her blindness, it was difficult to accept that she really loved him or if she just glad to have a man helping her out when she couldn't cope.
Overall, a decent read but nothing I'd go out of my way to recommend.
Their attraction wasn't unbelievable because they had music in common - it was interesting to have a big tough guy like Kowalski loving all sorts of music, even opera - but given her fragile state and her unwillingness to accept her blindness, it was difficult to accept that she really loved him or if she just glad to have a man helping her out when she couldn't cope.
Overall, a decent read but nothing I'd go out of my way to recommend.
February 15, 2009
I love Beauty and the Beast stories, and 'Midnight Angel' is a book that follows that kind of storyline. Knowing that, it was a sure bet I´d like this book. :)
This is the most emotional book of the Midnight series, but I sometimes felt that LMR could have "toned down" her charaterization of Douglas and Allegra. I mean, he was so wonderful, sweet and caring, it was like he was "the" ultimate romance hero (apart from his "ugliness", that is); and she was so nice, talented and beautiful... It was too much, IMHO.
Anyway, I really like this book - the whole series, actually - and LMR has become one of my favorite authors. I need to track down her backlist. Thankfully, she doesn´t have a huge one; otherwise, I´d be in deep trouble. :)
This is the most emotional book of the Midnight series, but I sometimes felt that LMR could have "toned down" her charaterization of Douglas and Allegra. I mean, he was so wonderful, sweet and caring, it was like he was "the" ultimate romance hero (apart from his "ugliness", that is); and she was so nice, talented and beautiful... It was too much, IMHO.
Anyway, I really like this book - the whole series, actually - and LMR has become one of my favorite authors. I need to track down her backlist. Thankfully, she doesn´t have a huge one; otherwise, I´d be in deep trouble. :)
January 16, 2015
Loved this beauty and the beast story. This is erotic suspense with a strong overtone of tender romance, and one of my personal favorites by this author. It's book 3 in the Midnight series. It stands alone, but is more meaningful if you read the series in order. Several scenes include John and Suzanne from Midnight Man -- the first book in the series (and also good). We see just a little of Bud and Claire from book 2.
I loved Douglas, the former SEAL. And I liked Allegra, a recently blinded and courageous musician who plays the harp. Douglas is loyal, brave, protective – all things honorable – but he feels ugly, good for only meaningless sexual encounters. He's never had a relationship with a woman because he looks so scary, with horrible facial scarring. However, Allegra is blind, and has learned to read people's character by the quality of their voice -- hearing the ring of truth, for example. She immediately trusts him, perceiving the beauty of his soul. For the first time, Doug could have a loving relationship -- and with his own personal Irish angel. Plus, Doug loves Allegra's music.
He teaches her a secret code for communicating and understanding where things are located in the dark. She learns fast -- this heroine is not too stupid to live. He helps her develop the courage to leave her house and stroll through the neighborhood with him. Their relationship is heartwarming. Truly. So much erotica, but also so much romance.
Lots of sex, but he gets her too wet -- or rather, Rice dwells on that messy aspect of the sex too much. Ugh. She does this in all her books. Plus, he keeps a hard-on long after orgasm, which makes me sad for him. But Rice does that. And it's still all good.
Humor? A little. There are some witty lines in here about the Irish, about her harp, Dagda, about his "blue-steeler" boner, etc.
Suspense: I didn't fully buy into that whole part towards the end, when the villain showed up on the scene. (Both the hero and the heroine's actions seemed a little hard to believe.) But the suspense leading up to that final battle scene was decent, because nobody quite believed Allegra -- and with good reason -- so she feared for her sanity. The pacing was decent, too, except for when it got bogged down by introspection.
A delightful story, with equal parts erotica, romance, and suspense. I re-read it a lot.
Quibbles: One major flaw is too much time spent on introspection, with the lead characters repeating their thoughts. Also, too much profanity (religious swearing bugs me).
I loved Douglas, the former SEAL. And I liked Allegra, a recently blinded and courageous musician who plays the harp. Douglas is loyal, brave, protective – all things honorable – but he feels ugly, good for only meaningless sexual encounters. He's never had a relationship with a woman because he looks so scary, with horrible facial scarring. However, Allegra is blind, and has learned to read people's character by the quality of their voice -- hearing the ring of truth, for example. She immediately trusts him, perceiving the beauty of his soul. For the first time, Doug could have a loving relationship -- and with his own personal Irish angel. Plus, Doug loves Allegra's music.
He teaches her a secret code for communicating and understanding where things are located in the dark. She learns fast -- this heroine is not too stupid to live. He helps her develop the courage to leave her house and stroll through the neighborhood with him. Their relationship is heartwarming. Truly. So much erotica, but also so much romance.
Lots of sex, but he gets her too wet -- or rather, Rice dwells on that messy aspect of the sex too much. Ugh. She does this in all her books. Plus, he keeps a hard-on long after orgasm, which makes me sad for him. But Rice does that. And it's still all good.
Humor? A little. There are some witty lines in here about the Irish, about her harp, Dagda, about his "blue-steeler" boner, etc.
Suspense: I didn't fully buy into that whole part towards the end, when the villain showed up on the scene. (Both the hero and the heroine's actions seemed a little hard to believe.) But the suspense leading up to that final battle scene was decent, because nobody quite believed Allegra -- and with good reason -- so she feared for her sanity. The pacing was decent, too, except for when it got bogged down by introspection.
A delightful story, with equal parts erotica, romance, and suspense. I re-read it a lot.
Quibbles: One major flaw is too much time spent on introspection, with the lead characters repeating their thoughts. Also, too much profanity (religious swearing bugs me).
January 20, 2014
Book three in the Midnight series and is is probably the best, and I loved the first two!
Allegra Ennis nearly lost it all in one night, her career, her father, her sight, and very nearly her life!
Picking up directly where book two in the series ended, she meets former SEAL Douglas Kowalski the night they are involved in an attempted robbery. Douglas is huge, scary looking and scarred. Used to people flinching away from him and not being able to look directly at him.
"No." The word lingered in the air, stark and hard.
"Why?" she asked softly.
"I'm...ugly." The words came out low and harsh, guttural. As if between clenched teeth. As if from a terrible place inside him
They are both dealing with the scars and issues that life has left with them
But deep inside, Douglas is hiding a gentle soul with a love and appreciation of beautiful things.
"It doesn't make any difference at all how long you take", he said quietly. "I'm a patient man and I don't have anywhere to go. I'll be here. I'll wait for you. For as long as it takes"
This book has less humour than the first two in my opinion, but it is a beautiful read. To watch these two people, facing their fears because of each other and helping each other while falling in love. It has a slightly darker undertone in places, due to the more personal direct nature of the attack Allegra suffered and that continued as a theme through the book.
Not to say it did not have its more light-hearted moments that made me laugh.
"So you had a cold weather jacket in your trunk too?...What else do you have in there?"
Well, let's see. In his SUV he had his MP-5 9mm submachine gun with thirty-round magazines, M24 sniper rifle and ammo, M9 pistol with five magazines, body armour with PAGST helmet, two weeks worth of MREs, five gallons of water, GPS receiver, night vision goggles and a laptop hooked up to SATCOM transmitters.
He had a quarter pound of perfectly illegal C5 in the false bottom of his tool kit. If there was one thing he knew how to do well, it was blow things up. He subscribed to the SEAl philosophy-there were few problems that couldn't be solved by a judicious application of a properly sized, shaped, timed and detonated explosive.
He had an emergency trauma kit, extra thin leather shooting gloves, cold weather survival gear, mountaineering equipment, his diving suit, scuba tank and fins
And four boxes of condoms.
"Nothing much" he said. "This and that. Stuff"
It is an excellent read and you really felt for Allegra and Douglas and all they had suffered.
Allegra Ennis nearly lost it all in one night, her career, her father, her sight, and very nearly her life!
Picking up directly where book two in the series ended, she meets former SEAL Douglas Kowalski the night they are involved in an attempted robbery. Douglas is huge, scary looking and scarred. Used to people flinching away from him and not being able to look directly at him.
"No." The word lingered in the air, stark and hard.
"Why?" she asked softly.
"I'm...ugly." The words came out low and harsh, guttural. As if between clenched teeth. As if from a terrible place inside him
They are both dealing with the scars and issues that life has left with them
But deep inside, Douglas is hiding a gentle soul with a love and appreciation of beautiful things.
"It doesn't make any difference at all how long you take", he said quietly. "I'm a patient man and I don't have anywhere to go. I'll be here. I'll wait for you. For as long as it takes"
This book has less humour than the first two in my opinion, but it is a beautiful read. To watch these two people, facing their fears because of each other and helping each other while falling in love. It has a slightly darker undertone in places, due to the more personal direct nature of the attack Allegra suffered and that continued as a theme through the book.
Not to say it did not have its more light-hearted moments that made me laugh.
"So you had a cold weather jacket in your trunk too?...What else do you have in there?"
Well, let's see. In his SUV he had his MP-5 9mm submachine gun with thirty-round magazines, M24 sniper rifle and ammo, M9 pistol with five magazines, body armour with PAGST helmet, two weeks worth of MREs, five gallons of water, GPS receiver, night vision goggles and a laptop hooked up to SATCOM transmitters.
He had a quarter pound of perfectly illegal C5 in the false bottom of his tool kit. If there was one thing he knew how to do well, it was blow things up. He subscribed to the SEAl philosophy-there were few problems that couldn't be solved by a judicious application of a properly sized, shaped, timed and detonated explosive.
He had an emergency trauma kit, extra thin leather shooting gloves, cold weather survival gear, mountaineering equipment, his diving suit, scuba tank and fins
And four boxes of condoms.
"Nothing much" he said. "This and that. Stuff"
It is an excellent read and you really felt for Allegra and Douglas and all they had suffered.
June 4, 2019
I enjoy a little suspense with my romance, but this is very little suspense with a whole lotta sex. Not much in the romance department although the characters do "fall in love" after a whole lotta sex.
Allegra Ennis suffered a violent attack which left her without her memory and her sight. Her father was murdered in the same attack. The scum got off with confinement to a mental "Club Fed". Allegra has had a tough time dealing and after five months is starting to sing and play in public again. Her performance at the Park Foundation showing of a fabulous jewelry collection is where she meets former Navy SEAL Douglas Kowalski. They have an instant connection and Douglas is drawn to the beautiful Allegra, even though she is so different from the women he usually encounters. He has the SEAL build, but his face makes women run the other way. When the party is interrupted by heavily armed robbers and Allegra has no idea what is going on and Douglas saves her, takes her home and to her bed.
Allegra is haunted by nightmares and Douglas is so good and gentle with her. When her nightmares end up being a stalker everyone thinks she is having flashbacks, but Douglas will to whatever it takes to protect her all the time knowing he is powerless to protect his heart. 3 1/2-Stars
Allegra Ennis suffered a violent attack which left her without her memory and her sight. Her father was murdered in the same attack. The scum got off with confinement to a mental "Club Fed". Allegra has had a tough time dealing and after five months is starting to sing and play in public again. Her performance at the Park Foundation showing of a fabulous jewelry collection is where she meets former Navy SEAL Douglas Kowalski. They have an instant connection and Douglas is drawn to the beautiful Allegra, even though she is so different from the women he usually encounters. He has the SEAL build, but his face makes women run the other way. When the party is interrupted by heavily armed robbers and Allegra has no idea what is going on and Douglas saves her, takes her home and to her bed.
Allegra is haunted by nightmares and Douglas is so good and gentle with her. When her nightmares end up being a stalker everyone thinks she is having flashbacks, but Douglas will to whatever it takes to protect her all the time knowing he is powerless to protect his heart. 3 1/2-Stars
February 7, 2017
There are lots of reviews of this book, so here are some quick impressions and a few favorite quotes:
* I love a story with an ugly guy!!!! And as much others compare this story to Beauty and the Beast, Senior Chief Douglas Kowalski keeps his face at the end of this fairy tale.
* The ending was very, very rushed and didn't do credit to the emotional or suspenseful build-up.
* I love how Lisa Marie Rice set up this "knuckle-dragger" to be a lover of beauty and music, albeit surreptitiously.
* Loved the numerous references to Douglas's luscious deep voice.
* Loved Allegra's little sparks of independence and the Master Chief's shock at not being instantly obeyed. Times, they are a-changin' dude.
* Every once in a while the lust-meter went overboard, but for the most part I thought the love scenes were especially touching and hot, hot, hot.
* It was insta-love, which is not usually something I enjoy in a romance, but when your leading man is 38, I kind of liked that Douglas's adoration of Allegra was like a bullet between the eyes. In this story, with these characters, it worked.
The fav quotes:
"Some fragrance, something light and spring-like rose to his nostrils and he had to stop himself from sniffing deeply, like a dog."
"Kowalski had literally no tools to deal with a no."
"It was pure male command and to be resisted, out of principle, but that voice overrode entirely her usually healthy ego." [Also not something that I normally like to see in a romance, but by this point in the story, I, too, could not resist Douglas's voice.]
Book source: Purchased.
* I love a story with an ugly guy!!!! And as much others compare this story to Beauty and the Beast, Senior Chief Douglas Kowalski keeps his face at the end of this fairy tale.
* The ending was very, very rushed and didn't do credit to the emotional or suspenseful build-up.
* I love how Lisa Marie Rice set up this "knuckle-dragger" to be a lover of beauty and music, albeit surreptitiously.
* Loved the numerous references to Douglas's luscious deep voice.
* Loved Allegra's little sparks of independence and the Master Chief's shock at not being instantly obeyed. Times, they are a-changin' dude.
* Every once in a while the lust-meter went overboard, but for the most part I thought the love scenes were especially touching and hot, hot, hot.
* It was insta-love, which is not usually something I enjoy in a romance, but when your leading man is 38, I kind of liked that Douglas's adoration of Allegra was like a bullet between the eyes. In this story, with these characters, it worked.
The fav quotes:
"Some fragrance, something light and spring-like rose to his nostrils and he had to stop himself from sniffing deeply, like a dog."
"Kowalski had literally no tools to deal with a no."
"It was pure male command and to be resisted, out of principle, but that voice overrode entirely her usually healthy ego." [Also not something that I normally like to see in a romance, but by this point in the story, I, too, could not resist Douglas's voice.]
Book source: Purchased.
November 10, 2015
I'm giving this 3 stars because of the potential it had, but didn't deliver. He was a big UGLY scarred up guy, she was a blind musician, danger was stalking her... why isn't my heart twisting and wrenching right now? I think it was because instead of hearing about heart-wrenching feelings, I got to hear about jets of semen. Yes, many quarts of semen were ejaculated during this little gem of a book. Don't get me wrong, I like descriptive and plentiful sex in the stories. Just so long as the story delivers some emotion and depth. And this one SOOOOO COULD HAVE. It ended abruptly and the epilogue was quickly and neatly wrapped in a store-bought bow.
December 21, 2012
Love this series. So sweet, the last line of the book. Big soppy smile on my face.
May 3, 2019
Again typical like the other books in the series but the heroine in this was annoying refusing to accept reality & then ignoring what her brain was telling her. The hero basically goes home with her the first day and never goes back.
December 7, 2015
Midnight Angel es el tercer libro de la serie Midnight de Lisa Marie Rice y tiene como protagonistas a Douglas y Allegra, personajes secundarios de los libros anteriores.
Creo que nunca habia leido un libro en el que uno de los protagonistas fuera ciego. Si, he leido historias en las que uno de los protagonistas tiene una discapacidad pero generalmente lo que pasa es que el protagonista masculino es sordo, * Holding Her Hand *.
Reconozco que algunas escenas se me hicieron poco realistas pero quizas eso se deba a que no tengo mucha informacion sobre el tema.
Midnight Angel es el libro mas tierno y dulce de los tres de la serie, ademas de ser el que tiene los mejores protagonistas, Douglas y Allegra fueron para mi la pareja mas impresionante de las tres que ha creado la autora.
Ahora a leer la novela corta, me muero de ganas de leer mas sobre esta pareja, el libro me supo a poco.
3.5 Estrellas!
February 1, 2013
This is the third of the midnight books and after reading all three, I can say that they are better once you have read them all, as the stories are all heavily linked.
Overall, this book was my least favourite, as I was let down by the fact that Douglas was partnered with a blind woman as if a sighted woman could never fall in love with him. I also didn't like how Sarah and Claire reacted to his looks as if they made him less then the loving, protective man he is.
The romance in this one was as good as the others, and I do enjoy how Lisa Marie Rice keeps her story's moving along with no wasted filler.
The ending was touching, and I will read more by this author even though I was disappointed with this one.
Overall, this book was my least favourite, as I was let down by the fact that Douglas was partnered with a blind woman as if a sighted woman could never fall in love with him. I also didn't like how Sarah and Claire reacted to his looks as if they made him less then the loving, protective man he is.
The romance in this one was as good as the others, and I do enjoy how Lisa Marie Rice keeps her story's moving along with no wasted filler.
The ending was touching, and I will read more by this author even though I was disappointed with this one.
May 14, 2008
This is book #3 in the Midnight series, but all three books seem to occur around the same time period and overlap. It was neat reading the events from another character's point of view. The entire series is man sees woman, woman sees man, both have INSTANT attraction. None of the "couple arguments." Nice!
This is a beauty and the beast type theme. Really there wasn't anything particularly great and suspenseful except the characters--they were so neat. They made this book. I found the book to be very well written and this author has a knack for writing that I admire and enjoy.
Rated S-for Sensuous. I call it "hot."
Nice series that put a smile on my face. Easy to read and hard to put down! Big thumbs up from This Reader.
This is a beauty and the beast type theme. Really there wasn't anything particularly great and suspenseful except the characters--they were so neat. They made this book. I found the book to be very well written and this author has a knack for writing that I admire and enjoy.
Rated S-for Sensuous. I call it "hot."
Nice series that put a smile on my face. Easy to read and hard to put down! Big thumbs up from This Reader.
June 1, 2015
I'm so totally blown away by this series that I simply can't stop. Thank goodness for vacations because I'm not stopping. This installment was so emotional for me. I've always loved the beauty and the beast type plot. Douglas was the most protective and passionately romantic hero I've read in such a long time. While Allegra was purely beauty inside and out.
These books were written over a decade ago and I'm falling in love with these heroes so hard. Intense and provocative, Lisa Marie Rice takes you into the heart of romance and brings you every single element that makes love stories.. All about love. From seeing past the outer shell to the heart on the inside whole such erotic "mating" because these are primal alpha makes, these stories are perfect in every way.
These books were written over a decade ago and I'm falling in love with these heroes so hard. Intense and provocative, Lisa Marie Rice takes you into the heart of romance and brings you every single element that makes love stories.. All about love. From seeing past the outer shell to the heart on the inside whole such erotic "mating" because these are primal alpha makes, these stories are perfect in every way.
February 11, 2016
Ah I loved this one, definitely my favourite in the series so far. I love the Beauty and the Beast trope, and Rice does this so well in Midnight Angel. Add to this a OTT alpha Seal with a heart encased in ice, a blind musician broken after a horrific attack, all wrapped up in a great story that sizzled, stir in a huge dollop of suspense that kept me flipping the pages and I was totally in my happy place.
Yes, there was insta-love but again it did not bother me in the slightest, Rice works it so well into the story if it wasn't there something would be lacking.
Yes, there was insta-love but again it did not bother me in the slightest, Rice works it so well into the story if it wasn't there something would be lacking.
September 21, 2015
The third in the Midnight series by Lisa Marie Rice. You don't need to read the others to enjoy this, though. Another beauty and the beast story but I loved it. Douglas Kowalski is the beast. Horribly scarred by war, Douglas is a former Navy SEAL and now working with John Huntington from Mignight Man. Allegra Ennis is a beautiful musician who is blinded by her crazy agent.
Spicy, as in habanero spicy! My favorite of the series.
Spicy, as in habanero spicy! My favorite of the series.
February 29, 2016
Perfecto. Bonito. ¿He dicho perfecto?
Lo que si tengo que decir es que en el tema del suspense la autora me ha decepcionado un poco, ya que solo ha dedicado cinco páginas a este. Peeeero no me quejo porque la historia entre los protagonistas me ha parecido preciosa.
Lo que si tengo que decir es que en el tema del suspense la autora me ha decepcionado un poco, ya que solo ha dedicado cinco páginas a este. Peeeero no me quejo porque la historia entre los protagonistas me ha parecido preciosa.
June 2, 2017
Mais uma história que nos prende do início ao fim.
Herói com grande força interior e um macho alfa que nos encanta por suas qualidades de protetor com heroína frágil e etérea.
Seria um caso de bela e fera que se encontram em meio a tiros e muito perigo.
Gostei muito e recomendo!
Herói com grande força interior e um macho alfa que nos encanta por suas qualidades de protetor com heroína frágil e etérea.
Seria um caso de bela e fera que se encontram em meio a tiros e muito perigo.
Gostei muito e recomendo!
September 28, 2010
3.5 stars. Blind woman and ugly man fall in love. A psycho is scaring her and plans to kill her.
STORY BRIEF:
Allegra is a singer who reminds me of Enya. Her manager Corey is giving her bad advice. When Allegra breaks her contract with Corey, Corey kills her father and beats Allegra causing her blindness and amnesia. Corey is in a psychiatric prison. Corey arranges for someone to stalk, scare and try to kill Allegra.
Doug is a former Navy SEAL, naturally ugly plus scarred and disfigured by war. He is enchanted when he first hears Allegra sing. He loves music, and they have that in common. They meet and fall in love. He loves taking care of her needs due to blindness.
REVIEWER’S OPINION:
This is the third book in the Midnight series. It was nice. I liked it, but I liked the first book (Midnight Man) the best. Midnight Angel can be read as a stand alone, but if you’re thinking of reading all three, then they should be read in order. The male and female characters are similar in all of her books: strong, protective, needs-a-lot-of-sex alpha warrior with beautiful, delicate, talented, compassionate, good-person heroine. I loved the ending in Midnight Man. The ending in this book regarding the bad guy had a similarity but I was less comfortable with it. I don’t want to give anything away so I won’t say more. I loved the opening scene and events with the armed thieves. I enjoyed the way Doug guided Allegra around obstacles as they walked. I also enjoyed the way Doug taught Allegra military techniques for describing locations, for example Charlie Green 2 o’clock.
DATA:
Story length: 272 pages. Swearing language: strong. Sexual language: strong but nothing kinky. Number of sex scenes: 5. Total number of sex scene pages: 44. Setting: Portland, Oregon. Copyright: 2005. Genre: erotic romantic suspense.
OTHER BOOKS:
For a list of my reviews of other Lisa Marie Rice books, see my 4.5 star review of “Midnight Man” posted 3/17/09.
STORY BRIEF:
Allegra is a singer who reminds me of Enya. Her manager Corey is giving her bad advice. When Allegra breaks her contract with Corey, Corey kills her father and beats Allegra causing her blindness and amnesia. Corey is in a psychiatric prison. Corey arranges for someone to stalk, scare and try to kill Allegra.
Doug is a former Navy SEAL, naturally ugly plus scarred and disfigured by war. He is enchanted when he first hears Allegra sing. He loves music, and they have that in common. They meet and fall in love. He loves taking care of her needs due to blindness.
REVIEWER’S OPINION:
This is the third book in the Midnight series. It was nice. I liked it, but I liked the first book (Midnight Man) the best. Midnight Angel can be read as a stand alone, but if you’re thinking of reading all three, then they should be read in order. The male and female characters are similar in all of her books: strong, protective, needs-a-lot-of-sex alpha warrior with beautiful, delicate, talented, compassionate, good-person heroine. I loved the ending in Midnight Man. The ending in this book regarding the bad guy had a similarity but I was less comfortable with it. I don’t want to give anything away so I won’t say more. I loved the opening scene and events with the armed thieves. I enjoyed the way Doug guided Allegra around obstacles as they walked. I also enjoyed the way Doug taught Allegra military techniques for describing locations, for example Charlie Green 2 o’clock.
DATA:
Story length: 272 pages. Swearing language: strong. Sexual language: strong but nothing kinky. Number of sex scenes: 5. Total number of sex scene pages: 44. Setting: Portland, Oregon. Copyright: 2005. Genre: erotic romantic suspense.
OTHER BOOKS:
For a list of my reviews of other Lisa Marie Rice books, see my 4.5 star review of “Midnight Man” posted 3/17/09.
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