Midnight Kiss

Virgin River #10.5

by Robyn Carr, Jean Brashear, Victoria Dahl

THESE ARE NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS WORTH KEEPING!

TAKE A RISK

At the inaugural New Year's Eve party at Jack's Bar, two lonely revelers decide the best balm for their broken hearts might just be each other.

FIND THE PERFECT WORK-LIFE BALANCE

When a flinty lawyer with a bad-boy addiction meets the quintessential nice guy, sparks fly that consume their expectations of life and love.

GET THOSE FINANCES IN ORDER

Working over the holidays on a messy bank takeover is made worse for two federal specialists by an ill-advised kiss that will never happen again ... right?

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Anthologies, Christmas, Chick Lit, Fiction

315 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published October 26, 2010

About the author

Robyn Carr is a RITA® Award-winning, eleven-time #1 New York Times bestselling author of over sixty novels, including the critically acclaimed Virgin River series and Sullivan's Crossing series. Robyn's new women's fiction novel, THE FRIENDSHIP CLUB, will be released in January 2024. The new hit Sullivan's Crossing TV series (season 1) inspired by Robyn's book series was released in the USA in the fall of 2023! Plus, season 5 of the worldwide fan-favorite Virgin River TV Series is now streaming on Netflix (July 2023) with two holiday episodes coming November 30, 2023. Both TV series have been renewed for another season!
Robyn is a recipient of the Romance Writers of America Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award 2016, and in 2017, VIRGIN RIVER was named one of the HarperCollins 200 Iconic Books of the past 200 years. Robyn currently resides in Las Vegas, Nevada. You can visit Robyn Carr's website at https://www.robyncarr.com/.

Reviews

[Jessica's Totally Over The Top Book Obsession · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

[♡Karlyn P♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a surprise to me. While I love Robyn Carr and the Virgin River series (and was most excited to read her story), it was the other two stories that made this book a solid winner - and it even renewed my interest in Victoria Dahl.

Midnight Confessions by Robyn Carr (Virgin River) -- 2.5 stars.
Two people healing differently from broken engagements. While there were some cute moments, sadly it spends too much time analyzing the hero/heroines past relationships and so little on building their own. I normally just love the Virgin River series, but this one disappointed. Steam level: mild with kisses

Midnight Surrender by Jean Brashear -- 4.5 stars.
A new author for me, and while I didn't warm up to the heroine Jordon, I thought the hero Will Masterson was a perfect 10. He's an Irishman living in Texas, and the author did a great job with his sexy way of speaking. I would love to read more books with hero's like this guy! Will had me curling my toes with excitement. I just loved him! I didn't like her heroine, but the story had a 'real' feel to it so I understand why she made the heroine a bit snarky and cynical. I never even heard of this author before, but will check out her back-list. Steam level: Really warm

Midnight Assignment by Victoria Dahl -- 5 stars.
LOVED this one. A great unrequited love story with a really sexy hero and likable heroine. Victoria Dahl's story was a nice surprise considering I DNF'd one of her contemporaries and swore never to read her again. But this little story had me wishing it was a full book, so now I will read this author again. This was my favorite story in the book, I loved it. Steam level: Hot

Overall this book is well worth buying and reading. I got it as an ARC copy through Netgalley, but would have bought it just for the VR story. And while I didn't think the VR story was all that wonderful, the other two more than make this a must read for fans of contemporary romance anthologies.

[Auntee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review is for Robyn Carr's "Midnight Confessions" only.

Pretty blonde workaholic photographer Sunny Archer’s in Virgin River to visit her uncle Nate and fiancée Annie ( "Under The Christmas Tree" from the anthology That Holiday Feeling) over the New Year’s holiday. She’s trying to get over a bad breakup when her fiancée humiliated her by leaving her at the altar before hundreds of wedding guests last New Year’s Eve. She’s having a rough time of it and wants nothing to do with men or meeting anyone new or socializing but her uncle wants her to come into town with him and Annie to have a drink at Jack’s Bar and ring in the New Year. While at the bar she meets handsome orthopedic resident Dr. Drew Foley (brother of Marcie --A Virgin River Christmas, and Erin--Moonlight Road), who has spent the last few days of his Christmas holiday in the Foley cabin outside of Virgin River to get some rest and studying done before heading back to his job at UCLA Medical Center. Drew is instantly attracted to Sunny and makes an attempt to draw her out of her funk but she shoots him down. Later in the evening Sunny feels bad about being a bitch to Drew and gives him another chance and is surprised to find out that they have something in common. Drew has also suffered a breakup but he has an entirely different attitude about his circumstances than Sunny does. Can optimistic Drew get down-on- herself Sunny to trust another man again?

Even though nothing much happens in this book (the story falls short of 100 pages), outside of Sunny and Drew meeting, talking a lot, kissing a bit, and deciding they really like each other and Drew trying to convince Sunny to not give up on finding love, I still enjoyed the story. RC just has this way of telling a tale, and I’m sure she’s going to have to revisit this couple in the future because clearly their story’s just begun. Reading anything about Virgin River is like comfort food to me. It doesn’t have to be the most exciting, compelling plot either. I just like to see what’s going on with all my favorite characters, poke my nose into Jack’s Bar and catch up with Jack and Preacher, and get updates on what‘s happening in VR. I think RC mentioned just about all the main characters of her books, and a few of them even got a few speaking lines in this book.

Dr. Drew Foley was a real sweetheart. He’s positive, sensitive, funny, sexy, and just a really nice guy. I got a bit irritated with Sunny for wallowing in self pity a little too long and blowing him off but I forgave her when she apologized to Drew and recognized him as being one of the good guys. Sometimes RC has a tendency to make her heroines a little annoying, but luckily Sunny snapped out of it before I found her unlikable.

If you’re a fan of RC’s Virgin River series, this is a must have just for the character updates alone. It also serves as a nice appetizer as we readers wait impatiently for the 1-2-3 punch of Promise Canyon, Wild Man Creek, and Harvest Moon--all due in a few short months. Can't wait! 4 stars

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Midnight Confessions by Robyn Carr

Sunny Archer’s fiancé left her at the altar to suffer the embarrassment in front of all of their friends and family. A year after the fiasco, Sunny is still bitter and embarrassed. Her Uncle Nate (from a previous book) invites her to get away from it all in Virgin River. Sunny is grateful for the reprieve but she dreads the cheery New Year’s Eve party at Jack’s Bar that Uncle Nate wants her to attend. Kicking and pouting, she heads to the party and is introduced to Drew Foley (the brother of Erin and Marcie from previous books). He is attracted to her and she shoots him down immediately. He continually tries to win her over throughout the night and successfully he breaks down a few barriers.

I could have loved this story, unfortunately in order for me to do this, the author would have to create another heroine for Drew. Sunny is not the most lovable female character. In fact, she constantly brings up being ditched at the altar. I’m not fond of the “I’m the victim” females. She had a year to move on and even if she didn’t, she shouldn’t have held onto that anger as long as she did. I just had a hard time relating to her character.

Of course in true Robyn Carr style, Drew is the best thing since slice bread. All of her heroes turn out to be Mr. Perfect themselves and they are completely sensitive to women. So it didn’t surprise me that Drew was sympathetic to Sunny’s griping and he just sat there patiently listening to her cry over this other man. For me, this is a 2 star rating because most of the story is based on Sunny analyzing why everything went wrong in her previous relationship. I needed more development of Drew and Sunny’s relationship.


Midnight Surrender by Jean Brashear

In anthologies, I normally skip over stories with authors that I don’t know but I got caught up hoping to get a good read since the first story didn’t do me any justice. Unfortunately, I didn’t care for this story as much. I’m not sure what to feel for this story. Jordan Parrish is a man eating lawyer who doesn’t believes she is built for marriage. She meets Will Masterson at her best friend’s house and he does his best to change her mind.

Will is a carpenter looking for a wife to share in the same values he grew up with in Ireland. His idea of the perfect woman resembles Jordan’s best friend, Marly and Jordan is the total opposite. The thing is that he finds himself attracted to her. Instead of giving up, he believes Jordan’s hard exterior is a shell to protect herself and he hatches up a plan to break through the barrier.

What I didn’t like about this story is that it was unrealistic in theory. Jordan comes off as childish. She picks unnecessary fights with Will throughout the story. Any other man would have given up but Will decides to break Jordan into the type of woman he wants by sexually enticing her. Each time she gives in he turns his back and walks away from her until she finally breaks down. In real life how is this working? I didn’t relate to Jordan and Will was a yummy male character but it was not enough to make me love this story. The story is a bit predictable and while it is enjoyable in parts, it is still forgettable.


Midnight Assignment by Victoria Dahl

Yay! Talk about saving the best for last. I’m so glad that I had the opportunity to read this story. Elise Watson and Noah James are two employees of the FICC sent into Omaha to oversee the takeover of a local bank. They are hesitant and reluctant to work together because the last time they did, it was a disaster. Two years ago, on an assignment Elise and Noah shared a passionate kiss that resulted in Noah pushing Elise away and moving away. At the time Elise really wanted a position and when Noah got the lateral move and left, she took it as a personal attack. Noah ran because he was in a relationship and when he confronted Elise she confirmed she was in one as well.

There is a lot of communication that kept them apart for the past two years and it all came to surface while they worked side by side. The author does a great job peeling back the layers and getting to the root of their problems. Their romance is very believable and the connection was strong. I love the fact that they didn’t jump right back into something after their initial meeting. The only problem I had with this story is that it is short and I would have liked to read more about them.

[Elle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Look at that beautiful and enticing cover. You'll notice that Robyn Carr is the biggest name (in font size, and maybe also in popularity) but for me it was Dahl who caught my eye.

I have 'a thing' for Ms. Victoria Dahl's contemporaries and this one was no different. How much fun was it to read? Like all her contemporaries, it was a ton of fun! I started with this story because my pull to Dahl couldn't be denied. And I wasn't disappointed. I loved it.

My least favourite was Carr's contribution. But that might be because I've tired of the Virgin River concept. It's just too good, too wholesome and not hot enough to compete with Ms. Dahl or Jean Brashear.

Jean Brashear's story was a pleasant surprise. I read it during a morning that I had free. It was a great little story that made my heart do a little pitter-patter (ooooh! that hardly happens from text).

Overall, I am having trouble rating this book. I would read it again, the second and the third story. But I didn't much appreciate the first story. So I'm going to settle with a rating of 4.

[Julianna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reviewed for THC Reviews
"3.5 stars overall
Midnight Confessions by Robyn Carr - Midnight Confessions is a holiday-themed side story in Robyn Carr's Virgin River series. It features Drew Foley, the brother of Marcie (A Virgin River Christmas) and Erin (Moonlight Road) as the hero. He's a doctor of orthopedics, serving his residency at UCLA Medical and is an extremely outgoing charmer. Sunny, his heroine, is the niece of Nathaniel Jensen (Under the Christmas Tree from That Holiday Feeling) the local veterinarian. Both are in Virgin River visiting family for the holidays, and both have suffered fairly traumatic breakups within the past year. Drew's long-time, live-in girlfriend broke up with him not long after moving with him to L.A., while Sunny was literally left at the altar on her wedding day the previous New Year's Eve. Needless to say, she's pretty down on men and not looking for another relationship. Drew, on the other hand, is pretty upbeat, so when his instant attraction for Sunny leads him to approach her at the New Year's Eve party at Jack's bar, she can't really resist his positive attitude and charisma. They end up ringing in the new year alone in Drew's family's cabin on the mountain where they get to know one another and share a few heated kisses.

I had a really hard time settling on a rating for this story. It is Robyn Carr we're talking about, so I did enjoy reading it, but there just isn't a whole lot to it besides what I outlined above. This was definitely more the beginnings of a romance than one that is fully realized. It takes place over only two days time, so I admit it wouldn't have been realistic for much more than that to happen within the time frame alloted. However, it simply didn't feel as satisfying as all of Ms. Carr's other stories I've read to date. Drew and Sunny spend most of their time together on New Year's Eve discussing their respective breakups, and while that was an area of commonality they shared, it seemed a tad too much information for a “first date.” Aside from them talking and having a mishap with a deer on the road to the cabin, little else happens. Perhaps because of the two main characters, especially the heroine, dwelling on past relationship hurts quite a bit, I didn't feel the connection between them as deeply as I typically do with this author's heroes and heroines. Sensitive readers will appreciate knowing that this is a sweet, kisses-only romance, but the lack of any deeper interactions or the intensely romantic moments that I know Ms. Carr is capable of writing contributed to a sense of distance. Also, the story doesn't exactly have a solid ending, just a tacit agreement that they're going to see more of each other when they both return to L.A. and a hopefulness that something more will come of it. Overall, Midnight Confessions was a decent read that is worthwhile for fans of Virgin River, since most of the main characters from previous books put in appearances at the party, but in my opinion, not a stand-out in the series. Star Rating: ***1/2

Midnight Surrender by Jean Brashear - Midnight Surrender was by far my favorite novella in this anthology. Unlike the other two stories in the book, which take place over two days and one week respectively, this one is stretched out over the entire holiday season, beginning with Thanksgiving and ending on New Year's Eve. This extra time made a huge difference in making it a lot more believable. The ending also felt more solid to me, much closer to the HEA I crave, instead of the HFN that the others had. Even though the hero and heroine were very different, I felt a solid emotional connection between them, and can say without a doubt that they'd made a definite relationship breakthrough by the final pages. I could certainly see them being happy together for a long time to come, whereas the other stories didn't leave me with that feeling.

Jordan and I couldn't be more different if we tried. I'm a hopeless romantic, while she believes that true love doesn't exist and that marriage is an outdated institution. She's a hard-edged, high-powered attorney who thinks and acts more like a man, while I'm more like her friend, Marly, a homemaker (turned writer) who's more of a girly-girl. She's a wild party animal, while I'm a definite homebody. She seduces men with her feminine wiles, runs through them like tissues, and then after a night or two of fun, tosses them out like yesterday's news, while I'm a long-term relationship person. Normally, this kind of personality disconnect would be a big detractor for me, because I have a hard time relating. In fact, she's extremely similar to the heroine of Victoria Dahl's story in this same anthology, who I didn't get at all. However, Jordan differs in that Jean Brashear made her characterization deep enough that I could understand where she was coming from even if I couldn't necessarily relate. The author also managed to make her sympathetic. Jordan was the product of divorced parents and was always the rope in their tug-of-war with each other. Even though she doesn't realize it, she's the proverbial lonely individual in a sea of people, which is something that Will recognizes in her right away. Although she has an acerbic tongue and butts heads with Will right from the start, he intrigues her and challenges her in ways no man ever has, which makes her responsive to him. And last but not least, she shows her vulnerability by trying to stay away from him, believing that she's not the right woman for a man with as good and kind of a heart as he has. She also grows and changes throughout the story, which made me believe that she'd finally turned over a new leaf and was willing to work out her differences with Will. So in the end, even though Jordan wasn't 100% relatable to me, which is why I dropped a half star off the rating, she did make a fair bit of sense to me. That, in my mind, is the mark of a good writer.

What really made this story come alive for me was Will. He's an absolute dreamboat, a man who has a soft spot for lost souls, whether they be human or animal. He sees straight to Jordan's heart right from the start, and in many ways, understands her better than she understands herself. I love that he respected both her and himself enough to not allow her to treat him the way she treats all the other men in her life. He keeps her just a little off balance, guessing and intrigued, instead of jumping right into bed with her. In fact, he refuses to make love to her on more than one occasion, because he wants all of her and not just a one-night stand. Although Will doesn't initially view Jordan as the woman of his dreams and believes that their relationship is temporary, his expectations change very quickly as he finds himself falling more and more in love with her. No matter what stage their relationship was at, Will cared enough about her to want to teach her that love does exist and that a man could be trusted with her heart, which is very romantic to me. Although Jordan is used to being in control in everything, he never allows her to get the best of him and pushes those boundaries of control just a bit. He's easy-going and patient with her, more amused by her barbs than angered. Will is sweet, and loving, and gentle, definitely more of a beta hero, although he can get a bit jealous on occasion and has a touch of alpha arrogance that I actually found charming instead of annoying like I usually do. On top of all that, he's a talented craftsman who is a true artist in woodworking. There's just something sexy about a man who's good with his hands. All of his qualities put together made Will a near-perfect hero for me.

With this being my first read by Jean Brashear and the other two novellas in this anthology being just OK for me, I honestly wasn't expecting much when I started reading, Midnight Surrender. I'm so pleased, though, to find that it surpassed my expectations. Based on this taste of her work, I'd say that Ms. Brashear is a good writer who is very talented at developing her characterizations. Between her making me like a heroine who I didn't fully relate to, her creation of a to-die-for hero and some truly romantic and emotional moments, and her leaving me with a satisfied feeling in spite of the story being short, I'm eager to find out what else she can do. Therefore, I'm happy to say that Jean Brashear has definitely earned a spot on my authors-to-watch list. Star Rating: ****1/2

Midnight Assignment by Victoria Dahl - After seeing a number of glowing reviews, I've really been looking forward to trying Victoria Dahl's work for some time, but unfortunately, this first foray into her storytelling left me feeling somewhat underwhelmed. It wasn't a bad story per se, but I just didn't relate to the main characters very well, and it didn't hold my attention in the way that many other romances have. It's the story of two FDIC special agents who are sent in with their team to take over a failing bank during the week between Christmas and New Year's. They have a bit of history together in that they shared a passionate kiss two years earlier that didn't end the way either of them intended. Now being stuck on this case together ignites the sparks between them once again. On the one hand, I suppose I have to give the author some credit for coming up with such an usual storyline, but on the other hand, a government bank take-over simply isn't a particularly exciting romance scenario to me. There was a small mystery in the form of some money that appeared to be missing from the bank and which the investigators were having trouble tracking, but I can't say that I was able to muster much enthusiasm for it. In general, Midnight Assignment was a little too short and the characterizations a little too vague for me to become fully invested in it, but at the same time, I don't think the author could have stretched this one into a more involved story, nor in all honesty, would I have been interested in reading it if she had.

Elise was a difficult heroine for me to like, in large part because I felt her characterization was too uneven. Initially, she comes off as very cold, hard, and unfeeling, an alpha female who thinks more like a man. She even admits that this is how she sees herself, and that she doesn't know how to be 'softer.' Being more of a girly-girl type of female, I just couldn't relate. At one point, Elise mentions being shy and having trouble communicating with people. This makes me think that the author was going for the socially awkward introvert angle, and I suppose there were times when Elise seemed more introverted but there were other times, such as when she's barking orders, that she didn't seem introverted at all. Elise shows some vulnerability with regards to her tomboyishness which she attributes to being raised by her father and two uncles. She also seems to have a soft spot for the elderly lady who was the owner of the bank. These parts made her a little more human to me, but in general, her personality was simply so far removed from my own that she never quite made sense to me. This was only exacerbated by her having made up a boyfriend when Noah backed away from their kiss two years ago. It was supposedly to somehow save face, but it was a move that came off as petty and juvenile to me. I've always been a what-you-see-is-what-you-get kind of person who believes in honesty in all relationships, so I don't really care much for heroines (or heroes for that matter) who play games like that. Elise's actions and emotions were all over the board, making it very hard to become invested in her character.

Noah seemed like a fairly likable guy, but what he saw in Elise was a mystery to me. When she kissed him two years before, it was an eye-opening moment for him. He'd been attracted to her before that, but unlike Elise, he genuinely already had a girlfriend when Elise kissed him, which is why he pushed her away. I thought this was a perfectly honorable way to handle the situation in the moment. However, the intensity of the kiss made him realize that Elise was the only woman for him, and in an attempt to finally pursue her, he immediately broke up with his girlfriend. Then Elise had to go and stupidly claim to have a boyfriend too, which didn't become fact until two months later. Thinking there was no future for them after all and wanting to get away from her, Noah put in for and received a promotion to another city that Elise had been gunning for, which only further alienated her. Despite living two thousand miles away, he's never forgotten her or that kiss, so when the opportunity presents itself to reignite the passion, he goes for it. After one unforgettable night together though, Elise starts pushing him away again, which made zero sense to me. IMHO, Noah's characterization was pretty underdeveloped, because we learn virtually nothing about his background. However, like I said before, he seems like a pretty good guy, someone who is patient and persistent, which was evidenced by his determination to find the missing money. I just wasn't convinced that Elise was worth his effort.

Beside the unsatisfactory characterizations, I found several other weaknesses. I'm pretty sure I recall those glowing reviews of Victoria Dahl's work having mentioned some fairly steamy love scenes, but that was definitely not the case here. To me they came off as too raw, too short, too non-descriptive, and completely lacking any emotion. It felt more like mere lust rather than the love they supposedly professed for one another. The two year long “big misunderstanding” was totally clichéd and completely avoidable if Elise hadn't acted like a wounded teenager after their first kiss. Then after all that time apart and even with Noah's reassurances, Elise still wasn't ready to make their relationship more permanent, which IMO made the ending HFN rather than the HEA I crave. I also found a few continuity errors and last but not least, the beginning made me feel like I was being dumped into the middle of the story. It took me an entire scene to figure out that they were FDIC agents, taking over the bank, and if not for the brief cover blurb, it might have taken me even longer. As I said before, Midnight Assignment wasn't a terrible read, but neither was it anywhere close to being a great one. Noah's sweetness and more easy-going personality helped to save it for me somewhat, but he alone couldn't rescue this novella from its inscrutable heroine and inherent story flaws. Star Rating: ***

[jenjn79 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmm...I didn't like this book nearly as much as I'd hoped I would. I found it mostly disappointing.

Midnight Confessions by Robyn Carr
This novella is about Sunny and Drew. Each character is related to other Virgin River characters and are in the are for the holidays. Sunny is nursing a broken heart and lots of anger after being left at the alter a year ago. She wants nothing to do with men. And Drew is just hanging around VR, taking a break from his medical studies. But the moment he sees Sunny, he's drawn to her. To bad she won't give him a break...or will she?

For those of you familiar with Virgin River, this is a pretty typical type of Robyn Carr story. You'll get your VR fix and visit some favorite characters. I didn't mind it, but it's by far not a favorite of the series. Sunny's "poor me" mode got old. But I did like Drew a lot. Really, the only thing that I wished were different about this story was the length. It was too short. The entire novella takes place over I think one night. And for me, that's just not conducive to a HEA ending. I was left not quite feeling like these two were ready to embark on a future together. The story just needed more to it.

Midnight Surrender by Jean Brashear
In this novella, Jordan is lawyer who goes through men like tissues and pretty much only has two modes in life - work and play. Settling down with one man is not in the cards for her. Then she meets carpenter Will Masterson. Though the two couldn't be more different, they can't stay away from each other. But can they get past their differences to find a future together?

Ugh. I didn't like this novella at all. I dragged out reading it for like 2 days and it was only 100 pages or so. I couldn't stand the heroine, Jordan. What an annoying bitch. Will deserved someone so much better. Overall, I just did not feel the romance between these two. They were too different with not enough middle ground to bring them together. I couldn't wait to finish this novella. Oh, and one other annoying thing...I was really ticked off about the whole thing with Marly in the story (one of Jordan's good friends). There are several references to problems she having in her marriage, but then you get no resolution to it at all. Drove me nuts to have such a big storypoint fall off the face of the earth.

Midnight Assignment by Victoria Dahl
Third novella in this anthology, which is about to FDIC agents who are sent to Omaha to complete a bank take over. Elise and Noah have a bit of a past, and being thrown together again reminds them of it constantly until they can't keep denying the feelings between them. Throughout the course of the takeover, they learn there's been a lot of misunderstandings between them and that maybe once they're cleared up, there might be a relationship worth building.

I thought this novella was pretty good. I wasn't sure what to expect - I've read some other books by Dahl and some things about her writing I love, some I hate. On the whole, this was a solid little story. Interesting storyline, good characters. It kept me reading. I did think the characters could have been fleshed out more, but oh well. Honestly, this may have been my favorite of the three novellas. Hard to say.

Overall, is this anthology worth buying? For Virgin River fans, yes. You never want to miss a VR story, even if it's not a super great one. The second novella is skippable. The third worth reading. So yeah, I'd guess I'd say it's worth buying.

[Susi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I requested this book from netgalley because I love Victoria Dahl. She is hilarious and it's never wrong to try some new to me authors. So I grabbed this chance and I yep it was a win. All three stories in this anthology are about this special moment when the new year starts with a big bang.

Midnight Confessions by Robyn Carr
That was my first glimpse into Ms Carr's writing and I have to admit I expected a bit more. We meet a rather depressed and pessimistic heroine. Sunny is nothing like her name. She suffers from a bad breakup- one where you are the only one in front of the altar. I know that is bad and it probably makes you see the world with different eyes but it didn't hep me like the heroine. She was just too negative for my taste. Drew is a medical resident who also had a bad break-up but he handles it way better than Sunny. The whole story is more about him "healing" her. He tells her how he sees life and how he went on after the end of his last relationship. I would have loved to actually read more about these two and how their love developed. This story had too much baggage for my taste. The writing was great but the smex was missing. Yes I can be greedy.

Midnight Surrender by Jean Brashear
I never read Ms Brashear either but I'm 100% sure I want to do exactly that. Her writing caught my attention from the start, her voice is wonderful and her characters so much fun. Our heroine Jordon is a man-eater- she lives a free and independent life. She's an attorney and stands on her own feet. When she wants something. especially a man, she grabs one and pushes him away when she has enough. I actually like her even though she was annoying from time to time. Our hero Will is an Irish hunk who searches for the perfect woman to care for him- including sewing, gardening and cooking. Anyone else looking like this O_o ? So yes he has some old fashioned ideas but believe me he makes up for it with being totally sexy. I really would take one of those men. I like how those two fought and made up. *wink* They are so different and it was really enjoyable to watch them find their way. Wonderful story that will leave you wanting more.

Midnight Assignment by Victoria Dahl
Finally at last the story I waited for. I was totally proud of myself for not just skipping the first 2 stories to start with this one. I didn't even read the blurb before I started this book so I was very surprised to find it set in a "financial" setting. Yep, at first I thought. Booooooring but it really wasn't. It more one of those naughty office stories- you know these two shouldn't get involved but you cheer them on like a maniac because you know you will love every second of it. And I loved everything. The character are as always funny and witty- not only the main couple. We find some wonderful side characters in this book. I also liked how Ms Dahl introduced her characters through the story- it accompanied the unfolding of the story and gave Midnight Assignment a nice touch. I loved how the story developed- I love this theme of two people being apart because of a misunderstanding. I loved how they figured it out. *wicked grin* As always Ms Dahl's sex-scenes are made of hawtness. I loved every second. Definitely my favorite in this anthology.

Midnight Kiss is a very entertaining anthology with a nice cast of characters that will leave you craving more. Highly recommended!

[Mollie *scoutrmom* · Rating 4 out of 5]

We have here three novellas, each set over New Year's Eve. The common theme seems to be that the heroines, and in two cases also the heroes, have to learn to get over their insecurities. The other hero has to adjust his expectations of his plans in life to accept what his heart is telling him. The characters' loneliness seems to be another common theme.

In Robyn Carr's Midnight Confessions, two lonely people discuss their dismal love lives (she was actually left at the altar in this day and age) and gain the confidence to give love another chance. I did not like that the entire setting was over a space of less than 24 hours, these two could (and hopefully will) make a good full length novel. There is some good kissing in this story, but nothing more. Three and a half stars.

As much as I adore Carr's work, the best story of the trio was Midnight Surrender by Jean Brashear. We see more of the characters' thought processes in this tale, it takes place over a period of weeks instead of hours, and their friends have input into helping them realize things about how they feel. Will is a hunky carpenter of a charmer, his personality is distinctly different than most other romance heroes and a cut above the norm. Jordan is a real shark of an attorney who is a promiscuous man-eater so as not to let anyone too close to her tender heart. Will won't go further than a kiss unless she agrees to give up others. I don't want to spoil anything, but you need to read this. Yes, you do. Four and a half stars.

The third story, Victoria Dahl's Midnight Assignment, takes place over a little more than a week, though we get an epilogue to see where it went. Two coworkers have been pining for each other for two years, and finally stop mixing up their messages as they come to learn about each others' true feelings. There is more steamy sex happening in this tale than in the other two, though it's not as explicit. The suggestive is more than enough here. Four stars.

[Jonetta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet New Years Eve story involving Drew Foley (Erin and Marcie's younger brother) and Sunny Archer (Nate Jensen's niece). His fiancée called off their engagement a year ago and her fiancé was a no-show on their wedding day. Drew seems to have adjusted and moved on; Sunny is still bitter. Drew is instantly attracted; Sunny gives him the cold shoulder. Before midnight arrives, they are sharing their truths about the busted relationships and find warmth in each other.

I only read Robyn Carr's Midnight Confessions. I liked both characters but the story was too brief to capture the charm of this series. Hopefully, we will see these two in a more substantive storyline in the future.

[Lisa Kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

★★★½✩

[Maddy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got this from a take one give one library in Ormond Beach, FL and it was exactly what I expected it to be.

It was published in 2010 and it is one novel comprised of 3 novellas written by 3 different authors. All 3 stories have to do with a couple getting their New Years kiss.

I really only liked the 1st story; it was funny and short and really sweet and about a guy and a girl who are both struggling with heart break, but are willing to give love another chance with each other. I could have DNF’d after that. The second story was too much misogyny for me that comes off as “sweet”, but I’m not surprised considering when this story was written. And the third story I really liked but it has the miscommunication trope and the guy POV who is 36, said that the heroine, who is also 36, looked so cute and desirable and like she’s an 18-year-old….

Hmmm funny… but not funny haha… funny weird.

Got this from a free library, and it’s going right back to another free library. :)

[Ruth A Sheets · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite a collection!

Each story is unique and entertaining with well defined characters in each story and no two any where near being the same ! Surprising conclusions to each tale. Enjoyed this collection and wouldn't hesitate to buy similar offerings.

[Donnajo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Midnight confessions by Robyn Carr
Midnight surrender by Jean brash ear
Midnight assignment by Victoria Dahl

Like most books of short stories hit and miss with me.

[Rachel Kohlbrenner · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

[Booklover, Indianapolis · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Jan) Authors...I will pay you good money to NEVER use the word "growl" (or "growled") unless writing about a mountain lion or some such animal. This growling trend drives me nuts, and while I can bypass one or two growls per book, seeing it over and over, especially in short stories, drives me nuts!

Ok, so I ended 2013 w/a book I loved; but started 2014 w/a book that was just ok.

Midnight Confessions - R. Carr (2.5): This was a less than stellar entry in the VR series. I liked Drew and found him easy to relate to, but Sunny (blech name!)I didn't get at all. She's all of 25 and feels her life is over after being left at the alter a year ago. Her fiance felt, at 26, he was not ready to be with a woman who spent every weekend taking photos of events, and because of this he's made to seem like a bad guy. Now granted, we also discover that he was a bit of a player and not ready to settle down and commit, but still - I don't blame him for not wanting to miss out on FR night fun w/friends or SA/SU football games, going to bars, etc. He is a bit too young to want to make all their going out time during the week when friends who work more traditional jobs would not want to go party. Plus, at 24, Sunny, who was planning a monster wedding w/o ever once noticing her fiance was not into it, seemed a bit old for her age. Hopefully her future w/Drew will be more stable. Steam - 1.5 (out of 5)

Midnight Surrender - J. Brashear (3.5): New author to me. I liked Will quite a bit, and was glad he realized towards the end that he was in fact being unfair to Jordan, expecting her to fit into the life he envisioned w/o ever once really getting to know who she is now vs. who he thought was hidden inside. Jordan was not particularly likable but I did warm up to her towards the end. I just wish we'd found out what was causing Marly to be moody in the story, since that seemed kind of a string that was left floating. Steam 3

Midnight Assignment - V. Dahl (3.5): I've read Dahl before, and find her hit and miss. This was ok. Elise and Noah have been harboring unspoken feelings for one another over the past two years and now, on a job together, these feelings come to light. I didn't get all the secrecy between them - there seemed to be an awful lot not said and assumptions that were misleading. As usual, if only they'd talked to one another perhaps they would have found their way to one another years before. I never felt like I really knew or understood Noah as well as Elise, but, in the end, they share a nicely deserved HEA. Steam 4

[Janga · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m a fan of anthologies because the novellas are a quick read and provide an extra visit with a favorite author and/or an inexpensive introduction to a new one. Since Midnight Kiss is a contemporary anthology (a subgenre I read too seldom) and includes stories by two authors who have given me countless hours of reading pleasure and another I sometimes enjoy, I was delighted to receive an eARC of it from the publisher through NetGalley. The reality was less glorious than my expectations.

“Midnight Confessions” by Robyn Carr is an addition to the Virgin River series. I always enjoy spending time at Jack’s bar and catching glimpses of characters who seem like old friends, but I never fully engaged with the heroine of this story. My sympathies were with her family and friends who though she should just get on with her life. I’m sure being left at the altar is painful and humiliating, but on the scale of human tragedies, including some faced by other Virgin River characters, it barely measures. The hero saved the story for me. I love a good beta, and Drew captured my heart.

The pattern held true for Jean Brashear’s “Midnight Surrender.” I loved the hero but didn’t much care for the heroine. I love Brashear’s emotional stories with characters who engage me intellectually as well as touching my heart, but Jordan’s morals and attitude distanced me from her. Will, on the other hand, was wonderful, charming and tender and sexy. I especially liked his size and his profession, both out of the ordinary for heroes. Perhaps it’s true, as I have often heard asserted, that romance readers demand a standard of behavior from heroines that we don’t for heroes.

“Midnight Assignment” by Victoria Dahl rounds out the anthology. I have a hard time evaluating this one because my critical judgment tells me that it is a well-written story with characters to whom many readers will relate, but I’m not one of those readers. I admire the composition of the story as a writer, but I never really care about the characters as a reader. I still prefer Dahl’s historicals to her contemporaries.

[Darcy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I only read the Robyn Carr story, so this review is only based on that.

The story is another one that while is in Virgin River isn't totally there. This short story seems to pull together from a couple other books. Sunny is still hurting from being left at the alter exactly a year ago and goes to Virgin River and her Uncle Nate's house to get away. While there New Year's Eve comes by which means there is a part at Jack's bar, where Sunny finds herself very reluctantly. Drew is up at his families cabin to get some studying in, figuring he deserves a break he heads to Jack's. It is her that these to end up as the only 2 single people at the party.

As these 2 people start to talk they realize that they have more in common than they realize. Their talks are very sweet and frank, with both of them coming to some very important conclusions. While this story doesn't have a all tied up ending it has something even better, a new beginning, one where I hope we are able to check in with them in later books.

Edited 1/21/11

I was able to read the other stories in this book and with that have down graded my 4 stars to 3.


While I liked the story by Jean Brashear, it irritated me too. It was one of those where the H/h are totally opposites, but perfect for each other and one of them fights it tooth and nail. A little bit of that is good, but in a short story where this is 90% of the plot it is weary for a reader.

I thought the Victoria Dahl story was so so as well. The setting was weird for me and it didn't seem like the couple had very little chemistry.

All in all not bad, but I think I would have been more satisfied just reading the Carr story.

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley. Apparently I didn't read the blurb on the site, because for some reason I thought this was about vampires. It's way not. I've not read any of these authors before, so can't compare this with their other works. I liked the Brashear and Dahl stories, the Carr not so much.

Midnight Confessions / Robyn Carr -- Sunny is still kind of bitter about being left at the altar a year before and getting stuck with the bill, but after moving back in with her family she realized that women only want independence and privacy in order to have serious relationships anyway. (For real, p. 12 of the ARC.) Drew is a medical resident who suffered a bad breakup himself. The two of them together, after Sunny gives Drew a chance, they're very sweet (like Krispy Kreme donuts), sharing smooches and hopes for a future together. Not to my taste, but I could see Macomber fans liking it.

Midnight Surrender / Jean Brashear - A light mix of sweet and spice that kept me engaged. In food terms, it was kind of like Tom Yum soup. Much to my surprise, I quite liked this and might look up this author if I ever get back into contemporaries.

Midnight Assignment / Victoria Dahl - Since I keep making food comparisons, I'd say this is maybe the Pinot Noir of the bunch. A little richer, a little steamier, and a little sadder than the others. I also liked this and would be willing to read more by this author.

[Angela Holland · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading these three short stories. The first one by Robyn Carr left me wanting to know more about Sunny and Drew and I hope to see them in the next Virgin River book.
The second story by Jean Brashear was also a good story. It is the first thing I have read by this author and I would like to try a full book by her. I was not sure about this story when it first started out but ended up enjoying it. This story also left me wondering what happened next with the couple.
The third story by Victoria Dahl was again a nice story. This too was the first thing I have read by this author. The story was a little more steamy than the other too. I liked that it was set in Omaha and the backdrop to the romance was kind of interesting. Out of all three stories I thought this one was the most complete with a beginning, middle and end and did not leave me wondering what happened next.
Overall I enjoyed this quick read. I am glad I read this. I give it 4 stars.

[Fanny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solo lei Take A Risk de Robyn Carr.
Esta es la segunda novela corta dentro de la saga Virgin River creada por Robyn Carr y narra la historia de Drew ( hermano de Erin y Marcie ) y Sunny, un nuevo personaje.
Como la mayoria de novelas de este tipo que leo me parecio un poco precipitado la forma en la que se desarrolla la historia, aun asi reconozco que me gusto que no fuera tan superficial como me imaginaba, ademas me gusto que el final no fuera tan cerrado como suelen ser los finales de historias cortas.
Ojala en los siguientes libros sepamos un poco mas sobre la relacion de Sunny y Drew.

2.75 Estrellas!

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three decent stories about a kiss at midnight. The first was part of the Virgin River series so of course I enjoyed it. The second had a hero with an Irish accent and was really very well written. I'd take Will in a heart beat! The third was interesting in learning about FDIC agents taking over a bank, but. Otherwise the plot was thin.

[Donna Mcnab · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a book containing three novelettes by three different authors. Not my favourite kind of a book. I always wonder if the authors intended to write a novel but ran out of ideas after the short version.

[Dee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Only read novlla by Robyn Carr

[Michelle Tempted By Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

I only read the Virgin River story and it was pretty cute.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm hooked on the virgin river series

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was given to me by a friend and it was perfect to read in between longer books. It contains three stories by three very different authors. I am not going to reiterate what these stories are about, as they are all novellas and relatively short reads. Here are my thoughts. I have not read any of the Virgin River series, so was at a bit of a disadvantage when reading Midnight Confessions. Having said that, I enjoyed the characters and the story. It was a nice taste to this series and I definitely want to read more. While we don't really get to know the main characters in the story, it is enough to pique my interest and want to learn more. The second story by Jean Brashear was fun. This was the opposite of the rich, playboy lawyer who gets snagged by the beautiful, sweet woman. Jordan was jaded about marriage and just wanted to have a good time. She was scared and didn't want to let that side of hers out. David was a sweetheart. I would love to have met him 35 years ago. The perfect man and swoon worthy as well. There courtship is unconventional to say the least. It was fun watching these two finally get together. The last story by Victoria Dahl was one that has piqued my interest in more of her writing. It is a very timely story dealing with failing banks and the romance of two FDIC employees. There's was a relationship that started and stalled two years earlier when Noah took a promotion in Colorado. Little did Elise know it was to get away from his feelings for her. When they reconnect, there are fireworks. It is hard to have a relationship when one (the man in this case) is the subordinate of the other. Again, a fun story watching these two fight against their feelings. I did love the way this story started, I was not sure what was going to happen.

As I said at the beginning, these are short novellas that were quick and fun reads. A great way to break up your day or between more serious books. Robyn Carr is already a favourite author, but the Virgin River series will be added to my TBR. I will definitely be watching for more books by Jean Brahear and Victoria Dahl, both new authors to me.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book for the Robyn Carr story; it is part of the Virgin River series. I really liked the story but must admit that it left me wanting more. The characters got a happily ever beginning instead of a happily ever after and since they live in LA rather than Virgin River, we never get to see them again. That being said, I enjoyed meeting them and watching them find their commonalities while bringing out the best in each other. I also loved that it was a New Year's Eve story rather than a Christmas. It was fitting that a story that begins the new year also shows the new relationship.

I've never read the other 2 authors before, but I enjoyed their stories in here, especially Jean Brashear's story which flips the trope a little bit by showing the heroine as the "shark" and the hero as the "nice guy." It was fun watching them both fight their attraction (and each other) as they slowly realized how much they needed each other. Victoria Dahl's story also showed some well-developed characters and I enjoyed watching Elise struggle through her social awkwardness to find the happiness she deserved. I had never heard of this government organization or function (part of the FDIC) so it was interesting to learn a little about what they do.

[Rachel Brand · Rating 3 out of 5]

Midnight Confessions by Robyn Carr ~ 4 stars

I mainly picked up this collection since it included this story, which is part of the Virgin River series. It could probably be read as a standalone, but I'm not sure how much non-VR fans would appreciate it? There were a few sections where someone summarised what had been going on with regulars in the town, which probably would have gone right over the heads of any newcomers to the series, or felt like a massive ton of info-dumping.

Given how many reviewers said that this was the weakest story in the collection, I found myself pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Sometimes novellas feel rushed as authors attempt to build a realistic relationship in less than a hundred pages, or to create a convincing HEA. Since this story takes place over the course of 24 hours, it was more like an introduction to Sunny and Drew's relationship. There were no marriage proposals or plans to stay together forever, but there was definitely hope offered to two people who were recovering from failed relationships. Personally, I really liked this approach.

It did feel like a little too much time was spent dwelling on the details of their past relationships, but otherwise I enjoyed getting to know Sunny and Drew, and I was definitely rooting for them to get together. The development of their relationship felt realistic given their pasts and the amount of time they'd known each other for, it was encouraging to see them setting aside their baggage and being hopeful about the possibility of a future together. Not too rushed or too short, this story was just right for their circumstances.

Midnight Surrender by Jean Brashear ~ 3 stars

Even if I only picked up this collection for Robyn Carr's story, it seemed silly not to read the others and try some new authors. This book is perfect for bath time--unless I'm particularly sleepy, I can read an entire novella in the bath!

That said, I struggled to get through this story. The characters just didn't appeal to me. The idea of a flirty, can't-be-tied-down independent woman falling for a good-guy definitely appealed to me, but Will ended up annoying me a lot more than I expected. I'm not a big fan of Alpha males, so I thought Will would be right up my alley, but he ended up being too pushy and judgemental for my liking. I actually found myself siding with Jordan, which I did not expect as she's my polar opposite.

The ending pushed this story up from a 2.5 to a 3 for me. For most of the book, Will bemoans the fact that Jordan is so lonely and she needs to join a big family like his in order to be happy, but he never shows any signs of compromising on his relationship expectations. From the minute he meets Jordan, he's demanding about what he wants from her, including talking about how she can't see other men because she'll be spending her time with him now on, what, the second or third time they run into each other? For a supposed good guy, he was way too forceful with Jordan. It's not until the end of the book that he realises he's been putting too much pressure on her and apologises, and then he sort of made his way back into my good graces.

Jordan was a more appealing character, surprisingly, but it takes a long time for her to admit that she's holding out on Will because she's scared of screwing up relationships like her parents did, and scared of letting him down. Like Will, she showed a lot more vulnerability and personality right at the end of the book.

There were definitely some fun moments with Jordan and Will's mutual friends, and some cute scenes where Will teaches Jordan some carpentry skills. For me, this story was just average. I wasn't rooting for the characters, primarily because the hero irritated me more than he endeared himself to me. If you like your heroes a bit more demanding and Alpha, he'll probably be perfect for you!

Midnight Assignment by Victoria Dahl ~ 3 stars

Having just finished this collection, I'm surprised that Carr was paired with these other two authors in the first place. Granted, her full-length novels usually have a couple of sex scenes in them, but in comparison to Dahl and Brashear, her addition to this collection was actually pretty sweet and could almost fall under the "clean" category.

The premise of this story is pretty standard--hero and heroine once kissed, years before, but couldn't be together, but they're thrown together for work and realise that the attraction is still there--but the storyline about the bank takeover and the various issues surrounding it made it a little more interesting. Elise and Noah come head to head over work issues, and are forced to spend more and more time together. Given that it's the holidays and they're both lonely, the inevitable happens and they end up falling into bed together, but still try to deny their feelings for each other.

I generally expect some sort of sex scene when I'm reading a mainstream romance--my cut-off is generally three sex scenes in a full-length novel, and one in a novella. This novella had three sex scenes, and honestly, I got a bit tired of it. I need more plot! I probably would have rated this book higher if it had a similar "steaminess" to Brashear or Carr's novellas.

Overall, the second-chance storyline was rather sweet, and the scenario was definitely different, but it seemed like there were too many sex scenes for such a short story.

This is the second novella collection I've picked up in 2014 because it contained one of Robyn Carr's novellas. I definitely preferred That Holiday Feeling to this one. I'm glad I got the chance to try out these new authors, even just to know that they're not really for me. For Virgin River fans, it's worth hunting this collection down for Drew and Sunny's story. I'm hoping we get to read more about them in later books in the series.

Although Carr's story gets a solid 4* rating from me, the collection as a whole is probably closer to a 3*.

[Barbi Huhn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very enjoyable book!
I picked this up because it was a Robyn Carr book and had some more of the Virgin River crew in it.
The first story involves Sunny and Drew. They meet at Jack’s Bar on New Years Eve. Sunny is still reeling over being left at the altar 1 year ago. Drew is a orthopedic resident who is getting away from family for a little downtime before going back to his residency. He broke up with his previous girlfriend a few months back. They initially bond over breakups but what follows next is super sweet.
The second story involves Jordan, a man eater lawyer, and Will, an Irish carpenter. They meet at Thanksgiving. Will sees through Jordan’s rough exterior and pushes through until he finds a soft spot.
The last story is about Noah and Elise, 2 FDIC agents who are in Omaha to take over a bank right after Christmas. They each have feelings towards one another but continuously put the job first.