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Midnight Rider
Savor the magic of New York Times bestselling author Diana Palmer in a dazzlingly sensual story of turn-of-the-century Texas, of a man as enigmatic and forbidding as the sun-drenched land--and the woman who dares to cross into the uncharted territory of his heart.
To Bernadette Barron, Eduardo Cortes was the enemy. A noble count with a sprawling ranch in the grand state of Texas, Cortes challenged her with dark, penetrating eyes that seemed to pierce her very soul. Could he see the burning truth: that she loved him? It is a secret Bernadette vows to keep--especially now that she is to become his wife. For theirs is a marriage bargain, pure and simple. He needs a rich wife to save his ranch; she needs a titled husband.
Yet desire will turn a marriage of convenience into a passionate battle of wills, and change an innocent girl into a woman aware of her own powers of attraction. For it is love's fiery initiation that will make Bernadette aware of her own capacity for pleasure as well as her husband's skill at providing it. And it is the sheer force of her own love that will give her newfound strength to battle against the odds to claim a man and a love she will not be denied. . . .
To Bernadette Barron, Eduardo Cortes was the enemy. A noble count with a sprawling ranch in the grand state of Texas, Cortes challenged her with dark, penetrating eyes that seemed to pierce her very soul. Could he see the burning truth: that she loved him? It is a secret Bernadette vows to keep--especially now that she is to become his wife. For theirs is a marriage bargain, pure and simple. He needs a rich wife to save his ranch; she needs a titled husband.
Yet desire will turn a marriage of convenience into a passionate battle of wills, and change an innocent girl into a woman aware of her own powers of attraction. For it is love's fiery initiation that will make Bernadette aware of her own capacity for pleasure as well as her husband's skill at providing it. And it is the sheer force of her own love that will give her newfound strength to battle against the odds to claim a man and a love she will not be denied. . . .
264 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published August 29, 1998
231 people are currently reading
427 people want to read
About the author
Diana Palmer
1,039 books3,097 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
Diana Palmer is a pseudonym for author Susan Kyle.
(1)romance author
Susan Eloise Spaeth was born on 11 December 1946 in Cuthbert, Georgia, USA. She was the eldest daughter of Maggie Eloise Cliatt, a nurse and also journalist, and William Olin Spaeth, a college professor. Her mother was part of the women's liberation movement many years before it became fashionable. Her best friends are her mother and her sister, Dannis Spaeth (Cole), who now has two daughters, Amanda Belle Hofstetter and Maggie and lives in Utah. Susan grew up reading Zane Grey and fell in love with cowboys. Susan is a former newspaper reporter, with sixteen years experience on both daily and weekly newspapers. Since 1972, she has been married to James Kyle and have since settled down in Cornelia, Georgia, where she started to write romance novels. Susan and her husband have one son, Blayne Edward, born in 1980.
She began selling romances in 1979 as Diana Palmer. She also used the pseudonyms Diana Blayne and Katy Currie, and her married name: Susan Kyle. Now, she has over 40 million copies of her books in print, which have been translated and published around the world. She is listed in numerous publications, including Contemporary Authors by Gale Research, Inc., Twentieth Century Romance and Historical Writers by St. James Press, The Writers Directory by St. James Press, the International Who's Who of Authors and Writers by Meirose Press, Ltd., and Love's Leading Ladies by Kathryn Falk. Her awards include seven Waldenbooks national sales awards, four B. Dalton national sales awards, two Bookrak national sales awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award for series storytelling from Romantic Times, several Affaire de Coeur awards, and two regional RWA awards.
Inspired by her husband, who quit a blue-collar manufacturing job to return to school and get his diploma in computer programming, Susan herself went back to college as a day student at the age of 45. In 1995, she graduated summa cum laude from Piedmont College, Demorest, GA, with a major in history and a double minor in archaeology and Spanish. She was named to two honor societies (the Torch Club and Alpha Chi), and was named to the National Dean's List. In addition to her writing projects, she is currently working on her master's degree in history at California State University. She hopes to specialize in Native American studies. She is a member of the Native American Rights Fund, the American Museum of Natural History, the National Cattlemen's Association, the Archaeological Institute of Amenca, the Planetary Society, The Georgia Conservancy, the Georgia Sheriff's Association, and numerous conservation and charitable organizations. Her hobbies include gardening, archaeology, anthropology, iguanas, astronomy and music.
In 1998, her husband retired from his own computer business and now pursues skeet shooting medals in local, state, national and international competition. They love riding around and looking at the countryside, watching sci-fi on TV and at the movies, just talking and eating out.
Diana Palmer is a pseudonym for author Susan Kyle.
(1)romance author
Susan Eloise Spaeth was born on 11 December 1946 in Cuthbert, Georgia, USA. She was the eldest daughter of Maggie Eloise Cliatt, a nurse and also journalist, and William Olin Spaeth, a college professor. Her mother was part of the women's liberation movement many years before it became fashionable. Her best friends are her mother and her sister, Dannis Spaeth (Cole), who now has two daughters, Amanda Belle Hofstetter and Maggie and lives in Utah. Susan grew up reading Zane Grey and fell in love with cowboys. Susan is a former newspaper reporter, with sixteen years experience on both daily and weekly newspapers. Since 1972, she has been married to James Kyle and have since settled down in Cornelia, Georgia, where she started to write romance novels. Susan and her husband have one son, Blayne Edward, born in 1980.
She began selling romances in 1979 as Diana Palmer. She also used the pseudonyms Diana Blayne and Katy Currie, and her married name: Susan Kyle. Now, she has over 40 million copies of her books in print, which have been translated and published around the world. She is listed in numerous publications, including Contemporary Authors by Gale Research, Inc., Twentieth Century Romance and Historical Writers by St. James Press, The Writers Directory by St. James Press, the International Who's Who of Authors and Writers by Meirose Press, Ltd., and Love's Leading Ladies by Kathryn Falk. Her awards include seven Waldenbooks national sales awards, four B. Dalton national sales awards, two Bookrak national sales awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award for series storytelling from Romantic Times, several Affaire de Coeur awards, and two regional RWA awards.
Inspired by her husband, who quit a blue-collar manufacturing job to return to school and get his diploma in computer programming, Susan herself went back to college as a day student at the age of 45. In 1995, she graduated summa cum laude from Piedmont College, Demorest, GA, with a major in history and a double minor in archaeology and Spanish. She was named to two honor societies (the Torch Club and Alpha Chi), and was named to the National Dean's List. In addition to her writing projects, she is currently working on her master's degree in history at California State University. She hopes to specialize in Native American studies. She is a member of the Native American Rights Fund, the American Museum of Natural History, the National Cattlemen's Association, the Archaeological Institute of Amenca, the Planetary Society, The Georgia Conservancy, the Georgia Sheriff's Association, and numerous conservation and charitable organizations. Her hobbies include gardening, archaeology, anthropology, iguanas, astronomy and music.
In 1998, her husband retired from his own computer business and now pursues skeet shooting medals in local, state, national and international competition. They love riding around and looking at the countryside, watching sci-fi on TV and at the movies, just talking and eating out.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
December 10, 2011
This one has to last for a while...I am going into the week before FINALS!!
Still behind for FINALS and finished this book. I know. I know. I gotta hide my Kindle and box up my books until the weekends.
Anyway...this was a historical. Nice change from all the contemporary (90s) alpha jerks I've been reading lately.
It was nice to get a variety of characters even if the plot/storyline is the same as the contemporaries-I am OK with that!
This heroine, while not as healthy as most DP heroines, was a bit more feisty than those doormats and took matters into her own hands. I like that they admitted (well, he did) going in that this was no "love match" instead of the dreamy-eyed ignoramous heroines who find out later that he never loved her and was just using her and how could she not know?
Anyway...it was also nice to see a bit of the real world peeking in: a sick heroine (she has asthma), parents admitting to their faults and previously poor treatment of their own child, and nasty nosey relatives getting their well deserved come-uppance. Seriously, I don't see how people can take MOST of what's dished out in these books by meddling (the mean ones) relatives.
Still behind for FINALS and finished this book. I know. I know. I gotta hide my Kindle and box up my books until the weekends.
Anyway...this was a historical. Nice change from all the contemporary (90s) alpha jerks I've been reading lately.
It was nice to get a variety of characters even if the plot/storyline is the same as the contemporaries-I am OK with that!
This heroine, while not as healthy as most DP heroines, was a bit more feisty than those doormats and took matters into her own hands. I like that they admitted (well, he did) going in that this was no "love match" instead of the dreamy-eyed ignoramous heroines who find out later that he never loved her and was just using her and how could she not know?
Anyway...it was also nice to see a bit of the real world peeking in: a sick heroine (she has asthma), parents admitting to their faults and previously poor treatment of their own child, and nasty nosey relatives getting their well deserved come-uppance. Seriously, I don't see how people can take MOST of what's dished out in these books by meddling (the mean ones) relatives.
January 1, 2020
He wasn't cruel, just stupid and sweet. There were some angst but not as much as I expected. Lol
April 24, 2015
I LOVED IT! Hero, a rancher, lost his wife and child and is facing bankruptcy. Heroine's rich father wants to marry off his asthmatic daughter to someone with a noble title. Hero steps in and asks Bernadette to marry him. That way he will finally be rich and she will join aristocracy.
Sweet love story, a marriage of convenience, a sick heroine and happy HEA with twin babies! I wanted to slap hero's grandmother and cousin for the way they treated poor Bernadette but she was feisty and spunky not at all a victim!
Sweet love story, a marriage of convenience, a sick heroine and happy HEA with twin babies! I wanted to slap hero's grandmother and cousin for the way they treated poor Bernadette but she was feisty and spunky not at all a victim!
January 30, 2016
One of the best Diana palmers I hve ever read!
It was like reading a mix of good mills and boons, a historical and a dp- all in one!
No misunderstandings, no tears- everything was resolved at once. The heroine was strong and the hero considerate. Made my night :)
It was like reading a mix of good mills and boons, a historical and a dp- all in one!
No misunderstandings, no tears- everything was resolved at once. The heroine was strong and the hero considerate. Made my night :)
January 5, 2013
Bernadette Barron has always been a burden to her father. Her mother died in childbirth and her father has never forgotten that, nor has he forgiven her it seems. Bernadette also suffers from debilitating asthma and often requires care during and after an attack, further adding to the burden on her wealthy father.
An Irish immigrant, Colston Barron aspires to the levels of society that are closed off to him, despite all of his acquired wealth. He wants to marry his daughter off to a man with a title and in 1900 Texas, the options are slim. So Colston has looked further abroad, searching for an impoverished titled man who would be willing to marry Bernadette for a massive injection of cash and take her off his hands.
Count Eduardo Cortes’s fortune was whittled away by his American socialite mother. He inherited the family spread in Texas on his father’s death and has been attempting to turn its fortunes around ever since but he faces going under if he can’t find a way to pour some money into the ranch. When he hears of Barron’s plan to marry off Bernadette, he throws his own hat into the ring – after all, they know each other, get along well and there’s an obvious physical chemistry between them that could bode for a very happy marriage. Surely if she has to marry someone than he is a much better option than someone who would whisk her back to Europe, away from all she knows.
Bernadette has held firm against her father’s plan to marry her off – until Eduardo makes his interest known. He has fascinated her for years but she’s long believed him to be grieving over the loss of his wife and child, not capable of marrying or loving another. She vows to be the sort of wife who gives him everything he needs by doing more than just saving his family property.
I’d never read a Diana Palmer until recently when I picked up one quite randomly at my parent’s house on holidays. It wasn’t for me but I didn’t remember that I had requested this one for review until I arrived home and found it on my doorstep. Although I’d heard that all Diana Palmer novels are quite similar, I vowed to give it a go and I was pleased to find that this one was more palatable than the one I have recently read. It’s a 2 in 1 novel, with a reboot of an earlier Palmer novel included and having now finished both of them, it’s very hard to ignore the standard Palmer traits:
The heroine is almost always a virgin, even in cases where she’s been married before. Often as well as being a virgin, they’re painfully naive. In 1900′s Texas, this isn’t really all that noticeable as most women are often very sexually naive in romance novels from this era but when you’re reading one set in current times, it does tend to really stick out
The heroine is often ill or disabled or abused or a combination of those. If she’s particularly unlucky, she’s all 3. In this novel, Bernadette suffers from crippling asthma in a time when it was probably fatal to most sufferers sooner or later as Ventolin wasn’t invented yet – in fact it wasn’t marketed until nearly 70 years after this novel is set. She’s also quite horribly verbally abused by her father, who blames her quite openly for her mother’s death and has no qualms telling her what a burden she is and now he can’t wait to be rid of her
The hero is almost always an asshole, deliberately and intolerably cruel to the heroine because he believes something about her that isn’t true, or because he cannot handle the feelings that he has for her or because someone has hurt him in the past and he clings to this as some sort of typical behaviour for all women of the human race
Thankfully in this novel, Eduardo, while he does have his rather Alpha moments is actually quite a decent character most of the time. He marries Bernadette because he wishes to save her from a marriage to a man she doesn’t know, because he could do with the dowry on offer himself and because he wants her but he’s very honest with her about it not being a love match, so even though it’s obviously going to be a love match (this is a romance after all) he doesn’t attempt to deceive her in any way. In fact it seems like for most of this novel, the only person Eduardo is deceiving is himself.
I found Bernadette to be quite strong as a character – she’s put up with years of indifference and often downright dislike from her father but she absolutely refuses to bow to his wishes that she marry some impoverished foreigner to give her father the social kudos he so desperately desires. When she does choose to marry, it’s because she loves Eduardo, even though she believes he doesn’t love her and she wants to be with him. Her father treats her abominably and quite frankly, I’m not sure how Bernadette is still talking to him at any point in the novel. A weak point in the novel is the father’s rapid redemption which feels way too rushed and impossible to be sincere and believable to the reader, who has spent most of the book being outraged at his attitude towards his only daughter. Bernadette also forgives him for a lifetime of pain and suffering in the blink of an eye as if it never happened.
I think the fact that Eduardo was quite a decent man and quite toned down, made this book. He does have his interesting moments where he pops out with something overtly Alpha or insensitive (or both) but based on the other 2 Palmer novels I’ve read, he’s positively in touch with his feelings and borderline metrosexual. He was by far less proud and stubborn than her other heroes and more gentle and considerate. He was almost always very respectful of Bernadette and her feelings, except once when he believed a lie about her but he was quick to realise that the behaviour she was accused of was not in line with her true character.
Midnight Rider is a quick read, quite enjoyable but probably not enough to convince me that I’m going to become a Diana Palmer fan.
An Irish immigrant, Colston Barron aspires to the levels of society that are closed off to him, despite all of his acquired wealth. He wants to marry his daughter off to a man with a title and in 1900 Texas, the options are slim. So Colston has looked further abroad, searching for an impoverished titled man who would be willing to marry Bernadette for a massive injection of cash and take her off his hands.
Count Eduardo Cortes’s fortune was whittled away by his American socialite mother. He inherited the family spread in Texas on his father’s death and has been attempting to turn its fortunes around ever since but he faces going under if he can’t find a way to pour some money into the ranch. When he hears of Barron’s plan to marry off Bernadette, he throws his own hat into the ring – after all, they know each other, get along well and there’s an obvious physical chemistry between them that could bode for a very happy marriage. Surely if she has to marry someone than he is a much better option than someone who would whisk her back to Europe, away from all she knows.
Bernadette has held firm against her father’s plan to marry her off – until Eduardo makes his interest known. He has fascinated her for years but she’s long believed him to be grieving over the loss of his wife and child, not capable of marrying or loving another. She vows to be the sort of wife who gives him everything he needs by doing more than just saving his family property.
I’d never read a Diana Palmer until recently when I picked up one quite randomly at my parent’s house on holidays. It wasn’t for me but I didn’t remember that I had requested this one for review until I arrived home and found it on my doorstep. Although I’d heard that all Diana Palmer novels are quite similar, I vowed to give it a go and I was pleased to find that this one was more palatable than the one I have recently read. It’s a 2 in 1 novel, with a reboot of an earlier Palmer novel included and having now finished both of them, it’s very hard to ignore the standard Palmer traits:
The heroine is almost always a virgin, even in cases where she’s been married before. Often as well as being a virgin, they’re painfully naive. In 1900′s Texas, this isn’t really all that noticeable as most women are often very sexually naive in romance novels from this era but when you’re reading one set in current times, it does tend to really stick out
The heroine is often ill or disabled or abused or a combination of those. If she’s particularly unlucky, she’s all 3. In this novel, Bernadette suffers from crippling asthma in a time when it was probably fatal to most sufferers sooner or later as Ventolin wasn’t invented yet – in fact it wasn’t marketed until nearly 70 years after this novel is set. She’s also quite horribly verbally abused by her father, who blames her quite openly for her mother’s death and has no qualms telling her what a burden she is and now he can’t wait to be rid of her
The hero is almost always an asshole, deliberately and intolerably cruel to the heroine because he believes something about her that isn’t true, or because he cannot handle the feelings that he has for her or because someone has hurt him in the past and he clings to this as some sort of typical behaviour for all women of the human race
Thankfully in this novel, Eduardo, while he does have his rather Alpha moments is actually quite a decent character most of the time. He marries Bernadette because he wishes to save her from a marriage to a man she doesn’t know, because he could do with the dowry on offer himself and because he wants her but he’s very honest with her about it not being a love match, so even though it’s obviously going to be a love match (this is a romance after all) he doesn’t attempt to deceive her in any way. In fact it seems like for most of this novel, the only person Eduardo is deceiving is himself.
I found Bernadette to be quite strong as a character – she’s put up with years of indifference and often downright dislike from her father but she absolutely refuses to bow to his wishes that she marry some impoverished foreigner to give her father the social kudos he so desperately desires. When she does choose to marry, it’s because she loves Eduardo, even though she believes he doesn’t love her and she wants to be with him. Her father treats her abominably and quite frankly, I’m not sure how Bernadette is still talking to him at any point in the novel. A weak point in the novel is the father’s rapid redemption which feels way too rushed and impossible to be sincere and believable to the reader, who has spent most of the book being outraged at his attitude towards his only daughter. Bernadette also forgives him for a lifetime of pain and suffering in the blink of an eye as if it never happened.
I think the fact that Eduardo was quite a decent man and quite toned down, made this book. He does have his interesting moments where he pops out with something overtly Alpha or insensitive (or both) but based on the other 2 Palmer novels I’ve read, he’s positively in touch with his feelings and borderline metrosexual. He was by far less proud and stubborn than her other heroes and more gentle and considerate. He was almost always very respectful of Bernadette and her feelings, except once when he believed a lie about her but he was quick to realise that the behaviour she was accused of was not in line with her true character.
Midnight Rider is a quick read, quite enjoyable but probably not enough to convince me that I’m going to become a Diana Palmer fan.
November 12, 2020
I kind of love this one because it is all over the place but the h makes it clear there are things she won't tolerate and the H is brought up short.
April 14, 2014
Cavaleiro da Meia-noite
Diana Palmer
Harlequin Books
2014
Atualmente tenho tido a chance de ler ótimos livros da Diana Palmer. Fiquei surpresa e feliz de pegar um livro que foi escrito em 1998, e encontrar belíssimos personagens e uma excelente estória.
O que me deixa totalmente desconcertada são as mocinhas que a Diana inventa. Pois, me coloca uma mocinha do início do século passado, destemida, inocente (é claro), mas totalmente a frente de seu tempo.
Fico confusa, pois são completamente diferente das mocinhas da década de 80, que são mega submissas aos seus homens ogros. E que ficam, de certa forma, mendigando por qualquer migalha de amor dos dito cujos.
Diferente de Bernadette, uma mulher do início dos anos de 1900, que sabia o que queria, um gênio da contabilidade, mesmo numa época que a mulher deveria ficar enfurnada em casa, ela era levada por seu pai a leilões e associações, sabia mais de negócio que seu pai e até ajudou a torna-lo bilionário.
Uma mulher que fez de um tudo pra ficar com o homem que amava, mas quando Eduardo da uma de ogro mor, ela não pensa duas vez, pega seus pertences e deixa o bobalhão a ver navios.
O que mais me encantou em Bernadette é sem dúvida sua personalidade e coragem.
Eduardo que não é tão bobo assim, percebe o que esta perdendo. Não só uma mulher inteligente e que tem tino para os negócios, mas principalmente uma mulher que responde a todos os seus desejos sexuais, uma companheira e amante. É obvio que vai fazer de um tudo para recupera-la.
Agora tem que ler para saber se a moça vai perdoa-lo.
Obs.: Tenho a sensação que Eduardo é um parente de Rodrigo Ramirez, será? Alguém sabe?
Diana Palmer
Harlequin Books
2014
Atualmente tenho tido a chance de ler ótimos livros da Diana Palmer. Fiquei surpresa e feliz de pegar um livro que foi escrito em 1998, e encontrar belíssimos personagens e uma excelente estória.
O que me deixa totalmente desconcertada são as mocinhas que a Diana inventa. Pois, me coloca uma mocinha do início do século passado, destemida, inocente (é claro), mas totalmente a frente de seu tempo.
Fico confusa, pois são completamente diferente das mocinhas da década de 80, que são mega submissas aos seus homens ogros. E que ficam, de certa forma, mendigando por qualquer migalha de amor dos dito cujos.
Diferente de Bernadette, uma mulher do início dos anos de 1900, que sabia o que queria, um gênio da contabilidade, mesmo numa época que a mulher deveria ficar enfurnada em casa, ela era levada por seu pai a leilões e associações, sabia mais de negócio que seu pai e até ajudou a torna-lo bilionário.
Uma mulher que fez de um tudo pra ficar com o homem que amava, mas quando Eduardo da uma de ogro mor, ela não pensa duas vez, pega seus pertences e deixa o bobalhão a ver navios.
O que mais me encantou em Bernadette é sem dúvida sua personalidade e coragem.
Eduardo que não é tão bobo assim, percebe o que esta perdendo. Não só uma mulher inteligente e que tem tino para os negócios, mas principalmente uma mulher que responde a todos os seus desejos sexuais, uma companheira e amante. É obvio que vai fazer de um tudo para recupera-la.
Agora tem que ler para saber se a moça vai perdoa-lo.
Obs.: Tenho a sensação que Eduardo é um parente de Rodrigo Ramirez, será? Alguém sabe?
August 7, 2015
Rating: 4.5 stars.
Gosh, I love DP. I loved the plot and everything about this book. I wish DP would write more historical romances!
Gosh, I love DP. I loved the plot and everything about this book. I wish DP would write more historical romances!
April 21, 2019
Ogni tanto ritorna. Solite incomprensioni e solite tematiche ma fa piacere riprendere in mano un libro della Palmer sapendo cosa ci aspetta
September 5, 2015
I'm a big fan of Diana Palmer with many of her older books being some of my favorites but this one wasn't. I just felt that this was missing some of that Diana Palmer magic that usually puts me under its spell. In fact it was missing a lot of what I love from Diana Palmer books.
Number one I felt it was really rushed especially in the relationship department or I should more accurately the development of it. There was barely any of it in my opinion. It was like they knew each other, married for convenience where he vowed he would never love her to them being madly in love with one another within a blink of an eye. It just didn't seem believable to me that he fell that head over heels in love with her in such a short amount of time. I saw no evidence of him falling in love with her. No hints. Nothing or nothing that I believed anyway. It almost felt like his love declaration came out of left field. It shocked me. Usually I expect it or I want it to come and am anticipating it not so much here.
Secondly, I felt like he just wanted her physically and nothing more and that was almost lack luster as well. There was only mild heat to their physical interactions. It wasn't steamy hot or filled with lots of yummy sexual tension that quickens the pulse. But their chemistry was ho hum and kind of boring. It was kind of bland to be honest. I just wasn't feeling it between our couple.
Thirdly I wasn't feeling the character of Eduardo. I didn't like him. Not at all. I thought he was an insenstive jerk for most of it. There was nothing likable or enjoyable about him. He wasn't my favorite Palmer hero, which I have many that I have fallen in love with over the years.
Fourthly there wasn't that emotional turmoil or angst that Palmer's known for. Usually she punches a hole in my chest or I am gutted by the story lines that prove to be emotional. I love the hear wrenching emotions she writes but none of that was here. Palmer's famous for her emotional angst in her books and that's why I love her books so much. And her signature wasn't present here and I missed it here. It was the missing piece.
Also didn't like the whole story line with her father. He was a complete cruel jack ass that I hated with passion. He treated Bernadette like a freaking piece of unwanted property that he wanted to unload on a fortune hitting suitor that cared about money and not Bernadette. It just treated her horribly and it was hard to watch. It was that treatment one minute then suddenly after her marriage to Eduardo then he was a loving father. It made no sense for a 180 degree turn and it had me scratching my head. Didn't like that swift of a turn. It was a turn off.
And really the conflict though was present it wasn't deep rooted and didn't seem like a conflict at all. In fact the conflicts were pretty much brushed aside and solved. They weren't true conflict that would have brought true obstacles to their romance and helped developed their relationship. There wasn't much standing in their way in a meaningful way. And with that lack of conflict brought lack of drama and angst to the story therefore making the story less interesting and very bland.
So this was not my favorite Diana Palmer book and I found myself very disappointed by the book. I was expecting more and more hoping it would get better and better but it just didn't. In fact when it ended I said to myself "that was it" and just felt the ending was very rushed. Just nothing really pulled me into the story nor did the characters. Very disappointing.
Number one I felt it was really rushed especially in the relationship department or I should more accurately the development of it. There was barely any of it in my opinion. It was like they knew each other, married for convenience where he vowed he would never love her to them being madly in love with one another within a blink of an eye. It just didn't seem believable to me that he fell that head over heels in love with her in such a short amount of time. I saw no evidence of him falling in love with her. No hints. Nothing or nothing that I believed anyway. It almost felt like his love declaration came out of left field. It shocked me. Usually I expect it or I want it to come and am anticipating it not so much here.
Secondly, I felt like he just wanted her physically and nothing more and that was almost lack luster as well. There was only mild heat to their physical interactions. It wasn't steamy hot or filled with lots of yummy sexual tension that quickens the pulse. But their chemistry was ho hum and kind of boring. It was kind of bland to be honest. I just wasn't feeling it between our couple.
Thirdly I wasn't feeling the character of Eduardo. I didn't like him. Not at all. I thought he was an insenstive jerk for most of it. There was nothing likable or enjoyable about him. He wasn't my favorite Palmer hero, which I have many that I have fallen in love with over the years.
Fourthly there wasn't that emotional turmoil or angst that Palmer's known for. Usually she punches a hole in my chest or I am gutted by the story lines that prove to be emotional. I love the hear wrenching emotions she writes but none of that was here. Palmer's famous for her emotional angst in her books and that's why I love her books so much. And her signature wasn't present here and I missed it here. It was the missing piece.
Also didn't like the whole story line with her father. He was a complete cruel jack ass that I hated with passion. He treated Bernadette like a freaking piece of unwanted property that he wanted to unload on a fortune hitting suitor that cared about money and not Bernadette. It just treated her horribly and it was hard to watch. It was that treatment one minute then suddenly after her marriage to Eduardo then he was a loving father. It made no sense for a 180 degree turn and it had me scratching my head. Didn't like that swift of a turn. It was a turn off.
And really the conflict though was present it wasn't deep rooted and didn't seem like a conflict at all. In fact the conflicts were pretty much brushed aside and solved. They weren't true conflict that would have brought true obstacles to their romance and helped developed their relationship. There wasn't much standing in their way in a meaningful way. And with that lack of conflict brought lack of drama and angst to the story therefore making the story less interesting and very bland.
So this was not my favorite Diana Palmer book and I found myself very disappointed by the book. I was expecting more and more hoping it would get better and better but it just didn't. In fact when it ended I said to myself "that was it" and just felt the ending was very rushed. Just nothing really pulled me into the story nor did the characters. Very disappointing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 5, 2024
4.5 stars
January 4, 2026
This is the second book I've read by Diana Palmer, second to her Magnolia.
I've noticed that Diana Palmer’s writing feels much lighter and more straightforward in comparison to some of my favorite authors. The prose isn’t as layered or richly structured as theirs, but that simplicity makes the story easy to absorb and emotionally accessible. It’s the kind of book you can finish and enjoy in a short amount of time. The pace is quite fast, not much to my preference neither.
This is why it's a 3.5 for me.
Now, this book is one I picked because of the promising premise and setting: it's a marriage of convenience between Eduardo Cortes, a titled Spanish count, and Bernadette, his neighbor's daughter and a wealthy Irish descendant heiress.
Bernadette was born with asthma. Her father has some animosity towards her as he believes she's the one who caused her mother's death upon childbirth.
Bernadette was trying to ward off all suitors, as she fears facing the same fate as her mother did, until Eduardo offered for her... He considered this marriage a means to secure his ranch, while she hoped to garner his love as she has loved him for years, despite him being unaware of it.
As for how this was light to me, there were many off-page scenarios that could've made the book more rich, in my humble opinion... for instance there's the time when, towards the beginning, Bernadette told Eduardo that he's her enemy, and then this was put aside... and there are the instances where Eduardo's grandmother and cousin tried to dissuade him from the impending marriage and do all they can to stop it. I was expecting some action, not insinuations.
The plot's notably good, and as I mentioned earlier, the pace is quite fast and the writing style is very light, not richly structured, hence, it's why my rating's shorter than many people's by a star or two.
I've noticed that Diana Palmer’s writing feels much lighter and more straightforward in comparison to some of my favorite authors. The prose isn’t as layered or richly structured as theirs, but that simplicity makes the story easy to absorb and emotionally accessible. It’s the kind of book you can finish and enjoy in a short amount of time. The pace is quite fast, not much to my preference neither.
This is why it's a 3.5 for me.
Now, this book is one I picked because of the promising premise and setting: it's a marriage of convenience between Eduardo Cortes, a titled Spanish count, and Bernadette, his neighbor's daughter and a wealthy Irish descendant heiress.
Bernadette was born with asthma. Her father has some animosity towards her as he believes she's the one who caused her mother's death upon childbirth.
Bernadette was trying to ward off all suitors, as she fears facing the same fate as her mother did, until Eduardo offered for her... He considered this marriage a means to secure his ranch, while she hoped to garner his love as she has loved him for years, despite him being unaware of it.
As for how this was light to me, there were many off-page scenarios that could've made the book more rich, in my humble opinion... for instance there's the time when, towards the beginning, Bernadette told Eduardo that he's her enemy, and then this was put aside... and there are the instances where Eduardo's grandmother and cousin tried to dissuade him from the impending marriage and do all they can to stop it. I was expecting some action, not insinuations.
The plot's notably good, and as I mentioned earlier, the pace is quite fast and the writing style is very light, not richly structured, hence, it's why my rating's shorter than many people's by a star or two.
July 2, 2013
I LOVED IT!
Bernadette, pretty girl with fragile lungs, is going to marry Eduardo. But not out of love. Bernie needs him for his title and to get away from her disrespectful father and Eduardo needs her to save his ranch. They made a promise to have a good marriage with friendship and honesty only. But what will Eduardo do when he realized he fall in love with Bernadette when she already gone because of his awful grandmother?
Been a while since I read good work of Diana Palmer. I have no high expectations of this book, especially when I know that this one has historical theme. Mostly because I'm still stuck with Maya Banks's Highlander series. But when I continue to read it, wow.
I like Bernie! She's independent and strong! So very different from Diana Palmer's usual heroine. I loathed Eduardo's grandmother at first. But eventually, I was like, aaaaawwww.
Eduardo, easy to love to. I can't say anything else but I liked him as well.
So far, this book's perfect and worth your time. Even though you're not Diana Palmer's fans. ;)
Bernadette, pretty girl with fragile lungs, is going to marry Eduardo. But not out of love. Bernie needs him for his title and to get away from her disrespectful father and Eduardo needs her to save his ranch. They made a promise to have a good marriage with friendship and honesty only. But what will Eduardo do when he realized he fall in love with Bernadette when she already gone because of his awful grandmother?
Been a while since I read good work of Diana Palmer. I have no high expectations of this book, especially when I know that this one has historical theme. Mostly because I'm still stuck with Maya Banks's Highlander series. But when I continue to read it, wow.
I like Bernie! She's independent and strong! So very different from Diana Palmer's usual heroine. I loathed Eduardo's grandmother at first. But eventually, I was like, aaaaawwww.
Eduardo, easy to love to. I can't say anything else but I liked him as well.
So far, this book's perfect and worth your time. Even though you're not Diana Palmer's fans. ;)
August 5, 2014
Amei a heroína! \o/
Este é um típico livrinho da autora e me deixou com saudade do modo de escrever dela. Os livros atuais estão todos muito ruins, então foi como um bálsamo para minha alma de fã, hahahahaha!!!
Este é um típico livrinho da autora e me deixou com saudade do modo de escrever dela. Os livros atuais estão todos muito ruins, então foi como um bálsamo para minha alma de fã, hahahahaha!!!
August 1, 2019
Una hermosa historia de amor, de dos personas que estaban destinadas a estar juntas.
November 23, 2019
Bernadette and Eduardo
Midnight rider is a historical romance and a
Nice change from the contemporaries books Diana Palmer normally writes. Bernadette lost her mother in childbirth and bore the blame and disapproval of her father and she us made to feel as a burden due to her asthma. To make matters worse, her father searches far and wide for a suitable match for her that will open doors to high society something he craves and haven't been able to accomplish despite his great wealth. Eduardo is their neighbour with everything her fathers wants except a fortune. When he finds out what her dads is doing he sees a chance to change his fortune. Great plot with likeable characters than you can't not love. Highly recommended
Midnight rider is a historical romance and a
Nice change from the contemporaries books Diana Palmer normally writes. Bernadette lost her mother in childbirth and bore the blame and disapproval of her father and she us made to feel as a burden due to her asthma. To make matters worse, her father searches far and wide for a suitable match for her that will open doors to high society something he craves and haven't been able to accomplish despite his great wealth. Eduardo is their neighbour with everything her fathers wants except a fortune. When he finds out what her dads is doing he sees a chance to change his fortune. Great plot with likeable characters than you can't not love. Highly recommended
July 2, 2024
love and faith
Here is another enjoyable tale by Diana Palmer. She always provides such good escape reads. Are the plots predictable? Yes, but does it matter? No because I know I’ll love the characters and the setting.
In this story Bernadette is being forced to marry a man of her father’s choosing. She is not happy about it. Enter the handsome neighbor that she’s had a crush on for years. Can they make an arranged marriage work despite the aggressions of other family members that don’t approve?
If you are looking for an entertaining love story , then look no further.
Here is another enjoyable tale by Diana Palmer. She always provides such good escape reads. Are the plots predictable? Yes, but does it matter? No because I know I’ll love the characters and the setting.
In this story Bernadette is being forced to marry a man of her father’s choosing. She is not happy about it. Enter the handsome neighbor that she’s had a crush on for years. Can they make an arranged marriage work despite the aggressions of other family members that don’t approve?
If you are looking for an entertaining love story , then look no further.
September 27, 2024
Not your typical Diana Palmer book! It’s a historical romance but there isn’t endless pages of history, history, history spoken between the mains!
The heroine is feisty, outspoken, smart and surprisingly emotionally sound for all her misfortunes!
The hero isn’t the brightest but he’s not the usual hair, cruel beast! No mention of chest hair rubbings either!!!
A great read for fans and firsts!!
The heroine is feisty, outspoken, smart and surprisingly emotionally sound for all her misfortunes!
The hero isn’t the brightest but he’s not the usual hair, cruel beast! No mention of chest hair rubbings either!!!
A great read for fans and firsts!!
January 31, 2023
I’m usually pretty forgiving of HR westerns because it feels like there few and far between that aren’t specifically christian fiction, but this wasn’t an enjoyable read. The plot was decent but ruined by clunky and repetitive writing, overwrought characters, and needlessly expository dialogue. One and a half stars.
October 12, 2025
She wondered if she were dreaming it all.
"Darling, would you like to pinch me, just in case?" she asked him.
He chuckled, because he knew what she meant.
"Only if you agree to pinch me in return." He leaned closer. "But perhaps we won't take the chance, dearest. If I am dreaming, let me never wake!"❤️🔥
"Darling, would you like to pinch me, just in case?" she asked him.
He chuckled, because he knew what she meant.
"Only if you agree to pinch me in return." He leaned closer. "But perhaps we won't take the chance, dearest. If I am dreaming, let me never wake!"❤️🔥
October 20, 2017
It was a short, sweet story. The premise wasn't unique and nothing really got my heart-racing in trepidation. Will she die or will she not die? What did he do? None of that. But alas, it was nice. I liked the pair.
April 29, 2020
Nice listen for my walks during the Great Quarantine of 2020. I liked that the female MC was not a simpering woman and the male MC was not an alpha male bully but deep down softy. Like I said, a great listen for some long walks to keep sane.
Go Cards! L1C4!!
Go Cards! L1C4!!
June 16, 2024
Another great story by Diana Palmer
A western story of courage and determination mixing Spanish and Irish history together with romance and love. Another great story by Diana Palmer!
A western story of courage and determination mixing Spanish and Irish history together with romance and love. Another great story by Diana Palmer!
December 7, 2017
As Always Another Great Book by Diana Palmer. Loved It. 😇
September 30, 2019
Loved this one. The H had a few parts where he was a buttface but not nearly as bad as other DP heroes AND the heroine had a backbone!!!!
September 14, 2020
Wonderful
Love Diana's Books always exciting and romantic. Not to gragic ! Keeps you in suspense a lot. Can't wait to read !
Love Diana's Books always exciting and romantic. Not to gragic ! Keeps you in suspense a lot. Can't wait to read !
April 12, 2021
Young women hated by her father and unable to marry the man she loves, goes to great lengths to protect her future
June 15, 2021
A lovely easy read.
September 27, 2022
Ok, lots of kissing but plot was good
July 2, 2025
Loved this book! Have read it several times!
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