Review: Tempted by Midnight by Lara Adrian

Tempted by Midnight
Author: Lara Adrian
Reviewer: Jen Twimom
Rating: B

What I’m Talking About:

Lazaro Archer lost everything one night twenty years ago when his mate and entire family were ruthlessly murdered in the battle between the Breed Order and madman Dragos. Now this Gen One Breed who has lived more than one thousand years, dedicates his life to helping the Order keep peace across the earth.

Melena Walsh, daughter of U.S. Darkhaven leader and member of the Global Nations Council, Byron Walsh, uses her breedmate gift to help her father learn the true nature of those with which he deals. Knowing her father fears for his life, she attends a secret meeting between her father and Italian businessman with ties to Italy’s anti-Breed leader, Paolo Turati. But it’s the Order’s warrior, Lazaro, who seems to occupy most of her thoughts once she climbs aboard the yacht where the meeting is held.

Tempted by Midnight is the fourth story to come out of Ms. Adrian’s Midnight Breed series since the author fast-forwarded the series twenty years in to the future, to a time when humans know all about the existence of the vampiric Breed race. Although the story can be read completely stand-alone, there are clues and ties to the larger picture, which is coming to light in the full-length novels, and most recently in Crave the Night. Long-time readers will recognize familiar names, but there are a few new characters tossed around as well.

Overall, the novella has all the hallmark signs of a typical Midnight Breed story: a couple who both feel strong attraction to each other, timing is horrible, alpha male who doesn’t feel worthy of a Breedmate’s affections, he pushes her away because he’s no good and unworthy and dangerous, but also a warm and tender male who eventually comes around. Even though sometimes the romance feels a bit formulaic, I find myself engrossed in the story. And Ms. Adrian knows how to write some wonderfully passionate scenes!

One issue I did have with Tempting Midnight is the fact that Lazaro knew Melena as a child – he saved her life when her family was visiting his many years ago. I understand the Breed males live a very long time, and there will be an age difference, even 1,000 years, but the fact that he was sort of a “father figure” in that one instant just puts me on edge and gives the romance a bit of a creepy factor. Eventually, as the sparks began to fly, I was able to put the incident behind me, until it was brought up again, and then again. Unfortunately, each time it was mentioned, it pulled me out of the heat of the moment and story.

In the end, I enjoyed Tempted by Midnight. Ms. Adrian must put some kind of crack in her words because I keep coming back, even if the h/h pairings can be a bit repetitive, the overall stories are not. I liked Lazaro and Melena as a couple, when I wasn’t reminded that he knew her as a child. Outside of that issue, the story held tremendous passion, and I really liked that Melena held her ground and refused to walk away meekly from the relationship.

The novella held more pieces to the larger puzzle, which the author is constructing with each new story in since the Edge of Dawn time shift. I like the mystery of new threats and I hope we delve into who and what they are in the next full-length title.

My Rating:  B, I liked it

About the Book:

Once, they lived in secret alongside mankind. Now, emerged from the shadows, the Breed faces enemies on both sides—human and vampire alike. No one knows that better than Lazaro Archer, one of the eldest, most powerful of his kind. His beloved Breedmate and family massacred by a madman twenty years ago, Lazaro refuses to open his heart again.

Sworn to his duty as the leader of the Order’s command center in Italy, the last thing the hardened warrior wants is to be tasked with the rescue and safekeeping of an innocent woman in need of his protection. But when a covert mission takes a deadly wrong turn, Lazaro finds himself in the unlikely role of hero with a familiar, intriguing beauty he should not desire, but cannot resist.

Melena Walsh has never forgotten the dashing Breed male who saved her life as a child. But the chivalrous hero of her past is in hard contrast to the embittered, dangerous man on whom her safety now depends. And with an unwanted—yet undeniable—desire igniting between them, Melena fears that Lazaro’s protection may come at the price of her heart….

Release Date: October 14, 2014
Publisher: Evil Eye Concepts
Series: Midnight Breed #12.5
ISBN: #978-1940887098
Genre: Paranormal Romance, novella
Format(s): paperback (140 pages), e-book
Book Source: Purchased with my own funds

Purchase Info:
Tempted by Midnight (Midnight Breed #12.5)

Reviews in the Series:
Taken by Midnight by Lara Adrian (Midnight Breed #8)
Deeper Than Midnight by Lara Adrian (Midnight Breed #9)
A Taste of Midnight by Lara Adrian (Midnight Breed #9.5)
Darker After Midnight by Lara Adrian (Midnight Breed #10)
Edge of Dawn by Lara Adrian (Midnight Breed #11)
The Midnight Breed Series Companion by Lara Adrian (Midnight Breed Series)
Marked by Midnight (Midnight Breed #11.5)
Crave the Night (Midnight Breed #12)