'A Kiss at Midnight' by Eloisa James is a delightful Regency fairytale retelling of Cinderella. The story follows Kate Daltry, who is caught in a role between a family member and a servant due to her wicked stepmother. When her sister Victoria needs to win the approval of her fiancé's cousin, who happens to be a prince, Kate steps in to make things right. The novel is praised for its captivating storytelling, interesting characters like Kate, Gabriel, and Wick, and the charming dialogue that moves the plot with wit and humor. Despite being a predictable Cinderella retelling, the book is commended for its engaging narrative that keeps readers invested in the characters' journey towards their heart's desires.
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Has Romance?
The romance is a central theme of the story, filled with chemistry and conflict.
From The Publisher:
"Eloisa James writes with a captivating blend of charm, style, and grace that never fails to leave the reader sighing and smiling and falling in love."
-New York Times bestselling author Julia Quinn
"Romance writing does not get much better than this."
-People
The Cinderella story moves to Regency England-with more than a few twists and turns along the way! With A Kiss at Midnight, the remarkable Eloisa James spins a delicious tale involving a carriage, a godmother, a pair of rats…and a beauty with no interest whatsoever in getting married-and certainly not to a prince! Read A Kiss at Midnight and see why New York Times bestselling author Lisa Kleypas says, "Eloisa James is extraordinary."
Ratings (5)
Incredible (1) | |
Liked It (1) | |
It Was OK (2) | |
Did Not Like (1) |
Reader Stats (19):
Read It (7) | |
Want To Read (9) | |
Not Interested (3) |
1 comment(s)
I like this author, but this is definitely not her best book.
I liked how the author used the fairy tale about Cinderella. What she used from a well-known story and what she chose to omit. And also that she did not stick to the roles that the characters were given in the fable, but adapted them for this story.
But I couldn't get over how this relationship started. It's not even that I dislike the false identity theme in general. Although I definitely don't like it. And even in this book, I couldn't convince myself to give it a serious try. But what bothered me most was that Gabriel starts wooing Kate and seducing her when he is certain that she is engaged to his cousin. Additionally, he himself is also engaged and is waiting for his fiancée to arrive. For me it was unforgivable. In the end, it didn't bother me that much. But at least halfway through the book, I had a problem with that.
Fortunately, Kate and Gabriel make a pretty nice couple. Kate has done well in the modernized version of Cinderella. Her story made sense, both in terms of why she was impoverished and in terms of her family history. Henry was a pretty good fit for her godmother. And although the story of Henry's acquaintance with her family was somewhat unusual, it suited this heroine well. Gabriel surprised me. The author managed to create an image of a poor little rich boy quite convincingly. I really wanted to feel sorry for him.
But all this does not change the fact that I stopped reading this book a few times to read some others and didn't feel very much like continuing it. Once I broke at about one third and then again about 60% in. I wasn't really drawn to this story.
I have read other books in this series and I think they were better. Just like some of the other books by this author.
What can you read after
A Kiss at Midnight?
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