A Kiss at Midnight [Mass Market Paperback]

This book is not an Eloisa James Historical romance, it's Cinderella revamped, a fairy tale. There is a "wicked", or rather, selfish step-mother. However, there is only one step-sister and she is beautiful and sweet natured, if a feather-brain.

At the back of the book, EJ states that as fairy tales exist somewhere between time, then she has used looser language than would have been used in Regency Engand, although she says that it is set somewhere in the Regency period. Personally, if she hadn't said that, then I would have placed it in an earlier Georgian period, where ladies wore wigs and face paint (as happens in the book).

Here, the elder daughter of the younger son of an Earl has remained at her late father's house, even though her father left his fortune to his 2nd wife. She has stayed to try and ensure that the servants and tenants are treated correctly, as her step-mother has the tendancy to put up rents and also to throw her tenants out of their cottages, while she spends all the estate money on clothes for herself and her daughter Victoria.

I was a bit disappointed as this book was not like EJ's others. However, I did enjoy it as a bit of light fun.

After the death of her father, Kate Daltry is forced into near servitude for her stepmother and stepsister. But when her stepsister suffers a mishap that mars her perfect looks, her stepmother forces Kate to attend a ball in Victoria's place. There, Kate meets a prince although this one's definitely not as charming as she would have expected.

Prince Gabriel is one step away from being betrothed to a pretty and lovely Russian princess. So why is he so desperate to spend time with impoverished Kate - a woman he could never marry? And what will happen when he has to choose between his honour and a woman that he realises he can't live without?

This is the first in James' Fairy Tales series before When Beauty Tamed the Beast and This Duke is Mine. There is an e-book (Storming the Castle) that follows on from this story however all the rest of the series stand alone and have no connection to each other except the fairy tale theme.

From the first I liked Kate and felt for her situation. It was especially well done that although the stepmother wasn't particularly nice, she wasn't a caricature and was believable in her meanness! Gabriel was a very enjoyable hero and I always like a pair that bicker but are strong enough to stand up for themselves with each other. Together Kate and Gabriel worked really well and I really enjoyed their scenes together and thought the pair had good chemistry.

The story itself ticked over nicely and I loved the supporting characters who were vibrant but never overshadowed or upstaged the main romance. I never had a problem with wanting to pick up this book and keep reading. If I had to make one critisism it would be that there were a few too many Americanisms for my liking. Having said that, at the end of the book the author's note explains that this is set in Fairy Tale land rather than being an actual historical so I'm not sure whether that was a deliberate move.

Regardless, this was a book that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. I felt the magic and adored watching Kate and Gabriel on the path to their happily ever after. 5 stars.

For seven years Kate Daltry has lived an inbetween existence - not one of the family, but not quite a servant - thanks to her wicked stepmother. But things are about to change, because in order to marry her betrothed, Kate's sister Victoria must get the approval of her fiancé's cousin. And Victoria needs to get married, quickly. Except she can't go - and the cousin is a prince. It's up to Kate to make things right.

Yet when Kate meets the prince she can't decide if he's the most arrogant man she's ever met, or the most handsome. Not that it matters, since she's in disguise, and the prince has a rich fiancée of his own about to arrive. It's just with kisses like theirs, the penniless servant girl can't help but dream of a fairytale ending...

After the long and delightful 'Desperate Duchesses' series, Eloisa James is back with a stand-alone retelling of Cinderella. All the important elements are in place - downtrodden girl, wicked stepmother, charming prince, the godmother, the ball, and of course the glass slipper, but in true EJ style there's a bit more to it than that.

Kate is a wonderful heroine, spirited, witty and fully aware of what life has thrown at her. It's wonderful to see her change and grow throughout the story, with the assistance of her new friends, her godmother and, of course, her prince. Not that she has any illusions about Gabriel. He's heavily burdened with responsibilities and the sense of duty that means he'll do what it takes to fulfil them. Even marry a woman he doesn't love, simply because she's rich. When Kate lands in his life, and he falls so hard, it's difficult not to feel for him.

Surrounding these two are a delightful cast of supporting characters, not least the inhabitants of Pomeroy Castle, for whom Gabriel feels so responsible. Henrietta (Henry) is an unusual godmother, but is all the more enjoyable for it, and it's nice that Victoria isn't a wicked stepsister, just a bit dim. There are also the rats, or Victoria's three lap dogs, who have endearing and amusing qualities of their own. Not forgetting Wick, Leo, Effie, the sick lion and a pickle eating dog. Quirky and full of eccentricities, there's never a dull moment with this lot around.

Sumptuous, romantic, sexy and witty, this fairytale is an excellent read. I didn't want this to be a standalone, since I want to know so much more about so many of these characters. Still, I'm looking forward to her next retold fairytale - When Beauty Tamed the Beast. Eloisa James never disappoints.