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A review by laurenjodi
A Midnight Dance by Lila DiPasqua
2.0
A Midnight Dance
2 Stars
Drowning in debt after the death of her father and disappearance of her twin sister, Sabine Laurent is determined to recoup the family fortunes with the only means at her disposal - theft. Upon learning that Jules de Moutier, the man she once worshipped from a far, is transporting several chests of silver, Sabine plans a daring heist. But when things go awry, Sabine will have to decide whether her desire for vengeance is greater than the passion she feels in Jules’s arms.
Any resemblance between this story and the Cinderella tale is superficial at best. Moreover, neither the hero nor the heroine are particularly appealing, and the serial killer plot is woefully underdeveloped.
Jules is an elitist, pompous ass and Sabine is a deceitful manipulator. Their romance is lacking in chemistry despite the erotic sex scenes, and their emotional intimacy is not realistic or believable.
The conspiracy plot has potential, but does a complete U-turn halfway through the book and suddenly morphs into a story about an obsessed sociopath/serial killer targeting anyone who gets in his way. This has absolutely no foundation and although it does increase the tension and suspense, the climax and resolution are anti-climactic and unsatisfying.
The writing is also problematic as there are numerous scenes involving long and detailed conversations that contribute little to the characterization or storyline.
All in all, a disappointing book and there are much better Cinderella retellings available such as A Midnight Kiss by Eloisa James or The Prince Who Loves Me by Karen Hawkins.
2 Stars
Drowning in debt after the death of her father and disappearance of her twin sister, Sabine Laurent is determined to recoup the family fortunes with the only means at her disposal - theft. Upon learning that Jules de Moutier, the man she once worshipped from a far, is transporting several chests of silver, Sabine plans a daring heist. But when things go awry, Sabine will have to decide whether her desire for vengeance is greater than the passion she feels in Jules’s arms.
Any resemblance between this story and the Cinderella tale is superficial at best. Moreover, neither the hero nor the heroine are particularly appealing, and the serial killer plot is woefully underdeveloped.
Jules is an elitist, pompous ass and Sabine is a deceitful manipulator. Their romance is lacking in chemistry despite the erotic sex scenes, and their emotional intimacy is not realistic or believable.
The conspiracy plot has potential, but does a complete U-turn halfway through the book and suddenly morphs into a story about an obsessed sociopath/serial killer targeting anyone who gets in his way. This has absolutely no foundation and although it does increase the tension and suspense, the climax and resolution are anti-climactic and unsatisfying.
The writing is also problematic as there are numerous scenes involving long and detailed conversations that contribute little to the characterization or storyline.
All in all, a disappointing book and there are much better Cinderella retellings available such as A Midnight Kiss by Eloisa James or The Prince Who Loves Me by Karen Hawkins.