A Touch of Midnight by Lara Adrian

I'm a huge fan of author Lara Adrian and her Midnight Breed Series. Not only is it kick-ass, but it's multi-ethnic as well. As you'll find out, I'm not into reading the works of author's who create worlds that are devoid of other ethnicities or portray the single black (or other person of color) character in a stereotypical and negative light. In fact, I won't review their books on this blog or purchase them even if its a series that I've started reading and enjoy (the library is a great thing!). Lara Adrian's novels are refreshing in that they feature women and men of color that are strong, fleshed out individuals. Since reading the first novel in the series, I've wanted to know the story behind Savannah and Gideon. They have been the solid, ever dependable mated couple throughout the series. Gideon is the loveable, ever disheveled and bespectacled Breed who is the Order's resident computer geek. Savannah is his beautiful African-American mate who can see visions of the past by touching a person or an object.

Fortunately, Lara Adrian did not leave her fans adrift and self-published A Touch of Midnight. This short novella takes place in the 1970s when Savannah is a freshman at Boston University. When she touches an ancient sword she first see's a handsome yet savage man and then a the death of two children at the hands of a fanged monster. While the sword brings tragedy and danger into Savannah's life, it also brings the Breed warrior Gideon. When Savannah describes the sword to a local news station, Gideon recognizes it as the sword that his enemy used to slay his two brothers long ago and plans to use the lovely woman to help him locate it. While Gideon and Savannah face danger, they also fall in love.

The Positive: I loved seeing Gideon the fighter. Now I know for sure when Gideon steps from behind his keyboard he is more than capable of handling his business. I felt his back story was touching and thought she did a good job at fleshing him out. The love scenes were steamy and you could definitely feel the love between the two.

The Negative: Savannah's character needed more developing and her reactions just felt off. She accepted Gideon and what he was too easily, and there were times when she should have been more suspicious and reluctant than what was portrayed. Savannah's character wasn't all horrible by any means, but the flaws in her character were due to the shortness in length of the novella. Another negative mark comes when we learn why Gideon doesn't fight in future books. It just wasn't believable. The man has been a fighter for hundreds of years. He just wouldn't give it up so easily. Nope. Didn't buy that. Again, this is due to length.

What it Boils Down To: I enjoyed A Touch of Midnight if for no other reason than I finally got to read about a couple that I've grown to love. It was well written, as expected, but suffers from being too short and comes across rushed. A Touch of Midnight desperately needed to be a full length novel and because it wasn't I felt cheated. I still recommend it because at the end of the day it is an enjoyable, although quick, read. I wanted to give this five stars, but unfortunately I can't because of the length.

Rating: 4 stars
Released: July 2013
Pages: 166
Available for Purchase at: Amazon | Smashwords