Review: Mine at Midnight by Jamie Pope
Published by Harlequin on March 1st 2017
Genres: African American, Contemporary, Fiction, Romance
Pages: 224
Format: Paperback
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Is this their happy ending? After her plans for a storybook wedding are derailed by a shocking discovery days before the big event, Ava Bradley retreats to a tranquil beach cottage. Days of intense soul-searching turn into nights of passionate yearning when she clashes with her infuriatingly arrogant and incredibly sexy Hideaway Island neighbor. Derek Patrick is tempting her, not just as a lover but as a soul mate, and it's a connection unlike anything she's ever experienced before. The up-by-his-bootstraps entrepreneur is proud to be mayor of the beautiful, secluded tropical island. Derek doesn't need some social-climbing diva messing with his hard-earned serenity. Yet Ava keeps surprising him. When their no-strings affair leaves them both hungry for more, Derek is tempted to take their island affair to the next level. But Ava doesn't intend to make her permanent home there…until a natural disaster threatens Derek's beloved island, making them realize what matters most—a love too precious to lose.
Ava Bradley is reeling from the end of her near marriage and wondering how she allowed a man to control so much of her life. Derek Patrick is Hideaway Island’s bachelor Mayor with trouble getting close to women due to parental issues growing up, though he refuses to admit that at first. Derek thinks Ava is a spoiled woman who wants to marry rich. Ava thinks Derek is annoyingly noble and definitely not her type. These two soon learn that their assumptions about each other are wrong and that they are just the balm each other needs to keep the romance alive on Hideaway Island.
Ava and Derek had very playful banter at the beginning of this book, almost to the point where it became childish. She didn’t know how to really be nice so she called him names and had an attitude. After they kissed for the first time, she threw him out and said she needed to gargle with bleach. Derek was noble to a fault, and while he gave back as good as he got at times, he remained extremely patient and nice.
Ava was afraid to let her guard down again, rightfully so, and lose herself in a man, but Derek showed her that not all men are the same. He was also an example of how time and thoughtfulness in a relationship will outweigh any expensive trinkets that someone can afford.
Aside from Ava getting over her relationship, and the question of whether she would stay in Hideaway Island, there wasn’t any conflict between them. Yes, they argued a bit in the beginning but it was all playful banter that continued on throughout their relationship. We all know how much I love conflict in my romance novels, so I would have liked to see a bit more of a test to their relationship.
While not one of my favorites, Mine at Midnight is a solid read about the importance of putting yourself first while still remaining open to love and happiness.
I would like to point out that the title Mine at Midnight is not indicative of the premise. It needs to be changed. She didn’t become him and he didn’t become hers at midnight so I don’t know where this title came from. It needs to go. Small things to most people but by the end of the book, I found myself annoyed because the title didn’t go well with the actual story.
This is the second book by Jamie Pope about this island and I can’t resist learning more about the people in this quaint town. I’ll be interested to see whose story is next.
Natalya is the author of All The Things I Never Said, a soul-stirring collection of short stories, prose and love letters for the soulful wanderers, the brokenhearted and the hopeless romantics.
You can follow her rantings and occasional sparks of brilliance on Twitter @NatalyaMuncuff.
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