Rating: 
Summary: Very enjoyable!
Review: In my opinion, this book was much better than The Night Drifter. The plot is original and unpredictable, the characters are well-developed so much so that you 'feel' with them, and the writing is great! It was nice to see Val finally be human and have a dark side. When I first saw that he was the hero, I almost didn't read it, but Carroll works magic with him in this book. I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys a really good book.
Rating:
Summary: Exciting paranormal romance
Review: In the nineteenth century, the evil Rafe Mortmain returns to Cornwell to die and to extract vengeance on Val St. Leger. At the same time that Rafe hands over the shard of an evil magical crystal, Val grips his foe's hand and uses his powers to remove the illness and apparently part of Rafe's soul. At the same time, Kate Fitzlegger performs a black magic spell to gain the love of Val. Rafe vanishes and Val has absorbed some of his enemy's soul.After years of avoiding intimacy with Kate, Val chases after her, beds her, and announces they will marry. This is in opposition to the Bride Finder, who always names the wife of a St. Leger and once informed Val he had no future bride. Val turns irritable and nasty, and soon loses his will to live, as he hates his dark side. Kate finally understands the meaning of real love, but that may prove too late to save the soul of her beloved. Best-selling author Susan Carroll returns with a strong exciting magical sequel to the fabulous Bride Finder, but this time starring "Saint" Val, brother to the previous book's hero. The story line is filled with non-stop action in a vividly described historical context with paranormal elements. The novel's warmth emanates from the powerful characters, which cast quite a spell on the reader who, in turn will find Ms. Carroll is quite a wonderful author. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: Another gift by a master
Review: It's always wonderful to see how Sue crafts her stories. She has a unique gift for bringing the reader into the scene and getting the reader to care about her characters. It was great to see how she transformed both Val AND Rafe and shared their internal struggles. Good job, Sue! I hope there's a book for Rafe!
Rating:
Summary: exciting sequel to The Bride Finder and The Night Drifter
Review: Midnight Bride is the third in the series about the men of the St. Ledger family, cursed to marry only the woman selected for them by the Bride Finder. If they marry someone other than a bride selected by the Fitzledger Bride Finder, they are doomed. This time the story is about Val St. Ledger, son of Anatole and Madeline (The Bride Finder, January 1999) and twin brother to Lance St. Ledger (The Night Drifter, February 2000). Val is the local doctor, but he heals through his magical powers. He has the ability to lay hands upon a person and take their troubles, sorrow or pain from them. When his brother Lance was wounded at Waterloo, Val saved his life by using his magic, only something went wrong. Not only did Val absorb Lance's pain from his damaged leg, he accepted the wound, and has limped ever since because of this. Kate Fitzledger grew up around Lance and Val, and while Lance as her play buddy, Val was always more to her. Now fully grown, she loves Val, but is in despair. Her guardian, Effy Fitzledger is the current Bride Finder, and while she has matched Lance, who is now married, has a son and his wife is expecting their second child, Effy has decreed she will not find a bride for Val. On Kate's birthday, she confesses her love for Val, but he refuses to listen because the Bride Finder has spoken, condemning him to go without a wife through life. Desperate to win Val, Kate cast a spell using Prospero St. Ledgers spell book. And she is shocked to find Val is declaring his love. But so is his cousin Victor. The Bride Finder has declared Victor is to wed Molly Grey, but he refuses the match and declares suddenly he is in love with Kate. Kate seeks out Prospero to undo the spell, not only on Victor, but Val as well for she fears he spell is destroying him. Prospero senses evil to the St. Ledger family, but fears Kate did not really create magic from his spells, there is something else at work here. What Kate does not know is the mortal enemy of the St. Ledgers, Rafe Mortimer visited Val the night Kate cast her spell. Rafe is dying and his final wish is to pass on a necklace with a piece of the crystal stolen from the St. Ledger sword. When
he attempts to pass it, he locks hands with Val and a transfer takes place. All of Val's goodness is passed to the dying man, as well, Val heal the man's illness. No longer burdened by the past, Rafe is suddenly happy in life. Only, Val absorbed
all the pain, unhappiness and evil of Rafe. So Kate and the ghostly Prospero must try to save Val's life before it's too late. It's a strong tale that lives up to the first two books. Kate and Val are vividly portrayed. The book is a very enjoyable fast read. Here's too looking forward to more St. Ledger books.
Rating:
Summary: exciting sequel to The Bride Finder and The Night Drifter
Review: Midnight Bride is the third in the series about the men of the St. Ledger family, cursed to marry only the woman selected for them by the Bride Finder. If they marry someone other than a bride selected by the Fitzledger Bride Finder, they are doomed. This time the story is about Val St. Ledger, son of Anatole and Madeline (The Bride Finder, January 1999) and twin brother to Lance St. Ledger (The Night Drifter, February 2000). Val is the local doctor, but he heals through his magical powers. He has the ability to lay hands upon a person and take their troubles, sorrow or pain from them. When his brother Lance was wounded at Waterloo, Val saved his life by using his magic, only something went wrong. Not only did Val absorb Lance's pain from his damaged leg, he accepted the wound, and has limped ever since because of this. Kate Fitzledger grew up around Lance and Val, and while Lance as her play buddy, Val was always more to her. Now fully grown, she loves Val, but is in despair. Her guardian, Effy Fitzledger is the current Bride Finder, and while she has matched Lance, who is now married, has a son and his wife is expecting their second child, Effy has decreed she will not find a bride for Val. On Kate's birthday, she confesses her love for Val, but he refuses to listen because the Bride Finder has spoken, condemning him to go without a wife through life. Desperate to win Val, Kate cast a spell using Prospero St. Ledgers spell book. And she is shocked to find Val is declaring his love. But so is his cousin Victor. The Bride Finder has declared Victor is to wed Molly Grey, but he refuses the match and declares suddenly he is in love with Kate. Kate seeks out Prospero to undo the spell, not only on Victor, but Val as well for she fears he spell is destroying him. Prospero senses evil to the St. Ledger family, but fears Kate did not really create magic from his spells, there is something else at work here. What Kate does not know is the mortal enemy of the St. Ledgers, Rafe Mortimer visited Val the night Kate cast her spell. Rafe is dying and his final wish is to pass on a necklace with a piece of the crystal stolen from the St. Ledger sword. When
he attempts to pass it, he locks hands with Val and a transfer takes place. All of Val's goodness is passed to the dying man, as well, Val heal the man's illness. No longer burdened by the past, Rafe is suddenly happy in life. Only, Val absorbed
all the pain, unhappiness and evil of Rafe. So Kate and the ghostly Prospero must try to save Val's life before it's too late. It's a strong tale that lives up to the first two books. Kate and Val are vividly portrayed. The book is a very enjoyable fast read. Here's too looking forward to more St. Ledger books.
Rating:
Summary: THE MIDNIGHT BRIDE - great!
Review: Ms. Carroll has written a wonderful sequel to THE BRIDE FINDER and THE NIGHT DRIFTER. Val St. Leger is a doctor who has the ability to absorb his patient's pain. He has been told by the Bride Finder that he will never have a bride. However, Val is feeling the St. Leger "need to wed" and wants Kate Fitzleger who is the adopted daughter of the Bride Finder. Kate wants Val, even if it means going against the tradition of the Bride Finder and its potential for tragedy. A shard of magic crystal and the return of a family enemy begins this interesting and exciting novel. As an avid reader, I constantly weigh the price against how badly (and how quickly) I want to read the novel. I wanted this one and paid the hard-back price. It was money well spent.
Rating:
Summary: THE MIDNIGHT BRIDE - great!
Review: Ms. Carroll has written a wonderful sequel to THE BRIDE FINDER and THE NIGHT DRIFTER. Val St. Leger is a doctor who has the ability to absorb his patient's pain. He has been told by the Bride Finder that he will never have a bride. However, Val is feeling the St. Leger "need to wed" and wants Kate Fitzleger who is the adopted daughter of the Bride Finder. Kate wants Val, even if it means going against the tradition of the Bride Finder and its potential for tragedy. A shard of magic crystal and the return of a family enemy begins this interesting and exciting novel. As an avid reader, I constantly weigh the price against how badly (and how quickly) I want to read the novel. I wanted this one and paid the hard-back price. It was money well spent.
Rating:
Summary: Magically OUTSTANDING
Review: Susan Carroll's Midnight Bride, the third in the St. Leger series, is absolutely awesome! Dr. Valentine St. Leger, younger twin son of Anatole and Madeline St. Leger (from The Bride Finder), is a doctor. As most all St. Legers, he has a gift that enables him to draw the pain of his patients into himself - draining at first, but after resting, he can then recover. Unfortunately, when he first used this gift to save his twin brother Lance's life, he wasn't able to control the gift and it left him with a crippled leg. Val is often referred to as Saint Valentine because of his unrelenting quest to serve those in pain and would never be or do anything that would inadvertently hurt another person. To Kate Fitzleger, adopted daughter of the St. Leger's bride finder; Val has been her hero, confidante, teacher and friend - the man she knows she will love for all time - no matter what her adopted mother, Effie Fitzleger, the 'Bride Finder' says. She is determined that Val will be hers someday and will do anything to have it happen - including braving the old tower and the lair of the legendary ghost of Prospero St. Leger to find a 'love spell' to cast over Val. Kate would not believe the warnings and would disregard the legends that promised an untimely death to women not chosen by the 'Bride Finder'.
Adding to this, enter an old enemy, Rafe Mortmain, whose sole purpose in returning to Cornwall, is to exact revenge upon Saint Valentine - whom he blames for all the bad things that have happened in his life, including the loss of the one true friend he ever thought he had - Val's twin brother Lance. At the moment the determined Kate is casting her love spell another supernatural and evil event is taking place. As a result, Val turns into a real dark and nasty person and lets his lust for Kate - who he once treated with the dignity of a lady - take over - releasing the 'dark side' of his soul. Kate, delighted at first, by the change in the quiet and courteous Val, comes around to finally understanding that you can't force love but would this realization come too late to save the soul of her best friend. This book is a real page-turner with suspense filled action. Best-selling author Susan Carroll has created a magnificent series here that I hope will continue beyond this third book. The resident guardian ghost - Prospero - seems to play a much stronger role in this story only adding to the mystical feeling. Bravo Ms. Carroll you've created a most charming and wonderfully warm family of new 'friends' for me!
Rating: 
Summary: Book 3 makes you want another in the series
Review: The Bride Finder series is in many ways unique among romance books, and Susan Carroll is a superb writer. While I still find the first book to be the best, the others are great reads as well. Val is not your typical romantic hero -- he's almost too gentle sometimes, but that provides a nice contrast to Kate's impetuosity. Kate is an excellent heroine and her talks with the ghost Prospero are most enlightening. Her rashness sets off the chain of events that changes many of the characters in the book. Bad guy Rafe is a good villain, the kind who, though thoroughly selfish, is not all bad and who changes over the course of the story. Ellie again is the Bride Finder, but this time she's standing in the way of true love. This situation eventually makes her a more interesting character. Once again, read the book; it's a good one. The only question is which of the series you'll like best and why.
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