Stroke Of Midnight

Rating:
Summary: Storyline from Publisher
Review: Fashion writer Natalie Trent, fabric designer Isabel Parisi and accountant Arianne Sorenson were ready for a night they'd never forget. Last year they left the annual Monticello ball single...this time will be different. They're ready for some fun - the sexier the better!

For Natalie, running into the man who disappeared on her one year ago is more than surprising. But she has revenge on her mind, and she's going to make him beg for more!

Long-term relationships aren't in the cards for Isabel. But when one of her admirers decides tonight's the night they become more than friends, a little champagne and sweet talk is all the encouragement Isabel needs....

When Arianne and her boss feel sparks on the dance floor, it's all they can do to find the closest bedroom, damn the consequences!

These women are willing to risk just about everything for one hot and steamy night, but it's the morning after that turns out to be more than they bargained for!

Three stories in one!

Rating:
Summary: Mostly boring
Review: I really enjoy watching Sex in the City but somehow this wannabe was just annoying. However I did enjoy "Enticing" by Carrie Alexander. Somehow it did not come off as shallow as the other two.

Rating:
Summary: Romantic Times Review
Review: Readers will love STROKE OF MIDNIGHT (4), an anthology that delivers three exciting tales, centered around a Venetian masquerade ball, by three solid authors. In 'Impulsive,' by Jamie Denton, Natalie Trent runs into the reason for her enforced celibacy, Joe Sebastian, who convinces her to give him a second chance. In 'Enticing,' by Carrie Alexander, Tom Grace decides it's time to meet his virtual friend, Isabel Parisi, in person to convince her that they can have more. Nancy Warren's 'Tantalizing' has Rafe Monticello courting his lovely accountant, the cool, aloof Arianne Sorenson.

Rating:
Summary: Three good stories
Review: These three stories revolve around three women and an annual new years party thrown by a Choo-esque shoe designer. The short stories were VERY short, there was little time to develop the characters into people with whom the reader could relate. It was as hot as one would expect from a Harlequin Blaze title, but overall it struck me as a little too "Sex In The City" wannabe.

Rating:
Summary: Highly recommended
Review: Three of Harlequin's most stunning authors combine their talents for STROKE OF MIDNIGHT, an anthology readers will not want to miss. New Year's Eve brings three single women together for a Venetian masquerade ball at the home of famous shoe designer Rafe Monticello. They agree that if they are all three still single the following New Year's Eve, they will show up at the party together next year. I confess to a fondness for anthologies that hold together as well as this one. While each story is unique, the overall effect is a wildly romantic New Years that heats cold winter nights with delightful passion. Indeed, Denton, Alexander and Warren dazzle readers with their harmonious offering that both tantalizes and pleases at any time of year.

"Impulsive" by Jamie Denton: Fashion reporter Natalie Trent meets sexy Joe Sebastian, who simply disappears into the night after a scintillating encounter. At least she gets to take home a pair of Monticello shoes and set up interviews with the people she meets. Significantly, Natalie wears an unbuttoned man's tuxedo shirt and shakes a stud from her hair when she meets her new friends, providing proof of a heated encounter with a man who disappears at midnight and suddenly reappears at the next New Year's party.

"Enticing" by Carrie Alexander: Isabel Parisi claims to come to the party for the French champagne and the Italian men. As a fabric designer, she has been working with the Monticellos on the spring line. During the course of the year, online correspondence leads to a wonderful friendship with Tom Grace. Despite her proclamations that she does not want to actually meet him, Tom crashed the party hoping to meet Isabel without destroying their friendship.

"Tantalizing" by Nancy Warren: Adrianne Sorenson attends the party because she is Rafe Monticello's accountant. Despite an endless string of women, Rafe Monticello wants the one woman who seems immune to his charms. Indeed, her clueless rejection only made him pursue harder. This year Rafe intends to overcome her reticent caution with spontaneous passion. Good thing that Adrianne is ready to overthrow her practical reputation in favor of something wild and unpredictable.

Rating:
Summary: Very short short stories
Review: Too short to be a truly satisfying read but for a quickie, it will do.