Love A Lady at Midnight by Charlie Lane

Love A Lady at Midnight by Charlie Lane

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

"'She liked learning something new about him, liked knowing it was possible to know someone for six years and still stumble upon mysterious corners of them."

Once in a while, you pick up a book that makes you wonder who this author is, and why you haven't  had the opportunity to fall in love with them before-- and then be glad that you haven't, because now you can go and read everything else they've ever written and fall in love over and over again. Last month I was lucky enough to experience this with Jackie Lau. This month Charlie Lane is that author for me, and this little gem of a book was a delightful introduction to her and her work.

The basic premise of Love a Lady at Midnight is simple enough: Gwendolyn and Jackson have been working together for 6 years. They've been in love with one another for most of that time, though he's a great deal more obvious about it than she is. The book opens with them finally indulging their more carnal desires before taking a huge step backwards, despite it being obvious to everyone, including both of them, that they are mad for one another. Gwendolyn steps back because she's running from a past of accidental bigamy and is terrified of hurting Jackson and his family if this comes to light. Jackson only steps back because he knows Gwendolyn wants that-- he doesn't know why. 

Where Lane really shines compared to other authors in the historical romance genre is in her characterizations. Gwendolyn and Jackson are the chef's kiss of historical romance characters. Jackson is wildly passionate, but also steady-- he knows what he wants, he sticks to what he wants, and he is willing to do anything to get it. But he's also able to change his plans and adapt when it seems necessary, without sacrificing any of the passion and emotion that make him so wonderful. He's incredibly patient, loyal, and devoted, which is exactly what Gwendolyn needs.

For her part Gwendolyn is an extremely intelligent, strong, and talented woman, but she's so haunted by her past that when the book opens she's a shell of who she could be. Watching her gain confidence and come into her own as a woman who is unafraid to face who she is, what she's done, and what she wants is an incredibly rewarding experience. The reactions of those around her to her past were masterfully done, and no minor character was wasted in this book. From the innocent questions of children about Gwendolyn and Jackson's obvious unresolved sexual tension to the truly heart-warming relationship between Jackson's uncle and aunt everyone played their part exquisitely and left me with warm feelings not only toward Gwendolyn and Jackson, but toward everyone else too.

The romance was incredibly well executed. You could really feel the years of history between these two characters, and how much deeper and sweeter all of that history made their connection. I also loved that the hero was a virgin-- I'm not a big fan of that trope, but Lane didn't unnecessarily lean into it, it was just presented as a fact, and he was a fully competent lover regardless.

I won't lie-- the ending here is obvious almost before the story has begun, but it doesn't even matter because it's SO delightful watching both Gwen and Jackson do the hard work necessary to get their happy ending.

I'd recommend this to anyone who loves historical romance, you won't be disappointed by this poignant love story.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and BookBuzz.net in exchange for an honest review.