A Midnight Dance (Fiery Tales Book 1)

When I started reading this book, I thought it might be weak on plot because it kind of jumps right into the steamy stuff, but I am glad I kept reading because about 1/3 the way through the story, things start to get interesting beyond the mcs jumping each other (I never object to smut, but I do like to have some substance with it).Sabine Laurent is the daughter of a well-known Parisian playwright who dreams of marrying a French nobleman she dubs her "Dark Prince" because he has dark hair and dark eyes and is the first born son of a Marquis... which means he is completely unattainable. Her twin sister Isabelle is equally infatuated with the "Dark Prince's" younger brother, Luc, and the two girls dream of a life where they are married to their beaus and living happily ever after. But when the men of their fantasies are stripped of their lands and fortune, the Laurent family loses their properties as well and are forced to live in the country where they work themselves to the bone to pay the unjust taxes that continually rise. To make matters even worse, Sabine's father passes away leaving them with additional debts. Desperate to find a way out, Sabine overhears men speaking of a large haul of silver being carted through a town nearby, and she concocts a plan to steal it and save her family from utter ruin. But when she learns who leads this party of men - none of than her "Dark Prince," her plans are in jeopardy as her former attraction to him seems to spin out of control.Jules Moutier's life was destroyed when his father was accused of betraying the French King and sentenced to death, and he and his brother were thrown in jail... where they would still be today if not for a family friend that took pity on them and negotiated their release. But they were stripped of their lands, their riches, their title, and are forbidden to ever enter Paris again. Unable to purchase an officer's commission, Jules joined the French navy and quickly rose in the ranks; upon discharge, he reluctantly accepted work from a friend as a privateer, and he has made it his mission to amass a fortune that will ensure he can regain his lands and wealth... and fund his campaign to find the man or men who destroyed his family and seek retribution as well as restore the title and clear his father's name. All he has to do is rendezvous with his brother where they will combine their proceeds and execute their plans, but when a small party seemingly stumbles across them offering one of the most beautiful women Jules has ever seen, he cannot resist.Will the one time Jules gives into temptation cost him everything he has worked so hard to regain? Can Sabine succumb to the intense passion she feels for Jules without compromising her heart? If her plot is revealed, will Jules forgive her, and even if he does, is there any chance that a nobleman would offer for a low-born woman?What I liked:--- The main characters were very likeable, especially Sabine bc her situation was easy to empathize with; Jules was a dreamy alpha H--- Interesting story line with some mystery and intrigue sprinkled throughout--- WOW THE STEAMY GOODNESS (early & often, please and thank you)What I didn't like as much:--- There were some plot points that felt rushed - I felt like the author could have set things up a little earlier to make it more suspenseful and flow a little better ***SPOILER***For example, we find out much later in the story that the main villain was following the h from the start, but we didn't know anyone was at the time - the author could have played it with the "both were so impassioned that neither noticed the man lurking in the woods, angrily observing their lovemaking" or something like that to present that there was more going on then ***END SPOILER***--- The motive/beef that the villain had with the H was pretty weak ***SPOILER***would have been more impactful if there had been a specific slight or incident that made him want to take the H down vs. just petty jealousy ***END SPOILER***--- The H/h were at odds for some of the story, and it never really felt like they resolved their issues before jumping each other again - felt like there should have been a little more meeting of the minds firstOverall, this was a very fun and steamy story with likeable characters (even though the H pissed me off now and then with his high and mightiness) and a solid plot line!Plot --- 4/5Main Characters --- 4/5Supporting Cast --- 4/5Steam Level* --- 4.5/5Violence --- nothing graphic - there was a situation that could be considered by some to be dubious consent ***SPOILER***the h was a virgin pretending to be a prostitute, and she got "swept away by passion" but she did seem to consent... just depends on how it is interpreted by the reader I guess ***END SPOILER***Language --- somePOV --- 3rd*Note that steam level is not a rating so much as a how hot was it: 0/5 - clean; 1/5 - mild (nothing descriptive); 2/5 - 3rd base action/1 home run; 3/5 - now we're getting somewhere (a couple of full-on steamy scenes); 4/5 - yes please! (erotica territory); 5/5 - they did EVERYTHING in this one, y'all

I wasn't sure if this book was erotica when I got it. I'm actually not even sure of the definition of a regular HR versus erotica haha but I wouldn't consider it erotica. I would think with that, sex is the point of the story. And while there is lots and lots of very detailed scenes in this book, there is a plot that it follows.The sex is very heavy in the beginning of the book. First scene is before 15%, and I think there's 2-3 more very, very long *wink wink* scenes by 40%. After the halfway mark the plot really picks up and the relationship building starts a bit more. There's also some action and a mystery going on. So if you tend to skip over books that are sex heavy, or prefer clean versions, this book probably isn't for you. And while I enjoyed it, there was soooo much sex, and so early before there were any feels or relationship building, for me it was 4 stars. Although I will say I was pleasantly surprised by the story. I would definitely try her again (And good thing, because I bought like 6 of her novellas hahaha)This story is a loose take on the fairy tale Cinderella. Sabine, while not noble, has been born into wealth and has an amazing life with her family. Her father owns a theater and she grows up performing/practicing behind the scenes with her twin sister, watching the aristocracy, and ever impatiently awaiting her debut into society so she can gain a titled husband. Jules de Moutier in particular.However, this story takes place in the 1600's in France, and tomorrow is not guaranteed. The book jumps ahead and you are brought into Sabine's world utterly changed. People have fought back against the king and unrest is still felt within the nation. Sabine's family has lost the theater, their wealth, her father is dead and everyone says her twin sister is as well. She is alone in attempting to care for the remnants of her family and tries a daring plan to bring them enough silver to pay off their staggering debts to the crown and live a life free of fear of arrest.Jules has also had everything taken from him. In very similar straits as Sabine, he is attempting to gain everything he is entitled to as well as seeking revenge against those who have wronged him and his father's memory.I really liked both Jules and Sabine. I thought Jules was a great hero. He was very caring and sweet with Sabine and my heart rather broke for him towards the middle of the story. Yet he is also hard and commanding and take charge. Both characters I thought were just well rounded and enjoyable, I felt like I was really getting to know them and there was depth. I guess I had lower expectations for that going into the story.I don't really LOVE mysteries, but I didn't mind this one. I was really looking forward to some plot movement after all the sex in the beginning haha. So I thought it was a great story, but ideally I would still prefer more feels and I definitely prefer the waiting and wanting before the sex happens.I loved that it took place in the 1600s and in France. It just felt different than all the 1800s London I've been reading and it was a nice change.

This series is amazing. I laughed. I cried. This book kept me on the edge of my seat and I could not put it down. What an amazing and well written book.

Overall the book was good. I'd like to have given it a 3.5 but that wasn't an option.Pros:Good character development. The author did a good job painting a thorough picture of the characters and their relationships with one another.Both the heroine and leading male were interesting. Thankfully the heroine wasn't weak or submissive.The author did a good job of incorporating plot twists and creating a thorough plot.Cons:The author did a terrible job with dialogue transitions. There were many times where I would read a couple of sentences before realizing that she had switched from one character to the next. She did not often use a pause, break, transitional phrases etc. to alert the reader or the change.There were too many villains. The storyline got downright confusing due to the number of "bad guys" involved.The book could have been shorter she added a little too much filler overly describing scenes and being redundant at times.The book in no way resembles Cinderella. There are only a couple scenes that reference a glass slipper and a couple statements that suggest her stepmother was not a greedy person.The book cover is very misleading. The story deviates heavily from what the reader expects to read.

Really enjoyed it.

Good