"Stuart weaves her dark magic!"

I thought I had read every book Anne Stuart had written but somehow I missed this wonderful one and was lucky to find a copy recently. It another of Stuart's display of dark genius, that utterly mesmerizes the reader to where you cannot put it down. She catches you up from page one and won't let you go until she puts you through an emotional ringer. She gives you another of those Gamma- Rogue Males that has a black heart and a blacker soul. A man you could easily hate, but under Stuart's carefully crafted prose, are compelled to love.

Ghislaine de Lorgny - along with numerous cuckolded husbands - is out to kill Nicholas Blackthorne, and she has plenty of reasons. Gilly blames the death of her family on the guillotine and the loss of her virtue at Blackthone's door. When Gilly was fifteen, Nicholas visited his Godparents (Gilly's parents) just as The Terror was sweeping through France. Gilly fell in love with the beautiful Nicholas, and Nicholas demonstrated a true affection for Gilly. But when her father begs Nicholas to take her to England, away from Napoleon's nightmare reign, Nicholas coldly dismisses him unknowingly consigning Gilly's family to death. She escaped with her 12-year-old brother onto the streets of Paris where she watched her parents killed on the blade. Left to see to her brother's and her survival, the nightmare continued. An evil man sold Gilly into prostitution and had her brother carried away likely killed. Gilly has carried that hatred for ten years, but finally her time for revenge has come.

Nicholas Blackthorne, the last of the mad Blackthornes, has lived his life knowing his mother and father hated that his brother had died instead of him. So, he did everything he could to live up to the mad Blackthorne's reputation. He lives with so many regrets, one being he feels responsible for the de Lorgny family going under the blade, though he makes outward jest to hide the deep self-loathing. When Gilly's father asked Nicholas to take her to England, Nicholas had just received a letter telling of his father's death so he'd carelessly brushed off the man. For the last ten years, Nicholas believed Gilly was killed with her parents; her face has haunted his mind.

He does not recognizes Gilly as the chef his cousin Ellen hired a year ago but he soon finds out after Gilly tries to poison him. Instead of turning her over to the local magistrate, he takes Gilly prisoner and spirits her off to Scotland, then later drags her across Europe.

Hot on their heels is his cousin Ellen and Tony. Ellen has always loved Tony but he has been more of a big brother to her. Tony has been trying for the last two years to shift their relationship, but fears he has left it too late. He sees this rescue of Gilly as a means to be close to Ellen and change her thinking toward him. Their secondary romance makes this into two loves stories not just one. Both stories are enchanting.

Gilly is unforgettable, her pain and betrayal stings deeply, showing her indomitable spirit. Yet it's Nicholas, the contrast to his outward mask, and the inner torment, that makes this book so amazing. Nicholas Blackthorne is one of Stuart's total bad boys she delights making you love. The reader is exhausted after their emotional battles. A ROSE AT MIDNIGHT is one of those books you won't ever be able to forget. Stuart's writing is always stunning, but it's the true understanding of her characters and what made them what they are, goes beyond talent;it's dark magic!

Reviewed by DeborahAnne MacGillivray
Posted August 19, 2004