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A Kiss at Midnight (Fairy Tales Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Eloisa James (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

4.3 2,643 ratings

Book 1 of 5: Fairy Tales

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“Eloisa James writes with a captivating blend of charm, style, and grace that never fails to leave the reader sighing and smiling and falling in love.”
—New York Times bestselling author Julia Quinn

“Romance writing does not get much better than this.”
—People

The Cinderella story moves to Regency England—with more than a few twists and turns along the way! With A Kiss at Midnight, the remarkable Eloisa James spins a delicious tale involving a carriage, a godmother, a pair of rats…and a beauty with no interest whatsoever in getting married—and certainly not to a prince! Read A Kiss at Midnight and see why New York Times bestselling author Lisa Kleypas says, “Eloisa James is extraordinary.”

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Well-known for tales of dukes and duchesses, James (A Duke of Her Own) upgrades to the handsome prince in this delectable Regency reimagining of the Cinderella story. Miss Katherine Daltry, on the shelf at 23, manages the household of her ungrateful stepmother and silly stepsister, who inherited all of her father's estate. Kate is thrust from the cinders to the spotlight when her stepsister needs a stand-in for a betrothal ball at Pomeroy Castle. Gabriel, youngest princeling of the duchy of Warl-Marburg-Baalsfeld, needs a rich wife to support his archeology habit; Kate is, of course, manifestly unsuitable. Eccentric turns from Professor Biggitstiff, a pickle-eating dog, and an irrepressible godmother spin a candy floss comic romp around a core of heartache. James's deft touch allows the characters to shine through genuinely witty dialogue and an uncluttered plot.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From the Back Cover

Miss Kate Daltry doesn’t believe in fairy tales . . .or happily ever after.

Forced by her stepmother to attend a ball, Kate meets a prince . . . and decides he’s anything but charming. A clash of wits and wills ensues, but they both know their irresistible attraction will lead nowhere. For Gabriel is promised to another woman—a princess whose hand in marriage will fulfill his ruthless ambitions.

Gabriel likes his fiancée, which is a welcome turn of events, but he doesn’t love her. Obviously, he should be wooing his bride-to-be, not the witty, impoverished beauty who refuses to fawn over him.

Godmothers and glass slippers notwithstanding, this is one fairy tale in which destiny conspires to destroy any chance that Kate and Gabriel might have a happily ever after.

Unless a prince throws away everything that makes him noble . . .

Unless a dowry of an unruly heart trumps a fortune . . .

Unless one kiss at the stroke of midnight changes everything.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B003P2WOJ0
Publisher ‏ : ‎ HarperCollins e-books (July 9, 2010)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ July 9, 2010
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 2984 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 387 pages
Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 0061626848

Best Sellers Rank: #96,913 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #215 in Read & Listen for $14.99 or Less
- #454 in Read & Listen for Less
- #583 in American Historical Romance (Books)

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4.3 2,643 ratings

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Eloisa James

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Eloisa James is a New York Times bestselling author and professor of English literature who lives with her family in New York, but can sometimes be found in Paris or Italy. She is the mother of two and, in a particularly delicious irony for a romance writer, is married to a genuine Italian knight.

For info about books, visit www.eloisajames.com and sign up for her Five Fabulous Things newsletter. Or ask a question on Facebook (where Eloisa spends entirely too much time): https://www.facebook.com/eloisajames

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Kim

Wonderful!

Reviewed in the United States on December 16, 2023

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I absolutely loved this fabulous retelling of Cinderella. James gave her heroine a much more compelling strength of character than the original tale, and the prince a much firmer sense of duty. I would highly recommend this book!

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romancecritic

humorous

Reviewed in the United States on August 29, 2010

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This is a very light, humorous book. It is a Cinderella-type story. Katherine Daltry, a twenty-three-year-old "spinster" and orphan, resides with and caters to (serving as land steward) her horrid, greedy stepmother and daft stepsister. She, of course, has no fancy clothes or trifles as all her father's money was left to the stepmother, who is using said funds to sponsor her weeping daughter and marry her off to a viscount (this viscount happens to be a distant cousin to our prince, and for one reason or other, needs the prince's approval to wed his chosen bride).

Gabriel is our prince - but a second son, not a crown prince. Gabriel's brother, who has thoroughly embraced religion, has exiled all the "oddities" of his duchy to Pomeroy Castle in England. So, Gabriel, who is an "amateur" archeologist, finds himself needing to support a menagerie of peculiar relatives, exotic animals, and everything else in between. And in order for him to accomplish this task, he needs a rich wife, who has already been chosen for him by his brother and is expected to arrive any moment from Russia.

The preliminaries aside, the love story begins when Kate finds herself posing as her sister - for farcical reasons I choose not to reveal - at Pomeroy Castle, awaiting Gabriel's approval of her as his cousin's wife. Kate and her "fiancé" have been invited to join the festivities preceding Gabriel's betrothal ball. And this is where all the fun begins. The interaction between the two main characters was so refreshing, as is the interaction with the secondary characters, especially the "magical" godmother - humorous to say the least.

Kate is a very likable, sincere heroine with a joyous look on life. It is not every day one reads a romance novel where the heroine is capable of discussing that she has padded (or shall I say wax increased) her breasts. She cares for her estate and the tenants residing there, but is at that point in her life where she feels she deserves better. Gabriel is not your typical rake who goes through women like tissues. He is a very honorable man; he takes his responsibilities seriously; he genuinely wants to take care of his "bequeathed" menagerie and pursue his archeological interests.

Now, there are the typical "devil," "predator," "lethal grace," comparisons when describing Gabriel, but they do not distract; yet, how I wish the male protagonist's attributes were portrayed differently, but perhaps that would stray too much from the romance genre - enough digressing.

The sexual attraction in this novel was well developed and could be felt. The sex scene/scenes (I believe there was just one or two) however lacked the sizzle that I like - but that is a personal preference, and it may not bother you. The relationship between the two protagonists wasn't much of a relationship, but a brief affair that led to happily-ever-after; but in all fairness, it does adhere to the Cinderella theme does it not? One dance at a ball, one lost shoe, and Cinderella is wed.
There are two things I did not enjoy about the novel. The first - when the one or two sex scenes were taking place, the prince's intended bride was just down stairs. What the two characters were doing felt like cheating to me simply because neither one of them was/is malicious in nature, and something of this sort would go against their morals. The second part I did not enjoy - the ending. The prince built a funeral pyre, declaring that he would throw himself on those flames if he could not have Kate. Although said pyre references the discussion of the mythological Dido held between the two characters in the novel, this act was way over the top for me. I like romance but something this dramatic just does not appeal to me.

I really recommend this book, especially if you are looking for a light romance novel to read and laugh and cry along with.

P.S. There are glass slippers here too!!!
original on romancecritic

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Liebel, Charlotte a.k.a. Sharlet Liebel, BOOK REVIEWER

A KISS AT MIDNIGHT By Eloisa James

Reviewed in the United States on June 28, 2011

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[Reviewed by Charlotte M. Liebel, M.Ed.]

Eloisa James is the author of A Kiss at Midnight delivering a spicy dialogue in historically challenged fairy tales of London castles among several generations of the elite class and foreigners. For those of us inclined to dismiss the melancholy adaptation of Cinderella as a dimwitted pastime, imagine what you're missing and revolutionize your imagination. Are not some of the most brilliant tales the object of fantasies remarkably told by ancient authors?

Pause to reflect upon Kate - the darling of this Avon Historical Romance. The reader experiences the grand manner of an earl's granddaughter subjected to the loss of both father and mother. Kate is born to a loving family that is suddenly taken from her life. Thrown into a new family, Kate is to be raised by the wiles of an arrogant and uncouth step-mother - her father's new wife. She has two daughters of her own and is ignorant of showing affection to Kate - a most intelligent person in her own right - who handles duties of the household.

A facial infection dampens her step-sister's beauty just as she is about to attend the prince's invitational ball to receive his approval of his nephew's fiance. The step-mother requires Kate to impersonate her step-sister and to attend the prince's event with her step-sister's fiance.

The event becomes complicated. For one thing, Kate is not a raving beauty, though pretty, nor is her figure as well-endowed as her step-sister's. Clothes must be altered, wigs must be assigned, glass slippers - a trademark - must be ordered. So much to do - so little time.

The guests arrive at the royal palace and mingle. The occasion lasts for several days. Unexpectedly, Kate's godmother arrives and recognizes a family resemblance. They bond after she sees through her disguise and Kate's family background surfaces for a big surprise because her godmother knows her family history.

To complicate matters even more, romance blossoms between Kate and the prince who is, incidentally, betrothed. The prince is charming when he wishes and rude on a whim. So Kate, an independent thinker and outspoken, holds her tongue to represent her step-sister's gentler personality. She has similar attitudes as the prince and, on occasion, she blurts out tart remarks and displays a surprising intelligence and wit. The prince and she struggle to keep apart but he finds her so attractive that his spoiled upbringing ignores his better judgement and flirts with her.

Dialogue is spontaneous and charming. The story has moments of wit, and foolish and comic scenes. The novel A Kiss at Midnight by Eloisa James is artistic and spirited. Expect to laugh and cry in one sentence as the flavor of language and moments of nostalgia break your heart for the young heroine's plight. She has developed strength and courage. This young lady does not fear nor easily weep. Prepare to be charmed.

Imagine the scene wherein the Prince cannot restrain his amorous advances and takes the lovely Kate into his arms. She observes that the "wild energy she felt in him poured into his kiss, into a demand that she had no hope of denying." Can love be like this as she fights desire but cannot quite stop the inevitable. "She thought kissing was about a brush of the lips, but this....felt like silk and fire." In fact, "He tasted like fire." And without further contemplation, we read that "She leaned into it, opened her mouth, feeling a tremor go down her back again."

The remarkably contrived language of people of different classes and countries meet at the palace and conversationally surprise the interests of men, women, and audiences. To this extent, the storyteller holds readers captive with juicy gossip, sibling rivalry, romantic banter, steamy scenes, and seductive moods. The art of conversation has the distinction of moving the story fast and with interest.

Available in Softcover Book A Kiss at Midnight and Kindle eBook A Kiss at Midnight

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Mrs C A McCArty

Different

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 26, 2024

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Historical regency novels are usually very (samey) there was a lot of differences in this novel.

I would also compliment the person(s) who did the editing, there was no wrong words in odd places, which you do find in a lot of Kindle books and also paperbacks.

Well done all.

Camila Antunes da Luz

Romântico, leve e divertido

Reviewed in Brazil on July 25, 2017

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Pessoalmente, nunca fui muito fã da história da Cinderella, e sempre achei as versões modernas da Cinderella um pouco clichês. Mas nesse romance histórico, a narrativa é bem construída, os personagens são carismáticos e a história prende o leitor.
Kate é a perfeita Cinderella, com uma madrasta má e uma excelente fada madrinha. Gabriel é diferente do príncipe perfeito dos contos de fada, o que achei ótimo pois foge aos clichês: ele não é um príncipe rico em busca do amor verdadeiro, ele na verdade é um príncipe falido e que precisa de um casamento rico para manter o seu reino.
O livro é ótimo e o recomendo principalmente para quem gosta de romances históricos e também para quem gosta de contos de fada.

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Jayltee

Enchanting and funny

Reviewed in Australia on May 15, 2016

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A delightful reselling of Cinderella with humour, heart and just a little well written raunch. It was wonderful to read a story where the characters were honest with one another and I believed in their romance. I loved it!

Aoife

This made regency romance my new favourite genre!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 2, 2020

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Kate Daltry is struggling to keep her father's estate up and running, and her tenants safe from the wrath of her evil stepmother when she gets an unexpected opportunity. To help her half-sister Victoria, Kate must go to a ball disguised as Victoria herself so she will be able to marry the man she loves. When Kate arrives at the castle, she meets Gideon the Prince and despite herself, can't help the attraction and chemistry that blossoms between them. But how can a penniless spinster like Kate ever hope to marry a Prince?

This was my first read adventure with reading a 'regency romance' book and I have to say I throughly enjoyed this one. I really liked Kate, despite some of her opinions on women who apparently had sex before marriage (that opinion didn't last too long hey Kate?) and I felt she was plucky and ready for the challenges life faced her. We also got to see more tender sides of her, such as some conversations she has with her godmother Henry and we see emotion take its toll.

There are some parts of this book that have to be taken with a pinch of salt, and there were not many surprises in store for the reader.It's obvious how everything will turn out from the start but even with that, I just enjoyed the time it took to get there. I wasn't reading this for the sex parts of the book so the only few cases of a bit of 'smut' didn't bother me. I enjoyed the dialogue between Kate and Gideon and how they bounced off one another, and how the relationship evolved over a course of a few days.

This was just a lot of fun and a wonderful world to fall into during quarantine times so I really loved all the smiles and laughs it gave me. I'll definitely be continuing on with the series.

One person found this helpful

lisa

Good fun replay of Cinderella

Reviewed in Australia on February 8, 2016

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Katherine is a ripped off step daughter who becomes the household slave while her late father's money goes into her step sister's dowry. Forced to impersonate her sister she travels to a castle where a relative, prince Gabriel, needs to approve her sister's marriage. Of course sparks fly etc.

This was a pretty unlikely set up and together with the authors decision to retell the Cinderella fairy story the plot was not the strength of this book. Instead the three dogs, many side characters and the loveable godmother do the heavy lifting.

There was not much magic between Gabriel and Katherine apart from doing rude things to each other in the garden and on the lake. Oh and in the maze. It's certainly not Eloisa James' best book, but she is so clever that even her lacklustre novels are enjoyable reading.

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A Kiss at Midnight (Fairy Tales Book 1) Kindle Edition

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