Wait Until Midnight by Amanda Quick Published by Jove on 1/25/2005
Genres: Romantic suspense, Historical romantic suspense, Historical Romance
Pages: 355
Format: Kindle or ebook
Source: purchased
Purchase: Amazon | Bookshop | Barnes & Noble | Audible | Chirp
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Also by this author: Crystal Gardens, The Mystery Woman, Otherwise Engaged, Garden of Lies, 'Til Death Do Us Part, The Girl Who Knew Too Much, With This Ring, Rendezvous, Affair, Tightrope, When She Dreams
The sins of Adam Hardesty's past have been discovered. And if he does not hunt down his blackmailer quickly, his secrets will be revealed to all.
But there is an obstacle in his way: sensation novelist Caroline Fordyce. She knows that Adam's quest for justice could shatter her own reputation — and mire her family in lethal scandal. And she fears what he may find. Together they will navigate the shadow side of London, venturing into an underworld of cutthroats, connivers, and illusionists. And as the mystery grows ever deeper and the danger circles ever closer, they must guard not only their secrets but their lives....
Review
Amanda Quick’s books are always fun, and I plowed through Wait Until Midnight in two sittings. I particularly enjoyed Caroline’s career as writer of serialized “sensation novels,” which were extremely popular in the Victorian era. Adam has an interesting backstory as well, though to my regret, it wasn’t really developed as well as it could have been.
In fact, that was more or less my feeling about the whole novel; I simply didn’t find it as suspenseful or gripping as some of Amanda Quick’s other books set in the same time period. To be honest, this one felt like a “lite” version of her books… which are not exactly heavy to begin with. in Wait Until Midnight, the love is a bit too insta-, particularly on Adam’s side. And there were so many aspects that could have been played up or developed further to give the book more depth, intensity, and even humor, from the scandal in Caroline’s past to Adam’s siblings (two of whom are basically walk-ons) to Caroline’s aunts. The latter do at least get a little page time, but they could have been made much more interesting, given that they are a lesbian couple who raised Caroline in the Victorian era. I just felt there was so much wasted potential.
Don’t get me wrong; I enjoyed it, I’m glad I read it, and it did keep me turning the pages. But unlike some of Quick’s titles from the 2000s and 2010s, Wait Until Midnight will not be going onto my list of favorite rereads.
Challenges: COYER Unwind (2024), Chapter 2
About Amanda Quick
AMANDA QUICK is a pen name of Jayne Ann Krentz. The author of over 40 consecutive New York Times bestsellers, JAYNE ANN KRENTZ writes romantic-suspense, often with a psychic and paranormal twist, in three different worlds: Contemporary (as Jayne Ann Krentz), historical (as Amanda Quick) and futuristic (as Jayne Castle). There are over 30 million copies of her books in print.
She earned a B.A. in History from the University of California at Santa Cruz and went on to obtain a Masters degree in Library Science from San Jose State University in California. Before she began writing full time she worked as a librarian in both academic and corporate libraries.
Ms. Krentz is married and lives with her husband, Frank, in Seattle, Washington.
Pseudonyms: Jayne Ann Krentz, Amanda Quick, Stephanie James, Jayne Bentley, Jayne Taylor, Amanda Glass.
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- COYER Unwind (2024) – Chapter 2
Katherine
I always enjoy Amanda Quick/Krentz’s books but there are some that I feel the exact same way about. After I finish the story there’s sometimes a “wait a minute” moment. Despite that this does sound like fun and I really need to read more of her books.