Taken by Midnight

Lover of Romance 

This review was originally posted on Addicted To Romance
  

 
  
    Summary 
  
 
Jenna Darrow, in the cold winter months of Alaska, was kidnapped and violated and now she has been rescued and has been taken back to Boston, to the Order's headquarters. Her companion is Brock, who can't seem to leave her side and aids her when she is in pain. Jenna learns that the life around her, the life she knew before is different from anything that she expected. She learns of the truth of vampires, and her brothers recent death and that there are certain changes happening to her body where a substance was inserted into her spine when she was captured. Jenna and Brock's lives intertwine as they delve into a new set of circumstances that bring them together, and they realize the chemistry that they have. Brock isn't looking for any kind of relationship, and Jenna is still grieving for her husband and daughters death and is not ready for anything with Brock. But heat and desire flare out of control ,and soon Brock and Jenna realize they might not have any control to where their hearts lead them.
 
  
    The Hero 
  
 
Our Hero, Brock, is a member of the order and quite a bit  stand offish. He is more reserved, battle ready, and one of the most hardened warriors of the order. But there is also a soft spot to Brock and this is the book that we see him clearly. Brock still bears guilt over his past, a past that in his mind, due to his mistakes cost a young woman her life and it has haunted him for years. But when Brock meets Jenna, his world shifts to her. At first we see how Brock doesn't full realize what is happening between them until his heart has already gotten involved. What I came to admire about Brock, was his devotion to the order and to Jenna---a woman he barely knows, but feels a soft connection to. I love the shy quiet types, and Brock fits the bill. But he isn't weak and anything. In fact, I have gotten the impression, over the books I have read so far, that he is one of the most competent men in the order. What was fun was seeing a deeper side to his character.
 
  
    The Heroine 
  
 
The heroine, Jenna is a character I really grew to like in the previous book. We see what a solid human being she is and she has suffered quite a bit. Her loved husband and six year old daughter, were killed in a car accident and Jenna still blames herself and still grieves for them, despite how long its been since it happened. Jenna is a strong woman though, and she isn't afraid to fight. She was once a cop, she understands the risks and dangers that there are in the world. Jenna is a kind soul too, but is in a vulnerable state currently. We also see her courage and passion and there were quite a few facets to her character I enjoyed. What was most intriguing is seeing her reaction to certain truths that become revealed to her. But I really liked her as the heroine overall and it was fun seeing her journey.
 
  
    Plot and Story Line 
  
 
Taken By Midnight started off pretty quickly following the previous book, and since it left us with a bit of a teaser in the previous book, I was very relieved to see that it didn't take a large break and leave me confused. I will say that I truly enjoyed this one, not my favorite of the series, but well written and very engaging. This is one of my favorite aspects of Lara Adrian. She can so easily get me involved into a story, and I love that. There are some important events that take place in this book, where we see some questions answered and a certain mystery solved in the end, but there are also questions I had left unanswered. Some I was okay with, because I feel like as I continue with this series, certain events will happen to solve my curiosity. However I was very disappointed to see that we don't know everything of what is happening to Jenna. We learn some facts, but I was left feeling like I needed more in knowing about her situation. I am crossing my fingers that in the next book or so, we will learn and get the mystery solved regarding her delicate situation.

The romance that develops between Brock and Jenna, was quite unqiue and engaging. I loved their romance, because we have two character, still dealing with past hurts and we see how fabulous they are together and how much they learn to rely on each other for strength when one of them is vulnerable. This is what I truly loved seeing in their relationship. The way they learn to trust and rely on each other through the good and the bad.
 
  
    The Cover 
  
 
Not my favorite of the series, however I really like the mix of colors with the red and dark blue and black....it adds a air of mystery and danger to it.
 
  
    Overall View 
  
 
Taken By Midnight is a thrilling addition to an exciting series that will knock you off your feet and sweep you away into adventure, passion, mystery and suspense. In love with this wonderful world that Adrian has created for us.


  


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Dee B. 

A new development in a rigid world system... Veeeeery interesting.

Michelle Xu

The past few books in the Midnight Breed series have been following an interesting pattern... One in which one half sucked and the other was awesome. It really screws up how I want to write my review.

Anyway, for Taken by Midnight, the first half was the half that left me feeling disappointed. Second half was an enjoyable breeze.

First half:
I did not like Jenna very much. She was irrational and too uptight. I didn't like her much from the last book either. It carried onto this one. Also, I didn't like how much Kade and Alex faded into the background. Especially since these two novels were so intertwined (same characters, with events taking place one right after the other) I had expected Alex and Kade to play a bigger role. It might have been because there was such a huge break between me reading the last book and then this one, but I had completely forgotten Kade and Alex's personalities and this book did not remind me what they are like at all. I guess that shows how memorable that last book was...

Anyway, let me get back to this review. I did like how all the older breedmates worked together in their own lab. It's great seeing everyone still mentioned in the book, actively participating.

In general the first half is incredibly forgettable. There are a few action scenes here and there. We see how the Order works together, how everyone adds to the work, etc. But in general, forgettable. 

Second half:
Great. Amazing. Lots of action. On top of that. I STARTED TO LIKE JENNA! In fact, the more her and Brock spent time together, the more you find out about her past and her skills, the more I liked her. I loved seeing her vulnerable side. Brock was solid throughout the whole entire novel. He is just the sweetest guy. I love that the author included people of color in her novels. I have nothing but praise for him. Besides the sex scenes and intimate romantic moments, my favorite part, hands down was the last fight. WITH ALL THE FEMALES OF THE ORDER. How fucking bad ass is that? I absolutely love the fact that these books generally feature strong women, and that those skilled and strong women keep coming back to kick more ass. The storyline and recurring characters keep me coming back for me.

Over all, I loved Jenna and Brock together. The ending was so sweet and touching. Jenna is so incredibly lucky to have him and rightfully deserves so. Solid book overall, as there is no major flaw I can dissect out.

Taken by Midnight

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