Hello there, my bookworms and happy hump day! I’m not sure about you guys, but I’m bundled up in bed, hunkered down, and in the middle of a nor’easter. I called out of work this morning, in fear of trying to get home safely at 5pm, and was almost worried I had called out for a rainy day, but lo and behold, around 11:30am, we started getting pummeled with heavy snow. It’s still building up, and as a fan of winter and the quiet solitude snow brings, I’m in awe of the beauty outside my window right now.
Anyway, I have a book to finish up a little later, but I thought since I had some extra time to relax today, I’d dig in the vault a bit and bring you a book review for a story I got to enjoy while I was on vacation a few weeks back.
Also, as a fun side note, I just happened to be going through my blog archives last night and realized I began my bookish adventures four years ago today! My reviews weren’t always located here in this space, but my decision to create a space for all things literary and to review books came to be via Blogger on March 7th, 2014. Crazy how time flies, and I’m going to think of some fun things to bring to you in the coming months so stay tuned!
Now, to the matter at hand, today’s book review! Ever since I began my re-read adventures with The Bronze Horseman series by Paullina Simons, I’ve been on a historical romance kick. When I saw a teaser for Midnight Hunter on my Instagram feed, I knew I had to give it a go. This is the first book I’ve read by author Brianna Hale and it was one hell of a ride!
Midnight Hunter is a dark romance that incorporates the strict division in Germany in the 60s with the Berlin Wall. Of course, most of the German history I’m familiar with comes from WWII, or the little bit I know about my own heritage, so I’m glad this book taught me how dark and deep this split seemed to run just a few decades ago.
Evony is a girl living in East Germany with a dream and a mission to escape past the wall to the west. With a plan in place, her best friend and her father at her side, she’s determined to achieve success. Then things go wrong. The plan is foiled, people are killed, and Evony is left as the main target for Stasi Officer, Reinhardt Volker, also known as der Mitternachtsjäger; the midnight hunter. A well known officer, it is his job to do away with traitors and keep East Germany in working order.
Alone and scared, Evony doesn’t know where to turn next. In her distraught panic, she lets her guard down and winds up right in Volker’s clutches. To him, she’s a threat, she should be eliminated, but instead, he chooses to keep her for himself. There’s something about Evony that strikes something deep in his soul, and rather than let her meet an untimely end, he does everything in his power to keep her protected.
Given a new look and identity, Evony is put to work in Volker’s office. Hatred simmers below the surface, but on the outside, she vows to keep her cool and instead, gather information on her captor and plan another escape. While she’s distracted inside her head, Volker is playing with his new toy.
Enemies in every possible way, the pair can’t help but be drawn to one another. Their differences seem to push them together rather than force them apart. That hesitancy about what they should feel does nothing but add to the tension and sensuality of their encounters.
In their time together, Evony and Volker volley from hate to love to hate and so on. This is what twists me up about a dark romance. I shouldn’t be cheering for enemies to get together or to give into their baser urges, but I love how stories like this one show people breaking from societal molds and overcoming what they know to love who they love.
Volker and Evony grew up with different beliefs. Ones in which proved how vastly opposed they are. However, when they’ve been living under the same roof for some time, and are around one another constantly, they get to talking, and they get to connecting, and the layers are peeled back. I didn’t always agree with the views either of them possessed, but I could see both of their needs for freedom and happiness separate from the laws of a divided Germany. I admired their commitment to one another and to fighting the norm (and each other) in order to do what they felt was right.
This story was a work of fiction, but I loved and learned so much about historical events as well. I learned about a whole new era in Germany’s history on top of getting to know these very complex characters. My heart was in my throat for chunks of this book, and I felt the real dangers these two faced on their own and as a united front, but when they had their good moments, they were off the steamy charts and I couldn’t get enough!
Needless to say, this book was quite a thrilling and sexy rollercoaster, and I can’t wait to dive into more of Hale’s books!
My Final Rating: five out of five stars
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