REVIEW: Mine Till Midnight by Lisa Kleypas

Whew! Well, turns out this semester is going to finish with the biggest last minute catch-up, turn in paper madness ever. And my resolve to finish Twilight is sagging-but I haven't completely lost the ability to actually finish books, so I have a review of the latest Lisa Kleypas novel I've read, Mine Till Midnight, which was the perfect was to spend a Friday afternoon after an insane week of school work. Twilight is not quite ready to become a didn't-finish, but it's certainly proving to take forever to finish (since I have to beat my brain into a whole different level to read the damn thing). So, in the meantime...

REVIEW: Mine Till Midnight by Lisa Kleypas

Source: Bought my own copy

I am a HUGE fan of this author. I especially enjoyed the Wallflower series, so needless to say, I was super excited to start the Hathaways series. One of the main reasons I am completely hooked on these books is the characters: almost all of them are well-drawn, interesting people I connect with on some level. Mine Till Midnight was no exception. Amelia Hathaway is responsible for taking care of her three younger sisters and her older brother, who has set himself on a path to self-destruction following the loss of his fiancé. Strong and serious, Amelia's completely centered on her family and making sure they are all happy, and she worries about things she can't afford to give her sisters, like new dresses or time at a proper finishing school for the youngest. Basically, by the time they move to Ramsay House, Amelia's getting fed up with her brother's irresponsible behavior (especially since it adversely affects the other sisters). Enter Cam Rohan: a gypsy who works as a manager for London's premier gambling club. The main thing I like about Cam is that he always seems to pop out of the woodwork to help Amelia with whatever she needs and that he doesn't shy away from her family (instead, he grows very fond of her younger sisters). Although both Amelia and Cam were fantastic characters, the secondary characters were just as interesting. I was particularly fond of Beatrix, who is an unashamed animal-lover. Then, some characters from the Wallflower series return (which I was very excited about), particularly Lord Westcliff and St. Vincent, who are two of my favorite characters, and their wives, Lillian and Evie. It was great to see what was happening in these characters' lives, although the details didn't slow down the story at all and were well integrated. Another reason I love Lisa Kleypas' books is the rich settings she provides. Here, she incorporates elements of gypsy folklore into the story (especially concerning Leo). It was wonderfully done and made for a very cool read.

One of my favorite moments is when Beatrix lets loose her new pet lizard, Spot, to save her brother Leo from getting a severe lecture from Lord Westcliff (which I was almost disappointed was prevented <g>):

                "You brought Spot to supper?" Amelia asked her youngest sister in disbelief. "Bea, I told you to get rid of him yesterday!"

                "I tried to," came Beatrix's contrite reply, "but after I left him in the woods, he followed me home."

                "Bea," Amelia said sternly, "reptiles do not follow people home."
                "Spot is no ordinary lizard."

I love this family in all its eccentricities, and cannot wait to finish the series.

Grade: 4.5 out of 5