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    Dancing at Midnight
    Dancing at Midnight
    Dancing at Midnight
    Audiobook12 hours

    Dancing at Midnight

    Written by Julia Quinn

    Narrated by Lucy Rayner

    3.5/5

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    About this audiobook

    Lady Arabella Blydon has beauty and a brain, and she's tired of men who can see only one without the other.

    When a suitor tells Arabella he's willing to overlook her appalling bluestocking tendencies on account of her looks and fortune, she decides to take a break from the Marriage Mart. During an extended stay in the country, she never expects to meet Lord John Blackwood, a wounded war hero who intrigues her like no other man.

    Lord John has lived through the worst horros of war...but nothing could have been as terrifying to his tormented heart as Lady Arabella. She is intoxicating, infuriating...and she makes him want to live again. Suddenly he's writing bad poetry and climbing trees in the pitch-dark night...just so he can dance with her as the clock strikes midnight. And even though he knows he can never be the sort of man she deserves, he can't help wanting her. But when the harsh light of day replaces the magic of midnight, can this tormented soul learn to love again?

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperAudio
    Release dateDec 13, 2016
    ISBN9780062655530
    Author

    Julia Quinn

    #1 New York Times bestselling author Julia Quinn began writing one month after graduating from college and, aside from a brief stint in medical school, she has been tapping away at her keyboard ever since. Her novels have been translated into 43 languages and are beloved the world over. A graduate of Harvard and Radcliffe Colleges, she lives with her family in the Pacific Northwest.  Look for BRIDGERTON, based on her popular series of novels about the Bridgerton family, on Netflix.

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    Reviews for Dancing at Midnight

    3.5/5

    453 ratings27 reviews

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 2/5
      The book was great! The narration was painful to get through. The high shrill that was used for the main female character was horrific. Unfortunately, I don’t have a choice but to listen to books as my eyesight has deteriorated. This book has been on my tbr list for years.
    • 4/5
      narrator made Bell sound like a child, turned me off
    • 2/5
      I really did want to read this but only got until 2 hours before I could not handle the narrator's voice anymore. Love Julia Quinn, but the part I did catch was ordinary however the pitch of the narrator was what really sealed it for me.
    • 5/5
      Loved the story. Kept my interest. Didn’t love the voices as much as I did in the Bridgerton series. Belle’s voice was really shrill sometimes and not as believable. But bearable because of a good story.
    • 2/5
      I finished it but at times I wondered why. Even fast forwarded some. Very unrealistic. No depth to the story or the characters. No regency girl would have ever had that much time alone to spend with a man. And it's unnecessarily racy, entirely too much detail, unless that's your primary motivation for reading. Regarding the narration, the tone of voice for the female lead is entirely too shrill, screechingly so most of the time. It's difficult to listen to and makes the character sound like a silly ninny. I won't read this author again. And I'd be cautious of this narrator too, though she might to better with other characters/books.
    • 5/5
      I like the way it was read and as always Julia Quinn is a excellent writer.
    • 2/5
      The narrator takes a meh story line and makes it nearly unbearable. I just ended up finishing it by reading it. You can tell it's an early book. It lacks the depth in the characters that you can find in Quinns later books
    • 1/5
      Worst narrator ever!! Soo bad! I like this book, but the reader is awful!!
    • 1/5
      Could not get past the first 10 minutes. That Minnie Mouse voice was killing me. She did a great job on the man's voice though, ironically enough.
    • 5/5
      Lady Arabella is independent and has had to turn down several marriage offers because its obvious that it isn't her they want but her fortune, so she decides to take a break and stay with her cousin and her husband in the country. While reading, Lord John finds her and through some witty and entertaining interaction they begin to fall for each other....however John is a wounded war hero and has some ghosts in his past and is unwilling to put Arabella at risk...even if that means giving her up and the love he has for her. Arabella is determined not to lose the one man she has come to love, one who respects and loves her for who she is and not what she is....but will she be able to show this tormented man how to learn to love and more than that learn to let go and live life once more? Dancing At Midnight is the second in the Splendid series....and the first time I have read this book...even though I could have sworn I had read every one of Julia Quinn's books already. I have no idea how I missed this one before now...but I am just so glad that I found this treasure. One of my favorite things that I loved about this one....is that the hero was a complicated characters....and that he wasn't this just about perfect man...that he had flaws and demons and Arabella was such a sweet character...you couldn't help but like her...she had such charming qualities about her. Even though there was a dark side to this book it also was filled with laughter and a sense of carefreeness (is that even a word? if not I just created a new one) that just endeared me from the first page to the very last and now I am thinking I need to read the rest of the series again. Dancing at Midnight was a true romantic romp....and I had such a fun time reading this one!!! Definitely a keeper!
    • 4/5
      Book was great. Narrator not so great. It’s hard to get a feel for the book when the narrator doesn’t change her volume when it says John whispered.. and she’s still loud. But the book itself was wonderful.
    • 4/5
      My only comment is: I liked the narrator and mens voices. Bell’s voice was very irritating. Way too high. She sounded silly. And Emma was an American? That was her voice.
    • 2/5
      ok so this book said the man, lord john had seen the horrors of war and was injured in body and soul. ok so when he had the flashback about the war i was not expecting child rape. and i was not expecting the graphic details of said rape to be repeated in the book 2 more times after that in nightmares. THAT MADE ME MAD. i was even more mad since quinn penned a note in the book talking about it and her process of writing it since it is one of her earliest works. i was mad she didn't put a waring in her note. also i fail to see how a MAN who witnesses a child rape would so blame himself for not preventing said rape that he fears he will become a rapist or something. there are plenty of horrors about war. ones that could have affected him more directly than this and scarred his soul more so. i am mad she chose rape. i mad she chose to write about it in detail. i am mad it was a child. and i am mad it was repeated. so many other horrors of war and why in a romance novel would you choose rape?

      other than that it was a typical Quinn funny romance. you can definitely tell it is one of her earlier works though.
    • 3/5
      I’ve always liked the story, but did not like the fussy voice of the heroine when it was read aloud.
    • 2/5
      I found this book to be a lot slower than the 1st in the series. And I found Bella to be a bit unrealistic.Back Cover Blurb:When a suitor tells Lady Arabella Blydon that he's willing to overlook her appalling bluestocking tendencies on account of her looks and fortune, she decides to take a break from the Marriage Mart. So during an extended stay in the country, she never expects to meet Lord John Blackwood, a wounded war hero who intrigues her like no other man.Lord John has lived through the worst horrors of war, but nothing could have been as terrifying to his tormented heart as Lady Arabella. She is intoxicating, infuriating.....and she makes him want to live again. Suddenly he's writing bad poetry and climbing trees in the pitch-dark night, just so he can dance with her. But when the harsh light of day replaces the magic of midnight, can this tormented soul learn to love again?
    • 4/5
      Lady Arabella Blydon takes a break from the Marriage Mart when her latest suitor magnamimously anounces that he's willing to overlook her bluesstocking tendencies. She doesn't expect to meet Lord John Blackwood, who has earned his Baronetcy through his military career, a career that left him wounded both in body and mind. He doesn't want to marry or to be attracted to Arabella but he's finding that his deterimation is being eroded by her.It was a good read with characters I genuinely cared for (including her Chaperons Persepone who does deserve her own story) and while the adctneures were sometimes a bit over the top it was still fun and the story pulled me in and kept me reading.
    • 3/5
      Lord John Blackwood has returned from the war scarred in body and mind. Lady Arabella Blydon has retreated to the country, tired of the Marriage Mart and men who only wanted her dowry. The two meet by accident but soon discover a comfort in each other's company. However, there wasn't really much of a plot. Just bad guy from the past trying to even the score threatening the woman in his life. Entertaining but not great.
    • 4/5
      I started reading an hour ago and I am in chapter 6, the book is so good and it is floating effortlessly, I felt so sad about Ana, and how that Spencer guy raped her, it's just horrible. I have a feeling that the anonymous massages are from Spencer. as for every love/kiss scene!! Oh it is amazing!! the way he wants her is just super hot!! Two or three things made me drop a star, Number one is that Belle actually married without her parents present, which in the time wasn't heard of, Number two is no one talks and write to a person who wants to murder them, it is kind of silly. And 3rdly Belle was so pushy! I really wanted her to back off sometimes!
    • 5/5
      This book is very funny!
    • 4/5
      What a great story! I laughed and cried many times! Such wonderful writing and really engaging characters!! I love this authors work!!

      I am currently on a Regency kick and this one was terrific!!
    • 4/5
      This is one of the books that made me fall in love with Julia Quinn’s writing. John Blackwood is probably the closest perfect male character that has been written. He is tall, dark and handsome yes but he is also flawed and humble as well. He is honorable and loyal. He is also wrecked with guilt over something that wasn’t his fault and he would have been hard pressed to stop. Finally he is a wounded war hero that is honored by the English government with a title. I read this story some years ago and fill in love with John at the time. With this re-reading I remember all the things that made John one of my favorite heroes.Lady Arabella Blydon, Belle, is one of those women that can find the good in almost anyone. She is also very intelligent, loyal to a fault, caring and compassionate. She never falters in her belief that John is a good man and needs her help and her love. Belle is also funny and more than a little sarcastic when the need arises. I love the way she defends John when someone insults him about being awarded his title. I also love that she never gives up on John even after he pushes her away for her own good. Belle continues to be one of my favorite heroines.We get to see more of Alex and Emma and William Dunford which is wonderful. Dunford is the perfect friend for both Alex and Belle. The scene where he helps Belle climb the tree is funny and enduring. This story also shows that this group is courageous and willing to defend each other.Ms. Quinn has written another witty and funny story. She writes wonderful characters that live with you long after you have finished the last page. Laughter is a gift and Ms. Quinn is generous with her humor. Unlike so many of today’s authors her female characters are enduring and brave without being mean spirited and nasty. She also writes some lovely and intimate scenes between John and Belle. They are the spicy erotic scenes in books today but they will leave smiling and content. Once again if you love this genre of romance then you are going to love Ms. Quinn’s books.
    • 4/5
      I love the idea of a shortsighted heroine who gets blisters when she walks too far in the wrong shoes and one who sets her heart on a deeply damaged man. Its an interesting idea, I'm not convinced that it entirely works, but this was a nice read that passed the time on a long train journey.
    • 4/5
      Belle meets John Blackwood, the man of her dreams and shamelessly pursues him, only she doesn't realize that he is the target of a vengeful lunatic out to kill him. John is also suffering from guilt because he was too drunk to stop said lunatic from raping a young Spanish girl when he said he'd protect her during the war. It's been eating him up for five years and he feels he's not worthy to fall in love with anyone - until he meets Belle. Not as endearing a story as Splendid and I found much of it was sort of disjointed. It didn't have the same seamless fluidity and humor of her later books. Belle was kind of a nutty heroine - a bit too nutty - and their romance and marriage happened ridiculously fast. Still, not bad.
    • 3/5
      The romance develops too fast and is not believable. The main male protagonist is annoyingly controlling and not terribly appealing. The main female is not particularly impressive either. Not a great plot by any means combined with underdeveloped, unappealing characters.
    • 5/5
      "Dancing at Midnight" is my favorite of Quinn's non-Bridgerton books. How can I not love a heroine who needs glasses and reads a lot? The characters are well-written -- I feel as if I really know these people -- and the story is highly entertaining. It's simply a terrific read.
    • 3/5
      Was decently good, but one of Quinn's earlier works and is somewhat amateurish compared to her more recent books. The story is loose and somewhat frenetic at times and the connection between the main characters happened pretty quickly and although the exchanges and relationship was engaging and interesting to watch, it didn't feel completely authentic that their need/love for each other and desire to marry happened so quickly.
    • 4/5
      What happens when a lively girl meets a reclusive war veteran? Sparks, compassion, and romance. This was not as light and silly as the story of Belle's cousin in Splendid, but the characters had depth, and while the hero was a little moany, it was easy to sympathise with his fears.