It's so nice to find books like this. You know, back when romance novels were actually romantic, and weren't given stupid titles like Irresistable and Scandalous. And they actually sometimes included silly little elements like (gasp)character development. I really enjoyed the story of eighteen year old Jessi who fell in love with her stepfather. Give it to any professional reviewer and I'm sure words like "Offputting" and "Ick factor" will run amuck, but I sure liked it. More than anything Iv'e read in a long time, in fact.

This book is great. Wonderful characters and great story line. I didn't want it to end.

Relax, recline, fix yourself a hot cup of coffee or tea, possibly accompanied by a delicious box of chocolates...and read Morning Song! I first discovered this book when I was just 19, and I finished it in one delightful afternoon. I am an avid reader of romance novels, and this is certainly among the top 5 that I have read in my life. The hero is completely dreamy, rugged, assertive and hopelessly passionate and his lady is a believable and lovable character. Morning Song is filled with very intense love scenes, a thick and winding plot, and a completely satisfying ending. Wholly recommended, ladies!

If you like steamy scenes this is the book for you! I fell in love with Connor and Caitlyn, along with the other d'Arcy men! They are so perfectly matched and their love scenes made my heart pump! Karen Robards does a really good job of making her male characters all male, and giving sensual femininity to her female characters so that the reader does'nt feel like everything is too fluffy. However, I did feel that she took it slightly too far by making the villian of the story do such horrific things to Caitlyn. Still, it's a great book and I highly recommend it to romance fans who are looking for good romance.

I first read this book about 10 years ago. I fell in love with the characters, especially Connor and Caitlyn. I thought this is the best book I have ever read. I still think that. I read it so many times, I cannot possibly count. As a matter of fact, I read it again last night. I lost the book several years ago and was frantic to find another copy. The story stayed in my mind so long that I never forgot it. I was finally able to order another copy of it. There are very few books in my collection that I keep. And this is definitely one of them. I am not able or willing to part with this story or the characters. I embraced them so much, I wanted to be Irish. And I wanted to marry a man just like Connor D'Arcy. Karen Robards did an excellent job of developing the characters. I hope she writes many more books on the D'Arcy men. I definitely wouldn't mind reading about the other D'Arcy brothers. Or how life was like after Connor and Caitlyn had children. This is one of my favorite books of all time. Thanks Karen Robards for bringing this story to all of us.

They sure don't write em like this anymore, and that's a shame because it's a great book. It's kind of a mixture between The Ugly Duckling, Robin Hood, and The Princess Bride. It's hard to say what I love so much about this book, but I'll just say that by the synopsis I was sure I was getting another plotless sex book, boy was I wrong!

If I had to say what makes this book stand out from all the other romances I read I would say that it is a great, engaging story that never bores. I also loved the characters, of course. They were fully developed and far from perfect. For example the heroine, Catlin, is beautiful but unlike most heroines you read about, she is very aware of her beauty and uses it to manipulate the men in her life, which leads to some very hilarious moments in the story. She is also spoiled and stubborn. But she is still one of the most lovable heroines Iv'e ever read. It takes a great author to accomplish that. And the hero manages to be honorable and good despite the fact that he's also a criminal. This book is more than a love story, it's an epic about family, loyalty, and the plight of the Irish.

Other than being tall, dark and handsome, Matt was not typical hero one would find in a romance book. He is handsome but limping and scarred, comfortable but not rich as his household had no servants and they all had to work in the fields, widowed and with 2 sons, not very chivalous or gentlemanly. Caroline was beautiful and brave, but she was also a cook, housekeeper and nurse to the household of 6 hostile and distrustful males, doing almost a maid would do and more. Matt was Caroline's brother-in-law and her sister, Elizabeth, had caused enough damage to the family for them to trust anyone related to her. Both had a past that hurt them and not entirely healed from it.

These were unusual background to develop a romantic story. It was refreshing from those rich and powerful hero, smart and brave but helpless heroine. This was no fairytale. But the author managed to weave a story with strong character development. It was more than a love story, more a family story.

Sometime I found the story a tart too slow but the unfolding events were necessary to develop the story and characters: Matt's injury and subsequent recovery under Caroline's care helped to dispell distrust, ignite passions and reveal secrets; Daniel's kiss awakened the feelings, Caroline's kidnap and rescue provided the much needed solitude and privacy for them; and the rescue of Caroline from the fire. Almost all characters emerged stronger and closer from these events.

You will want to read this one over and over again. Why has no one brought to light the wonderful characters in this book -- Are there follow-ups?

First we meet the brother Daniel [are these really Puritans?] and then through the entanglement of Millicent and Raleigh [cat and dog would you believe]and the threatening presence of Jacob [the bull] Ephraim "Matt" Mathiason, his two sons John and David and the nasty dominie. His brothers Thomas, Robert and James and his wife Mary and daughter Hope.

[Listen to this description of Matt] ** He was a tall man, taller even than Daniel, with broad shoulders and a wide chest that tapered down to narrow hips and long, powerful legs. ** He was hatless, and his hair was so black that it glinted blue in the bright sunlight. * * He limped, his left leg, apparently unable to bend at the knee, swung ackwardly as he moved. **
His features could have graced a classical statue; his jaw and cheekbones had been chiseled by a master hand.** His eyes were deep set beneath straight, thick black brows. The irises were a brilliant celestial blue, their lightness almost shocking against the sun-weathered swarthiness of his skin. The only note of disharmony was the scar, white and jagged, that sliced across his left cheek. ****
Caroline's description is just as tantalizing. Both have been scarred by life and must make a strong emotional journey to each other to complete their family.
Caroline being Matt's sister-in-law and Matt being soured on marriage cause many problems as Matt tries to control his growing lust for her. [His one besetting sin]

We fell in love with his family and his interaction with his sons, appreciating his deep love for his brothers and his healing brought about by the sass and impishness of Caroline.
And his handling of the villians of the community with tact? and strength of character.

Highly Recommended and rates a rare 5 plus for excellence and is definitely a keeper for our library.

favorite scene with caroline-
the burning of the witch. frightening.

favorite scene with matt-
the whole scene with hannah, the apple pie and the bed.

favorite scene with caroline and matt together-
the whole love cave scene. pretty hot. :)

out of all the books I have read by Karen Robards, this must be one of the best. The plot was an intricate one, weaved around a handsome rake with a chip on his shoulder, a beautiful lady who has a temper, isolated beaches and a tempestuous love on the sunny island of Barbados...What more could you want, really?

My 4th by Karen Robards, and so far, definitely one of the best! I couldn't put it down - The main characters were very interesting and the story was fast-paced, action-packed, compelling and in no way predictable. If you like Karen Robards, you will NOT be dissapointed! READ IT!

I have read all of Karen Robards' books and of her historical romances Desire in the Sun is the cream of the crop. The characters are believeable and react to problems appropretly. Leila is young and she acts like a young woman without the benifit of worldly experience. Joss is one of Robards best male characters he has a reason to hate Leila but he still has the capacity to love her.

If you've seen and loved My Fair Lady and Gigi, you'll love this book. I read it twice (from the library) and cried each time, returned it, forgot the title/author and now have been searching for months to find it again- This is my lucky day! You feel so close to the characters and journey with them as Sebastian learns to "live" and love, to step out of the cold, emotionless lord and overcome social class barriers. And there's a tender twist where we learn just why Sebastian can't believe in love, that anyone would love him for himself and not for his social standing and wealth (hint: has to do with his parents, specifically his mother). Then with Jewel/Julia, you feel with her the frustration of loving, what you will do or compromise for love, and its heartbreaking price. Above all, the final message is that you don't know how precious that one special love is until you lose that person forever.

This is a beautiful novel. It is about a street waif named Jewel, who gets mixed up into some kind of scheme concocted by a rich dying man to make trouble for his wealthy family. She meets Sebastian, the wealthy relative, and he decides to turn her into a lady to spite his evil mother. Over the course of their relationship, in which Sebastian trys to turn Julia (her new name) into a lady (reminisant of My Fair Lady), he falls in love with the stunning beauty she becomes. There are many entertaining plots that occur throughout, just as there are heartwrenching ones. I throughly enjoyed this book. The characters and plots are extremely well written, Ms. Robards has outdone herself with this one. If you love passionate love stories that will make you laugh and cry, then this one is for you!

I haven't read too many books that actually made me cry or laugh out loud like this one did. Its sweet and passionate and everything you want to read in a romance. The book had all the right twists and turns to keep you interested and fall in love with the characters. A must read!

After 4 books by the author, I've come to realize that Karen Robards writes with a certain formula: the hero is usually socially inferior to the lily-white heroine; the first coupling between H/H always brings about shame and regrets on the heroine's part, which, accurate as it might be under the circumstances, really grates on my nerves and somehow ruins the romantic sentiments such books should conjure up. This is true not only with ONE SUMMER but also with GREEN EYES. And DESIRE IN THE SUN. And DARK TORMENT.

That being said, ONE SUSMMER is still a wonderful read that I finished in one sitting. It has a heroine, Rachel Grant, who is 5 years older than the hero, one Johnny Harris, who is an ex-con and her former student. Refreshing, isn't it?! Johnny is sexy as hell and is a multi-faceted character who fascinates me with different sides of him as the story unfolds. Rachel, while less interesting and complex, is still a very likeable heroine. The chemistry between these two is incredible and well sustained throughout.

One thing I find less than satisfactory in ONE SUMMER is the murder-mystery aspect of the story, which just can't grab my attention and interest. Maybe that's why the story seems to falter towards the end as its focus shifts from that relationship between H/H to the psycho-killer and his/her (don't want to give anything away) evil plotting. And what drives the killer, when it's finally revealed, had me 'huh?' and scratching my head. Nevertheless, the book still deserves a 4 star for its two refreshing protagonists.

I'm not kidding. This man is THE sexiest man that could ever possibly have existed. All the junk that has happened to him just makes you just want to hold him REAL tight and-- Or you could do what Rachel does, just lean over and. . . .

Johnny is seriously the best hero of any romance novel I've ever read. Rachel is ALMOST good enough for him, though in my definition no one really is.

However, there are two parts of the book that are too hard to believe. 1. Rachel believes he just couldn't have committed a murder because she used to speak to him about poetry. Come on, POETS can be capable of killing! Although her firm belief in his innocence ends up being right, you still don't see how she could have thought so unless she had had highly unprofessional feelings for him while she taught him. 2. Glenda. You have to read the story to know most of what I am talking about, but also her whole relationship with Johnny. Why would he bother with her if he had any feelings for Rachel?

I read One Summer Again recently. I had to brush up for a discussion on a bulletin board. I loved it the first time, the second time WOW. It only gets better with a re-read. Johnny really is a hero to-die-for. So hard on the surface, but beneath that shell, warm, tender and loving. Rachel, who could be judged a little prim and proper turned out to be a strong, caring woman who stood up to the whole town and her family for the sake of the man she loved.

The suspense in the book was brilliant, and the ending surprising and unexpected.

I have noticed that some readers were surprised that Rachel knew Johnny was innocent of the crime he was convicted of, and expressed that she showed a certain naivety. I was utterly shocked that he was ever found guilty in the first place. I thought this was the only unrealistic part of the whole book. Lets look at the facts. He had seen her that night and they had sexual relations, not surprising he was her boyfriend (if you remember they decided the sex was consentual and the rape charge was dropped). End of evidence. No physical evidence, no murder weapon, no eyewitnesses. The only evidence I can see is that the town didn't like him. If a case with so little evidence was presented to our Crown Prosecution Service by the police, they would laugh them out of the place. Our CPS would never prosecute a case on so little evidence and I'm sure the DA's office wouldn't either. I mean we're not talking middle ages here, we're talking 1980's. To me this was the only weakness in the book.

Finally Johnny is my No 2 hero coming in only a bit behind Roarke (J.D. Robb) my No 1.

This book was great! Karen Robards did a wonderful job. If you like adventure, suspense and romance, read this book. You're tense until the end.

For the first book I have read from Karen Robards, I found the book full of Romance and Suspence. I could not put the book down. The beginning was at first hard to follow but when the two stories merged I was hooked. I would love to see this one in film. It would offer the viewer so much. I am now on my third book Of Karen Robards' which no doubt will be just as wonderful.

This is my favorite type of book ~ romantic suspense with a slightly religious element, and a sexy hero that I fell in love with.

My friend told me I would love this book and she was 1000% right. It's awesome.

Karen Robards wove her spell around me so that I couldn't stop reading. I almost missed a day of work I was up so late reading to the very end.

She interlaces story, character, and style with such ease that I didn't merely read the book, I lived and breathed it.

Reading Tony and Grace's story is a decent way to pass the time, if that is what you are looking for. I felt that The Midnight Hour lacked the usual depth, and sexual energy that Ms. Robards books usually contain. There was nothing wrong with the plot or the character per se, but then I did not find much right with them either. Tony is your typical modern wounded male (who just so happens to be a cop), who can be found in any number of contemporary romances. Under the tough exterior, he is basically a good guy, with a soft heart who got burned previously.

With Grace, I at least felt like there was something different. She is a single parent struggling to do what she feels is best for her floundering daughter. Parenting is not easy and Ms. Robards tries to show the good with the bad and that we are all human and make mistakes. I think that there could have been a little more interaction between Grace and Tony to show their growing relationship. Circumstances make for a short timeline in this story, but two such blatant antagonists who heartily disapprove of each other as much as they did at the beginning, found a way to relate to one another rather quickly (too quickly).

There is an attempt at intricacy in the plot, though I didn't find it to run too deep. It did not take me long to figure out the general theme of the mystery and what was going to happen. I did find the secondary characters interesting and they added some flavor to the overall story. Too me, The Midnight Hour was an OK book, which is why I gave it an average rating of 3 stars

In the middle of the night, Bexley, Ohio Judge Grace Hart realizes that her fifteen-year old daughter, Jessica, is not home. She calls the police, who promptly respond to her cry for help. However, during the interview with the local police, Detective Tony Marino arrives with Jessica, who is suffering from sugar shock. They rush her to the hospital and Jessica recovers.

Strange things begin to happen to Grace. Somehow, a trespasser continually manages to get inside her home. Grace thinks it is the son she once gave up for adoption. Tony keeps an eye out as he feels he must protect "my girls". Tony and Grace soon fall in love. However, before they can pursue any future together, they must stop the intruder, who plans to kill both of the female Harts.

Karen Robards is a popular author whose romantic suspense novels are, rightfully so, very popular among readers. Her latest tale, THE MIDNIGHT HOUR, has a very absorbing storyline. The suspense keeps growing until the very end of the book. The characters feel genuine especially Grace's concern with her teenage daughter's aberrant behavior. Fans of romantic suspense will heartily enjoy Ms. Robards newest book.

Harriet Klausner

Karen Robards book that I have read and it will not be my last.I just went and bought "One Summer"and "Walking After Midnight". The story line in "The Midnight Hour" was great.I was slow at first,but then picked up.I was glad to see the Jessica turned her life around and the ending was a sure surprise.Tony Marino sounds like the person you would want to sit on your porch keep a safe watch over you.A must read book if you like Romance-Suspense.

This is a fun book for me to read ~~ I think I found it at a library booksale and it was a quick and fun read. It is a mystery/romance novel ~~ the first Robards book I have ever read.

Molly Ballard, working as a groomer at a Kentucky stable while raising her younger brothers and sisters, runs into trouble with the law when she spirits away $5,000 that the FBI had planted in one of the barns. She was planning to use the money to feed her brothers and sisters, but FBI agent Will Lyman thought otherwise. Once he realized that she was speaking the truth, he decided to use Molly as an insider to investigate a race-horsing fixing scheme. Only Lyman got more than he bargained for ~~ not only was he focusing on the race-horsing fixing scheme, there were horse mulitations happening, a unsolved murder case, and a suicide in the peaceful Kentucky countryside. And falling in love with Molly ~~ it all provides entertainment and mystery throughout the book.

I would have given this book a 5 if it weren't for some explicit sex scenes in the book ~~ I am one of the readers who likes to be teased, not told of every sexual act in the story. Must be the midwestern in me. Other than that, this book provides great entertainment for me ~~ a fast read, which is something I need around here in a house full of happenings and it's fun to read as well.

If I run across Robards' other books, I'll be sure to pick them up since I enjoyed this book. She is a new author for me to explore and this book is hard to put down. I don't regret picking this one up at all.

11-7-02

This is a great book. I have ready many of Karen Robards books, and can honestly say this is one of my favorites. The romance between Molly and Will is unusual by some standards, but I found it to be compelling. I thought the mystery woven into the love story added an element of suspense that made for a wonderful read. Once I started reading it I just couldn't put it down. If you love Robards books, you will not be disappointed. If you are one of the ones who has never read a book by her- What are you waiting for-- get started now!!!!

I must say that this novel ranks as high as Walking After Midnight. I find myself reading it again and again. I fell in love with Will, the hard-nosed, nothing but business, FBI agent. Though he tries not to become emotionally involved with Molly Ballard, he can't resist her . This is a must read for all KR fans.

But I guess i love jerks. Any way I could suspend disbelief for a few hours and enjoy this book. It is not PC but so what. It was a fun read for me. I really liked the whole african experience but the american part didn't live up to snuff. I hated the rushed end but still it was o.k. Nothing great but good for an escape from the norm.

Ok....I really loved this book and read it in three days...I was swept up in the way the Karen Robards describes in erotic detail between the Sam Eastman character and Lisa Collins...She seems to know what women want....on the other hand I to did not have much respect for the female character. I don't like the fact that she was portrayed as wimpy at best... But I will keep on reading Karen's books.

This was my first romance novel I had ever read, and it took me a long time to track it down once more. Its been awhile sense I had read this wonderful Romance novel, but I alway catch myself compareing this very book to many others. I hope I get a chance to read it once more, for it will always be a favorite. And I apploude the Author of this book, great job!!

I recommend this book to whom ever likes action and romance ( the kind that gives you goose bumps and makes you want to bite you nails) this is the book for you. Might I remind you that it starts out ruff, but it turns into the the best book I have ever read, in the 4 years of reading romance.