Review: Kiss Me At Midnight
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 12 30, 2013
Overall,Kiss Me at Midnightwas a sweet story about a second chance at love.Ashley Haines and Ethan Pierce were best friends in high school. Both of them were awkward and shy. Where Ashley was overlooked but liked, Ethan was tormented and bullied by the other kids he had Ashley. His BFF and the girl he secretly loved. On New Year's night in the senior year, Ethan decided to go all in and tell Ashley how he felt. He bought her some beautiful white carnations and asked her to meet him at their special spot. And Ashley was there...only she wasn't there alone. Hurt and disappointed by what he discovered, Ethan cut Ashley off--totally. He wouldn't talk to her or communicate with her in anyway. Ignoring her and her pleas to tell her what she'd done wrong. Ethan never relented and left their hometown on the first thing smoking, vowing never to return and to never give his heart to a woman. Fast forward nine years and Ashley is a newly minted doctor still living in town. Hearing that Ethan is back for a family visit, Ashley goes to the local bar hoping to spot him. And she does. Their chemistry is off the charts and they agree to a weekend arrangement that neither of them can refuse. An arrangement that irrevocably changes them and leaves them wanting more.Kiss Me at Midnightwas a quick and easy read--only 90 odd pages or so. Although the story was enjoyable overall, there was something about it that left me both liking it and not liking it. And, I think that feeling came as a result of Ethan's actions. He was sweet, funny, and sexy as a mature man and endearing to Ashley as a young man. I liked that about it. However, he had this immaturity that bordered on irrational. I understand and respect that childhood can leave indelible psyche marks...I do. But, Ethan's whole rationale for never wanting to return home was that people were still talking about him, and only saw the geeky kid he used to be. Meanwhile, no one treated him that way. In reality, the people that bullied him were actually nice to him. But Ethan staunchly held on to his youthful angst over his tormentors. It took his brother, Ashley, and the bartender (who happened to be one said tormentors) to get Ethan to see that people could change. Ethan was also unreasonable in his desire for Ashley to follow him. He was determined to leave town after their weekend affair was over, and he actually did like a thief in the night. So, it was a bit surprising that he would be confused and even a little hurt that Ashley didn't follow after him--even after he resolutely said he would not stay.Ashley, for the most part, was likeable. She was vivacious and sweet and I appreciated the fact that she gave up her wants to help her mother.I think my one major issue with the book was the lack of communication between the characters. I know...I know...it was all part of the story. But, I couldn't help thinking, "Boy, all that could have been cleared up with a simple conversation." Ethan and Ashley talked about everything except what was most important.BUT, I have to give it to Ethan, in the end he came through. The scene in behind the bar made up for his childish behavior at the beginning. At that point, he was ABSOLUTELY kissable :).