Review: "Violence, gore, and action mix in with a sweet, tentative romance"
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 07 7, 2012
On his way back to his lodgings from a music festival, Leon is pleased to be offered a ride from a sexy guy in a Porsche. He thinks it may be his lucky night, until the guy starts acting really weird. Before he knows it, the man has bitten him, and suddenly his simple drifter lifestyle is a lot more complicated.Christoph has made a huge mistake. Thinking Leon is a werewolf without a pack, he attacks the man. Once he realizes he's misread the situation, it's too late, and he's committed to a course of action. Being turned into a werewolf makes Leon furious, but not enough to leave Christoph tormented and locked in a cage.Without really considering the results, Leon frees Christoph from the cage and flees with him. Unfortunately, they now have to contend with a vengeful pack leader, and way too many unknowns. Will Leon and Christoph survive the terrifying challenges they are about to face?If you like dark yet romantic stories, Midnight in Berlin will be right up your alley. JL Merrow takes a lot of the tropes of both paranormal / horror and romance and twists them a bit. Leon is not your typical hero. He's a drifter, content to hold a series of menial jobs so he can travel around Europe attending music festivals and just hanging out. Everything he owns can fit into a single backpack, and that's the way he wants it. Then he's changed into a werewolf, and his entire life is turned upside down. He begins to realize that there might be more to life than what he has been settling for. Christoph, with his gorgeous face, sweet Porsche, and obvious money, should be a princely romance hero, yet he is a werewolf. He's a member of a ruthless pack, but he tries to be a good man. The contrasts in both men's characters make for great conflict and a lot of realism. It's especially effective that Leon is the point of view character, given how much growth he goes through. I loved the way Leon grew and changed throughout the story while still remaining the same at his core.Most of the werewolves in Midnight in Berlin aren't the beautiful, graceful wolves seen in most stories, but werewolves in the truest sense: created monsters that walk on two legs, caught between two forms. They often behave like monsters, something Christoph fights against. Some of them believe they are special due to their status, others that they have become abominations. JL Merrow's choice to make the werewolves the horror type rather than the more romantic one made for a more brutal story, which I liked. Violence, gore, and action mix in with a sweet, tentative romance. Midnight in Berlin may be dark, non-traditional, and often surprising, but it's also a very enjoyable romance.Reviewed by CassieFor Joyfully Reviewed