Review: For fans of Cinderella...and werewolves!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 08 16, 2013
Imagine Cinderella.  Now add in some werewolves and tada--you've got Before Midnight!  But first, before we get to the Cinderella part, we first meet a mysterious tree dweller setting up a meeting for five magical creatures, which actually sets up the start of the series in a very fun way.  We get a sneak peek into the five very different male leads for what I can probably safely assume will be a five part series!In Before Midnight, we get to read about the first of the five creatures--Etienne the lycanthrope werewolf.  I specifically mention he's a lycanthrope, because in this world, there are two types of werewolves, the other being the cursed loup garou who are created when bitten or scratched by another cursed loup garou (unlike lycanthropes who are born sharing their bodies with a wolf and can therefore accept their wolfy side).Which leads us to our poor Cinderella--also known as Loupe--who happens to be a loup garou.  Seems like a match in wolfy heaven, right?  Werewolf meet werewolf and happily ever after.  Oops!  But there's a villainous evil stepmother and stepsisters, a well meaning witch casting a time-sensitive spell on Etienne, and the fact that letting it be known you're a werewolf basically invites werewolf hunting lynch mobs over for dinner.  OK, perhaps they've got a bigger than little problem?This was a short and easy read and will definitely please fairy tale lovers!  The story was fast-paced and plot-driven, so there were times that I wish we could have gotten more backstory on the characters and learned more about their motivations.  There's a hint of an in depth magical world that I would have loved to hear more about.  So, although I enjoyed the story, I wish it had been fleshed out a bit more.  This is a romance, and there's one sex scene and some sexual tension, which leads me to label the book as medium heat.If you're a fan of werewolves and Cinderella, make sure you read this one!  Overall, I'm giving this a 4 out of 5.(Originally posted on my blog; I was given a review copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.)