Sunday, December 18, 2016

Review: Midnight Lies & Midnight Shadows by Ella Grace

Title: Midnight Lies
Series: Wildefire
Author: Christy Reece
Read copy: eBook
Published: September 24, 2012
Publisher: Ballantine Books
ISBN: 0345538404
ISBN-13: 9780345538406

IT’S ALWAYS HOTTER AT MIDNIGHT.

The winds of fate have blown cruelly on a family that once had it all: money, power, prestige. The lives of three beautiful daughters were forever changed when, on a sultry night in Midnight, Alabama, a murder-suicide shattered the Wilde family. The girls grew up to live separate lives but now have returned home, each to face a danger no one can see coming.

Former homecoming queen Samantha surprised everyone by going into law enforcement, but beneath her tough façade lies a wary heart. The tragedy that struck her family is an ever-present reminder that nothing is ever as it seems. When the man she loves, Quinn Braddock, a doctor and Iraq war veteran, is accused of murder, Samantha assumes the worst. Brokenhearted, her confidence shattered, she returns to Midnight. Though exonerated, Quinn still feels the sting of Samantha’s doubt, but he can’t forget his feelings for her and follows her. Soon after his arrival, a shocking murder terrifies the town, and once again, Quinn is under suspicion. This time, Samantha will not turn her back on the man she loves—even if it means walking into a killer’s trap.



Title: Midnight Shadows
Series: Wildefire
Author: Christy Reece
Read copy: eBook
Published: March 5, 2015
Publisher: Ballantine Books
ISBN: 0991658442
ISBN-13: 9780991658442

Known as the wild child of Midnight, Alabama, Sabrina Wilde has worked hard to earn that reputation. But beneath the tough girl façade lies a hurting, vulnerable heart. Fiercely loyal and protective of those she loves, Sabrina will do whatever it takes to keep her loved ones safe.

Private Investigator Ian Mackenzie has loved Sabrina for years. Understanding her pain and wariness of commitment doesn’t stop him from hoping that someday she will trust him with her heart. When Sabrina puts herself in jeopardy, willing to sacrifice her life to save others, Ian has no choice but to foil her plans. He never knew what it would cost him.

As evil descends upon Midnight and Sabrina’s worst nightmares are realized, she is forced into an impossible position—trust her loved ones with her shameful secret or forever live in the shadows of the past.

One man is determined that she doesn't survive to do either.


My rating (for both books!):

I can't be bothered with writing a separate review for each story, because...Well, it's a pretty much same review.

Slower than a sloth's pace, predictable, boring, and dull, with bland, one-dimensional characters, weak suspense, and...Did I mention predictable?
The heroines (all three of them) acted like they were fresh out of high-school and nothing close to thirty, the heroes were rather mature in comparison, making the difference in behavior and actions even more glaring. The girls' issues are glaringly disproportionate to what happened eighteen years ago (I'm sorry, but I just don't understand why you have to act like a brat/idiot/bitch toward the man you love just because everybody says your father killed your mother and then committed suicide), and the chemistry/romance between the leading pairs flimsy at best and non-existent at worst.
And why do they all have to be magnets for crazies? Predictable, glaringly obvious crazies?

I really don't know what to make of this series. Are we sure Ella Grace and Christy Reece are the same person? Because it doesn't "sound" like they are. I simply couldn't get into either story because of the slow pace and lack of emotion and/or chemistry between the two leads.

Maybe it would've worked better if this was a series of short stories instead of this overblown, overcomplicated, and "over-written" concoction.

A huge disappointment.



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