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Kiss of Midnight: A Midnight Breed Novel (The Midnight Breed Series Book 1) by [Lara Adrian]

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Lara Adrian

Kiss of Midnight: A Midnight Breed Novel (The Midnight Breed Series Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Lara Adrian (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

1,419 ratings

Book 1 of 18: Midnight Breed

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"Evocative, enticing, erotic. Enter Lara Adrian's vampire world and be enchanted." ~J.R. Ward

More than 17,000 five-star ratings on Goodreads for KISS OF MIDNIGHT!

He watches her from across the crowded dance club, a sensual black-haired stranger who stirs Gabrielle Maxwell's deepest fantasies. But nothing about this night--or this man--is what it seems. For when Gabrielle witnesses a murder outside the club, reality shifts into something dark and deadly. In that shattering instant she is thrust into a realm she never knew existed--a realm where vampires stalk the shadows and a blood war is set to ignite.

Lucan Thorne despises the violence carried out by his lawless brethren. A vampire himself, Lucan is a Breed warrior, sworn to protect his kind--and the unwitting humans existing alongside them--from the mounting threat of the Rogues. Lucan cannot risk binding himself to a mortal woman, but when Gabrielle is targeted by his enemies, he has no choice but to bring her into the dark underworld he commands.

Here, in the arms of the Breed's formidable leader, Gabrielle will confront an extraordinary destiny of danger,seduction, and the darkest pleasures of all. . . .

About the Midnight Breed series

Part human, part otherworldly, the Breed has lived among humankind for thousands of years,maintaining a tentative peace built on secrecy, power, and the dark justice carried out by the formidable warriors of the Order.

But now, a blood war within the race is set to ignite.Vampires are going Rogue in startling numbers, feeding without discretion, killing humans in the streets. It is up to the Order to stop the spreading threat of Rogue domination--and in so doing, each of the warriors will be forced to confront private demons, darkest secrets, deepest fears. Some will know triumph, some will know loss, but each warrior can count on one thing: Love, when it finds him,will often come at the worst possible moment, with the least likely woman . . . and it will bring each of these powerful males to his knees.

The Midnight Breed Series reading order:
A Touch of Midnight (prequel novella - free ebook)
Kiss of Midnight
Kiss of Crimson
Midnight Awakening
Midnight Rising
Veil of Midnight
Ashes of Midnight
Shades of Midnight
Taken by Midnight
Deeper Than Midnight
A Taste of Midnight (novella, ebook only)
Darker After Midnight
The Midnight Breed Series Companion
Edge of Dawn
Marked by Midnight (novella)
Crave the Night
Tempted by Midnight (novella)
Bound to Darkness
Stroke of Midnight
Defy the Dawn (Aug 31, 2016)
Midnight Untamed (Oct 11, 2016)
...and more to come!

Also by Lara Adrian:

100 Series (Billionaire contemporary romance)For 100 DaysFor 100 Nights (winter 2016)For 100 Reasons (early 2017)

Phoenix Code Romantic Suspense Series (with Tina Folsom)
Cut and Run
Hide and Seek

Masters of Seduction Paranormal Romance Series
Merciless: House of Gravori
Priceless:House of Ebarron

To get notified of new releases and to be eligible for subscribers-only giveaways and exclusive content, be sure to visit Lara's website and sign up for the VIP Reader List!

Print length

434 pages
Language

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Publisher

Dell
Publication date

May 1, 2007
File size

669 KB
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More and more lately, she felt as if she were caught on a wheel that wouldn’t stop spinning her around, trapping her in an endless cycle of passing time and little purpose.
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And in the back of his mind, an ancient conscience whispered that whoever she was, she already belonged to him.
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Editorial Reviews

Review

He watches her from across the crowded dance club, a sensual black-haired stranger who stirs Gabrielle Maxwell’s deepest fantasies. But nothing about this night—or this man—is what it seems. For when Gabrielle witnesses a murder outside the club, reality shifts into something dark and deadly. In that shattering instant she is thrust into a realm she never knew existed—a realm where vampires stalk the shadows and a blood war is set to ignite.

Lucan Thorne despises the violence carried out by his lawless brethren. A vampire himself, Lucan is a Breed warrior, sworn to protect his kind—and the unwitting humans existing alongside them—from the mounting threat of the Rogues. Lucan cannot risk binding himself to a mortal woman, but when Gabrielle is targeted by his enemies, he has no choice but to bring her into the dark underworld he commands.

Here, in the arms of the Breed’s formidable leader, Gabrielle will confront an extraordinary destiny of danger, seduction, and the darkest pleasures of all. . . .

From the Author

To get notified of new releases and to be eligible for subscribers-only giveaways and exclusive content, be sure to visit Lara's website and sign up for the VIP Reader List!

About the Author

Lara Adrian is the author of the Midnight Breed series. Her new releases regularly appear on key bestseller lists including the New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, and Amazon.com. There are more than two million copies of the Midnight Breed series in print in the United States. She lives with her husband in New England.

--This text refers to the audioCD edition.

From the Inside Flap

"Evocative, enticing, erotic. Enter Lara Adrian's vampire world and be enchanted." ~J.R. Ward

More than 17,000 five-star ratings on Goodreads for KISS OF MIDNIGHT!

He watches her from across the crowded dance club, a sensual black-haired stranger who stirs Gabrielle Maxwell's deepest fantasies. But nothing about this night--or this man--is what it seems. For when Gabrielle witnesses a murder outside the club, reality shifts into something dark and deadly. In that shattering instant she is thrust into a realm she never knew existed--a realm where vampires stalk the shadows and a blood war is set to ignite.

Lucan Thorne despises the violence carried out by his lawless brethren. A vampire himself, Lucan is a Breed warrior, sworn to protect his kind--and the unwitting humans existing alongside them--from the mounting threat of the Rogues. Lucan cannot risk binding himself to a mortal woman, but when Gabrielle is targeted by his enemies, he has no choice but to bring her into the dark underworld he commands.

Here, in the arms of the Breed's formidable leader, Gabrielle will confront an extraordinary destiny of danger, seduction, and the darkest pleasures of all. . . .

About the Midnight Breed series

Part human, part otherworldly, the Breed has lived among humankind for thousands of years, maintaining a tentative peace built on secrecy, power, and the dark justice carried out by the formidable warriors of the Order.

But now, a blood war within the race is set to ignite. Vampires are going Rogue in startling numbers, feeding without discretion, killing humans in the streets. It is up to the Order to stop the spreading threat of Rogue domination--and in so doing, each of the warriors will be forced to confront private demons, darkest secrets, deepest fears. Some will know triumph, some will know loss, but each warrior can count on one thing: Love, when it finds him, will often come at the worst possible moment, with the least likely woman . . . and it will bring each of these powerful males to his knees.

Midnight Breed reading order:

A Touch of Midnight (prequel novella)
Kiss of Midnight
Kiss of Crimson
Midnight Awakening
Midnight Rising
Veil of Midnight
Ashes of Midnight
Shades of Midnight
Taken by Midnight
Deeper Than Midnight
A Taste of Midnight (novella, ebook only)
Darker After Midnight
The Midnight Breed Series Companion
Edge of Dawn
Marked by Midnight (novella)
Crave the Night
Tempted by Midnight (novella)
Bound to Darkness
Stroke of Midnight (novella)Defy the Dawn (Spring 2016)Midnight Untamed (October 2016)

...and more to come! --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Chapter One

Present Day

Remarkable. Just look at the use of light and shadow . . ."

"You see how this image hints at the sorrow of the place, yet manages to convey a promise of hope?"

". . . one of the youngest photographers to be included in the museum's new modern art collection."
Gabrielle Maxwell stood back from the group of exhibit attendees, nursing a flute of warm champagne as yet another crowd of faceless, nameless, Very Important People enthused over the two dozen black-and-white photographs displayed on the gallery walls. She glanced at the images from across the room, somewhat bemused. They were good photographs--a bit edgy, their subject matter being abandoned mills and desolate dockyards outside Boston--but she didn't quite get what everyone else was seeing in them.

Then again, she never did. Gabrielle merely took the photographs; she left their interpretation, and ultimately, their appreciation, up to others. An introvert by nature, it made her uncomfortable to be on the receiving end of this much praise and attention . . . but it did pay the bills. Quite nicely, at that. Tonight, it was also paying the bills for her friend Jamie, the owner of the funky little art gallery on Newbury Street, which, at ten minutes to closing, was still packed with prospective buyers.

Numb with the whole process of meeting and greeting, of smiling politely as everyone from moneyed Back Bay wives to multipierced, tattooed Goths tried to impress one another--and her--with analyses of her work, Gabrielle couldn't wait for the exhibit to end. She had been hiding in the shadows for the past hour, contemplating a stealth escape to the comfort of a warm shower and a soft pillow, both waiting at her apartment on the city's east side.

But she had promised a few of her friends--Jamie, Kendra, and Megan--that she would join them for dinner and drinks after the showing. As the last couple of stragglers made their purchases and left, Gabrielle found herself gathered up and swept into a cab before she had a chance to so much as think of begging off.

"What an awesome night!" Jamie's androgynous blond hair swung around his face as he leaned across the other two women to clutch Gabrielle's hand. "I've never had so much weekend traffic in the gallery--and tonight's sales receipts were amazing! Thank you so much for letting me host you."
Gabrielle smiled at her friend's excitement. "Of course. No need to thank me."

"You weren't too miserable, were you?"

"How could she be, with half of Boston falling at her feet?" gushed Kendra, before Gabrielle could answer for herself. "Was that the governor I saw you talking with over the canapes?"
Gabrielle nodded. "He's offered to commission some original works for his cottage on the Vineyard."

"Sweet!"

"Yeah," Gabrielle replied without much enthusiasm. She had a stack of business cards in her pocketbook--at least a year of steady work, if she wanted it--so why was she tempted to open the taxi window and scatter them all to the wind?

She let her gaze drift to the night outside the car, watching in queer detachment as lights and lives flickered past. The streets teemed with people: couples strolling hand in hand, groups of friends laughing and talking, all of them having a great time. They dined at cafe tables outside trendy bistros and paused to browse store window displays. Everywhere she looked, the city pulsed with color and life. Gabrielle absorbed it all with her artist's eye and, yet, felt nothing. This bustle of life--her life as well--seemed to be speeding by without her. More and more lately, she felt as if she were caught on a wheel that wouldn't stop spinning her around, trapping her in an endless cycle of passing time and little purpose.

"Is anything wrong, Gab?" Megan asked from beside her on the taxi's bench seat. "You seem quiet."
Gabrielle shrugged. "I'm sorry. I'm just . . . I don't know. Tired, I guess."

"Somebody get this woman a drink--stat!" Kendra, the dark-haired nurse, joked.

"Nah," Jamie countered, sly and catlike. "What our Gab really needs is a man. You're too serious, sweetie. It's not healthy to let your work consume you like you do. Have some fun! When's the last time you got laid, anyway?"

Too long ago but Gabrielle wasn't really keeping track. She'd never suffered from a shortage of dates when she wanted them, and sex--on those rare occasions she had it--wasn't something she obsessed over like some of her friends. As out of practice as she was right now in that department, she didn't think an orgasm was going to cure whatever was causing her current state of restlessness.

"Jamie is right, you know," Kendra was saying. "You need to loosen up, get a little wild."

"No time like the present," Jamie added.

"Oh, I don't think so," Gabrielle said, shaking her head. "I'm really not up for a late night, you guys.
Gallery showings always take a lot out of me and I--"

"Driver?" Ignoring her, Jamie slid to the edge of the seat and rapped on the Plexiglas that separated the cabbie from his passengers. "Change of plans. We decided we're in the mood for celebrating, so ixnay on the restaurant. We wanna go where all the hot people are."

"If you like dance clubs, there's a new one just opened in the north end," the cabbie said, his spearmint chewing gum cracking as he spoke. "I been takin' fares over there all week. Fact, took two already tonight--fancy after-hours place called La Notte."

"Ooh, La No-tay," Jamie purred, tossing a playful look over his shoulder and arching an elegant brow.

"Sounds perfectly wicked to me, girls. Let's go!"

The club, La Notte, was housed in a High Victorian Gothic building that had long been known as St. John's Trinity Parish church, until recent Archdiocese of Boston payouts on priest sex scandals forced the closings of dozens of such places around the city. Now, as Gabrielle and her friends made their way inside the crowded club, synthesized trance and techno music rang in the rafters, blasting out of enormous speakers that framed the DJ pit in the balcony above the altar. Strobe lights flashed against a trio of arched stained-glass windows. The pulsing beams cut through the thin cloud of smoke that hung in the air, pounding to the frenetic beat of a seemingly endless song. On the dance floor--and in nearly every square foot of La Notte's main floor and the gallery above--people moved against one another in writhing, mindless sensuality.

"Holy shit," Kendra shouted over the music, raising her arms and dancing her way through the thick crowd. "What a place, huh? This is crazy!"

They hadn't even cleared the first knot of clubbers before a tall, lean guy swooped in on the spunky brunette and bent to say something in her ear. Kendra gave a throaty laugh and nodded enthusiastically at him.

"Boy wants to dance," she giggled, passing her handbag to Gabrielle. "Who am I to refuse!"

"This way," Jamie said, pointing to a small, empty table near the bar as their friend trotted off with her partner.

The three of them got seated and Jamie ordered a round of drinks. Gabrielle scanned the dance floor for Kendra, but she'd been devoured in the midst of the crowded space. Despite the crush of people all around, Gabrielle could not dismiss the sudden sensation that she and her friends were sitting in a spotlight. Like they were somehow under scrutiny simply for being in the club. It was nuts to think it. Maybe she had been working too much, spending too much time alone at home, if being out in public could make her feel so self-conscious. So paranoid.

"Here's to Gab!" Jamie exclaimed over the roar of the music, raising his martini glass in salute.
Megan lifted hers, too, and clinked it against Gabrielle's. "Congratulations on a great exhibit tonight!"

"Thanks, you guys."

As she sipped the neon yellow concoction, Gabrielle's feeling of being observed returned. Or rather, increased. She felt a stare reach out to her from across the darkened distance. Over the rim of her martini glass, she glanced up and caught the glint of a strobe light nicking off a pair of dark sunglasses.

Sunglasses hiding a gaze that was unmistakably fixed on her through the crowd.

The quick flashes from the strobes cast his stark features in hard shadow, but Gabrielle's eyes took him in at once. Spiky black hair falling loosely around a broad, intelligent brow and lean, angular cheeks. A strong, stern jaw. And his mouth . . . his mouth was generous and sensual, even when quirked in that cynical, almost cruel line.

Gabrielle looked away, unnerved, a rush of warmth skittering along her limbs. His face lingered in her head, burned there in an instant, like an image set to film. She put down her drink and braved another quick glance to where he stood. But he was gone.

A loud crash sounded at the other end of the bar, jerking Gabrielle's attention over her shoulder. At one of the crowded tables, liquor seeped onto the floor, spilled from several broken glasses that littered the black-lacquered surface. Five guys in dark leather and shades were having words with another guy wearing a Dead Kennedys wife-beater tank and torn, faded blue jeans. One of the thugs in leather had his arm slung around a drunk-looking platinum blond, who seemed to know the punker. Boyfriend, apparently. He made a grab for the girl's arm, but she slapped him away and bent her head to let one of the thugs put his mouth on her neck. She stared defiantly at her furious boyfriend, all the while playing with the long brown hair of the guy fastened to her throat.

"That's messed up," Megan said, turning back around as the situation escalated.

"Sure is," Jamie added as he finished off his martini and flagged a server to bring another round. "Evidently that chick's mama forgot to tell her it's bad news not to leave with the guy who brought
you."

Gabrielle watched for another moment, long enough to see a second biker move in on the girl and descend on her slackened mouth. She accepted both of them together, her hands coming up to caress the dark head at her neck and the pale one that was sucking her face like he meant to eat her alive. The punker boyfriend shouted a string of obscenities at the girl, then turned around and shoved his way into the spectating crowd.

"This place is creeping me out," Gabrielle confided, just now noticing some clubbers openly doing lines of cocaine off the far end of the long marble bar.

Her friends didn't seem to hear her over the driving pound of the music. They also didn't seem to share Gabrielle's unease. Something wasn't quite right here and Gabrielle could not shake the feeling that eventually the night was going to get ugly. Jamie and Megan began talking between themselves about local bands, leaving Gabrielle to sip what was left of her martini and wait on the other side of the small table for an opportunity to break in and make her excuses to leave.

Essentially alone at the moment, her gaze drifted over the sea of bobbing heads and swaying bodies, as she surreptitiously searched for the sunglass-shaded eyes that had been watching her before. Was he with the other thugs--one of that gang of bikers still stirring up trouble? He was dressed like them, certainly carried the same dark air of danger about him.

Whoever he was, Gabrielle saw no trace of him now.

She leaned back in her chair, then nearly jumped out of her skin when a pair of hands came to rest on her shoulders from behind.

"Here you are! I've been looking all over for you guys!" Kendra said, sounding breathless and animated at the same time, as she leaned over the table. "Come on. I've got a table for us on the other side of the club. Brent and some of his friends want to party with us!"

"Cool!"

Jamie was already on his feet, ready to go. Megan took her fresh martini in one hand, Kendra's and her pocketbooks in the other. When Gabrielle didn't rush to join them, Megan paused.

"You coming?"

"No." Gabrielle stood up and looped the strap of her handbag over her shoulder. "You go on, have fun. I'm beat. I think I'm just going to catch a cab and head back home."

Kendra gave her a little-girl pout. "Gab, you can't go!"

"You want some company for the ride home?" Megan offered, even though Gabrielle could tell she wanted to stay with the others.

"I'll be fine. Enjoy yourselves, but be careful, right?"

"You're sure you won't stay? Just one more drink?"

"Nah. I really need to take off and get some air."

"Suit yourself, then," Kendra chided with mock venom. She stepped in and planted a quick peck on Gabrielle's cheek. As she withdrew, Gabrielle caught a whiff of vodka, and, beneath that, something less obvious. Something musky, queerly metallic. "You're a buzzkill, Gab, but I still love you."

With a wink, Kendra looped her arms with Jamie's and Megan's, then playfully tugged them toward the churning mass of people.

"Call me tomorrow," Jamie mouthed over his shoulder as the trio were slowly engulfed by the crowd.
Gabrielle immediately started her trek for the door, anxious to be out of the club. The longer she had stayed, the louder the music seemed to get, drumming in her head, making it hard to think. Hard to focus on her surroundings. People pushed at her from all sides as she tried to pass through them, squeezing her into the press of dancing, flailing, gyrating bodies. She was jostled and nudged, pawed at and groped by unseen hands in the dark, until, finally, she stumbled into the vestibule near the club's entrance, then out the heavy double doors.

The night was cool and dark. She drew in a deep breath, clearing her head of the noise and smoke and the unsettling atmosphere of La Notte. The music still throbbed out here, the strobe lights still flashed like small explosions behind the tall stained-glass windows above, but Gabrielle relaxed a bit now that she was free.

No one paid her any mind as she hurried down to the curb and waited to hail a ride home. Only a few people were outside, some passing by on the sidewalk below, others filing up the concrete steps and into the club. She spotted a yellow cab coming her way, and thrust out her hand to call it over.
"Taxi!"

As the empty cab navigated across the lanes of nighttime traffic and roared up beside her, the doors of the nightclub burst open with the force of a hurricane.

"Hey, man! What the fuck!" Behind Gabrielle on the steps, a male voice rose to an octave just north of fear. "Touch me again, and I'll fuckin'--"

"You'll fuckin' what?" taunted another voice, this one low and deadly, and flanked by several others that were chuckling in amusement.

"Yeah, tell us, you little asswipe punker piece of shit. What're ya gonna do?"

Her fingers gripping the door handle of the cab, Gabrielle swiveled her head, half in alarm, half in knowing dread of what she would see. It was the gang from the bar, the bikers or whatever they were, in black leather and shades. The six of them circled the punker boyfriend like a pack of wolves, taking turns jabbing at him, toying with him like prey. --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B000QCQ8XK
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Dell (May 1, 2007)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 1, 2007
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 669 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Print length ‏ : ‎ 434 pages
Lending ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled

Best Sellers Rank: #30,857 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #164 in Gothic Romances
- #206 in Gothic Fiction
- #455 in Gothic Romance

Customer Reviews:
1,419 ratings

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Lara Adrian

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~ Current & Upcoming ~

* FALL OF NIGHT ~ Releasing 1/31/2021

* PLAY MY GAME ~ New Release in KU!

* MIDNIGHT BREED WORD SEARCH

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LARA ADRIAN is a New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, and #1 international bestselling author with nearly 4 million books in print and digital worldwide and translations licensed in more than 20 countries. Lara’s Midnight Breed vampire romance series has been hailed as “one of the best paranormal series around” (Fresh Fiction). Her venture into steamy, suspenseful contemporary romances has won praise from readers and reviewers alike, who rave that “Adrian simply does billionaires better” (Under the Covers) and “can impress in any genre” (Romance Readers Retreat).

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Customer reviews

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3 star		9%
2 star		4%
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Top reviews from the United States

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Ugh, I wished I liked it more

Reviewed in the United States on February 13, 2019

Verified Purchase

I really really really wished I enjoyed this book more than I did. I'm so disappointed :\. I was so bored! Everything was predictable, I felt like I've read this book before. Towards the end, I was skimming pages and I didn't miss a thing. I didnt care much for the romance either. There was no reason why the two main characters were together, there was no chemistry, no common interests, there was just nothing there connecting these two people. They met, had sex, and then immediately fell in love. The plot was lacking as well, and has some glaring plot holes. What makes a breedmate? Are they born randomly? What makes them different from human woman; besides the mark? Breedmates don't seem to genetically be passed on so how do they exist? Why are the vampires only male? How is this vampire species even alive if they have the propensity of going crazy from bloodlust? I have a lot of questions and not enough answers.

27 people found this helpful

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LetyM

Great start to an intriguing series

Reviewed in the United States on September 6, 2017

Verified Purchase

What a wonderful surprise. This is not my typical genre but I am so enjoying the series. I needed a change from my typical genre and am I glad I found this series. I am already on book 4, Rio's book and I cannot tell you how much I have enjoyed every single book in this series so far. Only a few chapters into Rio's book I can already tell It's going to be a good one.

So Lucian and Gabrielle. I loved the couple. This book is a great introduction to the series. I have read a couple other vampire related books and they all seem to have a different take on vampire life. I happen to love this one. The Breedmates, females who are born with a tear drop falling on a crescent moon are born to breed with vampires. Breedmates are all born with special paranormal abilities that they pass on to their offspring. The original vampires were ravaging aliens that preyed on humans and bred with Breedmates. The Order which Lucan stated hundreds of years ago was started by first generation vampires born of Breedmates. The Order declared war on their fathers and set out to extinguish them all. The Order lives harmoniously amongst humans. Unfortunately, there are vampires that turn Rogue after they become addicted to blood which then becomes bloodlust.

The Order's entire mission is to rid the world of the Rogue population but they noticed an increase in their numbers. Gabrielle is an artist, a photographer by trade. She unknowingly has an eye for spotting Rogue and Vampire hot spots. After a successful showing at her best friend's gallery they convince her to go with them to a new night club. There is where she locks eyes with Lucian for the first time. The night club is not her scene and when she makes her escape she unwittingly witnesses a group of Rogues feeding and killing a human. She manages to take pictures of the attach but no one believes her because there is no evidence. Lucian is drawn to Gabrielle and the rest is history as they say. I don't want to give any spoilers but it is a great read.

The characterization is three dimensional. All the characters are very well written. The book is flawlessly written and flows wonderfully, that is the case for all the books in the series. Usually in a series I get bored but this series is enthralling. The author's imagery is out of this world (pun intended). It is great to be able to get lost in a book(s) again.

Highly recommend.

5 people found this helpful

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A

the beginning of the breeds and their mates

Reviewed in the United States on May 9, 2010

Verified Purchase

Kiss of Midnight by Lara Adrian is the first book in her new series about the Breeds, a race of vampires who live in parallel to the human race without their knowledge. Adrian is able to capture the reader with her writing style and her ability to make you connect with the characters.

Gabrielle Maxwell has had a semi boring life for as long as she can remember, then when in a club one night with her friends she meets a man that will change her life. Whether she wants him to or not.

Lucan Thorne is more then 900yrs old, he was the one who started the Order with his friends hundred's of years ago, he is the one who is the current leader of the Order now. But when he meets Gabrielle on one of his patrols around the city, his life changes. And when he learns that she is a Breedmate all of his instincts go on red alert for him to claim her as his own. But will he be able to get over his own fears? And when Gabrielle is taken by his enemy, will he be able to defeat him in time to get his Breedmate back?

The first book in this new series is capturing and enjoyable to read, all the characters become apart of the story and Adrian was able to balance the romance with the suspense to create an amazing new series.

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Jannet D. Hernandez

Muy caliente!

Reviewed in the United States on January 22, 2013

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Muy caliente!
Ok it took me a while to finish this book because of school but, holy crap it was hot. It is so similar to the black dagger brotherhood, that I kept trying to compare Lucan with Wrath, Tegan with Zsadist, Gideon with V, Dante with Rage lol
The setting was kind of like the same too. This girl is introduced into the vampire world by mistake. But it's all good at the end.
The thing I noticed was Lucan was a little bit of a jerk. Like when he got up right after sex and ran away. What. The. Hell.
And the Conlen death was like..... Okay.... We don't really know anything about this dude. So I couldn't really feel devastated. But I did feel sorry for his mate. And that was just like Thor dying instead of Wellsie. Lol
The bad guy sounds promising. Not to mention hot. So hopefully he is going to be a really bad guy.
I want to know more about the dark havens and the new warriors that are gonna join the cause.
And hopefully there will be a Qhuinn somewhere in this series. I LOVE U QHUINN!!!!

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Melissa M.

Still a great story the second time around

Reviewed in the United States on March 9, 2022

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This is one of my first books to read of this kind and after the 100s of books I've read since, it's still great the second time around. I'm now reading the series and thus begins the trek into the world of the Breed warriors.

Reviewed in the United States on June 6, 2022

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This book captured my interest quickly with the right amount of action and character development. Finding love was the ultimate prize.

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Elle

Great book!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 17, 2011

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Let me start of by saying that if you have ever read anything by J R Ward, more importantly, her Black Dagger Brotherhood series, you will recognise a few things. If you haven't, I suggest you read them first, as they are definitely a sort of original and if you read this series first, you may not enjoy BDB as much!

There are SO many similarities that I can't even begin writing down. To name a few, living in a compound, the whole mate for life thing, the first book (aka, this one) following the very troubled leader, the humans being the target, them being the protectors against rogues of their own race and for me the most obvious, the troubled one that does their own thing and literally hates everyone else. (If you have read BDB you know exactly who I am talking about)

In saying that, there is also a good few differences to make the story not identical and although it is at some points like reading a rip off, it is a really enjoyable book and it definitely had me wanting to read the rest of the series.

I found all the characters really easy to like. Lucan was definitely a joy to read about and I really loved Gabby! Her attitude was bearable unlike some females which turn out to be annoying in Vampire Romances.

The plot wasn't really my cup of tea but I found myself enjoying it anyway. When it comes to romances, I normally prefer books with a gentle build up and loads of UST but in this they seem to get at it pretty quickly and left me asking what the rest of the book was going to be about but Lara Adrian was able to make the plot really enjoyable and it held enough interest that I couldn't put the book down. It was a good balance between romance/personal friendship and action to not be unbearably cheesy and didn't have any chicle or fanciful language to really put me off.

All in all, I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to read the rest of the series.

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kayvmac

I wasn't desperate to finish it but I felt I had to.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 19, 2011

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Having read loads of different authors writing about vampires in their own style and their own ideas of what vampires are all about I felt this book was slow and not compelling enough for me.
The basis of the story was good but it just didn't 'take off' for me I'm afraid. There was always something missing to give it that special can't put down feeling.

I usually can't wait to order the next instalment of the storyline but with this one I didn't feel that. I will read the 2nd one to see if the characters become more likeable. You always know when you are reading a book if you like and believe the characters. After this book you didn't really feel you knew all the characters that were part of the main story. Lucan and Gabrielle are likeable and I'm hoping in the 2nd book that you become a part of their lives. Maybe some humour would have helped aswell.

Its always hard to pinpoint what it is that makes you love a book and what it is that makes you think well that wasn't great! We all like different stuff aswell.

All I can do is compare this novelist to J R Rain and H T Night whose books I love. Then you have the masters of the vampires, Charlaine Harris and Stephanie Meyers.

I love the Kindle for discovering new authors and I will read Laras 2nd book in this series in the hope that the story expands and takes off more.

daisyduck1976

Good start to a series

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 20, 2010

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This is a promising start to a series. It introduces us to the Breed warriors and the mythology of the world that they live in, quite well. This introductory story revolves around Gabrielle and Lucan. Lucan is a first generation breed warrior, leader of the other warriors and Gabrielle, though she doesn't know it, is a breedmate; a rare female capable of breeding with the vampire race.

The story starts out very dramatically and I was completely drawn in. Lucan is as you would expect as a vampire warrior; gruff, short fused, fighting his own personal demons. Gabrielle is a human with a troubled history and is disturbed by a vampire attack that she witnesses. Lucan pretends to be investigating the case in order to find out what she knows. Once he sees the breedmate birthmark however, everything changes and his ability to resist her starts to weaken.

There's definite potential here. I like the style of the story. There's plenty of action and enough sizzle between the main characters to hold your interest. The dialogue does veer towards the cheesy side at times, but there's enough here to make me want to read the next story. These series usually improve after the introductory one.
I would say that if you are a fan of JR Ward or Gena Showalter, you will see some similarities here, but you will probably enjoy it regardless. However, you will notice that the romance side of things here lacks the passion that those two authors are so good at.

NB- the Kindle edition is well-formatted and doesn't have any typos or errors.
Worth a read.

Sarah (Feeling Fictional)

Great start to a fantastic series

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 23, 2010

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Kiss of Midnight is the first book in Lara Adrian's Midnight Breed series so there is quite a bit of background information into the world she has created woven into the story. The Breed vampires are decendents of an alien preditors who crash landed on Earth many centuries ago. These aliens were unable to survive without drinking human blood & were responsible for wiping out whole civilisations. Over time it was discovered that they could breed with human women but only those born with a special birthmark - women known as Breedmates. Only male vampires are born & Breedmates are not turned into vampires but bonded Breedmates are able to live for centuries due to blood exchanges with their mates.

Lucan is Gen One Breed which means he was fathered by one of the aliens. He is the founder of the warriors who protect both humans and the Breed from Rogues (vampires who have given in to bloodlust & are consumed with the desire for blood, sex and destruction). All of the Breed are susceptible to Bloodlust but the older they are and the closer they are to their alien ancestors the more likely they are to succumb. I really love Lucan as a character & the fact that he is having to fight his tendencies towards Bloodlust and is terrified of turning into what he most despises gives him a vulnerability that made me like him even more. Gabrielle is also a very likeable character - until she witnesses a violent murder by Rogues she has lead a normal life & has no idea that the Breed exist let alone the fact that she is a Breedmate.

Apart from Lucan & Gabrielle there is a good cast of other characters - from Gabrielle's human friends who were very likeable to the other Breed Warriors who will be the main characters in future books in the series. The book leaves you looking forward to coming back & finding out more about them.

There are a lot of comparisons between this series & JR Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood but although there are similarities there are more than enough differences to allow you to enjoy both worlds. I find Lara's books have stronger storylines & more romance than the BDB books. I read the Midnight Breed books before I discovered the BDB & although I like both I prefer the Midnight Breed warriors & I definitely prefer the Breedmates from this series.

I wouldn't recommend this series for under 18's as the books are very erotic in places but that doesn't take away from the rest of the story - it just adds extra spice. Although you could pick up any of the books in the series individually & enjoy the story between the Warrior & Breedmate I highly recommend you start with this one & then read the other books in order as there is a background story going on throughout the series that would be hard to follow if you read them out of order.

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Cee

The dialogue was stale

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 24, 2016

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I found the story a bit contrived. Maybe because there was nothing new about the world building, a standard let's fight the vampires gone rogue there will be a war soon. The dialogue between the main characters was exhausting about a quarter into the book and got worse. To express anger, excitement, surprise, arousal, fear - the heroine started or ended every sentence with "Oh my God.." The hero's speech and thoughts was heavily saturated with "God", "Christ", "Jesus Christ". Like every 2 pages reading from the small screen of my phone. That's a lot. My God this, hoped to God that..

The best friend said "Oh my God", the human cried "Oh my God".

I wondered why everyone in this book had the same speech pattern - on repeat.

I wished the dialogue was more colourful, nuanced and with more depth.

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