Duke of Midnight (Maiden Lane, 6)

I'll not go into the synopsis since you can read that above so instead I will talk about story and characters. Some spoilers. When we first meet Maximus, Duke of Wakefield, in Notorious Pleasures, I really hated him. Read the story and you'll know why. But that said, in his own story you come to realize how broken he is as a man. The guilt he carries about the death of his parents is not some silly interpretation that he has of the event. Instead, it is something that all of us would feel and believe if we had been in the same situation at the young age of 14. The reader feels so horrible for the pain of his inner child that you just want to hold him and take away the pain. This pain, that he suppresses daily behind his cold and controlling manner, is destroying the man he should be. He wants to please his dead parents so badly that he is willing to overlook things that normally he would not have allowed, ie. his sister Heros's pending marriage to a man who struck her in the face in anger because he is high in rank and comes from an impeccable family. Control is EVERYTHING to Maximus since he views himself as a coward. Yes, a coward. But I won't go into that since you'll have to read the book to find out. Artemis is very different. She was a young woman who grew up in the country with her family. She loves walking the countryside barefooted and with no bonnet. An inner free spirit wanting to be released. Now don't get me wrong. Her childhood was far from perfect. Her father suffered from a mental illness and her mother was an invalid. She learned to suppress herself emotionally and just blend into the background. But unfortunately something horrible happened and her simple, somewhat emotionally repressed life was lost. She was forced to beg a distant cousin for work (companion) and for the last 3-4 years has suppressed her real self even more, much like Maximus. But she secretly yearns to be able to break free of her shadow life. And then she finds out that her only family member left alive is dying. I actually felt the desperation her character was feeling because the book is written that well. When Maximus and Artemis finally "see" each other a friendship begins. As I watched their relationship progress, at times I thought I saw two children or even young adults becoming friends. It wasn't that they acted like children, far from it, but it was the connection between them that had me thinking that this would have been Maximus and Artemis meeting and becoming best friends when they were younger. When things were simpler and before all the tragedy. My husband gave me the greatest compliment once when out of the blue he said "You know you're my best friend." That's how I see Maximus and Artemis. Maximus never had a friend that he could share his pain or even his thoughts with until Artemis. He seemed to enjoy just being with her. Some reviewers did not like how Maximus wanted to "keep" Artemis. That he would marry another but never let Artemis leave, keeping her as his mistress instead. I didn't see him as a tyrant or uncaring. Instead I saw him as a 14 year-old boy hidden behind the mask of a 33 year-old man. He just didn't know how to act when something he wanted desperately was going to be taken away. Also, some reviewers were annoyed that Artemis was good enough to bed but not to marry. I admit my hackles went up at that but then I realized that I was comparing the 21st Century to the 18th Century (The women of today would not fare very well back then. Or should I say the men would not fare very well. LOL). Remember, prior to the 20th Century huge estates and vast fortunes relied on the competency of the nobleman. It would be very normal for that nobleman to steer away from families that had a possible mental illness (real or imagined) or any other serious problems. He really was conflicted. This is not your typical romance. If you want sweet words, flowers and a cookie cutter romance this is not the book. Instead, their romance is one of strength and support. They truly need each other to function. Now don't get me wrong. Their passion is intense and I consider this a steamy, almost erotic book. But the real intensity is their strength and support for each other. That is the real romance. My favorite parts of the book are when the Ghost sneaks into Artemis' room. Their banter was really charming. I also like when Maximus finally told Artemis what happened the night his parents were murdered. Very emotional! My only complaint is that I wish the book had been maybe 15-20 pages longer toward the end. Delved a little deeper in the final outcome. And some of the dialog said by Maximus during their love scenes was....odd. Not what I would picture him saying. Penelope did NOT redeem herself. Instead she showed herself as a troll. Hopefully she does not get a HEA since she does not deserve one. Oh and I loved the appearance of a person that was mention in Lord of Darkness and had not been "seen" for sometime. I laughed and wondered if he would also get his own book. Also, other reviewers and I were confused as to why Artemis Greaves was not addressed as "Lady Artemis" so I did some research. Her Grandfather is an Earl and still alive, however her father was a Viscount and died before inheriting the Earldom. As a daughter of a Viscount she would have been referred to as Miss Greaves. Now I have a handy dandy book about the correct forms of address for British nobility. My husband says I have no life. In the end I would definitely recommend this book and it should be read in one sitting. It can stand alone but I recommend that a new reader start from the beginning so that you really "know" all the characters. Go the Hoyt's website for reading order of the Maiden Lane Series. NOW MY PREDICTIONS FOR FUTURE MAIDEN LANE BOOKS. Hoyt has said on facebook that Apollo Greaves will be the next book. She also said that Phoebe WOULD NOT be his Heroine. Perhaps it will be Hippolyta Royale since she was mentioned in DOM and I really hope for a great HEA for him. He was so tortured and abused in DOM that I almost cried. Apollo's character is good and honorable and to be treated that way while imprisoned....very sad. Read the book to find out. After that maybe Captain Trevillion and possibly Pheobe. He's been hired as her personal body guard by Maximus. :-) Perhaps Asa Makepeace as the next book and as his heroine the Opera singer that Hoyt mentioned in one of her other Maiden Lane books. Then Viscount d'Arque and Sarah St. John. I could see Sarah making mince meat out of him with a few choice words. His arrogance needs to be managed a bit. This may be completely off what Miss Hoyt has in store but what is awesome is that most of Hoyt's secondary characters are sooooooo good that you want them to all have stories. And even if Hoyt pairs them differently I'm sure they will compliment each other beautifully. I could see this series going on for awhile.

Elizabeth Hoyt has created such amazing characters and environments in her Maiden Lane series. The series latest story unfolds the story of Artemis. Artemis is of the upper class but must be relegated to be her cousin's lady's companion due to irresponsible spending by her father and her brother being accused of being mental ill. Artemis was a character I really enjoyed because she was a realist. She wasn't waiting around for her "prince charming" to come save her. She is extremely loyal to her brother, Apollo (who I hope we see a lot more of in future books). I truly loved the relationship of Artemis and Apollo. I felt like these two would go to the ends of the earth for each other. Artemis has a great strength of character and looks to solve her problems. She does not rely on others to save her but tries her best to help those she loves. Maximus (the Duke of Wakefield) has been introduced in previous books in the series. He had always seemed to keep everyone at arms length though he was very devoted to his sisters, Hero and Phoebe. He has taken on the mantle of the Ghost of St. Giles to find the person who murdered his parents when he was a young boy. What I liked about Maximus he isn't warm and cuddly. He isn't lovable and charming. He is a man who has to make hard decisions and takes the responsibility of those under his protection very seriously. He comes with a lot of baggage but he also sees Artemis for who she is and not just the position she holds. Though he has makes mistakes and holds onto the past, his character changes the most in this book to me. The chemistry between Artemis and Maximus is a slow simmer. They do not trust each other in the beginning. Artemis and Maximus get to know each other through these great conversations and exchanges. Maximus learns that Artemis is no wall-flower. Artemis learns that she can trust Maximus and be herself. They heat between these two characters leaped right off the page. Elizabeth Hoyt brings to life this period of time so vividly. She has a great talent to weave secondary and previous characters throughout the story with a natural rhythm and effort. Those stories do not seemed forced as in other authors books. I look forward to this series continuing and reading about some previous introduced characters (I am talking to you, Asa). So, Elizabeth Hoyt, well done and count me as a dedicated fan.

Spoilers abound so beware... Duke of Midnight is the story of Maximus, The Duke of Wakefield and Artemis Greaves, the companion of Lady Penelope Chadwicke (the woman Wakefield has decided to marry). Maximus and Artemis do not get off to a good start. Maximus insulted her in Lord of Darkness (book 5) as being "an invisible little woman who trails ... like a pale wraith." Artemis sees Maximus as cold and heartless. Maximus has created a cold, hard shell over himself after having witnessed the murder of his parents in St. Giles at the age of 14 for which he blames himself. He goes out at night as the Ghost of St. Giles, but unlike the other two ghosts (whose stories are told in books 4 & 5), Maximus does not take on the guise of the Ghost to seek justice or to protect others, but rather to seek vengeance for the deaths of his parents. He has been seeking their murderer for two decades. Artemis is haunted by the actions of her twin brother Apollo. (Yes, the mythology references are obvious and plenty). Because of Apollo, Artemis has been forced to give up all her dreams and become little more than a servant in other people's lives. Her brother was accused of murdering three of his friends, but rather than being hanged was committed to Bedlam as incurably insane. He has been there for several years but Artemis is afraid that her brother will not live much longer if he is not freed. Artemis loves her brother and is determined to save his life. One night Lady Penelope goes to St. Giles on a dare. Artemis as her companion has no choice but to accompany her. In St. Giles, the women are attacked and are saved by Maximus as the Ghost. This encounter is the first time that Maximus truly "sees" Artemis, who is ready to draw a knife to protect herself and Penelope. In the resulting confrontation, Artemis comes away with the Ghost's signet ring and realizes that the Ghost is an aristocrat. Putting the clues together, Artemis soon realizes that Wakefield is the ghost and decides to blackmail him in order to gain Apollo's release. Her blackmail attempts puts Maximus and Artemis together alone and the two begin to be attracted to one another. Eventually, Maximus agrees to free Apollo because of his feelings for Artemis and hides him in his London home. Artemis arranges to be a temporary companion to Wakefield's sister so that she can come into Wakefield's home and be with her brother. While under the same roof, however, Maximus and Artemis begin an affair. She has no hope of marriage because of her station. Maximus, because of his guilt about his parents, has devoted himself to the duty of being the Duke and thus must seek an appropriate wife - not one whose family is tainted with madness. The two, however, are enamored of one another and Maximus quickly realizes that while the Duke cannot marry Artemis, Maximus, the man, needs her in his life. Of course, the situations are resolved and the HEA is well-earned and satisfying. I found it beautiful and compelling. This is the sixth book of the Maiden Lane Series. My absolute favorite of the series was book 2, Notorious Pleasures. In that book, the Duke of Wakefield was incredibly unlikeable. I came close to hating him for the way he interfered between Griffin and Hero. Wakefield has made some cameo appearances in the subsequent books and while I had moved from hate, I certainly did not view him as a hero, even as I could see that Hoyt was going to pair Artemis and Wakefield together. It is the magic of Hoyt's writing, that by the end of this book, I not only loved Wakefield's character, sympathized with him, and rooted for him to have his HEA, but I also could understand his actions in Notorious Pleasures. Oh, Hoyt! How do you make me love your characters so much, even when I am reluctant to do so? The book has one of my favorite ending passages ever. (Not in the epilogue, which is in true Hoyt fashion a teaser for future books). The language of the last few paragraphs was definitely something to sigh about. It was the perfect way for Maximus to communicate that Artemis would never be unworthy of being his Duchess. Loved it. Beautiful! My only tiny, tiny complaint was that I didn't find the fairy tale story accompanying the text as compelling as other ones in the series. The last two were so wonderful that I guess I had somewhat of a letdown for The Legend of the Herla King. The fairy tale, however, continues to operate as a mirror and a contrast with the main story, an interesting device that Hoyt uses in all her books. I really enjoyed this book. In fact, I have a policy of never giving a book 5 stars upon one reading, so I finished it once on the day of release and then turned around and read it again the next day. I've been intrigued by bits and parts of it in the subsequent days and have gone back to read certain passages. To me, that signals a book that I will re-read again and again. So definitely 5 stars. I can't wait for the next book in the series. The Epilogue was very intriguing!

Wow. What a way to bring the final Ghost of St. Giles to his happy ending. I didn't think Elizabeth Hoyt could top herself with Duke of Midnight but she absolutely did! Maximus is perfect as the brooding, tortured hero. Shaped by tragedy and motivated by vengeance, he was the one who most resembled a Georgian Era version of Batman. While all three Ghosts had their demons, Maximus was definitely the darkest incarnation of the Ghost. Whereas the first Ghost was motivated by a true desire to help those who were helpless and the second Ghost was too much an honorable man to ignore injustice, Maximus carries around a darkness in him that has almost completely consumed him, he makes his role as the Ghost of St. Giles personal. Artemis was definitely a different type of heroine. She's a very balanced female, prim, proper and resigned to her life as a spinster companion to her silly cousin on the outside, but on the inside she is a caged bird, longing to escape and fly free. She has a hidden wild streak that won't be tamed by any one and that's part of her appeal. She isn't extreme in her emotions and she's an intelligent woman who has survived mostly on her own. Duke of Midnight doesn't skimp on the action but this time very little of it has to do with the injustices done in the streets of St. Giles. There's never a dull moment though. By day Maximus must keep his wits about him as Artemis threatens to reveal his identity to all of London and by night he ruthlessly searches for his parents' murderer. Now let's talk about the chemistry. Hot damn did I need a fan! Maximus and Artemis are like a huge powder keg and a lit fuse dancing around each other. Sooner or later there's bound to be an explosion, and what an explosion it is! The sex scenes are erotic! Whether they're tender and passionate or raw and greedy, you can feel how much these two want each other and they almost set my Kindle on fire! There were some loose ends that I choose to interpret as possible story lines for future books. I wanted to know what happened to Lady Penelope, Artemis' ridiculously vain, selfish and ditsy cousin and of course, Apollo, Artemis' twin. Could Apollo possibly have his own book in the future? I hope so because there were a few unanswered questions when it came to him and he disappeared rather quickly when he was freed. There's an appearance by a reclusive Makepeace sibling, who apparently, knows Apollo quite well. I won't say which one so you'll have to read Duke of Midnight but from the few facts that were revealed about him, I'm very curious about him. The brisk, easy to follow pace of the story makes sure readers don't get bored. Before I knew it, I was at the last page of the book and was ready to re-read it again. Yes, Duke of Midnight can technically be read as a standalone but I really recommend you get the whole series and start from the beginning as there are a lot of back stories that create an amazing buildup the three Ghosts of St. Giles. Also, huge props to whoever designed the cover and step back image. They're gorgeous, just like the previous two covers in the series. The green is stunning and so are the models, I love it. Elizabeth Hoyt didn't let me down with Duke of Midnight and now I have another book to add to my "Wow Reads" list.

I love Elizabeth Hoyt's style of writing - it is always fresh, edgy and the love scenes are steamy. Her books never have cookie cutter plots and you never put down a book by her feeling like you read the same story somewhere else. This book is no exception to that. You have a rich powerful duke, a penniless companion, a spoiled relative vying for the duke, a lunatic relation and a very nasty villain. Sounds like a hundred other HR books you've read right? Wrong! I really liked this installment of the Maiden Lane series - but there were a couple of things that really bothered me. The first was Artemis' relationship with Penelope - Artemis says and thinks constantly how sweet Penelope really is - but at the same time she seems like she is making fun of her right to her face because Penelope is too stupid to realize it. That made Artemis come across as a mean spiteful person at times. The second was the relationship between Artemis and Maximus - it felt a bit too much like cheating to me - considering he is courting Penelope and has made it clear he will never marry Artemis. Artemis claims to love her cousin - but has an affair with the man she knows her cousin wants to marry with barely any thought of how it will affect Penelope. I wasn't happy about this. I don't like cheaters and I don't like spending my hard earned money to read about them. Honestly as much as I love EH's books - I have to say this was disappointing to me. If the cousin wanting to marry the hero wasn't such a big part of the book - I would have loved it. There was action, drama, heart wrench, joy and a hero with a very possessive sexual bent - but unfortunately I couldn't get past the feeling that the heroine was the other woman and was going to hurt someone she claimed to love. I know they technically never cheated because Maximus was not actually betrothed to Penelope - but it was implied that it was going to happen and Artemis knew how Penelope felt - so in my opinion it was wrong. I am looking forward to more books I this series - as this book left 3 very interesting men hanging off a cliff and I have to know what happens!! When all is said and done - the book was well written, it was interesting and the story believable - I would recommend it with a warning to others who are sensitive about cheating.

I am posting this review in part because I loved the book, but also because the author has stated that she will post an epilogue for another book in this series when this gets 100 reviews - so come on, readers, get reviewing. I gave this five stars largely because I loved the characters so much. The story is not without flaws, and I will get to those, but it was an engrossing and enjoyable read for anyone who likes historical romance. I have been a fan of this series for a long time, and I eagerly awaited this publication, but then read it in about 24 hours or less. There are enough other reviews summarizing the plot, so I will skip the summary and jump right to what I loved - first and foremost, the heroine, Artemis. She has been done wrong in life in many ways, has had to struggle and survive, has been vulnerable due to the death of her parents and the wrongful murder accusation against her twin brother, who ended up in Bedlam to avoid execution. I cannot wait for his story! Yet, despite all of her travails, she has remained strong, clever, and practical. She has taken a position as a companion to her distant cousin, who is spoiled and shallow, but who Artemis nonetheless truly cares for and wishes to avoid hurting. Artemis also displays a high degree of loyalty and bravery with respect to her brother, and I liked that she was not afraid to defy the hero, Wakefield, in order to help her brother in the end. The hero was also an enjoyable character. To most in society, he appeared to be fearfully cold, obsessed with politics and fighting the gin trade. But his sisters, one of whom was heroine of an earlier installment, and the other who is younger and losing her sight, as well as his valet and distant aunt who acted as a caretaker after his parents death, all see more to him and recognize that he is more than he appears to be on the outside. They also know at least some of the truly awful experience that he had around his parents' death, though the full facts do not come out until he confesses to Artemis. I love stories that involve angst, and this one surely did. The Duke did not want to fall for Artemis, and he resisted it all turns. She, likewise, knew how inappropriate her attraction was to him,yet she also recognized her need to connect and explore the sensual side of life. Possible spoilers: My criticisms are relatively minor. I did not think that the resolution of the story made a lot of sense. We hardly knew the villain, and had no feelings about his either way. I enjoyed the way that the mystery unfolded, but I would have liked to have gotten to know the villain a bit more to understand what had made him so villainous. There was clearly one character who we were supposed to suspect, but I never truly did suspect him. If we had gotten to know both characters equally, I think that it would have enhanced the mystery. I also thought it was unreasonable for the Duke to cling for so long to the idea that his father would want him to not marry Artemis. As I said, I liked the angst produced by his struggle, but I thought that he should have more quickly concluded that his father would have wanted, above all, for him to find happiness, just as his sisters and the others close to him did.

Okay - I'll go 3.5/5 stars. I can't figure out what it is, but I felt unsatisfied at the ending and as if something was missing. The book was a fast read and kept me interested, but there wasn't a lot of cute romantic interactions before Artemis and Maximus were going to bed together. There was so much going on in this book, I think the romance got a little lost. My biggest issue is the Apollo storyline. I'll assume he's eventually getting his own story. Otherwise, it's a gaping hole that his mystery was not solved. I also did not like the brutal attack on him in Bedlam and the insinuation of what actually happened to him during the attack. A very dark turn to this story and no resolution to be found. This was a major plot point (his attack and the mystery of why he's in there to begin with) so it should have been resolved in this book, not left hanging to potentially resolve in a future book. Also, what of Penelope? Also unresolved. Sigh...On the plus side, I loved that we finally found out Maximus was the ghost in book one that helped catch Mother Heart's Ease(? - I think that was her name). Nice tie back to previous books. Out of the 6 books in the series so far, I rank this 4th. I believe even if part of a series, all books should be standalone and this one isn't. Typically, we even get an excerpt of the next book which sort of ties up the cliffhanger epilogue, but that was missing too so that leaves me wondering if we're getting any more books and when?? I can only hope this series didn't end on this note.

I enjoyed the story. Maximus, the Duke of Wakefield, is the epitome of all that is ducal: arrogant, high-handed and at times autocratic. What I liked about him, despite the aforementioned flaws, was his care for his sisters, his unrelenting if at times foolhardy quest to find his parents murderer and the drastic change he went through when the mantle of Duke of Wakefield slipped off and he became Maximus the man. As a simple man he was like any other. He worked hard, loved hard and protected even harder. I loved his routines and his relationship with Craven, his valet. He was annoyingly stubborn at some point which made me want to kick him, but such was his nature - he would never agree that he was wrong or mistaken, thus pigheadedness. Artemis Greaves is a favorite now. I loved her attitude when she became intimate with Maximus. There was no whining or self recriminations, she embraced freedom of her fall and all that came with it. I liked her resilience, her kind manner and her sharp wit. She was the best mate Maximus could have even dreamed of being with. I am glad he realized that before he came too close to Penelope. The book had three major running themes: marriage, "madness" and revenge. I liked how balanced they were. The author gave attention to all three equally this time. Apollo's POV broke my heart, his entire situation was horrible, and the times when Artemis came to visit him nearly made me cry. The marriage and finding a "suitable" bride was mixed with Maximus's inner turmoil and fear of failure. I got to know the man better through them. The mystery of who killed Maximus's parents was well done. I was in the dark till the very end, and the way Ms Hoyt spun the search and chase after the killer and incorporated the Ghost of St. Giles with it kept me intrigued. Most enjoyable story with so many things going on but coming together in a wonderful finale. Loved it. P.S. Captain Trevellion surprised me and I quite liked him in the end.

SPOILERS I am really reading this series again during the pandemic and enjoying it even more the second time. This is the story of the third Ghost the Duke of Wakefield who is searching for the murderer of his parents, killed when he was a child in a robbery in St Giles. It is also the story of his romance with Artemis Greaves the companion of the woman he is thinking off marrying. It is a hard read in some senses because like a typical man of the period he is quite happy to sleep with Artemis but can't think of marrying her because she's minor nobility fallen on hard times and there's a suggestion of madness from her brother Appollo . That makes him a bit of a s-t . But the story is about growth,moral growth for Maximus as he comes to realise he can't enjoy life without her being a permanent part of it. So all ends well.

What a Masterpiece. This one and the second book are currently the best ones. It had everything. Just Wow 🤩

I had been looking forward to the story of Artemis and Maximus, and it was really fantastic. I loved Artemis strength and also seeing how the seemingly icy Maximus was so completely in love that he lowered his shield and exposed himself so vulnerably. I have to confess that I was genuinely happy and relieved that Artemis had finally decided not to become Maximus' mistress after all. We read all these historical romantic stories with contemporary glasses. And I do know, it was more the rule than the exception for aristocrats to have a mistress and the chances of a duke marrying some companion were virtually non-existent. But still, I thougt the idea that this strong woman might accept having to share Maximus with another woman, even more so with that foolish Penelope, really just unbearable. But fortunately, all's well that ends well. A story that I will definitely reread many times over.

Elizabeth Hoyt books always make their promise. This one does'nt fail. I had a very good time reading it. Can't wait for the next one.

Essa série é muito boa e o livro 6 não deixou a desejar. Amei ver o senhor duque baixar a crista!