After the death of their parents the Cabot sisters were left without the funds to support themselves. As the eldest, the heroine took it upon herself to do anything she could to protect and provide for her younger sisters, even begging for the charity of their cousin. Now, the middle sister, the prettiest sister has caught the attention of a Viscount and the heroine knows the match could be the answer to their prays. But she also needs to be assured that man in question is good enough for her sister and she doubts very much he could be considering the rumors circling around him regarding his strange habits. It's said he's a vampire and despite the fact she's old enough and smart enough to know there is no such things, even she begins to suspect something when the evidence starts to add up. Called to the man's country estate, the heroine goes with her sister as chaperone and there she her sanity it put to the test as she really begins to suspect the hauntingly beautiful hero could be a creature of the night. First off, he doesn't openly deny the rumors. Secondly he rarely goes out during the day and when he does, it's overcast and raining. Finally, he's removed all the mirrors from his house. But how can such a hansom man he a soulless fiend? The heroine is thought to be the plain one of the family, older without any prospects she's firmly on the shelf. What right does she have to entertain feelings for the man who's practically betrothed to her beloved sister? But she can't stop herself. The man draws her attention, makes her behave silly and totally out of character and she finds herself falling under his spell. The hero holds a secret certainly but not the one he's accused of. He's in fact a vampire hunter rather than a vampire himself. That title goes to his younger brother who he's desperately seeking a cure for. He intends to use the middle Cabot sister to lure his enemy into a trap but his plans are severely threatened when the beautiful intelligent eldest sister begins to worm herself into his heart. Now he must desperately find a way to protect the woman he loves from becoming another ghost that haunts him. I loved this story. I adored the heroine as she evolved from a misunderstood young but unwanted woman who would do absolutely anything for her sisters to a woman who realizes that she somethings needs to do somethings for herself. Though it takes her some time to come to terms with the idea, she still feels horribly guilty about her feelings for the hero. I loved the hero, all dark and brooding and doing everything he can to save and protect his brother-same as the heroine. They were very much alike in temperament and selflessness. They also were equally lost to the passion that begins to develop between them. I was totally entranced with the story and with the characters development and highly recommend this author. ( )

Not your typical regency!! It is rare for this combo of paranormal and regency...it was fantastic!! I loved all the drama and the romance was perfect!! Can not wait to read the next book!! ( )

Storyline and characters were ok. The love scenes were awfully purple prose-y, which knocks off a half a star for me. ( )

Is Adrian Trevelyn a vampire? And in the end, does Caroline care? He's certainly captivated her, despite the fact he is expected to propose to her sister.

I read some of the disappointed reviews, always like to see what I might have overlooked, but reading is SO subjective. I enjoyed the story. The tortured hero, the selfless older siblings, the "is he/isn't he" debate. I figured he wasn't, but was surprised to find that this was, in fact, a vampire book and not one about gossip and superstition. Fun read. ( )

After Midnight is the first of Medeiros's two books about the three Cabot sisters: Caroline, Vivienne, and Portia. Caroline, who believes herself "on the shelf", has taken care of her two younger sisters since her parents died literally on the eve of her debut in society. Now Vivienne is "out", in the care of an aunt who lives in London, and her sisters have received news that she is being courted by the dark and mysterious Adrian Kane, who may or may not be a vampire. Caroline, after an amazingly awkward introduction of sorts, finds herself strongly drawn to Kane herself. How can she steal her sister's potential future, though? And *is* he a vampire? Do they even exist? Her sister Portia is sure they do, and that he is...but then again, she also believes in mermaids, and fairies, and werewolves....

I really enjoyed this book. It had several unexpected twists, and many fun characters. There was only one part when Caroline bordered into "too stupid too live" territory, but it was short-lived and she snapped out of it quickly, thank goodness. I am looking forward to reading the second in the series, The Vampire Who Loved Me, soon. ( )