Review: Kiss Me at Midnight by Lucinda Whitney

My rating: 4 stars / I really liked it

Synopsis

She’s a single mom holding on to her job. He’s a career man focused on his business. Can they put the past behind them in order to build a future together?

When Filipe Romano arrives at the SoliMar beach resort, his newest acquisition, he plans to complete renovations quickly before moving on to his next property. But a stumbling block arises when he discovers Celeste, the sister of his deceased best friend, is an employee at the resort’s aquarium, which he intends to sell. To complicate matters more, he has unresolved feelings for Celeste and blames himself for the accident that killed her brother.

Celeste Ferreira, a stressed single mom, needs a miracle. Without any prospects or means to start over, she clings to the job she loves as aquarist at the SoliMar Aquarium. After she discovers the new owner is Filipe, an old family friend, their history makes it hard for Celeste to trust him, especially with her position in peril.

Though closing down the aquarium makes good financial sense, Filipe finds himself reluctant to disappoint Celeste and decides to help her with the repairs for the upcoming inspection. But is working side by side enough to forget the past and build a new future, or is the pain between them too deep to move on?

My Review

This was a great second chance romance- well, more like a rekindled friendship that turned into more. The characters were so likeable and I really enjoyed their relationship as they quickly got to know each other again. I didn't feel connected to their emotions, but the story was compelling and kept me reading. The setting is lovely and I always appreciate the way the author makes me feel like I am visiting the beautiful locations. There are strong themes that are explored such as forgiveness, trust, grief, and hope. There is some conflict brought into the story with resentment from one of Celete's coworkers and her unreliable ex-husband. I wish we had gotten a little more closure about why the coworker was so vindictive, but that's kind of like life- we don't always get all the answers. I was pleased with Celeste and Filipe's happy ending and another wonderful story in the Romano family series.

(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)

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The Romano Family series follows the stories of the Romano cousins of northern Portugal as they find love and their Happily-Ever-Afters.

Current books in the Romano Family series:

- Book 1- Hold Me At Twilight
- Book 2- Meet Me At Sunrise
- Book 3- Love Me At Sunset
- Book 4- Keep Me At Christmas
- Book 5- Kiss Me At Midnight
- Book 6- Marry Me At Dawn (coming soon)