I feel like the Stokehursts series doesn’t get that much love in comparison to other books by Lisa Kleypas, so I felt pretty apprehensive going into this one. However, I’m so glad that I went for it, as I ended up really enjoying it!

Ok, so I’m not going to lie, Midnight Angel was first published in 1995 and it does at times show its age. The hero especially had some WTF moments. I don’t mind an age gap, but I could really do without him comparing the age of the heroine to that of his child. I also think I rolled my eyes so much at all the times her tiny figure was mentioned that they nearly fell out of my head - and I’m pretty sure I got whiplash from how quick Lucas went from disliking Tasia to being in love with her.

But! I thought Tasia was an amazing heroine. She had such a quiet strength, not only in fleeing her homeland, but in the way that she stood up to Lucas. There were so many sides to her character - she was intensely religious, but accused of being a witch; she enjoyed the luxury of being a Russian aristocrat, but appreciated the hard work that came from being a governess… I could see why Lucas was so fascinated by her. Lucas himself wasn’t all that bad. He clearly loved his daughter and was determined to save Tasia. I thought his grief for his deceased wife and his relationship with his mistress were dealt with rather well too.

I think there’s an element of nostalgia which endeared me to this book as well. There are some definite Anastasia and Jane Eyre vibes going on, which were childhood and teenage favourites of mine. From Russian superstitions to a fortune teller and apparent physic abilities - not to mention all the murder, mystery, and exile. Was it too much? Probably. Did I love it anyway/because of all that? Absolutely.

If you’re in the mood for some bonkers 90s historical romance, then I would recommend this. It can get pretty wild, but is really enjoyable if you can get on board with the crazy!