“Thank you for coming for me,” I said.
“Always.”
Mia Sheridan is one of the most talented and compelling authors of the contemporary romance genre. Her writing is captivating and enthralling, and you can always count on her love stories to be entirely unique. No matter which book of hers you pick up, you’re guaranteed to be taken on a ride unlike any before!
This is a spoiler free review, but here’s where it gets tricky. This book was SO different that it’s nearly impossible to talk about in any context without giving away a crucial plot twist, or being misleading.
Here’s what you go into it knowing: it’s a contemporary romance standalone, and it is NOT paranormal. Here is the blurb…
Holden Scott is the prince of professional football. At least he was before he lost it all . . . or more to the point, before he threw it all away. Now he’s out of a job, out of the public’s good graces, and perhaps just a little out of his mind. So when a friend offers up his remote lodge in the wilds of Colorado, giving Holden some time away to get his life back on track, he can hardly say no. The last thing he expects is to see a beautiful girl in the woods—one wearing a white, lace dress who appears in the moonlight, and leaves no footprints behind. Is she a dream? A ghost? A product of his muddled imagination? Or something entirely different?
Intriguing, right?? That made me desperate to read it. So there’s something going on. It’s not paranormal. But then, this is the prologue…
I saw her everywhere. Walking down sidewalks, in crowded restaurants, once in a brief flash of dark hair and white lace right before an elevator door closed. Without thinking, my heart thundered in my chest, I’d run up four flights of stairs only to find it was someone else. Someone holding a little boy’s hand. She’d pulled him close to her side as she’d exited the elevator, looking at me warily as if I might grab him and run.
Those were the times I still doubted my own sanity, still questioned whether she had ever existed at all. But then I’d remember the feel of her fingertips on my skin, the slippery silk of her hair, the sound of her laughter, and the way I loved her still, and I’d know, I’d know, deep down to my soul that she was real.
I dreamed of her, and in the darkness, she held me in her arms. In the darkness, she whispered that I was strong enough to hold on to, that I was worthy of the love she’d given, and she reminded me of who I was before I was anyone at all…
Because now, just as then, when the daylight came, she was no longer there.
So… what could it be??? I guessed, I theorized, I flipped the pages as fast as I could to try and get answers. I needed to know what was going on! Even though I was desperate for answers, this is one of those books that you should just dive into blind. Even if I just describe to you what the story is about, then by default whatever I say will be either misleading OR inaccurate. Because of that crucial twist I mentioned earlier… In actual fact, the last paragraph of the blurb is the most accurate description of the book imaginable.
Midnight Lily is the haunting love story of two lost souls reaching for each other in the dark. A tale of healing, acceptance, and the worlds we create to protect our own hearts. It is a story of being lost, of being found, and of being in the place between.
I was completely captivated by the story. I could NOT put it down. The first half of the book made me swoon and fall in love while a dozen theories formed in my mind. At the halfway mark, that first twist left me reeling — WOAH!!! And the second half of the book flew by as I tried to piece together everything that was happening. In the interest of honesty though, I will say that I was not satisfied the ending. I finished the book feeling… confused. I’m the kind of reader who loves twists, but by the end of the book, I want to fully feel like I’m “in the loop”. I felt there were a lot of blanks that I was left to fill in on my own, and my personal preference would be that, even if it was right in the end, the reader had been ‘let in’ on what was actually happening in a more direct and explicit manner. Like, I still have questions. To clarify, I really enjoyed this book as a whole and wouldn’t want a single thing that already exists in it to be changed. Everything there is amazing, unique, and beautifully written. However, I felt it needed a more at the end to round out the story and bring it full circle… Just a little more explanation and clarity.
But however you look at it, one thing remains undeniable and that is that the message this book drove home about love finding a way no matter what the circumstances was beautiful. Truly beautiful.
Where do you land?
In your arms. I land in your arms, and you land in mine.
Rating: 4 stars. Standalone.
Kendra says
I always appreciate the honesty in your reviews, thank you!
Aestas says
You’re so welcome!! Honesty is very important to me 🙂
Alissa says
I felt the SAME. Love her writing and the book, but felt the same about the end.
Aestas says
I’m glad you loved the writing and the book as well!! Maybe one day she’ll release more about the end:)
Christie says
I’m curious now… gonna read it!
Aestas says
Awesome!! Happy reading!! 😀
Joanne Lavelle says
Totally agree! Adored the book but I have no idea what the epilogue was trying to say. Very confused by the ending which is a real shame
Aestas says
Yeah, I loved most of the book. But the ending…. I dunno. I just needed more clarity.
Patty says
Glad I’m not the only one.
Aestas says
Same here.
Joanne Lavelle says
Definitely more clarity
Kristina says
Ok, I’m going to read it and trust you on this one, lol!! You never let me down, I love all of your recommendations !
Aestas says
Ok!! Just be warned about my feelings about the ending… I loved the whole rest of the book though!
Rosanna says
So, knowing you wished the ending was “more”, do you feel like it was an HEA?
Aestas says
There is a HEA. But there are just several things that I wanted more clarity on (it’s hard to be any more specific than that without spoilers though). But even though I loved the book, when I finished the book, my reaction was: “Wait… What? I’m confused.” regarding certain details. I feel like answers do exist though and a bit more explanation at the end would have rounded the book out better.
Ginny says
Like you, I love all of Mia Sheridan’s books. I couldn’t put this book down but when I was done I was like “Huh”. The ending was confusing to me. Left a lot to your own imagination as to what you thought was going on. I agree with you that there should have been a better explanation of what was going on.
Aestas says
Yeah that’s how I felt too. Maybe she’ll release an extended epilogue one day or something…
Livia says
If you reread the epilogue, all the answers are there. I guessed part of the twist but not all of it and certainly not the extensive ins and outs of it. I used to be a mystery junkie, so perhaps I’m used to reveals like that in the end. =)
Aestas says
I did re-read it, many times. It’s hard to say this without spoilers but basically, just because a certain person tells you something doesn’t make it true given their ‘circumstance’. I’d need an outside perspective confirming what was really going on to truly know what to believe. At the end of the day, it requires a leap of faith or acceptance, and I just prefer having a more concrete explanation within a Romance novel. But other than the end, I loved the entire rest of the book!
Mercia says
I just finished Midnight Lily. I loved it up until the big, mid book twist, and even for a while after. It was the ending that confused me so much. It spoiled the book- for me. Without spoilers, I can’t really say more. I wanted so much to love this book but it will not be oneof my favourites.
Aestas says
Yeah, it’s a very hard book to talk about without spoilers. I did love most of the rest of the book and I would have even been okay with the final twist the way it was, I would just personally have needed ‘more’ explanation to make it fully work for me. Sorry it didn’t work for you.
Jenny says
She will forever be my favorite author, with Colleen Hoover as a close second. I usually am blown away with her stories and can never wait until the next book release BUT this story captivated me until the end…..then I was lost. Very upsetting. She’s still my favorite author though!
Aestas says
I agree completely, Jenny!! Her and Colleen are still 2 of my top favs!
marykc22 says
Thank you! I finished the book feeling the same way. I liked but but felt a little unsatisfied at the end. Perfect way to put it! Love your honest reviews!
Aestas says
You’re welcome!! 🙂
JoJo says
I felt the same way. The story was intriguing, beautifully written and then the ending just left me confused. Wish there was a forum to discuss so that we can all talk about it!!!
Aestas says
There’s a discussion group on Facebook for it (I’m sure there’s a link on the author’s page). I do feel though that a book shouldn’t *need* to be explained in order to be understood. That’s why I wished there was a better explanation included at the end. However, the rest of the book was really so good!!
Marisela says
Mia and Colleen are to of my favorites as well . The ending of this story left me feeling sad more than anything else, I needed a better explanation as to how they lived day to day,it’s a huge leap of faith to believe they could be happy the way they were .
Aestas says
I totally hear you. There were also so many unconfirmed facts… But she’s still one of my favorite authors for sure!
Inge says
Thank you for your interesting review ! I guess I will let this book pass for once, no matter how great it is, the ending should be the greatest 😉
Aestas says
I understand and agree about endings.