I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. This book was not for me. I found it somewhat confusing and dry.

This story pulled me in little by little. Both Ezra and Colleen/Cole had suffered tragedy at an early age - but in very different ways. Ezra had lived with loving parents until the night they were murdered and Ezra escaped. Colleen/Cole had rarely had anyone show him any type of care or affection until he met Ezra.

Even though the references and speech didn't always match the historical time frame, I still enjoyed the story. Historical fiction isn't my "go-to" genre, so other readers may find it more distracting. What drew me into Ezra and Colleen/Cole's story most was Ezra's acceptance of Colleen/Cole. That's not saying he wasn't confused at times - but he didn't judge. Honestly, Ezra had little or no sexual experience at all, so he wasn't sure about his attraction to them regardless of his/her gender.

The rest of the story was intriguing and the action/danger for both Ezra and Colleen/Cole didn't slow down. There is most definitely more to come and I can't wait to see how Ezra's justice plays out and how the relationship between Ezra and Colleen/Cole develops.

While the story was decently interesting there were a few issues which kept from really enjoying this book. The biggest of which was I didn't really feel like there was much emotion. Colleen gives some reasoning to her side, but it's not really a lot. The POV jumps were sometimes a bit hard to follow, but could have been worse. My biggest issue, though, was the poor horse! They mentioned multiple times how the horse stays saddled 24/7 basically. Not how a good cowboy would take care of his horse at all!

The Midnight Twelve had the makings of an interesting story, but there were also a lot of contradictions. For a story set in the historical west, the main characters thought and spoke in modern terms, rather than the vocabulary of a century or more ago, as would have been expected. There was also a lot of yo-yoing in the POV’s which tended to be challenging as the dialogue was limited to say the least. I also felt that there was no real emotional or romantic connection between the leads, and this left me disappointed. So, not my cup of tea, but others many enjoy the overall telling of this tale. 2 1/2 stars from me.

The Midnight Twelve by Hairann
Outlaw Seven #1

Staying up till 2am to finish a book happens sometimes and this time it did. Why? Well, I was so totally immersed in the story and characters that I had to find out what would happen next. And, though there was an ending of sorts for this story there is still more to be told. I am eager to find out what happens to Ezra, Colleen/Cole and the intriguing character introduced that is interfering with the stagecoaches as I do believe their paths will intersect in the future.

Neither of the main characters have had an easy life. They became orphans at a young age and as a result both have issues from childhood to deal with. Ezra became focused on the revenge of his parents murders and this required him to become tough enough to get answers that he hoped would eventually lead him to the head honcho responsible for the murders he witnessed. Colleen/Cole ended up in an orphanage where she was bullied, mistreated, never heard a kind word and was never understood. She did what she had to to survive and each of her experiences but did not break her as she learned to accept who s/he was while trying to find a place for herself in life.

When Ezra and Colleen meet they begin to form a bond based on, I believe, their ability to see something in one another that helps them feel a bit better or more whole. They find someone to trust and that is huge in both of their lives. Ezra is accepting and understanding as he learns more about the person who becomes his companion on the trail and Colleen/Cole finds strength and support in Ezra and the acceptance she has never had before. They learn to share and care and save one another in ways that are both physical and emotion although they are not at a point where they are more than very good friends by the end of the first book in what may be a series of three, four or more books.

What I liked:
* The way this book made me stretch and think and grow
* The way I was given a look through the eyes of people that experienced life in ways I never will
* Colleen/Cole’s indomitable spirit and unwillingness to give up
* Ezra’s acceptance of Colleen/Cole as she was
* The way the story drew me in and kept me involved from beginning to end
* Meeting a new-to-me author that I hope to read more books by
* My ability to relate to the characters and their story – I cared about them and am rooting for them to find a HEA in the future.

What I did not like:
* What I was supposed to not like: murder of parents, treatment of Cole in the orphanage, evil men and women, intolerance, etc…

Did I like this book? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Definitely

Thank you to NetGalley and Nine Star Press for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

I really enjoyed this, I loved how Colleen and Ezra’s relationship but up and wasn’t rushed at all. I adored Colleen, so much, so strong and loveable. Ezra is hunting his parents murderers and ends up in a saloon Colleen is working in, through a series of events they end up on the run. Colleen/Cole and Ezra are struggling with identity and they help each other long the way. I don’t want to say too much to ruin it. It’s a great story, full of feeling, characters that are real and relatable, will bring a tear to your eye at times, but mostly just love for Colleen/Cole. A wonderful read.


Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion