The Roaring Twenties: A Review of Chasing Midnight by Susan Krinard

I read Chasing Midnight last fall, and have since reread bits and pieces. In the vast sea of paranormal romance the thing that stands out the most about this series is the time period-vampires and werewolves in 1920s New York. This seems to be an altogether rare combinations, and I liked it for that alone.

The Plot: Allegra Chase is a fiercely independent vampire woman who is searching for a friend who has recently disappeared after having been turned vampire himself. Griffin is a werewolf who spends his life hiding from his wolf-side in favor of a society that is unaware of the existence of non-humans. He joins forces with Allegra when his own good friend goes missing and he suspects a connection to the vampire clan. As they fight to save their friends, they are drawn to one another and ultimately fall in love.

The setting and time period are quite interesting, and surprisingly perfect for characters like vampires and werewolves. The night clubs, the fashion, the gang wars,the societal restrictions all blend seamlessly with the paranormal world in which vampires and werewolves fight to keep the peace between their races, and to keep their existence hidden from humans.

The plot, while difficult to follow at times, is fairly engaging. There is a lot of action and mystery to be had along with the romance.

Allegra is a very interesting character. She embodies the defiant 20s flapper type, full of her own independence and sexuality, not afraid to break rules. Griffin is a fitting balance for her in an almost opposites-attract sensibility.

I had one really big issue with this book--length. Some of the content, while engaging, was unnecessary and could have easily been cut down to 300 pages. Krinard seemed to be concerned with fitting in as much detail as possible, and it simply was not needed-it can become tedious and hard to follow. There is a lot of filler, and it requires a great deal of patience on the part of the reader.

I would recommend this book to both paranormal and historical fans. 3.5 stars.

In another (somewhat unrelated) note, The Romantic Scientist is having a historical romance giveaway  over at her blog. The winner will receive books by Loretta Chase, Liz Carlyle, and several others. To enter, head over HERE and leave a comment with your favorite historical time period. The contest runs until 7pm September 2nd, so don't miss it!