Before Midnight (Blood Prince, #1) By Jennifer Blackstream

Anne

3.5 stars

My quest for Freebies continues!

Snagged this one a little while back, because it's a retelling of Cinderella.
Don't judge my obsessions!
But I gotta say, the cover didn't really inspire confidence.
Excuse me, Mrs. Hannah? Would you like some crackers with your cheese?
At any rate, I wasn't expecting much.
Why does it seem like a cover can make or break a book for women. I mean, haven't we always been told that men were the visual ones?
Anyway, with my low expectations firmly in place, I started reading...

Guess what?
It wasn't bad at all. In fact, this is a pretty good retelling!
Well, considering Cinderella is a werewolf, and all.
There was a lot more of the original story woven into the plot than I thought it would have. I've noticed quite a few books lately that are labeled 'retellings', but have little to no connection to the story they are retelling.
In some cases, the only connection to Cinderella is that the girl has a stepmother, and her shoe falls off at some point in the story.
Not exactly what I was hoping for in a reimagining, you know?

Yes, there were some corny PNR moments in this one.
Loins are burning, and wombs are throbbing!
But for the most part, Before Midnight is a pretty good book.
Best part?
It's still free on Amazon!

Bj

4 "If Cinderella Were a Werewolf" Stars for the story and 5 stars for the narration!

*I gave this audiobook an A for the Narration and B for the story at
AudioGals*

Narration by Matt Addis

Before Midnight is the debut book in the paranormal romance series, Blood Prince, featuring five blood princes (a werewolf, a vampire, a demon, an angel, and a god) who control their own kingdoms in overlapping space but each of whom plays a part in the overarching suspense arc of the series. Each story features a retelling of a different fairy tale and contains its own standalone romance. Moreover, for audiobook lovers, I’m delighted to say that Matt Addis’ narration was fabulous! While the entire series is currently available in e-book format, so far only the first three books have been recorded and released in audiobook format (all of which I’m pleased to say are performed by Mr. Addis).

In Before Midnight, we meet Prince Etienne, the Prince Charming of the tale. Prince Etienne is a werewolf. In this paranormal world there are two types of werewolves – those who are born that way and those who are cursed to become werewolves by a bite. Prince Etienne was born a werewolf but due to a spell of a local witch, who had been trying to help him but cursed him instead, he is losing his supernatural werewolf abilities and becoming more human each day. His only chance of recovering his full werewolf strength (which he, and his family, use to defend their kingdom) lies in finding a mate who was cursed into becoming a werewolf by a bite (which is rare).

Loupe, the heroine, is this retelling’s Cinderella. Her father has passed away leaving her with an evil step-mother and her two step-sisters. They treat Loupe horribly, but are unaware that due to a bite she has been turned into a werewolf, as she has hidden her forced shapeshifting by the full moon from them, knowing that they would treat her even worse if they knew. Somehow, she has managed to cope with this adversity all on her own, knowing that she could never marry as she might kill her husband when she is forced to turn into a werewolf and has no control. Then she meets Prince Etienne who makes her dream of having more, but she doesn’t know he is also a werewolf.

Could there possibly be a HEA in the cards for Prince Etienne and Loupe?

See the full review, including narration review, at
AudioGals.

Douglas Meeks

You cannot help but love this story, I mean it is very basically the story of Cinderella but with werewolves LOL, There is an over arching plot but we cannot see it yet, it is where the story starts and ends.

The story of Loupe (yea, that was kinda lame but it detracted nothing from the story) and Etienne was fabulous. There was a lot more bloodletting and the stepmother was a vicious b***h but the story was addicting and just when you think it is happy-ever-after you are wrong, this author has a surprise or two for you.

I give it 4.4 Stars since it really uses another story as background but this was great and very original so i rounded up.The next story in the series will be Snow White .... with vampires, this should be interesting LOL

Dianne

Can we EVER outgrow Cinderella’s story? Get ready for a magical new take with a paranormal twist! (And we all love when the underdog (or werewolf) gets their day, don’t we?)

Jennifer Blackstream’s BEFORE MIDNIGHT has it all and then some, just for grown-ups who love “LOVE.” Moments of darkness, moments of joy and pure enchantment make this a “fangtastic” read!

Ms. Blackstream has taken a classic tale and given it her own spin from the evil stepmother to poor Loupe, whose life may have been even worse than Cinderella’s and let’s not forget our werewolf Prince, Etienne who must find his true wolf-mate before he turns human!

Fast-paced, filled with romantic tension, secrets and magic, and a clock that is ticking down to midnight…

Series: Blood Prince - Book 1
Publisher: Skeleton Key Publishing (November 29, 2013)
Publication Date: November 29, 2013
Genre: Fantasy Romance
Print Length: 212 pages
Available from:
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Barnes & Noble
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Stacie

Very enjoyable and entertaining. Cinderella werewolf style. Happy reading.

Lisa (Remarkablylisa)

This book was a hard one to rate. It was entertaining but the main set up of an accident that cause our prince to have the curse of turning into a wolf was kind of dumb. It also read like a fairytale with an evil step mother and a cursed prince. So if you're a fan of cinderella or beauty and the beast, then you'll like this one.

This one also felt were average to me.

Kati

This is a Cinderella retelling set among warewolves who have no qualms about being savage when needed - and all I could think of when it ended was - how cute!!! Quirky, different, gruesome, and adorable all at the same time, it's kind of like the Rocky Horror of Cinderella's! I have a feeling it's a love it or hate it kind of book (most especially ). Our Cinderella is innocent and sweet, our Prince is valiant and true, love conquers all and Cinderella grows to be a strong woman capable of saving herself.

A.M.

This is supposed to be a retelling of Cinderella with werewolves.
***
I am almost ready to shut it down at the first line… her name is Loupe and she’s a werewolf? (Loup is French for wolf.) Why didn’t you call her Wolfie McWolf? Or Moon Moon, as kid3 suggested.
I can’t stand seeing lycanthrope and loup garou written in italics EVERY SINGLE TIME. Ugh.
It makes no sense that the royalty would have a long and ancient tradition of being bred wolves, and that they patrol the kingdom at night to protect the people and that other kingdoms are also wolves, and that the people DO NOT KNOW this. Besides the fact that the royal family would sleep through the rest of their daily engagements and that they have actual armies to do this patrolling for them… and just… no.
We’ll make a law forbidding you from killing wolves - why? - no reason, just look over there while I transform into a wolf…
I think I speak for us all when I say WHAT?
And then the prince saved a witch and she blessed him which means he is in lupine recovery. He’s healing and he’d rather not.
Oopsies. And this also, makes no sense if being a wolf is a good thing and it is the central basis of the royal family. Why would blessing him heal him; he’s not evil?
Bad bad witch.
But she tells him he just needs to be bitten by a loup garou and before the next full moon and the easiest way to do this is to hold a ball and invite everyone and the wolf will give itself away by going home before midnight.
Wait…
What the actual…?
The moon doesn’t come up at midnight so there is a giant flaw in this plan. Besides the fact that any self respecting wolf girl might just stay home because she will ruin her nice gown by transforming in the middle of the ball when the moon rises - which is not at midnight.
At this point I wonder why he is taking advice from this woman when she clearly knows very little about werewolves at all…

Nor does it explain who it was that died in their human form on Loupe’s wolf skinning table. (yes, the heroine has a wolf skinning table… and no, I do not know why.) Was she royalty? If so, why isn’t she missed?

And what the heck was that beginning with the tree goddess and the five princes? (I assume each prince will have a book of their own - this book is the werewolf prince and then we have the demon, the vampire, the god and the whatever the heck is left… it might have been an angel.) If Eurydice is so powerful she ought to be able to magic herself out of there without trying to organize some freaky thing where she has moved worlds to get all five princes from five different realms to the same spot at the same time and to get ALL five of them to cooperate and spill their blood on the tree. Honestly, it doesn’t add up. Take the easy route, honey. Just bust out of the tree and don’t try to get five men to do what you want.
And she’s Eurydice but where is Orpheus?
And Loupe looking after wolf cubs was just ridiculous. ‘I will feed them sausages and they will just stay here behind this bracken until I get back in a few more days’ … ahh… no. No, they won’t.

I just can’t…
Did not finish at 22%
Hey, give me credit. I almost gave up at the first line…

And the cover is frankly awful. There’s a flying key and a glass slipper and weird eyed guy and he’s missing his body from the waist down and he’s floating in the clouds and there’s a clock tower and a full moon and did you want fries with that?
He’s a prince… why is he wearing that crappy button up shirt???

Esther Jones

I really want to give this book 2.5 stars, but since that's not an option, I went back and forth on whether to give it 2 or 3. I finally settled on 3 to be nice.

It's not a terrible book, but it's not very good either. The writing is quite repetitive and tell-y (and full of so many typos), with sentences like, "he opened his mouth to bare a mouthful of sharp teeth too sharp to be human." Ok, so they're sharp then? Wait, are they sharp? I'm guessing they must be sharp. And it really feels like I'm being told to feel sorry for this girl who constantly feels sorry for herself. Well, I do what I want, not what I'm told. So there.

And, ugh, Loupe is so annoying. She drives me nuts. She acts pathetic and, though we're told she's really tough and won't give up, we don't see that; we see her giving up. Then she goes from weak and pathetic to strong and determined with nothing in between just because she's in love. It's the Power of Love! Give me a break.

Speaking of giving me a break, what's with all the purple prose? Like this: "Her jaw dropped. The most gorgeous man she’d ever seen was standing at the edge of the lake. From her angle, she couldn’t tell how tall he was, but he radiated strength. His soft brown hair and clear grey eyes, paired with a lean, muscled body, conspired to heat her blood. She wondered that the lake wasn’t boiling around her." So, I guess he's hot? Oh, and also, "Arabelle’s red hair fell like curling fountains of blood to the puffed sleeves of her dress." As a redhead, I think I might be offended or something (since Arabelle is EEEEVIL).

Why oh why is it always love at first sight? (Or, lust at first sight, maybe.) Loupe and Etienne don't even know each other—they've spoken twice!—when he confesses his love. I don't wanna say love at first sight never happens, I just don't think this is a very good way to begin a relationship. What if she doesn't like the way he chews his food? What if he doesn't like the way she rearranges the furniture?

And everything is so emotionally overdone, overwrought, and exhausting.

Am I allowed to request some realism even though this is fantasy? For example: Are you kidding me? I don't think that's even remotely possible.

But I did enjoy the plotline, and I couldn't actually abandon it since I wanted to know what happened next. So it wasn't all bad.

Celestine

Lycan and all-around good guy Prince Etienne has been "blessed" rather than cursed, resulting in the loss of his werewolf mojo. If you were looking for a twisted fairy tale, you've found it. Based loosely on the bones of "Cinderella," this story takes the position that heroine Loupe needs to leave the ball before midnight so that she doesn't morph into a wolf in front of the royal court.

Etienne and his family, long the protectors of the realm, are close-knit. He and his parents are exploring every avenue to restore Etienne to his dual wolf/man nature and preserve the family bloodline. I had to laugh at the bluntness with which these three talked about options, but through their conversations and interactions it becomes clear his parents are worried and Etienne is a little frantic. Along comes Loupe, caring for three orphaned wolf cubs, and suddenly the queen is playing matchmaker.

However, there are nefarious and evil forces who have enormous prejudices against werewolves. They are dangerous and determined. Both Loupe and Etienne will have to call upon their inner beasts to prevail.

Theresa

2.5 to 3 Stars...This book was a bit of a rollercoaster ride for me...It started out strong with an engaging prologue that held my attention and intrigued me as to the overall nature of the series; the characters seemed complex, each having unique personalities and histories... However, as the story progressed it started to feel rushed and the details of the storyline seemed glossed over and inconsistent...There certainly was the potential for a more intricate and flushed out storyline,but it ended up being more surfaced leaving me feeling detached from the story:(

Kara-karina

I really got a kick out of this interpretation of Cinderella. It has a simple, almost naive narration, imitating fairy tale wording, but at the same time, it's vivid and lush, and slightly gruesome as well. I know I'll be looking forward to the other books in this fun series.

Cindy

What if Cinderella was a werewolf? And so was the Prince? And the Stepmother was not only Wicked but Insane? This is not the Cinderella story your Daddy told you – unless your dad was a cross between Stephen King and H. P. Lovecraft.

The heroine is Loupe and as the Cinderella character she is used and abused, far beyond the usual scrubbing floors and waiting on the Stepsisters. [Since this is werewolf story, naming the heroine ‘Loupe’ is a bit of tell.] She was bitten by a dying wolf which began her secret life as a loup garou and further complicated her situation. She fears her secret being revealed, she fears what she might do as a wolf, and she especially fears her Stepmother who has made a career out of poaching wolves out of the King’s forest… Despite her fears Loupe exhibits warmth and courage under adversity.

The Prince is Etienne, a lycanthrope [born werewolf as opposed to the loup garou who are made werewolves], who was ‘saved’ by a well-meaning witch. At least she thought she was saving him by putting a spell on him to make him permanently human. The spell is time-sensitive so to break it he must be bitten by a loup garou before he becomes permanently human. To find one they plan the great ball…

Of course we all know how the ball worked out, only this time rather than turning back into a scullery maid the heroine turns into a wolf… Of course, she’s the wolf of the prince’s dreams AND the cure for his not-so-little problem so it’s all good.

It’s a good read with a few light-hearted moments and several exceedingly grim ones. Although this is basically a stand-alone novel, the opening line of the prologue - “The werewolf, the vampire, the demon, the angel, and the god. Oh, Blessed Goddess, I have my work cut out for me.” - makes it obvious that it is part of a series based on preternatural princes making their perfect matches. Looks good, I am anticipating the next one.

Copy received from Netgalley and publisher for an honest review.

Marsha

(3.5 Stars)
When I first began reading "Before Midnight" I found myself wondering if I would be able to finish the book. The beginning was slow and tedious and I found myself wondering if we were ever going to get anywhere. However, some where along the way I truly became interested in the storyline but I will admit the author still never revealed the true purpose of all the rambling at the beginning. I guess you have to read all of the books in this series before all is revealed.

Loupe (Yep! That's the lead character's name) was bitten by a werewolf. Now, she hides from her evil stepmother and stepsisters during the full moon so they don't discover her secret. If they found out they would kill her and skin her for her pelt, a practice frowned upon by the current monarchy.

While coaxing a group of orphaned wolf pups into taking a bath in the river, Loupe is visited by an extremely handsome stranger (Aren't they always?). She discovers he us Prince Etienne and she realizes that she needs to squash her attraction to him for so many reasons. He deserves someone of equal station and someone who doesn't go all furry on the full moon. What she doesn't knows if that the Prince is dying due to a witches spell gone awry and that he is carrying around a secret of his own.

This story is an adult paranormal take on the Cinderella story. While there are no mice or fairy godmothers singing "bippity boppity boo," there is a fairy and vampire. I enjoyed the read despite the fact that Loupe is rather docile and not the normal herione I love to read about and there is some light action scenes but not enough to make this more than a middle of the road read for me. I will most likely not be moving on to the next book in this series. However, I highly recommend that you read it for yourself to decide.

Jane

The following review was originally posted on my book blog
The Book Challengers.

I have a confession to make: I'm a sucker for Cinderella retellings. The minute you tell me that it's a Cinderella retelling, I'm intrigued. Fortunately for me this particular story was free when I grabbed my copy and while my expectations were not all that high before starting the story, the prologue managed to pique my interest very well.

Too bad that the rest of the story wasn't always on par with the prologue. For instance, There was a mistake regarding timelines - I don't remember the exact places, but when Etienne visits the witch, I remember that it was said that he had three days till his final full moon, but for some odd (editing?) mistake, it somehow became three weeks. Don't get me wrong - I appreciate the fact that Etienne and Loupe didn't jump between the sheets after three days, but this mistake still bothered me.

Although I may not agree with all of Loupe's decisions, I have to admit that she was a pretty kickass Cinderella (not as kickass as Cinder, but pretty kickass nevertheless) and I actually quite liked Etienne with his problem as well. I thought that this particular problem actually made the story more intriguing as it made the mate-finding business a lot more difficult for Etienne.

In the end I am kind of intrigued about Kirill the vampire as well...

♡ Sassy ~ Amy ♡

Man!! This book was almost great!!

The opening prologue was amazing & set up this series so well, that I cannot wait for the next books, but I am hoping like hell they don't mimic a fairy tale.

I am so sorry, but without any warning ahead of time that this book, including the characters description, was so "Cinderella" that it just bothered me. It would have been one of my top favorites if the wicked step-mother & step-sisters didn't have similar names & descriptions (hair & clothes even) as the Cinderella characters... There was no need. The parallels beyond that were non-existent. The only other thing that was like it was the ball & a shoe thing. Otherwise I found it quite good! Sooo it didn't make much sense to me to go in that direction.

This was an original story of a kingdom protecting wolves & the secrets as to why & the need for a prince (who is short?? 5'10") who cannot call his wolf to shift, must be bitten or scratched by another werewolf to reclaim his heritage.

Don't get me wrong, I loved this story, but the Cinderella thing just bugged me too much!

** Is it me, or is it becoming a trend to have a 5'10" hero?? That's shorter than me when I wear boots, so it stands out...

TMR

This was a fabulous book. Hands down!

Never thought the concept of werewolves would fit in with an old classic fairytale like Cinderella.

But this author has proved me wrong!

As we see in the beginning,

We have Loupe, a cursed werewolf who lives with her stepmother and her two evil, cruel stepsisters, after her father dies.

She is a servant to her family (like the fairytale) and in her responsibility to deal with whatever chores her stepmother has set for her.

Then we get a glimpse of Prince Etienne (I just love French names) (Also our Prince Charming) who is enchanted by our lovely heroine, Loupe, vowing to see her again.

But of course you know, you cannot have a story without a couple of twists.

Let's just the stepsisters will do anything for the prince's hand and the monarchy.

And the stepmother is not just calm, sophisticated. She is willing to be dirty to get her hands on what she wants.

But Loupe and Prince Etienne are a couple that do not give up on their love and will fight the obstacles till the end.

So do not miss a chance to read this novel, if you are a fan of twisted up retellings, compassion, caring, and of course a bit of loving romance.

Hope you all enjoyed!

-J.B

Emily

Loupe holds a secret that could end her life immediately if her stepmother found out. Poaching wolves, her stepmother has made Loupe skin the animals in order to sell their skins, but one of those wolves was not dead and turned Loupe into a werewolf that she can't control. All of her dreams of marrying one day are out the window, how could she be with a man if he ends up killing him in his sleep.

Prince Etienne has been cursed, each day his wolf is disappearing and if he does not find a cure soon he will lose his wolf to humanity. When he happens upon Loupe he can't stop thinking about the woman who was safeguarding wolf pups, but as the moon calls his only priority should be finding the one person who could possibly save his wolf instead.

A paranormal retelling of Cinderella. I thought this was highly imaginative and an enchanting read. Etienne is charming and their is a protective instinct to him when he is with Loupe. I felt for Loupe, you can feel her panic of what she is and you can't wait to read what happens next in the story. Excellent retelling of a classic.

Tenille Berezay

I decided to give this book a try after I read a short story the author's in an anthology and absolutely loved it! I wish I could say the same for this book. The writing was good, the character's had depth. But the physicality. It's not that there WAS physicality. (I knew that this book might have more than what I usually read). It was the timing. Here, are our character's trying to stop the crazy stepmother when instead of ensuring the safety of family and friends and THE KINGDOM, we're going to lose our ever-lovin' minds and go completely hormonal. I know, some will say he was a werewolf and so was she and baser instincts and all...but, for me, it made me lose respect for our character's and felt like a forced proof that the two really, really loved each other (because if you can't keep your hands off of each other, that's love). It wasn't necessary and it threw off the pacing, making sex the highlight of the story instead of the victory over evil. Makes me sad because this author is uber talented.

Carly

Nothing technically wrong with this I just couldn't get into it. I didn't much care for Etienne and Loupe got on my nerves.

Ronda Tutt

Wolfishly Entertaining!

Nobody ever said Cinderella was human or even that her real name was Cinderella – LOL No, step into the paranormal world where fairy tales exist and are controlled by an ancient witch (Eurydice) consumed in a World Tree (a space where all the worlds overlap) with foresight and has the help of Fairies, pixies, gargoyles, and magic to help faith along its route.

This story was quite enjoyable with its wolfish spin in place of Cinderella. The characters were the main thing that captivated me and drew me in the beginning. With a wolf, a vampire, a god, a demon, and a angel meeting in one place I just had to find out their story. Come to find out, this is the introduction to the beginning of their stories and this story “Before Midnight” tells the Wolf’s story in a Cinderella twist. From what I gather the author is going to take each deity and give them each a fairy tale spin.

Prince Etienne was a cool were-wolf - Young and full of lustfully passion. Loupe is a sweet maiden and since she has been bitten by a wolf she discovers her own arousing wolf – she starts out weak but ends up strong. Heat level 3 flames. The similarities between this story plot and Cinderella’s is undeniable, however the author does a great job in changing up the character’s actions and adds a little erotic teasing scenes to the story making it very tasty for us with our minds in the naughty gutter.

I loved how the author depicts the difference between a Were-Wolf and a loup garou whereas a Were-wolf is born a were-wolf and a loup garou is bitten to become a were-wolf. The story was definitely wolfishly entertaining as I stayed glued to the pages to the very end. I think I would have personally enjoyed a little more erotic scenes but that is just my taste. But all the character’s were captivating and the action scenes held my interest to the end. Even the the evil stepmother – she was definitely an evil wicked monster and I was thrilled she got her due in the end.

Of course since this is a paranormal fairy tale, the wolf gets his loup garou mate and the evil stepmother and stepsisters get an unexpected ending that leaves a huge smile on my face making me wanting more or another fairy tale to fascinate my visionary mind.

Great Read!

Marta Cox

This book is part of the Blood Princes series and is just such a fun read! It's a thoroughly captivating version of the Classic Cinderella story but given a completely original twist. This author who is new to me has brought together paranormal elements and fairy tales to delight both old and new readers alike. If looking for pure escapismn then you have hit the jackpot!
Etianne is a prince but no ordinary run of the mill one, no he is a lycanthrope one! Slight problem though as a local witch thought he'd been bitten by a werewolf and cursed so in order to save him she cast a powerful spell to turn him to fully human. As a born wolf shifter and future ruler it's obviously the last thing that Etienne wants but he's changing and unless something happens soon he will be worthless to his people.
Loupe is poorly used and abused by her stepmother and sisters. Forced to work secretly skinning wolf carcasses . She has been bitten by a dying wolf and now she is cursed as a loupe garou to change into a beast at the full moon. Forever fearful of the harm she might do others Loupe remains hidden and only goes out to walk in the nearby forest.
A chance encounter with the Prince shows Loupe a world that she thought impossible for her. The threat of her changing and biting others has made her cautious but the gorgeous young man awakens feelings within her that she tries to ignore. Prince Etienne has never encountered anyone as pure and adorable as Loupe but she clearly is avoiding him. When told that finding a loupe garou could help end Etiennes descent to fully human it's decided to hold a ball on the night of the full moon. All are invited but it looks as if Loupe is the only one not going to the ball!
This is such a sweet romance. The young couple are just adorable together and reading about their interactions just made me smile . A fast read I found I just wanted to read this in one go as I wanted the characters to get their happy ever after. Love the twist and I am intrigued by the idea of the next book which is apparently Snow White but with vampires! Excellent writing and a perfect piece of escapismn .

♥ Joy Joy ♥

3.5 Stars.

I really disliked the beginning of this book so much so I was convinced the rest of the book was going to be horribly painful to get through. But surprise surprise! It turned around shortly after and I have to say that aside from that bad start, the story was pretty good. It was easy to follow with characters that were likable and an okay concept in regards to the retelling of the Cinderella fairy tale. Not the best but definitely no where near the worse that I've come across.

I do wish it were longer but I thought the author did a decent enough job keeping it fast paced without making it feel too rushed through for the most part.

Angi Naerebout

I'm not sure why i decided to get this book, but what a pleasant surprise!it was definitely a creative rebelling of Cinderella and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I successfully avoided all kinds of work in favor of reading this story. I liked the setting, the main characters and the twists. The only thing I would have enjoyed was for it to be longer! After the last few stories I read that I didn't enjoy, this was just what I needed. The way the passion between Loupe and Estienne was written really was refreshing. Yay! I will be continuing on!

Vee

This was a retelling of Cinderella, with werewolves. Interesting concept, poor execution.

The author spent the majority of the book attempting to hit the major plot points of the original fairy tale whilst trying to quirkily work in her werewolf spin. It didn't work for me. The characters fell flat, the worldbuilding was almost non-existent, there was zero chemistry in the romance element and the conflict was weak at best and incredibly dull at worst.

I enjoy fairy tale retellings when they're done well. This wasn't one of them.

Sophia

I loved this paranormal romance style Cinderella retelling and the hints at the worldbuilding that will continue on through the whole series. It wasn't terribly deep, but it was engaging and even cute. The prince isn't just a cookie cutter figure and neither is the Cinderella. Loved the build in the romance and that final series of scenes were exciting. Paranormal Romance lovers who also enjoy fairy tales should give this a try.

UltraMeital

DNF 37%

I have to say that though I decided to let this one go at 37% it really is about taste. I thought all characters were kinda childish and the synopsis unlikely (even for PNR). I don't know really, I couldn't connect with either character and I think you have to really be in a fairy-tale mood to enjoy this one because it truly FEELS like one, with the characters being naive and old fashioned.

This book is a "recreation" of Cinderella who is named in this one - Loupe (yep, a VERY unoriginal name). Her evil stepmother and 2 stepsisters treats her badly and keep her busy yet she still manages to enjoy at least one thing - taking care of 3 little wolf pups she hides in the forest near by. Her kinship with wolves started after she got bitten by a werewolf. Now she is a wolf when the full moon rises...

When Prince Etienne sees Loupe in the forest playing with the pups he is immediately drawn to her, especially as he is a werewolf himself (bred not bitten). Yet Etienne has his own problems, his wolf is fading and he is turning to a full human. His only chance is being bitten by a werewolf who was bitten (not bred), yep, like Loupe, though he doesn't know that about her when he sees her that first time.

I didn't get that far, but they are nearing to planning the ball as you can imagine - a key component in the Cinderella story. I found Etienne to be to flippant in his behavior and Loupe to be naive and childish in her decisions - like going to the prince (after meeting him ONCE) to go look for one of the pups who gone missing. Even WORSE was the KING going to look for the pup himself... Yeah, it was a bit strange how the Royal Family has NOTHING to do but entertain a villager who have lost a wolf puppy (after being left for a WEEK on his own).

It was sweet and endearing at times, but mostly it felt something for a teen to read. I'm not sure it's actually going to be suited later on.. ehm, ehm.. Generally speaking I think I would have preferred a more mature version of the story. I won't be continuing on with this series.

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BigComfyChairBookReviews

Let’s address the several 1&2-star reviews, since I don’t want them to deter anyone from this fantastic book, but I also want you to know your expectations before reading.
First, let’s start with my biggest pet peeve. Reading an adult romance and giving it 1-2 stars because there is sex in it. I don’t go around giving YA books 1-stars for having no sex. WARNING: there is sex and adult language in this book (albeit very little), please do not read if you are looking for something PG. Maybe try the Disney version.
Second, this is a fairytale retelling. There is only so original a retelling can get. And, Blackstream includes werewolves, so the people saying it is unoriginal need to check their expectations and then fill me in on the last retelling of Cinderella they read that had werewolves. I’ll wait… Also, as a Cinderella retelling get ready for a meek heroine. If you can’t look past a timid heroine who learns to stand up for herself look elsewhere. I was always frustrated with Cinderella for not sticking up to her stepmother and she is one of my least favorite Princesses, but I was prepared going into this that I would need to be patient with the heroine.
Third, this is a paranormal/fantasy romance. It is going to be weird, magical, and end with a HEA. If you do not like the genre please read something else.
Fourth, the prologue & epilogue are odd, and they are mainly just included to tie the series together. I personally just skim them throughout the series because they do nothing for me. But, they aren’t so bad that I need to detract a star.
Fifth, this is a FREE "dirty" romance. Please do not read if you are looking for something deep and life altering, this isn't it. This is a fun, easy, light romance.
I have read every book in this series (twice) and while this one isn’t my favorite it is a fun retelling in an exciting series!
Romance-5/5 Steaminess-3/5 Explicitness-2/5

Katherine

A Cinderella and a werewolf story combined - get out of town!!! This is going to be amazing!!! :D

A wolf fighting against a powerful curse... werewolf Prince Etienne is turning into a human - all because of a curse/blessing placed upon him. He has to find a way to break the curse before its too late by getting bite by a human curse to be a beast!!

Loupe lives in terror, her step-family treats her like a slave, as well as being cursed to be a beast from an accident that befell her. I like how Loupe is so strong-headed when she knows what she wants and that she won't back down but she also can be shy and timid too. I like her personality and character development throughout the book. I felt her struggles as if they where my own.

I also like that she also if very wise and passionate:
“Sometimes violence is necessary,” Loupe agreed softly. “But sometimes your enemy is violent too.”

and

“If your enemy meets your violence with more violence then where else does spilling blood get you but dead?” She shook her head. “If all your reputation gives you credit for is violence, then that’s all people will think you’re capable of."

And I love it when Loupe get a darker side to her when she bites her step sister, telling her evil step sister that if she can't escape soon her own mother will kill her. So dark and so good! I had so many chills. I enjoy the symbolism of the prey becoming the predator, and the ideology of fearing ones self.

And this just wraps up this story of how the characters grow and improve as time goes by:
“You know what, my darlings? I almost didn’t call for you. I love you so much, it would destroy me if anything happened to you. But then I realized that trying to protect you from all danger would only keep you weak.

Cindy

This was a freebie from Amazon. I liked the synopsis. The story, not so much.
This is Cinderella with a werewolf twist, which could have been very interesting. Unfortunately, mediocre writing (another USA Today bestselling author!) pretty much ruined it. I can't believe all the 4 & 5 star ratings.
Can't recommend this author & not going on with the series.

Title	:	Before Midnight (Blood Prince, #1)
Author	:	Jennifer Blackstream
Rating	:
ISBN	:	-
Language	:	English
Format Type	:	Kindle Edition
Number of Pages	:	204
Publication	:	First published January 1, 2013

Before Midnight (Blood Prince, #1) by Jennifer Blackstream

Before Midnight (Blood Prince, #1) Reviews

Before Midnight (Blood Prince, #1) Reviews

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