"Bright Midnight" is the second chance love story of Shay Lavji and Anders Johansen, who met and fell in love as seniors in high school when bad boy Anders was sent from Norway to New York to live with his mother for a year. Their relationship ended badly, and shortly thereafter Anders was sent back to Norway. Eight years later, Anders has taken over as captain of his deceased father's fishing boat and helps his uncle on the family farm when he's not at sea. Meanwhile, Shay has graduated from college with an art history degree, but rather than settle down at home in New York, she's chosen to explore Europe, picking up work as a bartender for a few months here and there before moving on. After spending time in Italy and Ireland, she's finally made it to Norway, a country she's always wanted to visit but avoided for fear of running into Anders. Of
course, fate and a little help from Anders' sister Astrid bring them
back together, and Shay can't resist accepting an invitation to stay
with the family on their farm.
I really enjoyed the slow burn between Shay and Anders as they got to know each other again as adults. Their chemistry was palpable from the moment they came back together, though it was combined with a fair amount of tension because of the way their relationship had ended in high school. I also liked several of the book's secondary characters, especially Anders' sisters Astrid, Lise, and Tove, and wouldn't mind reading future stories about them. However, my favorite part of the book was the descriptions of Norway and its scenic beauty. The author put her past experience as a travel writer to excellent use, and the vivid pictures she painted with her words made me feel as if I were standing right there next to the characters and admiring Norway's famous fjords.
I really enjoyed the slow burn between Shay and Anders as they got to know each other again as adults. Their chemistry was palpable from the moment they came back together, though it was combined with a fair amount of tension because of the way their relationship had ended in high school. I also liked several of the book's secondary characters, especially Anders' sisters Astrid, Lise, and Tove, and wouldn't mind reading future stories about them. However, my favorite part of the book was the descriptions of Norway and its scenic beauty. The author put her past experience as a travel writer to excellent use, and the vivid pictures she painted with her words made me feel as if I were standing right there next to the characters and admiring Norway's famous fjords.
"Bright Midnight" certainly had its fair share of angst, and I would have liked to see more groveling from Anders to try and make up for his past behavior towards Shay, but overall, the characters were quite sympathetic and I found it easy to root for them to overcome the obstacles standing in the way of rekindling their romance. I recommend this book for fans of emotional contemporary romance and look forward to Halle's next release.
*Review copy provided by the author via Valentine PR. All opinions expressed are my own.
About "Bright Midnight"
A second chance to heal their hearts
Bright Midnight by Karina Halle is now live!
A second chance to heal their hearts
Bright Midnight by Karina Halle is now live!
From the New York Times bestselling author of "Where Sea Meets Sky" and "Racing the Sun" comes a wildly romantic novel about a young American abroad in Norway who runs into the man who broke her heart eight years ago.
After years of bartending her way across Europe, Shay Lavji has seen almost everything the continent has to offer, but there's one country she hasn't crossed off her bucket list yet: Norway. It's not that she doesn't want to visit the land of the midnight sun--far from it; she's obsessed with the culture and is dying to see the majestic fjords for herself.
What she's not dying to do is run into her Norwegian ex-boyfriend, Anders Johansen, who broke her heart in America eight years ago before returning to his ancestral home. The last time she saw Anders, he was a cocky, rebellious, and tortured teenager who couldn't stop himself from pushing all of her buttons--both good and bad. But Shay isn't going to let Anders stand in the way of her wanderlust, and besides, it's a big country, right?
She doesn't count on Anders seeking her out the moment he learns she's on his home turf. When Shay sees him again, she's shocked at his transformation into a bearded, tattooed farmer and fisherman who values family over everything else. Is it possible that time has tamed this former bad boy? Shay wants to believe that everything can be new and bright again under the summer sun, but she knows, when it comes to Anders, the darkness is never too far behind.
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