Book Review - Midnight Blue

Midnight Blue by L.J. Shen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.5 STARS

First, let me begin by saying this is my 2nd L.J. Shen book. Second, I’ve been in a bit of a reading slump & my normal “go to” when it comes to diving right back into a reading binge is to find something steamy, or overall cheesy. Blue was definitely more on the steamy end of that spectrum. And third, I absolutely LOVE dual POV books. LOVE. So this book already had me there. Now, you’ve already read the blurb so I’m not about to rehash that, but you’re probably reading this in order to decided whether or not you’ll buy this book. So, let me give you my two cents:

I found this book to be a pretty yummy read. I finished it in one sitting (stayed up until 2 am) because I just HAD to know how Alex & Indie’s story was going to end. One thing I’ve noticed about Shen’s writing is that she can make even the most rude, cocky, and arrogant characters like-able. Love-able even. And it kind of sneaks up on you. So if your into that, then this book is for you. Alex was definitely a character I found myself wanting to hug, and punch in the face at the same time (if he’d been real that is). Indie was super relatable in her love of family. Even when she knew that a certain member was really more on the toxic side; she still loved them. She made decisions while keeping her family in mind, and then some others that even though she knew weren’t going to end well dove into any way because she WANTED to. Pure selfishness & sometimes you just need that. There’s also another subject matter: addiction, that definitely has a presence of its own within the book. And I think Shen did a great job writing the issue in, but not allowing it to take over the story. In fact, I think it gave the story a nice touch of realism.

Another thing I judge a book by is the writing. If it’s choppy, or the chapter transitions are all over the place then you’re going to lose me. If you set up a character to be a certain way, and then randomly (mid-book) make them the complete opposite without anything to prompt it I’m going to be mad. This was not the case for “Midnight Blue”. It was a consistent read with a steady build, if that makes sense? Alex was brutally honest, and I enjoyed that a lot. His character laid out his expectations, and wants un-apologetically. Indie was reserved, but tougher in certain areas that the reader gets to see shine through. And I enjoyed how easily she could keep up with Alex’s banter, and insults. Now, I’ll go out and say that there are some books in the past that I’ve let slide when they have a lack of character development as long as the writing is good. But this being my second Shen book, to read & thoroughly enjoy, I’m going to go ahead and say that this is not something our author struggles with. SHEN CAN WRITE ladies & gents. And I didn’t have any issue with the character development in this story. There were a few things I would have liked to see expanded on, but for the majority of the story it flowed smoothly, and made sense for the story-line.

Now, I’ve read some reviews from people who didn’t like this book. And I get some of them. The story can be a little over the top. But to me, that’s what a book is supposed to be. At least in this genre. I don’t know about you, but I don’t pick up a book with a shirtless, tatted, and six-pack bearing guy on it’s cover because I want realistic, y’all. It’s supposed to be sexy, and steamy mixed in with some fantasy that gives us a slow-burn we all want. So, if you do end up buying this, just go in knowing it’s about a ROCKSTAR (in every sense of the word & with an addiction problem), and the woman in charge of making sure he doesn’t relapse. On a world tour. With A LOT of time being thrown together. What could possibly go wrong?

“I apologize in advance.” He cocked his head to the side. “For?" “Ruining you for any other man on this planet. I’m going to fuck you, Indie. So hard you’ll think about me years from now, when you lie under your boring, missionary-loving husband. I will own every orgasm, every shiver, every wave of pleasure inside you. From here on out, it will be me. Just me. And for that, I truly am sorry.”

Enjoy. 😘