Chasing Midnight (Dark of Night #2) by Ranae Glass Review

Hey readers! Happy Sunday (and Mothers Day) to you all! I've got an awesome post for you guys in the form of a review for an incredible novel I read last week. What am I raving about tonight? Chasing Midnight, the second novel in the Dark of Night series by Ranae Glass! Before I get to the raving, let's learn a bit about the novel and our author:

Title:  Chasing Midnight 

Series:  Dark of Night, Book 2

Author:  Ranae Glass

Published:   April 21st, 2015

Publisher:  Crimson Tree Publishing

Genre:  NA Paranormal Romance

Content Warning:  Violence and adult language

Recommended Age:  18+

Synopsis:  Isabel Stone’s life is far from normal. She’s a girl with problems—vampire problems to be specific and, now, she also has one ticked-off specter on her hands. Approached by a childhood friend and medium, Isabel agrees to look into the murder of a local girl, only to wind up inhabited by the solitary witness—a centuries-old ghost who is all too happy to piggyback along in Isabel’s body, and she’s not leaving until the culprit is behind bars.

With the help of her partner, Shane, and her crazy family, Isabel struggles to get to the truth, unmask a killer, and deal with her growing feelings for not one, but two, of the sexy, undead men vying for her heart. Just when things are finally falling into place, a huge revelation takes her out of the frying pan… and straight into the fire.

     

About the Author:

Ranae Glass writes New Adult Paranormal Romance. A Southern girl at heart, Ranae loves feeding people, gardening, and sweet tea. She hails from Oklahoma and lives with her family out West where she spins tales of vampires, werewolves, and other things that go bump in the night. You won’t find any ‘vegetarian’ monsters here, her books are best served bloody and are not for the faint of heart. Ranae is the author of the Dark of Night novels from Crimson Tree Publishing.

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*****

My Thoughts:

A couple of weeks ago I shared with you all my thoughts on Chasing Daybreak, the first novel in this series. I said in my review that while I enjoyed the novel immensely, there were numerous things I would have liked to have seen done differently. I had, in my mind, a few things that I wanted to see out of the next installment in this series, but didn't really know what to think. I never expected to fall in love with this series as much as I did through this second installment.

If I was concerned about the future of this series, I can definitely say with 100% certainty that I am not anymore! Chasing Midnight was everything I was looking for and so much more!

Chasing Midnight takes the reader on a second journey into the life is Isabel Stone's crazy, thrilling life as a PI. With her former, now-vampire, lover as her second in command, Isabel must crack her toughest case yet!

The paranormal aspect of this novel was spot-on. In addition to the 'out of the coffin' vampires and werewolves we saw in book one, this book introduces us to psychics, a bit of magic, and ghosts. The afterlife and possession are huge factors that tie into the plot of Chasing Midnight and I don't think I've ever seen an author execute them as well as Glass! Oftentimes ghosts are the joke of the supernatural community, they are seldom taken seriously. It seems that ghosts are among the hardest entities to write because they are just... well... a little boring. Glass took that into consideration and wrote an awesome spin on the trope. By humanizing our ghostly characters, Glass was able to weave a fulfilling storyline that should leave all paranormal fans proud!

The character development in CM was probably my favorite part. Anyone who read my review of book one will remember that Shane was my favorite character. I was so excited to see that he had a much larger role in book two. We learn a whole lot about his backstory and really get into his mind on multiple occasions as this novel is told in dual POV from his perspective as well. I really enjoyed that! When it came to Isabel, I was really impressed with how Glass enhanced her character. While I took issues with Isabel's character in book one, all of my negative thoughts were erased after reading this one! Glass really knocked it out of the park. Move over Sookie Stackhouse, you've got company, Isabel Stone is here to stay! 

The plot of this novel is non-stopped awesome that really left me hooked until the very last page! While this novel doesn't have as much of a mystery, the reader is constantly left with 'how will our characters solve this new dilemma' feelings, which are great! I'm not huge on the suspense so it was fun to know the endgame, but not how it would happen, that was a fun twist on the genre for me. This novel also really does a great job of setting up the story for the second half of the series. Glass has confirmed at least four novels in this series, here's to hoping for a few more after that! Am I right?

When it comes to the setting, Glass really went above and beyond for this one. South Carolina makes for the best book settings. Look at the Beautiful Creatures series, right!? Amazing. So much darkness and mystery, and the southern vibes are incredible. I couldn't be more thrilled with that setting if I tried! I cannot wait to see how Glass expands on that in the future.

The last thing I want to touch on is how emotional this novel was. I was really blown away by Glass' ability to write such an emotionally gripping story in terms of romance, heartbreak, family ties, and friendship while still adhering to a strictly paranormal novel-esque feel. It was incredible. Huge praises to Glass for that.

For all you paranormal readers looking for the next big thing, don't miss this series, you won't regret it! Go ahead and clear off that spot on your bookshelf, you're going to want this series for yourself!

As you can see, I was blown away by how much I enjoyed this second installment in the Dark of Night series. It should come as no surprise that I am granting Chasing Midnight a well-deserved 5-star review! I wouldn't have changed a thing! Ranae Glass has quickly become one of my top names in the NA Paranormal genre and I cannot wait to see what she has up her sleeve next! 

*****

Check out my review of Chasing Daybreak by clicking the cover below!

Alright readers, that's all I have for you on the topic of Chasing Midnight by Ranae Glass! As you can see, I loved this novel and am already begging for more! If you are a fan of this series, I highly recommend you check out my tour stop for this novel and see my exclusive interview with Ranae Glass! It was great! Huge thanks to the team at Crimson Tree Publishing for supplying me with a copy in exchange for my honest review. Until next time, Happy Reading!

-Ethan

Chasing Daybreak by Ranae Glass Review

Hey readers! Happy Friday! Got a review for an awesome paranormal novel that needs to be on your weekend TBR! Best part, it's FREE! Absolutely free! What am I raving about? Chasing Daybreak by Ranae Glass, the first novel in The Dark of Night series. Here's a bit about the novel and out author before we get to my thought:

Title:  Chasing Daybreak

Series:  Dark of Night, Book 1

Author:  Ranae Glass

Published:  March 24th, 2015

Publisher:  Crimson Tree Publishing

Genre:  NA Paranormal Romance

Content Warning:  Violence and adult language

Recommended Age:  18+

Synopsis:  Isabel Stone wanted a normal life. But when the unexpected death of her father leaves her at the helm of the family business, things quickly go from weird to worse. Vampires are on the loose and out of the coffin, and only Isabel can walk the fine line between the world of the living and the world of the undead.

Torn between letting go of her past and embracing her future, Isabel will have to decide who she can trust, and be willing to use all the weapons at her disposal, to get to the bottom of a terrifying string of deaths that lead right to her doorstep—before she becomes the next victim. In a city where nothing is what it seems, ending up the target of a deranged killer might actually be the high point of her week. Because in this town, the things that go bump in the night… just might kill you. 

**FREE**

About the Author:

Ranae Glass writes New Adult Paranormal Romance. A Southern girl at heart, Ranae loves feeding people, gardening, and sweet tea. She hails from Oklahoma and lives with her family out West where she spins tales of vampires, werewolves, and other things that go bump in the night. You won’t find any ‘vegetarian’ monsters here, her books are best served bloody and are not for the faint of heart. Ranae is the author of the Dark of Night novels from Crimson Tree Publishing.

Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads | Website

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My Thoughts:

It should come as absolutely no surprise to any of you that I'm reviewing this read. For months now I've been pushing for New Adult books that aren't solely rooted in romance and have come back with some excellent new favorites. Vampires are among my all time favorite paranormal creatures, so what's not to like from a paranormal thriller with one heck of a mystery attached?

The first thing I'd like to discuss is the 'New Adult-ness" of this read. Yes, it is a New Adult novel, but it's a pretty safe NA. The violence isn't any worse than I've read from a YA, neither is the language. There isn't any explicit content to speak of, though there was some tension going on. The only thing that really labeled this novel as a New Adult read to me was the ages of the characters. I have no problems with that, at all, but if you are heading into this read looking for some steamy mortal-vampire sex, keep on looking, you won't find it here (thankfully).

I've mentioned before in several of my reviews that I generally won't read mystery novels. I just hate the suspense. I get all antsy and spend too much time analyzing plot points to enjoy the novel. Thankfully Glass found a way to write an awesome mystery novel without making it too overbearing. I will admit that I think the 'whodunnit' for this one was a little too easy, but the getting there had lots of twists and turns to throw you off track, which was nice. There were a lot of moments when I can seriously say I didn't see something coming, but I would have liked to see just a bit more action. Whereas some novels are active, this one was a bit passive. There was a lot more sitting and thinking than actual doing. In the end, we did get an awesome action finale, but I would have liked to have seen a few more of those adrenaline filled scenes.

I may be a male reader, but I have a thing for strong, intelligent female characters. Ranae Glass took that to the next level with Isabel Stone. Isabel is smart, sassy, hot, strong, and so much more. She's got a compelling backstory, a sharp mind, and more determination than I've seen in a female character in quite some time. I really enjoyed Glass' character development. That being said, Stone wasn't my favorite character in the novel. That title, instead, goes to her partner Shane, a recently turned vampire, and her former fiance. Shane plays a major role in the story, but we really don't see as much of him as I would have liked. Shane is really the only insight we get into the lives is the supernatural community in this novel so I hope we see lots of him in the future. Also, am I wrong for really wanting to see Isabel and Shane back together in the end? Who says death can stop true love? LOL.

The paranormal element in this novel was pretty interesting. I'll go ahead and admit that I'm not too big a fan of the "vampires out of the coffin" situation. Anyone who knows me knows that The Southern Vampire Mystery Novels, AKA The Sookie Stackhouse Series, AKA "Those True Blood Books", is one of my all-time favorite series, but, I really think that situation is Charlaine Harris specific. Those novels had so much going on that you really didn't even think about vampire's existence being known to mortals. Glass has opted to take the 'out of the coffin' method and apply it to this series as well, and while it's a unique take on the genre, I really would like to see more of the how and why it happened. Glass really doesn't supply much backstory on the vamps. We also really don't learn many specifics about Glass' vamps. Each author has their one take on the species, so I'm anxious to see what Glass will introduce in future novels. Werewolves also are present in the novel, but they are nothing more than a passing plotline, I'm hoping Glass finds a way to pick them up for future use. Any paranormal fan shouldn't find fault with Glass' interpretation of the genre and will find it quite a refreshing experience!

As I mentioned before, the violence and romance levels for this novel were way lower than I expected. Glass definitely doesn't leave us disappointed, but I was hoping for a bit more 'umph' from a New Adult branded read. There really isn't a romance element to speak of, but there is enough talk of Isabel's past to leave you wondering what's happening next. I'm really excited to see where this series is going. Chasing Daybreak really only felt like a taste of what Ranae Glass has in store for her readers with this series! Per the violence, it wasn't any worse than one may read from a YA read, but there was some gore involved. Of course, whoever is reading a vampire novel and isn't expecting gore probably should just stop reading in this genre right now. 

All-in-all, I am granting Chasing Daybreak a well-deserved 4-star review. While it isn't my all time favorite vampire novel, I really like the direction that the author is going in! A unique spin on a genre that's become a little over-inflated as of late, Glass is a breathe of fresh air! The second novel in this series, Chasing Midnight is due out soon and I'll have to get my hands on it ASAP!

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Alright readers, that's all I have for you on the topic of Chasing Daybreak by Ranae Glass. What do you think? Sound like the read for you? I know I enjoyed it! I'll be over here anxiously awaiting the next book in this awesome series. Already read it? Sound off in the comments below with your thoughts. Until next time, Happy Reading!

-Ethan

Chasing Daybreak by Ranae Glass Release Day Launch

NEW RELEASE TODAY:

Crimson Tree Publishing has a new release today and it's a book with bite! Grab your copy of CHASING DAYBREAK by Ranae Glass today. Readers can save $2 on the digital version when they purchase their copy on release day. The price will go up to $4.99 tomorrow.

AVAILABLE TODAY ON AMAZON, BARNES & NOBLE, BAM, BOOK DEPOSITORY.

Isabel Stone wanted a normal life. But when the unexpected death of her father leaves her at the helm of the family business, things quickly go from weird to worse. Vampires are on the loose and out of the coffin, and only Isabel can walk the fine line between the world of the living and the world of the undead.

Torn between letting go of her past and embracing her future, Isabel will have to decide who she can trust, and be willing to use all the weapons at her disposal, to get to the bottom of a terrifying string of deaths that lead right to her doorstep—before she becomes the next victim. In a city where nothing is what it seems, ending up the target of a deranged killer might actually be the high point of her week. Because in this town, the things that go bump in the night… just might kill you.

Chasing Daybreak by Ranae Glass Book Blitz (Excerpt + Giveaway)

Title:  Chasing Daybreak

Series:  Dark of Night, Book 1

Author:  Ranae Glass

Published:  March 24th, 2015

Publisher:  Crimson Tree Publishing

Genre:  NA Paranormal Romance

Content Warning:  Violence and adult language

Recommended Age:  18+

Synopsis:  Isabel Stone wanted a normal life. But when the unexpected death of her father leaves her at the helm of the family business, things quickly go from weird to worse. Vampires are on the loose and out of the coffin, and only Isabel can walk the fine line between the world of the living and the world of the undead.

Torn between letting go of her past and embracing her future, Isabel will have to decide who she can trust, and be willing to use all the weapons at her disposal, to get to the bottom of a terrifying string of deaths that lead right to her doorstep—before she becomes the next victim. In a city where nothing is what it seems, ending up the target of a deranged killer might actually be the high point of her week. Because in this town, the things that go bump in the night… just might kill you.

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Excerpt from Chasing Daybreak by Ranae Glass:

“You were arrested for what?” I asked again in disbelief.

Shane sighed on the other end of the line. “Loitering. Are you gonna come get me or not?”

Part of me wanted to ask why he didn’t just call his rich vamp girlfriend or soon to be boss-man to bail him out, but I held back. Truth was, in some sick, co-dependent, Dr. Phil kind of way, I was glad he’d called me.

“Keep your panties on, I’m on my way. Just relax and try not to eat anybody,” I quipped.

In the background I could hear a male voice tell Shane his time was up.

“Isabel, just hurry, okay?” Nervous tension was thick in his voice.

I quickly put in a call to Craig Gentry, a bail bondsman who’d done some work for my dad in the past, and made a beeline for the precinct.

Shane was sitting on a wooden bench just outside the magistrate’s office, a young, nervous-looking officer standing behind him with a massive shotgun probably loaded with wooden pellets. Not fatal to vamps unless it took out the heart, but certainly enough to do some serious damage.

The kid couldn’t have been more than twenty-one, and judging by his general pallor and sweaty forehead, Shane was probably the first vamp he’d ever seen, much less been tasked to guard. Seeing me walk in, Shane slumped just a fraction, visibly relaxing. It was a very human gesture. One of the many things I’d miss about him when he grew into his new life.

I nodded, warning him with my eyes not to make any sudden movements that might spook the newbie.

Reggie was waiting for me at the desk, chatting with Matilda, the night desk officer. He’d obviously been called in from home. Still wearing his Superman pajama pants and gray sweatshirt, he cradled a cup of coffee with one hand and smoothed down his unruly bed head with the other.

“Reggie,” I called, turning his attention to me.

“Ah, Isabel. Good to see you.”

“Same here.” I thumbed behind me. “Mind sending Skippy over there to get some coffee or something before he accidentally shoots my partner?”

Reggie laughed, leaned forward and called over. “Hey Weston, I got it from here.”

The kid looked like he might argue, then thought better of it and closed his mouth, walking away backwards, watching the back of Shane’s head the whole way.

“Thanks. So what happened?”

“Looks like Shane was over at the Quick Mart down the road from your place about midnight. Clerk thought he was acting ‘suspicious,’ so he called in the black and whites. Shane gave them some lip and they moved to detain him when he flashed fang.”

“Did he put up any resistance?” I asked, knowing as soon as the words were out of my mouth that it was a stupid question. If he’d resisted either he, or more likely they, would be in body bags.

Reggie chuckled. “Nah. But he gave Weston a good scare.”

“The store owner pressing charges?”

“I doubt it. He was pretty pissed to get called in the middle of the night and dragged down here. He and Detective Richards are looking over the security footage right now. If the clerk jumped the gun, then most likely Shane’ll be free to go.”

I turned and looked over my shoulder at Shane who sat there wearing his best innocent face, then turned back to the desk.

“Hey, Reggie, has anyone taken mug shots yet?”

“No. If he’s cut loose there’ll be no need to book him.” His eyebrow shot up as he noticed the wide up-to-no-good grin spreading across my face.

“Cause the thing is, I could really use some photos for the Christmas cards.” I smiled.

Finally catching on, he erupted with laughter.

“Why not? You go break the bad news to Shane. I’ll meet you in the back.” He pointed over his shoulder to the double doors and the magistrate’s office beyond.

I walked over to the bench where Shane sat. “Bad news, the owner might be pressing charges. Reggie said you have to go get your mug shot and fingerprints taken. But he said I could go with you at least.”

Shane stared at me, his mask of innocence morphing into sheer panic, then fading to mild boredom and resignation.

“Fine,” he huffed.

The clink of snapping metal echoed in the nearly empty hallway as he got to his feet before remembering he was handcuffed to the bench. He held up his hands. The links between the cuffs were broken in half. Shane shrugged and I beckoned for him to follow me down the hall.

By the time Joyce, the lady in charge of taking mug shots, was finished Shane knew he’d been set up. Reggie and I were rolling with laughter. At first Shane was confused, but then he looked at the nameplate Reggie had made for him and saw that it read, ‘Merry Christmas from Stone Private Investigations.’

About the Author:

Ranae Glass writes New Adult Paranormal Romance. A Southern girl at heart, Ranae loves feeding people, gardening, and sweet tea. She hails from Oklahoma and lives with her family out West where she spins tales of vampires, werewolves, and other things that go bump in the night. You won’t find any ‘vegetarian’ monsters here, her books are best served bloody and are not for the faint of heart. Ranae is the author of the Dark of Night novels from Crimson Tree Publishing.

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Crimson Tree Publishing Links:

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Giveaway Details:

There is a tour wide giveaway. Prizes include the following:

• A bookmark swag pack and winner’s choice of any Clean Teen Publishing eBook.

Giveaway is International.

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Chasing Midnight by Ranae Glass Cover Reveal

COVER REVEAL FOR THE DARK OF NIGHT SERIES:

Our team at Crimson Tree Publishing is pleased to share the new cover for Chasing Midnight by Ranae Glass. Chasing Midnight is book #2 in the Dark of Night Series. Check out the cover and information below and don't forget to comment and let us know what you think! 

Release Date: April 21, 2015

Publisher: Crimson Tree Publishing

Genre: Paranormal Fiction

Series: Dark of Night Novels (Book #2)

Isabel Stone’s life is far from normal. She’s a girl with problems—vampire problems to be specific and, now, she also has one ticked-off specter on her hands. Approached by a childhood friend and medium, Isabel agrees to look into the murder of a local girl, only to wind up inhabited by the solitary witness—a centuries-old ghost who is all too happy to piggyback along in Isabel’s body, and she’s not leaving until the culprit is behind bars.

With the help of her partner, Shane, and her crazy family, Isabel struggles to get to the truth, unmask a killer, and deal with her growing feelings for not one, but two, of the sexy, undead men vying for her heart. Just when things are finally falling into place, a huge revelation takes her out of the frying pan… and straight into the fire.

CHASING DAYBREAK by Ranae Glass

Release Date: March 3, 2015

Publisher: Crimson Tree Publishing

Genre: Paranormal Fiction

Series: Dark of Night Novels (Book #1)

Isabel Stone wanted a normal life. But when the unexpected death of her father leaves her at the helm of the family business, things quickly go from weird to worse. Vampires are on the loose and out of the coffin, and only Isabel can walk the fine line between the world of the living and the world of the undead.

Torn between letting go of her past and embracing her future, Isabel will have to decide who she can trust, and be willing to use all the weapons at her disposal, to get to the bottom of a terrifying string of deaths that lead right to her doorstep—before she becomes the next victim. In a city where nothing is what it seems, ending up the target of a deranged killer might actually be the high point of her week. Because in this town, the things that go bump in the night… just might kill you.

PRE-ORDER CHASING DAYBREAK TODAY!

DON'T FORGET TO ADD CHASING DAYBREAK TO YOUR GOODREADS TBR LIST! 

ABOUT RANAE GLASS:

Ranae Glass writes New Adult Paranormal Romance. A Southern girl at heart, Ranae loves feeding people, gardening, and sweet tea. She hails from Oklahoma and lives with her family out West where she spins tales of vampires, werewolves, and other things that go bump in the night. You won’t find any ‘vegetarian’ monsters here, her books are best served bloody and are not for the faint of heart. Ranae is the author of the Dark of Night novels from Crimson Tree Publishing. 

Ranae Glass is the pen name for a popular YA author. She uses this name for her NA and adult novels.

More Dark of Night Novels Coming Soon:

Chasing Daybreak (2015)

Chasing Midnight (2015)

Chasing Dawn (2016)...

Chasing Nightfall (2017)

RANAE GLASS LOVES FANGS FANS:

CHECK OUT MORE FROM CRIMSON TREE PUBLISHING:

Chasing Daybreak by Ranae Glass Cover Reveal!

 Hey readers, Happy Tuesday! Thanks for stopping by to check out the cover reveal for an upcoming series that has me SUPER excited to learn more!! Check out the info below!

OFFICIAL COVER REVEAL FOR: 

CHASING DAYBREAK by Ranae Glass

Release Date: March 3, 2015

Publisher: Crimson Tree Publishing

Genre: Paranormal Fiction

Series: Dark of Night Novels (Book #1)

Isabel Stone wanted a normal life. But when the unexpected death of her father leaves her at the helm of the family business, things quickly go from weird to worse. Vampires are on the loose and out of the coffin, and only Isabel can walk the fine line between the world of the living and the world of the undead.

Torn between letting go of her past and embracing her future, Isabel will have to decide who she can trust, and be willing to use all the weapons at her disposal, to get to the bottom of a terrifying string of deaths that lead right to her doorstep—before she becomes the next victim. In a city where nothing is what it seems, ending up the target of a deranged killer might actually be the high point of her week. Because in this town, the things that go bump in the night… just might kill you.

DON'T FORGET TO ADD CHASING DAYBREAK TO YOUR GOODREADS TBR LIST! 

ABOUT RANAE GLASS:

Ranae Glass writes New Adult Paranormal Romance. A southern girl at heart, Ranae loves feeding people, gardening, and sweet tea. She hails from Oklahoma and lives with her family out West where she spins tales of vampires, werewolves, and other things that go bump in the night. You won’t find any ‘vegetarian’ monsters here, her books are best served bloody and are not for the faint of heart. Ranae is the author of the Dark of Night novels from Crimson Tree Publishing. 

Ranae Glass is the pen name for a popular YA author. She uses this name for her NA and adult novels.

More Dark of Night Novels Coming Soon:

Chasing Daybreak (2015)

Chasing Midnight (2015)

Chasing Dawn (2016)...

Chasing Nightfall (2017)

RANAE GLASS LOVES FANGS FANS:

CHECK OUT MORE FROM CRIMSON TREE PUBLISHING:

Special thanks for the team at Crimson Tree Publishing for allowing me to participate, you guys are the best! Until next time, Happy Reading!

-Ethan