Made the Grade: A Waltz at Midnight by Crista McHugh

- This is an ARC book - Available Formats through Amazon.com: Kindle Edition - File Size: 238 KB | Expected Release Date: February 27, 2012 | Publisher: Carina Press | Obtained: NetGalley

"A Waltz at Midnight" by Crista McHugh

My Book Summary : Set in 1866, right after the American Civil War, Susanna finds her life completely changed. Instead of living in the home she grew up in the south, her brother and her now live in their Aunt's boarding house in New York. Where she works as a servant there, dealing with spoiled debutantes. However, when one of the debutantes receives a letter from a suitor that she would like to discourage but doesn't know how, she hires Susanna to do so for her.

One letter turns into two and then she finds that she enjoys written to this suitor more than she should. However, what will happen when emotions get involved and it finally becomes time to meet, will she be able to tell him the truth in hopes he won't get angry or will she let him go for good??

My Book Review : 3 out of 5 stars! Even though this isn't true, this is a short story that seemed to be a clever mix of Disney's "Cinderella" and Lisa Kleypas's "Love in the Afternoon." From the way Susanna is now a servant (like in "Cinderella") to how she is asked to respond to someone else's suitor (like how the plot is in "Love in the Afternoon"). However, since I like both of those novels it made me enjoy this short story that much more.

I really liked reading the letters between Susanna and Theodore, they were flirty, well written, and have enough banter, between the two of them, that I could see the romance bloom after each letter. Then, of course, the author wraps up the story in such a sweet way that makes everyone happy .... except, probably, Theodore and Charlotte's parents.

I recommend this to anyone who liked the two stories listed above and to anyone who would enjoy reading a short story historical romance. One that is very sweet and charming. =0)

Book Teaser(s) :

She paused, wanting to continue to berate him by sharing her personal stories of the tears she shed when her father was killed at Gettysburg, the brave face she was forced to show when her brother returned missing a leg and half-dead from fever, or her flight from Columbia when Sherman came marching in with lit torches. But then she remembered she was posing as Charlotte. Mr. Blakely didn’t know who she was and wouldn’t even care about a refugee from the South.
She signed Charlotte’s name and sealed the letter in an envelope. The first flakes of winter’s snow were falling outside, but she didn’t care. She just wanted to be done with Mr. Theodore Blakely. ~ within Chapter 3

For more information on this book and/or any other books by Crista, then please check out her website.