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Midnight Caller
Emma Bennett is a young widow living in Louisville Kentuck in 1865. Set for income and released from a loveless marriage, she is free to enjoy anything she wants - she is just not sure what that is. The only thing she is certain of is her refusal to marry the conniving, slimy Mr. Hawthorne. A forceful dowager suggests she find herself by hiring a gigolo named Frederick. And Frederick just happens to be black.
An intriguing peek into what could have happened in the South just after the Civil War, Ms. Whitehall builds a story just as compelling as any Regency or Victorian "widow" story. As a financially independent woman, still bound by convention, Emma is very young and very lost. She is also secretly thrilled to be a widow, which sets up an eye-opening tale about what being independent can mean, including the cost it can exact. Several references to some awful occurrence that necessitates her first marriage is brought up as a plot mover, but never revealed, leaving the reader wondering at the end. The characters are well developed, especially for a novella, and the hard working Frederick is a hero any woman would swoon over. It's easy to fall in love with him. "Midnight Caller" is a sexy romp with a happily-ever-after, steamy scenes that fit perfectly and never take away from an accurate trip to the past that is well worth a visit!
Julie York