REVIEW: A Scandalous Midnight in Madrid by Susan Stephens

A Scandalous Midnight in Madrid by Susan Stephens is the second story in the multi-authored Passion in Paradise series, a sexy and evocative romance set in Spain.

When head chef Sadie Montgomery encounters the well known and wealthy Alejandro de Alegon at her Madrid restaurant, she is certainly intrigued and attracted to him. When Alejandro is injured in an accident, Sadie ends up being hired by Alejandro’s sister to go to his mountain castle and help ensure he has good food to nurse him back to health, and to consult on an upgrade to his kitchens. Alejandro soon shows her a new world, his people and his customs and they embark on a passionate affair. But is the heart of this complicated man ready for love?

While I enjoyed the setting and the romance in this story, I feel it’s important to point out that the use of the name Gypsy to describe the Roma, a culturally diverse European nomadic people is considered offensive to the Roma themselves and detracted from my overall feeling about the story. At no time does the author use the Roma designation when describing her characters or their culture, but always the ‘gypsy’ moniker. Alejandro is the product of a ‘gypsy’ princess and a royal Spaniard, and he’s thought of and described by his mother’s people as their ‘gypsy’ king. On the plus side, there is no negative connotation to his heritage but rather the emphasis is on Alejandro’s family ties and his peoples’ love of dance, specifically the flamenco and its important and entwined history with Spain. Alejandro also is a wealthy businessman, the Spanish side of his heritage so he spends time equally in the bustling cities as he does in his beloved mountains.

Sadie has a strong English backbone and doesn’t hesitate to speak her mind and stand up for herself against the dominant Alejandro. But she can’t ignore the attraction between them either and a sensual affair ensues. Ending up pregnant puts both of them on notice that things are going to be more complicated. They have to go through some emotional ups and downs, plus survive a natural disaster that affects his people before they get to their happy ending. It’s an entertaining and sensual romance, but would have gotten a higher grade if the author had taken more care with her character’s heritage.

Book Info:

Publication: May 21, 2019 | Harlequin Presents | Passion in Paradise #2

Her body awakened… By Madrid’s most eligible bachelor!

Chef Sadie Montgomery’s life is changed forever by an intense moonlit encounter in Madrid with infamous Alejandro de Alegon. The sizzling anticipation he sparks tempts virgin Sadie all the way to his Spanish castle…and into his bed! She’s never known anything like the wild passion Alejandro unleashes. But their night of illicit pleasure soon turns Sadie into Spain’s most scandalous headline: Pregnant with Alejandro’s Baby!Feel the heat in this sizzling Spanish romance–with a secret baby twist!