Review: Stroke of Midnight by K.Webster

Title: Stroke of Midnight

Author: K. Webster

Publisher: Dangerous Press

Publication Date: October 27, 2020

From USA Today bestselling author K Webster comes a brand new forbidden romance that's going to leave you speechless.

Money can buy anything. And anyone.
As the head of the Constantine family, I’m used to people bowing to my will. Cruel, rigid, unyielding—I’m all those things.
When I discover the one woman who doesn’t wither under my gaze, but instead smiles right back at me, I’m intrigued. Ash Elliott needs cash, and I make her trade in crudeness and degradation for it.
I crave her tears, her moans, her submission. I pay for each one. And every time, she comes back for more.
When she challenges me with an offer of her own, I have to decide if I’m willing to give her far more than cold hard cash. But love can have deadly consequences when it comes from a Constantine. At the stroke of midnight, that choice may be lost for both of us.

“He’s a villain who looks the part of a golden prince.” 

 

 First of all, I loved how much of a big deal Winston made when he learned that someone left a chewing gum in his office. He has such high levels of OCD that he calls a meeting with all his managers and employees in his fortune 500 company. 

“This is a mistake of epic proportions.”

He meets Ash Elliot, a girl from a highly dysfunctional family. She wants to go to college but she doesn’t have the money. Winston and Ash strike a deal and start spending time together. I liked Winston and Ash. Although things were shit, Ash didn’t spend time throwing pity parties for herself. She focused on getting money so that she didn’t have to depend on her step-mother and go to college. 

“The more money I make, the sooner I get out from under the mannford influence. Winston wants to shame and embarrass me but pay me for it? So be it. I’m a tough girl. I can handle whatever he throws my way.”

Winston and Ash had great chemistry. During most of the book, they just tease each other. I enjoyed reading about all the other characters. Nate, Winston’s best friend was the most normal out of the lot. But I don’t trust that K. Webster will keep him that way😀, hopefully, she will. Or maybe not. I’m interested in reading about the Morellis. My favorite alteration from the original Cinderella is including three step-brothers instead of two step-sisters. I was hugely creeped out by them. Scenes between Ash and her step-brothers made me uncomfortable although they were vital in making the book edgier. Even Ash’s parrot, Shrimp was compelling. 

 

“My pink parakeet loves everyone except my stepmother and her monster boys. Shrimp is a good judge of character.”

 Stroke of Midnight is written in the first person in both Winston and Ash's perspectives. This book is extremely different from the fairytale though the basic storyline is the same. K.Webster did add those little touches which are represented in Ash’s dresses and how Winston calls her ‘Cinderelliot’. The entire book felt so bizarre and random but I enjoyed it. 

Stroke of Midnight is the most provocative version of Cinderella you will ever read. Just like the book, my mind is also all over the place. I devoured this book. All of it. It got me hooked from the first page itself. I never read K.Webster’s other books and I’m skeptical when I read dark romance which is not Penelope Sky but consider me impressed. I had a lot of fun reading this book. It was extremely entertaining. I have never read anything like this before. I’ve mentioned before how I feel about Cliffhangers in this book tag. Especially when I can’t access the sequel title. But I enjoyed this book so much that I couldn’t even be bothered. I began reading Whispers and the Roars but I'm not understanding what's happening, so I'm possibly going to pick something else. Recommended for fans of dark romance. Not for the faint of heart. 

 Triggers: Sexual assault, mild abuse. 

ARC provided by K.Webster and Valentine pr. Thank you.

Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Reaction(s)

Ending(cliffhanger)

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