Title:  A Midnight Clear
Series:  Last Chance #9.5
Author:  Hope Ramsay
Genre:  Contemporary Romance, Christmas Romance
Published:  December 1, 2015
Publisher:  Forever Yours
My Rating:  5 stars
Source:  NetGalley
Cover Description:

Dr. Tom Crawford isn’t feeling the spirit of the season when he arrives in Last Chance. Far from friends and family, he’s the odd man out in this town of gossiping, tight-knit Southerners-until he meets a sweetly sexy single mom who makes him feel welcome. Suddenly the handsome doctor is thinking he’s finally found a place to call home.

Local florist Teri Summers has her hands full of mistletoe in preparation for the holiday, yet finding someone to kiss is her last priority. But when the gorgeous new doctor makes a connection with her special needs son, Aiden, Teri finds herself wondering if she’s finally found happiness in this season of joy.

For Teri and Tom, Last Chance may be their best chance at love.

Read on for my thoughts on A Midnight Clear.  No true spoilers, promise.

A Midnight Clear is such a heartwarming Christmas miracle type of story.

Teri’s world is hectic, busy and full to overload capacity right now.  As the florist in Last Chance she has Christmas magic to create with her beautiful arrangements… and little time for romance.  When Aiden needs a fast doctor’s visit because of an injury, Teri is concerned on more than one level.  Aiden sees the world far differently than most people and unless this new doctor can take that into account as he treats her son he is going to do more harm than good on this visit.

Tom has little to no excitement for the coming Christmas celebrations.  In a new town, one that doesn’t seem to warm up to outsiders, he’s away from home and feeling a bit put out, if not lonely.  When a young child with Asperger’s arrives, Tom will not only have to create an environment that will make young Aiden comfortable but convince his mother that he is able to take care of her son – on every level.

A Midnight Clear is a short story but don’t let the length fool you, this is a fully complete, touching Christmas romance.  Love was the last thing Teri was looking for but Tom has touched a part of her heart that she had thought she’d closed off long ago.  Taking a risk isn’t easy, but the rewards of finding a man who loves her and her child could far outweigh those risks.

Aiden’s belief in and determination to see an angel is one of the best parts of this story.  When the point of view switches to Aiden, we are given a look into the mind of this sweet child who looks at the world so differently, yet perhaps sees more than the rest of us can ever hope for.

I completely enjoyed this visit to Last Chance and would recommend A Midnight Clear to any reader who simply loves a good story with believable and relatable characters.

(a personal note:  As the parent of a young man with a neuromuscular disorder it always matters to me how authors portray a family situation that involves a special needs member.  The mama bear syndrome is very real, even when your child is far beyond the age of needing that fierceness, it never goes away and the absolute exhaustion and belief that no one else can do the mama bear’s job is also very real.   A single parent myself,  I can tell you with complete honesty that it is not easy to allow or invite someone else into your established cocoon of reality.  Is it worth the risk, oh yes.  But it’s not easy.   It takes great trust and even greater love to share the mama/papa bear title.)

*I received an e-ARC of A Midnight Clear from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. That does not change what I think of this novel.*

Available for the Kindle