Review: Midnight on Julia Street by Ciji Ware

Publisher: Sourcebooks
Pages: 512
Released: 2011
Source: Publisher
Rating: 4/5



Synopsis:

Corlis McCullough moved to New Orleans after she lost her job, and now she has been fired from her job again. How was she supposed to know who was connected to whom, and how her story would upset the wrong people? Corlis seems to always get herself in trouble as a reporter. When her college nemesis, King offers to set her up with a job, she takes is reluctantly. She would love to tell him no, but she had no other options. Shortly after, King finds himself fighting to keep historical buildings from being demolished for new condos, and Corlis begins working with King to tell his side of the story. The more time she spends with King, the more her feelings are beginning to change, which puts the story in jeopardy. Corlis has been having strange dreams, and flashbacks about the buildings that are threatened to be torn down. When she begins to do her own research, Corlis realizes there are not simply dreams.



Review:

Ciji Ware’s books are hard to give a short synopsis. Her books are filled with twists and turns and plenty of historical details. Ware really brings readers two stories, Corlis in the 1920’s and present-day Corlis. New Orleans is brought alive, and readers get the sense of the atmosphere. I really enjoyed the novel, but thought it felt a little too long. It seemed to drag a little bit with so many details. I’ve read most to Ciji Ware’s books, but this one isn’t my favorite.

I really enjoyed Corlis’ characters, she was strong, opinionated and she struggled with herself. When she started to have feelings for King, she didn’t know if she should act on them. Her heart told her one thing, but her mind told her to wait. She needed to get the story, and she needed to put her career first. It was really interesting to learn about their college experience, and their hatred for one another. Both characters really grew since college, and mellowed in their ways.

I would recommend this one. I thought the story was well written and entertaining. The setting was fascinating and the characters were well developed. If you’ve never read Ciji Ware before, I would recommend A Cottage by the Sea, Wicked Company, and/or A Race to Splendor. These books are my favorite.