Aidan O' Connor had it all; fame, wealth, a handful of Oscars and an adoring fan base until his family and close friends tried to destroy him. Left feeling only bitterness and pain by the betrayal of those he loved, Aidan becomes a recluse until one stormy night his peaceful isolation is broken by the arrival of a beautiful woman, who if he is to believe, is an ancient goddess of dreams determined to protect him. Leta, an Oneroi has spent millennia in status healing following her battle with Dolor, the physical personification of Pain; an immortal who murdered her husband and infant daughter. Unable to kill him by the decree of Zeus, she instead cursed Dolor; never believing a human would be capable of enacting out the deeds required to release the God of Pain from his imprisonment. Unfortunately the mortal with the deep sadistic streak required to release Dolor just happens to be Donnie; Aidan's brother and the chief instigator of the attempts to crush his brother's career. Consumed by jealousy and hatred, Donnie's first request made to newly released Dolor is the painful death of Aidan. Borderline Skoti, Leta is initially drawn to Aidan because of the depth of his rage and betrayal, deep feelings that fuel her own strength, which she very much needs if she wishes to completely destroy Dolor. Both Aidan and Leta are tortured souls drawn together to fight an evil; and amid their battles they find themselves falling in love and learning to trust each other. I'm a loyal fan of SK's works and hate to make any negative comment; however "Upon a Midnight Clear" does not pack the same punch as her "Darkhunter" series. In fact the highlight of this book is the last 20 or so pages. In her far too short "Holiday Gatherings" SK revisits many favourite characters from previous books; including Acheron, Simi, the Hunter and Deveraux clans and familiar faces found in Sanctuary. I normally find myself completely absorbed in SK's paranormal world yet this book was for some reason quite muted; even when something terrible happened to Leta during the climatic battle against Dolor, I just didn't find myself caring that much. In SK's "Darkhunter" books I've been left close to tears, yet the most heartbreaking moments of this book lacked the emotional impact this author normally produces. UTMC is undoubtedly a short novel compared to many other "Darkhunter" books, which may explain the overall abbreviated air to it. Everything happened far too quickly; from the emotional commitment between the leading lovers (at odds with the depth of their emotional scars) to the final rushed battle against Dolor. I also missed the abundant quips and pithy comebacks normally fired between the leading lovers. I would perhaps give this book 4 stars if it wasn't written by SK; however when compared to the likes of "Fantasy Lover" or "Dance With the Devil" it just doesn't match the high standards I associate with this author's works. I admit I am disappointed with UTMC; but not to a degree that I won't snap up the "Darkhunter" books scheduled for release in 2008.