Reviewer: Lori Graham
Title: His Dark Kiss
Author: Eve Silver
Publisher: Kensington Publishing/Zebra Books
ISBN: 0-8217-7967-2
Release Date: November 2006
Genre/Sub-genre: Historical Romance
Year/Setting: Manorbrier Castle, Shrewsbury
Overall Rating: 4.75
Sexual Content Rating: Sexual
Language (Profanity) Rating: None
Voilent Content Rating: Mild (a few gory things referred to, as in sicknesses)
Eve's Website:
evesilver.net
Emma Parrish has no one in the world who truly cares for her. Her parents are gone and she has been living in her aunts’ home. She feels she has escaped there with her innocence left behind but escaped to what? She has taken a position as governess to a distant relative, Lord Anthony Craven, at Manorbrier Castle.
It seems no small coincidence that the night she arrives is cloaked in darkness and driving rain. Arrives to a castle few people would dare enter out of fear for the man living there. It is said that the castle is clothed with death. Emma is determined to remain, however, because quite frankly returning to her aunts’ home is just not an option. She found it hard to believe that even in sending her away they made money. (She discovers there was money sent for someone to accompany her on the voyage – one she made alone. Nice aunts.)
As she begins to meet the servants living in the home, she starts to wonder about a lot of things. There is Griggs who for lack a better term is jack of all things but also happens to be covered with scars. Then Mrs. Bolifer who is rather stout and missing one arm. There is Meg who is an unmarried maid and intensely pregnant. Rounding out the cast of servants is Cookie, the cook. After meeting all the others, Emma was surprised to see that Cookie appears fairly normal but who knows?? Again, none of this matters because she is here to care for a child and again she has no where else to go.
Master Nicholas is a loving, warm little boy who quickly captures Emma’s heart and makes everything seem normal. That is until Nicky begins sharing with her how many governesses he has had and how they seem to disappear, get sick or are taken away in a box. These little details combined with being told not to go into "The Tower" begin to shake her up.
How can she resolve the questions and doubts she is beginning to have about Lord Craven with the gentle man who she has seen playing with Nicky. But given the feelings starting to grow in her heart, Emma had better get the doubts under control.
His Dark Kiss has quite a bit of intrigue to it. No, it isn’t the car chasing, knife raising, keep you on the edge of your seat suspense. But it is the kind of niggling at the back of your thinking processes. As things continue to change and grow with the story, there is that little voice in the back of your mind wondering what is going on in that tower. Could it be as bad as the village and outsiders think?
Emma is truly the main character in this drama being played out. We, the readers, are given the opportunities to get inside her head and think through her life with her. A reader really starts to wonder, "what would I do?" Would you leave and run away or would you have the strength to stay and figure out the truth?
Emma is a well rounded and thought out heroine. Lord Craven is the dark, handsome man that makes a woman want to take care of him and heal him. Not always a good trap to fall into but one that Emma uses to her advantage in this case. I walked through the story with Emma but found the other characters to be great signs along the way. Each one of them brought something real to the story and were a welcome stop.
Lori
Question or comment regarding the review or the book? Click here and let Lori know.
Top
Reviews
Featured Reviews
Archived Reviews