Reviewed by Gannon Carr
Publisher: Penguin
4 stars

I really have enjoyed this series of Emma Holly’s, but I have found it difficult to write the review for Saving Midnight. Not because I didn’t like it, but because it’s incredibly difficult not to give too much away.  So, dear readers, forgive me if this review is brief.

Edmund is back with his family after being rescued by them in Breaking Midnight, but he is obsessed with tracking down his captors, Frank and Li-Hua, who escaped while the Fitz Clares were saving him.  Edmund is also plagued with guilt because his eldest son, Graham, became a vampire in order to save him.  Added to that is the fact that his senses Graham’s mark on Estelle (Edmund’s fiancé).  In his heart, Edmund knows that Estelle only let Graham feed from her because she was the only one able to handle a young vampire, but he can’t stop the feelings of jealousy that sometimes overtake him.  But he must not let himself be ruled by these emotions, because his primary mission is to hunt down Frank and Li-Hua and destroy them!

Little does Edmund know that Frank and Li-Hua are growing more powerful each day and killing them will not be easy, even for a master umpyr.  Li-Hua and Frank have obtained a small brass box, which allows them to capture the souls of their victims.  With each soul they take they become stronger—virtually unstoppable.  Hoping to draw Edmund out—and the rest of the Fitz Clare family—Frank and Li-Hua attack Pen, Graham’s lover, at her deceased mother’s plantation home.  The Fitz Clares come to her rescue and begin planning their hunt for their enemies.  It is imperative that they band together, for only with their combined strength can they hope to finally destroy Frank and Li-Hua.

Ms. Holly has given her readers another fast paced paranormal tale filled with her trademark erotic love scenes.  If you like your romances hot, fast and filled with vamps and shapeshifters, this series is for you.

1. She’s married to Roarke, the richest, sexiest man in the world.

This definitely makes Eve Dallas the luckiest woman there is.  Roarke is, quite simply, the cream of the crop.  Yes, my husband is aware of my prurient fantasy starring Roarke.  But that’s okay, since he’s a character in a book.  But what a character! Lucky Eve!

2. She’s a kick-ass cop, who never backs down.

Eve is a Lieutenant in the NYPSD (New York Police and Security Department) Homicide Division, and she has advanced through hard work, smarts and sheer determination.  She doesn’t take crap from anyone and expects the same dedication to duty in her associates that she shows.  There is no situation that is too much for her.  Even when her life is in peril, she never backs down.

3. She has all sorts of amazing gadgets at her disposal.

Eve Dallas resides in the mid-21^st century where technology is king.  Automobiles can be programmed for autopilot and they can also fly.  Body sculpting, change in hair and eye color, and other cosmetic procedures can be done with ease.  Food and drink can be programmed into the Auto Chef—think the Jetsons, where you punch in your choice and it pops out of a slot.  Now, that is something I could totally go for.

4. She lives a completely mag mansion….with Roarke.

Did I mention Roarke already?  Oh well, he is worth mentioning many times.  Roarke’s home is more than just a mansion.  It’s more like a magnificent fortress built of stone and glass, right at the edge of the city, yet isolated from the noise and madness of the masses.  Lush, sweeping grounds surround Roarke and Eve’s haven, which is filled with every luxury imaginable.

5. She is loved and adored by the inimitable Roarke.

In case you haven’t guessed, Roarke is the main reason I’d love to be Eve.  He’s tall, dark, and handsome with piercing blue eyes, more money than God, and a melodious Irish brogue.  Is it any wonder I love him?  Or Eve?  Roarke is fascinated by Eve from the moment he meets her, when she is interrogating him as a suspect.  He finds her irresistible, and before he knows it, attraction and lust quickly turn to love.  Eve has difficulty understanding why Roarke would love her.

“Okay, it scares the shit out of me, and I don’t know why.  I’m not used to having someone there, having someone look at me like—the way he does sometimes it’s unnerving.  Because I haven’t done anything to make him care about me as much as I know he does.”

At first Eve is afraid of her growing feelings for Roarke and his for her.  She’s never felt this way about anyone and is not sure how to handle it.  Those who know her describe her as strong, valiant, troubled and dependable.  Love and romance confound her.  When she discusses this with Dr. Mira, the NYPSD psychiatrist, Mira has this answer for Eve:

“Eve, even strong, self-made women have weak spots.  Don’t be afraid of them.”

Eve and Roarke both had horrific childhoods and despite that, they have made something of themselves.  They were two lost souls who found each other and finally have something and someone that grounds them.  Eve may be a strong, take-no-punches cop, but on the inside, especially where Roarke is concerned, she is a loving and sometimes vulnerable woman.  In Roarke’s words, here is just a small part of what he loves about her:

“…your courage, your absolute dedication to balancing scales, that restless mind, and that sweet corner of your heart that pushes you to care about so many.”

Complex, intriguing, brilliant, and devoted to her job, her friends and her husband, Eve Dallas is one of my favorite heroines, without a doubt.  Lucky for me, J.D. Robb (aka Nora Roberts) continues to write the addictive In Death series, so I can always get my Roarke, I mean my Eve fix!

Here’s a question for all of you.  Have you ever wanted to be the heroine in a book you’re reading?

Reviewed by Gannon Carr
Publisher: Kensington
4 stars

Desperate times call for desperate measures, and Lady Charlotte Chartwell is the personification of desperation.  Her philandering husband was murdered by one of his many mistresses, and to make matters worse, Charlotte has not inherited one penny of his estate, including the dowry she brought to the marriage.  While waiting for the Court of Chancery to award her part of her deceased husband’s estate, Charlotte has sold nearly all of her possessions, residing in her father’s unfurnished townhouse.  Charlotte refuses to sell her family home, so she’s left with no choice but to sell herself.  Riding in a hackney through Hyde Park, Charlotte searches for an acceptable “candidate.”  Enter Alexander Baxendale, third Earl of Hawksford, who is known by the ton as the Lord of Pleasure.

Alexander is taken aback by Charlotte’s brazen offer of “How much will you offer for me, sir?”  Curiosity gets the best of him, and he enters the carriage to discover what this lady wants, for she is clearly a lady by her mannerisms and speech.  But why would a lady of good breeding proposition a gentleman in Hyde Park?  Alexander’s initial intentions are centered on pleasure, but the more time he spends with Charlotte and learns about her, his protective instinct emerges. But not before he manages to make Charlotte’s head spin with his kisses and caresses.  Still, Alexander’s gentlemanly manner takes charge, and he escorts Charlotte to her residence.  She may be out of sight, but certainly not out of mind.  Alexander wants Charlotte more than he’s ever wanted another woman, but with five young sisters who he wants to marry well, he needs to be respectable and leave his Lord of Pleasure persona behind.

Alexander rolled his eyes, wondering if he would ever please any of them.  Though in all honesty, they, much like he, knew that at the core of his soul, he was pitifully softhearted and loved each and every one of their intolerable little ways.

Who wouldn’t love a man like that?  Ah, but Charlotte doesn’t know about Alexander’s soft heart, just his hard…body and pleasure seeking ways.  But she is now working for Madame de Maitenon interviewing prospective students for Madame Therese’s School of Gallantry.  And the last man she expects to walk through the door is Alexander.  Alexander lost a wager to his friend, Lord Caldwell, and he must accompany Caldwell to The School of Gallantry for an interview.  Caldwell has some secret reason for coming, which he won’t share with Alexander, but all of Alexander’s attention is focused on Charlotte.  Why is she here?  Has she well and truly become a courtesan to support herself?  Though he finds that possibility abhorrent, Alexander can’t help but imagine having Charlotte in his bed.  So he tells her that he will agree to attend The School of Gallantry if Charlotte will be his “teacher.”

How about this, Lord Hawksford.  If Madame de Maitenon accepts your application into the school, I will personally see to it that you’re allowed to pleasure me.  Will that suffice?

And so it begins.  The dance of seduction between Alexander and Charlotte twists and turns, leading them in the direction of love.  Will Charlotte believe that Alexander loves her rather than lusts for her?  And will Alexander risk scandal for the chance to love Charlotte?

Delilah Marvelle continues her School of Gallantry series, which began with Mistress of Pleasure.  Both books take place concurrently, so it is not necessary to read them in order.  Once again, Ms. Marvelle has given her readers an historical romance with plenty of heat, as well as laughter.  Pick up a copy of Lord of Pleasure and prepare to be satisfied.

Reviewed by Gannon Carr
Publisher Penguin
August 4, 2009
4.5 stars

Many, many years ago, twins were born and abandoned by their mother.  One was rescued by a group of nomads, who raised him and helped him develop his “gift”—the ability to make fire in the palm of his hand.  When he was older, he rescued other babies like himself; those who had been abandoned and who now possessed special gifts.  They were the Chosen Ones, the force of good in the world.

The other twin, a baby girl, was found by a witch who saw the unusual mark on the baby’s palm. And she knew that the girl was special.  The witch raised the girl, but instead of nurturing her, the old woman tortured the girl and fostered a sense of hate in her.  When the girl grew to be a young woman she predicted a terrible death for the witch, for her gift was the gift of precognition.  The witch’s death was indeed horrible, and the girl was the instrument of that death.  After she killed the witch, the devil appeared before the girl and tempted her to become his handmaiden and do his bidding.  He promised her power if she would find other abandoned babes like her and teach them to hate and do his work.  They became the Others, the darkness who battled the light of the Chosen Ones.  They fought for the Abandoned Ones and the right of who would turn these innocent ones to the path of light or the path of darkness.  Their descendents continue the fight.

Jacqueline Vargha has always tried to ignore her gift, running across the country, working in various jobs.  But she cannot run from her fate as a Chosen One.  She’s been working in the tasting room of a Napa Valley winery, trying to live a “normal” life, and one day Mr. Tall, Dark and Sexy walks in and all hope for a normal life is shot to hell.  After all, he’s one of the things she has been running from.  Much to Jacqueline’s dismay, it looks like fate, in the guise of her former lover, has not only come knocking on her door, but he just kicked the darn thing down!

Caleb D’Angelo has been sent to bring Jacqueline back to New York, so she can join the newest group of Chosen Ones, as is her destiny.  But since he left Jacqueline abruptly a few years ago and has not spoken to her since, he may have a little trouble convincing her to go with him.  But as head bodyguard to Zusane, Jacqueline’s mom and the current seer for the Gypsy Travel Agency (those who look after the Chosen), it is his duty to see that Jacqueline joins the rest of the Chosen.  The one thing in his favor is that the passion he and Jacqueline once shared is hotter than ever and their reunion is positively combustible.  But hot sex not withstanding, Caleb literally has to drag Jacqueline to NYC, practically kicking and screaming all the way.

They arrive in the appointed meeting place, a subway station.  The rest of the Chosen are already there, standing inside a chalk circle, which has been magically enhanced, making them invisible to the other people in the station.  Zusane is there and is perturbed that Jacqueline is the last one to show and that her reluctance to take her place as a Chosen One is so blatantly obvious.  Once everyone is together in the circle, Zusane has a vision of the destruction of the Gypsy Travel Agency.  The building and all within have been destroyed.  The only Chosen Ones remaining are the neophytes within the circle.  Despite their lack of experience, they must band together, because they are the only ones who can stop the Others from taking control and enveloping the world in darkness and destruction.

Christina Dodd has given her fans another winner with her new paranormal series, The Chosen Ones.  The battle of good versus evil once again takes center stage, and the action and suspense will keep you turning the pages until the very end.  Of course, there is a fantastic cliffhanger, which will make you glad that you don’t have to wait long for Book #2, Storm of Shadows.  Storm of Visions is a nonstop thrill ride of explosive action, intriguing mysteries and red-hot sex.  Plus, fans of Dodd’s Darkness Chosen series are in for a treat, as one of the Chosen is a member of the Wilder family.  Paranormal romance enthusiasts will NOT want to miss this one!

Reviewed by Gannon Carr
Grand Central Publishing
4.25 stars

In 1374 Scotland, seventeen-year-old Janet “Jenny” Easdale finds herself betrothed to a loathsome man who cares for nothing more than her title and estates.  She became Baroness Easdale of Easdale upon the death of her father, as he had no male heir to succeed him.  Her betrothed, Reid Douglas, is eager to become Baron of Easdale, but the title will not automatically come to him when he marries Jenny.  Only she has the right to decide when he will gain that title.  Jenny’s uncle, and guardian since the death of her father, betrothed her to Reid, who is wife’s youngest brother.  As far as they are concerned, marrying Reid to Jenny will provide him with a satisfactory income and a title; and he will no longer be a worry for them. Jenny tires of Reid constantly groping her at their betrothal banquet and hopes, somewhat futilely, that he will cease if she ignores him. She gets far more pleasure from watching the band of minstrels who are performing.  In Jenny’s opinion, the life of a minstrel seems more exciting than hers.  She longs for an adventure before she must marry her obnoxious betrothed and begins to formulate a plan to join the minstrels for a brief escapade.

Jenny’s maidservant, Peg, has a brother named Bryan who is a member of the minstrel troupe, so Jenny convinces Peg to let her go with her when she meets with Bryan after everyone else has gone to bed.  Dressing in plain, unassuming clothing, Jenny disguises her true identity from the troupe and becomes known simply as “Bonny Jenny.”  An expert with a lute and possessing a lovely singing voice, Jenny soon becomes a favorite with the crowds for whom the minstrels play.  Peg is appalled that Jenny has run away, but Jenny assures her that it’s just a brief adventure before she must marry the odious Reid.  Little does Jenny know that her little jaunt is about to come to a halt.

Sir Hugh Douglas, Reid’s elder brother, is a seasoned warrior and well-respected member of the powerful Clan Douglas.  He has little patience for his brother and his idle ways.  So when Lord Dunwythie, Jenny’s uncle, awakens him from a sound sleep and asks him to help search for Jenny, Hugh refuses.  Why should the whereabouts of his brother’s betrothed concern him?  Shouldn’t Reid be the one searching for Jenny?  Alas, Reid is suffering the effects of imbibing too much whisky.  But Dunwythie appeals to Hugh’s sense of honor and duty and convinces him to find Jenny and bring her home.

Jenny immediately recognizes Hugh when he catches up to the minstrel troupe, but not wanting to cause too much of a scandal for Jenny, Hugh poses as a troubadour calling himself Hugo.  Hugh is certain that he will have no problem getting Jenny to return home, but he doesn’t count on her strong will.  Plus, she believes that she has overheard what could be a conspiracy against Scotland.  Hugh tries to convince her that she must have dreamed it, but Jenny will not be dissuaded.  She wants to remain with the minstrels until she solves the mystery.   Hugh is soon captivated by Jenny’s wit, bravery and beauty.  And he doesn’t stand a chance once the mischievous band of minstrels decide to play matchmaker.

Amanda Scott makes Scotland come alive in Tamed By A Laird.  She gives the reader a real sense of place and time, like watching a movie.  This is a delightful story filled with romance, passion, humor and intrigue.  So pick up a copy of this book and take a wee “trip” to Scotland.  You’ll enjoy yourself, and you won’t have to deal with those pesky lines at the airport!

Reviewed by Gannon Carr
Publisher: Berkley Sensations
4 stars

Edmund’s fiancée, Estelle and his three children, Graham, Ben and Sally, are frantic in their quest to discover Edmund’s whereabouts, but only know that Edmund is no longer in London.  Estelle begins “dream walking”-finding rapture in Edmund’s arms once more.  When she wakes, she’s alone, but is still experiencing the throes of ecstasy.  Initially puzzled by what’s happening to her, Estelle eventually realizes that she and Edmund forged a special bond when he took her blood.  Now, they are somehow “psychically” connected, which may help her discover where he is.  After several dream walking experiences, Estelle discovers that Edmund is being held in the dungeon of a castle in Switzerland.  Estelle tells the rest of the family where she believes Edmund is, and they immediately make travel plans to go to Switzerland to rescue him.  As they preparing to board the train to leave, they are met by Penelope “Pen” Anderson, the daughter of a wealthy American industrialist for whom Graham used to work.  Pen offers to assist in their search and subsequent rescue of Edmund, but Graham insists that they do not need her help.  But Pen has connections and resources that no one quite expects, and she will be more valuable than they realize.

Meanwhile, Edmund’s captors, Frank and Li-Hua, keep him bound in iron chains, which continue to drain his strength.  They bring him very young human victims for him to feed upon, but he continues to refuse even as though he is starving.  Edmund is afraid in his heightened state of hunger that he will not be able to stop feeding and will kill his victims.  Of course, this is what Frank and Li-Hua have in mind; they keep a movie camera at the ready, so they can film Edmund “turning” the humans.  If they can discover how a upyr creates another, they will sell this secret to the Nazis, so they can create a race of supernatural beings who will be virtually unstoppable.  Even though Frank and Li-Hua are waiting for Edmund’s family to attempt to rescue him (and fail), they do not count on the strength of love and loyalty that will give the Fitz Clares the upper hand.

This second book in The Fitz Clare Chronicles is full of nonstop action, suspense and red hot, erotic sex.  Edmund and Estelle are at the forefront of the story, of course, but the secondary characters are a pivotal element in the story, providing much of the action both inside of the bedroom and out!  Breaking Midnight is a fast paced, gripping story that leaves you wanting more. Emma Holly has once again given her readers a book that satisfies, yet makes them crave more of the Fitz Clare family.  Fortunately, readers only have to wait until August for the next book, Saving Midnight.

Reviewed by Gannon Carr
Publisher: Penguin
4 stars (or 4 red stilettos)

Edmund Fitz Clare is an upyr-a shapeshifting vampire—who must keep his true identity a secret from those he loves: the three orphans he adopted when they were young children and the young woman he has desired for years.  But secrets have a way of catching up to you, and Edmund’s world is about to change.

Estelle Berenger has been close to the Fitz Clare family since she was fifteen years old, when she befriended young Sally Fitz Clare at school.  And she was curiously attracted to Sally’s father, Edmund, which at her age she knew was verboten.  Wrong or not, Estelle found him to be sexy, kind and mysterious – just the sort of qualities to fascinate a young girl on the cusp of womanhood.  Early one evening while watching an approaching storm and daydreaming about Edmund, Estelle hears a wolf a howl – there are no wolves in London, she thinks to herself – and suddenly a lightning bolt  strikes her right eye.  And she swears she saw the wolf leap between her and the bolt of lightning.  From then on, Estelle could see “more” with her right eye and hear the slightest noise with her right ear, referring to them as her “funny” eye and ear.

As the years pass, Estelle’s feelings for Edmund never waver, and now she is an independent, working woman living on her own, her parents having since died.  Edmund stuns her one night  by admitting that he has wanted her for years, too.  Their first night together is passionate, intense and hot, hot, hot!  Their passion for one another continues to grow as does their love, but a vampire war is imminent, and someone who is near and dear to Edmund has discovered his secret and betrays him.  Now, Edmund and Estelle will need their love, as well as the love of his children, more than ever to defeat his enemies.

This was my first Emma Holly book – what a way to start!  This is the first book of the Fitz Clare Chronicles.  The next book, Breaking Midnight will be released in July and the third, Saving Midnight will be released in August.  I’m all for less wait time between books – patience is not my strong suit when it comes to continuing sagas!  Kissing Midnight is extremely erotic; in fact, I don’t think a chapter goes by without at least one very steamy sex scene, and they do not just involve Edmund and Estelle.  So, if you like your romance to sizzle like the summer heat, pick up a copy of Kissing Midnight….and a fan to cool you off!

Reviewed by Gannon Carr
Publisher: Penguin
3.25 stars

Steve Pappas is helping out his Uncle Gus, who’s the local plumber, by fixing Kitty’s toilet.  He does the job quickly so as not to disturb the obvious party going on, especially Kitty’s encounter with Officer Bob, the stripper.  In Steve’s rush to leave the house, he forgets one of his tools and returns later for it.  By then, the party is over, but he and Kitty do a little more celebrating of the intimate sort!  When Kitty wakes up (alone) the next morning, she is mortified that she had sex with a man she just met.  Steve the Plumber is sexy, no doubt, but with an iffy career and three divorces behind him, he’s not exactly prime husband material.

Besides, Kitty has bigger problems.  Her real estate business is taking a nosedive due to the new community, which is being handled by another broker.  Her house needs major renovations, but her mother would rather sell it to the highest bidder.  Kitty needs to make some big changes in her life, but should a relationship with Steve be one of them?  Her fellow Bunco Babes, Pilar and Shea, think Steve is Mr. Wrong, but Kitty’s not sure they’re right.

Bunco Babes Tell All is a fun, lighthearted read.  Having spent many enjoyable hours playing Bunco with my girlfriends, I could definitely relate to the laughing, eating and drinking.  Hey, that’s the best part of Bunco!  My one “issue” with the story was that Kitty and Steve had too many secrets that they kept from each other.  Although, everything was resolved in the end, I couldn’t help but wish for a little more honesty.  Still, it’s an amusing summer read with plenty of laughs.

Reviewed by Gannon Carr
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
4 stars

Who can’t remember those angst filled teen years when the least little thing seemed a matter of life and death.  Jennifer Echols has written an outstanding young adult novel that captures that time and all those emotions.  Meg is a troubled teenager in a small town in Alabama.  She wants nothing more than to leave home after graduation and never look back.  Until then, she seems destined to stir up trouble.  One night, she and her boyfriend and two of their friends decide to hang out on the railroad bridge outside of town, drinking and making out.  What they don’t count on is the police showing up and putting the kibosh on their teenage shenanigans.

Officer John After cannot believe that these four foolish kids are hanging out on this bridge, risking their lives.  Years ago, a young couple was killed by a train on the same bridge, and John can’t let that happen again.  In fact, patrolling the bridge late at night has become his mission, for reasons of his own.  He wants to scare these kids “straight” after their encounter, so he and the rest of the police department come up with a plan.  Each of the kids will spend their spring break riding around with the police department, fire department and ambulance services, respectively.  The only one who is off the hook is Eric, Meg’s boyfriend.  He’s the local pot-smoking bad boy whose daddy just happens to be a local attorney with a habit of getting Eric out of any tight spot he squeezes his way into.  Not only is Meg going to miss her spring break in Miami, but she has to spend the week riding shotgun with Officer After.

Meg is something of the town “bad girl”; with her blue hair, suggestive clothing and wild behavior, she has earned her title.  But Meg uses all of this as a shield to keep anyone from getting too close and as a means of avoiding who she really is and all of her emotional baggage.  It takes her awhile to realize that Officer After is just a year older than her; in fact, he was in her Spanish class last year.  But he seems much more mature and in Meg’s opinion, he’s too uptight.  So when she feels some attraction toward him, it freaks her out.  But when she notices that the attraction is mutual, she wonders if maybe a bad girl and a rookie cop can be together.

John graduated at the top of his class, but gave up a scholarship to UAB to stay home and become a cop.  He feels compelled to serve and protect and enforce the law.  When he catches Meg and her friends on the bridge, he is furious with them and their total disregard for the law and hopes to teach them all a lesson that they won’t forget.  But having Meg with him on the job for a week turns out nothing like John expects.  In trying to teach her a lesson, he just may learn something about himself.

Going Too Far is a romantic and tender story about two lost souls whose unlikely friendship blossoms into something far deeper.  Meg and John have both dealt with tragedy and loss and wounded spirits that they are, they each hide behind the barriers they have erected, thinking it will protect them from further hurt.  They learn that if they trust one another, they can drop those walls and start to truly live.  Great dialogue and appealing characters make Going Too Far a book worth reading, no matter what your age.

Reviewed by Gannon Carr
Publisher Penguin
4.5 stars

Marcus Helios, known as Lord Alexander to London society, was a member of the elite Shadow Guard until a rash decision took it all away.  Now he is fighting an insidious madness that will be his downfall.  His only hope is hidden in two ancient scrolls, which Mark believes to be in the hands of Mina Limpett.  Mina’s father is a scholar who has been searching for the proof of immortals—such as Mark and the other Shadow Guards—but his academic colleagues have lost respect for him.  Mina and her father end up in the remote mountains of Bengal continuing his quest, but he panics because he thinks that someone has found them and is after the scrolls.  Professor Limpett sends Mina back to London, and tells her to forget about him and tell everyone that he is dead.  Confused and distraught, Mina does as her father asks and goes to London to live with her uncle and his family.  But she doesn’t know that danger stalks her….and so does Mark.

Time is running out for Mark; before the madness consumes him and he is assassinated by one of his fellow Shadow Guards, he must find the key to his salvation.  So Mark sets out to seduce Mina and convince her to give him the information he needs from the scrolls.  Although Mina is intrigued by Mark and most assuredly attracted to him, she doesn’t quite trust him.  But Mark will not be so easily discouraged; he asks Mina’s uncle, Lord Trafford, for her hand in marriage.  Never concerned with scandal, Mark obtains a special license and he and Mina are married quickly and quietly.  And Mina soon sees first hand the madness that Mark is dealing with.  He’s not the only one who wants the scrolls; the Dark Bride, Jack the Ripper’s jilted lover wants them too.  And her evil plans threaten not only Mark and Mina, but all that they hold dear.

In her first book, Night Falls Darkly, Kim Lenox created a captivating and new mythos with her Shadow Guard series.  She continues to expand and explore this world in her newest Victorian set paranormal.  When Mark appeared on the pages of the first book, he was compelling, but incredibly arrogant.  In So Still the Night he hasn’t lost that “bad boy” charm and arrogance, but with his demise breathing down his neck, he is vulnerable.  And who doesn’t love an alpha male who shows his vulnerability with his heroine?  Mina is a spunky heroine who most definitely brings Mark to his knees when he deserves it, and does he ever!  While he lusts after Mina in the beginning, and vice versa, he truly grows to love her and is ready to sacrifice everything for her.

So Still the Night is brimming with passion, suspense and a spooky gothic element.  I’m looking forward to the next book in this engaging series.  If you’re in the mood for an historical with a liberal helping of paranormal, then this is a book you won’t want to miss.