Customer Reviews

Dark Angel

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is my first book by Lynne Graham and I was pleasantly surprised. This book as already been written out in past reviews is about a really sharp up & coming young executive that got set up and shafted for embezzling funds from this family run wine company. After serving 5 yrs of prison term, he is freed and the course for revenge is set in motion. Part of his revenge is to reclaim the fiance that left him right before his arrest.

A lot of people don't like the hero, but I did. He is an alpha hero through and through, arrogant as heck, but very possessive of his woman. He did act like a jerk initially, but 5 years of prison, it kind of changes a person and he could have turned out a lot worst. In addition, he truly felt that the heroine may have known about his setup many years ago since her breakup with him was timed so perfectly. But after a few days of being together again, the chemistry and the feelings comes flooding back for the both of them. I also admire how the hero has risen up from poverty with a single mom and labeled a bastard child.

There were momemts where I felt the heroine was just too naive and should have "stood by her man". However, she too was searching for love of family and a sense of belonging.

The loves scenes were sensual but not burning hot. If they were kicked up a notch, I would have given the book a full 5 stars.

I won't tell you what's in the book that's what I believe the accompanying review is for. I will say LG is one of my favorite authors. I love her strong perfect males and her female characters that always have at least one flaw that all women identify with even if it's only the belief that some day our prince will come. All the ingredients are there, the strong male, the woman waiting for "the one", beautiful love scenes and happy every after. The enjoyment is in seeing how the author mixes these ingredients together. This author does it very well. I'm confident you will enjoy this read as much as I did.

Luciano da Valenza has just been released from prison where he spent five years serving time for a crime he didn't commit. Now that he is free, his thoughts have turned to revenge. He began with the Linwoods, who he believed framed them, and then to the youngest daughter, who dumped him the day before he was arrested. He would have never believe Kerry could have been a part of the plot to frame him, but why else would she tell him she couldn't marry him, the day before he's arrested?

Kerry Linwood has just learned that her grandfather took a loan from Luciano several years before that hasn't been paid. In an attempt to save her family home, she goes to London to see Luciano and try to reason with him. She is unprepared for his loathing of her. She is also unprepared for the desire she feels for him.

Lynne Graham does a poor job of writing of these two people. Luciano, to me, was a arrogant jerk who punished the one person that had loved him in his life. He totally disregards the reason that she broke their engagement. Kerry was depicted as a spinless, naive schoolgirl who was so overcome by lust that she set aside all the abuse that Luciano hurled at her. This is my first Lynne Graham and I don't think I will have the courage to waste a day reading another of hers.

I actually like this book, i mean yes the heroe was a bit over shadowing, obessive & mentally abusive towards the heroine but i mean there is a good story underneath all of this and if you can bypass all of the qualities of the heroe then you will like this book, meaning most romance novels has a over shadowing, obessive & mentally abusive heroe at times but underneath it all you always have a good story....

Five years ago, Luciano De Valenza was convicted and imprisoned for embezzling from the Lynwood family's wine business. Young Kerry Linwood was engaged to Luciano, but broke off their engagement the day before his arrest for reasons unknown to him. Luciano has been released from prison, and is back to wreak havoc on those responsible for his arrest, and to clear his name in a crime he swears he did not commit. For starters, he plans to take everything that belongs to the Lynwoods, including Ballybawn Castle, and already made a jump start destroying the Lynwood wine business while in prison.

So where does poor, naïve Kerry stand in all this? Luciano wants her, of course, but swears all he is doing is purging his system of whatever leftover feelings he had for her. Enter the evil stepsister Rochelle, dear old dad Harold Lynwood, and one must wonder if Kerry will ever have any self-respect after the games they play with her life. The only family member who seems to genuinely care at all for Kerry is cousin Miles, and he even leaves us wondering at times.

The story line is a good one, and there are plenty of probable suspects in the embezzlement. My problem was in understanding Kerry, her undying love for Luciano, who treats her less than well most of the time, and whose caveman attitude wears you down. As in all romances, there does come a happy ending, but all to often in the course of the book I just had to wonder "why" - did Kerry put up with so much from everyone? There are redeeming moments when she finds family unbeknownst to her, and they do help her develop a spine and stand up to others, along with adding some colorful whit and humor to the story. It just took a long time to reach that point! This was an OK read, but I was expecting more, and it just didn't materialize.

This is probably the best Lynne Graham that I have read. I kept checking to see whether this was a Harlequin. The storyline was interesting and unusual; not too many Harlequins have the hero emerging from prison. The love scenes were very sensual and throughout the storyline. The heroine was completely believeable, dumping the hero when she thought he had betrayed her with another woman and clinging to the belief that her relatives could do no wrong. The three sisters were a little too perfect, but hey, you can't have everything. Anyone know if their stories have appeared in other Harlequins?

When I read Dark Angel I was curious because either people thought it was really good or didn't think much of it. I am from the second group.

Luciano de Valenza rescued the Linwood's failing wine business five years ago. In the process he fell in love with Kerry Linwood. Just when everything seemed to be perfect Luciano's life fell apart. Kerry's step-sister Rochelle told her Luciano had slept with her. To make matters worse, money was embezzled from the business and Luciano was convicted and imprisoned. For Luciano, the saddest part was Kerry believed he was guilty of embezzlement and sleeping with her step-sister. So much for true love.

Fast forward to the present time...Luciano is out of prison and seeking revenge at those who didn't believe in him. You'll have to read the story to find out more. For those of you who like alpha males, Luciano is über-alpha.

Now for the down side. For a contemporary romance I had a hard time believing Kerry was so naive about both her family and her sexuality. The constant addition of Italian phrases of endearment that Luciano said to her drove me batty after awhile. I just didn't believe the love was there. The story was not satisfying to me and I kept hoping for more. If you want to read the book save your money and see if the library has Dark Angel.

I love Lynne Graham and always look forward to her books. "Dark Angel" was a disappointment. It was slow and never developed the spark, wit, humor and sexual tension that all her other books have.