Embrace the Night [Mass Market Paperback]

Amanda Ashley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1998

A creature doomed to wander the earth in eternal darkness, he searches for someone to share the endless night of his existence, for that one woman who would recognize the man within the monster. An angel of purity, she feared the mysterious stranger who whispered dark secrets she dared not believe. They were two people longing for fulfillment, braving the danger of a love like no other. Alone, they faced desolation and despair; together, they would share undying passion and defy eternity.

Editorial Reviews

Review

 “Clever and funny." —Publishers Weekly

   “An exciting plot and a heroine who can kick ass with the best of them." —Publishers Weekly

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author

Amanda Ashley is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author.  She is the winner of numerous awards, including a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award.  She has published more than 40 novels in a 25 year writing career. Writing as both Amanda Ashley and Madeline Baker, she has been published by Signet, NAL, Dorchester and Kensington.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Leisure Books (April 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0843943785
• ISBN-13: 978-0843943788
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,084,622 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I never wanted it to end., June 19, 1999

By 

([e-mail]) (Dover DE.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Embrace the Night (Mass Market Paperback)

What woman wouldn't love Gabriel? Just the thought of having someone watch over me the better part of my life, sent chills through me. Good chills. Gabriel watched Sara grown into a beautiful (though sad) young woman. When all hope was gone and she felt as though she couldn't take it anymore, she tried to take her life. Gabriel stops her in the guise of her guardian angel. Sara went from thinking she was worthless, to knowing she was loved. Their story of love contiued to grow from that point. Sara is very innocent in the ways of.......well everything. Gabriel is just the man to help her grow and learn. Is it his fault he just happens to be a vampire? This book brings a smile to my face and warm feelings of love to my heart everytime I think of it. A must read!

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A haunting love story, October 12, 2002

By 

Brenda Condit "satinskper" (Albuquerque, NM USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Embrace the Night (Mass Market Paperback)

Amanda Ashley has created a wonderfully memoriable book. I have enjoyed all of her Vampire books because the Vampire is not an evil being who kills for pleasure as well as need. Her vampire heros are all tortured souls that have consciences. Gabriel is that vampire. The year is 1881 and he has lived for hundreds of years alone and when he finds a beautiful, innocent, Sara. He tries to pretend for a while that he is again human. Sara is a very young child when he finds her. She can't walk and is all alone in the world. He finds her a home in an orphanage but can't walk away from her. He has watcherd her until she is a young woman. Sara is very depressed and its only his intervention which saves her life again. He soon finds himself meeting her every night and falling so in love with her that he is in physical pain. Sara has no idea of what he really is. She only knows that he is hers and hers alone and that she loves him and that because of him she can now walk and dance. Gabriel knows that he cannot let her find out the truth so he sends her away from him. Years later he enters her life again. He can't help it. He is like a moth drawn to a flame. Sara is a changed woman. She has grown and is not afraid of what he is. They have many obsticals to overcome to be together but it makes their love all that much stronger.
The story then shifts to 1995. Gabriel is alone again. His precious Sara has been dead for 50 years. She never became what he is. They shared a wonderful life and now that she is gone he is lost again until he meets another soul who is greiving a loss as well. Her name is Sarah. Sarah has just lost her family and is all alone in the world. She is drawn to the dark stranger who offers her confort and love. Gabriel wonders if love can again enter his life and make him whole. H knows that he cannot be without her ever again and will risk the unknown to be with her.

This book touched me so much it had me crying. If you like romances where two tortured souls find each other and you know their love will last forever, read this book.

34 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A vampire romance sadly lacking any real "bite", April 19, 2000

By 

BarkLessWagMore (USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Embrace the Night (Mass Market Paperback)

I think I should start off this review by stating that I've read so many vampire novels and vampire romances that I fear I may be jaded. I used to love anything that had to do with vampires but now it takes a lot of originality (or humor and/or gut-wrenching emotion) to "wow" me and hold my interest and this book, the first of what I believe is a series, just didn't do it for me.

Gabriel is your standard vampire hero. He's gorgeous, sensitive and oh-so-lonely. He's loved and lost in the past and vows to never lose his heart to a mortal again. But all of that changes when he first sees Sara Jayne, an orphaned child who's life he saves. He becomes her self-appointed guardian angel and watches over her as she grows from a sweet child into a beautiful woman. Sara Jayne has emotional problems and one desolate night decides to take her life. This is when Gabriel breaks his pledge and shows himself, thus giving her someone to love and a reason to live.

And then the conflicts begin. Gabriel loves Sara but she's mortal and he refuses to subject her to his dreary and cursed existence. Sara loves Gabriel but she's also frightened of him. They pledge their love to each other but things keep happening to force them apart: Gabriel pushes her away because he wants her to experience life (he does this about 3 times), a former lover of Gabriel shows up to make trouble, and eventually Sara gives up hope of ever having a normal life with Gabriel and gets engaged to another man (who could blame her after being rejected so many times?). Inevitably they do find happiness but it's not an easy road to eternal bliss.

In all honesty I had a hard time finishing this book because I kept getting the feeling that I had read it all many times before. And during more than one of the separations I had an eerie sense that I had already read the exact same scene some 40 pages earlier. If the characters were more engaging, or the angst-ridden plot lightened with a bit of humor, I may have enjoyed reading this standard vampire scenario again but as it was written I just can't recommend it with any enthusiasm. I never truly cared what happened to either character, I never felt any spark between the pair and I found the repetitive plot slow going.