18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Even early Beverleys have wonderful characters and stories!, February 16, 2002
This review is from: Emily and the Dark Angel (Regency Romance) (Paperback)
Emily and the Dark Angel is one of Jo Beverley's earliest books, and is part of a series which began with Lord Wraybourne's Betrothal, and continued with The Stanforth Secret and The Stolen Bride. Not knowing that these books were linked, I read Emily... before Stanforth; I hope that by listing the order here other readers may be helped. (And I hope that some day I can find a copy of The Stolen Bride; I want to read Randal and Sophie's story!)
Emily is a spinster, in her late twenties, who has been looking after her invalid father for many years. Since her soldier brother was posted as missing, believed killed in combat, she has also been running the family estate. Her home is on the edge of Melton Mowbray, a very popular area with the hunting fraternity, situated as it is in the centre of several hunts. (This is the one thing I dislike about the book: I loathe foxhunting).
Piers Verderan, known as Ver to his friends, is there for the hunting, and because he's just inherited the estate next to Emily's. They meet first just as he's been ejected from his (ex-)mistress's establishment, colliding with Emily just as they're both showered in poudre des violettes. Ver offers to escort Emily to her destination, since the collision has damaged the heel of her boot.
She doesn't trust him; and why should she? He's called the Dark Angel for a reason; he is likened to Lucifer. Stories about his criminality and dastardliness abound. And yet he is kind, he comes to her rescue on several occasions, and he makes her feel good about herself for the first time in many years. He makes her feel desirable. He tells her that he loves her.
But can Emily believe a man who has a reputation for breaking hearts and never remaining faithful to a woman; a man who is reputed to have abandoned his own mother to a life of poverty? Can she be brave enough to listen to her heart above the warnings of her brain and members of her family?
Emily and Ver are hugely likeable characters, both with enough emotional depth to hold my interest. There are also some great secondary characters, including some I really want to read about: Lord Randal Ashby appears in this book, with his wife Sophie (and I want to read their story!), and Emily's brother Marcus looks as if he could benefit from a book of his own. Note to self: check if Beverley ever did write Marcus's story...
Highly recommended, if you can get hold of it!
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The best regency I have ever read!, November 29, 1999
No exaggeration: this book is absolutely my favorite regency. I have read hundreds of regencies and this one does it right.
The characters are awesome. In fact, the strength of book rests in the characters. The plot (at first glance) doesn't seem to have anything happen. And that's the beauty of it: this book is realistic and still magical.
The forerunners of this book, "Lord Wraybourne's Betrothed" and "Stolen Bride" (though very good themselves) are mere shadows compared to "Emily...." In addition, spin-offs "The Fortune Hunter" and "Deidre and Don Juan" cannot hold a candle to this one.
As you can tell, I love this one. If you find it, hold on to it. This is the best regency written to date that I have found!
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A truely delightful book, October 23, 2001
This review is from: Emily and the Dark Angel (Regency Romance) (Paperback)
Emily is a twenty-six year old spinster "past her last prayers" who keeps the house and property for a cranky and crippled father and hopeds for the return of her brother from the war. Then she bumps into Piers Verderan, the "Dark Angel" from Beverly's THE STOLEN BRIDE. He's "mad, bad, and dangerous to know." She's good, respectable, and quitetly opinionated. Together under the influence of violet power and sago pudding, she tries to coax him into respecabilty, and he tries to talk her into walking on the wild side. In the end, he leaves it up to her to take a chance and to do something out of the ordinary. The letter he writes her is one of the most tender and beautiful I've ever read. This is a romatic, funny, wonderful book, and everyone should read it.
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