Customer Reviews

His Dark Kiss

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Courtesy of CK2S Kwips and Kritiques

Emma has always been more of a burden than anything to her aunts, also being the brunt of many slights and insults due to her illegitimate birth. When she has the chance to escape her aunts' home and become a governess to the child of her late cousin, she jumps at the chance. Never mind there are many rumblings about the widower, Lord Craven, and what really happened to her cousin.

When Emma arrives at the Manorbrier estate, she is immersed in even more mysteries. Previous governesses met unfortunate ends and Emma herself experiences strange accidents. What exactly is Lord Craven doing in that forbidden tower late at night, and with dead bodies no less? These questions plague Emma, but she can't resist her delightful charge, Nicky, or his sinfully handsome father. When opportunity presents itself for a more personal relationship with Lord Craven, Emma is torn between her unanswered questions and her dangerous attraction to the seductive man. But what will be her fate if she gives in to her desires for His Dark Kiss?

Eve Silver has written another brilliant gothic romance. Her first novel Dark Desires was wonderful, and His Dark Kiss is even more incredible. There is a richness to the setting and the story which measures up to even the extremely high standards set by classic masters of the genre like Victoria Holt. However, Eve Silver brings a modern heat level to her stories that is guaranteed to curl your toes in delight. The interactions between our hero and heroine are very passionate and intense. Characters are brought to life with vivid descriptions and mysterious behaviors.

As with any true gothic story, suspense is key to the story, as is the requisite spooky manor house and dark hero. His Dark Kiss has all that in spades. I found myself drawn into the setting, envisioning the manor and experiencing Emma's fears and desires. I, too, wondered what was going on in the dark tower and why the servants were so secretive. As events spiral farther onward, I was sucked into the maelstrom, and carried along for the ride.

The gothic romance is far from dead as some would like to believe. Eve Silver breathes new life into the genre that is the basis for so many romance novels on the market today. If readers want a thrilling story that will give them goose bumps in an oh-so-good way, than His Dark Kiss by Eve Silver is just the novel for them!

© Kelley A. Hartsell, November 2006. All rights reserved.

Eve Silver is becoming a star in the gothic romance arena. "His Dark Kiss" is a perfect novel that channels a classic- "Jane Eyre". This dark story is seductive, mysterious and everything in between. All that it was missing was the typical, dark and stormy night approach. (No clichés here!)
Emma has come to Manorbrier Castle as a governess for her cousin's six year old son. She has never met Lord Anthony Craven, as he was married to her cousin. She ended up dead and assumed by the locals that he murdered her. Emma doesn't believe in them since she is well read and intelligent. She has lived a life of indifference from her aunts who gave her shelter, but nothing else, due to being born illegitimate. This is now her time to shine and perhaps some happiness.
Anthony is her brooding yet handsome employer who makes her all tingly inside from the moment she meets him. Sparks fly on both ends but Anthony has too many secrets and everyone around him seems to end up dead. Did he really kill her first wife and other governesses? Will Emma end up like them?
This story is so well written that it keeps the questions rolling till the very end. There are so many mysteries and villains a foot that you will not fully understand who is causing the problems and why Anthony keeps corpses in his tower (Yes, dead bodies are around!)
Emma and Anthony's exchanges are very passionate, so much so that regardless of the tension and mistrust between them, you hope things work out and they will have their happily ever after.
Fans of sexually charged scenes, suspense and of course mystery will enjoy this gothic tale.

Katiebabs

Dark Desires (Zebra Debut)
Dark Prince

Emma Parrish finds herself rescued from the untenable situation of being sold to the highest bidder by her heartless aunts when she receives an offer from Anthony Craven to come to his home in Wales to act as governess to his young son, Nicholas.

Manorbrier Castle is dark and foreboding and boasts a cast of servants that are deeply loyal to Lord Craven and intimidating to Emma. Upon arrival at Manorbrier, Emma is warned to never venture near the round tower of the castle. It is forbidden.

As Emma goes through her days, she finds herself falling completely in love with Nicky, Lord Anthony Craven's son, who loves her back just as wholeheartedly. More disconcerting, she finds herself incredibly drawn to Anthony. Anthony has many secrets and spends a good deal of every day in the round tower conducting mysterious business. Emma finds herself learning more about him from the servants and from neighbors--and what she finds is terrifying. Many are convinced that Anthony is some sort of ghoul that has a fascination for the dead and is conducting horrible experiments on them. This is contrary to everything Emma has learned about him. He adores his son, can be warm and loving, and during their encounters, Anthony conducts himself as a gentleman, despite his deep attraction to Emma. What is the truth about Anthony, and will Emma still be able to love him once she knows all of his secrets?

His Dark Kiss is a tightly written gothic romance. Silver deftly creates a foreboding atmosphere that colors all of Emma's encounters. The secondary characters are sharply written and interesting and enhance both the mood of the story and the relationship between Emma and Anthony. The story is written exclusively from Emma's viewpoint, so it is fortunate that she's both likeable and smart. Anthony is virile and handsome, but also a loving father, and it becomes easy for the reader to see why Emma falls in love with him.

Armchair Interviews highly recommend this gothic romance.

This is the first gothic/mystery romance I've read, and I was floored! I was hooked by the first chapter, and I couldn't stop reading until I was done! Through the entire thing, I loved every page! What an enjoyable read!

Eve Silver has created wonderfully sexy, likable characters and placed them into a delicious gothic setting. Her descriptions are detailed and beautifully written. The book is a great combination of gorgeous prose woven through a steamy love story. The first thing that caught me only a few paragraphs into the first chapter was what a fantastic writer Eve Silver is. You don't often see her level of expert storytelling in romance novels. To accompany the wonderful writing, the plot is original and compelling. Too often do I read books where the plot goes stale at some point in the novel. Not this book. It keep me page turning through the entire thing, from beginning to end!

Read this people. There's a creepy castle, mystery, scary rumors, dead bodies, an adorable little kid, a twist (or two or three), and a super yummy lord who I was drooling over the whole book. Thanks, Eve Silver. I will definitely be reading more!

Eve Silver knows how to write a wonderful Gothic novel, the spooky mansion, the innocent governess, the mysterious hero and the secretive servants are seamlessly woven into this story about a woman escaping a terrible situation only to find herself surrounded by mystery and murder.

Emma Parrish arrives at Manorbrier Castle looking to begin a new life as a governess to a young boy. She has heard the rumors about the boy's father, Lord Anthony Craven, his wife died under mysterious circumstances and two governesses have also died. Nevertheless Emma is determined to make the best of her situation.

Emma is drawn to Anthony and it's more than his handsome visage that fascinates her, he is an enigma, brutally honest but a loving father. He is secretive, especially concerning parts of the castle which Emma is forbidden to enter.

Anthony is a well drawn character; actually he is a richer more vibrant protagonist than Emma. He has a wounded past but he is more than a wealthy titled peer. He longs for Emma and this shines through in his actions and his lush expressive dialogue. His point of view is not given much at all yet I felt I knew him through his conversations and actions with Emma and his son.

This novel has, as expected for a Gothic, an eeriness to the setting and Ms. Silver has detailed this castle quite well. It was easy to imagine the candle lit rooms and the dark passageways. All the characters, including the servants, are interesting.

The romance between the leads is tension filled and quite passionate. Both express themselves well, their conversations never bog down the story but reveal their innermost thoughts. Overall a great read and one for my keeper shelf.

I finished His Dark Kiss within one day and I liked it a lot. This tale had all the necessary elements to make a gothic fan very happy. Dark, atmospheric, tense and menacing. Evenly-paced and vivid story-telling. Well fleshed-out vivid characters, both likeable and sympathetic, as well as sinister and unusual. Nail-biting mystery, with an unexpected villain. A crumbling and spooky castle which safeguarded years of secrets. Featuring a sexy, smouldering, mysterious hero and a loving, loyal, down-to-earth heroine.

Unlike the previous and debut book, Dark Desires, this one fairly smouldered with sexual tension. The heroine fell in lust with the hero almost from the outset, and their every encounter intensified that tension. Although, the author did the sexual tension very well, I am still not sure if I was convinced of the heroine's immediate lust for her employer.

I also found the heroine a little too forward and vocal with her opinions...especially with the hero, who was supposed to be dark and forbidding. She had certainly heard enough rumours about him and should be wary of him.

While this story was almost pitch-perfect, I just felt that the sexual tension took over too much of the story, hence the mystery, which could had been stronger, was compromised.

Eve Silver is undoubtedly a fast-rising, masterful storyteller. I will pick up her next gothic novel without doubting her brilliant ability to evoke the mood and create an atmosphere of perfect tension for a gothic story, populated by a cast of vivid, multi-layered characters.

In this outstanding novel we meet Emma Parrish, a strong yet tender woman who is offered a job as governess at Manorbrier caring for Lord Craven's son, Nicolas. What was she leaving behind? Two aunts that merely saw her as a burden and used her as a slave, to her this was a dream come true; or was it to become a nightmare. The opening of this novel is dark and creepy, good job Ms. Silver, get the blood going and the mind geared to continue on in expectation.
Emma meets her boss and her young charge and knows instantly that things are not as they seem in this household, even the servants are mysterious, and as for Lord Craven she is confused, as one moment she sees him as tender, caring, the next he is someone Emma does not understand. What is driving him? Rumor has it that he killed his wife and Emma struggles within herself as her emotions draw her closer to him as a man despite her best efforts that it not be so. Could she be falling in love with a murderer?
Let me tell you this is one dark castle mystery read that you don't want to miss.
Our author brings her characters to life by drawing upon their emotions and flashing them before you, giving you just enough of their inward thoughts to keep you wondering just what is going on within them and who is hiding a secret that may well be deadly. I have to say I was totally taken by surprise at the twist in this storyline, finding out who was behind the mysterious happenings, deaths and other chilling events that were woven into this read shocked me; I honestly did not expect the final outcome. What a ride! What a read! You have mystery, romance and adventure that lends itself to a great mix, you do not want to miss this one.

I liked the story and I loved the characters. It's the kind of story that you can't wait to turn the page. It had great chemistry and I truly enjoyed it.

Emma Parrish has led a hard life. The illegitimate daughter of a governess, she isn't accepted in society and when she loses her mother and has to move in with her aunts, they treat her badly. So when her deceased cousin's husband, Lord Anthony Craven, seeks a governess for his young son, she is more than happy to accept the position. But there are rumours that he murdered his wife, two of the former governesses have died under suspicious circumstances, and strange things are happening at Manorbrier Castle. In addition, the strong attraction between Emma and Lord Craven forces her to make the choice between a lonely but proper life, and making the same mistake her mother made by starting a liaison with a nobleman who isn't interested in marriage. Will she find happiness and survive the dark secrets surrounding the man she loves?
'His dark kiss' is very atmospheric, as befits a gothic novel, without becoming clicheed or unrealistic at any point. The characters and their motivations are convincing, the background is well-researched and the characters behave in a way that fits to this time. I don't want to give away the solution, but let me say that if you know a bit about this topic it's clear that Lord Craven's activities and people's reactions to them are absolutely realistic for this time and place. The characters are likeable and convincing, the plot intelligent, I love the atmosphere and the author's language, so this was definitely a 5-star read for me. I'm reminded of 'Jane Eyre' in a very positive way. I'd highly recommend this book to readers of both gothic and historical romance novels.
Jane Eyre (Penguin Classics)

A mysterious dark romance in that the character assumes her boss has murdered several people at his home. Things only get worst when she discovers what is going on in the round tower. My only complaint is the way the author conveniently and rationally explains away every conceivable problem that arises. If only everything in the world was so convenient.