Customer Reviews

A Kiss in the Dark

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Tristan Knight, the Earl of Ellington had heard rumors regarding the notorious widow the Viscountess Rotherby, so when his butler suggested he seek her help in locating his runaway sister he hesitated, but nearly at the end of his rope with no where else to turn, he finally did seek her out. Assuming the worst sort of jaded woman he was quite amazed when his preconceived notions, based on gossip and innuendo, found him facing a beautiful and regally composed young woman instead of the shrewish golddigger he'd conjured up in his mind. Tristan was even more surprised that even in his stressed and desperate circumstances, her very presence aroused in him an intense physical awareness that no woman ever had before.

Deirdre Wilks, the Viscountess Rotherby, was not born to the privileged life she now led, quite the contrary. Her first meeting with the Earl of Ellington, was for her, a life defining moment. It had been 13 long years but she could never forget the handsome young man with the violet eyes holding his dying mother in his arms, and long buried memories came rushing back as she waited to be unmasked. Fearing the recognition which would surely lead to his contempt, she wanted only to be rid of him and refused him her assistance. After a sleepless night, realizing that she was a child when he'd last seen her on that fateful day - she was compelled to help -- she owed him! Deirdre then became his guide through the shadowy alleyways of Tothill Fields, a very dangerous area of the city. Using her contacts they would try to discover information in finding his sister. Forming an uneasy truce, the undeniable chemistry between them grew and although totally intrigued by the woman, Tristan was more than curious over her familiarity with the seedy side of London. As their passion grew, a very old and dangerous enemy from Deidre's past resurfaced in her life that could destroy her newly forged love affair as her past came back to haunt her.

*** This was an awfully good and original read! It was written with an amazing level of intensity and feeling that my heart was pumping furiously with both the palatable passion and the keen sense of danger infused in the story. Deirdre was a beautifully crafted heroine who the reader will immediately want to stand up and cheer for as well as her hero Tristan. The skillfully created secondary characters - members of the Rag Tag gang (Benji will just steal your heart) - also added a wonderful depth of caring and amusement and as Deirdre took them into her heart, the readers, I'm sure, will follow suit. This was not a typical light regency read and is most certainly worthy of the RWA's 2004 Golden Heart award! --- I heartily recommend to all lovers of historical romances to discover this new talent in this genre.

Ms. Logan's debut effort will leave the reader speechless! This is a fresh new voice in the industry that has a gifted way of telling a unique story without leaving any details unturned. The result...a well balanced read that will stay with readers long after the book is done.

Viscountess Rotherby has a secret. One that she protects as well as she can while helping those in need. Her secret though is about to be exposed when Lord Tristan Knight comes to her door requesting help in locating his run-a-way sister. It's thought to be believed that she has entered Tothill Fields. Deirdre at first refuses to help but her soft heart and giving nature won't let her turn her back on the handsome "knight" that has asked for help. See...what Tristan doesn't know is that he and Deirdre share a past. One, that haunts Deirdre. This is her way of making things right. But, there's a problem. She is falling for the handsome Tristan, falling hard. Will she be able to walk away from him once they find his sister?

Ms. Logan has seamlessly blended all the details that she has included into this read into a story that entertains. Her storyline is fresh and romantic, and her characters are larger than life. Tristan is a remarkable hero, and his love for his sister, grief and personal issues totally shape the man that he is on the pages. Deirdre is a herione that you can't help but cheer for. I truly would like to come back and visit with this group again...especially Peter from the Rag-Tag bunch. I think there is a hero in the making there.

Official Reviewer for Romance Designs

There are pleanty of plot summaries here so I will just give my review. I really did like that this novel was different than the average romance. The characters were interesting and deep. The relationship was cute and developed well. I loved the added story of Emily (our Her's sister) and being able to see the story from her point of view as well. I admit that I was a bit disappointed with the predictibility of the ending...but it was so well written that it didn't matter once. This book is a quick and origional read!

In this fresh and original novel, Kimberly Logan has created two characters that you will not forget. Tristan and Deidre are worlds apart but come together for a common purpose. From the first meeting, sparks fly between them and Logan sustains the tension throughout the novel. I love the contrast in settings, between the London ton and the London underworld. Logan's attention to detail and poignant portrayal of the downtrodden would make Dickens proud. Excellent read. I can't wait for the next!

As a history teacher and an avid reader, I was pleased with the historical accuracy of the novel. At a time when social class was determined by birth, street children were dispensable. Ms. Logan has done her research! Her work accurately depicts the times without "getting in the way" of the mystery.

A love story that confronts social class is timeless - if you have doubts, look at the press releases re: Prince Albert of Monaco and his stewardess lover.

I am looking forward to reading more from this "new" author.

A Kiss in the Dark is a definite keeper--a fabulous debut by new author Kimberly Logan. It's no surprise that this book won RWA's Golden Heart award. The plot and characters seemed fresh, the pace was quick, and it was a totally engrossing read. Deirdre and Tristan are characters who will stay with you, long after you finish the book. Highly recommended!

One of the best historical romances I've read in years. I was hooked from the beginning. Great characters with lots of suspense and romance. Hard to put down.

My first try of Kimberly Logan, and I enjoyed A KISS IN THE DARK. For a debut novel, it's very good. I can only imagine how good her writing will get as her talent develops over the years.

Firstly, the writing style was wonderfully easy to read and quite engaging. It had a nice, flowing style that, for the most part, avoided jarring point-of-view switches and overly complicated sentences. I often feel that writers are trying to impress me with their knowledge of grammar and complicated sentences in their writing, which gets really annoying after a while. Luckly, this is an author who doesn't do that. Her words paint a vivid picture without getting bogged down in the telling.

The character sketches were also fairly well done, although I felt that this book could have used an extra 50 - 100 pages to really flesh them out as well as they deserved. There were a lot of times that I felt like the romance was overwhelmed by the other plotline (Tristan and Deirdre trying to find Tristan's runaway sister, Emily). While that plotline was very well executed, I often felt that the romance was left on the back burner. Also, a few of the problems seemed to be resolved just a little too easily at the end. I found it difficult that Tristan could forgive Deirdre's role in his mother death so quickly and easily after it was revealed.

Still, this was an enjoyable read, and I'm not sorry that I bought this book. I will definitely be on the lookout for more books by Kimberly Logan, as I think she shows great promise, especially considering that this is her first novel. Hopefully her later books will live up to the talent I see in A KISS IN THE DARK. Recommended, but not a five-star book.

I read this book out of sequence so I wasn't sure how I'd like it, but I thought it was a very sweet and touching story. I got into it a lot more after the first few chapters and then I didn't put it down. It was all pretty predictable but the characters are endearing which makes this overall an enjoyable read.

Lord Tristin Knight asks Deirdre Wilks for help in finding his missing sister. Deirdre is familiar with the area that his sister has gone missing and has they search for his sister the Deirdre's secret come to the surface. This is great romance with a adventure - Enjoy !

Off to read more books by this author; A Kiss before Dawn (Emily and Peter's story), Sins of Midnight , The Devil's Temptation and Seduced by Sin (due out March 25,2008)