Review ~ Moonglow

Moonglow

(Darkest London #2)

By Kristen Callihan

5 of 5 STARS!!!

Once the seeds of desire are sown . . .

Finally free of her suffocating marriage, widow Daisy Ellis Craigmore is ready to embrace the pleasures of life that have long been denied her. Yet her new-found freedom is short lived. A string of unexplained murders has brought danger to Daisy's door, forcing her to turn to the most unlikely of saviors . . .

Their growing passion knows no bounds . . .

Ian Ranulf, the Marquis of Northrup, has spent lifetimes hiding his primal nature from London society. But now a vicious killer threatens to expose his secrets. Ian must step out of the shadows and protect the beautiful, fearless Daisy, who awakens in him desires he thought long dead. As their quest to unmask the villain draws them closer together, Daisy has no choice but to reveal her own startling secret, and Ian must face the undeniable truth: Losing his heart to Daisy may be the only way to save his soul.

ARC provided by Grand Central Publishing

Release date July 31st, 2012

Moonglow follows Daisy and Ian as they try to track down an unknown were that is running around killing people.  Daisy is thrust into the company of Ian, grudgingly I might add.  Poor Ian has a bad rap for his meddling with her sister Miranda and Archer's relationship in the previous book Firelight.

Right off the bat I liked Daisy.  She's cheeky and takes no gruff from anybody.  Her interactions with Ian are highly entertaining.  They have great chemistry right away.  Even if it is constant barbs at each other.

Very correctly, he caught up her hand and bent over it, his lips brushing her knuckles.  His dark hair was the one wrong note in his otherwise flawless attire.  It flowed in shining waves to the top of his shoulders.  Barbaric.  "If you're not careful," he said, "I'll soon be blushing."

He flashed a quick, practices smile.  "Oh, I don't know."  He reached out and tugged a curl dangling by her cheek, the action making her insides jump.  "You exude quite a shine yourself."

Neither of them wore gloves, and his skin was dry and very warm.  A stir of feeling wisped through her insides, and she fought the urge to back away.  "I doubt that.  I am certain you are quite used to such accolades."  She gave a careless shrug as she retracted her hand.  "In truth, I should take care not to stand too close or risk being eclipsed by you're splendor."

As we learn more about Daisy, we see great transformation.  She's so strong after being kept in her place for so long...

Temptress of man, harbinger of lust.  You are a worthless vessel whose only use is to receive man's sin.

It's great to see her find her footing in the world, taking charge of life.


Ian.  What can I say about Ian?  He's awesome.  He's viewed as a rogue with a penchant for redheads but really, nobody really knows him.  As the story unfolds, we learn such heartbreaking things that really make Ian stand out as a tortured and lonely soul.  My heart aches for him.

For a moment, they simply breathed, then Northrup's raw voice broke over her.  "I cannot think."

She closed her eyes and concentrated on the cool feel of his shirt against her hot cheek.  "Why?"

"My mind is filled."

Her free hand, heavy with languor, drifted along his arm and he trembled softly."With what?" she whispered. 

"You.  All the time.  You."  He sighed.  "Daisy has taken up residence here."  Yet it was to his heart he pressed her hand, to feel its pounding.  "How to keep you safe.  How to keep you out.  How to keep... you."

This really is a beautiful romance in the making.  The way this relationship grows from the barely concealed tolerance to finding trust and understanding to finally, acceptance and companionship with each other.

The whole book is amazing.  The character developments, the pace, the language used for a historical setting.  I enjoyed every aspect of this and though Firelight was great, this surpassed it in my opinion.  I really like Daisy and find her a great choice for Ian but it is Ian who stole my breath away.  I love him all around.  He truly is one of my favorite heroes to grace the pages.

Review ~ Firelight

Firelight

By Kristen Callihan

4 of 5 STARS

London, 1881

Once the flames are ignited . . . 

Miranda Ellis is a woman tormented. Plagued since birth by a strange and powerful gift, she has spent her entire life struggling to control her exceptional abilities. Yet one innocent but irreversible mistake has left her family's fortune decimated and forced her to wed London's most nefarious nobleman.

They will burn for eternity . . . 

Lord Benjamin Archer is no ordinary man. Doomed to hide his disfigured face behind masks, Archer knows it's selfish to take Miranda as his bride. Yet he can't help being drawn to the flame-haired beauty whose touch sparks a passion he hasn't felt in a lifetime. When Archer is accused of a series of gruesome murders, he gives in to the beastly nature he has fought so hard to hide from the world. But the curse that haunts him cannot be denied. Now, to save his soul, Miranda will enter a world of dark magic and darker intrigue. For only she can see the man hiding behind the mask.

(via Goodreads)

Wow.  That was an amazing book with a very unique premise!  But why only 4 stars?  I hardly ever give 5 stars to a first in a series though I really am torn on this one.  We meet Miranda and Archer briefly 3 years before this book takes place.  From the get go Archer is cloaked in mystery and shadows while Miri is fiery in spirit.  Fast forward 3 years and the mystery and intrigue continue.

Miranda, the youngest of 3, is the only one still living at home with her father and his questionable business ethics.  Soon Miranda is whisked away, by arrangement, to marry Lord Archer.  

“What is beauty or ugliness but a false front that prompts man to make assumptions rather than delving deeper. Look at you.” His hand gestured toward her face. “Not a flaw or distortion of line to mar that perfect beauty. I have seen your face before, miss. Michelangelo sculpted it from cold marble three hundred years ago, his divine hand creating what men would adore.” He took a step closer. “Tell me, Miss Ellis, do you not use that beauty as a shield, keeping the world at bay so that no one will know your true nature?”

Archer is quite the character; a masked man of few words but so eloquent when he speaks.  Miranda has her hands full of his evasive nature but she's no shrinking violet.

“Wish to fatten me up, do you?” 

“Mmm.” Gray eyes skimmed over her form. “How does the fairy tale go?” He rested an elbow on his chair arm. “Ah yes, I have lured you into my luscious house of candy and gingerbread to tempt you with sugared delights. And when you are nice and plump, I shall gobble you up.”

I immediately fell in love with the interaction between these two but it's not all fun and games.  Mysterious murders keep happening to known associates of Archer and soon we are taken on a journey from Museums to high society events to the darkest streets of London.

This book really has it all: A great romance, hot Hot HOT scenes that had me fanning myself.  No seriously though, the chemistry between these two is intense.   A great mystery to solve, bad villains, side characters that you just aren't too sure what side they are on and a great ending.  I may have had guesses how this could play out but I really didn't see it coming.

I love how we really don't know about Archer, his "condition" and what is behind the mask til near the end.  It made him all the more mysterious and sexy, as if his words weren't enough.

“And I’m afraid of wasting my life always being in control,” he whispered. “But no matter what direction I take, all roads lead to you.” Gently, he rested his forehead to hers once more. “Let me come home, Miri. If only for one night.”

Though I am sad that Miri and Archer's story has come to an end, I am excited for Moonglow, book 2 in the Darkest London series, coming out on August 1st.