Heart of Darkness

by Felicity Heaton

A vampire prince on a four hundred year old mission to avenge his murdered sister...


Aleksandr Nemov won't stop until the last of the vampire hunter's progeny is wiped from the Earth. Each kill has stolen a piece of his humanity, pushing him towards the black abyss all vampires hold within their hearts. Now he is teetering on the edge, close to devolving into a beast, and time is running out as he tracks the last hunter to Prague. There he finds a beautiful woman who could be his one chance for salvation, but is it already too late for him?


A vampire guard who will do whatever it takes to protect those she loves...


Elise is dedicated to her duty. It's the only thing she has left. All that changes when she meets Aleksandr in Prague and her master grants him permission to stay at her bloodline's mansion. She knows all about Aleksandr but none of it prepares her for how she feels when the legendary prince's hunt becomes one for her heart. Elise battles him with all of her strength but can she stop herself from falling for the handsome hunter? When he reveals the depth of the corruption in his soul, will she have the strength to face the pain in her past and do whatever it takes to save him?

Genres: Paranormal Romance, Vampires, Paranormal, Romance, M F Romance, Fantasy, Ebooks

433 pages, ebook

First published October 16, 2011

About the author

Felicity Heaton is a New York Times, USA Today and international best-selling author writing passionate paranormal romance books. In her books she creates detailed worlds, twisting plots, mind-blowing action, intense emotion and heart-stopping romances with leading men that vary from dark deadly vampires to sexy shape-shifters and wicked werewolves, to sinful angels and hot demons!

If you're a fan of paranormal romance authors Lara Adrian, J R Ward, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Gena Showalter and Christine Feehan then you will enjoy her books too.

If you love your angels a little dark and wicked, the best-selling Her Angel series is for you. If you like strong, powerful, and dark vampires then try the Vampires Realm series or any of her stand-alone vampire romance books. If you’re looking for vampire romances that are sinful, passionate and erotic then try the best-selling Vampire Erotic Theatre series. Or if you prefer huge detailed worlds filled with hot-blooded alpha males in every species, from elves to demons to dragons to shifters and angels, then take a look at the new Eternal Mates series.

You can find out more about Felicity at:
Website - http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/
Blog - http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/blog/
Twitter - http://twitter.com/felicityheaton
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/felicityheaton
Pinterest - http://pinterest.com/felicityheaton/
Newsletter - http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/newsl...

Reviews

[katrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heart of Darkness will take you on a roller coaster ride - your heart will be sagging one moment, and uplifting the next. Your pulse will be elevating at certain times, and sky rocketing at others ! It filled to the brim with everything you could want in paranormal romance and with over 400 pages of wafting goodness its a must read to add to your shelf or reader !!!!!!!!!!

It filled with darkness, light, kick arse action scenes, passion and lust! And also Vengeance fueled by death. Blood and gore like no other of Felicitys books but also great elements of love throughout.


In Heart of Darkness we meet Aleksandr; he is a Vampire Prince on a 200 year old mission: vendetta to avenge the death of his sister’s murder. He travels and hunts or we may say - slaughters the hunters in a morbid but dark way. The murders take place this is where his inner beast surface! The way in which he kills brings out the darkness within him and in time - if he should continue he may just loose himself to the darkness knawing inside.

Aleksandr stumbles upon Elsie she is a bloodlines guard, it is her life and is all she has left. Upon meeting Aleksandr there is smoking chemistry, but being the prince Elsie tries to stay clear. ALeksandr being persistent as he is woos and advances upon Elsie letting his intentions clear, but will Elsie give in to her temptations. There is a side of him she is unsure about but can also see a side that she falls for.

Well where do we start!!!!!

Felicity has done it again!!! A fantastic addition to her collection - Heart of Darkness is definably a great title once you read it; it depicts all that is inside. The cover once again ! Cover love !!

Felicity has woven her magic throughout this read, emotions once again like fluent poetry. Smooth flowing and well placed and easily felt. I love it when you can read a book and you know how the characters are feeling and you can feel it along with them. Descriptions are clear, cut precise and perfect!! Felicity is the queen of hearts - every detail whatever it may be is always well described, detailed and placed. Wow!! I loved this book; it was my favorite of them all!!
It didn’t help that I fell in love with Aleksandr's dark side and also his softer side. He was a tortured soul who just needed a little love to steer him from the darkness to the light and Elsie was the woman to do this.

She was kick arse I so loved her character, she had balls, grunt and was a true warrior. But also allowed herself to feel and be that woman underneath her tough exterior. !! She was one hot lady!!

The chemistry between the two main characters was electric!! Hot smoking love scenes ** waggles eyebrows ** that I’m sure will send your reader in a frenzy just flying through the pages. The love was passionate and at times a little rough but this was Alekandr fighting that darkness within!!! (( who doesnt like a little bit of rough stuff every now and then - wink wink _ ))

A well thought out storyline, that will pique your interest from page one till the very end. Fluent flowing chapters, story, crisp dialogue and even the secondary characters likeable and other easily hated!! The evil that was put forth was well depicted and all secondary characters blending well throughout the story.

Heart of Darkness contains kick arse action scenes, suspense, romance, thrills and at every corner something new became about. A whirlwind that will spin you out, and have you also gripping at your seat. Heartfelt moments to tug at your heart and jaw dropping moments where you want to jump in the book and sock some arse or join in the fight !

Overall, Heart of Darkness
Is a spine-chilling paranormal performance thrown into a whirlwind of characters and dangerous action that doesn't let up until the very end!! A plot well thought out, details easily envisaged and romance that would cause any volcanoes to burst its walls!! Yeah its hot !

So now you ask whats the book about !! Ive told you why I loved it ! read it to find out !! You wont be dissapointed ..

[Ollie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review by Ollie for bittenbyparanormalromance

Heart of Darkness is not only a paranormal romance between vampires but also a beautiful story of love, devotion, commitment and believing in the ability of overcome any obstacle.

What I enjoyed about Heart of Darkness was Felicity's ability to describe in detail the developing relationship between Aleksandr and Elise and the emotional turmoil that both go through in their journey of self-discovery. Both Aleksandr and Elise are characters that you develop feelings for because you feel their pain, anguish, despair and hope that they have a HEA (though there were times I became tired of Elise's continuous doubts that I felt like smacking her across the head).

That is not to say that there were no bright spots in the book. The building sexual tension between the two of them and Aleksandr's smouldering looks and predatory way of approaching Elise made not only her melt and feel weak in the knees but also the reader.

Aleksandr is a damaged vampire after centuries of trying to seek out his vengeance on a hunter that has cost him his humanity. This is what makes Felicity's vampires different and unique. Her vampires live among humans who do not know of their existence. They retain their humanity, rarely hunt for blood, have heartbeats, can reproduce and the thing that really set them apart: they do not allow their dark side to come through.

Vampires that succumb to the dark bloodlust and become monsters are ordered to be destroyed. Aleksandr has been killing for over 400 years seeking revenge but the hunt has been slowly destroying him. He has reached a point in his existence that either he kills the hunter or his hunt will destroy him and he will lose the last shred of humanity that is left inside him.

Elise is his salvation and his light after centuries of darkness. Elise is a strong vampire and because of her own personal loss, she has through the centuries developing a tough exterior that has caused her to shield herself from emotions such a love. When these two get together they realize that for the first time they are feeling emotions so powerful that they are afraid of what it means and how it may change them. The two can't deny their feelings and soon things heat up to such intense levels that nothing can stop it. Paranormal romance fans will enjoy getting lost in the raging passion between these two characters.

4 Stars

[SATIN SUE · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book starts with Alexandr He is a Vampire prince , out on a mission to avenge his sister's death.He kills and kills in a shocking way bringing his inner dark side out.On less he can stop he will be lost to that dark side forever.
Alexsander then meets Elsie guard in her family. one night when Elsie is out doing her job she finds a vampire covered in blood and attacks but she is shocked when she finds out the vampire is her prince. The two are attracted to each other right away but she is not 100% sure of him so she tries to stay away from him but he is all most lost to blood lust and she tries everything to save him.


YAY!!!!!! well done felicity, another great peace of work that keeps you on the edge of your seat.I'm gonna have to say that I find Felicity's work amazing and I cant wait to get them on paper back so I can keep them with all the other books I love. Felicity has the knack to drag you in to the story and make you feel like your apart of the story, she makes you want more and more. The way her books make you feel when your reading them is amazing, so much emotion and feelings in them. I really have not read a book of felicitys I have not liked. Another thing I like about felicitys work is that her vampires are all ways vampires. there is none of this mushy mushy kind of thing, when you read about her vampires you get dark and brooding and oh so melt in ya mouth. Yummy!!!!. So if you are looking for a vampire story, I think you should pick this book up because it will give you everything your looking for.

[Ronda Tutt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully and Passionately Written!

This was such a deep novel full of loyalty, dedication, raw passion, revenge, kick azzz fighting action, and loving forgiveness. Every sentence is full of heartfelt excitement that pulls you into the story as if you were experiencing everything yourself too.

The dark vampire world building is unique and close net as they protect their kind from the Hunters yet live amongst the humans in peace as they gain more humanity roles and not draw attention upon them as they savagely did in the past.

This incredible story is not a fast paced read but deeply focused on saving one’s self from losing their humanity to the carnage of a beast that thrives on the lust for blood and destruction of the Hunters and protecting their people all at the same time.

The passion and erotic scenes between the characters Aleksandr and Elise is breathtakingly hot and will sweep you away into their world of bliss as they hold and comfort each other which leads to an eternal mating for life in order to find the light and escape the darkness that may take their souls.

Great Read!

[MoonGlitter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dark and alluring! Will satisfy your reading pleasure and keep you wanting more!!
Heart of Darkness is a paranormal romance with a dark and troubled hero. *Yum!* Aleksandr was born of royalty but renounced his title so he could hunt down and kill the vampire hunter who killed his sister. He has killed many vampire hunters along the way. Each kill brings him closer to remaining as the beast that he feels growing more dominant inside.
While tracking the hunter, Aleksandr has a run in with Elise. She is a part of the guard unit in her bloodlines household. She is strong, beautiful and loyal. She is a modern age woman and does not need to be or want to be coddled or doted upon. She isn't interested in wearing dresses or taking dance lessons. She is much more comfortable in her guard uniform with a weapon in her hand.
Aleksandr has never before met such a woman. She intrigues him from the start. He knew immediately that he wanted to win her over.
Heart of Darkness is the perfect title for this book. Aleksandr has so much darkness built up inside, he has almost lost himself to it. Elise is his light, his shining hope. He feels that he so far gone, only she may be able to pull him from the depth of the darkness that surrounds his heart.
Elise is afraid to let herself fall for Aleksandr. She has suffered a loss in the past and has not ever thought of love or companionship. It was A LOT of fun watching Aleksandr and Elise's relationship grow.
This book truly has it all! There are moments of humor. The romance is built up at the perfect pace. The sexual tension is smoldering HOTT!! *CAUTION* You may burn your fingers if you don't turn the pages quickly enough!! The action is exciting and thrilling. The characters are absolutely lovable! Honestly, if you have not read Heart of Darkness yet, you are MISSING OUT! Run to your e-reader or your nearest books store and make sure to grab this one up!!

My rating: 5 stars

Reviewed for WearVampsRomance. http://werevampsromance.blogspot.com/

[Sophia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love vampire romance stories and I was eager to read this one with its intriguing premise.

Aleksandr Nemov was once a prince of the vampire people, but when his sister is brutally murdered he becomes a fearsome avenger. Each kill drags him closer to losing his soul and becoming a mindless beast. He has almost succeeded in his quest. There is one more of those in the original hunter's line left to destroy. His hunt leads him to Prague where he is first introduced to a beautiful vampire who is a member of the local blood line's guard. She surprises him with her war skills and he decides he wants to know her better.

Elise sees the huge vampire warrior savage some hunters and thinks he is a threat to her family. She attacks him and he lets her. The stranger surprises her when he requests to be taken to the head of her house. Her surprise turns to chagrin when she discovers that she has just attacked a prince. But that is just the beginning, she is bewildered and annoyed when he sets his sights on her. Elise believes that he plans to treat her like a passing love interest to pass the time while he waits for his enemy.

From this point on, there is a little battle that begins between Aleksandr and Elise. He seeks to have her because he is drawn to her and she seeks to keep him at bay though is secretly attracted to him. Due to time, dangers from hunters, sharing blood, and deeper understanding, their tug of war turns into something much deeper than attraction. Their goals are still the same, but now their is the conflict of secretly desiring something more from each other. Their fledgling relationship is complicated by another love interest. Elise's guard friend, Andrej, is drawn out into the open with his feelings when Aleksandr comes along with his interest in Elise. All the while, Aleksandr draws closer to the darkness that will consume his soul and the old enemy draws closer to Prague. Elise is Aleksandr's only chance for the healing his soul needs, but she is frightened of losing him and part of her does not believe that he means what he says. Will she give him what he needs before it is too late?

I have to say that I really enjoyed the world that Felicity Heaton has created for her vampires. I like the possibility of darkness in their souls, that sunlight is a problem for them and that they must feed on humans. They are not watered down versions, but much like the vampires of legend even though this group does try to blend with the humans as much as possible.

The plot was good with the danger of the human hunters, Aleksandr and Elise's personal struggles, and the romance between Aleksandr and Elise. The build up to when we finally get to meet Aleksandr's arch-enemy was very well written. There is a sense of anticipation and danger that carries through much of the book.

The only part that I found bothersome and bogged down the pace and distracted me from the story- and maybe someone else would not be bothered by it- was the seeming 'hot-cold on again off again' way the romance went. I just could not keep up with the swings. The story is told in both Elise and Aleksandr's points of view so we get their thoughts on each other as well as the dialogue. Less than half-way through the story, the 'love' word is tossed out there in both their minds. About half-way, they share blood and are privy to the other's thoughts and feelings which reveal their stronger desires to have something together in a committed relationship. Also, Aleksandr's brother Vasily comes along and corroborates what Aleksandr has told her about his serious attentions and how much he needs her. I point all these instances out because guess what? Elise claims to love him, but then doubts his feelings and what he shares with her even with the empirical evidence to the contrary. Now, I get that she does have the loss of her father to explain it a little of her commitment issues, but- hey come on. Her big thing about her need for independence kind of irks too because again, she sends him mixed signals and then takes it out on him when he interprets her words or actions wrong. She comes onto him and then slaps him when he accepts the kiss and kisses her back. Now to be fair, Aleksandr is not a saint. He has some male chauvinistic tendencies and ends up eating humble pie a lot as he learns how a long term romantic relationship works in the modern age. The moments where Elise sets him straight about equality of the sexes and the moments when they are tender and understand are beautiful. When they finally connect on all levels, I thought those scenes were wonderful. The steamy romance between the two lovers were some of the best scenes. I loved the playful way they were written. The climactic moments near the end were intense and had me flying through the words breathlessly to see what would happen next.

If you could not tell, I struggled to like the heroine, Elise. I did not hate her; I just found her irritating at times with the barriers that were mostly of her own making. Actually, a strong woman with depth to her like Elise was exactly what Aleksandr needed and so their characters were a great match. I found Vasily moments in the book just hilarious. Little brothers can be annoying.

Overall, it was a good read that I recommend to any vampire romance lover. I loved Felicity Heaton's vampire world and plan to read other books by her.

[Anid Harker · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the top three of what I've read from her honestly

[Chandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

Had the word "Vampires" not been used I would have thought I was reading about humans. They get cold and need fireplaces to warmup? They have heartbeats? They wear coats in the cold weather. Hmmm.

The book seems too sappy. "I love you" and "I love you" and "Do not get hurt" and "You must come back to me".....over and over and over again.

Lastly....the book is full of descriptions and lacks a nice balanced amount of dialogue between characters. I found myself going into speed reading mode just to get past descriptive paragraphs.

If you are sexually sensitive, Do Not Read This Book: her nub; her sheath; groin; breasts. I'm okay with it until it gets past about the third time. This book ventured past the third time (boring).

Lastly, lastly and..... lastly, DO NOT take this personally Felicity. You are a great author. I just did not like this book. THE END.

[Cynthia O'Neill · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. The essence of the story was fantastic, but the book itself was very verbose. I like details, but felt some scenes were a bit over done. For the story itself, I'd say it's worth the read. I would have loved to seen an epilogue to get an insight into things, beyond the ending. But, that's just me.

[Coribooks · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ok we'll be got to chapter 11, 26% of the way through and it says I have about 4 hours to till I finish.....noooooooo. Sorry had to stop as I can't take it anymore. It's a genre that I don't normally go for and I am open minded but one word comes to mind....boring.

[Priscilla King · Rating 3 out of 5]

In classical vampire stories, vampires represent evil and are there to be slain by the forces of good. In modern vampire stories, including this one, vampires may have some degree of moral choice: they have to drink blood but they can choose to drink ethically sourced blood. Elise, the heroine of this fantasy, fights vampire hunters and stores blood taken mostly from vampire hunters to drink in moderate quantities. Aleksandr fears that he's degenerated back to the "beast" level because he wants to feast on the blood of one specific vampire hunter against whom he has a grudge.

Vampires have other things to think about in this novel. They have lots of sex, with females' fertile periods occurring only once in eight years. They have even more pleasure exchanging blood with each other, enjoying being bitten as much as they enjoy biting.

This novel will embarrass any adult in whose home children find it. Some people obviously think it's worth the trouble to hide from the kids.

[Trina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable book with lots of positives to it. Good location and character descriptions, loved the relationship development between the main characters. Found the book did drag in places and repeated some of the information that Elise and Alexandr shared with each other.

[Julie Oldham · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn't to sure about this at the beginning . Elisa was a guard but was a bit weak at one point but I ended up loving it . Thoroughly recommend.

[Michelle Promotion's for Indie Author's csmindiepr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heart of Darkness
By Felicity Heaton

I have read a number of Felicity Heaton’s books, and I admit her
Style is changing, not necessarily better just different in a great way
Heart of Darkness is a storyline that gives us another view of her writing style, yes, it is still in the paranormal genre with vampires, blood drinking, darkness and aggression but Ms Heaton has given us a far more detailed and complex structure to this tale, as we are guided into the intense relationship that is found developing between two of the characters as we learn how they function and how their personality and drive affects them and everyone around them, with the decisions they make.
Elise is one of the youngest women to become a guard, for her bloodline family, a position she is very proud of and extremely good at she definitely does not hold back when the rules her master has created are challenged, as Aleksandra finds out first hand when they first meet.
Aleksandr finds himself at the mercy of Elise as she holds a dagger to his throat after he kills a hunter suspected of going on a killing spree, killing Vampire’s, he’s shocked to see a woman in the position of a guard especially when the teams from this family have regularly been looking for hunter’s.
From the first time Aleksandar meets Elise he is drawn to her on a primal level, she affects him like no other, but why??? What is it about this woman that causes such an intense reaction from him, he who for the past 4 centuries has not given anyone the time of day his whole existence is focused on eliminating the hunters and their bloodlines, this he has always done alone, not wanting to risk anyone else who could possibly get hurt. now how can he prevent Elise from becoming a target especially if she is as attracted to him as much as he is to her, Aleksandra knows he shouldn’t stay in Prague at Ladislav’s mansion it would be putting them all at risk, considering hunter’s have often destroyed whole tribes or clans of paranormal beings, so can he resist the pull Elise has over him and walk away.
The emotional pain felt by Elise when she understood the mistakes, she had been making plus imagine the pain she suffered when asked if she could do what’s necessary if control was lost, honestly I didn’t have just a couple of tears I was howling, the way this was written I could almost taste what the couple were going through and how deeply Elise would suffer if she was faced with having to follow through on her promis
The tone and speed of the book goes from casual and calm to fast paced and mysterious in the blink of an eye. I can assure you you will have no trouble turning the next page.
Something I noticed immediately was the dialogue and format had no mistakes, spelling was great and there was definitely no need for proofreading I found this amazing as I have not read one book in the past two weeks that didn’t need some type of editing.
There is just so much that can be said but spoilers could easily happen so other than saying....if vampires are your thing your going to be totally awed from every angle with this book oh and one thing more I really was not expecting the twist at the end of the book, this was the last thing I expected.....total shock!!

[Evelyn Amaro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read my full review and watch the trailer on Paromantasy

Heart of Darkness is a must-read, action-packed, romance-filled book that will have your heart melting, your adrenaline pumping and have you both laughing and crying throughout the book. I am a huge FE Heaton fan and I mus say that this is her best book on the market! It is haunting, captivating and will have your inner romantic swooning and your inner action lover fist pumping.

After the death of his sister, Alexsandr vows to take revenge on the vampire hunters responsible. He risks his life to avenge his sister and keep his kind safe, even at the risk of his humanity. When it seems that he will be lost to his beast, he meets Elise and his whole reason for living changes.

Elise life is her duty to her people. Unlike other females, she lives the life of a soldier: fighting, obeying orders and living to the code of her people. She has no one and her duty fills hat void. When she meets Alexsandr, she immediately goes on the defensive. She knows his kind: a rich womanizer who always gets what he wants. Problem is, she can't help her attraction for him. As she gets to know him she realizes he is not what he seems. He is as much alone as she is and he is on the brink of losing himself as well.

As they grow closer and the love they feel reaches new heights Alexsandr must decide whether to keep his vow to avenge his sister or fight for his humanity and be with Elise.

Elise know his struggles and tries to save Alexsandr from himself. Will she be able to save him or will she lose it all trying?

This book is amazing! The anguish that both Alexsandr and Elise go through in their lives and when they come to precipse where they must choose each other or the lives they worked so hard building will leave you in tears. Alexsandr's pursuit of Elise and her attempt at resisting him will have you laughing to the point of tears. The danger and action they face as they fight the vampire hunters will have your heart pounding. What I am trying to say is: get ready for an emotional roller coaster ride that you will want to take over and over again!

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of Felicity Heaton's greatest strengths is the way she can draw me into her stories from the get-go and leave me feverishly battling my need for sleep to find out what happens. Yes, she did that with this one. From our first glimpse of Aleksandr as he's battling a hunter and, more importantly, the darkness growing within himself, I was a goner. The guy captured me. He compelled me. He kept me riveted. Watching him navigate his feelings for Elise and begin to see that he was more than just the vengeance that had driven him was something I couldn't look away from.

Now, I liked Elise, don't get me wrong, but Aleksandr was the one that I was rooting for. I wanted him to conquer his demons and finally avenge his sister's death. I wanted him to find a way to patch up his relationship with his family. I was thrilled that Elise gave him a measure of peace. I was also thrilled that she didn't give in to him right away. She held on to the core of herself and stood strong even as her heart was splintering when the court women were throwing themselves in Aleksandr's path. I admire that in a vampire guard. That said, when she did succumb to him, it was very sex-ay.

Felicity Heaton's vampires are feral and honorable all at the same time. The fight hard and love even harder. And they are so fun to read.

-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal

[Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book, action from begin to the end. We start first with meeting Aleksandr Nemov when he just gets to Pargue, and had to kill a hunter. No sooner than he finished killing the hunter and a beautiful vampire starts fighting Aleksandr, he can tell she is skilled, but he is taken by the way she comes after him, and he is so off balance by her, and he feels something inside him that he has never felt before. Elise is a guard in Cerny bloodline, comes across a vampire in Cerny territory, then after she fights with him, she finds out that he is Royal bloodline, the Nemov's. Aleksandr is after this hunter that is very powerful, and won't stop until he is dead. The more Aleksandr kills hunters of vampires, the more the darkness takes up space inside him. For once in Aleksandr's life he desires something more then searching for the hunter that killed his sister centuries ago. The more Aleksandr spends time with Elise the more he wants to mark her as his. Elise is a strong skilled guard, and she is a great character, and the attraction between Aleksandr and her is so strong, and intense. Felicity Heaton gives us a action packed and vampire romance story. Aleksandr is a great character, one that you fall in love with. You will love reading this book, till the very last page. Felicity Heaton's writing is so great and detailed, you can almost see the story while your reading it. Highly recommend to all that loves paranormal romance books. Great vampire romance!!

[Alexia Chantel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Heart of Darkness by Felicity E. Heaton

Aleksander is an honorable vampire fighting to protect his people and keep his heart from complete darkness.

In classic romance fashion Aleksander is balancing the line between good and evil when he finds Elise and sees in her a way to tip the scales. Unknowing who she finds Elise attacks and brings in this handsome strange vampire, only to find out he is a prince. Used to getting his way Aleksander is unsure how to win over Elise’s heart.

Elise fights her own battle against her heart as Aleksander threatens to steal it from her. She has experienced loss before and is unable to throw caution to the wind and take a chance on love. It is a sweet surrender when Aleksander and Elise finally come together as it is true that two are stronger than one.

Unfortunately there is a feeling of repetition as Aleksander debates his intent with Elise and how close he is to falling to the dark side. But there is also the sweet romance and redemption that does helps even that out. An enjoyable read that won’t shake up your world, but it will definitely entertain you with a great love story.

If your in the mood for a nice love story with fangs, this is it.



Review posted at Reading Between the Wines blogspot:
http://readingbetweenthewinesbookclub...

[Meiwilli · Rating 3 out of 5]

Could this story be any more repetitive?

Aleksandr Nemov is losing his humanity with each kill of the hunter bloodline that took his sister's life. Once Alek kills the final hunter, he fears he will spiral into darkness and become the beast from which he cannot return.

Enter Elise a Cerny guard. Elise meets Alek in Prague after he has killed a hunter and immediately takes him to Ladislav, who recognizes him for the prince that he is. Elise realizes Alek is attracted to her but decides that she wants nothing to do with him, but her heart and mind betray her. Unfortunately for Elise, another would like to make her his causing a romantic triangle from which she cannot escape.

Eventually, Elise's heart chooses Alek, and she continues to fight her feelings for him because she doesn't want to be hurt as Alek has quite the reputation for being a womanizer. Although Alek is distracted and disappointed by Elise's snub, he still pursues her while waiting on the hunter to return for their showdown.

The showdown between Alek and hunter leaves much to be desired. Instead of the "to the death" smackdown I thought was coming, it's tit for tat with a bunch of non-lethal slices to the shoulder and face before one falls. This story is drawn out way too long for my liking.

On my Were Scale of Hotness, 3 stars.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Felicity is fast becoming one of my favorite authors. This was another fantastic book that kept me up at night and I had no problem finishing this one. I couldn't put it down. I love when a book has the perfect mix of action and romance and that's what this book provides.
Elisa is a guard for her people which she is very devoted too. When she first meets Aleksandr she is terrified of him she can see the darkness in his eyes fighting to claim him. Aleksandr has been killing vampire hunters for 400 years after his sister was murdered by one of them. But every life he takes brings him closer to the darkness. Their relationship starts off a little slow because she's a guard and he's a prince. She can't see what he wants to do with her when he can have any girl in the house. Don't get me wrong because the pace of the story was perfect. What I really love is the connection you make with the characters and how you fall in love as they do. This book was beautifully written and includes a incredible love story. Felicity really out does herself this time.
I would recommend this book to all paranormal romance fans and vampire fans. This definitely will not be that last book I read by Felicity Heaton.

[Cindy (Squin) · Rating 5 out of 5]

With a modern-day backdrop of Prague and a tad of regency-esque balls thrown in, modern female guard, Elise meets old-fashioned hunter Aleksandr at the bleak scene of a murder. Aleksandr has been a hunter of vampire hunters for over four-hundred years, but when he sees Elise for the first time, a new hunt begins for him. He will stop at nothing to win over Elise, although it seems as if she'll stop at nothing to thwart his advances. As the vampire hunter that has eluded Aleksandr for ages nears Prague, he and Elise will both determine what is worth fighting for.

Felicity Heaton knows how to write an emotionally-charged, sexy love story! Heart of Darkness is a knock-down, drag-out fight, both within the pages and on the reader's thoughts! A true romance at it's core, this novel also incorporates action, promenades, nail-biting thrills and revenge. This is a must-read for any fan of paranormal romance or vampires.

[Paris (kerbytejas) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story, my 4 stars are for some of the repetive verbage, i guess it may have enhanced the storyline or emphised a point the author wanted to make but now & then, it struck me as an oversight or editing mistake.
The plot was a good one, I would have liked more detail on the Hunter (he was a hybrid), but thats just a nit on my part.
The love story was stong and tender, our heroine was not a wimpy female but one with courage, strength and conviction. The sex was not in your face, and added to the storyline.
Not a lot of time was spent on developing the suporting characters, but enough info was provided so they were not just names or faceless.
I have enjoyed all of the Felicity Heaton books that I have read to date.

[Elizabeth Neff · Rating 5 out of 5]

As with all of Felicity Heaton books there is an unbelievable amount of sexual tension in her books. I found my self wanting the characters to admit to their feelings for each other, not just their sexual desires but their need to be each others salvation. Both so damaged, both hurting. I became distraught at their blight to find a way to admit thier needs for one another. I couldn't put the book down, I needed their happiness, the happily ever after. I love when I pick up a book and find that I can't put it down until there is some sort of resolution. Felicity has a great way of making you lust after her men and want for her women! It doesn't matter what book you read, it demands for you to finish it, and then calls you to read another. That takes great skill! Thanks for another great!

[Jessica Parsons · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't want to put this down, was a great read and will be re-reading again.

A heart full of darkness who finally finds a light who could save him from losing himself completely, great action scenes with blood and gore, passion and lust! And also vengeance fueled by death, loving forgiveness. There is also heartfelt moments, deep loyalty, dedication and was well written.
Elise is much more comfortable in her guard uniform and a weapon in her hand then dancing or wearing dresses. She intrigues Aleksandr from the start but resists his advances and also doesn't want to experience loss again.
Aleksandr is focused on only one thing but when he meets Elise, he wants her and tries to convince her, he also becomes torn between Elise and his vengeance.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alexsandr Nemov is a vampire prince. He denounced his title the day his sister was brutally slain. His only thought was vengeance to wipe the hunter who killed her and his entire family from the face of the earth. In four hundred years and many deaths later he's down to one progeny. Each kill has darkened his soul. Bringing forth his true nature. Until he meets Elise vampire guard to the Cerny clan. Elise turns his world upside down. He loves her feels at peace when he's with her. But can she save him from the darkness that lurks within his heart?

Quick fighting scenes, A love triangle involving a modern stubborn woman, a guard who's been orphaned and taken in by the Cerny clan, and a old school Vampire Prince who's spent the last 400 years avenging his sisters death.

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore everything that Felicity Heaton writes and this brilliant book is no exception.
It's so easy to become engaged with all of her characters, you quickly get pulled into their world!!!
As you would expect, HoD has great characters who bring lots of tension, attraction, darkness, love & hope.
The story had a great plot with loads of action, suspense and romance.
This book is a definite must read......

[Skye Louise · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was definitely not one of my favourite books by Felicity Heaton. Unlike her other novels etc this one just didn't capture me like the rest. It dragged on and seemed to go over the same points again and again. The female lead was so insecure about getting close to anyone and giving away her heart throughout almost the whole book. The big battle took so long to get to by the end i just wanted the book to be over. Not one of her best, but makes up with her other books.

[Nancy Steinle gummel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heart of Darkness is another example of Felicity Heaton's expertise in the paranormal genre. She just doesn't fail. The attraction between Elise and Alexandr surprises both of them. It's a battle of the wills with Alexandr on the losing end in the initial dance. Alexandr is fighting the beast from consuming him erasing his humanity, looking at Elise as his only chance of conquering the darkness. Meeting up with the hunter really tests their resolve. In the end you'll be pleased.

[Tami · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a huge fan of the writings of Felicity Heaton. Heart of Darkness is one of the most compelling, sexy paranormal romances that I have read. Aleksandr and Elise are characters you will fall in love with. It is a standalone and if you love wonderfully written sexy paranormal romances you will love this book. Loved IT!!

[Mindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Felicity Heaton/Anastasia Dawson is an amazing author. I have read more than 50 of her books and have loved them all. Her books include, Vampires, Succubus, witches, angels, shape-shifters, human hunters, dragons, demons, clones, and much more. I hope you enjoy her stories as much as I do.