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Dark Gothic
Dark Prince
Innkeeper’s daughter Jane Heatherington is sold into indentured servitude to cover her father’s debts, sold to Aidan Warrick, a man whose handsome face and form mock the rumors that skulk in his shadow, rumors that paint him a smuggler, a pirate…and worse.
On the rainswept Cornish coast, Aidan’s business is carried out in the darkest hours of moonless nights, his secrets are many, and death follows in his wake. Isolated and alone, Jane's only companion is the man she dare not trust, the man who looks at her with heated desire that she both fears and craves.
As she finds herself ensnared in the twisted schemes carried out within the walls of Aidan’s looming estate, Jane must decide if Aidan Warrick is the dark prince of her dreams or a monster preying on the innocent…
On the rainswept Cornish coast, Aidan’s business is carried out in the darkest hours of moonless nights, his secrets are many, and death follows in his wake. Isolated and alone, Jane's only companion is the man she dare not trust, the man who looks at her with heated desire that she both fears and craves.
As she finds herself ensnared in the twisted schemes carried out within the walls of Aidan’s looming estate, Jane must decide if Aidan Warrick is the dark prince of her dreams or a monster preying on the innocent…
311 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 1, 2007
886 people are currently reading
1904 people want to read
About the author
Eve Silver
38 books1,568 followersNational bestselling author Eve Silver has been praised for her "edgy, steamy, action-packed" books, darkly sexy heroes and take-charge heroines. Her work won the OLA Forest of Reading White Pine Award 2015, was shortlisted for the Monica Hughes Award for Science Fiction and Fantasy 2014, was listed as a 2013 American Bookseller's Association Best Book for Children and a Canadian Children's Book Centre Best Books for Kids and Teens. She has garnered starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, and Quill and Quire, two RT Book Reviews Reviewers' Choice Awards, Library Journal's Best Genre Fiction Award, and she was nominated for the Romance Writers of America® RITA® Award.
Eve lives with her husband and two exuberant border collie/Australian shepherds.
Contact Eve through her website at http://www.evesilver.net
Eve lives with her husband and two exuberant border collie/Australian shepherds.
Contact Eve through her website at http://www.evesilver.net
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 206 reviews
July 8, 2020
A very descriptive , dark romance. Aiden the handsome, well formed main male character. So full of revenge, pain, bad memories. Yet a man of morals and truth. Jane injured when attacked many years ago, now with a leg deformed and her mother dead. She’s determined, smart and brave.
They both know pain, have seen too much, lived through horrors. She now is indentured to him for 7 years, through no fault of her own. What will become of them?
This was a wonderful, if not beautiful story. It’s definitely worth the read, or listen like I chose.
They both know pain, have seen too much, lived through horrors. She now is indentured to him for 7 years, through no fault of her own. What will become of them?
This was a wonderful, if not beautiful story. It’s definitely worth the read, or listen like I chose.
October 25, 2017
I read this for the Gothic square for Halloween Bingo
Jane Heatherington studied the horizon, dread gnawing at her with small, sharp bites. The sky was a leaden mass of churning gray clouds that hung low on the water, and the ocean pummeled the shore with a strength that heralded the furor of the coming storm. Breathing in the tangy salt scent of the sea, Jane clenched her fists, making the edges of the delicate pink shell in her hand dig into the skin of her palm, grounding her as she struggled to hold her misery at bay.
We've got a heroine walking on rocky cliffs on a windy, dark, and gloomy day, a dark mysterious stranger, and murder mysteries. The first couple chapters felt like the author went through a Gothic list and was crossing them off as a lot of dark and gloomy elements were relayed.
The story is told from the heroine's pov and this helps to keep the hero dark and mysterious but even before the half way mark he is pretty much revealed to basically be fairly benign. The hero and heroine had good chemistry, if their love felt a little rushed.
The second half and whole revenge story felt somewhat cobbled together and I'm not sure I felt the emotional pull from it. The description of weather and the hero wearing a dark capped coat seemed to be the biggest Gothic themes and therefore, I was a bit let down with the Gothic feel.
Jane Heatherington studied the horizon, dread gnawing at her with small, sharp bites. The sky was a leaden mass of churning gray clouds that hung low on the water, and the ocean pummeled the shore with a strength that heralded the furor of the coming storm. Breathing in the tangy salt scent of the sea, Jane clenched her fists, making the edges of the delicate pink shell in her hand dig into the skin of her palm, grounding her as she struggled to hold her misery at bay.
We've got a heroine walking on rocky cliffs on a windy, dark, and gloomy day, a dark mysterious stranger, and murder mysteries. The first couple chapters felt like the author went through a Gothic list and was crossing them off as a lot of dark and gloomy elements were relayed.
The story is told from the heroine's pov and this helps to keep the hero dark and mysterious but even before the half way mark he is pretty much revealed to basically be fairly benign. The hero and heroine had good chemistry, if their love felt a little rushed.
The second half and whole revenge story felt somewhat cobbled together and I'm not sure I felt the emotional pull from it. The description of weather and the hero wearing a dark capped coat seemed to be the biggest Gothic themes and therefore, I was a bit let down with the Gothic feel.
December 10, 2022
I have read 3 other books in the series, all of which can be read as stand alone, and loved each one of them for its gothic and creepy factor. Dark Prince is book #3 in the series which has a setting near the Cornish coastal area. Reminiscent of all the old classics in this genre, there is a forbidding hero who at times comes across as a brooding villain and the poor damsel in distress unable to trust him completely at least initially.
Unlike the other 3 other books that I had read so far, Dark Prince didn’t wholly provide the gothic factor that I had expected. In fact, the last book I read, Seduced By A Stranger was freaky awesome with its dark and gloomy menacing atmosphere and a subject matter that raises goosebumps on our skin. Eve Silver is exceptional in creating a terrifying aura of the mansion but again Trevisham house failed to evoke that chilly atmospheric feel.
The romance that develops between Jane and Aiden was wonderful and I loved all the bite and the flow of the story. In all a good gothic romance set along the Cornish coast that works but from which I expected more.
This review is published in my blog Rain'n'Books, ##Goodreads, ##Amazon India, ##Facebook, ##Twitter.
Unlike the other 3 other books that I had read so far, Dark Prince didn’t wholly provide the gothic factor that I had expected. In fact, the last book I read, Seduced By A Stranger was freaky awesome with its dark and gloomy menacing atmosphere and a subject matter that raises goosebumps on our skin. Eve Silver is exceptional in creating a terrifying aura of the mansion but again Trevisham house failed to evoke that chilly atmospheric feel.
The romance that develops between Jane and Aiden was wonderful and I loved all the bite and the flow of the story. In all a good gothic romance set along the Cornish coast that works but from which I expected more.
This review is published in my blog Rain'n'Books, ##Goodreads, ##Amazon India, ##Facebook, ##Twitter.
October 4, 2015
Years ago I remember reading gothic romances by Victoria Holt, Velda Johnstone and Barbara Michaels to name a few. And I enjoyed reading those romances at that time. The virginal maiden, a dark hero, some mysterious tyrant and the typical setting of a castle, abbey or building that has a secret of its own. These were the typical markers of a good gothic romance.
DARK PRINCE has Trevisham, an estate on the rocky coast in Cornwall. Jane, a young woman 'sold' to Aiden Warrick, an anguished man of contradictions. So many secrets drive the plot. Is he a smuggler? Where does he go at night? Can he be mad or is it Jane that has lost all her sensibility?
This story is the third book in a romance series by Eve Silver. DARK DESIRES is the first and HIS DARK KISS is second in line. Lightly connected to the others, DARK PRINCE can be read alone. I could go into more depth but the book description at the top of the page does a better job.
I enjoy reading about men who aren't perfect. I like some bite to a darker romance and I acquired that here. Jane and Aiden had their moments but that is what a gothic romance is all about. To find out what is really going on. The curious attraction between two people. Developing trust with someone special and the moxie that happens when secrets are finally revealed.
DARK PRINCE has Trevisham, an estate on the rocky coast in Cornwall. Jane, a young woman 'sold' to Aiden Warrick, an anguished man of contradictions. So many secrets drive the plot. Is he a smuggler? Where does he go at night? Can he be mad or is it Jane that has lost all her sensibility?
This story is the third book in a romance series by Eve Silver. DARK DESIRES is the first and HIS DARK KISS is second in line. Lightly connected to the others, DARK PRINCE can be read alone. I could go into more depth but the book description at the top of the page does a better job.
I enjoy reading about men who aren't perfect. I like some bite to a darker romance and I acquired that here. Jane and Aiden had their moments but that is what a gothic romance is all about. To find out what is really going on. The curious attraction between two people. Developing trust with someone special and the moxie that happens when secrets are finally revealed.
April 24, 2020
I decided to mix things up a bit and read a gothic romance. This book was not perfect, but I was entertained. The gothic aspects felt like the author was going off a checklist. Stormy sea, check! Dead woman washes ashore, check! Tingles on my spines from "someone" watching, check! You get the picture. The h is left in the dark as to the H and his true character and motivations, and she spends pages and pages thinking about what does it all mean?!? And the h stayed stubbornly blind to her father and their relationship. The book felt over-written. But despite all of the that, I found the H/h likeable and interesting. The romance was appealing, and the story entertaining.
Safety
Safety
March 23, 2021
I usually like this author, but found this one disappointing. There seemed to be lack of logic to the characters actions. I also stopped because it was painfully boring and repetitive. 40% in and not much was happening.
I felt nothing creepy or scary, which is what I was expecting from a Gothic novel. Perhaps the author felt repeating how gruesome something was would be enough to instill it in the mind of the reader?
We only get the heroine's perspective, which seems to be the author's style. I didn't mind this with past books of hers, but here it annoyed me.
The deal breaker for me to not finishing, was how "mean" the hero was to the heroine.
Example:
I didn't care for either character. The heroine to me was weak and ignorant. The "hero" was wishy washy, going back and fourth from brooding evil gangster smuggler/murder to a gentle caring protective man. It seemed the author could have benefitted from taking this "tormented" hero and changing him more slowly. Instead it felt she bounced his character back and fourth like Jeckel and Hyde.
This will be my last of her books.
I felt nothing creepy or scary, which is what I was expecting from a Gothic novel. Perhaps the author felt repeating how gruesome something was would be enough to instill it in the mind of the reader?
We only get the heroine's perspective, which seems to be the author's style. I didn't mind this with past books of hers, but here it annoyed me.
The deal breaker for me to not finishing, was how "mean" the hero was to the heroine.
Example:
I didn't care for either character. The heroine to me was weak and ignorant. The "hero" was wishy washy, going back and fourth from brooding evil gangster smuggler/murder to a gentle caring protective man. It seemed the author could have benefitted from taking this "tormented" hero and changing him more slowly. Instead it felt she bounced his character back and fourth like Jeckel and Hyde.
This will be my last of her books.
April 29, 2015
This book sucked me in from the beginning and never let go. I was enthralled. There is nothing I love better in historical romance than a tortured hero who has done many bad things in their life out of circumstance but is good at the core and worthy of redemption through the love of a good woman.
Aidan Warrick is one of those heroes and I absolutely loved him.
And I also loved Jane - a heroine with a crippled leg - defective on the outside but oh so pure on the inside. She is a pawn in a cruel game between her father and Aidan. There were so many twists and turns in this book. I never wanted to put it down.
I'm not sure I'd call this book gothic in a traditional sense. But it is definitely a 'dark' romance and you don't know who is good and who is bad, who lies and who tells the truth.
This was a very satisfying read...it brought me to tears at parts...and I will definitely read it again in the future. I LOVED IT!
Aidan Warrick is one of those heroes and I absolutely loved him.
And I also loved Jane - a heroine with a crippled leg - defective on the outside but oh so pure on the inside. She is a pawn in a cruel game between her father and Aidan. There were so many twists and turns in this book. I never wanted to put it down.
I'm not sure I'd call this book gothic in a traditional sense. But it is definitely a 'dark' romance and you don't know who is good and who is bad, who lies and who tells the truth.
This was a very satisfying read...it brought me to tears at parts...and I will definitely read it again in the future. I LOVED IT!
May 9, 2020
3,5*
April 17, 2021
Dark Prince
3.5 Stars
Crippled as a child, Jane Heatherington has few expectations or prospects other than working in her father's inn. But when an enigmatic stranger arrives, Jane finds herself sold into indentured servitude and thrust into a life of danger and intrigue as her master, Aiden Warrick, is rumored to be a smuggler, a pirate and perhaps even a murderer.
Similar to the first two books in the series, Dark Prince contains allusions to a famous work of gothic fiction. In this case, the story is suggestive of Daphne de Maurier's Jamaica Inn with its references to a coastal inn, a bullying innkeeper and a band of wreckers.
While the book is quite slow to start, the narrative picks up along the way and the romance is engaging. The mysterious and brooding Aiden and the sweet yet resilient Jane are both appealing characters and their interactions are satisfying.
The weakest aspect of the book is the mystery plot, which is comprised of too many disjointed threads that never completely reach their potential.
All in all, not the best installment but a quick and enjoyable read nonetheless.
3.5 Stars
Crippled as a child, Jane Heatherington has few expectations or prospects other than working in her father's inn. But when an enigmatic stranger arrives, Jane finds herself sold into indentured servitude and thrust into a life of danger and intrigue as her master, Aiden Warrick, is rumored to be a smuggler, a pirate and perhaps even a murderer.
Similar to the first two books in the series, Dark Prince contains allusions to a famous work of gothic fiction. In this case, the story is suggestive of Daphne de Maurier's Jamaica Inn with its references to a coastal inn, a bullying innkeeper and a band of wreckers.
While the book is quite slow to start, the narrative picks up along the way and the romance is engaging. The mysterious and brooding Aiden and the sweet yet resilient Jane are both appealing characters and their interactions are satisfying.
The weakest aspect of the book is the mystery plot, which is comprised of too many disjointed threads that never completely reach their potential.
All in all, not the best installment but a quick and enjoyable read nonetheless.
October 29, 2016
Eve Silver is a modern voice in the historical Victorian Gothic genre, where the settings, style and characters are reminiscent of older works by authors like Victoria Holt and Catherine Coulter. This book, my second in this genre by Ms. Silver, didn't measure up to book one in the series, Dark Desires, or the aforementioned tomes by Holt and Coulter. She adds the spice, but she doesn't add the suspense. This book's hook just wasn't present in the early chapters, and the menace wasn't a harrowing thread throughout. I'll keep trying with other Eve Silver books, though, since newer books in this genre are so hard to find.
May 6, 2020
3.5 stars
I enjoyed this book more than the previous installment I read in the series. It's not perfect, but it gave me the gothic vibe I was going for.
Jane is content to work with her father at his inn, until Aidan shows up to cash in her father's debt. Her father doesn't have the money so he sells Jane to be Aidan's bondservant instead. Jane goes to save her father from debtors prison, but thinks Aidan a monster for forcing her from her home.
Here was the first place the story didn't pass the sniff test. Jane is so devoted to her father and thinks Aidan is evil, but her dad let all of this happen. In a way, he made it happen. He is clearly a bad guy out of the gate and Aidan does nothing but treat her with kindness. Indeed, she is more of an honored guest than a servant.
Aidan was obviously enamored of her. But why? At least, why so quickly? I mean, I get that by the end he would have known what kind of woman she was and want to make her happy but at the beginning, their interaction was so limited it didn't ring true.
(And one small aside, I think the author used the word "unease" or "uneasy" about a dozen times in the first chapter.)
But. While it may sound like I didn't like the book, I did. Aidan is an angsty and tortured hero, which is my favorite kind. And he's redeemed by the love of a good woman which is one of my favorite tropes. I liked the atmosphere and tone. The love scenes were good and I was satisfied with the ending.
Despite the imperfections, I don't regret spending an afternoon with this story.
I enjoyed this book more than the previous installment I read in the series. It's not perfect, but it gave me the gothic vibe I was going for.
Jane is content to work with her father at his inn, until Aidan shows up to cash in her father's debt. Her father doesn't have the money so he sells Jane to be Aidan's bondservant instead. Jane goes to save her father from debtors prison, but thinks Aidan a monster for forcing her from her home.
Here was the first place the story didn't pass the sniff test. Jane is so devoted to her father and thinks Aidan is evil, but her dad let all of this happen. In a way, he made it happen. He is clearly a bad guy out of the gate and Aidan does nothing but treat her with kindness. Indeed, she is more of an honored guest than a servant.
Aidan was obviously enamored of her. But why? At least, why so quickly? I mean, I get that by the end he would have known what kind of woman she was and want to make her happy but at the beginning, their interaction was so limited it didn't ring true.
(And one small aside, I think the author used the word "unease" or "uneasy" about a dozen times in the first chapter.)
But. While it may sound like I didn't like the book, I did. Aidan is an angsty and tortured hero, which is my favorite kind. And he's redeemed by the love of a good woman which is one of my favorite tropes. I liked the atmosphere and tone. The love scenes were good and I was satisfied with the ending.
Despite the imperfections, I don't regret spending an afternoon with this story.
September 5, 2016
I could not put this book down. It had me from page one. It was like reading Victoria Holt in her prime. The creepy feeling of being watched, evil intent, evil men, and a dark man who holds his vengeance close. The stark mansion, the churning sea, that threw up its dead, with no care. A tortured life that have caused the hero Aiden, and heroine Jane to still suffer from. Nothing pulls a woman in like a brooding man, who has known great mistreatment yet shows great honor. The story is woven tight , and slowly unravels ,leaving the reader to guess at the meanings, much like Jane. Is her father cruel, or just trapped? What is this stranger's intent, for her, and her life?. Is he the solution, or the problem. ? There was something so Mr. Darcy about Mr. Warwick in his attitude , In the beginning. He stays there, and with her, but separate. Yet his eyes say so much more. I loved the way Jane became so confident, and saved herself, and the day .on a few occasions .Showing her true nature , and inner strength. She was his true north. I also loved how it all came together, in the end. It was mentioned by Jane ,in the book that it all seemed part of a puzzle. Each piece giving the picture of the whole. I loved each piece that she drew out of him, and I loved that they both had a deformity in a way. I have only recently found a few Gothic writers, but I shivered, and looked over my shoulder right along with her. There are a few steamy parts..They did not distract from the story, and can easily be avoided. I will continue to follow this author.
December 8, 2014
I revert to my status update: Oh my goodness this is silly in all the best ways. Our heroine is a lovely cripple who has been sold as a bond servant to a Dark, Dangerous, and Mysterious Man (with Hidden Tenderness, obviously), who may also be a smuggler, wrecker, and murderer. Plus it is set in Cornwall and the author uses words like 'twould and mayhap. It's as if you took Jamaica Inn and made it even more baroque. YES.
Eve Silver is like an R-rated Victoria Holt on speed. Total fluff, but very entertaining
Eve Silver is like an R-rated Victoria Holt on speed. Total fluff, but very entertaining
April 27, 2017
Another great Gothic romance. I love Eve Silver's writing style.
June 8, 2020
Overall: 2 stars. A bit of a letdown, as I enjoyed the other Dark Gothic books I’ve read (Dark Desires and and His Dark Kiss).
This one started out very promising with a mysterious gentleman, Aidan Warwick, buying a creepy manor in town and then showing up and demanding our heroine’s father pay his debts and the heroine, Jane, agreeing to be his bondservant to pay the debts. We all know where this is going, right? To the creepy castle, huzzah!
Sadly, no. We spend a lot of time with Jane just hanging out in an inn room while Aidan does ominous things like have meetings in the middle of the night. Jane figures out rather quickly that he’s a smuggler, and then the two finally make their way to the creepy mansion. Only, then we are beset by legions of identical manservants to threaten Jane who doesn’t seem too inclined to really investigate what’s going on.
Do I expect big surprises and plot twists out of a book like this? No, of course not. But I do expect a fun homage to the gothic tropes we know and love. Dark Prince subverts some of those, but then leaves us with a heroine with nothing to do and an unlikable hero who is neither charming nor redeemed. Meh.
This one started out very promising with a mysterious gentleman, Aidan Warwick, buying a creepy manor in town and then showing up and demanding our heroine’s father pay his debts and the heroine, Jane, agreeing to be his bondservant to pay the debts. We all know where this is going, right? To the creepy castle, huzzah!
Sadly, no. We spend a lot of time with Jane just hanging out in an inn room while Aidan does ominous things like have meetings in the middle of the night. Jane figures out rather quickly that he’s a smuggler, and then the two finally make their way to the creepy mansion. Only, then we are beset by legions of identical manservants to threaten Jane who doesn’t seem too inclined to really investigate what’s going on.
Do I expect big surprises and plot twists out of a book like this? No, of course not. But I do expect a fun homage to the gothic tropes we know and love. Dark Prince subverts some of those, but then leaves us with a heroine with nothing to do and an unlikable hero who is neither charming nor redeemed. Meh.
November 16, 2019
This one of the boxed set was just Okay. At first I was like oh cool! Disability representation! Until it became clear the girl's leg issue was making her a damsel at every turn. Disappointing. Also the guy was not great; at one point she asks him not to call her some nickname, but he continues, and then flips out when SHE won't call him what HE asks... Just annoying. Still, a quick, very seaside-gothic ambient read.
July 29, 2020
Dark Prince 😍
Once again Eve Silver has brought the light to the dark!
The Prince has his refused his right of revenge because of his love for a strong woman!
She finally finds out who the men are in her life and how she is saved by a man who is the sworn enemy to her father!
Is her father's the man she thought he was?
What did her mother mean when she told Jane by telling her to beware of her father?
Once again Eve Silver has brought the light to the dark!
The Prince has his refused his right of revenge because of his love for a strong woman!
She finally finds out who the men are in her life and how she is saved by a man who is the sworn enemy to her father!
Is her father's the man she thought he was?
What did her mother mean when she told Jane by telling her to beware of her father?
May 26, 2021
It is refreshing to read a romance where the characters don't haver perfect unblemished bodies because most of us don't have them. There is a bit of intrigue within this novel and more than one twist.
November 24, 2017
I found the mystery aspect the most entertaining thus far in the series. I look forward to the reading another installment soon.
September 14, 2018
Oh yes - now this is much better! After the disappointment of "His Dark Kiss" the author has found her way back, and produced a book that's a pure delight to read. Loved the hero, loved the heroine, loved all the turns and twists of the story. A definite keeper!
April 26, 2020
Consistently good
Dark, brooding, dangerous, Gothic mystery at its best. The vibe was so Bronté, du Maurier that as I read, the movie in my head was a 1950s black & white classic. Fabulous story, full of menace and redemption.
Dark, brooding, dangerous, Gothic mystery at its best. The vibe was so Bronté, du Maurier that as I read, the movie in my head was a 1950s black & white classic. Fabulous story, full of menace and redemption.
June 2, 2020
It held my attention but nothing really stood out about this book. It seemed a bit too cookie cutter for my tastes. It also tend to tell me how to feel rather than make me feel. So yeah, just meh.
April 3, 2024
Rated 3.5
June 6, 2024
Jane is sold by her father to Aidan to pay off his debt. They live on the coast and it is rumored that Aidan is a pirate and smuggler. And..gasp! A murderer!
However things are not as they seem. I thought this was disappointing. There was not much to the mystery and it was a bit of a let down. I didn't like the dynamic between Aidan and Jane at the beginning; he wasn't clear on expectations he had and I just felt the "romance" was icky (re: the indentured servitude).
However things are not as they seem. I thought this was disappointing. There was not much to the mystery and it was a bit of a let down. I didn't like the dynamic between Aidan and Jane at the beginning; he wasn't clear on expectations he had and I just felt the "romance" was icky (re: the indentured servitude).
May 9, 2020
This was such a classic Gothic romance and I loved it! You've got the dark, brooding hero, the wounded, desperate (but strong) heroine, mysterious backstories, smuggling, murder plots, the hero's gorgeously Gothic property, etc., etc. It really ticked all the boxes for me. It was very well-written and the whole book had that delightfully gloomy overtone to it. The characters had great chemistry. I thought the pacing to reveal secrets and backstories was really well done and it all came together in a fantastic and satisfying end. Incredible book. Definitely recommend.
March 22, 2020
Love this series
I absolutely love the Dark Gothic series books that I have had the opportunity to read. The characters and world building are so well fleshed out. Thank you so much, Ms. Silver, for adding this series to the Kindle Unlimited program. I can't wait to read the remainder of the series.
I absolutely love the Dark Gothic series books that I have had the opportunity to read. The characters and world building are so well fleshed out. Thank you so much, Ms. Silver, for adding this series to the Kindle Unlimited program. I can't wait to read the remainder of the series.
Read
February 8, 2015I got this book because it was described as a Gothic romance and I had never heard of that nor read one so I was curious. I am not sure if this is a good example of that genre but it was a bit of a miss for my tastes. There are many, many pages of scenery and setting up the haunting tone but nothing actually happens during those pages. There is actually not a lot of action during the book since the hero is so often going off and leaving the heroine behind where she doesn't know what is happening. There is also one of those "I should hate him but I lust for him" vibes going on which is something that has never really worked for me in stories. I was a bit bored while reading the book to be honest, but I am not one for a lot excessive descriptions so it is a matter of taste.
So know what you like going in and this book might be a better fit for your tastes than mine.
So know what you like going in and this book might be a better fit for your tastes than mine.
September 9, 2014
The story was wonderful, and it was well written. There were a few errors but having read a ton of fanfiction that is usually riddled with a variety of errors, I just read over the errors. A beta would help, though. It's as though it was only put through a spell checker and those are notoriously fallible.
I gave only four stars because the heroine just made assumptions, and did not think. If the heroine is going to be a "damsel in distress" sort I do not see why she cannot have some brains. Aidan Warrick claims he adores the "fact" that Jane Hetherington is "no fool" but she did several very foolish things that brought trouble.
Still, I would read this again, and I will read other "Dark Gothic" stories by Eve Silver.
I gave only four stars because the heroine just made assumptions, and did not think. If the heroine is going to be a "damsel in distress" sort I do not see why she cannot have some brains. Aidan Warrick claims he adores the "fact" that Jane Hetherington is "no fool" but she did several very foolish things that brought trouble.
Still, I would read this again, and I will read other "Dark Gothic" stories by Eve Silver.
August 23, 2012
I admit that I thought the cover of this book was a little cheesy (no offense to the gentlemen gracing the cover - I'm sure he is very nice). But it was on several gothic romance recommended reading lists so I checked it out. I was pleasantly surprised! The book is indeed very gothic. A young woman is indentured to a virile and mysterious man who may or may not be involved with smugglers. As the mystery of his involvement with her family and his nightly goings-on unfolds, the young heroine's love grows for her dark prince. It was an easy-going read with a few *gasps* along the way. A good read!
December 27, 2021
This is the third book I've read in Eve Silver's Gothic series after "His Dark Kiss" and "Dark Desires," the latter of which was my favorite, a story set at the advent of autopsies and scientific discoveries of human anatomy.
This story held the same dark, brooding, Gothic appeal, although the plot and mysteries were a bit light. I tired occasionally of the overdone, passionate language - but not as much as I did when reading "His Dark Kiss."
Jane Heatherington is the daughter of innkeeper Gideon Heatherington, owner of The Crown Inn, in a small town on the Cornish coast. She has mourned the tragic, sudden death of her mother since she was 12 years old from a horrific incident on the cliffs, which caused one of her legs painfully marred and weakened, leaving her with a permanent, noticeable limp. Her mother intervened when Jane was assaulted by a smuggler, only to have the cliff edge crumble out from under them, pitching all three into the ocean, with Jane the only survivor. She has been haunted by that day, and her mother's memory, ever since.
With her mother's words: "Watch out for your father, Jane, you hear me?" echoing in her mind all these years, Jane has worked tirelessly in her father's inn since her mother's passing, tending bar, making meals, weeding the garden, caring for the few chickens, serving ale to drunken men, believing that her mother intended for Jane to care for him, all while her father sat cajoling with guests and drinking the profits. She believed him to be a good and decent man who loved her despite his faults and weaknesses. She believed in the memory of her mother's love for him, and chooses to love him as a result, despite his failings. Too late does she realize how fallible a child's memory can be, how love and trust of a parent can be so mistakenly placed.
When the new owner of the abandoned, decrepit Trevisham House, located high up on the cliffs, arrives on the same day a woman is pulled drowned from the waves, her eyes seemingly eaten straight out of her head by fish, Jane wonders whether there might be a connection between the two. There's always been rumors of wreckers stalking these shores- men who purposefully lead ships astray with lights upon the shore, letting them crash upon the rocky Cornish coast - was this woman a passenger on such a doomed ship? When the owner, beautiful, scary, wealthy Aidan Warrick, shows up at her father's inn, demanding payment for the back rent payments due on the inn, Jane realizes the severity of their financial predicament. If Warrick chooses, he could send her father, her protector and nearly her only family remaining, to debtor's prison, leaving her to shift for herself as their livelihood of running the inn falls into ruin. Can she live with her guilt if her father should die in such a place when there might have been something she could have done to prevent it?
Instead Warrick proposes Gideon sign over his only daughter to be Warrick's bondswoman, essentially a servant, for a period of seven years, to help pay the debt of rent due. Appalled, Jane looks to her father to shield her from such a fate. Instead, rather than not wish her to become another man's property, Gideon is loathed to let her go, for he cannot afford to pay anyone to do the work Jane does at the inn for free.
Unable or selfishly unwilling to strike a different deal with Warrick, Gideon lets Jane go to an unknown fate. With her mother's words echoing in her mind, Jane believes this the best way to truly care for her father and get them out of debt. Thus begins Jane's journey into Aidan's world of thieving, murdering, pirating, selling and secreting away stolen goods. Believing herself to be indentured to him, set for a life filled with years of hard labor, she is stunned when she is giving absolutely nothing to do. Traveling from an inn, to a safe house, to finally Trevisham House, she has no tasks set before her, except to wonder at this dark, brooding man and his shadowy exploits.
Just as she begins to trust and fall in love with Aidan, Jane learns that he is set on a path of vengeance against her father for horrific acts committed on his family when Aidan was a boy. She believes her love for Aidan can sway him from his task, but doesn't understand the gravity of fate, how grisly ends usually await bad men for deeds done. Her father might be lost, but can she save Aidan from a gruesome death?
This novel wasn't terrible, but it wasn't as good as Silver's others. The stark, beautiful, dangerous coast of Cornwall, England, and the deceptively safe moors, were a perfect setting for this story that kept me well occupied on a foggy, gloomy December Sunday. There were some bloody murders, some twisting mysteries - albeit some I solved before Jane - steamy bedroom scenes, spooky cemeteries, and things that go bump in the night.
I will admit I felt there were some parts of the story left unresolved. Whatever happened to Dolly, her father's cousin? Is the reader to assume she was murdered? We never saw her again after Jane's fruitless visit to her cottage. And what about Hawker, Aidan's young, possibly corrupt, Jack-of-all-trades? I suppose he wasn't in a plot to undermine Aidan, but that was never truly resolved. What happened to Wenna, the mother of the awful Digory, at the end of the story?
I do enjoy Silver's novels, but I only read one or two a year, so as not to become turned off and disinterested by her overdone writing style. I caught myself giggling early on at one of Jane and Aidan's overwrought interactions. These books do draw you in, but they're best consumed in small doses.
This story held the same dark, brooding, Gothic appeal, although the plot and mysteries were a bit light. I tired occasionally of the overdone, passionate language - but not as much as I did when reading "His Dark Kiss."
Jane Heatherington is the daughter of innkeeper Gideon Heatherington, owner of The Crown Inn, in a small town on the Cornish coast. She has mourned the tragic, sudden death of her mother since she was 12 years old from a horrific incident on the cliffs, which caused one of her legs painfully marred and weakened, leaving her with a permanent, noticeable limp. Her mother intervened when Jane was assaulted by a smuggler, only to have the cliff edge crumble out from under them, pitching all three into the ocean, with Jane the only survivor. She has been haunted by that day, and her mother's memory, ever since.
With her mother's words: "Watch out for your father, Jane, you hear me?" echoing in her mind all these years, Jane has worked tirelessly in her father's inn since her mother's passing, tending bar, making meals, weeding the garden, caring for the few chickens, serving ale to drunken men, believing that her mother intended for Jane to care for him, all while her father sat cajoling with guests and drinking the profits. She believed him to be a good and decent man who loved her despite his faults and weaknesses. She believed in the memory of her mother's love for him, and chooses to love him as a result, despite his failings. Too late does she realize how fallible a child's memory can be, how love and trust of a parent can be so mistakenly placed.
When the new owner of the abandoned, decrepit Trevisham House, located high up on the cliffs, arrives on the same day a woman is pulled drowned from the waves, her eyes seemingly eaten straight out of her head by fish, Jane wonders whether there might be a connection between the two. There's always been rumors of wreckers stalking these shores- men who purposefully lead ships astray with lights upon the shore, letting them crash upon the rocky Cornish coast - was this woman a passenger on such a doomed ship? When the owner, beautiful, scary, wealthy Aidan Warrick, shows up at her father's inn, demanding payment for the back rent payments due on the inn, Jane realizes the severity of their financial predicament. If Warrick chooses, he could send her father, her protector and nearly her only family remaining, to debtor's prison, leaving her to shift for herself as their livelihood of running the inn falls into ruin. Can she live with her guilt if her father should die in such a place when there might have been something she could have done to prevent it?
Instead Warrick proposes Gideon sign over his only daughter to be Warrick's bondswoman, essentially a servant, for a period of seven years, to help pay the debt of rent due. Appalled, Jane looks to her father to shield her from such a fate. Instead, rather than not wish her to become another man's property, Gideon is loathed to let her go, for he cannot afford to pay anyone to do the work Jane does at the inn for free.
Unable or selfishly unwilling to strike a different deal with Warrick, Gideon lets Jane go to an unknown fate. With her mother's words echoing in her mind, Jane believes this the best way to truly care for her father and get them out of debt. Thus begins Jane's journey into Aidan's world of thieving, murdering, pirating, selling and secreting away stolen goods. Believing herself to be indentured to him, set for a life filled with years of hard labor, she is stunned when she is giving absolutely nothing to do. Traveling from an inn, to a safe house, to finally Trevisham House, she has no tasks set before her, except to wonder at this dark, brooding man and his shadowy exploits.
Just as she begins to trust and fall in love with Aidan, Jane learns that he is set on a path of vengeance against her father for horrific acts committed on his family when Aidan was a boy. She believes her love for Aidan can sway him from his task, but doesn't understand the gravity of fate, how grisly ends usually await bad men for deeds done. Her father might be lost, but can she save Aidan from a gruesome death?
This novel wasn't terrible, but it wasn't as good as Silver's others. The stark, beautiful, dangerous coast of Cornwall, England, and the deceptively safe moors, were a perfect setting for this story that kept me well occupied on a foggy, gloomy December Sunday. There were some bloody murders, some twisting mysteries - albeit some I solved before Jane - steamy bedroom scenes, spooky cemeteries, and things that go bump in the night.
I will admit I felt there were some parts of the story left unresolved. Whatever happened to Dolly, her father's cousin? Is the reader to assume she was murdered? We never saw her again after Jane's fruitless visit to her cottage. And what about Hawker, Aidan's young, possibly corrupt, Jack-of-all-trades? I suppose he wasn't in a plot to undermine Aidan, but that was never truly resolved. What happened to Wenna, the mother of the awful Digory, at the end of the story?
I do enjoy Silver's novels, but I only read one or two a year, so as not to become turned off and disinterested by her overdone writing style. I caught myself giggling early on at one of Jane and Aidan's overwrought interactions. These books do draw you in, but they're best consumed in small doses.
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