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The Marchants #1
The Dark Viscount
His heart is black and he trusts no one Thunderclaps, lightning strikes and her imposing new mansion looming high - but Miss Marchant is not one to be afraid. Not wilful, beautiful Sydony Marchant. If the house doesn't shock her, the arrival of Viscount Hawthorne does! No longer the boy she once kissed - Bartholomew's now a man with a ruthless glint in his eye. He's here to uncover a truth and ruin Sydony. But they are soon entangled in secrets darker than they know. And, as the tension crackles between them, the memory of their innocent kiss is no longer enough...
304 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2007
11 people are currently reading
122 people want to read
About the author
Deborah Simmons
157 books204 followersDeborah Simmons is the author of twenty-five historical romances and novellas, published by Avon, Berkley, and Harlequin.
A native midwesterner, Simmons graduated cum laude from Wittenberg University and was a journalist before turning to fiction. Her first book, Heart's Masquerade, was published by Avon in 1989 and was followed by a number of Harlequin Historicals, including a USA Today Bestselling anthology. Her 2003 release, A Man of Many Talents, was a launch title for Berkley's Sensation imprint.
Two of her books have been finalists in the Romance Writers of America's annual RITA competition for excellence: The Gentleman Thief in 2001 and A Lady of Distinction in 2005.
Simmons has sold two million books in North America, and her work has been translated and published in twenty-four foreign countries, including illustrated editions in Japan. She is a member of RWA, Novelists Inc., and the Author's Guild.
"I like to think of my stories as adventures," Simmons says. Most take place in Regency or Medieval England, such as her popular series on the thirteen century de Burgh family. But no matter what the setting, you'll find interesting characters, romance, humor, and mystery.
A native midwesterner, Simmons graduated cum laude from Wittenberg University and was a journalist before turning to fiction. Her first book, Heart's Masquerade, was published by Avon in 1989 and was followed by a number of Harlequin Historicals, including a USA Today Bestselling anthology. Her 2003 release, A Man of Many Talents, was a launch title for Berkley's Sensation imprint.
Two of her books have been finalists in the Romance Writers of America's annual RITA competition for excellence: The Gentleman Thief in 2001 and A Lady of Distinction in 2005.
Simmons has sold two million books in North America, and her work has been translated and published in twenty-four foreign countries, including illustrated editions in Japan. She is a member of RWA, Novelists Inc., and the Author's Guild.
"I like to think of my stories as adventures," Simmons says. Most take place in Regency or Medieval England, such as her popular series on the thirteen century de Burgh family. But no matter what the setting, you'll find interesting characters, romance, humor, and mystery.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
September 5, 2010
This was a disappointing Simmons' read.
A shame really because it had all the makings of greatness: Siblings inheriting a spooky old mansion from a insane relative, superstitious country folk, Hedge Mazes, druids, and skeletons! Oh my! lol. The plot itself was fun, but it was only 10% romance 90& Nancy Drew. Then adding insult to injury, Simmons skips the big finish.
I pushed though wanting to get to the lurve fireworks of the lead couple, I dunno know maybe after the daring rescue from a virgin sacrifice perhaps... to get bupkis, nada, zip, and zilch. The declaration of love, proposal, and period appropriate smexiness; is clunkily skipped over as follows:
Heroine:
p273 I'm saved, though nothing is resolved romantically
p274 Brother, I'm engaged. I thanked him oh so THOROUGHLY for saving meh.
p 275 The End
followed by a saccharine sweet 2 pg happily ever after epilogue
WTH? I was forced to pause, scratch my head, and reskim; the previous chapters for any interchanges or developments that would logically build up to the ending. Booo!! Hiss!! Boo!! to the lot of it. =/
A shame really because it had all the makings of greatness: Siblings inheriting a spooky old mansion from a insane relative, superstitious country folk, Hedge Mazes, druids, and skeletons! Oh my! lol. The plot itself was fun, but it was only 10% romance 90& Nancy Drew. Then adding insult to injury, Simmons skips the big finish.
I pushed though wanting to get to the lurve fireworks of the lead couple, I dunno know maybe after the daring rescue from a virgin sacrifice perhaps... to get bupkis, nada, zip, and zilch. The declaration of love, proposal, and period appropriate smexiness; is clunkily skipped over as follows:
Heroine:
p273 I'm saved, though nothing is resolved romantically
p274 Brother, I'm engaged. I thanked him oh so THOROUGHLY for saving meh.
p 275 The End
followed by a saccharine sweet 2 pg happily ever after epilogue
WTH? I was forced to pause, scratch my head, and reskim; the previous chapters for any interchanges or developments that would logically build up to the ending. Booo!! Hiss!! Boo!! to the lot of it. =/
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 30, 2021
DNF, pg 118.
Moronic characters, flat story. There was no excuse for the MCs to continually think the worst of each other, no excuse for them to evade their problems with the house, no excuse to avoid discussing their background—basically, no justification to do anything they did & no justification not to do what they didn’t. For some ridiculous reason the hero thinks his former BFF/neighbor & the BFF’s sister, his teenage crush, murdered his father?! And for some equally ridiculous reason, the heroine thinks the neighbor-hero is mocking her, ridiculing her, & generally unfeeling toward lesser humanity every time he breathes the same air, & also because he got a title handed down in the family line?! It’s just DUMB. Throw in some Regency-era Druids & there you have it—an undrinkable cocktail of DNF.
Moronic characters, flat story. There was no excuse for the MCs to continually think the worst of each other, no excuse for them to evade their problems with the house, no excuse to avoid discussing their background—basically, no justification to do anything they did & no justification not to do what they didn’t. For some ridiculous reason the hero thinks his former BFF/neighbor & the BFF’s sister, his teenage crush, murdered his father?! And for some equally ridiculous reason, the heroine thinks the neighbor-hero is mocking her, ridiculing her, & generally unfeeling toward lesser humanity every time he breathes the same air, & also because he got a title handed down in the family line?! It’s just DUMB. Throw in some Regency-era Druids & there you have it—an undrinkable cocktail of DNF.
March 16, 2009
Everything about this book was tidy and well-done. It was an engaging, exciting read. So why three stars? Because the author completely let the bottom fall out of the bucket at the height of the plot climax. I mean, I was *right there* with the characters, hanging on every little detail, and.....
Nothing.
Listen. If you're setting it all up for the guys to go in & rescue the damsel in distress, guns a-blazin' and all that, DON'T SKIP OUT ON IT AT THE LAST MINUTE and cut to "the next morning." Not a good tactic for happy readers. I was left feeling empty and frustrated despite the fact the book was well-written.
Nothing.
Listen. If you're setting it all up for the guys to go in & rescue the damsel in distress, guns a-blazin' and all that, DON'T SKIP OUT ON IT AT THE LAST MINUTE and cut to "the next morning." Not a good tactic for happy readers. I was left feeling empty and frustrated despite the fact the book was well-written.
Read
October 8, 2008Eerie and perfect for a cold Autumn night.
Sydony and her brother move into their aunt's home after inheriting it. There are strange rumors about the old lady and the maze she feared. Some claim she died because of it. The house and the few servants willing to work there are spooky. Then an old family friend comes to visit, Barto, Viscount Hawthorne, and things become even more mysterious.
Barto is there to discover answer to his father's death. He knows it has to be connected to his old friends in some way. He is in no way prepared for the attraction he still harbors for Sydony after so many years of not laying eyes on her.
Can suspicions be put to rest and happiness found? No one is certain what will happen next. In the end, will the maze be the source of more thrilling rumors or will all mysteries be solved.
Sydony and her brother move into their aunt's home after inheriting it. There are strange rumors about the old lady and the maze she feared. Some claim she died because of it. The house and the few servants willing to work there are spooky. Then an old family friend comes to visit, Barto, Viscount Hawthorne, and things become even more mysterious.
Barto is there to discover answer to his father's death. He knows it has to be connected to his old friends in some way. He is in no way prepared for the attraction he still harbors for Sydony after so many years of not laying eyes on her.
Can suspicions be put to rest and happiness found? No one is certain what will happen next. In the end, will the maze be the source of more thrilling rumors or will all mysteries be solved.
August 13, 2020
Um livro interessante com um toque de romance gótico e muito mistério!
É o primeiro que leio desta autora e não estava realmente esperando nada sensacional. Mas a história já começa com uma atmosfera muito sombria e isso me encantou profundamente. Ao longo da narrativa, surgem alguns mistérios... criados estranhos e desconfiados, um labirinto incomum, luzes no meio da noite, uma casa com um passado tenebroso, uma parente supostamente louca... Eu fiquei presa na história e ansiosa para descobrir o que estava acontecendo. Para quem gosta de romance e cenas quentes, vai se decepcionar com este livro. Para mim, ele esteve perfeito!
Eu entrei na história de um jeito que vai ser bem difícil sair dela.
...
Porém, a edição da Harlequin Books apresentou diversos problemas que me aborreceram um bocado. Além dos cortes na história, que já são bem comuns, eu me deparei com muitos erros gramaticais (palavras erradas, pontuação e concordância), frases que não faziam sentido e personagens com nomes trocados. Eu fiquei com a impressão de que tanto a tradução quanto a revisão foram feitas sem muito cuidado. Uma pena, pois isso influencia muito na leitura. Mantenho as cinco estrelas porque não foi culpa da autora, mas a editora deixou bem a desejar!
É o primeiro que leio desta autora e não estava realmente esperando nada sensacional. Mas a história já começa com uma atmosfera muito sombria e isso me encantou profundamente. Ao longo da narrativa, surgem alguns mistérios... criados estranhos e desconfiados, um labirinto incomum, luzes no meio da noite, uma casa com um passado tenebroso, uma parente supostamente louca... Eu fiquei presa na história e ansiosa para descobrir o que estava acontecendo. Para quem gosta de romance e cenas quentes, vai se decepcionar com este livro. Para mim, ele esteve perfeito!
Eu entrei na história de um jeito que vai ser bem difícil sair dela.
...
Porém, a edição da Harlequin Books apresentou diversos problemas que me aborreceram um bocado. Além dos cortes na história, que já são bem comuns, eu me deparei com muitos erros gramaticais (palavras erradas, pontuação e concordância), frases que não faziam sentido e personagens com nomes trocados. Eu fiquei com a impressão de que tanto a tradução quanto a revisão foram feitas sem muito cuidado. Uma pena, pois isso influencia muito na leitura. Mantenho as cinco estrelas porque não foi culpa da autora, mas a editora deixou bem a desejar!
August 18, 2016
Normally I enjoy Deborah Simmons' books, but this one would completely disjointed. The characters were unlikable and the "mystery" was just thrown in there. Neither Sydony nor Barto had any reason for being suspicious of each other, but were ridiculously ready to believe the absolute worst. In contrast, Kit was a strangely oblivious moron who didn't find anything suspicious (hello, hooded men in your labyrinth, traps, entrails...), and yet was quick to assume his sister was going nuts when she reported strange goings on. It was never explained why the entire village pretty much shunned them, nor did it explain what happened to a certain mysterious book. I have no idea what was wrong with the author, but she seems to have dropped the ball completely on this one.
May 1, 2022
Eu sou fã dos trabalhos de Deborah Simmons... mas esse livro foi de doer.
Toda a proposta de uma mansão assombrada, labirintos e antigos ritos druídicos foi para o espaço porque a autora simplesmente não conseguiu acertar a mão. Para se ter uma ideia, o primeiro capítulo é basicamente a personagem principal, Sidony, reclamando de lugares empoeirados e janelas trancadas.
Quanto ao romance... é basicamente inexistente. Isso é o de se esperar quando se está lendo um livro de mistério, mas em um romance histórico? A coisa é tão feia que Deborah Simmons ainda tenta consertar com um epílogo pra lá de açucarado... mas não colou.
Toda a proposta de uma mansão assombrada, labirintos e antigos ritos druídicos foi para o espaço porque a autora simplesmente não conseguiu acertar a mão. Para se ter uma ideia, o primeiro capítulo é basicamente a personagem principal, Sidony, reclamando de lugares empoeirados e janelas trancadas.
Quanto ao romance... é basicamente inexistente. Isso é o de se esperar quando se está lendo um livro de mistério, mas em um romance histórico? A coisa é tão feia que Deborah Simmons ainda tenta consertar com um epílogo pra lá de açucarado... mas não colou.
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June 11, 2020Adorei bastante a história, como todos os outros da Deborah Simmons. Para mim ela é muito diva, top 5 das minhas romancistas de época favoritas. Quanto ao livro, acho que o mocinho demorou demais a reconhecer seus sentimentos e senti falta de uma cena mais quente. Mas é uma ótima leitora...
August 16, 2022
I like the feel of the old Gothic stories this book has. Atmosphere, mystery, suspense and romance. I did not like the MC's distrust of each other. It made no sense
January 20, 2023
La trama de misterio que tiene este libro te deja en vilo todo el rato.
August 12, 2025
where was the romance, the tension between the brooding male lead and Sydony!! l liked the premise and the mystery storyline line but the characters were too flat
June 26, 2009
There were some good things about this book and some bad things. I felt that this book needed some sort of a prologue. Not every book needs one, but I felt that a little bit of knowledge as to past events would have gone a long way in clearing up some of the issues I had with this book.
The description of the house and the maze was quite spooky. It definitely let me with a desire to find out more about the situation. In fact, I think the author did a really great job with giving this book the right creepy atmosphere.
There were a few points where the book just jumped from one scene to the next. The first time was when Barto and Sydony where trapped in the stairway to the battlements and then suddenly it was over and the next paragraph was a new scene at a completely different time. The abrupt jump made it so I felt like I missed something.
The ending felt rushed. You never find out what happened to the people in the maze and you never really find out about the housekeeper, who to me seemed to know a little too much. (Why did she keep the keys even though she left directly after her old employer die? Doesn't anyone find that suspicious? Not to mention that she is not exactly kind or very helpful.) The main characters run from the maze and then it is the next day with Sydony recalling what happened with Barto the night before, but no recollections of the large group of people in the burning maze? Oh, we lost the maze and the barn, but tum dee dum, Barto was so loving to me. It was annoying. There should have been more to the book. There was so much that was great, but in the end, it was ruined by the shortness of it.
The description of the house and the maze was quite spooky. It definitely let me with a desire to find out more about the situation. In fact, I think the author did a really great job with giving this book the right creepy atmosphere.
There were a few points where the book just jumped from one scene to the next. The first time was when Barto and Sydony where trapped in the stairway to the battlements and then suddenly it was over and the next paragraph was a new scene at a completely different time. The abrupt jump made it so I felt like I missed something.
The ending felt rushed. You never find out what happened to the people in the maze and you never really find out about the housekeeper, who to me seemed to know a little too much. (Why did she keep the keys even though she left directly after her old employer die? Doesn't anyone find that suspicious? Not to mention that she is not exactly kind or very helpful.) The main characters run from the maze and then it is the next day with Sydony recalling what happened with Barto the night before, but no recollections of the large group of people in the burning maze? Oh, we lost the maze and the barn, but tum dee dum, Barto was so loving to me. It was annoying. There should have been more to the book. There was so much that was great, but in the end, it was ruined by the shortness of it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 14, 2009
"The Dark Viscount" is an OK read by one of my favorite Harlequin Historical authors, Deborah Simmons. Simmons' books usually have characters that grab me, strong males and females who are unusual for their times. While this book has all that, it didn't have the depth of feeling in the romance that I'm used to from Simmons.
When Sydony and her brother discover they have inherited an estate from a distant aunt, they are relieved. With the fairly recent death of their father, their situation was becoming strained. Now they can breathe a little easier...until they arrive to a deserted castle-like country home that reeks with Gothic atmosphere. When their old childhood friend Barto who is now a Viscount arrives almost on their heels, Sydony is at first pleased...but quickly becomes suspicious. Now there are mysterious lights in their garden maze, tales of Druids, and too many locked doors for Sydony's peace of mind. And Barto somehow seems mixed up in it all.
Barto was just a little too cold and suspicious for far too long for me. I found myself hoping Sydony would just kick his butt and be done with it! But that won't stop me from reading Simmons' next novel.
When Sydony and her brother discover they have inherited an estate from a distant aunt, they are relieved. With the fairly recent death of their father, their situation was becoming strained. Now they can breathe a little easier...until they arrive to a deserted castle-like country home that reeks with Gothic atmosphere. When their old childhood friend Barto who is now a Viscount arrives almost on their heels, Sydony is at first pleased...but quickly becomes suspicious. Now there are mysterious lights in their garden maze, tales of Druids, and too many locked doors for Sydony's peace of mind. And Barto somehow seems mixed up in it all.
Barto was just a little too cold and suspicious for far too long for me. I found myself hoping Sydony would just kick his butt and be done with it! But that won't stop me from reading Simmons' next novel.
November 21, 2008
The heroine and her brother have just lucked into an inheritance from a great aunt, but when they go to take possession of it, things are weird. There are no servants. Nobody wants to come BE a servant there, and the housekeeper is decidedly odd. Then an old friend from their childhood--the son of the earl who died in the carriage wreck with their father--turns up uninvited at their new house, and invites himself to stay. The heroine doesn't trust him. The hero thinks they may have had something with the deaths, and there are strange goings-on--and a skull buried under the library floor. The story has a decidedly gothic feel with its haunted maze and such. The hero and heroine have a past--which ended when they were Very young, so the bickering sometimes feels a little childish. They spend too much time in conflict, and not enough drawing closer, IMO. But it was still an interesting enough story. I enjoyed it.
April 28, 2011
I was looking forward to a nice gothic romance, but was distracted by lack of evolution of characters, incomplete plot fragments, and an overly similar quality to her book The Last Rogue. Additionally, the title I'd misleading, as the viscount in question isn't dark, just foul-tempered. I hoped for better from Simmons, as I have always enjoyed her books.
did-not-finish
March 31, 2011Gothic stuff just isn't my thing. I got this in a bargain bag and decided to try it, but quit after the first 5 chapters. After reading other reviews about the unsatisfying climax to the book, I'm glad I didn't bother finishing it.
May 3, 2010
Sorta disappointing, promising premises but the characters and the romance fall a bit flat because the damn house and yard steal the show! :P
August 16, 2010
No humor and no real chemistry between the hero and heroine. The information about garden mazes was interesting.
April 12, 2012
I would have liked a bit more but it was good.....
May 1, 2012
really disappointed at how abrupt the ending was. the rest of the story was a little bit of a let down as well.
Read
August 29, 2012Me gusto el aire "misterioso" de la historia de la mansion y los druidas, la parte de ellos simulando ser robin y marian de peques, fue lindo pero su romance en si deja mucho que desear..
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews