Lords of the Night [Mass Market Paperback]

The first one is THE DEVILLE INHERITANCE by Monique Ellis. In this tale of loving one more than you care for your own life, Anne Leighton meets a strange man in the alley while trying to save her brother. A message lures Anne to a dark alley, where someone attempts to kidnap her, but she is rescued by a dark, handsome stranger calling himself Henry Frye. Frye intended to drink Anne's blood - in Ellis vampire world, the vampire does not seek blood often, just at a certain time to sustain his life. Frye becomes so entangled with saving Anne from the clutches of a nobleman, that he neglects to see to the blooding and it cost his life. But love triumphs in the end, in a very surprising tale!! Very original flair to this one!

In DARK SHADOWS by Sara Blayne, we are giving a tale of a woman tired of life's treatment. She was the daughter of a Duke, but upon his dead, the titles of Dukedom goes to her cousin. Since the title came with a lot of debts, Lady Blythe was 'sold' off to a Scottish nobleman, who was not much of a man and certainly not noble. She endured the cruel marriage, but upon his death, she returns to her ancestral home, finding no welcome there. But she has to come to visit the grave of a dead Highland lass. At the grave, she feels something strange is about to happen. Later at a ball, she meet s the handsome Earl of Revelstroke, who issues her the invitation to come to him in the crumbling castle on the next estate. Shocking everyone she does, but finds there is more in closing one circle, you open another and fate has a way of bringing old lovers together again.

In the final tale, The Full of the Moon, Julianna Wittington is about to fall into the trap set by a nasty nobleman. He is luring her brother into gaming hells, hoping to rob him of his inheritance. She enlists Baron Ramsdell in saving her brother, and they do, but can the Baron save Julianna from the secret she holds. The Earl loves her but fears his being a vampire will be her doom, but the daring Julianna has a surprise for him!

All three tales are romance as the best, they are gothically atmospheric, the characters and involving and all well written.

A prefect way to pass a dark, rainy day!!

Dark Shadows - Sara Blayne
Overall: 3*
Lady Blythe was not afraid of scandal - it seemed to have followed her all her life. Meeting the mysterious Earl of Revelstoke, she felt an attraction and an awareness that she'd never felt before. She knew deep in her heart that her life so far had been spent in waiting for the moment he came into her life. What she didn't know was that it could also end it but for the sake of finding a 'soulmate' she could never give him up - no matter what! Great little story - not enough depth - I felt it ended too soon and could have used an epilogue.

The Full of the Moon - Janice Bennett
Overall: 4*
Juliana Wittington left her home on the moors to come and try to show her beloved cousin the error of his ways and save him from being fleeced by a disreputable gamester. Being female, she needed the help of man to guide her through the gaming hells and he turned out to be someone whom might prove more dangerous to herself than she could ever know. She hid a secret herself, but though she tried the attraction she felt for Baron Ramsdell could very well be her undoing. - Very different story with a twisty ending I did not foresee.