TEST
You say you like dark romances? Romances with a tortured hero, one who has a horrific, mysterious past and therefore cannot ever be worthy of the heroine? Have I got one for you!
Sir Adrian Thorne does indeed appear to be raving mad when he arrives at Bedlam. Yet Lady Claire Darren is drawn to him nonetheless, and as she tries to comfort him, they experience a moment of deep peace and soul-touching passion. Minutes later, he again appears to be a violent lunatic.
And that’s just the beginning of this thickly-plotted story. It picks up seven months later, when Claire and Adrian meet again, after Claire has been permanently injured in an unrelated accident, and Adrian has at long last escaped from the asylum and seems to be perfectly sane and ready to reclaim his title, home, and responsibilities.
The weakest part of the story is the first forty or so pages after the preface. I admit that I was completely perplexed as to who all of the people were and what was going on. It took me a while to realize that the author was trying to catch the new reader up on action that had taken place in a previous book (Heart of Deception, published in 1999). However, once the book makes it past this flat and confusing section, it really takes off.
Adrian already has his hands full just trying to prove that he is sane, and was unjustly imprisoned in Bedlam. The problem is, he was injured and can’t remember the events immediately before he turned up in Bedlam, and isn’t completely sure himself that he is sane, or that he will stay that way. To add to his troubles, the horribly mangled corpses of women keep turning up wherever he goes.
Claire believes in him throughout, however, almost foolishly at times. She and Adrian recognize early that they have feelings for each other. But with realistic fears for his sanity, Adrian has decided never to marry or risk passing on his defect, as he knows that his mother and grandfather both died mad.
If there was a weakness to the book overall, I would say it’s Claire’s character, which is somewhat overshadowed by Adrian’s. We get to know Adrian so deeply – his torment, his fears, his anguish – that Claire pales in comparison even when dealing with her own pain. She is also one of those impossibly beautiful women wanted by everyone – the hero, the villain, the other villain….
Other than that and the shaky beginning, I thoroughly enjoyed Heart of Night. The historical setting is well drawn and gave me a sense of being immersed in the world and convoluted politics of Tudor England. One historical quibble only – I was surprised at how long Claire is left on her own with Adrian by her supposedly loving and protective parents.
This is one of those books where I spent most of it wondering how on earth the couple could have a happy ending. There were moments when both Claire and Adrian did things that made me groan out loud in frustration at the liberties they were taking with each others’ trust. And then there were the real bad guys who were truly evil and trying to take both Adrian and Claire down with them.
Which brings me to a violence warning – the villains in this piece are eeevil. We’re talking Hannibal Lecter level here. If you shy away from murder mysteries or serial killer thrillers, parts of this book might be too much for you. But if you like complex stories you can lose yourself in, check out Heart of Night, although you will probably want to find and read Heart of Deception first.
Grade: B
Book Type: Renaissance Romance
Sensuality: Hot
Review Date: 07/03/02
Publication Date: 2001
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Recent Comments …
Yep
This sounds delightful! I’m grabbing it, thanks
excellent book: interesting, funny dialogs, deep understanding of each character, interesting secondary characters, and also sexy.
I don’t think anyone expects you to post UK prices – it’s just a shame that such a great sale…
I’m sorry about that. We don’t have any way to post British prices as an American based site.
I have several of her books on my TBR and after reading this am moving them up the pile.