Guest Reviewer Misty reviews The Dark Lady by Maire Claremont

TITLE: The Dark Lady
SERIES #: Mad Passion #1
CHARACTERS: Eva & Ian
AUTHOR: Máire Claremont
PUBLICATION DATE: 01/16/13
ORDER LINKS: Amazon| B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
The Victorian era was full of majestic beauty and scandalous secrets—a time when corsets were the least of a woman’s restrictions, and men could kill or be killed in the name of honor…

Lord Ian Blake has returned from India a broken man. Years ago, he pledged to Lady Eva Carin—his childhood companion and first love—that he would bring her husband back alive. His failure haunts him. But even his jaded soul can’t anticipate the shocking sight of beautiful, independent Eva confined in a madhouse.

Locked in an asylum, forgotten by society, Eva is adrift in both body and mind. For Ian to break her free, they must cross a powerful enemy—and prove her sanity to England’s unforgiving aristocracy. But the biggest danger of all may come when the secrets of Eva’s tragic past are finally unlocked.

REVIEW:
A Beautifully Dark Delight
I have been anxiously awaiting Máire Claremont’s debut from the moment I first spied the cover. The lush art work led me to believe that the contents inside would certainly be even better. The Dark lady had me from page one and kept me entranced right through the final pages. The writing is solid. The Dark Lady’s hero and heroine are equally matched in strengths and tragedies. The story weaves its way through the dark side of Victorian England, a side which is often forgotten. Claremont draws readers into the dark recesses of an often cruel era where those who have power often abused such power. From a country side madhouse to the beautiful ballrooms of London this book takes readers on ride that so few historical romances do.
They had been friends since early childhood but destiny and duty fell in their paths. Lady Eva Carin has not only lost her husband but soon after suffers a much greater loss than that, the loss of her infant son in an accident of her own making. Her brother-in-law Thomas, the new Lord Carin sees fit to commit Eva to an asylum of which she has endured many cruelties including a regular dosing of laudanum and many pain filled beatings. Lord Ian Blake has returned from India haunted by the events that led to the former Lord’s death and dreads coming face to face with Eva, but he knows he owes her the truth about what really happened to her husband. Ian is stunned to learn that she’s been committed, but upon entering the halls of the asylum that she has been placed in, he becomes livid and enraged. The only thing that stops him from committing murder is the thought of never being able to see Eva again. This sets off a chain of events that puts them both in danger as they each try to overcome the torments that life has thrown at them.
I was drawn into the story from beginning and my heart went out to Eva and Ian. The story telling is lush and simply draws you into the period. There are many strong secondary characters that will make you want to come back for a second helping. Beautifully crafted, and has been written in a fashion that believable for its time period. For a novel that has an overall darkness to it, the light soon begins to filter in.
Easily a Five Star

Disclaimer: The above review was written by a guest reviewer, is the opinion of that reviewer and not a paid review.