A darkly sinful hero, a strong-willed heroine… this book dishes a huge dose of sensuality that will send a shiver up your spine. 

I am a huge fan of Charlotte Featherstone. I love her writing style and character development and this first book in her Guardian Brethren series did not disappoint on any level. The plot moves well, the characters are intriguing and vibrant, and the love scenes… they are so sensual, so charged with emotion that a kiss is practically devastating to her readers. Her writing is almost consuming in its sensuality.

This story plays up on the darkness of the Victorian Era and society’s fascination with the occult. Every facet of the book makes me think of shadows, dark secrets, and mysterious strangers. If you like bright, happy books with little strife, this is not the book for you. But, if you enjoy a heavy dose of wicked with your romance, don’t hesitate to read this book.

Isabella desires a life of scandal free living with a quiet man who will keep her content and happy. She has an unfortunate history with a scandalous family long dead but this strong willed girl is determined to get what she wants. However, Isabella is not perfect and her wicked fantasies play out in the pages of a book she can’t help but write. As more and more of her book unfolds, she discovers a striking similarity between her hero and the infamous and secretive Lord Black. Both Black and Isabella try to resist the powerful attraction that grows between them even as her life – and eventually his – are in danger from a group of people Isabella would never expect.

Isabella, as a character, is a bit of a contradiction. She has her secrets and protects herself stalwartly. She has a strong determination not to end up like her scandalous mother yet that steely resolve is very much in contrast to the fragile heart and constitution she seems to show the world. She suffers from nightmares and headaches yet she describes herself as an unmovable force. Often I get irritated when a character is so obviously all over the map but with Isabella I found I didn’t care all that much.

Black is the type of hero that a girl can’t help but dream about; dark, dangerous, and beyond sensual. One particular scene puts in mind a sinfully sexy version of Gary Oldham in the most recent Dracula movie, standing on a street corner with his tinted glasses watching the heroine. It sends shivers up my spine… But back to Black. A member of the freemasons, Black has a host of secrets to protect in addition to his compelling desire to protect Isabella. I found his character much easier to determine and understand. If he had been a little more elusive, I may not have liked him as much.

Several other secondary characters are featured within the book, such as Isabella cousin Lucy and Black’s comrade Adrian, the Duke of Sussex. They don’t really steal the show but the author set’s up her readers perfectly for the next book in the series by hinting at the romance unfolding between Lucy and Adrian. I find myself anticipating the next installment due in December of 2011 very much.

Overall, this book is heavy on the darkness and Victorian clichés with a powerful romance to tempt your palate. Not my favorite book by this author but definitely one I would recommend to anyone who likes this genre of book.

~ Danielle