"Stuart's Best Historical Romance"

Anne Stuart is one of my favourite authors, I admit that but for a very good reason. She is simply one of the best writers around in either contemporary or historical romances. In TO LOVE A DARK LORD, as usual, she delivers this time one of her best historicals ever!

She is the queen of creating bad boys with black hearts and souls. This time the scoundrel is James Killoran, who has a heart and soul so black he himself knows there is only one reason to live and that is revenge. He once loved a redheaded woman only to have her destroyed. James could not save the woman he loved so his only reason for living is vengeance, but he is no where closer to achieving that aim. The road to revenge can be a bloody dull, long and boring reason to live since he cannot find the right weapon to extract it, so he uses people to relieve the tedium of his ennui. Mostly he's just drunk and in a fowl mood with his self-loathing.

The book opens with Emma Lagolet escaping a ravishing. Between her graceless attempts at saving herself, and the drunken James tarnished knight in shining armour rescue, Emma escapes. He deposits her where she can find a possession as help, only to ﷯﷯﷯discover﷯﷯﷯ she must again fight off the advances of her employer's amorous son. James at first thinks it a hallucination as Emma flops over his wooden fence. But the Irish Lord, again, goes to great pains to save Emma just for the entertainment. Then James is struck that Emma is the perfect instrument to complete his long awaited vengeance. Emma who now loves James will go to any length to win James' love. James, too, is falling for Emma, but he will let nothing stand in his way from his revenge.

It is so funny, with strong characters, proving once again, Stuart is the tops in her field. One of the Best! Why this is not in reprint is ONE BIG MYSTERY! It just does not get any better than this.

Reviewed by DeborahAnne MacGillivray
Posted September 27, 2004