Review: The Dark One

Armond Wolf isn’t looking for love.  In fact, he and his brothers have sworn never to marry. Their reputations only help their plans.  The men are considered dangerous and a little crazy. They have been shunned by London society since their parents committed suicide.  With his poor reputation, Lady Rosiland thinks he will be the ideal man to help ruin her reputation.  She is new to the city.  Since her father’s death, she has moved from the country to come live with her cruel step-brother and her very ill step-mother.  Her brother plans to marry her off to a man she doesn’t love to pay off gambling debts, so she hopes to make herself an unsuitable mate.

She sets out to seduce Armond. But it’s not as easy as she’d hoped.  And while she doesn’t seal the deal right away, her actions set off a powerful attraction between the two of them.  Armond and his brothers are cursed with a beast inside them.  It’s the same curse that drove his father to suicide.  And he’s afraid to expose Rosiland to that.  Making matters more complicated are a series of murders that keep happening mysteriously close to Armond –and there is still the pesky problem of Rosiland’s brother and his plans for her.

This a solid historical romance with a pinch of paranormal thrown in.  Armond shows that despite his beast, he is a far better man than those who surround him. Will the growing love between him and Rosiland be enough to break the curse? (*spoilers*) Of course it will.  But I have to say that as much as I enjoyed this story, I was a little confused. It seems like love both triggered the curse and ended it.  Or maybe love only triggered it, but giving up fear ended it.  I’m not sure. But I don’t care all that much.  The love story was good; The sex scenes were steamy; And the end was happy.  4 stars.