"Wonderful story of the redeeming qualities of love!"
Even though he hasn't felt a part of society since his
father's suicide, Lord Armond Wulfglen still craves to be
around the "teeming masses," which is exactly why he finds
himself at the dowager's ball this evening. The dowager was
a dear friend of Armond's mother, and still takes Armond
and his two younger brothers under her wing, even though
she knows of the curse on his family. While the rest of the
nobility at the event openly shun Armond, the dowager
approaches him and speaks with him. Just as he's had enough
and is ready to leave, a beautiful vision approaches him
and makes him an offer he can't refuse... Lady Rosalind Rutherford was tricked into leaving her
country home to visit her stepmother. When she was but a
child, the woman's son was thrown out of her father's home,
and hoping she could reform the boy, Rosalind's stepmother
went with him. Now when his stepbrother came to inform
Rosalind of the woman's illness, she has no choice but to
accompany him. Once in London, Rosalind realizes her
mistake and finds herself under Franklin's cruel thumb. In
order to pay his gambling debts, Franklin is hoping
to "sell" Rosalind in the Marriage Mart and has forced her
into coming to this ball. Desperate to escape him, Rosalind
will do just about anything. Hoping to ruin her reputation,
and thereby, her chances of a good marriage, Rosalind picks
one of the "Wild Wulfs of London" as the center of her
plan. The fact Lord Wulf is very pleasing to the eye will
help matters. When a murdered woman shows up in Armond's stable, the
constable immediately arrest him. When Rosalind learns of
this, she immediately confesses that Armond spent the night
with her and couldn't possibly have murdered the poor
woman, in spite of Armond's admonishments. When Armond
realizes Rosalind won't be dissuaded from her foolish
actions, he offers her marriage. However, it will be a
marriage of convenience. Armond will give Rosalind anything
she desires—anything but his heart. Will Franklin leave Rosalind alone now that she is married?
What of Rosalind's stepmother? Can Rosalind bear not to see
the poor woman anymore? What of this curse on the Wulf
family? Will Rosalind ever learn what it is and will she
ever win her husband's heart? THE DARK ONE is an amazing story, filled with danger and
murders and curses. Ronda Thompson has woven a wonderful
tale. I was pulled into the story from the very first page
and if not for my husband demanding I go to bed, I would
have finished it in one sitting. This story combines two of
my favorite genres—Regency and shapeshifter. We have a
dark, brooding male; handsome, rich and shunned by society,
a Regency era personification of the "bad boy". Our heroine
is young, strong, beautiful, worried about her stepmother
and under the very cruel control of her stepbrother. We
also have the stepbrother, Franklin, evil personified,
right down to abusing women, using Rosalind for his own
ends, after having gone through her father's money. After
their father committed suicide and their mother died of a
broken heart, Armond and his brothers made a vow never to
marry, as the curse is handed down through their seed. Now
Armond has broken this vow. Amidst all the danger and
murders and the lack of friends, this is truly a story of
love, one that will remain with me a long, long time. THE
DARK ONE has definitely earned its place on my "keeper
shelf".
Reviewed by Chere Gruver
Posted November 17, 2006
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A curse born in darkness must be broken in moonlight...
**2005 PEARL NOMINEE - BEST SHAPESHIFTER ROMANCE** A PASSION IGNITED Rosalind Rutherford knows full well the scandal she courts
when she attempts to seduce the notorious Armond Wulf—in
fact, she's counting on it as a means to escape her
sadistic stepbrother's control. Unfortunately, Lord Wulf's better instincts prevail...although not before he gives Rosalind a tantalizing taste of what she's missing. And when the opportunity arises to rescue Armond from a grim fate while changing her own, Rosalind knows she must seize it... A CURSE UNLEASHED Armond can no more ignore the Rutherford woman than his
ancestor could resist the temptress who cursed the Wulf men
with a terrifying transformation that occurs at the
appearance of the full moon—and is set in motion by love.
Now, to save her reputation and his freedom, Armond must
marry Rosalind. But he vows that while they may share the
pleasures of the marriage bed, she will never have his
heart... A LOVE EVERLASTING Yet as strange and mysterious events bring them closer in
body and soul, Armond finds it increasingly difficult to
keep his feelings for his new wife locked away. Especially
when the reality of unquenchable desire—and certain danger—
burn stronger than ever by the light of a full moon...
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