Book Review: Firelight by Kristen Callihan

This is wonderfully Gothic with dark elements that last to the very end!

Firelight (Darkest London)

by Kristen Callihan

• Mass Market Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Forever; Import edition (February 1, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1455508594
• ISBN-13: 978-1455508594

Genre: Paranormal Romance

My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0

Book Description

Series: Darkest London | Publication Date: January 31, 2012

London, 1881
Once the flames are ignited . . .

Miranda Ellis is a woman tormented. Plagued since birth by a strange and powerful gift, she has spent her entire life struggling to control her exceptional abilities. Yet one innocent but irreversible mistake has left her family's fortune decimated and forced her to wed London's most nefarious nobleman.

They will burn for eternity . . .

Lord Benjamin Archer is no ordinary man. Doomed to hide his disfigured face behind masks, Archer knows it's selfish to take Miranda as his bride. Yet he can't help being drawn to the flame-haired beauty whose touch sparks a passion he hasn't felt in a lifetime. When Archer is accused of a series of gruesome murders, he gives in to the beastly nature he has fought so hard to hide from the world. But the curse that haunts him cannot be denied. Now, to save his soul, Miranda will enter a world of dark magic and darker intrigue. For only she can see the man hiding behind the mask.

Review:
Miranda’s strange ability brought destruction and ruin to her family. Her father taught her the ways of thievery on the streets to make up for the lose of his business.  She had resigned herself to being alone but then a dark nobleman chooses her as his bride.  She doesn’t understand but she is intrigued by the adventure and mystery of her new husband. Who is the man behind the mask that he wears?

Lord Archer is whispered about all around the ton. He had been away for years but returned to London a few years before. Then he first met Miranda on a dark night in an alley. He protected the young girl from some ruffians but she acted as though she didn’t need his protection. He has been searching for a cure to his curse but decides he must have Miranda as his own even though he shouldn’t drag her into his dark world. But he cannot resist the light and passion she brings to his lonely life. He doesn’t know why, but she seems to be willing to look beyond the mask to try to find the man.

As they dance around their secrets men connected with Archer are being murdered in a gruesome way. The clues point to him although it becomes clear that there is an enemy trying to frame him and the enemy is also seeking to hurt Miranda.

As there comraderie grows Miranda wants to know Archer’s true secrets. They both struggle to control their secrets when they really long to let them free. Will Miranda be willing to reveal her own to get Archer to reveal his?  Once their secrets are revealed can Miranda find a way to stop the curse before Archer meets his nemesis?

This reads very quickly and you are pulled into the characters dark world of loneliness seeking to be loved for who they really are.  The relationship is warm and sensual leading up to a loving and fairly detailed sexual encounter. The mystery of Archer’s curse and the hidden enemy remains - and there is only a hint at how Miranda might save him - but you don’t know until the end.  This is an excellent debut novel which I really enjoyed.  I will definitely look forward to more from this author.

One phrase I particularly liked:
"Her strangled request drove the air from his lungs. He struggled to find more, his heart a panicked rabbit in the cage of his ribs." p199.

Thank you to Forever Romance for this book to read and review.
This takes place in London, England.
I will add this to my ARC and New Author challenges.

Check the Giveaway post for a chance to win this book with another good paranormal romance, Midnight Reckoning.