Darker than Love by Kristina Lloyd
Why I read this: I was told that the author was supposed to be the next big thing in BDSM writing. Of her published books, this is the one that appealed to me the most.
Clarissa is set to marry Lord Marldon, the depraved and gleefully cruel earl to whom she’s been promised. When her friends try to scupper the proposed marriage, Clarissa, oblivious to their plan, falls in love with Gabriel, a beautiful Italian artist. Marldon hears of the blossoming relationship and kidnaps Clarissa, imprisoning her in his Piccadilly mansion and subjecting her to his darkest desires. When Gabriel attempts a rescue, he too is taken captive and the young lovers find themselves at the mercy of the debauched lord.
Darker than Love is a very dark read. It is marketed as a BDSM book, but it's less that and more head games mind control. I'll say right off the bat that even if you like BDSM (and I do) this is not a book for everyone. Even though the heroine's body is not violated, unless you count her being forced to perform oral sex when she does not want to, her mind is violated. Her captor, a twisted and cruel Earl, uses mind games and Clarissa's sexual kinks against her in order to get his own way and simply because he is a bastard, who enjoys seeing other people suffer.
I liked Kristina Lloyd's writing style. As much as I don't consider Darker than Love to be the best BDSM book I have ever read, it was indeed entertaining.
It's rare for me to enjoy an erotic historical because the ones I have read have been too off course when it comes to many things (dress, manners, etc) It was easy to tell that the author did her research, and even though it was an unconventional read, it stayed true to it's time, even for an erotic.
Darker than Love gets a C. I'm tempted to rate it higher because I have next to nothing negative to say about it, however, I expect to feel sexy when reading an erotic--that did not happen with this book. I also wont be re-reading this book, there was just a little bit too much dark not enough romance for my tastes.
I'll say this - she sure doesn't look happy on that cover, does she. Interesting sounding book, though, but not one I'm likely to pick up anytine soon.
BTW, how're you feeling these days?
i read one by her. It won an award for best submission.