HIS TOUCH HOLDS HER CAPTIVE
From the ravens circling its spires to the gargoyles adorning its roof, Blackberry Manor looms ominously over its rambling grounds. And behind its doors, amid the flickering shadows and secret passageways, danger lies in wait…
TO HIS EVERY DARK DESIRE
Evangeline Pemberton has been invited to a party at the sprawling estate of reclusive Gavin Lioncroft, who is rumored to have killed in cold blood. Initially, his towering presence and brusque manner instill fear… until his seductive attentions and unexpected vulnerability conquer her resistance.
But when a guest is murdered, Evangeline is torn. Could the man to whom she is so powerfully drawn, also be a ruthless killer?
CW: Domestic violence, child abuse, exploitation, family estrangement, grief, alcoholism, sexual assault
Tis the Season for me to be on the hunt for some good gothic content, and it was on this quest that I discovered Erica Ridley had written a whole series of gothic historicals. Since I have been a recent fan of her work (with a few mehs, but mostly loves) I snapped up the first and immediately gobbled it up.
This was one I couldn’t put down. Not exactly burning the midnight oil, but definitely reading in two days of dedicated down time.
It had all the classic gothic elements: mystery, fear, atmosphere, supernatural elements, romance, a villain, emotional distress, setting in a moldering castle with hidden passageways (this speaks to the child in me)…you know, the good stuff you want for Autumn mood.
The supernatural element is the heroine, Evangeline. She has the Gift. She is a clairvoyant. Whoever she touches, she is hurtled into a trance and visions of the past or future. This is accompanied by excruciating headaches and a fair amount of ostracization from people labelling her a witch or trying to exploit her for personal gain.
The novel starts with Evangeline in a carriage. She has run away from her violent, abusive stepfather and sought refuge with her deceased mother’s friend. Who announces in the carriage her plans to use Evangeline to help entrap a reclusive, wealthy Lioncroft into marriage with her daughter, Susan, who has been disgraced from the ton.
Lioncroft has essentially been in hiding since being accused of killing his parents ten years before. He has some Beast (of Beauty and the Beast) characteristics going on, in that he is gruff, ill mannered, and a bit wild…but he wasn’t an alphahole. I found him to be fairly well fleshed out, even if I wished for a bit more backstory…so much was teased throughout that by the time of the Big Reveal of his past, I was less interested/it seemed moot. Maybe that was the point?
Evangeline is not all sunshine and light, either. If she is Belle (she is portrayed as very common sense/logical) she is painted more realistic, with some blind spots that she gets shown when she is finally able to let down her guard and begin to develop some friendships. The friendship that blossoms is one of my favorite things in the book, delivering some levity that helped the book stay away from feeling melodramatic.
The castle, Blackberry Manor, is a dark, gloomy place with few windows, creepy wallpaper, and a house full of unwanted guests who all seem to be on their own solitary middle of the night missions up to no good.
What unfolds is a murder mystery of sorts, although with the gothic elements its a bit off kilter and kept me guessing.
I had all the pangs and tugs of being emotionally invested in the MCs romance and struggles. Evangeline really is in a rock or a hard place, with no allies at the start to help her. And she isn’t the only one who has been horribly abused. Domestic violence is a theme running throughout this book, and along with some other disturbing characters/back stories…not for those looking for light and fun.
None of these elements were gratuitous or without merit.
There were a few intimate scenes. And they were hot and also emotional. Even though there was instant attraction between the two MCs, the trust took some time to develop and that made the pay off well worth it.
The book doesn’t stay solidly gothic until the end, losing some of that luster towards the middle…but I enjoyed the ride nonetheless and recommend for readers looking for something different for Fall.
4.75 out of 6 Gothic mystery with a clairvoyant heroine
| Content Rating/Heat Index | |
|---|---|
| Mature Content |   |
| Lots of complex, adult subject matter | |
| Intimacy | |
| Steamy vanilla scenes | |
| Violence | |
| Domestic violence portrayals, fights, death, kidnapping, imprisonment | |
| Overall |  |
|---|---|
| Best for readers comfortable with mature content. See content warnings at the beginning of the review. | |
