Saturday, March 28, 2015

Jane Eyre: A Modern Author Takes the Romance Element Deeper!



If you've been following this blog in the past few months, you know I've been doing a series of articles on Jane Eyre.  I've explored the story-line, the main characters of Rochester and Jane.


And I've explored the many, many movie adaptions of this great novel. 
I've even shared a recent find by a modern author, Anna Erishkigal, who wrote The Auction, and told you how I loved the modernized story set in the present. If you've missed that story, here's a link to it on Amazon, btw  The Auction by Anna Erishkigal

So, since we've covered the pluckiness of Jane, the brood factor of Mr. Rochester, the scary events and Thornfield Hall, and the pathetic marriage proposal from Sinjun, I have one more thing to share before moving on to another couple worthy of Timeless Lovers discussions.   

This week, as promised long before my surgery on March 5th, 2015, I'm sharing another great MUST read that I feel will delight my fellow Jane Eyre fans.  

This time, it's a historical romance novel, a Gothic novel written by a very talented romance writer of our time, Eve Silver  (No Relation!)

Babs Bunny, no relation to Bugs Bunny! 

Eve Silver's story, His Dark Kiss, is part of a Gothic Romance series named Dark Gothic. It is book two in the series. 
  • Book one:       Dark Desires 
  • Book Two:     His Dark Kiss
  • Book Three:   Dark Prince
  • Book Four:     His Wicked Sins
Although I've only read the first two novels, I have the third on my kindle and am waiting to savor it. Her books are wonderful if you are a huge Gothic romance reader, as I am. 


His Dark Kiss:  
It's about a girl, Emma, who is living with her not so nice aunts. This is a period drama, like Jane Eyre. Emma is illegitimate, and despised by the aunts. In this time period, children born in such circumstances were treat badly by most, often hated, reviled, and sometimes abused merely for being born to an unwed mother. I know, it seems weird in our time, but we're talking 19th century morals here. 

The aunts wish to be rid of her, as well. They've set upon a scheme to sell her off as a mistress to some man. Wicked Aunties, to be sure!  Doesn't that just make you burn with anger on Emma's behalf. 

Emma would like nothing more than to get away from her aunts, but what can a girl with no money and no familial connects that would willingly help her do? She's a dependent relation to them. Emma is offered a position at her cousin's husband's home to act as governess to her cousin's son.  It seems the perfect arrangement for her. 

She travels to the manor house, of course a very Gothic type mansion full of dark secrets and set in a remote region, and meets her employer, Lord Craven, a widower (husband to the deceased cousin). This guy is handsome, sexy and Emma is instantly attracted to him on a primitive level. He's also more than a bit scary. Like Rochester, he broods a lot, and is not always pleasant to those around him. He also has some dark secrets that worry Emma. 

The manor is sort of crumbling. And, there are whispers of murders, and mysterious accidents occurring with other governesses. There have been a few governesses before her, so she's entered into a very dangerous position, not a pleasant one as she'd hoped. But, she preservers as a good Jane Eyre role model would. Emma has no where else to go, really, but back to her nasty aunts. She falls in love with her little charge, six year old Nicky, and is developing some pretty scary (as in deep) feelings for her employer, her cousin's widower. I don't want to give away spoilers, so I won't tell you every nuance of the plot. If you're curious, read the book, you'll not regret it. 

It is a romance, make no mistake. And, as a romance, the main action is between the Hero and Heroine, and yes, there will be a lot more stolen kisses and sensuality, even a love (Sex) scene, so if you are expecting a chaste rendition of the Classic, you need to know this upfront before you buy it. This story is NOT--NOT-NOT erotica, by any means, it is historical romance with a sensual edge. I don't wish anyone to be misled. The prior book I mentioned, The Auction by Anna Erishkigal, is a sweet contemporary romance mirroring the Jane Eyre love story. 

His Dark Kiss is a creepy, keep you up at night story, and it is close to Jane Eyre. Not line for line, but the imagination of the Ms. EVE Silver has taken the romance trope of governess and brooding male employer to a new level as she's added a much darker and sinister tone in her work. Love it. You will, too, if you love Gothic Romance. Below are other books in the series. They are standalone reads, as the events of any one book to not influence your enjoyment of the other books. I'm passing along the series as well as the Jane Eyre-esque read to you so that if you like dark romance, you'll have a new lead. Gothic romance stories are a rare find these days, so check these out if you dare! 

Book One

Book Three

HAPPY READING! 

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