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jenniferlovesromance's review
5.0
I bought this book on a whim, having no idea what to expect, but boy, am I glad I did! I couldn't put it down, and it's been awhile since I've read a romance THAT good. "A Candle in the Dark" is, hands down, one of the best romances I've ever read.
First of all, the setting. This is NOT another boring romance set in Regency England, which, quite frankly, I've grown rather tired of. "A Candle in the Dark" takes you from New York to the lush, exotic jungle of Panama, and I enjoyed every single minute of it!
Your heart breaks for both the hero and heroine, as you quickly discover that they are both broken individuals in desperate need of someone to love. Both have given up on such a frivolous notion. Ana, the heroine, is a prostitute who goes by The Duchess...the ice princess who never melts for anyone, and hides her heart behind a protective wall. After killing the man who is abusing her, she desperately needs to disappear, and she hires Cain D'Alessandro to help her. Cain is a doctor, but is haunted by his past failures and the complete lack of faith his parents had in him. He's turned to alcohol to drown out the memories and dark voices in his head. He is a SERIOUS alcoholic...the kind that gets physically ill if he doesn't get his next drink.
Together this couple learn to trust and love, and it is SO sweet when they do.
The steam level on this book is much lower than what I usually prefer, but the story was SO good I didn't care one whit. There is only one love scene, but it has an agonizingly sweet buildup, and the scene definitely delivers. It's erotic and sensual, while still being incredibly tender.
I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for something different than the norm, and who enjoys books with tortured heroes (and tortured heroines as well!) who find healing in each other. There is plenty of emotional angst, but the ending is definitely sweet and satisfying.
An awesome read, and as I said, probably one of the best romances I have ever read. Seriously, it's THAT good!
First of all, the setting. This is NOT another boring romance set in Regency England, which, quite frankly, I've grown rather tired of. "A Candle in the Dark" takes you from New York to the lush, exotic jungle of Panama, and I enjoyed every single minute of it!
Your heart breaks for both the hero and heroine, as you quickly discover that they are both broken individuals in desperate need of someone to love. Both have given up on such a frivolous notion. Ana, the heroine, is a prostitute who goes by The Duchess...the ice princess who never melts for anyone, and hides her heart behind a protective wall. After killing the man who is abusing her, she desperately needs to disappear, and she hires Cain D'Alessandro to help her. Cain is a doctor, but is haunted by his past failures and the complete lack of faith his parents had in him. He's turned to alcohol to drown out the memories and dark voices in his head. He is a SERIOUS alcoholic...the kind that gets physically ill if he doesn't get his next drink.
Together this couple learn to trust and love, and it is SO sweet when they do.
The steam level on this book is much lower than what I usually prefer, but the story was SO good I didn't care one whit. There is only one love scene, but it has an agonizingly sweet buildup, and the scene definitely delivers. It's erotic and sensual, while still being incredibly tender.
I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for something different than the norm, and who enjoys books with tortured heroes (and tortured heroines as well!) who find healing in each other. There is plenty of emotional angst, but the ending is definitely sweet and satisfying.
An awesome read, and as I said, probably one of the best romances I have ever read. Seriously, it's THAT good!
raven34's review
adventurous
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
saycheeze37's review
2.0
I thought it started out strong, but by the middle I was annoyed with the main characters. I know they were facing their own inner demons and all that, but I tired of hearing it over and over. The story was decent, thrown together hero's travel to California, but get stuck in Panama and face life or death situations together. I also thought the slow burn of affection between the heros was well done. If it wasn't for the mind numbing repetition I would have given it 3-stars.
chels_ebooks's review
4.0
Ana is on the run after killing a man in the New York brothel she works at, so she hires Dr. Cain D'Alessandro to pose as her husband on her flight to California. One of Cain's stipulations for assisting Ana is that she stay with him through the journey- he's an alcoholic who is slowly obliterating himself, and he's afraid of waking up with no sense of where he is. Ana agrees despite her disgust of Cain's addiction, but it's a promise that she's more than willing to break for self preservation.
The book really tests you with Ana. She's deliberately cruel to Cain in order to get him to keep his distance, while he asks for compassion and comfort. Ana's strategy for survival is to trust no one, so she and Cain are frequently at odds. He wants to learn more about her, to touch her, to stay with her. She wants him to pick up the bottle and disappear so she doesn't have to think about him.
The journey and murder are secondary here - we spend most of our time with the push and pull between Ana and Cain. It's touching, maddening, and challenging.
The book really tests you with Ana. She's deliberately cruel to Cain in order to get him to keep his distance, while he asks for compassion and comfort. Ana's strategy for survival is to trust no one, so she and Cain are frequently at odds. He wants to learn more about her, to touch her, to stay with her. She wants him to pick up the bottle and disappear so she doesn't have to think about him.
The journey and murder are secondary here - we spend most of our time with the push and pull between Ana and Cain. It's touching, maddening, and challenging.
takethyme's review
3.0
3.5 Stars
I am beginning to believe that when I need a full-length historical romance with plenty of restlessness, internally tortured souls and loads of apprehension, Megan Chance is my new go-to author. I may not like the main characters every moment; she definitely knows how to yank my chains and push my buttons. She takes a gritty situation, a persecuted hero and heroine, some interesting secondary characters and other issues and molds it into a story-format.
A CANDLE IN THE DARK takes some of my least likable character-types and has their actions evolve from their personalities. They are faulty and prone to err but this is the driving force for their story.
Dr. Cain D'Alessandro has seen better days. He is a drunkard and lush; we would now call him an alcoholic. When given a choice of anything and the bottle, he always chooses alcohol. Ana 'The Duchess' is a prostitute and, possibly, a murderess. She hates what she is and wants to change but hasn't found a way to go about it. She is closed-mouth about her childhood but you know something bad happened. Like-wise with Cain. Both of these flawed people come from damaged pasts.
Ana needs his help but ignores him once they have escaped from New York. When he looks at her all he sees is contempt but their situation calls for them to stay together. He is suppose to be her protection in the guise of a husband. He manages to pick away at the wall she has surrounded herself with a simple comment, a look or a question. It is something that chisels a crack in that same said wall.
Ms. Chance has given the reader a more realistic view of what it means to have an addiction. It is not glossed over and you feel the struggling Cain goes through. Ana comes across as cold for some of the time but if she were written any other way the story would not have been as interesting. This was the author's first published romance and was actually pretty good for a debut. It did not beat THE PORTRAIT but was better than AN INCONVENIENT WIFE. Try this romance if you can appreciate very human characters with all their weaknesses and misgivings.
I am beginning to believe that when I need a full-length historical romance with plenty of restlessness, internally tortured souls and loads of apprehension, Megan Chance is my new go-to author. I may not like the main characters every moment; she definitely knows how to yank my chains and push my buttons. She takes a gritty situation, a persecuted hero and heroine, some interesting secondary characters and other issues and molds it into a story-format.
A CANDLE IN THE DARK takes some of my least likable character-types and has their actions evolve from their personalities. They are faulty and prone to err but this is the driving force for their story.
Dr. Cain D'Alessandro has seen better days. He is a drunkard and lush; we would now call him an alcoholic. When given a choice of anything and the bottle, he always chooses alcohol. Ana 'The Duchess' is a prostitute and, possibly, a murderess. She hates what she is and wants to change but hasn't found a way to go about it. She is closed-mouth about her childhood but you know something bad happened. Like-wise with Cain. Both of these flawed people come from damaged pasts.
Ana needs his help but ignores him once they have escaped from New York. When he looks at her all he sees is contempt but their situation calls for them to stay together. He is suppose to be her protection in the guise of a husband. He manages to pick away at the wall she has surrounded herself with a simple comment, a look or a question. It is something that chisels a crack in that same said wall.
Ms. Chance has given the reader a more realistic view of what it means to have an addiction. It is not glossed over and you feel the struggling Cain goes through. Ana comes across as cold for some of the time but if she were written any other way the story would not have been as interesting. This was the author's first published romance and was actually pretty good for a debut. It did not beat THE PORTRAIT but was better than AN INCONVENIENT WIFE. Try this romance if you can appreciate very human characters with all their weaknesses and misgivings.
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