Lord of Darkness by Elizabeth Hoyt

Not only do I like to read romance novels, but I like to write them as well. No, I’m not published. Maybe I could be, but I’ve procrastinated the editing and submission process on several novels. The writing part is the fun part for me. I bring this up because National Novel Writing Month is only a little over a month away, and I’m already getting stoked. Not only am I a co-Municipal Liaison for my region, but I have two story ideas waiting to get out. Last year I wrote three novels. Things are busier this year, so I’m aiming for one, but I can’t wait to immerse myself in this story that’s poking around inside my head.

Also, possible spoilers ahead and more Ghost of St. Giles shenanigans.

One-Sentence Synopsis
Though originally married for convenience, a lady decides to seduce her husband in order to have a baby, not realizing that he’s also the very man she’s promised to kill to avenge her first love. For a full synopsis, see this book’s Goodreads page.

The Good Stuff
The second Ghost is revealed, and it’s a character we only met briefly in the first book of the series. Godric St. John is a studious fellow who comes across as older than he is (at least to his wife), but obviously has the constitution to patrol St. Giles at night. Like Winter, Godric is fun, trading his daytime persona for a braver one as the Ghost.

Megs wants her revenge for the man she was supposed to marry, and so the Ghost sets out to find the murderer before she does and puts herself in danger. He’s also continuing his search for children being kidnapped and made to labor making stockings, a carry over from the previous, even though two years have passed between the two stories.

By the time Megs realizes Godric is the Ghost, their relationship has already started to evolve and blossom, which makes for a very different dynamic than was expected, considering all she could think about was killing the Ghost, who she blames for the murder of her first love.

Things That Made Me Go Hmmm
I realize it was part of the conflict, but it didn’t take me long to get annoyed with Megs and her constant “must think of Roger” attitude when Godric was all up in her business. I was sick of hearing about Roger.

There is a major continuation from the previous one, and though I would say most of these can be read as stand-alones, I feel something might be lost by not having read Thief of Shadows.

The Romance Factor
The romance in this one felt like a slower burn, and Megs constant thoughts about Roger kind of made it stutter a bit. But the moments that pulled at the feels were highly effective. 4/5

The Steam Factor
Once again, Roger was a problem when it came to the sexy times, at least at the beginning. But once Megs got over thinking of him, things got hot. I’ve probably said it before, but deserves repeating: Hoyt writes some killer sex scenes. 5/5

Final Thoughts
One more to go in the Ghost arc, and considering it’s a character I didn’t like in the past, it should be interesting to see what type of Ghost he makes.

Thief of Shadows by Elizabeth Hoyt

I’m drawn by spoilers. Having read the synopses for all the Maiden Lane books, I knew that the Ghost of St. Giles plots were coming up, and I was stoked. I loved his quick appearances in the early books, especially when I found out who the Ghost was. So if you haven’t spoiled yourself already and don’t want to know, then you may want to step way from this review now.

One-Sentence Synopsis
A man who maintains the utmost propriety during the day becomes a defender of the innocent at night, but when he falls for a beautiful lady above his station, he finds himself struggling with the rigid lifestyle he’s promised himself to maintain. For a full synopsis, see this book’s Goodreads page.

The Good Stuff
Can we talk about how much I adore the Ghost of St. Giles? First of all, I love the whole “secret life” thing, where the hero has to keep a secret but you know the heroine is going to find out. And it’s so fun when she does, because then she plays coy, and in this case, she kind of messes with his head in a very steamy moment (which I’ll bring up later).

In this case, the double life is highly pronounced. By day, Winter is a good man, running an orphanage and trying to do right by those on the dangerous streets of St. Giles. He’s also very somber. But when he’s the Ghost, he’s flirty and brave and delightful. When Isabel figures it out, it’s a seriously fun ride of ” Does she know?” and “Does he know that I know?” And somehow, that dynamic brings about those feels that I love.

There is also a character swap in the traditional roles that heroes and heroines usually take in historical romance. Many of the traits prominent in heroines make up Winter’s character, while Isabel definitely has more of a male view on sex and romance.

This book also introduces us to some upcoming characters, like Artemis Greaves, her cousin Penelope (blech), and…let me give a girly sigh here…Captain James Trevillion…who’s actually kind of a pain in the ass when it comes to the Ghost, as he decides to try to hunt him down with his dragoons. Still love him.

The Romance Factor
Two words that work for both the romance and steam levels in this book: virgin hero. The fact that Winter is a man of morals and won’t sleep with a woman he doesn’t care for just makes it that more awesome when starts his relationship with Isabel. There’s also the moment when he kisses her as the Ghost and the fear she feels for him when he’s injured. And that moment when he realizes he can’t go back to his celibate lifestyle because love. Seriously, just mop me up off the floor already. 5/5

The Steam Factor
You know those scenes that are a perfect blend of romance and eroticism? They don’t come along often, but when they do, they’re worth nothing. Isabel and Winter’s first sexual encounter is one for the books in my opinion. She knows he’s the Ghost, he doesn’t know she knows, and they’re stuck in a hiding space together. Close proximity sexy things happen, but beyond that, both characters have this huge show of emotion, and the whole thing is just awesome. 6/5

Final Thoughts
This book sets things up for the rest of the Ghost story arc. I’m so glad there are more Ghost books because the character is a blast, but this one set the bar high.