Draw Down the Darkness

After waiting on the final return of her fiancé, Helen decides to end her engagement to the Viscount Redfern after waiting 5 years w/ no wedding date in sight. Even though she has ended the engagement, Helen gives Redfern one last chance to redeem himself by staying w/ her for one night, but a list minute note to him calls him away. Devastated and unable to explain his constant absence, Redfern's duty calls him to leave for an appointment; thereby, leaving Helen on the rebound and in the clutches of the Earl of Waring's machinations. After donning a gift from Waring, Helen goes through a complete personality metamorphous. Helen begins to act scandalously, becomes enamored w/ Waring, and being unable think for herself, and despising Redfern. Broken hearted and finding Helen's behavior completely baffling, Redfern finds that Helen may be indirectly involved in the Hellfire club that he is investigating for the Crown. Despite his vow to let Helen go, Redfern is determined to solve his final case and to break Helen free from Waring's clutches. The story is definitely a Georgian gothic romance w/ some paranormal aspects. While the book was written well, I found myself a little bored w/ the novel. The characters were written well and both dialogue and personalities fit w/ the time period. However, the hero was just too beta male for me. The heroine was a well rounded character who comes into her own becomes stronger as the book progresses. Overall, it was a good interesting read, but not worth re-reading at all and therefore not a keeper for me. If you're into gothic regency romance, this is the book for you. I'm most likely going to skip Bellis's other books unless I find it used.

This book captivated me from the first three pages with great characters and a wonderful setting. So many characters have too much power over others--from both the supernatural aspect as well as just political/career aspirations. It is very easy to believe how the characters are pushed around and against their own wishes and dreams as they live in service to more powerful characters--either for good or evil. Another point is how the author is able to move the dialogue along at a crisp pace yet still keep the sound of regency England. Add to that her knowledge of French military tactics against England and this is a great combination read of action/adventure/paranormal with a complelling love story squashed in the middle. An excellent find of a new author and a highly recommended purchase.

In 1798 spy Master Sir Alaric Fitzwilliam learns from trusted agent Lord Bedford that the Hellfire League has returned with a plot to help the French invade Ireland while using darkness sorcery to cause havoc. Alaric needs help from the Circle to prevent the sorcery from causing harm and calls for his best agent Viscount Nicholas Saville to return from overseas to go undercover to learn who the traitor is. Back in England, Helen Barrett sees her fiancé Nicholas for the first time in three years as he has been overseas on business; he never told her he was home. She informs him she will no longer wait for him; he says he loves her. She walks away only to have the Earl of Waring gives her a necklace that she reluctantly puts on. Helen tells Waring she made a mistake but Nicholas tells her to go to Waring as he is better for her. Nicholas goes to meet Bedford, but watches instead a carriage stop to dump the dead Bedford who holds the card of Helen's brother James. After gaining nothing from James, Nicholas visits Waring, considered a traitor by the Master. There he removes from Helen the necklace that contains dark magic to enslave her to Waring. Nicholas knows his beloved is a key target, but not why. He plans to confront Waring. The hero's dilemma and guilt feels real as he either gives up his beloved or his family making this Regency romantic fantasy feel genuine especially since the paranormal elements augment the suspense laden story line. Romance readers will feel the strength of the love between the lead couple even when she breaks off with him. Though the Master shows up at the right time and place making it seem as if the hero's efforts were not needed, fans will relish this action-packed thriller that never slows down for even a paragraph. Harriet Klausner

Naomi Bellis wrote a book that catapults you into an atmosphere of dark, foggy nights, unexpected black funeral coaches and enough magic to keep you on the edge of your chair. What I loved about this book was not only the powerful writing style and great story but also the fact that everything that is vital to the book happens in the first 50 pages. After that you are on a roller coaster ride and all you can do is hang on. On one page you go slowly up and you know that on the next you go down again with a frightening speed. But you cannot get out and all you can do is keep on reading. Even for those who are not into paranormal books this is a must read because the magic is there but its not overdone and believable enough to make you wonder if it really exists. Terrific principal characters and very, very good secondary characters. Put Naomi Bellis on your auto buy list and you won't be sorry.

This novel begins with the hero, Nicholas Saville, Viscount Redfern, returning to his betrothed hoping for a sweet reunion but finds things were not as he left them. His fiancée, Helen Barrett, has grown disenchanted with Redfern's long absences and has decided to break off their engagement. Redfern tries to explain, but to no avail, why he had to leave Helen without revealing his dark secret--that he is beholden to the King's spymaster. Not only has his love left him, but has fallen under the sinister spell of a powerful and evil man, Redfern's nemesis, Lord Waring. Draw moves along at a wonderful pace, as Redfern strives to not only stop Waring and the deadly Hellfire League from completing their terrifying mission, but also win back the trust and heart of his beloved. Draw is Bellis' second novel and [yet again] she delivers a well written book filled with adventure, magic, and red-hot romance. In this book, Bellis not only delights once more with excellent characters, but displays her growth as an author with the intricate yet eminently traversable plotline. Filled with all the promised elements, murder, magic and romance (and more), I found this book highly satisfying. Well worth the buy!