Step Into Darkness

I enjoyed this book for the most part. Jack was a hero you could admire, as was his comrade Gabriel. The story was interesting, with an actual plot, not just heavy breathing and lust - a rarity in romance novels. My small quibbles are with two things: one, the heroine's father, who doesn't change his attitude toward Jack, even when he risks everything to rescue him. The heroine's prime directive throughout the story is "Rescue my father!" When they do, he turns out to be a jerk. The other thing is the magic. It is such a really small part of the story as to not really add to it at all. It's entirely superfluous - the book would have stood quite well without it, nothing would have changed.

Naomi Bellis sure knows what she is writing about in this historically accurate book. It was very hard to put down. Very believable characters in an exciting setting make this book a compelling read. The atmosphere is dark and brooding and just a little mysterious and paranormal. You never know what is going to happen next and the story intrigues from the beginning to the end. Jack is a great hero and his encounters with Sarah are funny and sexy and lots of adventure to enjoy! This book is a keeper because you will want to read it again in the near future and later in life you will be very happy to have all of Naomi Bellis' backlist on your shelf. Because as we know from other great authors, these first books will be hard to find one day !

"Step into Darkness" is a cracking good read. It has the swashbuckling adventure of "The Three Musketeers", the intrigue of "The Scarlet Pimpernel", and the romance and humour of Georgette Heyer's Regency romances (updated for the modern reader). Ghostly encounters spice up the story without overwhelming the heroine's and hero's very human desires and choices. Bellis has a fine command of the social and political background of her setting - England and France during the time of the French Revolution - as well as a sensitivity for her characters that makes them believable and engaging. Most of all, Bellis' tale of an English society maiden thrown into adventure and close proximity with a rakish underworld hero is sexy, fun, and a real page-turner. I'm definitely looking forward to more from this new author!

Nothing means more to Sarah Leaford than rescuing her father from prisons in France. She will stop at nothing and take whatever means necessary to ensure the retrieval, including hiring the most notorious thief in London. Gentleman Jack, as he is known has a vested interest in this endeavor unbeknownst to Sarah. Jack was accused by Sarah's father of killing her grandfather, and was sent to the executioner for it. Having escaped this dreadful fate he has a score to settle. Sarah has laid the opportunity in his lap, now all he must do is keep his wits about him and cast off the attraction he has for the seductive siren. Everything must come together precisely to make it through this journey in one piece. A time of extreme chaos in France, one false move could prove to be their undoing. Jack must make some decisions, none of which will be easy. STEP INTO DARKNESS, is a story coming from a time where Jack the Ripper would have been prevalent. The dark and mysterious surrounding encountered make this story a charismatic stitch in time. Naomi Bellis has a talent for creating an atmosphere that envelops the senses. All the characters for STEP INTO DARKNESS leave an imprint to the story that keeps any reader bewitched. With a slight twist of the paranormal, this tale is not like many stories set in this era. Adding this little bit of the supernatural makes this novel an enticing read. With danger lurking behind every corner this novel will keep you guessing on many levels. Naomi Bellis knows how to keep her readers in suspense, and this is no exception. This reviewer will be waiting to see what other adventures are paved for us in the future. Reviewed by Joyce Courtesy of C2KS KWIPS AND KRITIQUES

In 1793 in London a desperate Lady Sarah Leaford will do anything to save her father from Madam Guillotine in Paris. Her despair sends her to beg criminal Gentleman Jack, but he rejects her supplication. She turns elsewhere refusing to give up; this time offering to marry an influential diplomat and family friend Lord Stephen Layton, whom she does not love. Jack's conscience Gabriel lectures him not to blow an opportunity to correct an injustice by helping Sarah's father though both know their boss the Master will be outraged of he leaves England. Still it galls Jack to agree to do so because years ago he was falsely accused of murdering Sarah's paternal grandfather. Her father Lord Carliegh wanted him hung; Jack barely escaped Newgate and now as a felon he has turned into a skilled criminal. His larcenous activities disguise Jack's real undercover assignment and his personal quest for justice by uncovering the identity of who set him up though he believes Lord Layton is the culprit. He informs Sarah that he changed his mind, but soon finds her as his beloved partner who he wants by his side long after they free her father, assuming they succeed. STEP INTO DARKNESS is an action-packed Georgian espionage romantic intrigue that takes off from the moment Layton and Jack see one another for the first time in years with Sarah as witness to their encounter and never slows down until the final resolution of their triangle. The fast paced story line moves out once Jack undertakes the mission that he knows will anger his enigmatic employer and put him back at odds with Layton, who he wants to kill anyway. With a touch of magic that seems off kilter though adding fun to the relationship between the half French witch and the Gentleman thief, fans will enjoy this enchanting historical. Harriet Klausner