Review: Her Dark Baron

Her Dark Baron - Nadja Notariani

Genre - Adult Romance

Release Date - 3 December, 2011

Scottish marauders, incensed at England's King Charles I and emboldened after achieving the upper hand in the Bishop's War of 1640, wreak havoc on the inhabitants of Northumberland, England, and Lady Mariel Hayes finds herself at the mercy of the land hungry Baron Harold Flanders after her father is killed in a border raid. Powerless to save herself from being forced to wed the vile Flanders, Mariel prays for divine intervention. But when her salvation comes, it proves more terrifying than comforting as Mariel learns that by order of the crown, she is to wed the dark and mysterious Baron Gervace Daltry, known far and wide as the Hound of Hell.

Mariel seeks to accept this new life with her dark Baron, a man whose secrets haunt her even as his touch inflames her body. But before her mind can reconcile the sinner she knows him to be with the seductive lover she willingly surrenders to, Mariel must confront the fears that whisper to her, as evidence mounts that her life may soon be forfeit, and decide whether to trust the man she begins to love, or betray the man rumored to be the Devil's instrument of destruction.

Her Dark Baron is written beautifully. The words flow well and the descriptions are vivid and transport you immediately to a different time period with ease. The novella has just the right touch of intrigue, mystery and sensuality to it to make it a great romantic read.

I was drawn in from the very first chapter. Mariel, our leading lady, is such a great character and what I loved about her was that she was strong-willed. Yes, she did need saving. Yes, she did what she was ordered too, but there is some part of her that doesn’t conform to the ideas around her. She thinks for herself and it was great to see her interaction with her husband.

So, we come to Gervase. He’s mysterious and dangerous, and I was curious about his character from the beginning. Was he a murderer? What did he want with Mariel? Was he going to hurt her? Nadja Notariani answers all our questions in due time and I was satisfied with what I learned. The steamy scenes are written well but, keep in mind, this is a book for adults not teens. When Mariel and Gervase consummate their marriage, it is well worth the wait.

A mystery kicks in midway and I’d already made my deductions about who was behind it. I ended up being half wrong so that left me feeling surprised. It was a well-incorporated plot twist so I have to give Ms Notariani points for that. The side characters weren't just there for the sake of being there. They each had a purpose and a strong personality, and were memorable in their own way, especially Baron Flanders. I appreciate how difficult this must be considering it is a novella and there is a limit on words.

The only thing I wished was different was that it had been a full length novel instead of a novella. I was so absorbed by this world that I didn't want to leave so soon. I wanted to learn more about Mariel and Gervase’s relationship and would have loved if there was even more tension between them. As a novella, I felt that everything tied in together well with no loose ends.

Recommended: For lovers of Adult Historical Fiction, such as Gabrielle Bisset’s novels.

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Many thanks to Nadja for sending me a copy of Her Dark Baron.