Publisher Description:
Andalin is accustomed to her father’s frequent travels—and to being left behind. So when he returns home and instructs her to pack her belongings, she is bewildered—but there is no time for questions as she is whisked away on a mysterious journey under the cover of night. When their tense flight leads them into the forbidding Black Forest, the pair quickly finds themselves in great peril. With little hope of escape, father and daughter are spared when rescue appears in the form of the mysterious Dark Rider, a notorious deadly highwayman feared by all he meets. But his assistance does not come without a price: he is taking Andalin with him. Now her fate rests in the hands of the enigmatic masked man whose secrets are inescapably tied to the beautiful young woman now in his charge.
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My Review:
How to describe this sweet, extraordinary story? It’s a mixture of “Beauty and the Beast” and a gothic Regency romance. Throw in a large mansion; wolves; a “witch”; and a dark, dense forest, and this book becomes an unusual regency romance/almost fairytale.
I enjoyed this variation on the “Beauty and the Beast” theme. Andalin is the perfect heroine: She’s feisty and fiery; and her curiosity knows no bounds. She’s extremely loyal and loving. She’s also quite suspicious, which gets her relationship with Ellis (the “Beast” in this story) off to a somewhat rocky start. And Ellis is quite the hero in this story. He doesn’t really deserve his “Beast” reputation, and the tragedy surrounding his family has made him moody and ill-tempered at times. However, as Andalin and Ellis come to know each other better, they soon come to realize that they might have a chance at an amazing life together. But before that can happen they must face danger and heartbreak before finding their happily-ever-after.
There’s sparkling interaction between Andalin and Ellis. There’s also
some suspenseful action scenes. Andalin’s story has a twist to it that I did not expect, and that added to the tension in the story.
I loved this book. I’ll be reading this one again. It would not surprise me to see this book nominated for an award or two.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
About Anneka Walker
Anneka Walker was raised by a librarian and an English teacher turned judge. After being fed a steady diet of books, she decided to learn about writing. The result was a bachelor’s degree in English and History. When she isn’t dreaming up a happy ending for a story, she’s busy living her own together with her husband and adorable children.