STEP INTO DARKNESS

Author: Naomi Bellis ISBN: 0451219384 9/2006 PARANORMAL Publisher: NAL/Signet Eclipse
Time Period: London 1793

At The Height Of The French Revolution, A Viscount's Daughter Enlists The Help Of A Man Who Turns Out To Be A Perilous Threat To Her Family.... Sarah Leaford is desperate to rescue her father from the dungeons of Paris, and it seems that her success depends on one man: Gentleman Jack, the greatest thief in all of London. What she doesn't know is that Jack is already well acquainted with her father.... Years ago, Lord Carleigh framed Jack for murder, leaving him a ruined man destined for the gallows. Now Jack has a chance for revenge—but to take it, he must resist falling for the beautiful noblewoman and her mysterious, untamed magic. Drawn together by a dangerous mission, they must not surrender to the passion that flares between them. Sarah and Jack are not simply a maiden and a thief, and more lives than theirs are in peril. So much is at risk that even the dead take notice....

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

Romance, adventure and a bit of magic is what you'll find in the pages of Naomi Bellis' STEP INTO DARKNESS. STEP INTO DARKNESS is an intriguing romance that takes on as many twists and turns as a roller coaster.

Sarah Leaford is in dire need of finding someone to rescue her father from a dungeon in Paris. When all else fails, she tries valiantly to employ the notorious Gentlemen Jack, the finest thief in London. With help from her mother's ghost, she is brought to his hideout. No matter how she begs for his help, Jack refuses Sarah's offer for personal reasons—he is all too acquainted with Sarah's father.

Jack eventually lives up to his "gentlemanly" title and decides to help Sarah. He is not only doing it because he finds her truly ravishing, but also because perhaps her father can clear Jack's name and he can once again live as John Tremaine.

Jack and Sarah soon embark on an exciting adventure where there's danger at every turn and the days are as perilous as the nights. It is the nights that have bound Jack and Sarah to each other. Now this rescue mission isn't only for her father, but it's also a chance for Sarah to start a new life with Jack, once he gets his name cleared.

Naomi Bellis' STEP INTO DARKNESS is a brilliant first novel. She has just the right blend of intriguing characters and engaging plot twists. The chemistry between Sarah and Jack is searing. Sarah is an exquisite beauty who has an inner strength and compassion that compliments Jack's more aggressive manner. Jack is a definite dream-worthy hero! He is sensitive, sexy and dangerous. Sarah ignites a fire within him that will take the devil itself to extinguish.

I can't wait to read more from this talented new author. If her future books are anything like this one, Naomi Bellis has a bright future ahead of her!

Julie Kornhausl