2014 RITA® finalist!
When young widow Catherine Briton is washed ashore, the sole survivor of a violent shipwreck, all she wants is to go home to London. But injured as she is, she can’t escape when a shadowy stranger rescues her and takes her to his castle—where she’s healed with suspicious, almost magical speed.
The more time Catherine spends in the castle, the more her curiosity rises where her fiercely handsome new “master,” Gerard, is concerned. As she begins to investigate, though, her discoveries only bring more questions. It seems Gerard isn’t the only one on the island keeping secrets…
The small town is full of strange mysteries and townspeople who know more than they should about her. And when a hulking beast that stalks the nearby hills and valleys catches up to her, Catherine must figure out what’s going on before it’s too late.
Find a longer, more detailed and awesome review at http://www.thereadingobsession.blogsp...
Three-point-five Stars Rounded Up to Four
I received this ARC from Entangled Publishing. There were no gifts, favors, or discounts in exchange for this review.
I absolutely love Gothic romances. Especially those ...more
I'm totally shocked that it doesn't have more reviews since it's such a great book!
The quick explanation would be that this is a re-imagined Beauty and the Beast and since I'm a sucker for a fairytale I jumped in. I loved the author's writing style, loved the heroine who's strong and brave and full ...more
Alright for retelling Beauty and the Beast with lovely prose in a Gothic atmosphere!
I really enjoyed Dark Angel. So much so that I can't even write much about it right now. I keep replaying scenes in my head though, and each time I remember how Catherine handled 'things,' it brings a smile to my fa ...more
Delightfully creepy, dark, and romantic, Dark Angel was a wonderful Gothic romance. It was deep, dark, intense, and I enjoyed every bit of it. Loved this book!
Catherine was a strong heroine. She has had a tough time, but has made the best of it. Not only that, but she turned a tragedy into something ...more
5+ stars"You see," he whispered, "I have done my duty to you. I have warned you for the last time, and now you have no excuse. I vowed to protect you, but I am not strong enough to protect you from me."
This was such an understated and truly AMAZING novel!!! I actually happened upon this novel by a ...more
After their ship sank somewhere in the Irish Sea, Catherine Briton tried telling the Captain of her lifeboat that she saw land. The Captain denied her claims, saying, "[o]nly the dead or dying see that island." After the lifeboat capsized, Catherine felt someone pull her to the beach of the island. ...more
Find this review and more at Lusty Penguin Reviews!
Dark Angel—A Gothic Fairy Tale, by TJ Bennett, perfectly blends a Victorian historical romance and a mystery with bone-chilling paranormal elements that complete draw the reader into this page-turning novel. Vividly revealing the details of Ynys Nos ...more
Catherine and others are on a boat and while on this life boat she sees something. The captain tells her that she sees nothing and neither does he... for if you do see something you NEVER return! Next thing she knows she is trying to survive from drowning. She sees something- A man is there and help ...more
This is a really good story. I did have a hard time getting into it, but after a few chapters it grabbed my attention and held on until the end.
Catherine Briton is a young widow traveling back home to London when a storm destroyed the boat she was on. She is the only survivor to wash up on the shor ...more
This book is an adult retelling of the classic fairy tale Beauty and the Beast with a bit of a gothic twist. Being extremely familiar with the original fairy tale, I figured that I would find the book more or less predictable, which was true but overall I didn’t find the book boring at all.
I liked t ...more
This review first appeared on my blog, Leeanna.me.
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DARK ANGEL is a sumptuous, Gothic-inspired, fairy tale romance. If you like strong heroines, tortured heroes, sizzling romantic tension, and a well-written story, this might be the book for you.
I’ll admit this right off: I’m not the biggest fan of ...more
Tower of Babel http://torretadebabel.blogspot.com/
A gothic tale of mystery, passion and deadly secrets.
Catherine almost dies in a terrible storm. After the ship crashes against the rocks, she finds herself stranded on an cursed island. Recovering from her ordeal, she soon faces an impossible chain o ...more
Catherine is a young widow with big dreams. She wants to help orphan children and is on her way to do so when her ship wrecks and she finds her self on an island. Ynys Nos is different from other places as she soon finds out. Gerard the master of the island lets her no she is trapped there and can n ...more
Dark Angel was my first historical romance I've ever read. I don't read historical novel often since I really don't like the idea about going back to the past when everything was clearly outdated. Yeah, modern time is better for me, and I'm lucky enough to have a life in this amazing 21st century. T ...more
As I write this review, I have literally just read the last few words of Dark Angel and am absolutely besotted by the words within. T.J. Bennett blends paranormal, fantasy, romance and historical fiction into a beautiful novel filled with mystery and heat.
Catherine finds herself trapped on an island ...more
This novel is a fairy tale adventure, but NOT a Disney one! It is dark, mysterious, has immortals and a mansion, on an Island that is invisible to people passing on the sea. The legend is, if you see the island, your either dying or already dead!
Catherine Briton is a widow traveling by ship to her h ...more
Have I told you yet how much I love Beauty & the Beast? My first encounter with Beauty & the Beast was NOT the Disney movie. It was from the collection of fairy tales my dad would read to me every night as a child. And then, I discovered Robin McKinley's "Beauty" when I was in middle school, an exc ...more
Posted on What I'm Reading
Yesterday I finished Dark Angel: A Gothic Fairy by T. J. Bennett. Let me first tell you that it's a Gothic story by all accounts that make a Gothic story what they are. Yes, it does have the air of gloominess and mystery, which are key elements to a Gothic romance. To say t ...more
The subtitle of TJ Bennett’s Dark Angel is A Gothic Fairy Tale, and that is a very good description indeed. The story blends the tale of Beauty and the Beast with folklore and history in lush and elegant prose, producing a most unusual and remarkable romance.
When young widow Catherine Briton is swep ...more
***Received from Entangled Publishing for an honest review***
Shipwrecked and injured, Catherine finds herself on the island of Ynys Nos where she is taken in and healed by the island's master, Gerard. Told she cannot leave Ynys Nos, because those that come never leave, Catherine gathers her wits and ...more
Full review on my blog, Becky on Books.
It was difficult to put this creepy, atmospheric read down--even though the plot is fairly slow-moving, the story never felt as if it was dragging. On the contrary, the pages practically turned themselves. There are a lot of spooky clues and details to pick up ...more
I've always thought Beauty and the Beast had a dark side to it. Dark Angel brings that side out and makes it the star of the show. Haunting and mysterious, Gerard and his island bring an aspect of the beast to life that I hadn't seen before. Catherine was a perfect Beauty, without being too innocent ...more
Catherine Briton has been courted by Death for as long as she can remember. Now it looks like he will claim her when her ship sinks during a horrible storm, but there is a miracle! She is saved by a dark mysterious man when she washes up on the beach of an uncharted island. His name is Gerard and he ...more
Gerard and Catherine's destined meeting on the fictitious island of Ynys Nos draws the reader in from the very first page. Ms. Bennett's dark, descriptive prose creates a three dimensional world that sweeps us away to another place and time--to a mystical land as familiar as our dreams. Using two hi ...more
Catherine Briton and death are old friends, after losing her family to illness; Catherine became dedicated to helping people avoid death. When her ship heading to England runs into a storm she and a small band of survivors are on a lifeboat and trying to survive the crashing waves. Catherine spots a ...more