Darklove by Claudy Conn
The Wild Rose Press
Paranormal, Fantasy/Futuristic
ISBN: 978-1-61217-258-3
Reviewed by Jo

Ever since her parents were murdered, Chazma Donnelly has been concentrating on one goal – finding the dark sorcerer who murdered them. Finally Chazma might have the chance to fulfill her goal when she accepts a summer job to catalog a private library in Ireland. Chazma knows that this job happened because her grandmother thinks it will protect her but Chazma knows that the killer isn’t in New York but rather in Ireland so she goes with it.

Lord Jethro McBain has enough on his plate and yet when he is requested to accept Chazma for a made-up job, he can’t say no. Jethro knows that she will be a problem with the current status of things. However he doesn’t expect the feelings that flare up between them the instant he meets her. Jethro knows that he cannot have her and yet isn’t it the forbidden fruit that is always so tempting?

Chazma has no idea what is behind Jethro’s crazy hit and miss attitudes but she knows that what she feels for him is strong and intense. Yet, it isn’t only Jethro who seems to be attracted to Chazma from the moment she hits town. Not use to this attention, Chazma soon realizes that not all of it is honest and she also feels the darkness that creeps in at night and she knows that all the men she has met are keeping secrets from her. As Chazma’s quest goes on, the temperature rises between her and Jethro and strengthens as does her need to find the answer to all the secrets and questions she now has. Danger is building against Chazma as the days go on. When Chazma finally meets the sorcerer she has been searching for, the answers discovered will either free her or destroy any chance she has for a lifetime of love with Jethro.

Dark events bring two lovers together with passion and magic in Darklove. Understanding Chazma’s overpowering need to avenge her parents still had me wondering if maybe she was going too far at times. I will admit that Jethro was a mystery to me until his final secrets were revealed. I was very happy to see that not even the secrets and misguided beliefs were enough to defeat the sparks between Chazma and Jethro. The suspense had me closely looking for all clues to tell me what would happen next. I was very surprised by some of the answers Chazma and Jethro found and had already figured some of them out. To me that is a great suspense filled story. Darklove is a suspenseful journey through the darkness that is filled with the light of passion and magic that helps rather than harms.