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A Darker Dream

A Darker Dream

List Price: $5.99
Your Price: $5.39
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Nothing Special
Review: Predictable and tedious ... there's nothing special about this book. Extremely repetitive writing ... much of the book is rehashing of previous sections of the book.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: So-so... could have been a lot better
Review: Rayven, a vampire of some 400 years' existence, sees a young girl being auctioned off so that her family will have money to buy food. Seeing the local gentry eyeing Rhianna up and planning to have her in their beds, he intervenes and buys her. But we soon discover that he has no intention of sleeping with her - he only wants to creep into her bedroom at dead of night and drink from her, hypnotising her so that she thinks she's dreaming.

Rhianna and Rayven are drawn to each other, much as he tries to keep away from her and make her stay away from him. In the end, afraid that he will eventually hurt or kill her because his need for her seems to increase over time, he sends her away to Paris for three years. But when she comes back, she's determined to seek him out again and she gets his agreement to let her live with him for a year.

And then she discovers that he's really a vampire... and her love for him mingles with fear.

I ...agree ... that this book has problems. The angst on its own didn't bother me, although it was repetitive; every time we thought that Rayven had got over his 'I'm going to kill her if I don't let her go' fears, they resurged again, almost to a ludicrous level at one point in which Rayven almost kills himself. The period atmosphere wasn't right either; the characters did not behave like nineteenth-centuey English people, nor did they speak in a manner commensurate with the period. Dallon Montroy in particular (and what kind of a name is that for an English nobleman?!) did not fit at all with the period.

What bothered me, too, was the part of the book where Rayven takes Rhianna to London for several weeks. They stay in a hotel - but where does Rayven spend the days? He's supposed to need complete darkness and privacy, and yet he'd never get that in a hotel-room. Yet there's no mention of how that is handled.

... the absurd and very convenient plot device at the end was almost an insult to the readers' intelligence. Ashley could have done much better than that!

Having said that, parts of the book were very enjoyable and kept me reading, so on balance perhaps 2.5 stars really.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Overall, I really liked it
Review: There were a few things that bothered me about this book. First, it could have been about 100 pages shorter by taking out 3 or 4 of the days and conversations of "Leave here." "No, I won't leave. I love you." "I love you too and need you. Please don't leave me." as Rayven fought with his hunger and emotions.
Also, if Rhianna "fled the room" one more time I was going to throw the book across the room. At times she was a strong character to love Rayven and stay with him no matter what, but the constant turning and running was a contradiction for her and eventually really made me mad.
If the book would have been a little shorter and, therefore, less repititious I would have given it a 4. There was an extremely powerful love between these two characters. I really liked the ending - you don't see that too much in vampire romance and it's nice every now and then. The secondary characters also added to the story.
I strongly recommend this if you're into vampire romance, as long as you can cope with a little repitition. I also recommend Christine Feehan (who doesn't?!) and Maggie Shayne for this subgenre.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: a tender dark story that will make you cry
Review: This is a wonderful story. It made me cry and that makes it a keeper for sure. Its very tender in its love scenes and the interaction between the main characters was moving. Its a historical vampire story but could have taken place during any time.

The story is about a very old, 400 years, tortured vampire, Rayven. He has been alone so long that when he sees a young woman being sold by her father he must buy her. He knows that he must send her away but he can't help being drawn to her and selfishly wants to keep her to make the lonelyness and the despair go away if for only a little while. He hates what he is and wishes to see the sun again so much that he is willing to risk harming her in order to have some of the light that she brings to his dark world.

Rhianna, the young girl is sold by her father in order for her younger sisters to be fed. She goes willingly to Rayvens castle but is very suprised that the monster he is supposed to be is very gentle and human in his wants and desires to be loved. She is given eveything she wants or could desire and in turn she is dertermined to bring him light and love.

They both love each other so much that they are willing to face anything for the other. I cried when I finished this book because it made me so happy that they overcame so many obsticles. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from this author.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A Darker Dream is a Dream!
Review: This is the first book I have bought by Amanda Ashley. I brought it home and began reading the first chapter...I could not put it down! Amanda Ashley has a talent for making a Vampire seem romantic and kind, even though these creatures are depicted as quite scary in history. This novel was deep and intense and not for the faint of heart. The book will transport you to the era and makes you imagine, even for a few hours or reading the book, that you are the heroine and you are actually living this story. Now, if that isn't a good book, what is? I have read the book 5 times since I bought it, and I picked it up off of my shelf this very day to read it for the sixth time. It is a must read for all of you super-natural romance readers.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Good Read
Review: This is the first book of Ashley's I have ever read but it will not be the last. I loved the fact that it was a simple love story often times in historical romances there has to be some sort of external mystery or other action taking place besides the love story. Ashley creates an endearing tale about a vampire in love with a human. There were instances where the characters became a little to repetitve but besides that i would give it five stars. I would encourange anyone who loves vampire novels or historical romance to read this book.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Sigh!...I wish I could live this dream!!!
Review: This is the first vampire romance book that I have read. It left me in a state of awww, and was breathtaking till the end! It took me just one day to read this 400 page dream book. The story was exceptionaly written, left me wanting for more, did not want it to end. Made me wish I was the girl in this romance. To be needed and wanted by a rich gorgeous dark prince in a huge castle, what more could a girl ask for?

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Another tortured vampire. Ho-hum.
Review: This is the story of Rayven, a standard issue 'I'm a vampire, Hear me Mourn' vampire. His dark world changes dramatically when he buy Rhianna from her father. He falls almost instantly in love with her because she's the paragon of sunlight and goodness, ect. just like so many other heroines who wander into the sub-genre.
Rhianna has as much personality as a fence post. Most of her dialogue throughout the book consisted of "Yes, my lord." Being Rayven is the tall,dark, dangerous, and oh-so tortured hero she falls completely in love with him in record time too.
The rest of the novel is spent dallying around the subject of "I love you, but I have to give you up becuase I'm a Vampire and I might kill you." It's enough to make a person scream!
Besides the plot, I never got a sense of period which is bad since this is a historical vampire romance. What I hated most about this book was the ending. It's WHAM-BAM super-contrived cure for vampirism. If Rayven's old mentor knew about this all those centuries ago why didn't he just change him back then? WHY!?
I would only recommand this for fairy-tale romance lovers who don't can how illogical the plot is as long as people say 'I love you' alot. If you are like I am, and prefer more realistic books look else where. Read Maggie Shayne or Nancy Gideon.
Vampires are pretty interesting. Usually a little angst is okay, not this soul-consuming depression that Rayven goes throught. I also prefer when hero and heroine have some wit about them, and actually work around the whole immortal vampire-mortal problem instead of rushing towards a solution that just drops from the sky to end the book.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Simple love story with a bite...
Review: This might be a simple love story, but it's a simple love story with a bite... There is no major plot, or looming danger. No twists and turns... If your looking for that you might want to try: I Burn For You by Susan Sizemore... However, if your in the mood for an endearing love story, this is the book to read. :-)
I couldn't put it down... ....

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Painfully Bad
Review: This was my first "vampire romance" and will likely be my last. I have never read anything so contrived since a Barbara Cartland novel. The plot revolves around Rayven and Rhianna who insist on repeating their paltry emotions until you wish to strangle them both in order to get some action. There is no heightened suspense and I had a difficult time finding the climax.On top of that, the author has no descriptive style. If she is going to describe the vampire's longing for food and how he examines the dishes placed before the heroine, she cannot serve Mutton and Potatoes 3 time in as many chaptors. It may seem small but it is an excellent example of the poor planning and a certain laziness in the author's attempt.check it out at the library - don't waste your money on this one.


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