Rating: 
Summary: Very disappointed - more mystery than romance
Review: After all the excellent reviews this novel got, I was sorely disappointed to find that they weren't deserved. This book is out of print, so I went to a lot of trouble and expense to get it. I love Loretta Chase and adored LORD OF SCOUNDRELS and THE HELLION, so I assumed that this related novel would be equally good. How wrong I was. It seems like 75% of this novel was related to the mystery of who killed Francis Beaumont and only 25% of it dealt with the romance between Leila and Esmond. I didn't really get the sense of knowing the hero, and I didn't feel the passion or love between the two protagonists that I did in LORD OF SCOUNDRELS. I realize I'm a bit old fashioned (which is one of the reasons I read historical romance novels), but another thing that bothered me was the persistent references to homosexuality. Many of the characters treated it as if it was something that most men experience at least once. In fact, one of the women characters pretty much says that "boys will be boys" and have one homosexual experience. I just don't buy that, especially during that time period which was nowhere near as liberal as today. I think this was gratuitous political correctness on Chase's part, and it took away from the realism of the novel. The love scenes were another of the unfortunate surprises in this novel. They were not as sensual or as detailed as other Chase novels. This fit, though: Chase didn't really convince me of the protagonists' love for one another, so it fits that she wouldn't convince me of their passion for one another. All in all, I wasted my time and money getting this novel and will promptly donate it to my public library so that others at least won't have to pay to find out how bad it is.
Rating: 
Summary: THIS BOOK HAS MORE LAYERS THAN AN ONION.....!
Review: At times it felt like I was reading a longer, romantic version of an Agatha Christie mystery. I was riveted from the 1st letter to the astonishing ending. The twist & turns of the dilemma kept me on the edge of my seat & sent my head spinning. Could the culprit be him ? or her ? or both ? I thought I've met the most mesmerizing heroes & heroines of the decade in Lord of Scoundrels & The Last Hellion. But once again, I was dumbstruck by the brilliance of Ms Chase's writing style. Esmond is a cool, charismatic, gut-churning handsome former villain whose past unknowingly entwined with Leila's. He's put himself thru' hell & back in the span of 10 years, only to be rendered helpless the moment he set his eyes upon the fiery Leila. A match made in heaven !(or is it hell?) Treat yourself to a Wonder Web of murder, deceit, unrequited love, acted out by vibrantly alive characters. U'll never know where or with whom U'll end up in search of the real killer. The atmosphere whenever Esmond & Leila were in the same vicinity virtually crackled with sexual tension. Their pent-up passion really paid off in sensuous love-scenes that'll fog up your reading glasses. Fate & circumstances kept throwing 'em together to solve the puzzling riddles which of course, punctuated their longing for each other. A golden-hair hunk with a dark past & Hercule Poirot-size brain cells plus a mussed-hair beauty with a tragic past & Michelangelo-size artistic talent equals a tempestuous affair to remember !
Rating:
Summary: Very disappointed - more mystery than romance
Review: Captives of the Night is the second of 4 books, beginning with The Lion's Daughter and ending with Lord of Scoundrels and The Last Hellion. My reading experience didn't suffer from reading them out of order. I dearly love the tortured hero role and Ismal Delvina is one of the best. He achieved redemption after ten years penance as a government agent assigned all the worst cases. Our heroine was no simpering ninny either. I loved her reaction when Ismal confessed. The long wait to see them get together was well worth it. If only there had been an epilogue... dare we hope to see these characters again?
Rating:
Summary: Captivating
Review: Captives of the Night is the second of 4 books, beginning with The Lion's Daughter and ending with Lord of Scoundrels and The Last Hellion. My reading experience didn't suffer from reading them out of order. I dearly love the tortured hero role and Ismal Delvina is one of the best. He achieved redemption after ten years penance as a government agent assigned all the worst cases. Our heroine was no simpering ninny either. I loved her reaction when Ismal confessed. The long wait to see them get together was well worth it. If only there had been an epilogue... dare we hope to see these characters again?
Rating: 
Summary: Loretta Chase
Review: Compte d'Esmond has desired Leila Beaumont forever, but has been unable to do anything about his feelings for the beautiful portrait painter because she's already married. Leila's faithless, drug-addicted husband is murdered and Leila finds herself accused of doing the dirty deed. She turns to the powerful Compte d'Esmond for help and soon finds herself in a passionate affair with the enigmatic aristocrat. This is book 2 in the 4 book series. Book one (out of print) is The Lion's Daughter. Book three is Lord of Scoundrels. Book four is The Last Hellion. This novel is well written and very passionate, but having read books 3 and 4 first, I found it lacking in comparison. It doesn't have the humor and wit of three and four. Still, the plot is well developed and the relationship between the hero and heroine is intriguing. This is well worth the purchase.
Rating:
Summary: Loretta Chase
Review: Compte d'Esmond has desired Leila Beaumont forever, but has been unable to do anything about his feelings for the beautiful portrait painter because she's already married. Leila's faithless, drug-addicted husband is murdered and Leila finds herself accused of doing the dirty deed. She turns to the powerful Compte d'Esmond for help and soon finds herself in a passionate affair with the enigmatic aristocrat. This is book 2 in the 4 book series. Book one (out of print) is The Lion's Daughter. Book three is Lord of Scoundrels. Book four is The Last Hellion. This novel is well written and very passionate, but having read books 3 and 4 first, I found it lacking in comparison. It doesn't have the humor and wit of three and four. Still, the plot is well developed and the relationship between the hero and heroine is intriguing. This is well worth the purchase.
Rating:
Summary: Am I mixed up?
Review: Everyone is claiming that Lord of the Scoundrals is after this book. I haven't read this book yet but I have read Lord of the Scoundrals and it is before this book. The heroine's husband is the one that caused trouble between Lord Blackmoore and his future intended. So the murdered husband was alive. So Lord of Scoundrals is BEFORE this book. I give this five stars because I know it will be good.
Rating:
Summary: This book had it all!!!
Review: I couldn't put it down. Ismal and Leila were the strongest most perfectly matched pair I have ever read about. Her speech technique for Comte d'Esmond was so perfect I could hear his accent and even the tone of his voice. Great love with a mystery that, at least for me, didn't unravel till the end. Loved everything about this book. Looking forward to reading the 4th in the series.
Rating:
Summary: Magnificent!
Review: I loved this book. Although I had several strong suspicions at various stages of the story, I never guessed who the culprit was. The story is loaded with lots of good detail and has excellent character and plot development. While I found the early love scenes to be irritatingly frustrating, it was definitely worth it to keep reading. The cover image is excellent of him, but not of her, whom the story describes as having always-mussed waist-length hair and wearing no makeup.
Rating:
Summary: A wonderful romance/mystery
Review: I loved this book. Although I had several strong suspicions at various stages of the story, I never guessed who the culprit was. The story is loaded with lots of good detail and has excellent character and plot development. While I found the early love scenes to be irritatingly frustrating, it was definitely worth it to keep reading. The cover image is excellent of him, but not of her, whom the story describes as having always-mussed waist-length hair and wearing no makeup.
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