Lord of Darkness (Maiden Lane, #5) in Fans of Eloisa James & Julia Quinn

Feb 08, 2013 Jessica rated it it was amazing

Shelves: books-i-own

I absolutely fell in love with Elizabeth Hoyt's writing in Thief of Shadows, so I was super excited to dive into this one. And once I picked it up, I could not put it down!

Megs Reading lost the love of her life two years ago; her fiancé was killed by the Ghost of St. Giles, leaving her pregnant and all alone. As an effort to save her reputation, her older brother organized the marriage between her and Godric St. John. For the first two years of their marriage, after Megs miscarries and loses th I absolutely fell in love with Elizabeth Hoyt's writing in Thief of Shadows, so I was super excited to dive into this one. And once I picked it up, I could not put it down!

Megs Reading lost the love of her life two years ago; her fiancé was killed by the Ghost of St. Giles, leaving her pregnant and all alone. As an effort to save her reputation, her older brother organized the marriage between her and Godric St. John. For the first two years of their marriage, after Megs miscarries and loses the only connection to her dead love, Megs and Godric lived completely separate lives. One day, though, Megs shows up on Godric's doorstep, determined to have a baby with her husband. Little does she know the man she's been married to for the past two years is the very man she has vowed to kill- the Ghost of St. Giles.

Oh boy is this a good one. I was so excited when I found out that this was about Megs and Godric, who we got to meet in Thief of Shadows. What made this one even better, though, was the fact that they had been married for two years yet barley even knew each other. That's a passionate romance just waiting to form! With Megs' hard headedness, paired with Godric's stubborn personality, you know you've got a couple that is meant to be. And when Megs decides she wants a baby with Godric while he is off galavanting in the night as the Ghost, things become even more heated and dangerous

Megs and Godric are absolute perfect focuses for this book. Both of them have loved and lost, and are not sure if they can really ever love again. Opening up to each other while Godric keeps such a huge secret from Megs proves to be a difficult task, but it's a story you can't help but be sucked into. Not only is there the romance, but the child snatchers are back, brining the mystery and action I loved from the previous book back with it.

I honestly cannot get over how amazing this series is. Elizabeth Hoyt sure knows how to create a story that pulls on your heart strings and leave you begging for more. If you want a strong romantic, mysterious, and action packed novel, you definitely need to pick the Maiden Lane series up. I know this one just came out, but I'm already looking forward to the next book in the series. Yet another Ghost of St. Giles is in town, just waiting to fall into the path of the perfect, hard-headed girl willing to do everything for the infamous, handsome stranger of the night. ...more

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Mar 05, 2013 Diane Peterson rated it it was amazing

Shelves: kindle-books, historical-romance

It is hard to explain how much I loved this book and why. I have read and thoroughly enjoyed all of the previous books in the Maiden Lane series. Hoyt does a very good job of making each book its own unique story within the context of the series. Lord of Darkness (#5 in the series) is absolutely my favorite. The best reason why is that it touched me (OK, I cried, a lot).

Godric St. John and Margaret (Megs) married under difficult circumstances. She was pregnant by a lover who had been killed so h It is hard to explain how much I loved this book and why. I have read and thoroughly enjoyed all of the previous books in the Maiden Lane series. Hoyt does a very good job of making each book its own unique story within the context of the series. Lord of Darkness (#5 in the series) is absolutely my favorite. The best reason why is that it touched me (OK, I cried, a lot).

Godric St. John and Margaret (Megs) married under difficult circumstances. She was pregnant by a lover who had been killed so her brother arranged the marriage to save her from shame. Godric and Megs immediately went their separate ways – she to the country where she lost the baby, he to London. Their only communication for two years is through letters. Suddenly Megs (with relatives in tow) returns to London with two agendas – to have a baby by her husband and to avenge the death of her love who she believes was killed by the Ghost of St. Giles. Little does she know that Godric is the Ghost of St. Giles, at least one of them. Godric has lived the life of a monk since the death of his beloved wife. Can these two turn loose of their past and find a new love?

Elizabeth Hoyt is very good at creating complex, interesting characters. These two don't seem to go together, but somehow it works. Megs is young, bubbly and enthusiastic. Godric is older, serious and scarred. This is definitely a nice girl/nice guy story. I love that she is won over by his intrinsic goodness. I love that Hoyt lets them have complicated, not-so-good sex. It's interesting to see the characters from previous books return. And, as with the other Maiden Lane books, Hoyt offers an intricate setup for the next book, coming in October.

Just to clarify, I am a sentimental sobber. When I love the hero and heroine, and they make a connection that rings genuine and true, I blubber like a baby. In Lord of Darkness I started blubbering long before the last page. These two characters with their sad histories just ripped at my heartstrings. It was when they began to realize that they could love again that I lost it. Oh, and I failed to mention that the beginning of the book was really funny. Sure way to get a great review from me? Making me laugh and make me cry. This one did both, in spades! Loved, loved, loved it. ...more

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Mar 27, 2013 Heidi rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: elizabeth-hoyt, made-me-laugh, made-me-chuckle

I feel terrible having to give this just 3 stars! Don't get me wrong it's a great book, I just needed more GODRIC and MEGS and LESS Clara and Roger in the for 90% of the book! I like my romance to focus on the the main characters and their love/falling in love/friendship etc. It took way to long for these two to get over there previous loves(Clara & Roger). It's supposed to be about them, NOT them getting over their lost loves.

That being said, Megs, did remind me a bit of myself, she was kinds ...more

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Feb 27, 2013 Lissa rated it really liked it

Absolutely loved this story! I laughed out loud, yelled at the characters, teared up...it was great! I don't want to include any details because part of the enjoyment was being reacquainted with characters from other novels. But now I can't wait for the next story!! ...more

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Nov 18, 2012 Antica rated it really liked it

Shelves: 19th-century, fiction, england, favorite, historical-fiction, heros-i-love, romance, audiobooks, series

2 years after the events of the last book; we are taken into the lives of Godric St John and the Lady Margret.

From the beginning of the novel, the two characters come face to face with each one; Margret holding a gun at Godric and actually shoots him.
Well, not him exactly …

She shoots the Ghost of St. Giles whom she believes killed her fiancée 2 years ago.

What she doesn’t know is that the Ghost is actually Godric; her husband whom she has not seen for two years. We later learn that Margret’s 2 years after the events of the last book; we are taken into the lives of Godric St John and the Lady Margret.

From the beginning of the novel, the two characters come face to face with each one; Margret holding a gun at Godric and actually shoots him.
Well, not him exactly …

She shoots the Ghost of St. Giles whom she believes killed her fiancée 2 years ago.

What she doesn’t know is that the Ghost is actually Godric; her husband whom she has not seen for two years. We later learn that Margret’s brother had actually Blackmailed Godric into marrying Margret to avoid shame and scandal

Because she was carrying the child of her former fiancé (whose relationship was kept secret)

So after spending two years apart; due to Margret miscarrying her child. She finally comes back with a mission; to bed her husband so that she can have another shot at being a mother. That proves to be quite difficult when Godric’s heart still lies with his deceased wife whom he had loved all his life.

While the beginning of the story sounds really exciting, I did find it to be slow at the beginning; especially with Margret’s and Godric’s interactions but I guess it can be explained since they had not really interacted with each other since the moment they got married so having it awkward and slow is expected.

The loved the novel, especially because it is driven by these two characters. Godric has to be my favorite hero of the series (Mickey coming close second) because he is genuinely a very good man; despites his faults. He puts everyone else before himself; including sacrificing his loyalty to his wife Clara in order to give Megs what she wants and goes to extreme lengths to protect her. He had my heart melting with every gesture he made.

Megs on the other hand, was not so easy for me to like at first. I honestly did not know what I felt about her the whole time; while I understood her reasons and reluctance … I found that I wanted to choke the life out her at time when she seemed too selfish, too demanding and too stubborn. Towards the end I did see her develop into a likable character. With all that being said about her; there is something about her that I have never seen in any other female heroine in a book; I can’t put my finger on it but she does seem very special and memorable.
I absolutely adored her letters.

Fantastic book, I cannot wait for the next one ^^

4.5/5 stars

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Dec 11, 2012 Chris rated it it was amazing

At the end of Thief of Shadows, Godric St. John is attending a party where a lovely young miss by the name of Margaret Reading faints into his arms. Later that night Godric is coerced to marry Margaret as she is in an interesting way and her fiance has been murdered by the Ghost of St. Giles. They marry in haste then go on with their separate lives.

Opening Lord of Darkness in St. Giles with Margaret holding the Ghost at gunpoint all unknowing that he is her husband was a stroke of genius, and th ...more

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