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Night's Edge: An Anthology
DANCERS IN THE DARK by Charlaine Harris
Dancer Layla Rue Le May's childhood prepared her to handle just about anything, including her aloof partner, Sean McClendon, a three-hundred-year-old vampire. But when she acquires a stalker, Layla Rue is surprised to find that Sean is the only one she can trust.
HER BEST ENEMY by Maggie Shayne
Kiley Brigham refuses to believe there's a ghost in her house, but when an unseen hand leaves a bloody message on her mirror, she's forced to turn to local psychic Jack McCain. As the two work to uncover a long-buried secret, Kiley finds that she's haunted not by spirits, but by thoughts of Jack .
SOMEONE ELSE'S SHADOW by Barbara Hambly
Maddie Laveau worries about her young roommate, Tessa, when she stays late to practice ballet in the old Glendower Building and when Tessa goes missing, Maddie enlists mysterious tenant Phil Anderson to help. But is Phil the white knight she needs, or the predator she fears?
368 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2004
55 people are currently reading
2851 people want to read
About the author
Maggie Shayne
290 books2,559 followersI live in the teeny, tiny town of Taylor, NY, (Alliteration Alert!) though my mailing address is Cincinnatus, my telephone exchange is Truxton and I pay taxes and vote in Cuyler. All of these are at least in the same rural county in the southern hills of New York State; Cortland County. There are more cattle than people here. The nearest “big” cities are Syracuse and Binghamton and they are an hour away, in different directions, and not really all that big by most standards, though they both seem humongous to me. I look out my window to see rolling, green, thickly forested hills, wildflower laden meadows and wide open blue, blue skies. My road is barely paved. The nearest neighboring place is a 700 acre dairy farm.
My house is a big, century old farmhouse. I moved in here after my divorce in 2006. Just a little over a year later, the house, which I had named, SERENITY, burned. It was 99% gutted, and I lost my two dogs, Sally, an 11-year-old great Dane, and Wrinkles, my 14-year-old, blind bulldog. This was the culmination of my Dark Night of the soul, which had seemed to hit me all at once in 2006-2007. My mother died that year, after a 14 month battle with pancreatic cancer. She was only 60. The youngest of my five daughters had left home that same year, and while that’s not a tragedy at all, it felt like one to me. Then came the divorce. And finally there was the fire--it seemed my darkest night wasn’t quite finished with me after all. I had lost almost everything before that point, and as I poked through the wet ashes and soot the next day, I realized that I had now been stripped all the way to the bone.
No better time to start over. (And no, I didn’t come to that realization that day--there were a few days of wallowing in pity first, particularly the day after the fire, when I hit a deer and smashed up my car, which I was practically living in!)
That’s when I started to laugh. Just sat on the side of the road as the deer bounded, uninjured and carefree, out of sight, and laughed. It was just too ridiculous at that point, to do anything else!
And from there, I picked myself up, and brushed myself off, and said, okay, there’s only one way to go from here. Forward. And that’s what I did. There I was at the age of harrurmphemmph, living in my one, mostly undamaged remaining room, with a dorm-sized mini-fridge, a futon, a TV, my cat (nine lives!) and a laptop. And not much else. (Though thank goodness the room that survived the fire, was a room that had its own attached bathroom!)
Since then I have rebuilt my beloved home, which really has become my haven, my “Serenity.” I share it now with my fiancé, Lance, and we have accumulated quite the little family together. “Little” being a relative term. We have a pair of English Mastiffs, Dozer and Daisy, who weigh 203 pounds and 208 pounds respectively, and a little pudgy English Bulldog named Niblet, who is bigger than both of them, inside her mind. We also have the aforementioned cat, Glorificus (“Glory” for short,) who adores her canine pups and keeps them firmly in line. And we've acquired a pair of stray cats as well, a mother and son, Luna (Lulu for short) and Butters aka Buddy. Lulu showed up pregnant during a lunar eclipse, had a litter, and vanished again. We found homes for all the kittens except one. Butters. We got him fixed and kept him. A few months later, Lulu returned, again expecting. This litter was born on the "Monster Moon." Again, all the kittens were spayed and neutered and placed in homes, and this time we got Lulu to the vet in time to spay her before the cycle could repeat.
Glory is not amused.
She has a story of her own, my old Glory cat, having been with me before the Dark Times descended, she went through it all with me, moved with me, survived the fire, and remains with me still. She's tolerating the newcomers. Barely.
My partner is an artist, a mechanic, a welder and an inventor, and the rumors are true, he is much younger than I
My house is a big, century old farmhouse. I moved in here after my divorce in 2006. Just a little over a year later, the house, which I had named, SERENITY, burned. It was 99% gutted, and I lost my two dogs, Sally, an 11-year-old great Dane, and Wrinkles, my 14-year-old, blind bulldog. This was the culmination of my Dark Night of the soul, which had seemed to hit me all at once in 2006-2007. My mother died that year, after a 14 month battle with pancreatic cancer. She was only 60. The youngest of my five daughters had left home that same year, and while that’s not a tragedy at all, it felt like one to me. Then came the divorce. And finally there was the fire--it seemed my darkest night wasn’t quite finished with me after all. I had lost almost everything before that point, and as I poked through the wet ashes and soot the next day, I realized that I had now been stripped all the way to the bone.
No better time to start over. (And no, I didn’t come to that realization that day--there were a few days of wallowing in pity first, particularly the day after the fire, when I hit a deer and smashed up my car, which I was practically living in!)
That’s when I started to laugh. Just sat on the side of the road as the deer bounded, uninjured and carefree, out of sight, and laughed. It was just too ridiculous at that point, to do anything else!
And from there, I picked myself up, and brushed myself off, and said, okay, there’s only one way to go from here. Forward. And that’s what I did. There I was at the age of harrurmphemmph, living in my one, mostly undamaged remaining room, with a dorm-sized mini-fridge, a futon, a TV, my cat (nine lives!) and a laptop. And not much else. (Though thank goodness the room that survived the fire, was a room that had its own attached bathroom!)
Since then I have rebuilt my beloved home, which really has become my haven, my “Serenity.” I share it now with my fiancé, Lance, and we have accumulated quite the little family together. “Little” being a relative term. We have a pair of English Mastiffs, Dozer and Daisy, who weigh 203 pounds and 208 pounds respectively, and a little pudgy English Bulldog named Niblet, who is bigger than both of them, inside her mind. We also have the aforementioned cat, Glorificus (“Glory” for short,) who adores her canine pups and keeps them firmly in line. And we've acquired a pair of stray cats as well, a mother and son, Luna (Lulu for short) and Butters aka Buddy. Lulu showed up pregnant during a lunar eclipse, had a litter, and vanished again. We found homes for all the kittens except one. Butters. We got him fixed and kept him. A few months later, Lulu returned, again expecting. This litter was born on the "Monster Moon." Again, all the kittens were spayed and neutered and placed in homes, and this time we got Lulu to the vet in time to spay her before the cycle could repeat.
Glory is not amused.
She has a story of her own, my old Glory cat, having been with me before the Dark Times descended, she went through it all with me, moved with me, survived the fire, and remains with me still. She's tolerating the newcomers. Barely.
My partner is an artist, a mechanic, a welder and an inventor, and the rumors are true, he is much younger than I
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 211 reviews
March 30, 2009
This is probably the BEST Sookieverse book. The short story of the 2 vampire dancers in Sookie Book 7. The story is so sad, but Sean the vampire...I am in love with. These two characters are so well written. I fell in love with both of them. It is simply one of the best stories I have read in a REALLY long time. Sad, uplifting, romantic, all the good stuff. Layla and Sean. Absolutely awesome.
January 7, 2010
Maggie Shayne use to be my favorite paranormal romance author way back when she was writing for Silhouette Shadows but she lost me when she started writing the books with the witchy heroines who annoyed the heck out of me. Her story here is a haunted house tale but the hot dog swilling heroine (Kiley, is it?) is a bit abrasive. Who blows smoke in a guy's face when he was nice enough to hand over a light for her cig? What's up with that? Though I did enjoy this haunted house bits of the story it took quite a while before the irritating heroine chilled a bit and grew on me. The plot was just creepy enough to hold my attention and have me anxiously turning the pages but, alas, the romance was a bit of a flop for me. The pair went from complete dislike, to overwhelming lust, to deep forever love in a blink. I can't see them shacking up together for any longer than a month before boredom sets in, tempers begin to flare and Kylie storms out in a huff. Hmmm, this all sounds mighty negative but, really, I did enjoy the story and never found myself bored so there's that . . .
The Barbara Hambly story was rough going. There was far too much navel gazing going on and the story just didn't seem to move. Maddie has way too much internal dialogue going on and over analyzes everything and everyone near to her. One night Maddie goes out in search of her roomie Tessa, who spends long nights alone practicing ballet in a creepy studio. While searching for Tessa a smelly man lurking in the shadows whispers something along the lines of "little sluts are alike" before disappearing. Maddie is justifiably creeped out and when Tessa introduces her to Phil, a temporarily homeless man living at the studio, she fears he was the one whispering those not-so-sweet-nothings in her ear. But she's confused because Phil isn't stinky and the erotic dreams she has about Phil after the fact have her hoping he isn't the foul-mouthed, foul-smelling psychopath hanging out in the shadows.
She goes over and over (and over)all of this in her head, does a tarot reading filled with danger signs that adds fuel to the fire, then worries some more about her roomie, her past, her mother and well you can see the pattern here. If I wanted to hear a worry wart yammer on I could any number of people. I'm just not patient enough for a character like this.
This story was unfocused and meandering and though it got a little better it just wasn't my thing. All in all this was an okay ghost story and a so/so romance but not a story I'd ever read again.
The Charlaine Harris story turned out to be the best of the three. Rue is a dancer, haunted by a tragic past that is only revealed in bits and pieces. She needs money and agrees to sign on with a copy of dubious origins called "Blue Moon" where she is paired up with a sexily accented, very secretive centuries old vampire named Sean. The pair hit it off as only two kindred and very damaged souls can but trouble surfaces when a nut from Rue's past comes back to haunt her. This story was tender and suspenseful and never made me think "awww, stop feeling sorry for yourselves and get over it already" as so many angst-filled vampire tales have a tendency to do. I liked both of these characters and their chemistry was a very powerful thing.
Two stories get 2 stars, the other a 4.
The Barbara Hambly story was rough going. There was far too much navel gazing going on and the story just didn't seem to move. Maddie has way too much internal dialogue going on and over analyzes everything and everyone near to her. One night Maddie goes out in search of her roomie Tessa, who spends long nights alone practicing ballet in a creepy studio. While searching for Tessa a smelly man lurking in the shadows whispers something along the lines of "little sluts are alike" before disappearing. Maddie is justifiably creeped out and when Tessa introduces her to Phil, a temporarily homeless man living at the studio, she fears he was the one whispering those not-so-sweet-nothings in her ear. But she's confused because Phil isn't stinky and the erotic dreams she has about Phil after the fact have her hoping he isn't the foul-mouthed, foul-smelling psychopath hanging out in the shadows.
She goes over and over (and over)all of this in her head, does a tarot reading filled with danger signs that adds fuel to the fire, then worries some more about her roomie, her past, her mother and well you can see the pattern here. If I wanted to hear a worry wart yammer on I could any number of people. I'm just not patient enough for a character like this.
This story was unfocused and meandering and though it got a little better it just wasn't my thing. All in all this was an okay ghost story and a so/so romance but not a story I'd ever read again.
The Charlaine Harris story turned out to be the best of the three. Rue is a dancer, haunted by a tragic past that is only revealed in bits and pieces. She needs money and agrees to sign on with a copy of dubious origins called "Blue Moon" where she is paired up with a sexily accented, very secretive centuries old vampire named Sean. The pair hit it off as only two kindred and very damaged souls can but trouble surfaces when a nut from Rue's past comes back to haunt her. This story was tender and suspenseful and never made me think "awww, stop feeling sorry for yourselves and get over it already" as so many angst-filled vampire tales have a tendency to do. I liked both of these characters and their chemistry was a very powerful thing.
Two stories get 2 stars, the other a 4.
January 26, 2019
Anthology 3.5 average stars
1. Dancers in the Dark by Charlaine Harris. This is the story about the dancers that you see periodically in the Sookie books. How they met, what happened to them. It's a good story. 4 stars.
2. Her Best Enemy by Maggie Shayne. For a short story, this sure felt long. It's just average. I guessed what was happening early on and figured out who the bad guy was. 3 stars.
3. Someone Else's Shadow by Barbara Hambly. A little dragging in parts, but the ending was good. I stayed up late to finish it. 3-1/2 stars
1. Dancers in the Dark by Charlaine Harris. This is the story about the dancers that you see periodically in the Sookie books. How they met, what happened to them. It's a good story. 4 stars.
2. Her Best Enemy by Maggie Shayne. For a short story, this sure felt long. It's just average. I guessed what was happening early on and figured out who the bad guy was. 3 stars.
3. Someone Else's Shadow by Barbara Hambly. A little dragging in parts, but the ending was good. I stayed up late to finish it. 3-1/2 stars
April 6, 2008
I started reading this book over the weekend and I really enjoyed the first story, Her Best Enemy by Maggie Shayne. I'd always thought of Ms. Shayne as somewhat of a fluffy-bunny, happily-ever-after type of romance writer, especially after the first story I read by her from the Out of this World anthology. Not in a bad way per se, just more in the way that romance novels bore me. In any case, Her Best Enemy was a wonderful haunted house story, and though parts of the story were fairly predictable (the gal and the guy DID hook up of course), the rest of the story was intriguing right up until the very end. Bravo! I wanted to write this while the story was still fresh in my mind, but I'm going to hold off on giving a rating for the book itself until I've read the other two stories. However, if I were to rate the book on this story alone, I'd probably give it a 9. :)
The last story in this book, Dancers in the Dark by Charlaine Harris, was probably the best in this anthology, but then again, I have loved all four of Charlaine's Southern Vampire books (the Sookie Stackhouse ones) so it's not surprising that I'd really enjoy her contribution to this anthology as well.
Anyway, Dancers in the Dark, while it would probably be considered a romance, had enough intrigue and danger in the story to make it far from the usual *yawn* boring romance. Though it has different characters, it takes place in the same world as the Sookie Vampire books. If you've read those books, you'll recognize the symmetry in the handling of vampires in this story. Of the three books in this anthology, this was the only one of the three that had anything to do with vampires, though that wasn't probably the primary reason I liked it best. I believe it was more because I have really come to like Charlaine Harris' writing.
The mystery is compounded by the fact that Charlaine doesn't give everything away right up front. For instance, she starts by only hinting at some of the horrors in Layla's past instead of spelling things out in the first chapter, which tends to pique the reader's interest. Same goes for Sean, the lead Vampire. Of course, you know things are going to work out in the end, for they nearly always do in anthology stories, but I certainly couldn't have predicted everything that happened in the story.
I should probably mention something about the second story, Someone Else's Shadow by Barbara Hambly, too, since that was also fairly good. Not as good as numbers 1 and 3, but interesting enough, probably a 6. This was the first story I've read by Barbara Hambly, and using this story as a basis, I'd say that I'd definitely read something else by her in the future. This story was also a romance, but contained the supernatural element of ghosts like the Her Best Enemy, the first story. It was a bit more predictable than the others, though the story was interesting enough to keep me reading. :)
The last story in this book, Dancers in the Dark by Charlaine Harris, was probably the best in this anthology, but then again, I have loved all four of Charlaine's Southern Vampire books (the Sookie Stackhouse ones) so it's not surprising that I'd really enjoy her contribution to this anthology as well.
Anyway, Dancers in the Dark, while it would probably be considered a romance, had enough intrigue and danger in the story to make it far from the usual *yawn* boring romance. Though it has different characters, it takes place in the same world as the Sookie Vampire books. If you've read those books, you'll recognize the symmetry in the handling of vampires in this story. Of the three books in this anthology, this was the only one of the three that had anything to do with vampires, though that wasn't probably the primary reason I liked it best. I believe it was more because I have really come to like Charlaine Harris' writing.
The mystery is compounded by the fact that Charlaine doesn't give everything away right up front. For instance, she starts by only hinting at some of the horrors in Layla's past instead of spelling things out in the first chapter, which tends to pique the reader's interest. Same goes for Sean, the lead Vampire. Of course, you know things are going to work out in the end, for they nearly always do in anthology stories, but I certainly couldn't have predicted everything that happened in the story.
I should probably mention something about the second story, Someone Else's Shadow by Barbara Hambly, too, since that was also fairly good. Not as good as numbers 1 and 3, but interesting enough, probably a 6. This was the first story I've read by Barbara Hambly, and using this story as a basis, I'd say that I'd definitely read something else by her in the future. This story was also a romance, but contained the supernatural element of ghosts like the Her Best Enemy, the first story. It was a bit more predictable than the others, though the story was interesting enough to keep me reading. :)
June 30, 2021
Read all the stories.
February 11, 2018
This is collection of three novellas, each with a paranormal theme and a romantic connection. The main female characters all have histories of abuse or at least bad experiences with men. They are all easy to read and quite enjoyable.
January 27, 2022
Found new authors reading this one. Interesting
August 31, 2009
"Dancers in the Dark" by Charlaine Harris starts this anthology with the novella about dancers Layla and Sean. These dancers actually made an earlier appearance in "All Together Dead" by Ms. Harris where they performed at the vampire summit in Rhodes. This story focuses on how the two met and fell in love while dancing together for the Blue Moon Entertainment Agency that specializes in human dancers performing with vampire dancers. Layla and Sean connect because both are trying to forget their pasts, and live in the present through dancing. They both hold the key to a bright future as dance partners and possibly more, but only if Layla's past doesn't destroy what they are trying build. An entertaining story, Ms. Harris never ceases to amaze me with her short stories and books in the Southern Vampire Series. Any fans of Sookie Stackhouse will enjoy this story!
"Her Best Enemy" by Maggie Shayne was a very funny and suspenseful addition to this anthology. Kiley is a reporter who's column discredit local psychics in Burnt Hills, NY. She doesn't believe in the supernatural, and thinks all psychics are liars and thieves out to swindle people out of their hard-earned money. However, when she experiences some supernatural "incidents" in her new home, she is forced to enlist the help of a local psychic she has been trying to discredit for months to no avail. Although Kiley and Jack are "enemies" because of their professions and beliefs in the supernatural, the attraction and chemistry between the two just can't be denied while they try to discover the mystery surrounding the haunting of Kiley's house. Ms. Shayne mixed this short with wonderful blend of humor, sexual tension, and mystery surrounded by suspense. This was a very entertaining story for all Maggie Shayne fans, or even people who have never read anything from this author before! A definite must read!
"Someone Else's Shadow" by Barbara Hambly-I have to say I didn't really like this story for this anthology. The story focused on Maddie, a dancer and tarot card reader with a shaded past, whose trying help her roommate Tessa overcome the nightmares and sleepwalking she is succumbing to on a nightly basis. Maddie knows it has something to do with the Glendower building where Tessa dances, and Phil Cooper, the guy who rents a studio in the building and resides there. The story just did not mesh. It went in several directions, and I almost didn't finish it, hence the reason I didn't devour it the first day as I would most new books I buy. The love aspec between Maddie and Phil was way too fast, and it just kinda got stuck at the end of the story and just wasn't plausible.
Overall, I enjoyed the book for the paranormal stories, and I really enjoyed the first two stories. I would recommend this to all die-hard Charlaine Harris and Maggie Shayne fans because you just have to read these two stories!
"Her Best Enemy" by Maggie Shayne was a very funny and suspenseful addition to this anthology. Kiley is a reporter who's column discredit local psychics in Burnt Hills, NY. She doesn't believe in the supernatural, and thinks all psychics are liars and thieves out to swindle people out of their hard-earned money. However, when she experiences some supernatural "incidents" in her new home, she is forced to enlist the help of a local psychic she has been trying to discredit for months to no avail. Although Kiley and Jack are "enemies" because of their professions and beliefs in the supernatural, the attraction and chemistry between the two just can't be denied while they try to discover the mystery surrounding the haunting of Kiley's house. Ms. Shayne mixed this short with wonderful blend of humor, sexual tension, and mystery surrounded by suspense. This was a very entertaining story for all Maggie Shayne fans, or even people who have never read anything from this author before! A definite must read!
"Someone Else's Shadow" by Barbara Hambly-I have to say I didn't really like this story for this anthology. The story focused on Maddie, a dancer and tarot card reader with a shaded past, whose trying help her roommate Tessa overcome the nightmares and sleepwalking she is succumbing to on a nightly basis. Maddie knows it has something to do with the Glendower building where Tessa dances, and Phil Cooper, the guy who rents a studio in the building and resides there. The story just did not mesh. It went in several directions, and I almost didn't finish it, hence the reason I didn't devour it the first day as I would most new books I buy. The love aspec between Maddie and Phil was way too fast, and it just kinda got stuck at the end of the story and just wasn't plausible.
Overall, I enjoyed the book for the paranormal stories, and I really enjoyed the first two stories. I would recommend this to all die-hard Charlaine Harris and Maggie Shayne fans because you just have to read these two stories!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 2, 2008
I just finished Maggie Shayne's short story, Her Best Enemy, and enjoyed it a lot. Yes, the plot is rushed and I didn't believe they could love each other that soon at the end, but it was a really fun story! I would have liked it better if Ms. Shayne had left them just starting out in their promising relationship and not dropping the L-bomb at the end - it felt too forced and cheesy. But as I said before, it was very fun, and an easy and fast read too! :)
4/5 stars
Someone Else's Shadow was another very good story. I really liked Maddie, and while the love angle was again very fast, but at the end I appreciated that the author addresses how fast they fell in love. As with the first story, the ghost angle was creepy and made the whole atmosphere of the story come alive. The chemistry between Maddie and Phil was palpable and it did make me feel like they could in fact fall in love that fast. A great short story!
4.5/5 stars
Dancers in the Dark was another good tale in this anthology. Rue was a likable protagonist who had a horrible past, and while Sean could have been brought to life (ha!) more, he was still a good hero for her. The plot was well-done and I never got annoyed at Rue for feeling sorry for herself or anything, which can happen in stories similar to this. All-in-all it was a fascinating tale.
4/5 stars
4/5 stars
Someone Else's Shadow was another very good story. I really liked Maddie, and while the love angle was again very fast, but at the end I appreciated that the author addresses how fast they fell in love. As with the first story, the ghost angle was creepy and made the whole atmosphere of the story come alive. The chemistry between Maddie and Phil was palpable and it did make me feel like they could in fact fall in love that fast. A great short story!
4.5/5 stars
Dancers in the Dark was another good tale in this anthology. Rue was a likable protagonist who had a horrible past, and while Sean could have been brought to life (ha!) more, he was still a good hero for her. The plot was well-done and I never got annoyed at Rue for feeling sorry for herself or anything, which can happen in stories similar to this. All-in-all it was a fascinating tale.
4/5 stars
February 2, 2016
As with most works by Charlaine Harris, I really enjoyed Dancers in the Dark. I love the diverse characters she creates and the way this short story blended in with a glimpse we caught of the dancers in the SV series. I do wish there had been more of a build up between Sean and Layla before they inevitably fell in love, but with most novels in this subgenre... it is what it is.
This was my first time reading anything by Maggie Shayne and while I enjoyed Her Best Enemy, I found myself rolling my eyes at the characters. I'm a sucker for clichés but this one was almost over the top and the instalove had me reeling. Probably won't be picking up anything else by her but the story was generally ok.
This was also the first Barbara Hambly story I had read as well and while the story was ok and I like the plot, there were a few times where the story seemed very jumbled and the lines of dialogue didn't make a whole lot of sense. Maddie's inner monologue was a little disorienting to read and several times I had to reread whole sections to figure out if she was talking about Phil, Sandy, or the shadow man.
This was my first time reading anything by Maggie Shayne and while I enjoyed Her Best Enemy, I found myself rolling my eyes at the characters. I'm a sucker for clichés but this one was almost over the top and the instalove had me reeling. Probably won't be picking up anything else by her but the story was generally ok.
This was also the first Barbara Hambly story I had read as well and while the story was ok and I like the plot, there were a few times where the story seemed very jumbled and the lines of dialogue didn't make a whole lot of sense. Maddie's inner monologue was a little disorienting to read and several times I had to reread whole sections to figure out if she was talking about Phil, Sandy, or the shadow man.
June 2, 2018
I have only read "Dancers in the Dark" so far, which I dearly loved. It's Sookie-verse, that is, it takes place in the world of the Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris, but the character Sookie doesn't appear in this story. Sean and Layla, from this story, later appear briefly in All Together Dead with Sookie.
I only gave it 4 out of a possible 5 stars, because I havn't read the other two stories yet.
Merged review:
I have only read "Dancers in the Dark" so far, but I absolutely dearly loved it. It's Sookie-verse, that is, it's from the world of Sookie Stackhouse stories from Charlaine Harris, but Sookie doesn't actually appear in this story. Sean and Layla from this story, appear briefly in All Together Dead, with Sookie.
I only gave it 4 out of a possible 5 stars, because I havn't read the other two stories yet.
Merged review:
I have only read "Dancers in the Dark" so far, but I absolutely dearly loved it. It's Sookie-verse, that is, it's from the world of Sookie Stackhouse stories from Charlaine Harris, but Sookie doesn't actually appear in this story. Sean and Layla from this story, appear briefly in All Together Dead, with Sookie.
December 29, 2007
Three paranormal romances with some suspense. Some do it better than others.
"Her Best Enemy" by Maggie Shayne
Kiley doesn't believe in anything she can't see, but it seems there is a ghost in her new house. Of course, her only hope lies with the psychic she's been trying to prove a fraud.
"Someone Else's Shadow" by Barbara Hambly
Maddie senses something evil in the building where she teaches belly dancing, but a girl has to pay the rent. Is Phil helping her or is he the malevolent force she feels? The final showdown was unusual and unexpected.
"Dancers in the Dark" by Charlaine Harris
Layla is desperate to earn enough to pay her bills and go to college. Desperate enough to audition to dance with a vampire and agree to being bitten as the finale. But she's also desperate to stay hidden and hopefully safe. With such an unusual vampire crew, it made up for the mediocre mystery.
http://bookcrossing.com/journal/4133250
"Her Best Enemy" by Maggie Shayne
Kiley doesn't believe in anything she can't see, but it seems there is a ghost in her new house. Of course, her only hope lies with the psychic she's been trying to prove a fraud.
"Someone Else's Shadow" by Barbara Hambly
Maddie senses something evil in the building where she teaches belly dancing, but a girl has to pay the rent. Is Phil helping her or is he the malevolent force she feels? The final showdown was unusual and unexpected.
"Dancers in the Dark" by Charlaine Harris
Layla is desperate to earn enough to pay her bills and go to college. Desperate enough to audition to dance with a vampire and agree to being bitten as the finale. But she's also desperate to stay hidden and hopefully safe. With such an unusual vampire crew, it made up for the mediocre mystery.
http://bookcrossing.com/journal/4133250
April 9, 2010
I was dissappointed with Ms. Harris's story, and didn't read more than a couple pages of the 2nd story, but I loved Ms. Hambly's story! The barrier between the main characters made sense, instead of being contrived. The female lead dealt with her own problems, then invited the male lead to her life - she didn't need a man to make her complete. The writing was delicious, and the sexy bit were realistic and quite romantic. I can see myself in this sort of relationship. I kind of have a crush on both the main characters, truth be told :)
Overall, it's a good enough collection of romance stories. If you're not a romance fan, just read the last story, "Someone Else's Shadow" by Barbara Hambly.
Overall, it's a good enough collection of romance stories. If you're not a romance fan, just read the last story, "Someone Else's Shadow" by Barbara Hambly.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 23, 2010
I was only interested in the story by Charlaine Harris. It turned out to be a suspense story loosely related to the world of Sookie Stackhouse, but not containing her. Well done, but not my cup of tea.
October 17, 2009
I liked the first story which was set in the Sookie universive with people who made cameo apperances in later books. The others were just ok.
February 26, 2011
I have only read the Charlaine Harris Short story so far. It was was very good. This is from the Sookie Stackhouse series and is #4.2. A short story telling the story of Layla LaRue LeMay.
October 15, 2016
The stories weren't bad but rather a bit disappointing. I really liked Charlaine Harris' story.
September 17, 2023
NIGHTS EDGE is a compilation of three stories on the general theme of 'dark supernatural romance'.
The take home message, for me, was that in order to be a respectable female romantic lead in this genera, apparently you DO have to have bad relationships in the past. It is compulsory. In the contract or something....
Dancers In The Dark –by Charlaine Harris
This is the show pony of the novel; Harris probably has the biggest footprint in the industry out of these three authors and that would be why her name has the largest font on the cover. As I bought this book because of the name, I read this one first:
It is essentially a modernised fairy tale on the 'dark supernatural' theme, set in the same universe as the Sookie Stackhouse novels, with a (vampire) Prince Charming stock character (called Sean). Whereas in in older fairy-tales, such as Charles Perrault's from the 1600's the damsel in distress is rescued by a 'prince' taking her on to a lives-happily-ever-after, here we end up with the dead-ever-after motif. Usually, whether in fairy tales, Mills and Boons or modern supernatural romances the 'prince' is handsome, romantic, wealthy, exotic, powerful, strong or all of the above, also, in this case a vampire.
Our vampire, in this case, saves her life by making her undead. Look I'm on board with the fantasy, and the theme of great sex with no consequence is fine. It is stereotypical sure, but light easy reading and a lot of predictable fluffy fun.
“I had to die to get justice” is a fine ending and epitaph.
Someone Else's Shadow - by Barbara Hambly
I was quite, quite mistaken about Barbara Hambly. She is no fan-fiction writer for Harris, she has her own, very respectable career and honestly, I found her story the most engrossing and her writing by far the best in this book.
The only common theme with Harris's was the main character being a dancer, which was nice. The supernatural theme here is provided by a haunted building in (New York?) with a very nasty ghost inclined to kidnap pretty, vulnerable young women.
The romance is pleasant, inoffensive and far more enjoyable than a look of 'dark supernatural romance' which I tend to find to be slushy nonsense these days. The romance was maybe, a bit inst-love or at least insta-lust but not unreasonably so.
Loved the use of tarot cards in this book. Totally respect the way belly dancing is depicted.
I was very impressed by every part of this story, including the fact that the damsel in danger was NOT our leading lady, that both the female and male leads come together to rescue a third party. It made for a much more interesting dynamic for the story and gave it depth.
Her Best Enemy - By Maggie Shayne
This author also, apparently has a respectable career of her own but she is not for me.
I thought the writing was poor, the plot superficial and the yawn-inducingly-predictable “hate to love” romance was idiotic. Sorry, but that really is the kindest thing one can say about it.
“I hate you – come rescue me”
“We hate each other – why don't I rescue you”
“lets sleep in the same bed because there may be a ghost in the house...”
At page 70 I was already skim reading and %90 of the story had degenerated into him/her which was a shame. I skim read to find the supernatural plot and if you could have shook off the mind-numbingly repetitious he said/she said BS attempts at romance (ick), it could have been a very decent story.
The take home message, for me, was that in order to be a respectable female romantic lead in this genera, apparently you DO have to have bad relationships in the past. It is compulsory. In the contract or something....
Dancers In The Dark –by Charlaine Harris
This is the show pony of the novel; Harris probably has the biggest footprint in the industry out of these three authors and that would be why her name has the largest font on the cover. As I bought this book because of the name, I read this one first:
It is essentially a modernised fairy tale on the 'dark supernatural' theme, set in the same universe as the Sookie Stackhouse novels, with a (vampire) Prince Charming stock character (called Sean). Whereas in in older fairy-tales, such as Charles Perrault's from the 1600's the damsel in distress is rescued by a 'prince' taking her on to a lives-happily-ever-after, here we end up with the dead-ever-after motif. Usually, whether in fairy tales, Mills and Boons or modern supernatural romances the 'prince' is handsome, romantic, wealthy, exotic, powerful, strong or all of the above, also, in this case a vampire.
Our vampire, in this case, saves her life by making her undead. Look I'm on board with the fantasy, and the theme of great sex with no consequence is fine. It is stereotypical sure, but light easy reading and a lot of predictable fluffy fun.
“I had to die to get justice” is a fine ending and epitaph.
Someone Else's Shadow - by Barbara Hambly
I was quite, quite mistaken about Barbara Hambly. She is no fan-fiction writer for Harris, she has her own, very respectable career and honestly, I found her story the most engrossing and her writing by far the best in this book.
The only common theme with Harris's was the main character being a dancer, which was nice. The supernatural theme here is provided by a haunted building in (New York?) with a very nasty ghost inclined to kidnap pretty, vulnerable young women.
The romance is pleasant, inoffensive and far more enjoyable than a look of 'dark supernatural romance' which I tend to find to be slushy nonsense these days. The romance was maybe, a bit inst-love or at least insta-lust but not unreasonably so.
Loved the use of tarot cards in this book. Totally respect the way belly dancing is depicted.
I was very impressed by every part of this story, including the fact that the damsel in danger was NOT our leading lady, that both the female and male leads come together to rescue a third party. It made for a much more interesting dynamic for the story and gave it depth.
Her Best Enemy - By Maggie Shayne
This author also, apparently has a respectable career of her own but she is not for me.
I thought the writing was poor, the plot superficial and the yawn-inducingly-predictable “hate to love” romance was idiotic. Sorry, but that really is the kindest thing one can say about it.
“I hate you – come rescue me”
“We hate each other – why don't I rescue you”
“lets sleep in the same bed because there may be a ghost in the house...”
At page 70 I was already skim reading and %90 of the story had degenerated into him/her which was a shame. I skim read to find the supernatural plot and if you could have shook off the mind-numbingly repetitious he said/she said BS attempts at romance (ick), it could have been a very decent story.
September 26, 2019
I would have given all three of these stories five stars had they been written each as a novel. But since I am not a fan of short stories, I had to bump my rating down to 4 stars. Short stories always seem to end too quickly for me. I like my stories/books with meat on their bones and while these three authors (Maggie Shayne, Barbara Hambly, and Charlaine Harrie) and their stories have some "meat" on their bones there isn't enough time in a short story to tell the entire story and certain details that would have "fleshed" out the characters are missing (and, unfortunately, needed).
Maggie Shayne's "Her Best Enemy" is the first story when you open the book. It's about a woman, Kiley Brigham, whose goal in life is to abolish the quackery of so-called psychics in her city. However, when a ghost makes itself known in her house she has to enlist the aid of the only "psychic" she hasn't discredited and run out of town. The plot of the story was good but again not enough details to keep me happy.
"Someone Else's Shadow" by Barbara Hambly is up next is a real chill inducer. In this short story, we meet roommates Maddie and Tessa and the gentleman who is living in the dance studio where Tessa dances and practices during the late hours of the night. Of course, the dance studio is haunted and the author manages to convey the truly evil essence of the house even in this short story. The characters and malevolent evil of the entity haunting the dance studio oozes off the pages. My what a fantastic novel this story would have made had the author expanded it into a full-length book.
The last story is my favorite and it's entitled "Dancers in the Dark" by Charlaine Harris. Be advised this is NOT simply a rip off of the author's Sookie Stackhouse series! All the characters in this book stand out as does the plot and the setting. Though a bit predictable as to the ending and the romance between the two main characters, there was enough atmosphere and history to overcome this small flaw. The characters were all believable as was the plot of the story "haunted heroine, brooding vampire, good, evil, and shades of gray. Well written villain. It's all there but again the fact that it's a short story cuts the possible greatness short.
Still, if you like short stories that give you a bit of a scare but not enough to keep you up all night...this is one book you must read!
Maggie Shayne's "Her Best Enemy" is the first story when you open the book. It's about a woman, Kiley Brigham, whose goal in life is to abolish the quackery of so-called psychics in her city. However, when a ghost makes itself known in her house she has to enlist the aid of the only "psychic" she hasn't discredited and run out of town. The plot of the story was good but again not enough details to keep me happy.
"Someone Else's Shadow" by Barbara Hambly is up next is a real chill inducer. In this short story, we meet roommates Maddie and Tessa and the gentleman who is living in the dance studio where Tessa dances and practices during the late hours of the night. Of course, the dance studio is haunted and the author manages to convey the truly evil essence of the house even in this short story. The characters and malevolent evil of the entity haunting the dance studio oozes off the pages. My what a fantastic novel this story would have made had the author expanded it into a full-length book.
The last story is my favorite and it's entitled "Dancers in the Dark" by Charlaine Harris. Be advised this is NOT simply a rip off of the author's Sookie Stackhouse series! All the characters in this book stand out as does the plot and the setting. Though a bit predictable as to the ending and the romance between the two main characters, there was enough atmosphere and history to overcome this small flaw. The characters were all believable as was the plot of the story "haunted heroine, brooding vampire, good, evil, and shades of gray. Well written villain. It's all there but again the fact that it's a short story cuts the possible greatness short.
Still, if you like short stories that give you a bit of a scare but not enough to keep you up all night...this is one book you must read!
February 27, 2022
Overall a decent anthology - 3.5 stars I'd say. It's funny how other reviews have a different "favorite." Mine was probably Her Best Enemy by Maggie Shayne. I do agree that sometimes the heroine Kiley was a bit abrasive but I liked their chemistry and the unfolding story.
My second favorite was Dancers in the Dark by Charlaine Harris. I liked the chemistry between these two and mostly the way the story unfolded. I did have some issues with some plot holes (like how her ex found where she lived). I also felt that both Rue and Sean were so aloof from everyone else, it didn't seem believable that they'd all jump in to help at the end (with some poorly thrown together plan). I also felt a girl that scared and traumatized would have taken way more time to get physical with Sean. What kind of ruined all the things I liked about the story was the ending - didn't seem like enough justice for Rue.
The last story was Someone Else's Shadow. It wasn't bad but it wasn't great either. There was just so much on the Tarot cards and explaining what each card meant (multiple times) that felt unnecessary and bogged down the narrative. I also felt that Phil telling her he loved her after basically 3 conversations and one kiss seemed out of place (if he'd said it for the first time after the climactic conclusion that would have made sense). But it was still well written and had an interesting back story.
Overall I would recommend reading the collection as it seems each reader has their own preferences.
My second favorite was Dancers in the Dark by Charlaine Harris. I liked the chemistry between these two and mostly the way the story unfolded. I did have some issues with some plot holes (like how her ex found where she lived). I also felt that both Rue and Sean were so aloof from everyone else, it didn't seem believable that they'd all jump in to help at the end (with some poorly thrown together plan). I also felt a girl that scared and traumatized would have taken way more time to get physical with Sean. What kind of ruined all the things I liked about the story was the ending - didn't seem like enough justice for Rue.
The last story was Someone Else's Shadow. It wasn't bad but it wasn't great either. There was just so much on the Tarot cards and explaining what each card meant (multiple times) that felt unnecessary and bogged down the narrative. I also felt that Phil telling her he loved her after basically 3 conversations and one kiss seemed out of place (if he'd said it for the first time after the climactic conclusion that would have made sense). But it was still well written and had an interesting back story.
Overall I would recommend reading the collection as it seems each reader has their own preferences.
December 16, 2024
I enjoyed all 3 stories, which is not always the case with an anthology. "Dancers in the Dark" by Charlaine Harris was my favourite, probably because Layla Rue & Sean were so likeable. I can't say the same about Kiley Brigham in Maggie Shayne's "Her Best Enemy" but it was still quite a good read, as was Barbara Hambly's "Someone Else's Shadow".
Dancers in the Dark by Charlaine Harris
Dancer Layla Rue Le May's childhood prepared her to handle just about anything, including her aloof partner, Sean McClendon, a three-hundred-year-old redheaded vampire. Even so, when she somehow acquires a stalker, Layla Rue is surprised to find that Sean is the only one she can trust.
Her Best Enemy by Maggie Shayne
Kiley Brigham refuses to believe there's a ghost in her house, but when an unseen hand leaves a bloody message on her bathroom mirror, she's forced to turn to local psychic Jack McCain. As the two work to uncover a long-buried secret, Kiley finds that she's haunted not by spirits, but by thoughts of Jack.
Someone Else's Shadow by Barbara Hambly
Maddie Laveau worries about her young roommate, Tessa, when she stays late to practice ballet in the old Glendower Building -- and when Tessa goes missing, Maddie enlists mysterious tenant Phil Anderson to help. But is Phil the white knight she needs, or the predator she fears?
Dancers in the Dark by Charlaine Harris
Dancer Layla Rue Le May's childhood prepared her to handle just about anything, including her aloof partner, Sean McClendon, a three-hundred-year-old redheaded vampire. Even so, when she somehow acquires a stalker, Layla Rue is surprised to find that Sean is the only one she can trust.
Her Best Enemy by Maggie Shayne
Kiley Brigham refuses to believe there's a ghost in her house, but when an unseen hand leaves a bloody message on her bathroom mirror, she's forced to turn to local psychic Jack McCain. As the two work to uncover a long-buried secret, Kiley finds that she's haunted not by spirits, but by thoughts of Jack.
Someone Else's Shadow by Barbara Hambly
Maddie Laveau worries about her young roommate, Tessa, when she stays late to practice ballet in the old Glendower Building -- and when Tessa goes missing, Maddie enlists mysterious tenant Phil Anderson to help. But is Phil the white knight she needs, or the predator she fears?
December 3, 2017
This was a collection of three novellas. Each novella has a heavy paranormal theme to it along with some romance. All the stories also feature women who have a history of abuse by men and the stories are somewhat about them overcoming that past.
My favorite of the bunch was “Dancers in the Dark” by Harris. This story actually made me a bit sad because it reminded me what a great writer Harris was before she stopped editing her books (around the True Blood TV series time).
Overall, all of the novellas are decent and I would recommend if you are a paranormal romance fan. I have brief review of each novella below.
- Dancers in the Dark by Charlaine Harris (5/5 stars)
Great story about Rue and Sean. Really enjoyed it.
- Her Best Enemy by Maggie Shayne (4/5 stars)
This was a good story about a haunted house. The woman who moves in there debunks psychics for a living and needs to request the help of her great enemy, a psychic named Jack, to get the evil ghost out of her house. The story was good and creepy; I didn’t think the chemistry between the two characters was all that great though.
- Someone Else’s Shadow by Barbara Hambly (4/5 stars)
In this story a young woman who teaches belly dance is creeped out by the building she works in. When her roommate, a fellow dancer, starts acting strange she begins to suspect that the building is haunted by an evil presence. This was an okay story; it’s a good creepy mystery but the chemistry between the two main characters was just so-so.
My favorite of the bunch was “Dancers in the Dark” by Harris. This story actually made me a bit sad because it reminded me what a great writer Harris was before she stopped editing her books (around the True Blood TV series time).
Overall, all of the novellas are decent and I would recommend if you are a paranormal romance fan. I have brief review of each novella below.
- Dancers in the Dark by Charlaine Harris (5/5 stars)
Great story about Rue and Sean. Really enjoyed it.
- Her Best Enemy by Maggie Shayne (4/5 stars)
This was a good story about a haunted house. The woman who moves in there debunks psychics for a living and needs to request the help of her great enemy, a psychic named Jack, to get the evil ghost out of her house. The story was good and creepy; I didn’t think the chemistry between the two characters was all that great though.
- Someone Else’s Shadow by Barbara Hambly (4/5 stars)
In this story a young woman who teaches belly dance is creeped out by the building she works in. When her roommate, a fellow dancer, starts acting strange she begins to suspect that the building is haunted by an evil presence. This was an okay story; it’s a good creepy mystery but the chemistry between the two main characters was just so-so.
January 16, 2019
I thoroughly enjoyed the Sookieverse story by Charlaine Harris in this book! I simply could not put the book down while reading this story. It was well written and full of just enough suspense and drama to overshadow the romance that put it into this anthology. It would have rated this book 5 stars had the other two stories been even slightly comparable to ‘Dancers in the Dark’, but alas the other two stories were both supernatural romance cheese. I actually had to back track a couple of time in the Maggie Shayne story. I simply didn’t understand how the characters went from eating hot dogs to a stake out to getting undressed and going to bed together in the matter of a page. The Hambly story’s plot fizzled away rapidly as the story read on and I felt as though the characters were really vague. I kept wishing I could read more about Layla and Sean.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 28, 2019
I enjoy anthologies and I have actually read books by each of these authors. The best story is by my Charlaine Harris hm and it is a story if Vampire dancers and their human partners. Sean is the vampire and Rue, the human he falls for. She has a horrible back story, but he makes it right.
Next is Barbara Hambly whose supernatural stories I have not read, but I love her Benjamin January books. Hers is a ghost story that was quite scary.
Last is the story by Maggie Shayne that I liked the least because I don't really like the sort of contemporary where the characters profess to dislike each other, but secretly do. But the ghost story was good and scary anyway.
Next is Barbara Hambly whose supernatural stories I have not read, but I love her Benjamin January books. Hers is a ghost story that was quite scary.
Last is the story by Maggie Shayne that I liked the least because I don't really like the sort of contemporary where the characters profess to dislike each other, but secretly do. But the ghost story was good and scary anyway.
April 28, 2020
The first book, Dancers in the Dark, by Charlaine Harris (she is a favorite author) is a Sookie #4.2. A dance troupe is human females and vampire males. Good story. The second story by Maggie Shayne is about a woman who finds the house she just purchased has some issues and a local psychic helps her solve the problem. The last book is also about dancers, Tessa, a ballet dancer, and her room mate, Maddie, is a middle eastern dancer. Both practice in an old building, but Tessa seems to be drawn to the upper floors, and Madde has heard evil voices. A tenant of the building is both appealing and a suspect. Satisfying stories all.
April 27, 2018
Three short supernatural stories.
I very much enjoyed the stories by Charlaine Harris - Dancers in the Dark and Barbara Hambly - Someone Elses Shadow. I love both of their books. Maggie Shayne was new to me. I liked her story also. Dancers in the Dark has vampires, the other two have malevolent spirits.
I very much enjoyed the stories by Charlaine Harris - Dancers in the Dark and Barbara Hambly - Someone Elses Shadow. I love both of their books. Maggie Shayne was new to me. I liked her story also. Dancers in the Dark has vampires, the other two have malevolent spirits.
October 2, 2019
I'm generally not a big fan of short story collections because they are never long enough for me to connect to the stories. This short story collection only having three authors meant each story was more novellas being over 100 pages each. Because of this I did enjoy them ok. I would rate Maggie Shayne story 🌟🌟🌟🌟, Barbara Hambly 🌟🌟🌟 and Charlaine Harris 🌟🌟🌟.
March 11, 2020
I enjoyed all three paranormal romance stories in this anthology; which I was surprised to find was published by Mills & Boon. Normally in M&B stuff the romance is THE key part of the story and while these stories had the man meets woman and there is an obstacle theme, the paranormal mystery stuff was the strongest element of the story.
March 10, 2022
I struggled to finish this book in an even timely manner but kept plugging away at it (only few books have I never finished and never will)
While the Harris short story was the most captivating the other two where not. Light on romance, but may give some people chills if you read it late at night and are somewhat tired.
Would not read again.
While the Harris short story was the most captivating the other two where not. Light on romance, but may give some people chills if you read it late at night and are somewhat tired.
Would not read again.
June 5, 2018
Her Best Enemy by Maggie Shayne - 3
Kiley is a reporter determined to debunk the various new age con artists. She's been trying to bust Jack for several years. After discovering her house is haunted she seeks Jack's help. Story didn't work well for me.
Kiley is a reporter determined to debunk the various new age con artists. She's been trying to bust Jack for several years. After discovering her house is haunted she seeks Jack's help. Story didn't work well for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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