Book Reviews

Book Blurb

New York, 1799: the future looks bright for the charming young book dealer William Lacy, until a raucous night of drinking lands him in shackles. He narrowly avoids the brutal prison system thanks to his mother, who negotiates with the judge to secure him a five year apprenticeship in lieu of a jail sentence. And so William finds himself in a carriage bound for the remote woods upstate, where he'll spend the next years of his life learning a new trade under some old master.

When he first sees Merrick, William thinks he's been dropped into a medieval horror story. Tall and gruff, dressed in a hooded robe that completely conceals his features, and riding a black mare, Merrick might as well be the Grim Reaper.

But appearances are deceiving. A skilled apothecary and healer, Merrick proves to be a generous host and a gentle teacher, and William soon finds himself surprisingly comfortable in his new surroundings. And yet troubling mysteries abound: Why does Merrick never show his face or hands? Why do his movements seem so young and sure beneath his robes? What lies within the cave behind the stone cottage?

Something unnatural is afoot. But most alarming by far is William's own reaction to his new keeper. For Merrick's strange charms are bewitching enough by day; but by night, in the darkness of the room and the bed they share, William finds himself entirely overwhelmed by desires he never imagined...

Book Review

What a lovely gem of a vampire story. Concise and alluring with a splendidly timed build up to a truly romantic story, I loved it. Claire Cray has a gift for creating atmospheric environments and uses a charming first person narrative in the voice of one William Lacy. Initially the sinister openings of chapters one and two are reminiscent of the traditional tale of Dracula. The heroic lead, William, appears in my mind's eye as the innocent Jonathan Harker, en route in a dark coach on a darker night to be left in the hands of a tall, ebony-cloaked stranger on a black horse.

The hooded giant of a figure turns out to be Merrick, the supposed doctor that William will call Master until his penance for breaking the windows of a judge's home is completed. It seems William and his friends were out drinking on the 18th century's equivalent of boy's night out and got caught up in horseplay, as boy's often do. While his friends had the presence of mind to flee the scene of the crime, the drunken William is caught and takes the brunt of the blame.

And so the journey begins, a hooded master and his young charge in a lone stone cottage on isolated lands surrounded by a dank forest far from town. The story is slightly Gothic, with a sweet air of deeper mystery and is spiced with enchanting comic moments of youthful reasoning. For example when William expresses his fear that his new master may be of the "bed boys" ilk, like the old blacksmith whom his friend has shared horror stories about. When those fears prove incorrect, but his own attraction to the mysterious man grows… well, he begins to think himself insane in a most hilarious and delightful manner.

Merrick is perfect as the tall, dark, mysterious stranger, revealing himself to be a caring, skilled and wise, gentle giant well before his cloak is removed to reveal his exquisite physical attributes.

Other characters enter the story in a timely fashion, most notably Merrick's fly-by-night friend Theo, who perhaps deserves a book of his own.

I found this book, sensual, sweet, romantic and yes, hot. I sure hope that the author is penning its sequel as I am eager to continue the extraordinary journey of Merrick and William. Very nice, totally caught me by surprise. Thank you, Claire, for your lovely writing.

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book has been purchased by the reviewer.

Additional Information

Format	ebook
Length	Novel, 51561 words
Heat Level
Publication Date	11-November-2012
Price	$2.99 ebook
Buy Link	https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-merrick-996228-139.html