ARC Review:Firelight (Darkest London #1) by Kristen Callihan

Historical fantasy romance has never been this fun before

Title: Cursed
Series: Darkest London
Author: Kirsten Callihan
Publisher: Piatkus
My ratings: 5 out of 5 stars

Wow! What an experience I have had. Kristen Callihan has built a brand new world which is both exciting and wonderful. When I requested it on Netgalley I had no idea I would have found such a gem.

All my friends know about my love for UF and Historical romances. This book had encompassed both my love for these two great genres. At the beginning I wasn't so sure how this would turn-out to be. It could have gone either way .So I started it with low expectations and I am so glad that I was wrong.

Miranda is a beautiful red-head who can produce fire spontaneously. She is struggling to make ends meet living with her father. In comes this enigmatic Lord who offers to pay all her debts if she marries him. Without any choice, she agrees to the union. How bad can it really be married to a man she did not love. Here is what the catch is. Lord Archer has a secret. He hides his face in a mask. He is this mysterious, enigma hiding his face in a mask and no one knows what he is up to or he thinks. She doesn't know what’s going on in his head. She is married to this person who talks to her, stimulates her mind. Whom she even calls her friend but she hasn't even seen his face. The sexual tension was staggering. What was Archer hiding? What did he look like? Why did he hide his face? These questions were not only driving Miranda mad, but were also making me crazy. I stayed up to the wee hours of the night trying to figure out the mystery.

The prologue was very nicely done. It piqued my interest in the book. The writing was fantastic. I was blown away by the complexity and the descriptive nature of the writing. It described London in the olden days perfectly .It felt like I was present there, walking on the cobbled stones and smelling the different smells wafting from the street. I loved Miranda. She was fiery, quite literally, and sane. Stupid heroines in romances are so common that I want to shoot them one by one but here Miranda was just right. She would give any Urban Fantasy heroine run for her money in the kick-ass department.

Archer, oh my! He is a perfect tortured hero. I was in love with him just half way through the prologue. The curse that torments him makes him believe he is not worth Miranda. Even though we don’t see his face in most of the book we all know he is all hotness and desire packing some serious romantic hero.

I can go on and on but how much I liked this book but that would take me all night. If you a UF fans and like Paranormal Romance or Historical this book is just right for you. Even if you are not,….read it anyway as I am sure you will not be disappointed cannot wait for the second book Moonlight.

ARC provided by Piatkus via  NetGalley.