Emma is a sheltered orphan who takes a job as a governess to a young boy. She is desperate to escape her aunts her plan to sell her to the highest bidder (they see her as less because she is illegitimate). Lord Anthony Craven is a doctor and also happens to be dark and broody (this is a gothic after all). It's rumored dark things happen in the tower and he is a murderer.
I really liked the gothic atmosphere, but the whole tower plot (there is death in the tower!) was so meh. A simple conversation regarding the tower and all question/conflict would have been fixed. I really, really wish there was more focus on the mystery, because that was a good plot-line. It could have been explored much more and wasn't because of the (dark) tower.
I also didn't quite get on board with the romance in this one. Emma was focused on the suspicions of possible murder, but look how attractive he is! Anthony was frustrating due to his woe-is-me attitude. Yes, you lost a patient. That's sad, but you are a doctor and shit happens. Get over it please.
First book was better.

Halloween Bingo: Gothic square

With the 1001 Dark Night series of novella's I can get introduced to something new to me that either works, or in this case doesn't. This is my first foray into this series (and author) and I admit to being a little lost in regards to the "world" and characters. This is Ursula and Oliver's wedding (who met in a previous book). I did like the attention to Chinese wedding customs (an unlucky # of bridesmaids so most get more! to an unlucky birth date, to the wrong color of flowers). This was both interesting and aggravating. However, I found I really didn't care about either character or the vampire security firm.

Naya and Lane met a year prior when Naya's brother came to town. She followed the brother to take him back with her so he could go to trial. Naya is an ex-cop turned bounty hunter. Lane is ex-military turned small town cop. Even though I hadn't read any of the previous books in this series, I didn't need to. There was enough here that I was able to jump right in. I liked both Naya and Lane, there's conversation (and hot sex) with the right amount of conflict.