Title: Falling for Anthony
Author: Meljean Brook
Series: The Guardians #0.5
In: Hot Spell (Lora Leigh, Emma Holly, Shiloh Walker & Meljean Brook)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Angels, Demons, Paranormal romance
Pace: Slow
Format: Novella
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Year: 2005
5th sentence, 74th page: Mrs. Kremble was not the softest of women, but she had served the family faithfully for years.

Disillusioned and hurt, Emily Ames-Beaumont makes a decision that she can’t take back. 88 Anthony has grown up with the Ames-Beaumont twins, but he is of a different class. His decision to become a physician in the war and face down a nosferata has unforseen consequences.

This was nothing like what I expected. The first The Guardians story that I read was the novella Blind Spot and I absolutely loved the intersection of angels, vampires, romance and hellhounds. So I decided that this was a series that I just had to have. And I’m so glad that I made that decision. Even though Falling for Anthony wasn’t what I was expecting, more Victorian romance than contemporary as I was expecting, it was still so very, very good.

I’ve always found the notion that a woman’s virginity should be protected – but when you are writing a tale featuring Victorian England and sex is involved, it’s a huge part of the plot. Brook handled this really well, but didn’t make it an overbearing and difficult aspect of the tale. Emily and Anthony’s moment of passion has far reaching consequences and is incredibly serious, but it’s used as a great plot driver.

I always know that a tale is really good when I can’t get scenes and emotions out of my head. And that is the case with Falling for Anthony. There is something haunting about this story, and it introduces the leads in Demon Angel perfectly. Now I just have to find a way to squirrel myself away and read this in peace.

Image source: Meljean Brook