DARK SURRENDER first appealed to me because I love a good gothic romance and Erica Ridley is so great at writing them.

This is a very good example of the romance sub-genre. All the classic elements are there: a "damsel in distress" governess; a tall, dark, and handsome man of mystery with a troubled past; the dastardly villain; angry villagers; talk of vampires; and a spooky abbey with dark passageways and locked rooms. I thoroughly enjoyed DARK SURRENDER!

I liked how Erica Ridley takes classic gothic romance elements and tweaks them. For example, even though Violet Whitechapel is a woman in trouble and on the run, she's intelligent and adapts to her current circumstances and makes plans accordingly. Alistair Waldegrave might be a sexy, troubled man but he is also more good-hearted gentleman rather than imperious brute. In fact, Alistair is a big reason why I liked this story so much.

At the beginning of the story, I worried that his protectiveness toward his daughter would manifest itself in negative ways. Happily, I found that not to be the case. It is evident pretty early on to me, and Violet as well, that Alistair is a deeply caring man. He feels guilt about his wife's death and his daughter's medical condition, but the guilt has not made him a horrible person or destroyed his soul. It is very obvious how much he cares about his daughter and it is heart- wrenching reading about how the two of them have trouble expressing their emotions with each other. I liked how Violet was able to relate so well to Alistair's daughter and connect with her through painting. I loved the romance that develops between Alistair and Violet. There are a lot of sensual and erotic scenes between the hero & heroine.

I wasn't sure at the start of DARK SURRENDER how things could be resolved in the end, but I think Erica Ridley ties everything together in a satisfying way that still makes sense. The epilogue put a great cap on the story. I can't wait to read more by this author, and hopefully more gothic romance!