When the Night Whispers
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- $12.99
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
A riveting, modern-day gothic tale about a woman who succumbs and then must save herself from a dark lover
That night was the first time I tasted champagne—French he told me, and as I loved all things French I was enchanted. I barely remember what we said—only that I did most of the talking: about leaving the South, my dreams of becoming a writer, my thoughts of Harlem . . . and of you. He said very little, only this: "The moment I saw you I knew you would be mine forever. And even death, even that, could not part us."
Jocelyn's life feels empty, devoid of passion and purpose. After she finds a journal written by her "doomed" great-grandmother, Caprice, she is spellbound by her story: the escape from a loveless marriage, her seduction by a nameless lover who is both "demon and savior." Then, as if stepping out of a dream, Jocelyn meets Asa, her mysterious next door neighbor.
Asa is charming, handsome, and daring and, as if by magic, she is drawn into his hedonistic lifestyle. Yet there is something unsettling about Asa. Luna is suspicious of this man, and although Jocelyn is dismissive of Luna and amused by her friend's warnings, she can't completely ignore them. She begins to wonder if things with Asa aren't quite what they seem.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Welles crafts an uneven cocktail of desire and witchery, exploring classic gothic imagery and the demon lover trope but never challenging convention or infusing stock characters with individuality. When divorced single mom Jocelyn and 11-year-old daughter Mikela inherit Jocelyn's mother's house, they meet Asa, a handsome and sexily vulnerable widower living nearby. Soon Jocelyn becomes trapped in a labyrinth of violent sex, dark demands, and sacrifice that test her morality. Enamored of Asa, she ignores the desperate warnings of her psychic friend Luna, but her resolve weakens when she finds her great-grandmother's journal, which describes her ancestor's tragic romance with a demonic being who resembles Asa. What is Asa, and will Jocelyn sacrifice her own daughter to please him? This modern shilling shocker attempts to explore the terrifying nature of desire, but lacks gusto or originality. Occasional sex scenes and somewhat sympathetic characters do not compensate for a derivative plot or lack of menacing atmosphere.