Rabid Reads

Night Thief
Author: Lisa Kessler
Series: Night #0.5
Publisher: Entangled
Published on: September 29, 2012
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Format: 109 pages, eBook
Provided by: Purchased

Amazon | Kobo | B&N | GoodReads

After the fall of the Mayan civilization, Kane, an immortal Night Walker, has taken refuge in France for over 800 years. The modern world holds little interest for him until the night he meets the Golden Thief and is robbed of much more than his pocket watch.

Marguerite Rousseau is living a double life. By day she is the assistant to an eccentric French artist, Antoine Berjon, and by night she dons elegant evening gowns to woo French dignitaries before lifting their wallets.

Sparks ignite when Kane captures the thief, but Marguerite harbors a dark secret that could ruin them both.

For those of you that like historical romances and paranormal romance, this one could be the book you need because it combines both. It’s a novella, and part of the Night Walker series, but it can absolutely stand alone.

The year is 1840, and the setting is Paris. Marguerite is a beautiful woman and a pickpocket. She’s actually been nicknamed by the police, and is called the Golden Thief. Yes, she’s blonde, but she also has collected a lot of gold coins and jewelry from the rich of the city. Kane is extremely rich, handsome, and he catches Marguerite’s eye when she sees his jewel encrusted pocket watch. What she doesn’t know is that Kane is a Night Walker. Night Walkers are immortal, have an inner animal that they can shift to, are only awake at night and drink blood. They are not vampires. Marguerite is human, but knows all about the secret vampire world-which she despises. When Kane notices her steal from a man, he is fascinated by her, and goes out of his way to meet her. It should be noted that she really isn’t a criminal, and she does have a pretty desperate reason why she does what she does.

I have never read a book or novella by Lisa Kessler that didn’t entertain me, and this was no exception. Since it was a novella, it was a very quick read. If I had one complaint it would be that some of the dialogue was a bit cheesy. I noticed it, but moved on, and kept right on enjoying the read. The romance was sweet and a bit hot at times, and I rooted for this couple to make it against the odds, due to a horrible evil that is in Marguerite’s life. I especially loved how they go about finding a way to be together.

Paris in the 1800’s was a pretty different setting for most paranormal romances-at least the ones I have read. Ms. Kessler practically painted a picture of what life was like in those times and actually opens the story with Napoleon’s funeral. I found it to be richly descriptive of the people, the streets of Paris, and even the beauty of the French countryside. It was very easy to picture it all while reading, always a plus for me in any read, and much appreciated.

If you find yourself in the mood for a quick paranormal or historical romance read, I recommend this novella to adult romance fans. It’s the second one that I read in the series, and a great introduction into the Night series and the Night Walkers.