Annabel: A Victorian Erotic...
Julian Fortman
Annabel: A Victorian Erotic Romance, Book 2: Darkness and Light
Step into the shadowy realm of Annabel: A Victorian Erotic Romance, Book 2: Darkness and Light, the mesmerizing sequel to Awakening. The story plunges deeper into the sensual and emotional landscape of 19th-century England, following Annabel, a widow whose fiery spirit grapples with grief, desire, and rediscovery within the opulent walls of Hailbury Park.
Two years after the death of her beloved husband Edmund, Annabel is haunted by dreams that blur memory and longing. His phantom touch lingers, only to vanish with the dawn, leaving her trapped in mourning. Her solitude is broken by Lord David St John, a powerful magnate bearing his own scars of loss. What begins as cautious alliance grows into intimacy born of vulnerability. Their slow, tender union rekindles Annabel’s sense of self, offering refuge from sorrow.
The novel brims with the richness of Victorian life: candlelight flickering on velvet drapes, the scent of leather-bound books, the quiet echo of aged floorboards. Annabel’s bond with her daughter Isadora anchors her to love and memory, while the discovery of Edmund’s hidden letter and the presence of Doctor Winthrop peel back her emotional layers. Gradually, she sheds the armor of grief, allowing her connection with David to blossom into a profound strength—expressed in shared silence, lingering touches, and unhurried passion.
The epilogue, framed by a modest wedding, signals renewal and healing. It also sets the stage for Eleanor’s Diary, the third book in the Annabel series, where another woman’s story will expand this exploration of female resilience and desire.
With lush prose and complex characters, Darkness and Light captures forbidden longing and unspoken strength, blending eroticism with emotional depth.
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