Books › Dark Enchantment
Dark Enchantment
First published 1986 · 288 pages
A glittering, tension-filled dance of power and passion within the gilded cage of Sydney's high society.
What it feels like
Reading this vintage romance feels like stepping into a glittering, high-stakes soap opera where every glance is loaded with unspoken tension. The atmosphere is steeped in 1980s opulence, wrapping the reader in a world of private jets, designer gowns, and stifling societal expectations. The narrative moves at a brisk, addictive pace, driven entirely by the push-and-pull dynamic between a fiercely independent heroine and an intensely commanding hero. It is a story of emotional claustrophobia giving way to explosive passion, capturing the intoxicating thrill of a gilded cage and the desperate yearning for true autonomy. Fans of classic Harlequin Presents will devour the melodramatic angst, the lush descriptions of wealth, and the deeply satisfying, hard-won romantic resolution.
- Mood
- glamorous
- tense
- opulent
- emotionally charged
- Tone
- melodramatic
- intense
- earnest
- angsty
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- gilded cage · arranged marriage · power and control · coming of age · hidden desires
- The writing
- Lush and dramatic, heavily emphasizing internal emotional turmoil and the glittering trappings of wealth.
- The arc
- Moves from stifled resentment and desperate bids for freedom to a passionate, hard-won surrender to love.
- Who it's for
- Readers who crave vintage 1980s category romance filled with alpha heroes, opulent settings, and high-stakes emotional power struggles.
Content notes
- guardian/ward dynamic
- age gap
- emotional manipulation
- dated gender dynamics
About the book
All her life Kris Laurensen had been trapped in the silken prison of her family’s immense wealth. Decisions were made for her by her stepmother and her dynamic guardian, Jared Chayse — including the decision that she should marry Jared!
Kris was shocked. The match would cement a financial empire but what about her feelings for Jared, feelings that veered crazily between attraction and resentment?
Returning to Sydney from finishing school in Europe, Kris had been eager to taste her freedom, to experience life. Instead, she was being forced to contemplate marriage to a man who might never love her.
Description from Open Library.
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