Paranormal Gothic romance at its best. Love conquers all in this haunting tale of healing and redemption.
When Tortured Souls Collide…
In an unforgiving society where the hint of madness is all the damning proof men need, Dominic Ambrosi struggles to live a peaceful life, away from prying eyes, and damning innuendo. Gifted with uncanny abilities, yet also cursed with the taint of madness, Dominic must walk a fine line. After the horror of his past, his fractured soul is safe only in solitude…until one day, his refuge is irrevocably breached by an ethereal beauty haunted by demons of her own. He is torn between protecting himself and his brothers from exposure and persecution and following the desires of his heart…
Excerpt
Prologue
Italy (1800’s)
He lay on the pit floor, limbs stiff from lack of movement. The crawl space no longer accommodated his length. With no light to guide him, he planned each movement to avoid scraping against the granite. First, he shuffled his legs, then rolled his shoulders to bring back the circulation. His skin pulled and itched like the devil. The gouges must be scabbing over, he thought.
He hadn’t tried to stand in a while, but he knew from the last time that he was almost tall enough to reach the pit’s lid. Just a little while longer and he’d try again. He was preserving energy and hoping to be healed enough to try jumping. She would come soon, he knew. For now, the darkness was reassuring. It calmed his mind. As long as he was alone in the dark, nothing hurt him.
He didn’t hear her approach. He never did. Light peeked through the pit’s lid, casting the iron bars in distorted shadows around him. He trembled and buried his eyes in the bend of his arm. Panicked, he struggled to shove his gangly, pubescent body into a crevice between two outcroppings. If he merged with the granite walls, maybe she wouldn’t be able to find him and do more damage.
“Come, come, now, little fiend.” Her voice cast a lure like the nectar of a carnivorous flower.
The boy squeezed his eyelids tight despite the arm shield. He knew who awaited him above. He squirmed further into the jagged stone. The taut scabs on his shoulders cracked open and bled. He did not bother to scream or beg. Nothing ever saved him from whatever agony she came to inflict. Instead he prayed, “Help me, God, please. Do not let her see me this time. Hide me.”
“Where are you, little fiend?”
He felt her mind rummage around for him like a blind man groping for his cane. Something new, he thought. Didn’t she know where he was? Couldn’t she see him? The pit was a scant six-foot cube and she waved the candelabra close enough so that hot wax splattered atop his forearms.
“Come here you little fiend!” Her voice turned shrill. “Give me back what’s mine!”
Her ham-fisted attempts to locate him left him halfway between fear and confusion. Why couldn’t she see him? Or touch him with her mind? By now, he should be frozen, mid-air with tangled clops of hair his only clothing. Fear ebbed into curiosity. He dared to lower his arm and peel his lids open. Even with his head still bowed, the candle-glow forced him to squint.
Here lay the true test, he knew. If his tormentor really couldn’t see him or sense him, she wouldn’t react to his gaze. He’d learned long ago to avert his eyes in her presence. He hadn’t glimpsed his tormentor up close in six years. The boy swallowed the upsurge of fear and snapped his head back before he lost his nerve.
He blinked several times to sharpen his vision. He recoiled, scraping the skin at the point of his hip. Another blink, then he relaxed. Hair. Her obsidian tresses dangled down between the iron grate, seeming to reach for him. Her face was contorted from its cloying perfection, but not in reaction…more from anger or maybe frustration he guessed. He continued to stare, shocked, not sure what to do. How long would her…blindness or whatever it was, last? She started to screech obscenities and jab around with her mind. The violent brush of her mind jerked him from his stillness. He used the jagged wall behind him to pull himself upright. Gaunt, with wobbly knees and a hobbled gait, he crept close enough to fan his hand in front of her eyes.
“Mama?” His voice sounded croaky from non-use.
No reaction.
Then, he caught sight of his arm, the arm that should have been fanning before him. There was only empty space. With a huff of amazement, he glanced around him. His body cast no shadow. It was as if he had faded from existence, become part of the void.
Professional Reviews
Page Turner!
Amount of sex - 0.5 / 5
Romance - 5 / 5
Overall: - 4 / 5
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Guest reviewer JM here. I am reviewing D. Alyce Domain’s book Dominic’s Nemesis. Dominic’s Nemesis is a great read. It was a page turner with interesting characters. With that said, if you are looking for erotic action, this is not it. It takes to almost half-way through the book to get to a nipple, and the best description of men’s genitalia is calling it a “bratwurst.”
Set in 1800, Eden is a young woman with no family. She is sad and sees things that her English society would consider her a bit crazy (as in lock her up). She falls in despair and takes an almost tragic dip in Dominic Ambrosi’s pond. Dominic’s doctor brother fishes her out, and Dominic transports her by astral projection to his country estate.
As Eden recovers, we learn about the charming and gifted residents of the estate. Each brother has a supernatural gift (although one brother denies having a gift). Eden is drawn in by the eccentric family and develops a deep connection to the mysterious Dominic. I admit to being a bit vague as this book’s real power is in keeping the reader guessing as to what each person is capable and how that intersects with the story.
Dominic’s Nemesis has intrigue, action, and romance along with lots of family secrets. It was a page turner that never let up. Yes, there is a little sex, but not to the level this Blog usually aspires. One aspect I enjoyed was the writer assumes the reader has a brain with a reasonable vocabulary. D. Alyce Domain uses language in a create way that is both engaging and intelligent.
There are a few possible triggers in this book. There are a few incidents of violence towards women including rape and torture of a young boy (neither are very descriptive or used as entertainment). Much of Eden’s family is dead including one person we get briefly attached to at the beginning of the book. Additionally, Eden’s remaining relatives are insensitively dismissive and see Eden as an emotional burden (Eden has financial means). There are a few scenes in an asylum that are true to the period as they are dirty and uncaring towards the patients. Finally, there is a large amount of discussion of suicide and mental illness. Both of these are handled when with the main characters with care, but it is pervasive.
I look forward to the next addition of the Ambrosi Legacy!
A Marvelous Read!!
WOW! This novel is the first opportunity I have had to read author D. Alyce Domain, and I can quite honestly say, this will not be the last I read from her. I found the story to be very detailed and intriguing, and kept me awake long into the night, absorbed. Each of the characters introduced were both damaged and heroic, and ultimately highly relatable. I found Eden to be a delightful enigma, and Dominic to be a perfect match for her. She appears under mysterious circumstances. Strange things begin to happen around her, and no one is sure what to make of it. Yet when Dominic steps up to the task of uncovering this enigmatic beauty, he knows he will need every trick in his rather extensive book to save her. But can he do it before it’s too late? I did receive a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Surprises Along the Way
Be prepared to become addicted to this story from the very beginning. D. Alyce Domain has created characters who are engaging and creepy. The story itself has so many aspects you would not expect. Yes, its a Gothic Story, but there is Romance, History, and so much more woven throughout.
The twists and surprises are plenty and will keep you flipping pages til the very end.
Book 3 f of the Horses of Tir Na Nog Romance trilogy
CJ’s dreams continue, as she finds herself back at the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul. First, seeking protection for Rachel, then, the entire Sisterhood. (Actually, make that Sisterhoods; as there wil
