Dark Rival

August 27, 2007
In Joyce's second Masters of Time novel (after Dark Seduction
), New York heiress Allie Monroe hides her secret life as a Healer, sworn to defend the innocent and fight a plague of demons as a member of the shadowy Center for Demonic Activities. When an ageless Highlands warrior, Black Royce, comes from the past to protect her, Allie's world is thrown into turmoil. Despite mutual attraction, overwhelming guilt over his first wife's death has left Black distant and afraid; when they finally do give in to passion, Black is murdered immediately after. Desperate for a way to change things, Allie goes back in time, to the year 1430, to find Royce, win his cold heart and save him from his fate. Though her world of Healers and Masters is rich and the plot well-handled, Joyce relies too often on the time travel mechanism (and its attendant vagaries) to do her heavy lifting. Still, the supporting characters are excellent, the sex scenes are plentiful (though at times illogical), and the plot thick, making this sophomore series entry a fine entertainment, sure to gratify fans of the bestselling kickoff.