The Darkest Hour
Maya BanksRomantic suspense
Available from Berkley Publishing
ISBN: 978-0425227947
September 2010
| Ethan has mourned for his wife and their life together for a year now. The guilt over his actions the day she left for her mission trip has consumed his life. He receives pictures in the mail of Rachel, showing she is alive with information on where she can be found. Enlisting the help of his brothers, they travel to drug infested Columbia to rescue Rachel. They find her but a year in captivity has taken its toll on Rachel. She is dependent on the drugs her captors controlled her with and she doesn't remember all the details from her life. Ethan and Rachel gradually try to put their lives back together then accidents happen that are not really accidents at all and soon they are battling more than Rachel's memory loss.
Romantic suspense at its best! I've long been a fan of Banks' erotic romances and now she has proved that she is capable of writing romantic suspense that leaves you breathless. The Darkest Hour is the first book in a new series about the Kelly Group International, a secret business specializing in hostage rescues. KGI is owned by three of the Kelly brothers, Sam, Garrett and Donovan. The two youngest brothers, Joe and Nathan, are active duty army men and this book features Ethan, an ex-Navy Seal. Also introduced are quite a few other men who make up the other teams employed by KGI. A flawed hero and damaged heroine combined with a loving family, emotional angst like you wouldn't believe, and an unknown enemy makes this a book you don't want to miss. Ethan's family add dimension and understanding to the story and give us a glimpse into how Ethan and his brothers became the men they are today. Their family dynamics kept the book flowing smoothly. I found myself laughing out loud at the loving sibling rivalry. My attention didn't waver throughout the entire book from Ethan's self-recrimination to Rachel's fear of the unknown. All the characters were very believable in that they were not perfect but were trying to make the best of their individual situations. I felt like the sex scenes were certainly appropriate given what Rachel had been through. All aspects of the book were excellently written with vivid descriptions and heartfelt emotions that touched my heart and still linger in my mind. I highly recommend this book and look forward to the next KGI book.
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Reviewer: Lisa Freeman |
