The Darkest Hour (A KGI Novel)

There is a lot to like about this book. Fast-paced, it features great characters and a good balance of plot and subplot, making it easy to get into this new world. Rachel is an interesting heroine who is struggling to find her place in her own life. The author does a great job of pointing out how weird it is to be surrounded by a family and a history the heroine does not remember. Rachel is starkly honest about her ongoing struggle against her forced addiction. Ethan was not one of my favorite heros ever, and I'm not sure why. Usually, he is exactly the type of hero I adore. Strong, devoted but sensitive enough to show his emotions. I think it was the way he treated Rachel prior to her "death". I didn't dislike him, I just never felt connected to him. I loved the extended Kelly family. I liked all of the brothers more than I liked Ethan, for some reason. Even Sean, the "adopted" brother. Really looking forward to Garrett, Donovan and and Sam's stories. I loved the Kelly parents. (I second the reviewer who referenced the Chase Brothers series by Lauren Dane. Marlene and Frank Kelly remind me of Mr and Mrs Chase in a big way, minus the poor driving and big hair.) The only thing I am puzzling over is Rachel's continued fear of Sam. It was mentioned repeatedly, so I'm thinking we are supposed to think it is important that she feared Sam, then suddenly, she reaches out to him and the big fear is gone. Was that supposed to be a sign of her integration back into her old life? I don't know. I think I have read most of Maya Bank's work and like others, she can be hit or miss for me. The Darkest Hour is a big hit. Out of the ball park. I was less than a third of the way through when I just paused and thought, wow, this is a really good read. The prose is so honest and realistic. There are no TSTL moments from any of the characters. I am anxiously awaiting Sam's story, out in December.

Maya Banks has setup a whole new franchise I can't wait to see the other characters have their stories. She does a great job with including the whole family with out taking away from the romance. I am so looking foward to what she does with for Rusty (hopefully a new name and this is just a nickname)seeing her fit in to the family and developing a loyalty to all the brothers and them to her will be so much fun to watch. Very very good

A protective alpha hero and a vulnerable heroine will almost always work for me but this one had me crying off and on for almost the entire first half of the book. I loved it! There was just enough of a suspense plot to enhance the romance but the hero and heroine's relationship was front and center which is the perfect mix for me. I consider myself a fan of Maya Banks but her books are hit and miss. This one was a total hit and probably my favorite book of hers she's written to date (I've read them all). Add in the sexy brothers with a military background and a strong sense of family and I can't wait to read more--I'm sold on this series. Because Banks also writes erotic romance I think it's worth mentioning that this is not erotic romance. While the sexual language used was explicit the one or two love scenes were an integral part of the story and the emphasis was on the emotional intimacy.