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Book Review of The Darkest Hour (KGI, Bk 1)

The Darkest Hour (KGI, Bk 1)
The Darkest Hour (KGI, Bk 1)
Author: Maya Banks
Genre: Romance
Book Type: Paperback
reviewed on + 12 more book reviews


I rarely give 5 star reviews...I think a book really needs to earn it- there's nothing higher to rate a better book- but this book had it all! I came across a recommendation for this book in a "Heroine gets injured/hurt" discussion/message board. I was feeling like that was the next type of romance novel I wanted to read again... I had just finished an Historical Romance where the heroine almost died & the love reflected by the Hero when he thought he lost her was moving.

Let me just say that this book took that to the 10th degree! **Slight plotline spoilers, but nothing that hasn't been mentioned on Amazon already**. Ethan is a grieving man in the beginning of the book, devastated that his wife, and the love of his life, is gone...& that the last words she heard from him were accusations of infidelity (untrue) and the demand for a divorce. When he finds out Rachel might still be alive he moves heaven & earth to find her. When he does, she has been tortured and has lost parts of her memory...and only remembers Ethan as her loving husband.

While Ethan worries about whether she will remember their unhappy past, he works to heal her physical and emotional wounds and to build back the trust he knows she'll need when she finds out. Rachel is still in danger and has so many "mishaps" (really too soft of a word for what she goes through) that Ethan has many chances to rescue her. I thought that it would be a bit much really, all the things that happen, but it really blends well into the plot line and makes for a heart wrenching love story. We see Ethan's internal and external battle and all that he does to try to atone for his past mistakes.

The secondary characters in this book were also fantastically developed and I fell in love with each one of them as well. I loved the relationship Garrett (Ethan's brother) had with Rachel almost as much as I loved Ethan and Rachel together. The sex scenes also blend rather well in the book...racy enough without being pornographic or overly prevalent. This could also be considered a romantic thriller- and I loathe these types of books when the "intrigue" part of the plot is just thrown in as an afterthought and comes to a swift culmination at the end. This plot line is continuously moving throughout the book, and while I wouldn't call it a complete "never saw that coming" moment, does add to the story and is rounded out nicely. This book had everything I was looking for and was also just the right length! Not too long not to short.

Overall this book is a keeper and I will definitely be ordering the next in the series and hope that they hold up next to "The Darkest Hour". I would love to see if anyone else thinks my review accurate or felt the same way about this book.