A past hidden in darkness. Her present cloaked in secrets.
The future holds the only truth that cannot be escaped.
After the mysterious and violent death of her parents, Blake Brennan finds comfort with an unconventional family. As the dramatic loss of her parents continues to haunt her—
After the mysterious and violent death of her parents, Blake Brennan finds comfort with an unconventional family. As the dramatic loss of her parents continues to haunt her—
and hinders her from reciprocating love that others give freely—
Blake embarks on a harrowing journey in search for the truth.
Living in a constant state of fear and need for control, vivid nightmares reveal details that lead to perilous situations. The past begins to collide with the present, and
Living in a constant state of fear and need for control, vivid nightmares reveal details that lead to perilous situations. The past begins to collide with the present, and
Blake must decide if the truth is worth losing the ones she loves.
Can love conquer all as her past comes to light?
Can love conquer all as her past comes to light?
Or will Blake realize that there is no light in darkness?
Faced with obstacles she could have never imagined, Blake is brought to darkness and back by forces in her past she never knew existed.
Desperate to stay connected to the only thing he loves, Cole is forced to revisit his past and align himself with the people who knew about Blake’s disappearance.
Separation has forced both Blake and Cole to learn how to live under the worst circumstances, each of them alone in their own hell.
When they reunite, can they be the same two people they were before darkness swept upon them?
Told in separate points of view, Darkness Before Dawn is the continuation of Blake and Cole’s fight to make it to the light.
I gave There Is No Light In Darkness and Darkness Before Dawn five fanfreakingtastic leaves. No doubt about it. The Darkness Series is one of my favorite series ever.
So, I had to put off reading There Is No Light In Darkness until a few days before Darkness Before Dawn came out. I heard about the huge cliffhanger at the end of the first one, so despite all the fantastic reviews about it, I left it on my iPad bookshelf. By the way, the book covers are absolutely gorgeous; it was hard to resist them. Even though waiting to read it was a must, after finishing it I was like, “Where has this book been all my life?” It was fantastic! I couldn’t believe I waited that long to read it, and at the same time I was sorry for anyone who had already read it, because that cliffhanger was brutal. But it’s okay, because now we have Darkness Before Dawn, and the perfect happily ever after for Blake and Cole.
So, I had to put off reading There Is No Light In Darkness until a few days before Darkness Before Dawn came out. I heard about the huge cliffhanger at the end of the first one, so despite all the fantastic reviews about it, I left it on my iPad bookshelf. By the way, the book covers are absolutely gorgeous; it was hard to resist them. Even though waiting to read it was a must, after finishing it I was like, “Where has this book been all my life?” It was fantastic! I couldn’t believe I waited that long to read it, and at the same time I was sorry for anyone who had already read it, because that cliffhanger was brutal. But it’s okay, because now we have Darkness Before Dawn, and the perfect happily ever after for Blake and Cole.
BE PREPARED: These two books definitely cause major
book-hangovers.
Let’s talk about There
Is No Light In Darkness first. Lots of heart-breaking and heart-melting is
a quick way to describe this book. At the beginning of the book, we gather
that Blake had a traumatic third birthday that ended in her kidnapping and left
her as an orphan. Other than that, I found the beginning kind of confusing. The
book is set up so that we have a bit of present-day, then one of Blake’s
flashbacks or dreams that are old memories resurfacing. That’s one of the
reasons it’s so confusing; she doesn’t remember a lot of it. However, this book
is definitely a romance, and it’s one of the best romances I have ever read.
Blake is strong. She has an insanely messed up past, yet she
still manages to make it by. A lot of that is due to the family she has let in.
She only trusts a handful of people and she has never told any of them that she
loves them in fear that she will lose them like she lost her parents. Cole is
the love of her life. Oh jeez, I don’t even know how to describe Cole. Even
when he was a teenager he was a player, but it all changes when it comes to Blake
of course. His words are perfect, meaning his declarations of love for Blake
(which were pretty often) had me pausing and tearing up. I don’t think there is a real guy that can
spit out the poetry that Cole does. He killed me on the inside. Cole was
everything Blake needed and wanted. Although it killed him to not have her, he
waited for Blake. In the beginning of the present day story, both Blake and
Cole have respective boyfriend and girlfriends, but you know without a doubt
that Blake and Cole were once together and are meant to be together. They are
dysfunctional with equally messed up pasts, but they are beyond perfect for
each other.
Their families, genetic or not, have been through lots of
good and bad times together. I love that they all eventually pair up and get
their happily ever afters. The story, even as romantic as it is, is a messed up
tale of plotting, revenge, and mystery. It all somehow revolves around Blake
and Cole.
You have to read or reread There Is No Light In Darkness before reading Darkness Before Dawn. I read the first one just days before the
second one released, and the characters were still kind of confusing. There’s
just so many of them! And Cole with his sexy athletic body and green eyes is
very distracting. It is insanely hard to review Darkness Before Dawn without spoiling anything that happens in the
first or second book. Just know that this sequel is a lot more plot driven
than book one. There Is No Light In
Darkness is more about Blake and Cole’s love story, how they got to where
they are now, and how they will stay like this for a long time. There is still a
lot of mystery left when the first one ends. Darkness Before Dawn ties up all the loose ends, and throws in a
lot more twists. Also, I loved that this one was dual POVs with Blake and Cole.
The romantic scenes are just as amazing in Darkness
Before Dawn, and the sex scenes are just as steamy. BONUS! We
finally get to see Cole and Blake’s well-deserved happily ever after. Again,
this series is a must read! One of the best romance stories I have ever read. I
will never forget Cole and Blake. Claire Contreras is a genius and I can’t wait
to see if she has any more work coming out in the future.
Did you enjoy this review?
Epilogue
Thank you Claire! Claire Contreras released an Epilogue for Darkness Before Dawn on June 6, 2013. It was perfect.
An extended happily ever after for a couple that truly deserves it.
Read Epilogue HERE
Claire Contreras graduated with her BA in Psychology from
Florida International University. She lives in Miami, Florida with her husband,
two little boys, and three dogs. Her favorite past times are: daydreaming, writing, and reading. She has been described as a random, sarcastic, crazy girl with no filter. Life is short, and it’s more bitter than sweet, so she tries to smile as often
as her face allows. She enjoys stories with happy endings, because life is full
of way too many unhappy ones.
Connect with Claire Contreras
There Is No Light In Darkness
Darkness Before Dawn
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