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One Dark Night
When successful surgeon Nikki Adenike decides to jump-start her nonexistent love life by meeting a stranger she encounters on the Internet, she comes face to face with the lethal "Lucifer," a seductive serial killer from whom she manages to escape with her life, only to find herself falling in love with the detective investigating the killings. Original.
304 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 6, 2004
29 people are currently reading
418 people want to read
About the author
Jaid Black
101 books749 followersJaid Black is the pseudonym of Tina Marie Engler—the founder/owner of the former Ellora's Cave Publishing. Engler has been featured in every major news outlet such as Forbes, Publisher's Weekly, Salon, and Time Magazine. Ms. Engler was officially recognized by Romantic Times Magazine with their first ever Trail Blazer award for being the mastermind of adult (erotic) romance as you know and love it today, as well as for the pivotal role she played in popularizing the e-book.
Writing as Jaid Black, her books have received numerous distinctions, including a nomination for the Henry Miller award for the best literary sex scene written in the English language. Most of her novels and novellas are a hybrid of sci-fi and adult romance. She is a proud member of the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers Association (SFWA.)
Also writing as Jasmine LeVeaux
Writing as Jaid Black, her books have received numerous distinctions, including a nomination for the Henry Miller award for the best literary sex scene written in the English language. Most of her novels and novellas are a hybrid of sci-fi and adult romance. She is a proud member of the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers Association (SFWA.)
Also writing as Jasmine LeVeaux
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
March 14, 2017
A good and different sort of romance book. It is to be considered both a thriller suspense-romance, but also an unconventional romance that involves the D/s world (lightly).
Dr. Nikki Adenike has a curious draw toward the darker fantasy life, but with her busy schedule there's not much time to meet potential non-boring candidates. After taking to the personal columns, she encounters the ideal master who instead may be tied up with a serial killing spree. Fun stuff. Enter a brooding, determined detective and things get even wilder.
First, on the thriller aspect. It was a well-written side mystery. There were red herrings and misleading evidence to frustrate the detectives, some close scares and calls for the heroine, a best friend making her mark with the psychic warning vibe, and confused cops frustrated by their lack of progress hunting down a 9-year spree serial killer. I wasn't surprised at the final villain, though, because he was sort of the only one left in the pot.
The murders are pretty gruesome and there's a few, so the story mainly focuses on this, but the relationship with Nikki and Thomas rocked as well. It may be kinky but the focus was on the romantic bond. Steam existed too, trust me, well written even in the dialogue department (where a lot of times this can fall short!)
I liked how Thomas wasn't conventional either. He reminds me of a gruff man with a sweet heart underneath who really wants to bond with someone. Nikki is smart - she even does background checks on the guy online - and her reasoning for her experiments aren't silly at all. They're logical and make sense with the character and what she wants. It's not written in a silly way at all.
The play is kept light since it's mainly mental, but it's fun! Fans of this stuff will be pleased.
Dr. Nikki Adenike has a curious draw toward the darker fantasy life, but with her busy schedule there's not much time to meet potential non-boring candidates. After taking to the personal columns, she encounters the ideal master who instead may be tied up with a serial killing spree. Fun stuff. Enter a brooding, determined detective and things get even wilder.
First, on the thriller aspect. It was a well-written side mystery. There were red herrings and misleading evidence to frustrate the detectives, some close scares and calls for the heroine, a best friend making her mark with the psychic warning vibe, and confused cops frustrated by their lack of progress hunting down a 9-year spree serial killer. I wasn't surprised at the final villain, though, because he was sort of the only one left in the pot.
The murders are pretty gruesome and there's a few, so the story mainly focuses on this, but the relationship with Nikki and Thomas rocked as well. It may be kinky but the focus was on the romantic bond. Steam existed too, trust me, well written even in the dialogue department (where a lot of times this can fall short!)
I liked how Thomas wasn't conventional either. He reminds me of a gruff man with a sweet heart underneath who really wants to bond with someone. Nikki is smart - she even does background checks on the guy online - and her reasoning for her experiments aren't silly at all. They're logical and make sense with the character and what she wants. It's not written in a silly way at all.
The play is kept light since it's mainly mental, but it's fun! Fans of this stuff will be pleased.
February 26, 2011
What would you expect from an author who's not only famous for her erotica/romantica books but is also the founder of Ellora's Cave, the world's first & foremost publisher of erotic romance for women? A scorchingly hot read that will leave you tingling and breathless, right? Well, you won't find that in this book. This is a straight romantic suspense novel - and there's nothing wrong with that. :)
Dr. Nicole "Nikki" Adenike is a successful trauma surgeon who secretly fantasizes about being sexually dominated in the bedroom. Knowing she can't simply start divulging her fantasy to her friends and coworkers in hopes of finding a Master to fulfill it, she's resigned to the fact that she'll never get to live it - until she stumbles upon a website dedicated to Dom/sub matching and meets Richard. He's a Dominant who's looking for a submissive and seems to be exactly what the doctor (aka Nikki, LOL) ordered, so they start exchanging emails. Nikki is smart enough to create a new (and supposedly untraceable) email account and never gives him any personal information that could identify her. She even hires a private detective to investigate him when their online relationship becomes more "serious" (i.e. she's contemplating meeting him in person) because she knows better than to believe what people say on the internet.
In the meanwhile... A serial killer is targeting strong, successful women in the city. Detective Thomas Cavanah has been hunting Lucifer, as the press has dubbed the killer, for over nine years but is still nowhere near to catching him. Lucifer never leaves any evidence and Thomas' frustration only grows over time. Will the police ever catch the vicious killer?
Well, it doesn't take a genius to know where the story goes from there so that's all the plot summary you'll get in this review. As predictable as the plot was, I still enjoyed this read because all the characters were well developed and interesting. Secondary characters weren't there just to fill empty spaces, they had lives and problems of their own and, in turn, added depth to Thomas' and Nikki's life. That also made the mystery/suspense part of the story more thrilling, because almost anyone could be Lucifer. I was sure I knew who he was, but his identity surprised the heck out of me. Well done, Ms. Black!
The relationship between Thomas and Nikki took some time to be developed - in fact, they only met around the second 1/4 of the book - but the wait was worth it. I loved them together! They were smart, funny, sexy, and very honest without being insensitive. I had no problem believing they fell in love with each other in such a short time (less than a month) and would live happily ever after.
As this is a Jaid Black book, I feel I must comment on the love scenes. There are three sex scenes in the book, and only one of them is detailed. It was hot and the D/s play wasn't too heavy, which made sense considering that neither Thomas nor Nikki were experts on the subject. However, I have to say that I started laughing when Thomas growled, "Who's your Daddy?" Sorry, but the word "Daddy" in the bedroom is a libido killer to me. Anyway, that didn't ruin the book, just the sex scene.
All in all, this was a very good read. The plot was formulaic, but I don't think there's anything wrong with following a formula that works. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
And just because I feel like adding some steam to this review to compensate for the lack of it in the book, here's a sneak peek at Thomas and Nikki "playing" in the bedroom:
*** NSFW ***
To be accurate, Nikki was never blindfolded when they "played" in the book, but I'm sure she will be some time in the (not so distant) future. ;)
Dr. Nicole "Nikki" Adenike is a successful trauma surgeon who secretly fantasizes about being sexually dominated in the bedroom. Knowing she can't simply start divulging her fantasy to her friends and coworkers in hopes of finding a Master to fulfill it, she's resigned to the fact that she'll never get to live it - until she stumbles upon a website dedicated to Dom/sub matching and meets Richard. He's a Dominant who's looking for a submissive and seems to be exactly what the doctor (aka Nikki, LOL) ordered, so they start exchanging emails. Nikki is smart enough to create a new (and supposedly untraceable) email account and never gives him any personal information that could identify her. She even hires a private detective to investigate him when their online relationship becomes more "serious" (i.e. she's contemplating meeting him in person) because she knows better than to believe what people say on the internet.
In the meanwhile... A serial killer is targeting strong, successful women in the city. Detective Thomas Cavanah has been hunting Lucifer, as the press has dubbed the killer, for over nine years but is still nowhere near to catching him. Lucifer never leaves any evidence and Thomas' frustration only grows over time. Will the police ever catch the vicious killer?
Well, it doesn't take a genius to know where the story goes from there so that's all the plot summary you'll get in this review. As predictable as the plot was, I still enjoyed this read because all the characters were well developed and interesting. Secondary characters weren't there just to fill empty spaces, they had lives and problems of their own and, in turn, added depth to Thomas' and Nikki's life. That also made the mystery/suspense part of the story more thrilling, because almost anyone could be Lucifer. I was sure I knew who he was, but his identity surprised the heck out of me. Well done, Ms. Black!
The relationship between Thomas and Nikki took some time to be developed - in fact, they only met around the second 1/4 of the book - but the wait was worth it. I loved them together! They were smart, funny, sexy, and very honest without being insensitive. I had no problem believing they fell in love with each other in such a short time (less than a month) and would live happily ever after.
As this is a Jaid Black book, I feel I must comment on the love scenes. There are three sex scenes in the book, and only one of them is detailed. It was hot and the D/s play wasn't too heavy, which made sense considering that neither Thomas nor Nikki were experts on the subject. However, I have to say that I started laughing when Thomas growled, "Who's your Daddy?" Sorry, but the word "Daddy" in the bedroom is a libido killer to me. Anyway, that didn't ruin the book, just the sex scene.
All in all, this was a very good read. The plot was formulaic, but I don't think there's anything wrong with following a formula that works. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
And just because I feel like adding some steam to this review to compensate for the lack of it in the book, here's a sneak peek at Thomas and Nikki "playing" in the bedroom:
*** NSFW ***
To be accurate, Nikki was never blindfolded when they "played" in the book, but I'm sure she will be some time in the (not so distant) future. ;)
September 13, 2012
Excellent romantic suspense. The best part is the fun chemistry between the couple and a couple of hot sex scenes.
STORY BRIEF:
Nikki is a surgeon who secretly fantasizes about being tied up and servicing her master. This is not BDSM with pain. This is tie me up sex (Dom/sub) - and only in the bedroom. Nikki has always wanted to try it but never did until now. At age 34 she puts an ad on a Dom/sub website. Richard responds and they begin intimate emails.
A serial killer has been raping and murdering women. Thomas is the homicide detective on the case. He meets Nikki when she reports something at the police station. He next sees her at the grocery store when they tangle over the last box of pistachio nuts.
REVIEWER’S OPINION:
This is what I want when I say “spark between the couple.” Thomas and Nikki have clever dialogue and fun lines. Some of this was arguing over pistachio nuts. Also their first two sex scenes were hot and sexy. I loved the scene when Thomas first asked to be her Dom. It was the only time he appeared vulnerable. His personality is surly and grouchy. She’s not offended by it.
The suspense part of the story is well done. No one does anything stupid. Conflicts are well done.
For sensitive readers: There is knife torture and rape, but they are mostly referred to after the fact. The reader doesn’t live through them. Some torture/rape scenes (by other authors) have stayed with me and troubled me afterwards. These did not do that.
This was a reread for me. I read it in 2007 and 2012. Jaid Black is one of my favorite authors. Most of her writing is erotic romance.
DATA:
Narrative mode: 3rd person. Story length: 313 pages. Swearing language: strong, including religious swear words. Sexual language: strong. Number of sex scenes: about nine, several of them short fantasies or ponderings. Setting: current day Cleveland and Cincinnati, Ohio. Copyright: 2004. Genre: erotic romantic suspense.
OTHER BOOKS:
I’ve reviewed the following Jaid Black books. (Anthology title is in parentheses.) Some of the anthology short stories are also published individually. Dates are copyright dates.
TREK MI Q’AN SERIES: (2001-2003)
5 stars. The Empress' New Clothes Bk 1
5 stars. Seized Bk 1.5
5 stars. No Mercy Bk 2
4 stars. Enslaved Bk 3
4 stars. No Escape Bk 4 (Trek Mi Q’an - Conquest)
4 stars. No Fear Bk 5 (Trek MiQ’an - Conquest)
5 stars. Dementia Bk 5.5 (Trek MiQ’an - Lost In Trek)
5 stars. Guide To Trek Mi Q'an (Trek MiQ’an - Lost In Trek) 2007
Trek Mi Q’an Related Short Stories:
5 stars. Devilish Dot (Manaconda) 2004
5 stars. Naughty Nancy (Strictly Taboo) 2005
5 stars. Never a Slave (Trek MiQ’an - Lost In Trek) 2007
UNDERGROUND VIKING SERIES:
Each one can be read as a stand-alone.
3 stars. Besieged (in the anthology The Hunted) 2002
5 stars. Hunter's Right (in the anthology Tie Me Up, Tie Me Down) 2005
5 stars. Hunter's Oath (in the anthology Playing Easy To Get) 2006
4 stars. Deep, Dark & Dangerous 2006
OTHER NOVELS:
3 stars. Before the Fire 2000
3 stars. After The Storm (written under the name Tia Isabella) 2001
4 stars. The Possession 2002
5 stars. One Dark Night 2004
4 stars. Breeding Ground 2004
3 stars. Death Row – The Trilogy 2004
SHORT STORIES IN ANTHOLOGIES:
4 stars. God of Fire (Warrior) 2000
5 stars. Warlord (Bedtime, Playtime: Ellora’s Cave) 2001
3 stars. The Mastering (Enchained) 2003
4 stars. The Beckoned (Ellora’s Cavemen: Tales From the Temple IV) 2004
4 stars. Adam & Evil (All She Wants) 2005
3 stars. Seeds of Yesterday (Legendary Tails IV) 2005
3 stars. Sins of the Father (Notorious) 2002
3 stars. Politically Incorrect: Stalked (Notorious) 2003
4 stars. The Hunger (Notorious) 2006
4 stars. Nemesis (Strictly Taboo) 2005
3 stars. Barbarian(Strictly Taboo) 2005
3 stars. Tremors (The Best of Jaid Black) 2001
3 stars. The Obsession (The Best of Jaid Black) 2001
3.5 stars. Vanished (The Best of Jaid Black) 2002
STORY BRIEF:
Nikki is a surgeon who secretly fantasizes about being tied up and servicing her master. This is not BDSM with pain. This is tie me up sex (Dom/sub) - and only in the bedroom. Nikki has always wanted to try it but never did until now. At age 34 she puts an ad on a Dom/sub website. Richard responds and they begin intimate emails.
A serial killer has been raping and murdering women. Thomas is the homicide detective on the case. He meets Nikki when she reports something at the police station. He next sees her at the grocery store when they tangle over the last box of pistachio nuts.
REVIEWER’S OPINION:
This is what I want when I say “spark between the couple.” Thomas and Nikki have clever dialogue and fun lines. Some of this was arguing over pistachio nuts. Also their first two sex scenes were hot and sexy. I loved the scene when Thomas first asked to be her Dom. It was the only time he appeared vulnerable. His personality is surly and grouchy. She’s not offended by it.
The suspense part of the story is well done. No one does anything stupid. Conflicts are well done.
For sensitive readers: There is knife torture and rape, but they are mostly referred to after the fact. The reader doesn’t live through them. Some torture/rape scenes (by other authors) have stayed with me and troubled me afterwards. These did not do that.
This was a reread for me. I read it in 2007 and 2012. Jaid Black is one of my favorite authors. Most of her writing is erotic romance.
DATA:
Narrative mode: 3rd person. Story length: 313 pages. Swearing language: strong, including religious swear words. Sexual language: strong. Number of sex scenes: about nine, several of them short fantasies or ponderings. Setting: current day Cleveland and Cincinnati, Ohio. Copyright: 2004. Genre: erotic romantic suspense.
OTHER BOOKS:
I’ve reviewed the following Jaid Black books. (Anthology title is in parentheses.) Some of the anthology short stories are also published individually. Dates are copyright dates.
TREK MI Q’AN SERIES: (2001-2003)
5 stars. The Empress' New Clothes Bk 1
5 stars. Seized Bk 1.5
5 stars. No Mercy Bk 2
4 stars. Enslaved Bk 3
4 stars. No Escape Bk 4 (Trek Mi Q’an - Conquest)
4 stars. No Fear Bk 5 (Trek MiQ’an - Conquest)
5 stars. Dementia Bk 5.5 (Trek MiQ’an - Lost In Trek)
5 stars. Guide To Trek Mi Q'an (Trek MiQ’an - Lost In Trek) 2007
Trek Mi Q’an Related Short Stories:
5 stars. Devilish Dot (Manaconda) 2004
5 stars. Naughty Nancy (Strictly Taboo) 2005
5 stars. Never a Slave (Trek MiQ’an - Lost In Trek) 2007
UNDERGROUND VIKING SERIES:
Each one can be read as a stand-alone.
3 stars. Besieged (in the anthology The Hunted) 2002
5 stars. Hunter's Right (in the anthology Tie Me Up, Tie Me Down) 2005
5 stars. Hunter's Oath (in the anthology Playing Easy To Get) 2006
4 stars. Deep, Dark & Dangerous 2006
OTHER NOVELS:
3 stars. Before the Fire 2000
3 stars. After The Storm (written under the name Tia Isabella) 2001
4 stars. The Possession 2002
5 stars. One Dark Night 2004
4 stars. Breeding Ground 2004
3 stars. Death Row – The Trilogy 2004
SHORT STORIES IN ANTHOLOGIES:
4 stars. God of Fire (Warrior) 2000
5 stars. Warlord (Bedtime, Playtime: Ellora’s Cave) 2001
3 stars. The Mastering (Enchained) 2003
4 stars. The Beckoned (Ellora’s Cavemen: Tales From the Temple IV) 2004
4 stars. Adam & Evil (All She Wants) 2005
3 stars. Seeds of Yesterday (Legendary Tails IV) 2005
3 stars. Sins of the Father (Notorious) 2002
3 stars. Politically Incorrect: Stalked (Notorious) 2003
4 stars. The Hunger (Notorious) 2006
4 stars. Nemesis (Strictly Taboo) 2005
3 stars. Barbarian(Strictly Taboo) 2005
3 stars. Tremors (The Best of Jaid Black) 2001
3 stars. The Obsession (The Best of Jaid Black) 2001
3.5 stars. Vanished (The Best of Jaid Black) 2002
August 29, 2012
What I felt about this book was a first for me. The writing was unpolished, the flow was often abrupt, it read like a debut effort, well, except the love scenes but the author is great at these. At the same time I couldn’t put it down, the suspense was killing me, characterization was great, the gruff cop said the most original things to the heroine throughout the book including his unique proposal, and the falling in love in the middle of all of this was believable and sexy. When I finished I was smiling, shaking my head at such an odd mix of great story and uneven writing, and thinking what a great reread this will be.
HERO is a Warrior, a grouchy, rude, passionate police detective with a great loss in his past, and who has been fervently pursuing a serial killer for years. When a woman narrowly escapes the killer, he finally gets a chance to learn more about the killer, and about her, and about her secret desires.
SCENES/CONTENT: several/erotic
GENRE/TONE: contemporary/suspense
LENGTH: 300 pages
HERO is a Warrior, a grouchy, rude, passionate police detective with a great loss in his past, and who has been fervently pursuing a serial killer for years. When a woman narrowly escapes the killer, he finally gets a chance to learn more about the killer, and about her, and about her secret desires.
SCENES/CONTENT: several/erotic
GENRE/TONE: contemporary/suspense
LENGTH: 300 pages
September 13, 2009
Good plot that kept me interested. Not terribly original - serial killer who preys on women looking for love, heroine searching the Internet for a hot Dom, surly detective who's obsessed with finding the killer. We all know where this is going right? Well the journey is still fun, the Whodunnit is absorbing with some nice red herrings, and I appreciate that the author took pains to show the heroine's intelligence. In so many books like this the heroine is just TSTL and you end up almost wishing the evil predator would put her out of our misery. No so here. Nikki carefully gets an investigative report on "Richard" before she agrees to meet him, and she also tells her best friend where and when she's going. Yay for brains!
Thomas was a hot, sexy hero. He has issues sure, but they don't involve being cruel or abusive to our heroine. The sexual tension is good, with some nice verbal byplay revolving around his nuts (*wink*). The sex when it finally happens is smoking, with definite D/s flavor and some spanking. I could have done without the Daddy moment though (squick). My one complaint is that there are only 3 sex scenes - I want more and I want longer! Oh well. This is a mainstream paperback so I guess Jaid Black felt she had to tone it down a touch. Nice HEA with the hero showing a bit of insecurity and needing reassurance that he's loved for more than his Masterful spanking hands. Awwwww :-).
So why not 5 stars? There are 1 too many scenes with blood and/or the serial killer getting his jollies. I skimmed over them and you may want to too. I feel it wasn't necessary to show us that much, so I had to (reluctantly) take 1 star off for that.
Thomas was a hot, sexy hero. He has issues sure, but they don't involve being cruel or abusive to our heroine. The sexual tension is good, with some nice verbal byplay revolving around his nuts (*wink*). The sex when it finally happens is smoking, with definite D/s flavor and some spanking. I could have done without the Daddy moment though (squick). My one complaint is that there are only 3 sex scenes - I want more and I want longer! Oh well. This is a mainstream paperback so I guess Jaid Black felt she had to tone it down a touch. Nice HEA with the hero showing a bit of insecurity and needing reassurance that he's loved for more than his Masterful spanking hands. Awwwww :-).
So why not 5 stars? There are 1 too many scenes with blood and/or the serial killer getting his jollies. I skimmed over them and you may want to too. I feel it wasn't necessary to show us that much, so I had to (reluctantly) take 1 star off for that.
March 23, 2008
This was my first Jaid Black book, and I have to say, it was not what I expected - in a good way! I suppose I thought it would be like a couple of others I've tried lately - mostly erotica and not so much story or romance. I became interested in the plot very quickly, and I have to say that, although I can usually guess who the villian is fairly early, this one kept me guessing until he was revealed. I also enjoyed the fact that the H/H developed significant feelings for each other BEFORE they jumped into bed. Now, as to why I didn't give it 5 stars: the whole D/s scene was fairly new to me and I'm not one that is very fond of certain names for various body parts. A prolonged bedroom scene is fine, and it doesn't always have to be all sweetness and light, but the very coarse language, commands, and spanking, etc. just weren't my cup of tea. All that being said, I still enjoyed this book - a lot! I will definitely read more by this author.
February 3, 2010
This Berkley Sensation tale from 2004 has a fairly good romance plot, interlaced with an excellent suspense story plot. Unlike Jaid Black's earlier erotic romance work, this is mainstream romantic fiction; the love scenes were fewer and hot but not extreme.
The author does not let the reader guess who the villian is until 18 pages before the end. The main and adjunct characters were well-drawn, one can imagine one has known someone just like them. The pacing of the story was great, a slow start building to an adrenaline-laced denoument and then a happily-ever-after.
Even though I usually don't go for the suspense romances, I'm now going to have to track down everything else Jaid Black wrote for Berkley Sensation.
The author does not let the reader guess who the villian is until 18 pages before the end. The main and adjunct characters were well-drawn, one can imagine one has known someone just like them. The pacing of the story was great, a slow start building to an adrenaline-laced denoument and then a happily-ever-after.
Even though I usually don't go for the suspense romances, I'm now going to have to track down everything else Jaid Black wrote for Berkley Sensation.
November 23, 2016
Not a very well-known book but a surprisingly good read.
The suspense part is more developed than the romance part which is quite okay. In fact, I have to admit that the serial killer case is very interesting and very well-constructed. Though you suspect the person who is the killer from the beginning, there are some other tracks and candidates making you guessing till the end. For such a short story the suspense part is really good.
I have also generally enjoyed the romance part. The passion between Thomas and Nikki is obvious. I'm not sure about some deep feeling since they know each other so short but still I have no doubt that they deeply care for each other. Also, I like that they act like some mature humane beings and talk to each other if something is wrong instead of just running away. At some point Nikki decides to leave Thomas but she stays to tell him about it, they talk and explain things to each other. That's really good, I've had enough books' couples that split up because they decide not to talk or presume instead of asking.
A short but entertaining story. I will definitely give this author a chance again.
The suspense part is more developed than the romance part which is quite okay. In fact, I have to admit that the serial killer case is very interesting and very well-constructed. Though you suspect the person who is the killer from the beginning, there are some other tracks and candidates making you guessing till the end. For such a short story the suspense part is really good.
I have also generally enjoyed the romance part. The passion between Thomas and Nikki is obvious. I'm not sure about some deep feeling since they know each other so short but still I have no doubt that they deeply care for each other. Also, I like that they act like some mature humane beings and talk to each other if something is wrong instead of just running away. At some point Nikki decides to leave Thomas but she stays to tell him about it, they talk and explain things to each other. That's really good, I've had enough books' couples that split up because they decide not to talk or presume instead of asking.
A short but entertaining story. I will definitely give this author a chance again.
December 6, 2023
2.5 stars. Did people really talk like that in 2004 or was the author just insane
May 21, 2017
I had been enjoying Ms. Black's American Infidels series and was looking for another book in the series when this title popped up in my Kindle. It sounded interesting so I bought it. It turned out to be one of my best purchases of the year.
Dr. Nikki Adenike is a surgeon by day, internet surfer by night--looking for love, when she stumbles upon a BDSM sight, she thinks she's died and gone to heaven. And she just may, as unbeknownst to Nikki, her new internet interest is none other than "Lucifer", a serial killer.
Meanwhile, Nikki's friend Kim has been having dreams about a murder. Nikki drags her reluctant friend to the Cleveland Police Department to report her dreams. Though reluctant to believe Nikki's psychic friend, Detective Thomas Cavanah recognizes that the person in Kim's dreams just may be Lucifer.
When Nikki barely escapes a kidnap/murder attempt after going to meet her online love/AKA Lucifer, Thomas is assigned to protect her. Sparks fly as Nikki and Detective Grouch begin to get to know one another and the detective wonders if he might be able to satisfy Nikki's needs.
As many of you know, Jaid Black is the pseudonym of the founder of Ellora's Cave Publishers. There is a nod to the erotic romance industry in the book that I very much enjoyed when the cops try--to no avail--to find the killer by seeing if anyone using one of the killer's pseudonyms has bought any books from the publisher where Nikki buys her own BDSM ebooks.
This book has everything. Suspense, intrigue, crime, sex and budding romance. It is well written and impossible to put down. Usually, I hate mysteries and will often look to see "who done it" before the book is over because I can't stand it anymore. But not this one, I enjoyed it to much to look ahead. Outstanding story; outstanding romance with just a bit of kink. You cannot go wrong with this book! One of my most highly recommended books.
Dr. Nikki Adenike is a surgeon by day, internet surfer by night--looking for love, when she stumbles upon a BDSM sight, she thinks she's died and gone to heaven. And she just may, as unbeknownst to Nikki, her new internet interest is none other than "Lucifer", a serial killer.
Meanwhile, Nikki's friend Kim has been having dreams about a murder. Nikki drags her reluctant friend to the Cleveland Police Department to report her dreams. Though reluctant to believe Nikki's psychic friend, Detective Thomas Cavanah recognizes that the person in Kim's dreams just may be Lucifer.
When Nikki barely escapes a kidnap/murder attempt after going to meet her online love/AKA Lucifer, Thomas is assigned to protect her. Sparks fly as Nikki and Detective Grouch begin to get to know one another and the detective wonders if he might be able to satisfy Nikki's needs.
As many of you know, Jaid Black is the pseudonym of the founder of Ellora's Cave Publishers. There is a nod to the erotic romance industry in the book that I very much enjoyed when the cops try--to no avail--to find the killer by seeing if anyone using one of the killer's pseudonyms has bought any books from the publisher where Nikki buys her own BDSM ebooks.
This book has everything. Suspense, intrigue, crime, sex and budding romance. It is well written and impossible to put down. Usually, I hate mysteries and will often look to see "who done it" before the book is over because I can't stand it anymore. But not this one, I enjoyed it to much to look ahead. Outstanding story; outstanding romance with just a bit of kink. You cannot go wrong with this book! One of my most highly recommended books.
March 25, 2021
It was a good book, the story was fast paced. It definitely took a lot of turns and keeps you guessing and wondering who it was. The relationship between Nikki and Thomas is one that many girls wish they could find with just a little more D/s action. It’s got a great ending, wraps up the whole stories and leaves no question unanswered other than “How did I not see that coming?”
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 21, 2014
First time reading Jaid Black's book. It was really good. Seriously twisted but good.This is a book about a serial killer who has been known for his killing for at least 9 years.
So this book starts out with a new victim being found. Detective Thomas is obsessed with finding the killer. Its is all he can think about. Why? Well besides the obvious its personal for him. Why? You have to read it and find out. Thomas is so damn dominating that it was almost funny for me. He doesn't talk he growls. He doesn't ask he barks orders. lol He was so alpha! Thomas was one seriously hot detective.
Nikki is a surgeon and she spends all her time being in charge and saving lives that she for once wants someone else to be in charge. To dominate her. In the bedroom of course. So she hits up an online dating D/s site. Yeah well you can guess how bad that turned out. I loved Nikki. She was tough as nails and when she needed to freak out she did. But not a lot.
Nikki's best friend Kim is also a major player in this book because she has a talent of ESP. The police don't believe that she is having visions of the murders. I loved the friendship with Nikki and Kim. It was so heart warming.
The chemistry with Thomas and Nikki was super hot. The sex was super hot! Wow... Jaid Black can write those scenes.. The mystery of who the serial killer is was for me one of three people. In the end I was right with my hunch. I have to say that the killing were slightly graphic and really when you put it all together it was seriously disturbing. I would need some serious help IDK therapy or something after all that . lol It wasn't all sex and violence also. There were some touching moments when Thomas finally opens up to Nikki that brought tears to my eyes. Moments with Kim and her step mom that were really touching.
Overall this was a really good book and I will look for more of Jaid Black books.
So this book starts out with a new victim being found. Detective Thomas is obsessed with finding the killer. Its is all he can think about. Why? Well besides the obvious its personal for him. Why? You have to read it and find out. Thomas is so damn dominating that it was almost funny for me. He doesn't talk he growls. He doesn't ask he barks orders. lol He was so alpha! Thomas was one seriously hot detective.
Nikki is a surgeon and she spends all her time being in charge and saving lives that she for once wants someone else to be in charge. To dominate her. In the bedroom of course. So she hits up an online dating D/s site. Yeah well you can guess how bad that turned out. I loved Nikki. She was tough as nails and when she needed to freak out she did. But not a lot.
Nikki's best friend Kim is also a major player in this book because she has a talent of ESP. The police don't believe that she is having visions of the murders. I loved the friendship with Nikki and Kim. It was so heart warming.
The chemistry with Thomas and Nikki was super hot. The sex was super hot! Wow... Jaid Black can write those scenes.. The mystery of who the serial killer is was for me one of three people. In the end I was right with my hunch. I have to say that the killing were slightly graphic and really when you put it all together it was seriously disturbing. I would need some serious help IDK therapy or something after all that . lol It wasn't all sex and violence also. There were some touching moments when Thomas finally opens up to Nikki that brought tears to my eyes. Moments with Kim and her step mom that were really touching.
Overall this was a really good book and I will look for more of Jaid Black books.
August 24, 2014
3.5 stars. A nice sexy read with some good suspenseful moments, a scary villain, and some good laughs. The very last scene in particular made me laugh out loud, which I didn't expect. :)
I probably would have loved this book if it had been written in deep third person POV instead of omniscient POV, but that's my preference, so it may not be an issue for most people. I just felt a little distanced from the characters because of it.
The sex is very, very hot, and I wish there had been a little more of it. The suspense story has a number of terrifying moments, but there were a few too many coincidences in the plot to make it truly satisfying (at least for me). That said, I was definitely rooting for the villain to be caught, and there are some good red herrings in the plot so that I was second-guessing who the villain was up to the point where his identity was revealed. There was also a good twist involving the hero's back story that I hadn't guessed at all and that ended up being quite heartbreaking.
There were a couple loose ends that weren't resolved in the book (what the heck is up with Ben???), but perhaps there's another book that addresses those.
Overall, a satisfying read, and one I'd recommend to fans of erotic romantic suspense. I'll pick up more books by the author.
I probably would have loved this book if it had been written in deep third person POV instead of omniscient POV, but that's my preference, so it may not be an issue for most people. I just felt a little distanced from the characters because of it.
The sex is very, very hot, and I wish there had been a little more of it. The suspense story has a number of terrifying moments, but there were a few too many coincidences in the plot to make it truly satisfying (at least for me). That said, I was definitely rooting for the villain to be caught, and there are some good red herrings in the plot so that I was second-guessing who the villain was up to the point where his identity was revealed. There was also a good twist involving the hero's back story that I hadn't guessed at all and that ended up being quite heartbreaking.
There were a couple loose ends that weren't resolved in the book (what the heck is up with Ben???), but perhaps there's another book that addresses those.
Overall, a satisfying read, and one I'd recommend to fans of erotic romantic suspense. I'll pick up more books by the author.
August 21, 2012
1.5 stars The 0.5 is for Thomas and his dirty talk.
This book was supposedly written by the woman who started Ellora's Cave... I say supposedly because I have no clue and don't feel like Googling.
That being said, if she is the woman who started Ellora's Cave, I have to say I'm seriously disappointed. I would have expected something pretty fabulous from her. If it isn't the woman who started Ellora's Cave, I'm less disappointed, but still not impressed.
I knew more about the victims than I knew about the killer - Jaid Black desperately tries to fill page space with info dumps about the victims, even though they are technically nobodies to the reader. Give us a little info to know that the victim was a decent person, fit the description of the stalker/murderer's "type"... I do not need to know this woman's entire life or whether or not she was an Honor Roll student. That shit is stupid and a waste of time. For me to know more about the victims than I do the lead characters is not how this whole 'story thing' is supposed to work.
*sigh* Not really happy with this, especially with Nikki's unwavering self-doubt. Ugh. No.
Would not recommend.
This book was supposedly written by the woman who started Ellora's Cave... I say supposedly because I have no clue and don't feel like Googling.
That being said, if she is the woman who started Ellora's Cave, I have to say I'm seriously disappointed. I would have expected something pretty fabulous from her. If it isn't the woman who started Ellora's Cave, I'm less disappointed, but still not impressed.
I knew more about the victims than I knew about the killer - Jaid Black desperately tries to fill page space with info dumps about the victims, even though they are technically nobodies to the reader. Give us a little info to know that the victim was a decent person, fit the description of the stalker/murderer's "type"... I do not need to know this woman's entire life or whether or not she was an Honor Roll student. That shit is stupid and a waste of time. For me to know more about the victims than I do the lead characters is not how this whole 'story thing' is supposed to work.
*sigh* Not really happy with this, especially with Nikki's unwavering self-doubt. Ugh. No.
Would not recommend.
June 21, 2011
Jaid Black was one of the first BDSM authors I read years ago. I read alot of her heavier bdsm novels and some of her Viking novels. And due to that I had stopped reading her books as I wasnt in the same place as I was then.. I somehow missed out on this book because of that. This was a well written book that sex wasnt the main plot. I love(romance)murder mysteries or books with a sick twisted serial killer. In this book Dr. Nikki Adenike come on the radar of the serial killer called "Lucifer," she manages to escape and Detective Thomas Cavanah whisks her away for her protection.. Now of course there is alot more to the story than that : ) but dont want to give it all away.. Now dont fret - the hero is as big a alpha as they come and there are some hot sex scenes between the two.. And when
September 19, 2012
3.5 stars.
This was suspenseful. I had three guesses who I believed was the killer and one of my guesses were right. It wasn't too predictable but if you give it a bit of thoughts, try to pick out little hints dropped here and there, amd add two and two together, you'll know who it was as well.
There was some sex in this but really I found the kitchen scene one to hottest. All the others were a bit of a mood killer as soon as Thomas referred to him as 'Daddy'. Yep, my lady boner deflated in an instant after that. It's the biggest hate I have when reading books. I'm surprised I didn't stop reading after that, but I did want to see who the killer turned out to be.
So I guess it wasn't the romance that kept me turning the pages, it my the suspense and my curiosity getting the better of me.
There were subject matters in this that may be very sensitive for some people so just be aware before reading.
This was suspenseful. I had three guesses who I believed was the killer and one of my guesses were right. It wasn't too predictable but if you give it a bit of thoughts, try to pick out little hints dropped here and there, amd add two and two together, you'll know who it was as well.
There was some sex in this but really I found the kitchen scene one to hottest. All the others were a bit of a mood killer as soon as Thomas referred to him as 'Daddy'. Yep, my lady boner deflated in an instant after that. It's the biggest hate I have when reading books. I'm surprised I didn't stop reading after that, but I did want to see who the killer turned out to be.
So I guess it wasn't the romance that kept me turning the pages, it my the suspense and my curiosity getting the better of me.
There were subject matters in this that may be very sensitive for some people so just be aware before reading.
January 30, 2010
One Dark Night is Ms. Black’s first paperback novel outside of Ellora’s Cave. The pace is very quick, I found myself more then half way thru it in less then a day, the sex scenes are graphic in language, they felt a little rushed but they fit well with the pace of the story line. The plot line is so today you could easily find yourself or someone you love being in the same exact position as Nikki. The chemistry between Thomas and Nikki is apparent from their dislike of each other in the beginning to the steamy heat between them at the end. The tension between them builds slowly and surely just like the plot that climaxes with a surprising unveiling of the villain. This is a good first step into the main stream paperback publishing world for Ms. Black and hopefully, not only will she be able to grow but also to expand the reality of erotica into the vanilla world of romance publishers.
September 17, 2012
**Recommendation from Jane
3.5 to 4 stars. I'm kind of undecided.
I really liked this one. The writing had me from page one. I didn't like that it took so long for Nikki and Thomas to get together. While I don't need them to be a couple from the get-go, I like them to at least meet and talk early on.
**Possibly Spoiler'ish**
3.5 to 4 stars. I'm kind of undecided.
I really liked this one. The writing had me from page one. I didn't like that it took so long for Nikki and Thomas to get together. While I don't need them to be a couple from the get-go, I like them to at least meet and talk early on.
**Possibly Spoiler'ish**
April 18, 2018
I bought this book for fifty cents off the clearance rack of my local public library, so I wasn't expecting Pulitzer material. But this is easily one of the bottom five worst books I've read, maybe even worst ever. The writing was clumsy, overly wordy, overly complicated, and exhausting to read. If you took the cut text from Fifty Shades of Grey and a bad episode of CSI and threw them in a blender, you'd end up with something similar to this.
But the quality of the prose, or lack thereof, is not why I disliked this book so much. That certainly didn't help, but books can be entertaining without necessarily being well-written. Not only was the prose bad, this story was thrown together with so little regard for pacing, plausibility, or character development, I found myself flipping back through to make sure I hadn't skipped something somehow. (Seriously, the protagonist and the love interest spend an entire chapter melodramatically arguing about pistachios, but each independently decide in the space of about two pages that they've fallen desperately in love with each other.)
Nikki is the stereotypical bland mass-market female romance hero: successful high-powered career but feels unfulfilled because she hasn't seriously dated anyone, she has a supportive and supposedly much prettier than her rich best friend who is also apparently clairvoyant for some reason, spends a lot of time staring at herself in the mirror musing about how "plain" she is even though based on her physical description she'd clearly be considered conventionally attractive, the whole predictable package. (Also apparently these women live in an alternate universe where literally anything and everything that could ever happen to you is a professional liability. Nikki is a doctor, and she and her friend talk incessantly about "OMG can you IMAGINE what this would do you to if it got out at work?? Your career would be OVER" when all she did was start dating someone she met online, or read a novel that includes some adult content, or you know, narrowly escape a serial killer. HOW DARE YOU have almost been the victim of a violent crime at the hands of a psychopath Nikki!! YOU'RE FIRED!)
And that's before we even get to the love interest, who is A COMPLETE CREEP and really takes the cake for reasons why this book was garbage.
This is supposed to be a romance between the escaped victim of a serial killer and the detective trying to catch the killer. And that romance is supposed to be sweet and cute and we're supposed to root for them to be together. But Thomas, the love interest, does SO MANY absolutely disgusting, controlling, boundary-challenged, and abusive things, I thought there would be some crazy plot twist by which he turns out to be the one who is trying to kill her. Here is a by no means exhaustive list of the awful things he does:
- aggressively berates and threatens her in a grocery store because she took an item he wanted
- takes a topless photo she took of herself to send to her online boyfriend which was turned over to the police as evidence and keeps a copy for himself without asking her
- when he decides he has to take her out of the city to protect her from the killer, he puts her in his car while she's unconscious and drives several hours away to some random "safe house" without any other people or police officers present
- packs a bag for her while they're hiding out and purposefully doesn't pack her any underwear (They ARE NOT in a relationship or even hooking up when he does this)
- constantly refers to her as his property and threatens to kill anyone else who comes near her, both internally and out loud
- he's always yelling, insulting, and snapping at her for absolutely no reason and expects her to put with it because "he just has a gruff personality"
- when she wants to leave the safe house they're holed up in, he LOCKS THE DOOR, CUTS THE PHONE LINE, AND PHYSICALLY RESTRAINS HER FROM LEAVING despite her repeated assertions that she wants to go home, and after he imprisons her, the book spoils the one good moment of emotional resonance there could have been by choosing this moment for them to have a heart to heart about how this serial killer killed Thomas' daughter years ago, and after telling her that he says "Now do you understand why I can't let you leave?" Seriously, this guy uses a sob story about his dead daughter to manipulate her into accepting the fact that he just kidnapped her and is holding her against her will, and she APOLOGIZES, and for what, having the audacity to tell this insane detective that she'd rather not stay out here in this supposed safe house locked in with him 24 hours a day when literally no one else knows where they are and there are no other cops around to protect her, which is his supposed reason for doing this, and we're supposed to like this guy?
- She goes away for the weekend with her friend, and he breaks into her apartment and waits for her there, and when she comes home he screams at her, demanding to know where she was and who she was with and why she didn't call him, and accuses her of cheating on him (They have been hooking up at this point, but it has not been established that they are in a relationship or that he had any expectation of anything more than a physical relationship)
And I'm not kidding, that really just scratches the surface. I cannot possibly say enough bad things about this book. Don't waste your time or money on this.
But the quality of the prose, or lack thereof, is not why I disliked this book so much. That certainly didn't help, but books can be entertaining without necessarily being well-written. Not only was the prose bad, this story was thrown together with so little regard for pacing, plausibility, or character development, I found myself flipping back through to make sure I hadn't skipped something somehow. (Seriously, the protagonist and the love interest spend an entire chapter melodramatically arguing about pistachios, but each independently decide in the space of about two pages that they've fallen desperately in love with each other.)
Nikki is the stereotypical bland mass-market female romance hero: successful high-powered career but feels unfulfilled because she hasn't seriously dated anyone, she has a supportive and supposedly much prettier than her rich best friend who is also apparently clairvoyant for some reason, spends a lot of time staring at herself in the mirror musing about how "plain" she is even though based on her physical description she'd clearly be considered conventionally attractive, the whole predictable package. (Also apparently these women live in an alternate universe where literally anything and everything that could ever happen to you is a professional liability. Nikki is a doctor, and she and her friend talk incessantly about "OMG can you IMAGINE what this would do you to if it got out at work?? Your career would be OVER" when all she did was start dating someone she met online, or read a novel that includes some adult content, or you know, narrowly escape a serial killer. HOW DARE YOU have almost been the victim of a violent crime at the hands of a psychopath Nikki!! YOU'RE FIRED!)
And that's before we even get to the love interest, who is A COMPLETE CREEP and really takes the cake for reasons why this book was garbage.
This is supposed to be a romance between the escaped victim of a serial killer and the detective trying to catch the killer. And that romance is supposed to be sweet and cute and we're supposed to root for them to be together. But Thomas, the love interest, does SO MANY absolutely disgusting, controlling, boundary-challenged, and abusive things, I thought there would be some crazy plot twist by which he turns out to be the one who is trying to kill her. Here is a by no means exhaustive list of the awful things he does:
- aggressively berates and threatens her in a grocery store because she took an item he wanted
- takes a topless photo she took of herself to send to her online boyfriend which was turned over to the police as evidence and keeps a copy for himself without asking her
- when he decides he has to take her out of the city to protect her from the killer, he puts her in his car while she's unconscious and drives several hours away to some random "safe house" without any other people or police officers present
- packs a bag for her while they're hiding out and purposefully doesn't pack her any underwear (They ARE NOT in a relationship or even hooking up when he does this)
- constantly refers to her as his property and threatens to kill anyone else who comes near her, both internally and out loud
- he's always yelling, insulting, and snapping at her for absolutely no reason and expects her to put with it because "he just has a gruff personality"
- when she wants to leave the safe house they're holed up in, he LOCKS THE DOOR, CUTS THE PHONE LINE, AND PHYSICALLY RESTRAINS HER FROM LEAVING despite her repeated assertions that she wants to go home, and after he imprisons her, the book spoils the one good moment of emotional resonance there could have been by choosing this moment for them to have a heart to heart about how this serial killer killed Thomas' daughter years ago, and after telling her that he says "Now do you understand why I can't let you leave?" Seriously, this guy uses a sob story about his dead daughter to manipulate her into accepting the fact that he just kidnapped her and is holding her against her will, and she APOLOGIZES, and for what, having the audacity to tell this insane detective that she'd rather not stay out here in this supposed safe house locked in with him 24 hours a day when literally no one else knows where they are and there are no other cops around to protect her, which is his supposed reason for doing this, and we're supposed to like this guy?
- She goes away for the weekend with her friend, and he breaks into her apartment and waits for her there, and when she comes home he screams at her, demanding to know where she was and who she was with and why she didn't call him, and accuses her of cheating on him (They have been hooking up at this point, but it has not been established that they are in a relationship or that he had any expectation of anything more than a physical relationship)
And I'm not kidding, that really just scratches the surface. I cannot possibly say enough bad things about this book. Don't waste your time or money on this.
September 6, 2021
A little background: I read this book back in 2004 when I was in college and (TMI sorry) still a virgin. I consumed many mass market romances, historical romances, and mystery contemporary romances at the time and this was the steamiest book I had read so far.
Almost 20 years later, and I can't believe it's been nearly 20 year, I think it still holds up. I enjoyed reading the book, it was a great bath book that I could just relax with in my bubble bath once a week. (Though I did skip some baths because sometimes life happens.) I enjoyed the mystery, I'd forgetten who the killer was so when it's revealed it was a shock. I knew he was one of the suspects we were supposed to look at, but all red hearings and or suspects have strong cases for them
Beyond here will have mild spoilers or not spoilers at all just be aware.
Detective James has been chasing a serial killer that made things personal and Nikkie is a high powered surgeon who wants someone to take charge in the bedroom so she doesn't have to. But only in the bedroom every other time it's equal.
This is very mildly D/S, there's smutty scenes, and they do have D/S in them, but if you're looking for full BDSM this isn't the book for you.
So why the star off. 1/2 a star for the conflict that is quickly resolved at the end before the twist ending. I mean come on! Not having your beeper on all weekend?!!! Not reasonable to me.
Also, in the earlier 2000s Pistachio's we're very popular and the store would have had Pistachios.
Almost 20 years later, and I can't believe it's been nearly 20 year, I think it still holds up. I enjoyed reading the book, it was a great bath book that I could just relax with in my bubble bath once a week. (Though I did skip some baths because sometimes life happens.) I enjoyed the mystery, I'd forgetten who the killer was so when it's revealed it was a shock. I knew he was one of the suspects we were supposed to look at, but all red hearings and or suspects have strong cases for them
Beyond here will have mild spoilers or not spoilers at all just be aware.
Detective James has been chasing a serial killer that made things personal and Nikkie is a high powered surgeon who wants someone to take charge in the bedroom so she doesn't have to. But only in the bedroom every other time it's equal.
This is very mildly D/S, there's smutty scenes, and they do have D/S in them, but if you're looking for full BDSM this isn't the book for you.
So why the star off. 1/2 a star for the conflict that is quickly resolved at the end before the twist ending. I mean come on! Not having your beeper on all weekend?!!! Not reasonable to me.
Also, in the earlier 2000s Pistachio's we're very popular and the store would have had Pistachios.
May 20, 2017
This book would be a five star rating if it wasn't for one word "Daddy",
I agree with all the other reviewers, that word does not belong in a love scene, it killed the story for me every time Thomas said it in the book, it makes an other wise excellent sorry creepier (but not in the good suspense way).
Was worried as I started reading, that the book might be a bit too dark for my tastes, but other than the Daddy problem, everything was handled well
I agree with all the other reviewers, that word does not belong in a love scene, it killed the story for me every time Thomas said it in the book, it makes an other wise excellent sorry creepier (but not in the good suspense way).
Was worried as I started reading, that the book might be a bit too dark for my tastes, but other than the Daddy problem, everything was handled well
March 11, 2018
Jaid Black does it again!!
I thought I’d read all of this author’s novels but I clearly missed this one! Full of suspense and twists and turns with perhaps a little bit less erotica than usual (but still hot) I enjoyed this novel very much, even more than her sci-fi/fantasy novels since they tend to be overly complex in my opinion. This was a quick, fun, engaging, steamy read!
I thought I’d read all of this author’s novels but I clearly missed this one! Full of suspense and twists and turns with perhaps a little bit less erotica than usual (but still hot) I enjoyed this novel very much, even more than her sci-fi/fantasy novels since they tend to be overly complex in my opinion. This was a quick, fun, engaging, steamy read!
March 16, 2018
Thomas is a detective trying to stop the man torturing, raping and murdering women over the last nine years. Nikki is a surgeon who was the first victim to survive. Nikki has BDSM fantasies but almost got killed meeting a man from on-line. The story had good moments but Thomas falling into being a Dom after reading her e-mails didn't work for me. Although the scenes were very sensual.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 15, 2018
An excellent romantic suspense !
A building attraction, no stupid move on anybody's part, a strong heroin, a bit of paranormal, a lovable grumpy hero, a nice bit of steam : honestly, I loved it !
The only thing I didn't really like was the "daddy" thing, but it's just my taste.
A building attraction, no stupid move on anybody's part, a strong heroin, a bit of paranormal, a lovable grumpy hero, a nice bit of steam : honestly, I loved it !
The only thing I didn't really like was the "daddy" thing, but it's just my taste.
December 11, 2017
This was a keeper that I had to get rid of when we moved. It was a really good book!
January 14, 2018
Good fast read
This was a A good thriller read with romance and a little psycho in the process and friends worth the read
This was a A good thriller read with romance and a little psycho in the process and friends worth the read
library
July 30, 20210
September 6, 2021
Good murder mystery.
June 5, 2024
Okay so I bumped this up to 3 stars because this story has stuck with me for the past few days since I’ve finished it. Which is weird because it’s a small, stand alone novel meant for a quick vacation read. The writing was not great, no character development, the smut was decent tho the build up to it was non existent (aka no romance that made me giggle and blush), and the MMC was not my type. It was fast paced enough that I could sit there and read half of it in one sitting.
I think the main reason I liked it was that it kept me entertained. And isn’t that the whole reason for books?
I think the main reason I liked it was that it kept me entertained. And isn’t that the whole reason for books?
February 8, 2012
This was a reread for me. I originally read it in 2005 and then apparently forgot about it. Over the weekend, I remembered a book about pistachios. Nothing else, just that the hero and heroine were feuding over a bag of pistachios and it made me laugh. My search for “the pistachio book” led me back to One Dark Night by Jaid Black.
Our heroine, Nikki, is a respected surgeon with a lot of stress in her life and no sex. She’s been celibate for three years and all her dates are with men that leave her bored. When she stumbles across a book on dominance/submission, she is intrigued and starts to research the subject. She decides that this is what has been missing in her life and places an ad on a D/s site and meets “Richard.”
Our hero, Thomas, is a homicide detective obsessed with catching Lucifer, a serial killer that has been on the loose for 9 years. One of Lucifer’s victims was someone Thomas loved. When Nikki’s “Richard” and Lucifer turn out to be one and the same, Thomas vows to protect Nikki and takes her away to keep her safe.
I loved the first part of the book. Nikki’s research into the bdsm lifestyle, her determination to find what she needs, Thomas’s heartache at not being able to find the killer after all these years, how his life is totally focused on this case to the exclusion of everything else. The chemistry between Nikki and Thomas is off the charts from their first meeting. Thomas’s feelings when he reads the emails between Nikki and “Richard” are believable and so sexy. And the pistachio scene was just as funny as I remembered.
Then they had sex and it all went downhill for me. Thomas refers to himself as “Daddy” while they are in bed together. Repeatedly. This is a big ick factor for me.
Example 1:
“You’re being a very good little girl,” Thomas murmured, his voice thick, as he once again took to his knees. “Keep it up and Daddy’ll give you a big treat.”
Example 2:
“In fact,” he said thickly, sinking into her on a groan, “it’ll be tomorrow morning before Daddy’ll give his sexy little girl a rest.”
If it was just the sex scenes, I may have been able to over look it but that wasn’t the case. Thomas went from sexy alpha to slightly creepy asshole in one chapter. After their first night together, he had her cook breakfast naked, including frying bacon. Because being splattered with hot grease is sexy? I don’t know. Since Nikki has made it clear that she only wants to submit in the bedroom and be treated as an equal outside of it, Thomas believes he should keep her naked all the time so he can tell her what to do. I really hate when a D/s relationship is portrayed this way in romance.
The suspense aspect seemed to fall apart around the same time. Thomas gets upsetting information from a fellow cop and goes on a drinking binge. He has been looking for a killer for nine years and is solely responsible for guarding the only survivor and he gets fall down drunk. Not exactly hero material. There is also some strange info dump that is an obvious attempt at misdirection and left me not caring who the killer was, why he did it, or even if there would be a HEA at the end for the asshole hero and intrepid heroine who puts up with his crap.
I would give the first half of One Dark Night 5 stars. It really was everything I love about romantic suspense. Unfortunately, the last half is 2 stars. This is a book I should have left as a fond, mostly blurry memory.
Our heroine, Nikki, is a respected surgeon with a lot of stress in her life and no sex. She’s been celibate for three years and all her dates are with men that leave her bored. When she stumbles across a book on dominance/submission, she is intrigued and starts to research the subject. She decides that this is what has been missing in her life and places an ad on a D/s site and meets “Richard.”
Our hero, Thomas, is a homicide detective obsessed with catching Lucifer, a serial killer that has been on the loose for 9 years. One of Lucifer’s victims was someone Thomas loved. When Nikki’s “Richard” and Lucifer turn out to be one and the same, Thomas vows to protect Nikki and takes her away to keep her safe.
I loved the first part of the book. Nikki’s research into the bdsm lifestyle, her determination to find what she needs, Thomas’s heartache at not being able to find the killer after all these years, how his life is totally focused on this case to the exclusion of everything else. The chemistry between Nikki and Thomas is off the charts from their first meeting. Thomas’s feelings when he reads the emails between Nikki and “Richard” are believable and so sexy. And the pistachio scene was just as funny as I remembered.
Then they had sex and it all went downhill for me. Thomas refers to himself as “Daddy” while they are in bed together. Repeatedly. This is a big ick factor for me.
Example 1:
“You’re being a very good little girl,” Thomas murmured, his voice thick, as he once again took to his knees. “Keep it up and Daddy’ll give you a big treat.”
Example 2:
“In fact,” he said thickly, sinking into her on a groan, “it’ll be tomorrow morning before Daddy’ll give his sexy little girl a rest.”
If it was just the sex scenes, I may have been able to over look it but that wasn’t the case. Thomas went from sexy alpha to slightly creepy asshole in one chapter. After their first night together, he had her cook breakfast naked, including frying bacon. Because being splattered with hot grease is sexy? I don’t know. Since Nikki has made it clear that she only wants to submit in the bedroom and be treated as an equal outside of it, Thomas believes he should keep her naked all the time so he can tell her what to do. I really hate when a D/s relationship is portrayed this way in romance.
The suspense aspect seemed to fall apart around the same time. Thomas gets upsetting information from a fellow cop and goes on a drinking binge. He has been looking for a killer for nine years and is solely responsible for guarding the only survivor and he gets fall down drunk. Not exactly hero material. There is also some strange info dump that is an obvious attempt at misdirection and left me not caring who the killer was, why he did it, or even if there would be a HEA at the end for the asshole hero and intrepid heroine who puts up with his crap.
I would give the first half of One Dark Night 5 stars. It really was everything I love about romantic suspense. Unfortunately, the last half is 2 stars. This is a book I should have left as a fond, mostly blurry memory.
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