A Taste of Darkness

Embrace the Darkness, #1

by Carly Claire

Claire Monroe is no stranger to darkness. Having grown up without a family of her own, she’s seen just how cruel and cold the world can be. But then she went to college and left it all behind, found a family and healed from the trauma of her past. Unfortunately, none of that brings her any closer to knowing who she is or what she should do with her life. A college student adrift in the world, with only her best friend to act as a life preserver, the reality of her future looms. As the summer before Senior year ends, Claire is no closer to knowing who she is or what she plans to do with herself...until she meets a dark, sexy man who introduces her to a whole new world of riches, pleasure, and passion. Suddenly, she finds herself halfway across the world in a life of luxury and under the watchful eye of Remington Boudreaux. Gorgeous, wealthy, and for some reason Claire can't fathom, he is oddly intrigued by her. It has all the makings of a wild summer fling, but the deeper Claire falls into her best friend's brother, the more everything changes. Soon, Claire realizes that being a part of his world means she must be willing to accept the circumstances she clawed her way out of all those years ago. Can she embrace the darkness she was forged in and come out on top? Or will it swallow her entirely?

Genres: Dark Romance, Dark, Romance, Contemporary Romance, Mystery, Contemporary, Ebooks

264 pages, Paperback

First published February 17, 2022

Reviews

[Dario Pacheco · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a pretty basic dark romance novel. I liked the main bad boy Remy even tho he was ahole. Claire fell into basic B territory at times but her revelations of her past made her interesting.
Overall a solid read for me in this genre

[Allyse Reinauer · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author starts out her book by saying “This will not be the darkest or spiciest book you ever read.” As someone who generally likes their spice at an unsafe for human consumption level, this one surprised me! It definitely wasn’t a read for the faint of heart.

Through the first few chapters while I was trying to figure out what the heck was going on I was worried whether I had made the right choice, but once the scene was set I was hooked. It was an intriguing and exciting read that while was short on spice was not shy on the tension. And any spice was well done. The boat scene 👌

A few things came together at the end, but even more questions arose and I’m left wanting so much more. I can’t wait to see what happens next for Remy and Claire!

I received a complimentary ARC of this book; thoughts are my own.

[Blake · Rating 5 out of 5]

So so good. More intense and reels you in the further you get. I still have so many questions yet to be answered, but in the best way. I can’t wait to dive into the next book. Who is the FMC really? Is there more to who she is? Is she now fully into the darkness? This was such a good book of diving into the story, getting a taste of darkness as the title says, and being kept wanting more.

[Ashley Harrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

So this is the first Carly Claire book I have read, and I have to say, I'm going straight to book 2. I love the storyline. I love that there is a storeline. This book has kept me reading every free second I have had for the last 2 days. Which is saying something cause I don't have free time and it take me forever to get through books these days!!!

[Kasey]

3.5 ⭐️ rounded up because it has a lot of potential!

For the first book in what I'm assuming is going to be a series, this was a solid start. I enjoyed both Claire and Rhea's characters. Most of the questions I had while reading by the end were answered.

I liked that we got some background on the characters, specifically Claire, and her background wasn't over the top. Like we didn't get hit with a "she was the long lost daughter of billionaire ______" or anything like that which is great.

Remy.... was underwhelming. I didn't feel like we had enough time with him. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE dark romance and morally gray men, but he felt like a standard dark romance character. There was nothing really special about him. I feel like Claire was written so well, but Remy just kept talking about how he was darkness and he hurts people... Ok. Nothing really made him stand out to me, but it IS the first book, so maybe we'll see more growth/development in book 2.

All and all, it was a solid start to a series. I'm interested to see where it goes from here!

I am leaving this review voluntarily. I received a free copy of this from Booksirens and all statements made are my own.

[Smut Cartel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Claire Monroe is no stranger to darkness. Having grown up without a family of her own, she’s seen just how cruel and cold the world can be.

Claire's story is heartbreaking, yet captivating. It is definitely a slow burn, and takes a moment to get into, but then the tension builds between Remy and Claire and you are drawn to their stories. I adore Rhea and Claire's friendship, it feels so genuine and they balance each other so well.
Remy is a morally grey MC that still has me questioning if I love or hate him, but I guess that's what makes it a more interesting read!

This ends on a cliffhanger, so beware of that, and I'm absolutely hanging for book 2 already!
Also check the trigger warnings before reading.

Tropes:
- Best friends brother
- Billionaire romance
- Touch her and die vibes
- Dual POV
- Slow burn

[Melissa Doyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this as an ARC and I’m so glad I did! I love a good dark romance, there’s something about a a strong heroine and her morally grey hero that just does it for me. Add in all the twists and turns, and I couldn’t put this one down. It’s not the darkest or the steamiest I’ve ever read, but the story just sucks you in and you have to know what happens next. And now that it’s over, I’m sad that I have to wait for the next book to see what life has in store for Remy and Claire. But in the meantime, I’m off to devour everything else the author has written!

[Adriana Badillo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I need more

I noticed this book was recommended in a FB group and I decided to give it a chance and OMG I’m glad I did. In the beginning I was a little lost what I thought was happening was not it at all. The twist and turns in this book keep me craving for more.

The only sad thing is I’m afraid to start book 2 since I know I won’t be able to put it down. I love love love love this book.

[Lisah Frankland · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book in one day and that's how I can tell it was a truly good book. It kept me interested and had the perfect amount of slow burn and building chemistry. The back story was so intriguing which makes me excited to find out more answers in the next book. No cliffhangers here, but there are lots of questions to be answered.

[Katelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book that I’ve read from Carly Claire and I thoroughly enjoyed it! It took me a few chapters to get into it but by the time Remy and Claire have their accidental run in I am hooked. So many questions between these pages! Who is Claire and does she have ties to the Boudreaux family that no one knows about??

The tension between Claire(MFC) and Remy(MMC) is undeniable, but someone or something always gets in the way! There’s a slow burn that explodes when the drama finally unfolds!

I’m curious to see where Claire goes from here…the woman has been through so much more than anyone ever deserves and my heart broke for her when Remy pushed her to her breaking point.

Be sure to check the trigger warnings with this book! The story and plot are captivating and I can’t wait to see what comes next!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️

[Mary Fazzi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clarie is a 20 year old college student who made friends with Rhea. For the past 3 years Rhea and Clarie have done and gone everywhere together since they met. While on summer break from school, Rhea and Clarie are at Rhea's family home when her brother comes for a visit, Remy. He is dark to Rhea’s light. Clarie loves Rhea’s light and makes it a part of her own since her past is dark. Remy came to bring Rhea home to Coasta Rico to bury their father since he died. Remy hides what he does from Rhea to keep her light and not into the dark but Clarie and Remy have clicked but something keeps getting in the way and Remy is very protective over his sister and knows Clarie is hiding something. Will he find out or will he just drop it? I definitely need more from this story. It can’t be over yet.

[Toni Amey · Rating 5 out of 5]

That ending … 😩 I need more ASAP! I want to start by saying this book was so good that I read it all in one day, I could not put it down at all. In the beginning I was a little confused by what was going on and things slowly started coming together. It was definitely a slow burn but the plot was a solid 5/5 for me, even tho I have so many unanswered questions. My heart broke for Claire so many times and to me that’s what makes a good book, when you get so sucked into the story that you feel what the characters feel. I cannot wait for more! 100% recommend reading !

[Breanne Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a pretty good read. It was definitely a slow burn. I need to know who Claire is still, so I'm so excited to read the next book. I loved Remy's character and tried to help make light of the darkness that his family had created. Rhea was also a favorite character of mine. Hopefully, she will have a book too.

[Kim Callahan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! It had me captivated the entire time I was reading it. There was a twist I didn’t see coming and it was interesting. I can’t wait for the next book to see if we find out more about Claire’s background and her relationship with Remy.

[eglutees (melancholija0)]

DNF at 9% - žiauriai promising buvo pagal anotaciją, bet jau ant tiek neįdomūs pirmi skyriai, kad mesti lauk nebuvo gaila :')

[Sarah Seelbaugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first Carly book I have read. And omg was it good. Yes, it was a slow start, but the more u read the more u get into it. I'd say more toward the 2nd half of the book was more thrilling and kept you on your toes. I never expected what their vacation would end up as but man. I love Rhea she was just the sweetest helping Claire. However, Remy hid a lot of secrets but I'm glad loved Claire like his sister did. I can't wait for book 2. I highly recommend this book. It didn't have much spice and it wasn't all that dark either. Which was a great change for me.

[Amiee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow. I was not expecting that! The amount of twists this story took really threw me away from the truth.
Remy is fantastic, -In his own special way, he is such a caring big brother. I loved watching him battle his feelings for Claire as they changed and grew into something more.
Claire and Rhea's friendship is so typical of besties and the explanation of their love was so perfect.

[Jessica Williamson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. The author states that the book wo6nt be the darkest or spiciest you read; however, it still touches on some pretty dark subject matter.

While I'm not usually a fan of slow burn, I absolutely enjoyed the tension and build up between Remy and Claire.

For the first book in a series, it was well done and I'm looking forward to the next book!

book for free.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

[Nichole Spencer · Rating 5 out of 5]

First, make sure you read the TWs!

I missed a whole night of sleep to read this. I could not put it down no latter what. I was so drawn into this, I had to keep reading to find out what was going to happen! I was not disappointed.

Its hard to trust someone when you’ve seen the bad in others. Both Claire and Remy have been dealt a bad hand. Claire and Remy have trust issues for various reasons. And though they can’t seem to trust each other, they are drawn to one another and share the love for Rhea, Remy’s sister and Claire’s best friend. You can feel their chemistry pulling them together over and over.

Remy constantly pushes Claire. Forces her to share her dark past, and to face it head on. And she makes him want more, even though he hasn’t quite figured that out, all he knows is he’s drawn to her and cares more about her than anyone else he’s been with, even his ex who he once thought he’d marry one day. You feel the pain that Claire does as she’s broken once again, can feel her walls and and desire to live break down. All I wanted was to hug her, care for her. And you can sense how much Remy hates himself for causing her pain, his regret in pushing her and forcing her to tell him her secrets.

Remy’s familial and job ties, threatens Claire’s life, and Remy is willing to tear apart everything he’s built and lose it all, to save her. His anger and hatred for his boss and what his boss does and makes him do is felt by the reader. His anger and disgust for what they do to people, especially people close to him jumps off the pages.

The book ends on a cliff hanger that makes you crave more. All the twists and turns leave you end edge. I need to know where Claire and Remy’s story goes from here. Can they get past the things that have happened to them? What will Rhea think or do when she finds out about Claire’s past and the things Remy does? What will Remy’s boss try and do to him and Claire? Why did Elaine act the way she did when she saw Claire? Did Jovich know something about her part and where she came from? So many questions that I need answers for! I cannot wait to read books 2 and 3!

[Kat Hingle · Rating 4 out of 5]

So this is obviously a series, because there are so many questions that were left unanswered. At the end of the book I thought my phone froze or something. I did not want to believe that was the end of book one. Meaning it did not end on any type of cliffhanger and I felt like the ending should have been at least a bit more exciting so people would get more excited to jump into book 2 when it’s released. Regardless of that and a couple spelling and grammar mistakes that can be easily fixed. I really enjoyed this book and can’t wait to see where the author takes these characters. The plot is kinda similar to a lot of dark romance mafia books I’ve read before which is why there should be more twists and turns in the story, or at least a cliffie at the end. I’m guessing the author wanted book one to have a lot of mystery to the characters, leaving us readers asking questions that will be later answered in the next books in the series. Like who Claire really is and where she really came from because it’s obvious she doesn’t even know, but I’m pretty sure the housekeeper knows something. Rhea is your typical girls girl bestie, totally loving and loyal. I love Remy and really liked how the enemies to lovers trope was snuck in there between him and Claire. The spice was a slow burn but it was pretty hot once we got there. Claire just threw water on the flames real quick as soon as it was over though. Like I get it your traumatized but she’s changing into a new woman and if she was brave enough to combine her vengeance with sexy time then she should just embrace the new change instead of running away to handle it like a little girl. I also wish Wes didn’t end up being such a piece of shit, because if his actions weren’t so irredeemable then maybe we could have seen Claire get some sexy brotherly love! . That would have been HOT, but I guess this is a one love kind of relationship they are working with. Bring on the war in book 2 with more violence, gore, answers, twists, turns, and more spice!! Then I’ll be a happy camper!! :)

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

** I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.**

Holy sh*t what a read! What started as a “I’ll read a few pages before bed,” turned into all 288 pages gone along with my sleep! I started reading and could not stop until I hit the end because I HAD TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED! I started this book expecting a dirty, smutty read…..but it was so much more than that!

I really liked the female MC. She was strong, confident, and a complete freaking mess on the inside. I appreciated the fact that her inner thoughts weren’t wishy-washy or self-deprecating (although she had her moments, but they fit the situation ). I loved the friendship between Claire and Rhea. It felt like a true, ride or die, you-jump-I-jump, type friendship. There was no cattiness or jealousy between them. This type of friendship is hard to find between women in books… and in life. Now when it comes to the male MC….I liked his tough guy attitude and muscles, but he was an a$$hole. I get the whole, “rich by questionable means” thing, but he needs to chill out… and Claire needs to kick him in the nutz.

The plot of this book is outstanding. It was twisty with plenty of “whaaaat the efffff?!” moments. I thought I knew what was gonna happen….but it was so much more…😧 than that! The plot kept me up until the wee hours of the morning. The ending is a cliffhanger, so if you don’t like those… be forewarned. It literally ended at a spot that caused me to keep hitting the “advance” button because it was THAT abrupt. Needless to say, I will definitely be reading the second book!! I rate the Spiciness of this book a 6/10. There’s spice, but not much. Definitely check out the trigger warnings prior to reading this book. There’s parts that are taboo and cringe-inducing….so reader beware.

I highly recommend A Taste of Darkness by Carly Claire to anyone that wants to get wrapped up in the dark, dangerous world of the Bourdreaux family!

[Diana]

** I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.**

Holy moly what a read! What started as a “I’ll read a few pages before bed,” turned into all 288 pages gone along with my sleep! I started reading and could not stop until I hit the end because I HAD TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED! I started this book expecting a dirty, smutty read…..but it was so much more than that!

I really liked the female MC. She was strong, confident, and a complete freaking mess on the inside. I appreciated the fact that her inner thoughts weren’t wishy-washy or self-deprecating (although she had her moments, but they fit the situation ). I loved the friendship between Claire and Rhea. It felt like a true, ride or die, you-jump-I-jump, type friendship. There was no cattiness or jealousy between them. This type of friendship is hard to find between women in books… and in life. Now when it comes to the male MC….I liked his tough guy attitude and muscles, but he was a jerk. I get the whole, “rich by questionable means” thing, but he needs to chill out. His relentless badgering of Claire really burned my toast!

The plot of this book is outstanding. It was twisty with plenty of “whaaaat the efffff?!” moments. I thought I knew what was gonna happen….but it was so much more…😧 than that! The plot kept me up until the wee hours of the morning. The ending is a cliffhanger, so if you don’t like those… be forewarned. It literally ended at a spot that caused me to keep hitting the “advance” button because it was THAT abrupt. Needless to say, I will definitely be reading the second book!! I rate the Spiciness of this book a 6/10. There’s spice, but not much. Definitely check out the trigger warnings prior to reading this book. There’s parts that are taboo and cringe-inducing….so reader beware.

I highly recommend A Taste of Darkness by Carly Claire to anyone that wants to get wrapped up in the dark, dangerous world of the Bourdreaux family!

[Ashley Schilling · Rating 4 out of 5]

This, was my first read of Carly Claire’s and definitely will not be the last. If you have not ventured into dark romance books, and have been wanting to see what all the fuss is about, A Taste of Darkness would be perfect for a newbie. However, this book still has a shopping list of triggers that should be considered before reading.
The MMC Remy is no cinnamon roll, he is a morally gray slightly paranoid realist, that knows there are no guaranties with the life he lives, that has done everything in his power to protect/shield the one person he loves in life-his sister Rhea.
Claire (the FMC) has been through more than any one person should have to endure. Rhea, enters into Claire’s life their freshman year of college and she brings the light to her darkness. Her soulmate in the form of a best friend.
The beginning of A Taste of Darkness left me a little confused, wanting to put the puzzle pieces together, not wanting to close the book until I was able to assemble them. There were so many questions floating around in my head until the very end of the story. The beginning of the book made sense. Leaving me with a new set of questions.
“Those edges had been blunted by Rhea’s light, casting me in a vignette. But now that light I borrowed from her is gone. Her family’s darkness chased it away, leaving me broken once again.”
Will Claire and Rhea’s friendship still be intact in the end? Will Remy and Claire get the chance explore the possibility of a relationship or will it be over before it can begin?
This is a slow burn romance packed with secrets and drama. I thoroughly, enjoyed A Taste of Darkness and cannot wait to unfold the cliffhanger in the second book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️

[Diamond · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is dual POV following Claire; the best friend of Rhea, and Remy; Rhea's brother. Claire and Rhea are in college and are on summer vacation. During this vacation Remy comes to get Rhea and inform them of a death in the family. He takes them both back to Costa Rica for the funeral and to watch over them. Claire has a pretty traumatic past and because Remy's family is into some pretty shady shit, Claire's mysterious aura makes him suspicious. That doesn't stop the two from starting a pretty steamy relationship. A lot goes wrong though to both Remy and Claire in Costa Rica not just for the two of them but for the people around them.

I just want to start by saying Claire is a total badass. So much has happened in her life and she is still fighting. And each time she comes back stronger. Remy is also not what I expected and under all that fake bravado he can be really sweet and caring. You can feel their struggle to keep their passion at bay for each other.

The beginning of this story was pretty standard. It was good but not like jaw dropping that had me hungry to read more. The second half of this book is where I couldn't put this book down. So much was happening. Literally like a cluster fuck of events that I was hooked. I was so angry on Claire's behalf because shit just keeps happening to her, but again she is a badass bitch so she just comes back harder.

This series is a trilogy and I still have questions I need answers to. So I can't wait to read the next book and find out where this leads.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Ubarna · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars rounded up!

This was SUCH a good read omg 😩

I was hooked from the first chapter and the story flowed SO well.

The MMC, Remy, annoyed me so much at times but at other times I was giggling because of something he said or did.

I don’t have anything but love for the FMC, Claire. She has been through so much and is so strong. I only want good things to happen to her because she truly deserves it.

I had such a good time reading it! It was so easy to get through it and I could have easily finished it in one sitting if I wasn’t busy. It is also written in such a way that makes it so easy to picture everything that is going on. I will 100% be reading the next book in the series because I loved this one!

The only reason it’s a 4.5 star read instead of 5 stars is because the third act conflict got solved a little too fast and didn’t have enough explanation. It was definitely a hard scene to read and what was happening was also said to be a complicated situation so I wish we got to see a little bit more about how it got solved. I don’t want the whole explanation here since the second book is coming but a tiny bit more background info on what the character that was on the “safe” side did during it would have made it so perfect!

But other than that, it was such an awesome experience! Would highly recommend reading it (only if you are okay with everything that’s mentioned in the content warnings list)!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is so good that I read it in one day! This story deals with some difficult topics so please check your triggers.

Claire was thrust into foster care at an early age after her parents’ death. She is shuffled from home to home, from one bad situation to another until one fateful event changed her circumstances. She’s worked hard to not let past traumas weigh her down and with the help of her college best friend Rhea, she learns to embrace the light and leave some of the darkness behind.

Remy is dark and uncaring to everyone but his sister Rhea. At the age of 18 his life was led down a different path. He vowed not to let his darkness or the life he lives have an effect on Rhea. When he meets Claire, he is immediately drawn to her, but in the back of his mind he can’t fully trust her. In the world he lives in, he can’t trust anyone, even his sister’s best friend.

The chemistry between Claire and Remy is undeniable. This is a slow burn, and you can really feel the tension build between these two. The plot was interesting, and the author drew me in with the twists and turns. By the end of this book some of my questions were answered but there is more that I need to know. I’m so glad the next book is out and I can see where the road for Claire and Remy lead. Overall, a good solid start to a series and from this author.

I received a free advanced copy of this book and am leaving this review voluntarily and absolutely recommend reading this!

[Morgan Jacques · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Spice:🌶️🌶️
Tropes: Best Friend’s Brother, Billionaire Romance

A Taste of Darkness revolves around Rhea and her best friend Claire. One night, Rhea’s brother Remy comes back to the states from Costa Rica to inform her that their father has passed away, and to bring them both to Costa Rica for the funeral. As Remy and Claire’s attraction for one another increase, Remy’s suspicions of Claire’s intentions also increase. Remy digs up Claire’s past to figure out what exactly Claire is hiding. Little does Claire know, Remy has secrets of his own.

I ate the book up! I found myself intrigued on what both Claire and Remy were hiding from one another. As the story progressed, I knew Claire was hiding something, and I kind of guessed what her secret was. When it comes to Remy, I did not expect what his secret was.

Claire’s character was beautifully written. I wish we learned a little more about Remy. He was just this mysterious character throughout the whole book, and then it was BAM! This is my darkest secret. I found myself wanting to know more about him.

This is the first book in a series. With that said, I ended the book with more questions than answers I got, so keep that in mind.

Please check trigger warnings, as this is a dark romance.

Overall, this is a great read and I honestly cannot wait for book 2 to come out

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG!! This story was so good but WTF is going to happen now after that ending???

I devoured every intense, emotional and heart exploding moment of this story in one sitting and could not get enough of it. It was dark, violent, sexy and filled with twists and turns I never saw coming. And the steamy moments were definitely slow building but worth every second of the insane buildup.

Claire is a woman with a dark past and Remy is a man dead set on digging out every one of Claire’s secrets, even if it breaks her. But what Remy doesn’t realize is that Claire is going to make his cold heart start to melt.

I loved the banter between the all the characters. I knew I would instantly love Claire and Rhea with their hilarious and quirky friendship, and Remy definitely kept my heart swooning over his broodiness. But some of the characters that popped up in the story really had me fiercely angry and growling at their stupidity.

The ever-growing sexual tension between Claire and Remy had me on the edge of my seat, biting my nails with anticipation and squirming like crazy!! It was so good.

This story may be slow burn, but the insane build up in the plot over what was really going on nearly killed me over what ends up transpiring and then that ending WTF! I need more now!

I can’t wait for the next book.

[Readernerd57_book_reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book and this is my honest review. Actual star rating is 3.75 ⭐ it was so close to being a 4 star read for me but just wasn't quite there yet.
In this book we follow Remy and Clair. Remy is Clair's best friends brother, and he is a very protective big brother who has seen too much of what the dark side of life can offer. He needs to do everything that he can to keep the darkness from reaching his sister. Including making sure her best friend Clair is who she says she is.
Clair has finally left the darkness and trauma of her past behind her, or so she thinks. All she wants is to enjoy collage life and soak in her best friends light.
When Clair and Remy meat for the first time it is instant attraction and lust. They both feel and immediate pull to the other person. I really did like the drawn out tension in this book. I really did enjoy this book but I just wanted a little more of everything. I wanted a little more tension between Clair and Remy. I wanted more questions answered in this first book about who Clair really is. I wanted more of a sense of danger and action during the last 20% of the book. I really enjoyed everything that was in the book and the sense of mystery surrounding Clair and Remy I just wanted a bit more. Overall I really liked it and want to continue the series.

[Roisin Robbins · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Taste of Darkness Review 
Carly Claire 

Rating 5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice 3🌶🌶 🌶 

This is the first book that I’ve read from Carly Claire, but it will not be the last. This is the first book in what I'm assuming is going to be a series, Embrace the Darkness. Wow what a start. This was not a dark, dark romance but it was still great.

I loved both FMC Clarie is a 20 year old college student who made friends with Rhea. For the past 3 years Rhea and Clarie have done and gone everywhere together since they met. While on summer break from school, Rhea and Clarie are at Rhea's family home when her brother comes for a visit, and MMC Remy is no cinnamon roll, he is a morally gray slightly paranoid realist, that knows there are no guaranties with the life he lives, that has done everything in his power to protect/shield the one person he loves in life-his sister Rhea. The tension between Claire and Remy is undeniable, but there is always something getting in the way! 

That ending, I need more ASAP! I cannot wait for more! As always please be sure to check the trigger warnings with this book!