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Marked in the Dark
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Expected 27 Aug 26339 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication August 27, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Author
This had all the perfect elements to a fantastic dark mafia romance with intrigue, tension, twists, and a rollercoaster that rocks you at every turn, dip and twist.
Marked in the Dark follows Riley, a lost heir to a powerful man and Alexei who has brought her back to the surface. Throughout the story, Riley is constantly combatting her own nightmares and escaping the grip of the hands that haunt her mind is the only piece from her past that she has. Alexei doesn't work the way his father or his brother do, ever since he laid eyes on Riley, he has become a weak link in his family's organization, a child needing a lesson, reprimanded to remember the rules. But the heart wants what it wants. And he wants Riley. The cost of that desire is yet to be revealed.
Brittany has an immaculate way of capturing audiences with her stories and the characters always have a piece of them that you can relate to, whether it's trauma, nightmares, self confidence, a wall around your heart - she has it mastered. I enjoyed the plot line and themes of Marked in the Dark and that simmering low boil heat between Riley and Alexei. The story was a rollercoaster, some dips and twists were easier and some that took you by surprise! I liked the family drama that was unfolding as well as the turmoil brewing as Alexei was finding himself ready to trash the rules he's being raised by. Some dialogue did repeat in a sense but I more so saw it as a part of Riley's detachment from the whole scenario as she was learning about herself, her captors, understanding her trauma and the survival that she needed to be ready for. Trauma isn't a one time moment, it's a constantly cycling monster that makes us stay vigilant and analytical - having trauma makes us relive the same fear and situation over and over, we become desperate to change the memory, the experience and find the shortcut out of the nightmare.
Marked in the Dark follows Riley, a lost heir to a powerful man and Alexei who has brought her back to the surface. Throughout the story, Riley is constantly combatting her own nightmares and escaping the grip of the hands that haunt her mind is the only piece from her past that she has. Alexei doesn't work the way his father or his brother do, ever since he laid eyes on Riley, he has become a weak link in his family's organization, a child needing a lesson, reprimanded to remember the rules. But the heart wants what it wants. And he wants Riley. The cost of that desire is yet to be revealed.
Brittany has an immaculate way of capturing audiences with her stories and the characters always have a piece of them that you can relate to, whether it's trauma, nightmares, self confidence, a wall around your heart - she has it mastered. I enjoyed the plot line and themes of Marked in the Dark and that simmering low boil heat between Riley and Alexei. The story was a rollercoaster, some dips and twists were easier and some that took you by surprise! I liked the family drama that was unfolding as well as the turmoil brewing as Alexei was finding himself ready to trash the rules he's being raised by. Some dialogue did repeat in a sense but I more so saw it as a part of Riley's detachment from the whole scenario as she was learning about herself, her captors, understanding her trauma and the survival that she needed to be ready for. Trauma isn't a one time moment, it's a constantly cycling monster that makes us stay vigilant and analytical - having trauma makes us relive the same fear and situation over and over, we become desperate to change the memory, the experience and find the shortcut out of the nightmare.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Marked in the Dark Review
“After.” -Alexei and Riley
Marked in the Dark by Brittany Evermore is the first book of the Twisted Faith Duet. This is book 1 of the duology.
What an amazing dark mafia romance! It starts off dark and only gets darker with twists and turns you don’t see coming! This book throws you right into the story, and you gotta hang on cause you are in for a ride! You have “family business” politics, forbidden love, twists and turns, and of course romance of the dark variety!
It follows Riley and Alexei. Riley is an artist who has a passion for painting and who works at a coffee shop trying to make her dream of becoming a painter real. She is very perceptive and is very aware of her surroundings. She also has this reoccuring nightmare that haunts her every night, but is it really a nightmare or a memory? Alexei works for his father in “the family business” and needs Riley for something that could stop a conflict that’s been going on for decades. He doesn’t realize what he did when he took her and now he is falling for her.
Overall, 5 stars! If you like dark mafia romances, enemies to lovers, all the morally gray everything, and touch her and die vibes then this book is for you!
This does end on a cliffhanger. It is book 1 of 2.
Tropes:
Enemies to lovers
Morally gray everything
Mafia
Forbidden love
He would burn the world down for her
“After.” -Alexei and Riley
Marked in the Dark by Brittany Evermore is the first book of the Twisted Faith Duet. This is book 1 of the duology.
What an amazing dark mafia romance! It starts off dark and only gets darker with twists and turns you don’t see coming! This book throws you right into the story, and you gotta hang on cause you are in for a ride! You have “family business” politics, forbidden love, twists and turns, and of course romance of the dark variety!
It follows Riley and Alexei. Riley is an artist who has a passion for painting and who works at a coffee shop trying to make her dream of becoming a painter real. She is very perceptive and is very aware of her surroundings. She also has this reoccuring nightmare that haunts her every night, but is it really a nightmare or a memory? Alexei works for his father in “the family business” and needs Riley for something that could stop a conflict that’s been going on for decades. He doesn’t realize what he did when he took her and now he is falling for her.
Overall, 5 stars! If you like dark mafia romances, enemies to lovers, all the morally gray everything, and touch her and die vibes then this book is for you!
This does end on a cliffhanger. It is book 1 of 2.
Tropes:
Enemies to lovers
Morally gray everything
Mafia
Forbidden love
He would burn the world down for her
Review of advance copy received from Author
The Twisted Faith Duet: Alexei and Riley
⭐⭐⭐½
This was an interesting premise, and I definitely enjoyed the story, but unfortunately I never quite managed to fully connect with the characters.
There was plenty of tension, secrets and a few twists to keep things moving, and I was curious to see how everything would unfold. I did find the constant references to Riley’s past (or what everyone thought was her past) a little repetitive at times, though, and I think that was probably part of what kept me from really connecting with her and Alexei.
There were some good moments between them, and I liked the slow build of their relationship, but I was still waiting for that extra oomph that never quite came.
And then we get to the ending… It’s supposed to be a cliffhanger, but honestly, it fell a little flat for me. I didn’t finish it desperately needing to know what happens next, which is usually what I want from a first book in a duet.
Overall, I enjoyed it and the premise definitely had potential, but it just didn’t quite hit the mark for me. I’ll probably still pick up the next book to see how everything plays out, though.
⭐⭐⭐½
This was an interesting premise, and I definitely enjoyed the story, but unfortunately I never quite managed to fully connect with the characters.
There was plenty of tension, secrets and a few twists to keep things moving, and I was curious to see how everything would unfold. I did find the constant references to Riley’s past (or what everyone thought was her past) a little repetitive at times, though, and I think that was probably part of what kept me from really connecting with her and Alexei.
There were some good moments between them, and I liked the slow build of their relationship, but I was still waiting for that extra oomph that never quite came.
And then we get to the ending… It’s supposed to be a cliffhanger, but honestly, it fell a little flat for me. I didn’t finish it desperately needing to know what happens next, which is usually what I want from a first book in a duet.
Overall, I enjoyed it and the premise definitely had potential, but it just didn’t quite hit the mark for me. I’ll probably still pick up the next book to see how everything plays out, though.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Riley has always had an occurring nightmare for the past seventeen years of her life. A little girl who was taken and she can’t figure out why. And then she gets kidnapped and answers to her nightmare and past come to light.
This is a dark slow burn romance. It’s a mystery waiting to be solved. I love the slow pace of the story and how I’m trying to figure out who Riley is and why her life is like this.
We have Alexei who is under his father’s orders only to slowly fall for the girl who is the key to his father’s plans. He is stuck in this life that he’s accustomed to, but Riley might be the exception for him breaking the rules.
It is very much a slow burn because it focuses more on Riley’s past and the current situation they’re all in. It is low spice and leaves on somewhat of a cliffhanger as it is a duet.
This is a dark slow burn romance. It’s a mystery waiting to be solved. I love the slow pace of the story and how I’m trying to figure out who Riley is and why her life is like this.
We have Alexei who is under his father’s orders only to slowly fall for the girl who is the key to his father’s plans. He is stuck in this life that he’s accustomed to, but Riley might be the exception for him breaking the rules.
It is very much a slow burn because it focuses more on Riley’s past and the current situation they’re all in. It is low spice and leaves on somewhat of a cliffhanger as it is a duet.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I was immediately intrigued when I read the prologue and honestly could put the book down. The way she described things and the tension that was built was perfect! I like the backstory and learning more about the main characters as opposed to rushing it and jumping straight in I think it helped the story line. I’m obsessed with anything Brittany writes and this didn’t disappoint! I can’t wait for the next one. You HAVE to read this
Review of advance copy received from Author
Thank you for the ARC! I enjoyed this book.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews