Darkness Falls

Darkness #3

by J.L. Drake

More than a year after her ordeal, Emily McPhee finally feels safe…

Emily’s psychological scars are healing. Things are great between her and OPD Officer Seth Connors, and her biggest problem is the X-rated Halloween decorations her best friend Pete has placed all around her house.

If only it would stay that way…

Seth senses something isn’t right, but he doesn’t know where the danger is coming from…or why. He’s sure Emily’s neighbor, Travis McKay, is hiding something, and the man pays way too much attention to Emily.

To make things even more complicated, a new female officer appears to have her sights set on Seth, and fellow officer Alexander Avery has some sort of connection to a mysterious brothel employee. Seth has a feeling all these odd things are somehow connected—but he knows he’s missing a huge piece of the puzzle.

Pull at a thread and everything unravels.

Emily’s mother shows up with a surprise and a dirty plan to force her to sell the family home…and Seth’s father is proven to be the deceitful monster he always believed him to be. Lasko’s tainted past and twisted family ties turn out to be more complex than they ever imagined.

Every lie has a consequence, and Seth and Emily need the truth.

In order to escape with their lives and their love intact, they must answer one critical question…

Who is the real target in this deadly game?

Genres: Romance, Suspense, Dark, Romantic Suspense, Thriller, Contemporary Romance, New Adult

311 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 1, 2015

About the author

International best selling author J. L. Drake was born and raised in Nova Scotia, Canada, later moving to Southern California where she lives with her husband and two children.

Be sure to check out her bestselling trilogy, Broken!

All of her books link in someway, here is her
"Suggested Reading Order."


BROKEN
SHATTERED
MENDED

HONOR
ESCAPE

TRIGGER
DEMONS
UNLEASHED

FREEDOM
OMERTA - Short story (Mafia)
COURAGE

DARKNESS LURKS
DARKNESS FOLLOWS
DARKNESS FALLS

BEHIND MY WORDS
CHRISTMAS AT THE CABIN - Short Story

ALL IN

QUIET WEALTH
QUIET SECRETS
QUIET POWER
QUIET EMPIRE

SHADOWS
WHISKEY
ALPHA
TANGO

GRIM
HAVOC
SINS

EXTRACTION
EMBEDDED
BREACHED

Other places to find her:,

Facebook ⭐️ https://bit.ly/3bRG7Vp
Instagram ⭐️ https://bit.ly/341eEh8
TikTok⭐️ https://bit.ly/3wZGSck
Reader Group ⭐️https://bit.ly/3TOBIJ0
Email ⭐️ JLDrake@AuthorJLDrake.com
Newsletter ⭐️ http://bit.ly/2QZZEut
Website ⭐️ https://bit.ly/34b4OcN

Reviews

[Jac K · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn’t want to read this because I felt like half of Darkness Follows was filler, and couldn’t imagine how the author could squeeze another book out of the story, but I own the boxset so I pushed on.

We picked up a year or so after we left off. Lasko is dead… but wait… he might’ve had a partner…. And he’s a cop. There’re tons of hints that this dude has a big evil plan… but he really just tries to break Emily and Seth up. 🤔 Unfortunately, instead of generating drama for me… I thought it just made them look even more immature. I like the friends to lover dynamic because the couple should (in theory) have a solid foundation of trust, but for some reason Emily and Seth lacked this which made for a frustrating read. I have no idea why they were even together if they have zero trust in each other… and I’m so over Emily running away for space… again and again and again.

Other issues-
➖The flow was slow and littered with numerous flashback scenes. (I skimmed several of them)
➖This is ongoing from the previous books, but the author writes one-sided conversations between the bad guy and an unknown person. I get that it’s so we don’t know who the partner is, but it doesn’t flow and is confusing to read. There’re a ton of them, so it really started to annoy me.
➖ Seth and Emily are unlikable and their jealousy, argue, runner, sex cycle is repeated countless times.

Bottom Line- I’m so happy it’s over… although things still feel unsettled which is crazy since this was stretched out to three books.

[angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great series

This was a great series to read, full of things u didn't c coming. Careful of who u let in ur inner circle. Definitely an enjoyable read.

[Philomena Callan Cheekypee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh wow. I'm totally speechless. I've got to say my expectations were high for this book. I absolutely loved the first two books. I even went as far as burning my kids cookies as I forgot about them while reading book two.

Ok I'm going to confess that as much as I wanted to read this book I didn't jump into it as soon as I got it. Why? I was afraid. Yep I was afraid that the author wouldn't meet my expectations. I was also afraid that it would be so good it would mess with my head.

The release date is getting close so I pulled on my big girl pants and read it. I got sucked right in. Right back into Emily and Seths roller coaster story.
This book exceeded my expectations big style. Did it mess with my head? Hell yes. I actually messaged the author saying I was afraid to read anymore. Yes it's that kinda read. The twists and turns kept coming at me until my head was a mess.

I'm not gonna say anything about the storyline. My lips are sealed. All your getting off me is how I felt reading this series and to be honest I haven't even got the words in my vocabulary to do these books justice.
This is an epic series. A must read if you like dark, romance and suspense. These will certainly be staying on my kindle for are read.

[Lydia Deets · Rating 2 out of 5]

This series had so much potential buuuuut unfortunately it's horribly executed. I read all 3 books because, even poorly written, I did feel the need to see the story/mystery to the end.....they ended in cliffhangers so it got me caught up unintentionally. Damn you.


The frustrations!!!!

WARNING: IM TOO LAZY TO HIDE SPOILERS SO PROCEED WITH CAUTION.
DON'T BE LIKE THE TITANIC- TURN AROUND AND GO BACK.


Seth:
Blonde haired, blue eyed...This picture lacks color but does it really matter? Not. At. All.

Emily:

I'm trying to picture a girl that literally, EVERY SINGLE MAN SHE ENCOUNTERS has to comment on how pretty she is. Like aaaaaaall the time. Even gay men (her best friend Pete) are constantly fawning at this girl over her beauty and any man interested in vaginas is flirting with her to no end.... ALL of Seth's co-workers, Emily's neighbor, random men she sees out in public- at bars and at the beach, her college professor, Seth's brother, the men stalking her, other guys she goes to school with....EVERY. SINGLE. MAN. IN. THE. BOOK. I wish this were an over exaggeration....its not.
I guess this lady fits the bill though. She's pretty.


You're all invited to Emily's beach house for her weekly Bar B Q!
Come rain, shine or threats of a stalker/killer, the house is ALWAYS open for guests! Please, everyone and their mother, drop on by!

For real, the girl is always having a party or people just stopping by unannounced at her house.



Garrett:

I have no clue why I kept picturing Taylor David as Garrett but I just kept thinking, with Seth being this blonde haired blue eyed all American looking guy, his partner should be the opposite.
Long hair, tattoos and shit.


Erin:

Erin, to me needed some color....because I'm an Erin with some color.... and this book has zero color.


Avery:

Shannon Leto (30 Seconds to Mars) comes to mind because he has evil villain eyebrows. But he's also cute. But could he be evil too? Dun dun duuun!


Oh hey look, here are ALL of the police officers they mention in the book.


All 500 of 'em. Seriously, there were a lot of names of police officers to keep track of. I kind of gave up on remembering who they all were in the middle of book 2. Made reading this one easier IMO.


Sooooooo Darkness 3.....this book picks up about a year from where the last book left off. The person responsible for stalking and kidnapping Emily was killed in Darkness 2 but the police always felt he may have had a partner in crime. The very end of Darkness 2 revealed that partner is actually a police officer and friend to the main characters, Avery. So, this book was less tracking a stalker and more of Avery doing things to sabotage the relationship between Emily and Seth. There are hints throughout that there is a grand scheme to his evil plan but for the most part we get to see how immature and jealous Emily and Seth can really be under pressure.


This had me feeling....


with a little bit of


and a lot of


sprinkled with...


and ending by




Things I Liked
There were some things I liked which prevent this from ending up in the DNF pile.

1) I'm a sucker for best friends turned boyfriend/girlfriend relationships. To me, it's always more believable and I can feel a connection between the characters as opposed to insta-love. There were parts of Seth and Emily's relationship I found endearing (but not a lot).

2) The story moves along. I did skip a lot of the flashback sections because they became tedious to read. So, if you skip those, even not liking how this was written, it flows. You can at least say you didn't waste a whole day or more on a book thats not all that great. So, YAY!

3) The mystery. I'm all about a good "who done it" and this one was okay. I liked finding out about the connection between Avery and Lasko (the stalker from books 1 & 2 that was killed).

4) Emily's mother. She is a character you will love to hate. But really just hate.


A rare bonding moment caught between Emily and Mommy Dearest. Seriously, her mother is bat shit crazy. Fucking loon.



Things I Did Not Like

1) Well. I hated how horribly written this was.

The best way for me to describe the writing style is stagnant. I don't mean that in terms of what's happening in the book, like I said- it does move along, I mean stagnant with the way its worded. Very "and then I put the chicken on our plates. Then we sat down to eat. The next morning..." kind of writing. (That is not a direct quote from the book but an example in my opinion of the writing tone)


2) The chapters contain changing POV's between Emily, Seth and Avery and there are flashbacks within those POV's. The flashbacks never have a clear time as to when they happened, until you read through and play detective to figure it out.
There are A LOT of conversations from Avery's POV that happen where you aren't sure who he's talking to, no mention of the person's name, and that was annoying as fuck. This happened in the first and second book too, to hide the coconspirators but its difficult to read so many one sided conversations. Maybe if there weren't as many it wouldn't have been so bad.....?


Basically, this was all over the place.

3) Emily and Seth in their relationship were ANNOYING AND CHILDISH AS FUCK! I didn't like how untrusting Emily and Seth were of their relationship and that seemed to be a running theme through all the books. Not once, did either of those 2 ever trust or really talk to each other!

WHY ARE YOU TOGETHER AGAIN?!?!?!

Seth sees someone flirt with Emily and proceeds to loose his fucking mind over it.
Emily acts like a child and runs away for the umpteenth time because she needs "space".

Rinse and repeat over and over and over and over again....

One moment I loved though.....which goes back to me questioning Emily and Seth's relationship in a way.....

When Emily cussed her mother out!!!!!!!

That was awesome and I liked seeing her stand up for herself. (I mean, seriously, who tries to sell someone else's house? Really, mom?) I think the mother's character went on a bit too long with the selfish shit because she should have had her ass handed to her a long time ago. I know she's Emily's mother but how many times did the woman need to prove to Emily that she didnt care about her?

Was Emily putting up with her mother supposed to show how much heart she has and how forgiving she is?

If so, then why was she not giving Seth that same thing in the relationship?

Why did she continue to never trust him? And him not trust her?

Seth (although being an overbearing, jealous dick at times) deserved way more of whatever good nature Emily had yet she gave a lot of that to her mother, the person who didn't care about her.

For all of Seth's faults, at least he truly loved Emily.

Yea, they would eventually make up and stick by each other after an argument but a lot of their problems wouldn't have happened in the first place had they talked to each other like adults when they got upset! I mean...its called talking and trusting people. This ain't new shit!

I guess, some of these things had purpose in order for there to be book and show a not so perfect relationship. So I get it, it's something to read and add to the story but its just frustrating as fuck.


I wish Emily and Seth would have shown more consideration for her relationship whenever they felt something was wrong. They had so many external problems and the internal ones just seemed to be pointless.


4) (Thought I was done!?!? Jokes on you!)
There were loose ends that were never cleaned up.



There is a storyline about Emily's mother trying to sell Emily's house and going behind her back to meet with buyers/real estate agents. Avery forges signatures to go through with the sell....and we never hear about this again. Emily does find out so I'm guessing she put a stop to the sell and said it wasn't her signature authorizing it but the fact that I have to guess is a problem for me. There should be no guess on my part!!! Clean up the story!!!


And we never hear about her mother again after Emily kicks her out of the house. The way that scene is left, it felt like there was going to be more to it. The tension between Emily and the new step dad didn't seem like things were finished there.

But this book does not end with a cliffhanger like the previous two and says "The End"......so that's it? Not that I'd continue reading the series but so many little things were left that were made to feel like there would be a conclusion...eh.


5) There was so much randomness thrown in that seemed to be part of something bigger but wasn't.
Like everything that happened with her neighbor Travis. Everything about him screamed "HE'S CRAZY" then you find out there is really nothing there...I guess a lot of the weirdness about him was to make him seem like a suspect but this book (technically end of book 2) reveals who the partners in stalking/killing were...there was no need to keep painting Travis out to be a creep. But there was always someone, either Avery or Seth, saying "there's more to Travis" and "he's keeping a huge secret".....it really wasn't that bad once we find out what it is. A lot of build up for a shitty let down.


6) I'M TIRED OF EVERYONE TALKING ABOUT HOW BEAUTIFUL EMILY IS. Throughout all of the books.....everyone talked about how pretty she was, how gorgeous and beautiful and stunning and "Seth, you're lucky to have a girl like that.." and so much shit ALL the time. It was so frustrating and annoying and really fucking stupid. We get it! THE BITCH IS PRETTY! DAMN


Ugh. Okay. I'm done. I can probably nitpick this book and find several other things that irritated me but I give up.



I'm gonna go drink now.....

[Three Chicks · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Scared Out of My Mind Stars!

Review by Jen Hagen

They never knew I was there, never knew I watched their most private moments, never knew I heard some of their darkest secrets.

I freaked myself out while reading this book. I had to stop reading it before I went to bed. The thought that somebody was hiding behind my bedroom curtains when I don’t even have floor-length curtains freaked me out along with the thought that somebody was hiding in my closet. This was scary good!! I felt that the second installment lacked something, but whatever it was lacking was made up ten times in this final installment. All our questions were answered and there was never a lull in the story. Seth’s questionable family history is revealed along with a huge twist regarding Emily’s abduction and her stalker.

Scott and Travis, especially Travis, were still messing with my head always wondering how they played into the story. I didn’t trust either of them. But the character that really stole the show was the puppet master. He was controlled, deadly, and had everybody fooled.

The idea that a trusted friend was connected to our nightmare was a hard thing to comprehend.

Nobody expected this person to be the strings. How did he become the puppet master? Oh my friends that is just part of the plot twist. You thought you knew it from the second installment how he was connected to Jimmy Lasko but there’s way more to this story.

“Just remember, my dear, a secret revealed often has pain following right behind it. That being, said. I think it’s time.”

Part of the dance is to make Seth and Em doubt each other’s trust. They’ve been through a lot in the last year since Jimmy Lasko messed with their lives. Seth and Em are unaware that their lives are once again being messed with. The puppet master casts doubt in their eyes of trust – all it takes is a kiss and a pair of boxers and this has Seth and Em seeing their relationship with a questionable future.

“Em, you fought so hard for us last year, so let me fight for us now. If you’re second guessing things, tell me now so I can make them right. I don’t want to do me without you.” His hand caught a tear I didn’t even know was falling.

The writing was excellent, the story was fantastic, and the suspense was excruciating. I felt like I was being old school and reading my favorite genre of years ago before I discovered angst romance. There is plenty of Seth and Em heating up the scenes to keep any romance reader happy, but the majority of praise for this book comes from the scary factor – not scary gory, but scary freaky. I am now going to check my attic for a sleeping bag that doesn’t belong there.

[Rhea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Let me start by saying that I absolutely loved the "Broken" series by this author. I loved it so much, I count it among the best books I've ever read and it would make my "books to have on a deserted island" list. So it confuses me that this "Darkness" series is so different, I can't believe it's the same author. I hoped this last book in the series would be better as the last few chapters of the second book were better than anything in the first book or first half of the second book. It was better - at least in the last few chapters.

The plot is great It's an intricate and smart plot but most of it happens in the last few chapters. The rest of the book has a lot of filler. For me, the book has too many sex scenes and too much obscene language. I like a couple of good sex scenes but if you removed all the graphic sex scenes, this book would lose a LOT of pages. Emily and Seth are not likable characters for me and annoyed me so much, I was kind of hoping the killer would prevail.

It disappoints me to no end that I didn't like this series because I loved the "Broken" series so much and can't wait for the next installments in that. I'm not sure why the writing is so different in this series but I'm sorry that it is.

[Kim BookJunkie ~ Editor & Proofreader · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read a few books between Darkness #2 and this one, waiting to read book #3 with a group on Goodreads. Although there were only about 8 days between the time I read these two books, because there were SO many characters in this series, I literally had to-reread the last quarter of Darkness Follows before starting this one! And, even after rereading all of that, I still couldn't remember who some of the characters were which is extremely frustrating and not typical of me; a reflection of how many irrelevant, unnecessary characters the author threw into this series.

In this third and hopefully final installment, Drake finally tells us exactly how Seth and Emily met. In addition, we also see more of Seth's family, finally discovering why Seth hates his father so much. I did enjoy these parts of the book, finally getting answers to questions I have had since book #1. I also enjoyed learning more about Avery and his family. Otherwise, I was disappointed by this book. Never in my life have I read a series containing so many extraneous characters. Fortunately, this book did not contain half the amount of unnecessary characters that are found in the first two books yet irrelevant characters like Scott continue to pop up. The amount of characters is so asinine that I didn't realize that Johnny and Campbell were the same person until I was 85% into book #3! And, after reading all three books, I'm still not sure who Alyssa is… Julia?
Like the 13 or so relevant characters, much of the book felt like fluff. I repeatedly found myself reading what ended up being meaningless conversations and events which IMO served as filler meant to create more pages. I was also frustrated by several events which were way too coincidental.

If you like romance with mystery and suspense, you might enjoy this series. However, if you like dark erotica, this series is not for you....

[RentasticReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

HOLY. SHIT.

Now THAT—that is one hell of an ending to an amazing series. I've honestly put it off for much longer than I wanted to because deep inside, I'm just not ready for it all to be over. Plus, I know whatever will be happening in this book, although I'll finally be getting all the answers, will completely mess with my head and dread every step of the way. With this author, you just never know where the story will go. Just when you thought it will go left, it takes you on a sharp right instead. I kept on wondering and waiting who's going to die next. Or who played what. I still didn't know who to trust and not to trust. And that's what makes this book all the more thrilling and exciting. The entire ride gave me an adrenaline rush.

I was completely stumped with Avery. I had no clue he had those twisted ways of his. He's more screwed up in the head than we were all led to believe. He didn't creep me out as much as Lasko did, but Christ, this guy's stalker skills are at the maximum level. He was as cunning and as sly as a freaking snake! He was just so unstable that you would never know what his next move will be. He indeed played everybody like they're his puppets.

With Seth and Emily, I knew how strong their love and relationship is. But with all the bumps on the road thrown their way, I started to grow skeptical too. You never know when it would just break. They've been through so much with Lasko already and you'd think they're on their last thread to hold on to. But I wasn't surprised at all by how much smarter and stronger they are together. They really are perfect and made for one another. Then there's the thought of how these two met. I know they have one hell of a history, but it was never disclosed. And man was I granted the answer to that as well. That walk down memory lane just tugged at my heart more for these two. Everything was just so much deeper than they all thought.

I guess this is where you can say, "expect the unexpected". Yes, it's sounds so cliché, but it fits the bill so much. You get to a part where you think it'll all end there and it's the worst that could happen. But no, it just continues to get more twisted and worse than you thought it could ever be. I never wanted this series to end. To be honest, I'm still hung up on Seth and Emily. Their story has been such a roller coaster ride that I couldn't believe this is what closes their chapter already. Though I think it would be so much fun to give Pete a book, or even just a novella. And Garrett, oh that sure is going to be one hell of a ride. That small revelation in the end about him? I must say, I did not see that coming at all. And Garrett of all people.

Just know that if you've followed this series, all the questions looming in your head since the first and second book will be utterly answered here. Actually, even the questions you wouldn't even think about asking—oh you will get your answers all right. Reading books by this author always gives me the chills and the creeps. I've expected this book to be explosive and mind boggling. And guess what, she most definitely succeeded in doing that. And then some.

[Butthisbook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bittersweet feeling while reading the third book in this series. Idk what I was expecting, but it definitely surpassed my expectations. I can honestly say that Darkness Falls is my favorite. I’ve been waiting a long time for this conclusion yet when I received the book, I wasn’t ready to open it.

When most of you fell in love with Cole and Team Blackstone ( that’s if you’ve read J.L. Drake’s other series), my heart already belonged to Seth and all the OPD men from the Darkness Trilogy.

Darkness Falls had me at the edge of my seat. It was mysterious with the right amount of twist and turns. It was sexy as hell. Jodi had me drooling and falling head over heels in love with Seth all over again. Emily, God I love that girl, but she drove me crazy at times. When Seth says to stay put, you stay put. But then again NVM, when disobeying Seth Connors, Mr. Alpha likes to come out and play. ;) I’m only hoping this isn’t the last I’ll hear in regards to these characters.

J.L. Drake is an author to look out for. I felt like she has grown so much with her writing with these two original series she’s put out.

Check these books out. It’s one of my absolute favorites. Lots of twist and turns will have you at the edge of your seat. Make sure all your doors and windows are locked when starting. Enjoy

[Babbling Chatter Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

The conclusion of the trilogy continues to keep you on the edge of your seat. After over more than a year of the crazy ordeal with Lasko we get the relationship we have been wanting to see between Seth Connors and Emily McPhee; however, with any new relationship comes its challenges. From neighbor to coworkers to even family members the questions that will stay on your mind is who can you really trust. To top it off…with all the things thrown at them is their love strong enough for anything?

“I’m yours, Seth,” she just barely whispered as she came along with me. She was all mine, and she was perfect. Emily was the light as the end of the tunnel.

The author can make your skin crawl with her words when it comes to being watched. There were moments that I had to take a breather just to check my surroundings. When the answers were finally revealed it did not just stop there. The story will leave you wondering for more but it ended with your mind feeling twisted and torn and questions finally answered. ~Cristina, 4 stars

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Jodi for feeding my fear of closets and people hiding in my house. Thank you! I put this book off for a while 'cause I didn't want this story to end. I've really enjoyed hanging with the two most stubborn people ever Emily and Seth, and the whole crew. Really sad to see it end. I think I need more though, I'm not done with them. Like a novella, an epilouge, that proposal? Pretty please? ;)
What a ride this book was, I think my hands were sweating the whole way through. If you're into suspence, romance and creepy psycho people this is for you. Just make sure your windows and doors are locked before you start :) Great end to this story!

[Ana Armstrong · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seth and Emily... If you have't read the Darkness Series now is the time, GO READ THEM... J.L. Drake hasn't disappointing me with her storytelling/writing style. She ALWAYS has strong characters, you instantly fall in love with them. I can't wait to see what stories she has in store for us in the future!

[Diana's (Books And Coffee Cups) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bravo!..J.L.Drake!...BRAVO!!!!

Full Review: http://booksandcoffeecups77.blogspot....

[Izzie d · Rating 3 out of 5]

Conclusion to the story.
Other woman, colleague shows interest in the Hero which causes issues.
Neighbour, Travis shows interest in the heroine.
Neither the Hero or heroine have any interest in anyone else despite accusations and misconceptions.
No cheating.
No intimate scenes with anyone other than the Hero and heroine.
HEA.

[Fiona Sheldon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Full of angst, suspense and love but.......imo no closure. How did Emily stop the sale of the house? What happened to make Emily's stepdad back off? How did Seth and Emily work through everything thet happened? While I enjoyed the series, there are still so many things left unanswered

[☆.。.:*・°☆Love2Read♡HEAs☆.。.:*・°☆ {Anne} · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Sacry Stars

Great series!!!!

[Coco.V]

🎁 Darkness Series: Books 1-3 is FREE on Amazon today (11/28/2019)! 🎁

[Grace · Rating 2 out of 5]

This whole series is bad. Seth is an ass and Emily is all over the place. I didn't like how they acted like therapy was stupid, you know after being stalked, beaten, kidnapped, taken again, almost raped, witnessed two murders, and countless other drama. Yeah, just sorting it out in your head will help with PTSD, depression, anxiety, etc.... But Emily is perfect so she doesn't have those issues. sigh

The first book mentions over and over that he never crossed the line outside of friendship, but this book rewrote that history. It seems like they had the hots for each other the whole time, even make out before his dad threatens her? IDK.
The first book also said Emily was in her last year of school, I thought. I know she was kidnapped and in the hospital a lot but they kept saying she was catching up in school. (side rant: they somehow got to keep everything that happened to her kept anonymous but all these random people know. Her mom doesn't, but what the heck do her professors think of her missing. And what is up with her wanting to be a English teacher but there is so much focus on a random criminal class that sounds soooo made up.) This book is a YEAR later and it is now fall and her and all her friends are still in school!?! Even a random flashback made it seem like three years ago she said she was going to start school... this timeline is messed up. PLOT HOLES LIKE SWISS CHEESE

I wanted to tie up loose ends. See what Avery's game plan was.
Basically this was just Em and Seth fighting then having sex with bits of a psycho pov thrown in.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Darkness Falls
J L Drake
5 stars

Don't read this book in the dark or much less before bed. The second book for me was good but not like round one; now round three we are back into a monstrous hell. And if you have shady friends you are going to start watching them more closely now! Haha! Thank you thank you!

There is so much that played out here. When you leave book two you know something isn't right. The story and events just don't sit well. You senses are up waiting for the blows because you know they are coming. Scott and Travis are at the head of suspect. However there is so much more that we didn't see or know.

Seth has a jacked up family to say the least and Emily's Mom is no better. Their relationship is tested all while Emily is trying to recover from her nightmare. You all know in these types of books when the characters think they are safe all hell breaks loose. I was literally terrified to keep digging in. I'm telling you after the snake incident in book two I turned the pages with one eye closed and my head turned.

There is a new character that will make you wonder even more what the junk is going on and you aren't going to like her a bit. Sister needed to be thrown to the wolves in my opinion. The last couple,of chapters are going to be stunners. Prepare yourself for it all comes to a head.

I really can't say much else but you head is going to be left spinning. Confessions are made during a very stressful event on all accounts. You will have to read yourself to see who the devil is because he is still there hiding on those pages. Good luck because I about peed my pants numerous times. He's watching you …. Just remember that …

Thank you J L Drake for scaring the hell out of me. I need some recovery time before I dig into something else from you! I received an ARC for an honest review. Review to post to Ramblings From Beneath The Sheets.

[Annie's Coffee Break Book Blog(Crystal) Alexander · Rating 5 out of 5]

Picking up a book or series you've read before is always interesting. You see things you didn't notice before and somehow become closer to the characters more so than before. Re-opening a book you've read and loved is like coming home again and it wraps you up in a warm blanket of comfort. J.L Drake is one of my favorite authors and re-reading her books always gives me the comfort and escape from reality that I crave. With J.L. Drake I've been locked in a basement, ran through the woods, lived in a beautiful safe house and met a group of sexy alphas only to fall for one, took on new identities, met some pretty kick-ass and scary bikers from a well known MC and took a ride on the back of the president of the Devils Reach MC's bike and fell in love over and over again. So many adventures were both scary and exciting. Darkness Falls is one of my all-time favorite series next to Trigger from this author. If what you are seeking is an adventure, a thrill, mystery, or just want all of the above with the added bonus of falling in love, Pick up any of this author's books.

WARNING LABEL: Symptoms that may occur while reading this author's books are as follows; Sudden outbursts of screaming at characters, balling your eyes out, cursing to the high heavens at J.L. Drake aka cliffhanger queen and throwing your book or E-reader device. May I suggest reading in a padded room or surrounded by pillows with a box of tissues and snacks.

Happy reading. Hang on, you're in for one hell of a ride!!

( She may be crazy, but I wasn't really trapped in a basement.)

She would never make anyone put the lotion on its skin LOL. Or would she??

Annie's Coffee Break Book Blog
Crystal

[Jellie · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMFG!!! JHC THAT WAS INTENSE!!!

Im not really good at writing reviews but i will try to express my feelinsgs about this book.. hehe


As I always said, I read the first book when it was still the What Lurks in the Dark, and I have a confession, it was my first time to read a storyline about kindappings and such, Im a hearts and chocolates story kind of girl, but i got so curious about the story and asked a friend to read it with me... It blew my mind... It scare the hell of me.. And i freaking love it!!! So when J.L Drake asked me if I want an ARC for Darkness Falls, I said Hell yes... As you might see, It took few days before I finished the book, Believe me, you will need breaks to gather your thoughts and calm your nerves... And I got to be honest, Its not the conclusion I was thinking... Its everything I hope for and everything Im not expecting it to be... Its so much better!!! Its so awesome... I wont make this review long, I dont want to spoil the suspense But Im telling you, You need this series in your life people!!! that is all... xo


Thank you so much Jodi and Congratulations...*hugs*

[Big Joe Rossi · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW! Is all I can say. What a thrilling conclusion to the Darkness series. JL Drake has a way of building the characters where you believe they are both innocent and guilty, good and bad, throughout the book.

Seth and Emily's wild ride is coming to the end and what a ride it was.
We learned that Avery was, is Lasko's brother. That was shocking. But nothing close to what we learn and what will happen in Darkness Falls.

A master manipulator, maybe better then his brother, Avery is set for revenge. Revenge for what though? Trust me it is a doozy!

All the while Seth, the alpha stud cop and Emily the strong recuperating hotty try to piece life back together until the poop hits the fan once again.

I have loved both series I have read by JL Drake. Darkness was amazing and dark and well plotted with interestingly build characters and if you havent read it, check out her Broken series.

[BeautyandtheBooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm speechless

Whatever I thought was going to happen, didn't! To be honest, I had no clue what was happening. I'm completely blown away right now!! The author gives you no clues whatsoever to what's going on until it's actually happening. The suspense in this series is unreal. There is absolutely no way to pick apart this book. I never, not for one minute, could have figured this one out. It was such an intense read and I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat!!

[Kellane Ayanna Mitchener · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, the series was so damn good

This final book was eye opening , we saw and learned a bit about Avery and his family. I loved Seth and Emily as always, I was a little taken by a twist and I loved it and how I was feeling one way about Emily and then Mrs. Drake totally had me do a 180. Garrett I hope he gets his own story. If this series is anything like the broken series I can't wait to read that one. Top notch work!!

[Erica Factor • overbookedwitherica · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED THIS SERIES AND ALL THE CHARACTERS.
If Avery didn't make you look behind you when walking outside than you're lucky. This book was terrifyingly good!

[Summer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE this series!!! I couldn't not put them down, just wow!! they were scary and creepy and had me looking over my shoulder alllll the time. jodi drake you are an awesome writer!!

[Jacqueline · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wild and crazy ride this was. This is a really good finish to Emily and Seth’s story, I’m just sad it has to end. I love them and all the characters that are a part of their group. I could totally see another book added to Emily and Seth’s story. Seth still has that toughness and protectiveness, fight in him when it comes to those he loves and cares about of course. And Emily, still has the struggle of wanting to move on and be strong after it all, not wanting what she’s gone through to change her and who she is.

The punch to my father’s face had split my knuckles open, and I felt them starting to swell. I moved so he saw my face. “You ever lay a hand on anyone else in the family, I promise you, you won’t leave this room again.” “That’s quite a threat, son,” he grunted with his back turned to me. “Nah, Dad, just a promise.”

This had a slight twist to everything that I definitely wouldn’t of guessed. I’m still kinda in shock and speechless. Everyone is still the same as before, both Garrett and Pete still have their sassiness and spunk, while Elaine is still the best friend ever. It’s never ending with them and I really love it. There really like one big happy family, and friendships that will last forever.

“Hello?” Garrett called from the living room. “Just step away from the barbecue and everything will be—” He stopped when he saw Travis at the table. Oh Lord, here we go. “Hey Travis, how are you?” My head snapped back as I tried to understand why he was being nice. “Good, thanks.” Travis stood. “Well, I’ll let you get to your barbecue.” “You should stay.” Seth stood as well. “We have plenty of food.” I swore my mouth just hit the floor. Travis looked at me with a smile. “Yeah, maybe I will. Thanks.” “Well, hello there, fresh meat.” Pete bumped me aside when he spotted Philly behind Garrett. Philly’s eyes scanned down Pete’s front. “And who might you be?” “Philly.” Pete circled him like a dog in heat. “Em, love, I’m not hungry for steak anymore.” Garrett punched Pete’s arm. “Don’t touch.”

This was my second series I’ve now read by this author, and it definitely won’t be my last. I can’t wait to see what else J.L. Drake has written and what else is to come. She definitely is one of the best.

[Bourbon, Books and Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good end to the trilogy! Holy cow what a ride!
*******
Overall Rating: 3.5 Stars
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Standalone: NO!
Triggers: Stalking
Steam: 2 there is some steam, but this is more suspense flames
******
The buddy read continues...and all of three of us were floored by the surprise at the end of book 2 and honestly, I have no idea where this book is going to take us. But trust no one is my new motto.

There is a lot happening in book 3. I mean a lot, sometimes there was almost too much going on for me. We thought we knew what was going on based on books 1 and 2, but book 3 takes us to new heights of suspense and distrust. Seth and Emily are trying to pick up the pieces of the first two books...but still nothing is as it seems and the plot thickens and the crazy gets crazier and the group text (my buddy read cohorts) is getting filled with crazier conspiracy theories.

I am not going to spoil anything, so I am not going any further into this book. More characters will die. You will not know who to trust, and your family regardless of its issues will look fantastic compared to the families in this book. If you like twisted suspenseful thrillers with a side of romance, grab this series. I recommend!

[Deborah Peach · Rating 5 out of 5]

Darkness Falls picked up from the cliffhanger ending in book two of this trilogy. I am wrecked. I started reading this series two days ago and have binge-read non-stop since then. Forget all the things I'm supposed to be doing. How dare J.L. Drake write something so mouth-watering good that I refuse to put down this amazing trilogy and do what I'm supposed to. I got so caught up in Emily's and Seth's story. The thrill I got reading their story was worth every second of my heart beating out of my chest. I'm speechless. The suspense was mind-blowing. Even knowing who the antagonists were, I was kept guessing at what would happen next. Am I sorry that I neglected my husband and read? Nope. Do I regret sitting and ignoring the world around me? Again, not a chance. Do I wish there was more to Emily and Seth's story? Yes, I do. So, from the bottom of my heart, thank you for this masterpiece.

[Lesley Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was the perfect ending to this trilogy. A book filled with angst, the drama built from the start, and knowing who the bad guy was just added to the intensity of the story.

This couple certainly had to work hard for their relationship, the ups and downs were enough to break most people, but in their own any they communicated and got what they truly wanted.

I felt so much...everything whilst reading this book, a real emotional journey from start to finish.

Loved all the characters, both good and bad as they made the book what it was. I just hope Garrett gets his own book, he needs his story and he needs his HEA.