Dark Diary

Dark Diary #1

by P. Anastasia

Worlds collide when a young woman with a dark past encounters a young man with an even darker one. More human than vampire, Dark Diary is a quaint, sophisticated romance detailing the accounts of two lovers who have paid the ultimate price…

Forbidden romance in the vein of classics like Wuthering Heights, frosted with the seductive allure of the original Dark Shadows, Dark Diary documents a pair torn apart by time. The story is told by a 400-year-old immortal and a 21-year-old modern-day artist.

He’s haunted by guilt over the passing of a friend and lover—the daughter of an English Baron in 17th century Ireland.

She’s tormented nightly by visions of her own untimely death.

Together, they find solace by sharing secrets beneath the light of the moon.

The timeless, genre-crossing love story with supernatural undertones will capture your heart and never let go.


ALSO available in SPECIAL EDITION HARDCOVER: ISBN 978-0-9974485-1-1

Genres: Vampires, Romance, Paranormal

358 pages, Paperback

First published September 26, 2016

About the author

P. ANASTASIA'S fresh take on storytelling resonates with darkness, charm, and passion--the embodiment of her unique writing style. Ensnared by the craft in childhood, she attempted her first book at age eleven. While working toward her college degree, she wrote news and editorial columns for two campus newspapers. After graduating with a degree in communications and spending a year studying abroad in Kofu, Japan, she followed her heart to her publishing aspirations. On the side, she serves as a professional voice talent for radio, television, and audio books. P. Anastasia is the author of nine novels: Exile of the Sky God, the Fluorescence series, Fates Aflame, Fates Awoken, and the historical-paranormal romances, Dark Diary & Grave Burden.

Follow P. Anastasia on
Instagram @ FluorescentOnes
www.facebook.com/FluorescenceBooks

She firmly believes being a writer is not about writing what you want, but writing what needs to be written and faithfully retelling the stories of your characters no matter how uncomfortable they may make you.

"Write the truth!"

Reviews

[angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liked it

This was a stand-alone book, about a young boy who falls in love with the young girl he grew up with. He is quite bellow her station, in fact works for her family. Her father is mean and finds out about how they feel about each other and chases Matthaya away. Life was always hard for Mattaya and this doesn’t change. He and Katherine both experience tragedy after he’s chased off, by Katherine’s father. This is a really great book with much more that happens. It kept my attention and was a pretty quick.

[Lindsey Lynn (thepagemistress) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.

4/5 Stars!

Summary:
Kathera is working at a tattoo shop and just trying to make it through her nightmares, both real and fake when she meets a mysterious man in the cemetery when visiting her mom's grave one night. Her life is already chaotic due to her evil step mother, nothing could possibly be worse....right?

Dislikes:
The ending felt a bit rushed and I was left wanting more, not in a cliffhanger sense but more felt lacking a bit of the emotion that was so carefully developed in the first half of the book.

Likes:
The writing style is incredible! It flows so beautifully, it really is true art. I love the characters, they are so richly detailed and I can feel the sensations and get a good look from inside their heads.

Overall:
I am not a vampire novel person but I really really enjoyed this book. It was so pure, raw and romantic. Love the characters and I cannot wait to see what else happens in this world.

[Sadie Hartmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, first things first: The cover of this book is fantastic! I started seeing this book coming up on Instagram and I'm a huge fan of Vampire Lit, so this book was very intriguing to me from the beginning.
Secondly, I was able to read a sample chapter on the author's website and I knew I would love this book because the author's voice was appealing.
So I was lucky enough to be asked to do an ARC for an honest review and I jumped at the chance!
***
I read this book in just a few days, about a week. The pacing is very fast and exciting! I always wanted to know what was going to happen next. I also loved the dual POVs between Kathera and Matthaya.
(love those names by the way)
The author is very deft at switching back and forth and having a very unique voice for both characters. A complete change of voice.
I loved the historical fiction aspect of this story as well, but I don't want to give too much away about all of that. I just want to note that it was an added bonus for readers who love historical fiction.
Overall, I loved this book and feel quite blessed that I have been given the opportunity to read it before it official comes out at the end of the month.
You can also visit my blog tomorrow (Sunday the 11th) and read my post where I asked the author some interesting questions!
http://misssadielouwho.blogspot.com

[Maddie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book: Dark Diary by P. Anastasia

Genre: New Adult Paranormal Romance

Release Date: Septemeber 26th, 2016

Pages: 345

My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Date Started: August 23rd, 2016

Date Finished: September 3rd, 2016

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Worlds collide when a young woman with a dark past encounters a young man with an even darker one. More human than vampire, Dark Diary is a quaint, sophisticated romance detailing the accounts of two lovers who have paid the ultimate price…

Forbidden romance in the vein of classics like Wuthering Heights, frosted with the seductive allure of the original Dark Shadows, Dark Diary documents a pair torn apart by time. The story is told by a 400-year-old immortal and a 21-year-old modern-day artist.

He’s haunted by guilt over the passing of a friend and lover–the daughter of an English Baron in 17th century Ireland.

She’s tormented nightly by visions of her own untimely death.

Together, they find solace by sharing secrets beneath the light of the moon.

From the author of the Fluorescence Series, this timeless, genre-crossing love story with supernatural undertones, will capture your heart and never let go.


My Review:

I want to first say a big THANK YOU to P. Anastasia for sending me an ARC of Dark Diary. In no way did this sway my opinions of the book.

P. Anastasia’s books always draw me in & keep me turning page after page & Dark Diary was no exception! The synopis captivated me even before I got the ARC & I was excited to get to reading.

One of my favorite things about this book had to be the switching between POVs! I loved seeing both characters side of the story & getting into their minds. I think it adds so much to the book!

Let’s talk about the characters:

Kathera: Kathera is a sweet girl with a rough life. I loved Kathera’s characteristics & I loved seeing through her head. There were spells where I didn’t really understand where she was coming from, but overall I loved her.

Matthaya: I always know P. Anastasia’s guy characters are going to be bae. Just as I expected Matthaya was bae! He is a closed off character so sometimes I really didn’t know how to take him, but as I saw his love grow for Kathera I started to love him even more. He is a genuine & sincere guy & I love that!

I think my favorite part had to be the flash back of Matthaya. I am a historical fiction fan so I basically fell in love with that part!

I love how P. Anastasia brings you into the world she created with her descriptions. Her describing is beautiful!

Overall I loved this book! It was definitely a page turner. It left me wanting more, so I really hope we see more of Matthaya, Kathera, & this world in the future!

Dark Diary releases on September 26th, 2016!

[Michelle (Bookaholic Banter) · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received an ARC of this book from the author in return for an honest review.

See my original blog post here for an interview with the author:
http://bookaholicbanter.com/dark-diar...

A dark, paranormal romance that entranced me from the very first page. I absolutely loved the way this book was written. It starts out in present time and then goes back to 1616, and then back to present time again. The story is told in alternate points of view with the two main characters Kathera and Matthaya. With all of this going on it could be easy to get confused. This is not the case with this book. Each chapter will let you know who is speaking and what time they are in. At no point in time did I ever feel lost or confused. It was very quick read and the chapters flowed effortlessly. The writing was elegant. It was written beautifully. It was very easy to get lost within the story with these characters.

This novel had a new interesting take on vampires from any other vampire book I have ever read. It was refeshing to read something a little different from the norm. It made reading about vampires new and refreshing. It wasn't all blood-sucking, and taking lives. It was more than that. It was a love story of two very different people who fit so well together.

The romance between Katherine and Matthaya in 1606 was swoon-worthy! Their love for each other was so passionate, raw, and I electrifying. I absolutely loved these two together. They were true soulmates. I was completely invested in these characters and their story. I felt like I was experiencing their emotions as I read. These characters had to deal with some not so pleasant people and situations in their lives. I was routing for them the whole way and hoping that everything would work out for them in the end.

The ending came a little too quickly for me. I didn't want this story to end. I feel like these characters have so much more story to tell. I am hoping that the story will not end here. If it does, at least I enjoyed their story while it lasted.

[Jessthebookslover · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review of Dark Diary by P. Anastasia.
Rating: absolutely a 5/5 stars read!

Oh my gosh. This book. Guys, THIS book is definitely one of the best books I've read this year. Not only because of the plot and the characters, what surprised me the most was the writing. It is pure magic. Direct speeches are wonderfully created and the narration is awesome. It cointains stunning descriptions that are essential to understand the real new concept of this book, which are innovative vampires.
Here vampires, once they're transformed, face different kinds of mutations, and our main character, Matthaya, has wings. I don't know about you, but this was the first time I've read about a vampire with wings!
Our other main character is Kathera, a human girl with a reeeaaally troubled life. Her beloved mother is dead, her father is never home and she is forced to live with her stepmother, who in my opinion is an evil witch, plus her nights are hunted by nightmares.
The two will meet under delicate circumstances and they swear to be one another's friend. And from that moment on... The odyssey starts.

·

That is pretty much what I can tell you about the plot without spoil you anything, and believe me guys when I tell you that this story was, is fantastic.
Matthaya and Kathera are two of the best developed characters EVER. Both physically and psychologically. We discover the darkest part of human mind, as well as the brightest part. And for the first time I could see THE CHARACTERS. They are literally brought to life. Because you know.. Even if a book is wonderfully written, if the description of the characters isn't done properly, I always end up imagining someone else, like.. If a girl is describe as blonde, without any other element that I can associate with it, I just think of dark hair, not blonde, because I have black hair and I always see myself in the characters I read. That didn't happen here. Kathera has red hair and that is an important thing to the narration, so I was constantly reminded of that. It was just like being in a movie, there are just so many things that are described here and I just cannot write all of them down.
But I can add one more thing: Matthaya is ... I don't know. I don't have the means to describe him. You clearly see from the book that he's close to the author. He has a mind of his own and we learn to know him, every aspect of him. He's perfect without a doubt.
Should I add something else? Nah, I don't think so. Absolutely one of the most interesting and awesomely written vampire story of all times. Loved it.

[The Blonde Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to score an ARC of this amazing book from P. Anastasia. She put so much thought into her packaging and even sent a dog bone for my puppy! After reading the summary and a few reviews, I knew I would enjoy this book. The dark romance caught my attention from the first page. P. Anastasia does a fantastic job of jumping back and forth between past and present time as well as changing points of view. Often times, this can leave the reader lost and confused. Have no fear, in the case of Dark Diary, the changes left me wanting more!

P. Anastasia has a beautiful writing style and I absolutely loved her different take on vampires. There was more to the story than just blood sucking and killing. She told a story of love, hard times, and people leaning on each other to make it another day. I absolutely loved the beginning of the story and how each character and their past was described completely. There were a few parts towards the end of the story that I felt needed a little more explanation. The first half of the story was incredibly descriptive, but the second half felt slightly rushed.

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed diving into the world of Dark Diary and look forward to what comes next for these characters... hopefully there will be a next book!?! I absolutely loved P. Anastasia's writing style and look forward to reading more of her novels. I would recommend this book to those who enjoy romance with a little supernatural flair!

Thank you P. Anastasia for sharing your lovely novel with me!

[Heather · Rating 1 out of 5]

I generally love vampires, but I did not enjoy a single page of this bland book.

One good thing I can say about this self-published title, besides that the cover art is amazing: for the most part, the grammar is decent and there are minimal typing errors. The author is capable of writing some beautiful descriptions. Take, for example:

The quiet darkness was my lullaby, and I felt at peace amongst nature and the dead.

Or:

We are damned to spend eternity trapped in the icy shadow of the moon's ghostly light.

Sheer poetry!

But as for the rest… To sum it up, the characters are devoid of personality and the story lacks an actual plot.

This novel contains all my reading pet peeves. For starters, it is a contemporary story yet the main characters are given extremely uncommon or made-up names: Kathera, Aldréa. The vampires might be forgiven due to their age, except they’re just too weird…like Ve’tani.

My main dislike of this book is the characterization of its key players, or lack thereof. Since there is no actual plot to this book (save for pushing the leads into a baseless romantic relationship), the author’s one job was to make me like her characters and root for them, but that’s where this novel failed me.

These characters just don’t speak and act like real people would. If you’re minding your own business, like visiting your mother’s grave, and someone tells you to get lost or die, and physically puts their hands around your throat…no rational person is going to think, “I’m intrigued by that guy. I think I’ll go back to the cemetery late tomorrow night and see if he’ll attack me again.” A rational person would run away and call the police and avoid the area until it’s safe.

Then the vampire supposedly has no ties or interest in human affairs, but he’s intrigued by the main character because she stupidly places herself in the path of a self-proclaimed murderer. If he were a rational vampire, he would have either slaughtered her or vacated the premises just in case she were to tell anyone about him.

It just makes no sense. She only meets the guy 3 times and thinks he is the only person she could ever love. The first time, he attacked her in a cemetery without cause. Have you ever been to a cemetery? Unless it’s a private family plot (this isn’t), there’s plenty of room for two people to be there and never run into one another. The whole “meet cute” is ridiculous. The second time she sees him, she inexplicably feels inclined to tell him about her mean stepmom. (That’s a whole ’nother problem.) And the third time he can “smell another man” on her and tells her to stay away. At which point she has a total breakdown.

So I have to address this whole “evil stepmother” thing right now, because it is one of the worst things about this book. It’s a gaping, senseless plot hole if ever I did see one. It either needs to be expanded upon in reams or completely ripped from this novel and my vote is for the latter.

The main character is a tattoo shop artist. Her age isn’t stated. Judging by her behavior alone, I’d put her at barely 20. She’s implied to be a self-sufficient adult. She just doesn’t act like it. Her mother passed away and her father married an actual lunatic who poisons the main character’s dog and waves a gun in her face and beats her up. Yet she chooses to remain living with her dad and stepmom because she fears for her father’s life if he’s left alone with that woman. She never tries to do anything about the situation, though; she takes the punishment and then cries about her sad life. It doesn’t make sense. She could record this woman’s antics with a camera or cell phone, since her dad doesn’t believe her. She could call the cops when the woman pistol-whips her. She could just get her own place and leave them alone, since she’s the only one the woman is mistreating. There’s no rational justification for her taking it.

But she does, so I thought maybe this was a vampire version of Cinderella. Nope! As irritating as the main character’s constant whining about her sad situation is, it was even worse when she did extricate herself from it, because it made even less sense. This weird guy who tried to choke her, whom she decided she can’t live without, left her after knowing her for like three days and she thinks her life is over. So she moves out of her dad’s house because of that and goes to live with her boss-slash-boyfriend. Okay, so the murder of her dog didn’t make her want to leave, but being brokenhearted over a violent stranger dumping her is good enough reason? I’m not buying it.

In fact, I’m not sold on any facet of this story. The romance makes no sense. The main character makes no sense. The weird fling with her boss makes no sense. And as every fan of vampire lore knows, a vampire’s tale of being sired should be his most intimate, unique, and interesting thing about him…and this guy literally is running down a road and a woman just jumps him and turns him. There’s no tale of what went on for the years(?) he spent with her, how the deed was done, etc. Just…nothing.

Anyway, it ruins an entire book for me when its characters are that unbelievable and unlikable. Worst of all is the jumping back and forth in points-of-view, because the characters are too dull and flimsy to carry the weight of first-person narration. You need a strong voice to even attempt something like that, so doing so here was a very poor choice.

I had high hopes for this book because it started off by impressing me with the writing style, but the story itself was as dull and lifeless as a corpse and the author never convinced me to care about the characters or their relationship. I got 60% of the way through when a friend gave me some advice: life is too short to waste time on a bad book. I gave this one far more than its fair chance and it did nothing but disappoint, so I'm giving up on it.

[Lilivette · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found the story we get to see develop through this book to be better and darker than I thought it would be. I usually don’t go for romance novels—and when I do I often regret it—but after reading the synopsis for this one I couldn’t say no and now, after finishing it, I so do not regret joining this blog tour! I completely loved how the author managed to intrigue us at the beginning and then show us a deeper story as things moved on. For me, Matthaya’s story was deep, beautiful and tragic, but I loved to see how that didn’t stop him and how he dealt with the monstrous nature inside of him. But don’t think that’s all there is because we also have our other main character called Kathera, whose character I completely enjoyed—especially her development and the way she reacted to the things happening around her and in her nightmares. But, yes, there’s a but! What I loved the most about this story was the way the author added vampirism and the way it helped shape the story, connect the characters and then help them develop and make things 10x better.

But, besides loving that, I also loved Matthaya, but if there’s something that I loved more than these two things mentioned before it has to be the author’s writing. I found it so unique and beautiful that I think that helped me enjoy this story as much as I did. I loved the wording the author used throughout the story and the way it helped me connect and understand the characters and everything that happened between them and around them. But that’s not all, the author’s writing also helped me have a clear image and connect with the settings we get to meet through the story and how they affected and changed our character’s lives forever.

Talking about characters, besides meeting our two main characters Kathera and Matthaya, we also get to meet others. Not many, but enough to make the story take some unexpected twists and for our main characters to be haunted by some of them. I’m not going to mention them all, but the ones that play very important parts in the story, from my point of view are: Derek, Aldréa, Kathryn, Maria and Ve’tani. They all helped shape the story and the characters in different ways and I loved that!

In the end, I managed to read this in two days—and just in time for my review—and I have to say that ignoring some dramatic things that annoyed me a little, I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would—especially the romance! Now I can’t wait and see if there’s going to be more and when!

[Kimmie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well this book was a delight to read. It is written from both
POV of Kathera and Matheya. She starts a little toward the
end and then they tell the story from the beginning. I have
to say even with knowing they end up together at the end
did not take away from the story.

Matheya has been in love with his Kathryn since he was
a very young boy in the 1600’s. But they were ripped apart
way to soon, and he vowed he would love no one ever again.
That is until he meets Kathera she is an odd girl who gains
comfort from siting in the cemetery at night, talking to her
dead mother’s grave. She has had it rough since that day.
And no one is going to keep her from her solitude, not
even Matheya who she should be afraid of. She instantly
feel a drawn to him and him to her, but neither of them is
able to put together what that is. Hope they figure it out soon,
because now Matheya’s sire wants her dead and he
is not sure of what to do. He has tried to stay away from her
but that does not seem to be working. They will have to find
a way back to one another before time runs out.

Now before I ruin this for you I will leave off here. I hope you
enjoy this book as much as I did. If you do like this book,
please consider leaving a review. The Authors really like it
when you do; they value your opinions too.

[Eleni Liakou · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of Dark Diary by P. Anastasia in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this book! From the moment I started it I knew I would finish it in one sitting! That's how addicting and compelling it was! Even though I am not the biggest fan of vampires I enjoyed this book nonetheless.

The plot was very dark, intense and addicting and it made for a super fast read, full of unexpected twists and turns. The dual point of view was another special element of the story and going back and forth between the two main characters took the reading experience to a whole new level of awesomeness!

Talking about characters, Philomena sure knows how to write very interesting and real characters! I loved reading about both of them and their romance was swoon-worthy!

Also, the writing style was just impeccable! So much thought and talent put into this novel!
All in all, I absolutely loved Dark Diary, which surely makes it to my favorite books of this year list! I definitely recommend this to anyone!

And a huge THANK YOU to the author for being so kind as to send me the wonderful package!

[Fee (Ebook Addicts) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is written across two timelines 1616 and the present day - and the author has done a seamless job at this, oftentimes it can be confusing when a book is written this way but you easily know who you are reading.

Kathera is working as a tattoo artist and she keeps having theses recurring dreams when she meets a strange "man" in the cemetery whilst visiting her mothers grave, Matthaya. She is intrigued by him and soon finds herself hoping to see him at the cemetery.

Matthaya is a vampire, still hurting for a love lost from 1606 with daughter of an English Baron in 17th century Ireland Katherine. I loved reading about his past and their romance was very swoon worthy. He sees Katerine in Kathera - which I was fairly certain the plot would play out that way.

What I loved most about this story was the flow, and the love story connected with the characters. It wasn't all about the brooding blood thirsty vampire that you get in most books - if anything Matthaya seemed to have retained more of his human emotions.

4 stars

[Charlotte Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was turned onto P. Anastasia by another author and am so excited to say that I loved Dark Diary. I started the book and then just kept reading and reading. I devoured each word, paragraph, and chapter.

The story is not the typical meet, fall in love, and live eternally happily ever after. There is more to their story. Kathera is not a vampire yet knows when she meets Matthaya he is different. I liked how she was afraid of him she was just curious about him. She was accepting of him and did not judge him when he found out what he was. She loved him for what he was.

P. Anastasia is an author that knows what her readers want and pulls them in from the very beginning and doesn't let up until the story is done. From the very beginning I was hooked on the story and the characters. I look forward to more from her in the future.

[Kaley Catron · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well it's been a whole 8 months but I finally finished it! I really enjoyed the fact that even though this is a vampire story there was no werewolves like for once they stayed separate! Now, clearly I am not a vampire person but I did highly enjoy these vampires. It wasn't like there was such a strong desire for the mortal girls blood like there was in *cough cough* Twilight *cough cough* but that it truly was a deep connection to her. And I really enjoyed it! Overall it was a great story I'm just upset it took me so long to finish it!!

[Karissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Series Info: Stand Alone, borrowed from Audible Escapes

Audiobook Quality (3/5): The author narrates this audiobook herself. She did a great job with the female voices but the voice of Matthaya in particular was very robotic and stiff sounding. It made his parts of the story awkward to listen to.

Characters (2/5): I didn’t really like either of the characters. They both come across as strangely needy and whiny at points. I also felt like they were all pretty selfish. I didn’t really understand how the Kathera’s mother being really bitchy played into the story and struggled with the heroine’s reasons for continuing to live with her step mom. The relationship between Matthaya and Kathera had a very creepy vibe to it as well. You never really get to know Matthaya all that well (aside from his passionate young love for his first lover Katherine). Both Kathera and Matthaya are very one dimensional. Kathera is driven by the need to escape her stepmom’s hate and Matthaya is driven by his unrequited passion for his dead lover.

Story (2/5): The story was pretty predictable and kind of boring. I did enjoy the twist of Kathera being the reincarnation of Matthaya’s long ago lover Katherine (this is pretty apparent early on in the story so I don’t feel like I am spoiling anything). I think the best part of the story was when we went back into the past to learn about Matthaya and Katherine. Aside from the part where we went back in time, I didn’t enjoy this much at all. I just didn’t understand the point of it, I guess it was for both characters to find some happiness? There really isn’t much of a plot here.

Setting (3/5): The setting was fairly blase’. The dark corners of a typical city. Again, you do get to journey into the past for part of the book which was interesting.

Writing Style (2/5): I didn’t enjoy the writing style here. There was just too much jumping around which was confusing. Additionally, the whole thing just felt kind of lethargic to me. I almost stopped listening to this audiobook a number of times because I just did not enjoy either the writing style or the story.

Summary (2/5): Overall there really wasn’t anything here that I really liked. The reincarnation concept was kind of interesting but has been done many times before. The journey into the past was better than the rest of the story. I didn’t like the characters and didn’t really think there was much plot here at all. I won’t be reading any more books by this author.

[Peter Carlstrom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! What a love story

It was emotional, intense, heartbreaking and...not totally fulfilled. When all was said and done the nightmares were still there and the line between past snd present not clear. I would love to see a moment of total clarity, total commitment to the present heroine as they were not the same.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 stars: The book started out great, and built on great through the middle. I was disappointed with the last quarter of the book. There was so much build up and just not enough to satisfy me at the end. I wanted to know more. It's a love story that has been in the making for thousands of years. There was so much hardship and grief that I wanted, needed, more happiness at the end.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took a bit to get into it but by the third chapter it picked up before I knew it I was hooked but this not by any means your usual vampire books so if you are looking for something pack with action or smut look elsewhere this is about a journey of a love spanning lifetimes and ends on a good note

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok read

This is definitely not your normal vampire story. The love story is there but the idea that a vampire has no feelings is new to me. This story is written very well it is just not my cup of tea

[Holly Mavigliano · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hate this format

[Annaka · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book but I just spent so much time confused. The concept is great, but the dreams and flashback format was difficult to follow in audio format.

[Kodachi57 · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF

[Sage Nestler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dark Diary is one of those special novels that takes two different genres and bends them together to create a completely original story. It is both a dark fantasy/horror novel as well as a romance, and it couldn’t be a more perfect fit for me.

The premise of the novel involves a vampiric love story, but it is filled with tragedy and dark emotions that immediately draw you in. Many times I find that these vampire novels are overdone, but that is not the case with Dark Diary. It is one of a kind novel that brings out the horrific nature of the vampire as well as a romance that will become trapped in your heart and stay with you forever.

P. Anastasia writes with a hand similar to classic authors such as Jane Austen. Her detailing is not overdone, but it does draw you into the story and let you experience it for yourself without forcing you to see the plot or characters a certain way. She presents vampires in a way that separates them from humans to show that even though they do come from humans, they are an entirely different species. Her simple descriptions for this are remarkable, and they demonstrate the pain of dying and the human condition within a creature that has escaped humanity altogether.

“In all art, there is passion,” he clarified, pressing the lid of the box closed. “And there is no passion in what we are.”

Overall, Dark Diary is clearly a hidden gem of the literary world and it needs to be read. If you are a horror fan or a romance fan, you will love this book. It is a breath of fresh air.

[Gabby (What's Beyond Forks?) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full Review at: What's Beyond Forks?

Within this story we're in the present then travel to the past and back again. I enjoyed Matthaya's story in the past quite a bit. Him and Katherine were full of emotions and passion, and their story was easy to get lost in. Once in the present, the emotion is gone. And it's supposed to be in a sense, as the vampires of this world lack many of the emotions they had as a human, such as love. They live primarily on instinct. I'm not quite so convinced that they've lost these emotions, so much as shut them off. Maybe they've even done it unconsciously. I'm not sure yet. Just a theory, but from early on, I thought Matthaya showed some behaviors that a cold feeling-less vampire wouldn't show. There were other things that made me wonder as well, but you won't get any spoilers here. I'm very curious as to how these emotions change, if they do, in the upcoming books.

Dark Diary by P. Anastasia was kindly provided to me by the author for review. The opinions are my own.

[Jennifer (wildling_manor) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advanced readers copy of Dark Diary from the author in exchange for an honest review.

First, let's just say that P. Anastasia is one of the most lovely authors I've ever been in contact with. It's clear how much she loves her craft, and her devotion shows in her work.

Dark Diary, Kathera and Matthaya are the main characters, richly developed and easy to relate to. The writing is fluid and there aren't any parts where I wished it would hurry up or get to the point. Anastasia's plot points are well setup and well executed.

I don't want to give too much away from the plot, but will just leave a snippet from the back cover: "he's haunted by guilt over the passing of a friend and lover, she's tormented nightly by visions of her own untimely death. Together they find solace by sharing secrets beneath the moonlight. "

I have been partial to Vampire stories since I was a young teen, and this does not disappoint, I really look forward to the next book!

[Seth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and was thankful for the author sending it to me to review !

One of my favorite aspects of this book was learning about the past of our characters. I enjoyed seeing how our characters met and just the way they were able to connect through the course of the book. My biggest problem however was I found a lot of it super cheesy but they doesn't bother me too much, but in the long run I was actually able to really enjoy this book along with the characters, their past, their qualities, and the way they ended up in the end.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent Vampire Story!

This was a pretty good read. There were parts that felt a bit rushed and certain parts in this story needed further information and development, but overall it was an entertaining reading experience.