Darling Dark

Infernal Regions #1

by Natalie Bennett

This book is no longer published.

The Infernal Regions series has been entirely re-written and will begin releasing March 9th, 2018 with Beauty & Rage.



It started with a cruel twist of fate.

Trapped in a dark world inhabited by savages and ruled by the corrupted --Duvessa finds herself bound to a tyrant. Day in and day out she bears witness to just how cold and vicious her husband-to-be truly is. His iron fist rule strikes fear in the masses.

Reyes is ruthless and volatile --he incites both fear and inexplicable passion among those in his wake. Just as her feelings for the seductively cruel Reyes begin to grow, she learns nothing is as it appears to be. With already so much to fear, could there be something darker, more sinister lying in wait? Will Reyes dark secrets tear them apart?

Authors Note- This book is part of a series that will have a nontraditional HFA. This series will start dark and grow darker, explicit sexual scenes, language and power exchange. If such material bothers you, please do not purchase.

Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal, Erotica, Romance, Dark, Demons, Suspense

137 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 25, 2016

About the author

Lover of all things pǝʇsıʍʇ & unusual.

I write unconventional 'romance' with strong elements of horror.

Find all my links here!
linktr.ee/AuthornatB

Reviews

[Jessica Jesinghaus · Rating 4 out of 5]

IMPORTANT TO NOTE: I read an advance copy provided by the author of a book which, at this time, has not yet been published. According to the author, final edits are not in the version I read.

I'm torn with this review. Do I review the version of the book I actually read, or the version (I hope) it will be once final edits are made? Hmm... How 'bout I do both?

The story told in Darling Dark had me captivated. It was awesome! We are immediately immersed in a world where the extraordinary is the norm. Vampires, demons, shifters, werewolves, incubus, succubus... they're commonplace. The world has been ravaged by an evil conqueror and his minions, leaving behind a bleak existence for the surviving supes and demis (half breeds).

Duvessa is a demi-demon princess, her demon powers dormant. Her story starts after she, along with two close friends, have been captured and are being transported to the King's palace in the city (aptly named) Purgatory. After witnessing the King's capacity for heartless brutality, Duvessa is claimed by none other than the king himself. Her friends apparently are to be paired off with the king's two brothers (hot triplet royalty? oh, bestill my stuttering heart!).

Reyes, along with his two brothers, is totally unapologetic for his behavior. Clearly not a supe or a demi, he is something much more. He is brash, selfish, and totally hot. More than once I found myself nodding in eager acceptance when he would snarl "You are mine" to Duvessa. Although she wants to hate him, her body becomes her own worst enemy, and she quickly succumbs to the toe-curling, rough-and-ready sex he dishes out at every opportunity.

There was a surprising twist at the end, and a mild cliffhanger ending that wonderfully sets the stage for book two of the series. I will eagerly await the next book so I can follow the story, I'm that enamored of the world and, if I'm honest with myself, Reyes. To quote a line from the book: "She danced with the devil and got lost in his eyes." I am lost too!

So, if I were rating the story and characters alone: 4.5 stars. Loved it!

But (you knew there was a but coming, right?) the version I read was riddled with grammatical errors, odd punctuation, and sentences that just had me stuttering as I tried to make sense of them. Maybe it's my theatrical background, or the fact that I read so many books aloud to my husband and two kids, but if I can't read a line out loud and have it flow naturally off my tongue... we have a problem.

With that said, the version I actually read would still get a 3.5 stars. It's a testament to the uniqueness of the story that I like it as much as I do despite the lack of polish.

I'm eager to see the final, published version of Darling Dark. Paranormal romance fans with a penchant for deeply flawed alpha bad-boys are sure find their happiness here.

[Bibliophilic Otaku · Rating 5 out of 5]

Darling Dark

**I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review**

I love it. I love it. I LOVE IT!!! I don't really know what to say about this book because I'm still reeling from what I just read. I literally got through reading this book about ten minutes ago. Ok though, I really enjoyed this book. All the misplaced trust, gore(especially the gore), scheming, and explicitness of this book got me out of my book rut.

Reyes is a doll. A murderous and possessive and devilishly handsome doll nonetheless. He's awesome. And since most of my fictional boyfriends are, ya know, not entirely right in the head and handsome asf, he's been added to the group. Oh yeah, he *bleeps* like a beast to based off of the very detailed description in the book. It's not really a surprise since he's technically a beast of some kind that we don't know of.

Duvessa Vasiel is a very relatable person. I can relate to her in many ways. The fact that she knows not to let herself feel anything for him besides contempt and resentment, but does anyway besides all the warning bells going off in her head telling her to get the fud away. (Not that she can) She is caring, but not a fool. She wears a mask and bottles everything up because of expectations. She's half demon and yet she cares and is empathetic. She's awesome.(Awesome is like my favorite word, so yeah) She was an heiress but since Reyes came into power it doesn't matter because of her blood. Sorta like Harry Potter in a sense.

Jacinda and Amethyst, half succubus and shifter, not particularly in that order. They are her best friends have been through a lot with Duvessa. Hell, they've killed for one another. Being in the same boat as they're friend, they understand her and offer comfort to her whenever they can. To be honest, I wish I had friends like them. Jacinda gets some chapters to herself where she can offer her POV, but Amethyst doesn't which I wish she did because I want to know what happened to her during the time she awakened. But no time crying over spilled milk. ON WITH THE REVIEW!-->

Overall the book was a blast, as you can probably tell from my dazed rant. I just have two problems: 1-Reyes brothers don't get enough screen time, especially Casimir. 2- Some things aren't explained enough so I don't know what was really happening. It's like some major events were skipped over and when they were mentioned so callously, I was confused and thought I skipped like three chapters worth of information. But other than that, I can't wait to read the other book because I really want to know what happens next. Let me tell you there are some things that you won't expect to happen and believe me it's a doozy. Ms. Bennett, good job and you are now a fav.

If you like this review please visit my blog Let me know what you think

[D.C. Triana · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Even as your body betrays you, your mind denies it,” he growled from above her, beginning to thrust with abandon. His power continued to stroke the part of her that was lost in delirium, demanding that she give in to him. It would never happen.
“You are mine, and one way or the other you will admit it!”

Natalie Bennett has woven a story of love and darkness. Reyes Straykova and Duvessa Vasiel’s story is intense and overpowering. Reyes is dangerously dark, he’s strong and demanding. He also doesn’t take no for an answer. From the moment Duvessa is brought to him with her friends, they are demis, half human half demons, and are known as being formidable dark beauties. Duvessa knows that Reyes is a monster, he rules Purgatory darkly just like himself, he wants to use her to lure other Demis into Purgatory to be killed. As soon as he lays eyes on her, Reyes wants the demi-goddess for himself. Through manipulations, he takes her even though she’s unwilling. And he will stop at nothing to make her his queen.
Reyes Straykova is the demon King of Purgatory. He lives among succubi, lycans and vampires, and has no problem killing demis and draining the power of innocents. He forces himself on the innocent Duvessa and she fights him tooth and nail to keep him away. On the other hand, her demoness has been awakened by Reyes and is eager to open her legs and give herself to the brutal ruler. As much as Duvessa denies him, there’s something about Reyes that draws her near. What Duvessa doesn’t realize is that her friends Amethyst Vupes, part succubus, and Jacinda Blackthorne, part shifter, are undergoing the same fate with Reyes’s brothers Casimir and Hades. Each have their own agendas with the demis and with the regions surrounding Purgatory.
Throughout the couples love-hate relationships there’s something deeper between them that grips them and doesn’t want to let go. I loved how you not only get Duvessa and Reyes' perpectives, but you also get glimpses into what's going on behind Amethyst and Jacinda's doors. The deeper the reader delves into the story the more surprises leap out at you from the dark of Purgatory. This is definitely a gripping and hot erotic story and I can’t wait for the next installment.

[Sacha Valero · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book opens with three girls, Duvessa, Amythist, and Jacinda. They are all demi's, or half breeds demons, shape shifter, and succubus. They've been picked up and are being delivered to the King of Purgatory.

As they're brought before the king and his two brothers. Duvessa wakes to find herself in the King's bedroom. The King (Reyes) bonds with her, putting his mark on her and eventually this mark forces her to yearn for him and when they have sex, she's both elated at the way he makes her feel and disgusted by the fact that she hates him.

One night Duvessa learns that Reyes intends to make her his wife. Duvessa is curious as to why he would bond with a demi and even marry her. When prodded about this, Reyes explains that he'll tell her everything later, but first he wants her to give him an heir.

I wont get into what comes next too much as I don't like leaving spoilers, however, we do know that her friends are both alive and that there are some within the castle willing to help the three escape. Not something to be taken lightly given the King's temper and his wrath.

Overall it's a quick, fun read. The characters are likable and yes, the evil characters are detestable. The plot twist at the end is a fine segue for the second book which is not yet available. It's well written, but could use a bit of editing. In the beginning there are the three girls and the pronoun 'she' is used almost exclusively making it a little difficult to know exactly who's who.

[J.B. Trepagnier · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy in exchange for a review. I'm not sure how much of what I read is in the final draft since my copy had ARC on it. There were some typos in my copy that may not be in the final draft that makes it on to Amazon.

I really enjoyed this book. It follows a half demoness and her friends as they are captures by what is only known as a depire. We get a little of Reyes history and how he became this way. By the time I was almost finished, I couldn't put it down and the author introduced a twist. Then I had to sit there like, okay, it's bed time, do I keep reading? Do I go to bed? I kept reading because I wanted to know what happened.

If you like supernatural tales with sex, you'd love this. She gives us a preview of the next book at the end of this one and I can't wait to see where she goes with it



Why no voting buttons

[Nadene (Totally Addicted to Reading) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I chose to read Darling Dark because I found the blurb and the cover fascinating. I went into this book with high expectations but instead what I got was disappointment. Well-written stories that portray dynamic characters and have a good plot are the kind that gets my reading juices flowing; unfortunately, this book failed me in that regard.The characters did not appeal to me. They were flat resulting in me not having a connection with them. The story would have been captivating if we had the characters’ back-stories. I felt like I was reading about strangers. The author gave a disclaimer about the male protagonist at the start of the book, so of course, his actions came as no surprise to me. However, I was expecting that behind all that cruelty would lie a tortured soul that was capable of redemption. Reyes was definitely not that person. His cruelty knew no bounds. All who encountered him feared him and not in a good way, so it was no surprise that the heroine would want nothing to do with him.When the story began the female protagonist, Duvessa, is captured and is forced to bond with Reyes. He forces himself on her and reminds her every chance he that she belongs to him. There was lots of sex, but the story was not in the least sexy. Frankly, there is nothing sexy about a man forcing himself on a woman and trying to bend her to his will. To make things worse, Duvessa is struggling to reconcile her feelings of hate and love towards Reyes. For most of the story, I felt like I was missing something. There were conflicts, but I had no idea what caused them. In addition, the story was in need of an editor. There were many spelling and grammatical mistakes, which proved to be very distracting. This also played a role in diminishing my enjoyment of the story. Another thing I found disturbing about this story was discovering Reyes’ reason for holding Duvessa captive. It did nothing more than to reinforce the extent of his cruelty. Then there was the cliffhanger. Seriously! I wish I had gotten a heads up, then I would have been better prepared for the abrupt ending.Verdict: This had the potential to be a good story, but the under developed characters and the lack of editing destroyed that prospect. Please note that this is not a romance. It is fantasy mixed with erotica, so if this is not your thing then this story is not for you.

[Connie Lafortune · Rating 5 out of 5]

Darling Dark is a sensual paranormal romance about one woman's struggle with the monster who claims her for his own..

The story unfolds with Duvessa--along with her friends-- being transported from their home to the sunless--Purgatory. Once inside the city, she's mortified to see the carnage. Vampires and lycan readily feed and sate their hunger, while a succumbus couple work together to lure their victim. It's much worse inside as Duvessa stands idly by as the King randomly decides everyone's fate. When only the three of them remain, Duvessa is immediately sent to the infirmary. Where her nightmare begins...

I found Duvessa to be a strong female lead and Reyes to be the kind of man everyone loved to hate. Bennett did a wonderful job of bringing these two characters to life. A twist at the end had me sitting on the edge of my seat and looking forward to Darling Devastation!

[Brenda Davies · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great story of dark monsters, strange love and erotic sex. Reyes is a monster, no doubt about it, but irresistible all the same. You know you should detest him but still, he's very handsome and the sex is incredible. Duvessa tries to fight him, to resist but always fails and who can blame her? She comes across as strong, caring but very passionate. I liked the descriptions of the characters, the setting but especially the erotic sex. There are another two women, Amythist and Jacinda and another two handsome devils, Casimir and Hades. I suspect I will have to read the next book to find out more about their journey. There were a few typo errors but I didn't really care, I was too engrossed.

[Ashley Pullen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I normally don't like fantasy books but this book seems to be the exception. Here we have a demi goddess who deals with characters like Reyes who isn't a good guy and is easy to hate. Then we have Duvessa who is the demi goddess who is good and has an intellect above the others. There is some sexual content in this book. Just to inform you. Anyway the characters are vivid and the world they live in is phenomenally written. Well done

[Please Pass the Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Darling Dark, the first book in Natalie Bennett's Infernal Regions series, is an erotic urban fantasy set in a post-apocalyptic realm. Duvessa, Jacinda, and Amethyst, having been hunted for months before, surrender themselves in Purgatory to their demon king, Reyes Straykov. The three young demi women are separated and paired between Reyes and his two brothers, Casimir and Hades.

Duvessa is the main POV character, and is quickly branded as the beast Reyes'. In a story where a woman is only able to tolerate coition with one man, Duvessa is forcefully and unnaturally fused to Reyes, soon discovering she is to become his bride.

Darling Dark has a lot going for it, but also some issues that work against it. The narrative is let down by poor editing and sluggish prose (e.g.: "Then she was screaming, one of those loud horror movie screams of anguish.").

That said, there are moments where Bennett's writing is prime. For example:

"She learned in that moment––Death is an unfair opponent. It had zero tact and little consideration for timing. In short, death was a f---ing a----ole."

Overall, the story is creative and the character development is exceptionally well layered for a novella this short. Bennett is adept at the art of world-building and in her execution of the character's sex scenes, and the twist she injects toward the end elevates the story beyond anything I saw coming. I think in the hands of a skilled editor, Darling Dark could shine in the erotic fantasy/paranormal genres and surpass other less-ambitious counterparts. I do look forward to reading the second book in the series, which says more about how enjoyable I found the story than anything else.

Five stars for plot.
Three stars for execution.
Four stars overall.

Special thanks to the author, who provided a copy of this book for my honest opinion, which this certainly is.

[Shelli · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fascinating story, quite different from most that I've read. It's full of angst, suspense, dark romance, and the whole spectrum of emotions from anger to love to hate. It's dark and intense, and while there's not really physical abuse, there is definitely a strong element of dubious consent.

My only real complaint about the story is that I felt almost like I had missed part of the story, or like I was reading the 2nd book in a series. I didn't completely understand the conflicts and battles that were being waged, and she used some words that I was unfamiliar with and had to guess at the meaning. I think a little more background or setup to the storyline would have been helpful.

Otherwise, it was a great story with alot of action and intrigue and hot romance. I definitely want to read the next one and find out what happens!
I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book for Quill & Ink.

[Lydia Larue · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first time that I have reviewed an Advance Review Copy, and since it will be further edited before released, I will not remark on grammar or structure. This will be a review of the story and characters and how well they work together, and the ratings will be based on the plot, characters, and how well I feel that they work.

At the beginning, Bennett included a glossary of words that is used in the novel. I have found this to be invaluable as I had returned to it a few times during my reading.

Having researched demons, I recognized some of the names in this. Having these names in this made me able to relate to the other characters. For those who are familiar with demons, these were nice "easter-eggs".

There are incubi, succubae, werewolves, and vampires in this. Although I feel that the paranormal genre is oversaturated with vampires, I like that Bennett's version of them are unique to this tale. She handles the "vampire" supporting characters well.

When we were introduced to Duvessa Vasiel, I feel as though the character herself is very real. I like the emotions that she had in the first chapter. She felt as if she was resigned to her fate.

As I got further into the novel, Duvessa's character seemed to evolve into a courageous woman. There is a particular scene where we witness her fight against someone giving her something. However, this scene had a touch of realism to it as Duvessa was overwhelmed.

Even in the face of her prospective husband, she demands answers to a couple questions. I kept wondering if her courage would leave her as she is faced with his atrocities or perhaps she will grow to appreciate his cruelty.

I do not want to give away to much of the setting as I hate to do such things in reviews. The setting itself was what I envisioned such a dark place to be. It is ruled by the "King", and he prefers it the way that it is. I feel that the description was well done as I was able to envision the buildings, as well as the environment.

I liked that this was not your typical happy-ever-after story. The male character is not someone you can root for, but it shows that even he can fall in love. Oh, what a twisted love, it is.

I do think that the characters and plot work well together.

I enjoyed the copy that I was sent, and I encourage any reader who loves a good dark paranormal novel to keep on the lookout for this.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I truly enjoyed this book. The book takes us through a story about a demi-demon princess named Duvessa Vasiel and her two friends, Amethyst and Jacinda, as they are taken to Reyes, the king of Purgatory.

Although this sounds like the beginning of a story where things are not as bad as they may appear, that is not the case in this story. When we are first introduced to the king, Reyes, we are shown just how little life means to him. Duvessa watches as he quickly spouts off what to do with the others in front of her. Auctions, death, and mutilation. Then when Duvessa and her friends are brought up in front of the king and his two brothers she assumes she will be killed immediately, but instead they are kept alive. A little later in the story we find out that the king has decided to keep Duvessa for himself. Terrified of being alone with someone like the king, Duvessa tries her best to stay strong. While reading this story I found myself continuously cheering for Duvessa, pushing her to stay strong, to not allow this monster to see her weakness. As we learn more about Duvessa and Reyes a twist gets thrown into the story. I won't give away any spoilers but I applaud the author for choosing this twist.

We also get to hear about Amethyst and Jacinda during the story (Duvessa's two friends). I, personally, enjoyed reading Jacinda's story. The two friends were paired up with the king's two brothers. I would like to hear more about these two stories moving forward.

As I said in the beginning I truly enjoyed this book and cannot wait to continue this story in the next book. Having said that I do feel like there could have been a little more detail although there was enough to get my emotions involved. I am intrigued to read the next book of this series.

[April ♥"LOS" ♥ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book that I've read by this author so I wasn't sure what to expect going into it, but by chapter 3 I was hooked and wanted to know more.

Darling Dark is an interesting and twisted story of a woman, Duvessa, who finds herself trapped in Purgatory and bound to one of it's kings, Reyes. The world that she knows has been twisted and warped forcing her to accept her fate as Queen. While she struggles against the horrible acts her tyrant of a husband commits, she is strangely growing fond of him. But as the story unfolds, Duvessa realizes that everything she thought she felt for Reyes has been based on lies and trickery. When the truth is revealed she knows what she must do to survive. But will she be able to escape Purgatory and save her unborn child from the monster that pursues her?

[Roger Keays · Rating 1 out of 5]

Darling Dark has a grammatical or editing error on roughly every second page. The formatting is inconsistent and gaudy, and there are several instances of whole paragraphs being misaligned. This is a bad start for any book, but could be redeemed by a good plot or interesting characters. Unfortunately, we get neither.

The story goes nowhere, and the only discernible theme in the book is that women like dominant men. Yes, we get it already.

In terms of style, the narrative fails to evoke any sensory experiences. Even the sex scenes fall flat. Repetitive use of "fuck", "fucking", and "fucked" only communicates that the author either lacks a good vocabulary or a good imagination.

Darling Dark appears to be one of a growing pool of books influenced by Fifty Shades of Grey. If you enjoyed Fifty Shades of Grey, you might like Darling Dark, but I couldn't appreciate either.

[Wilde Sky · Rating 4 out of 5]

A woman is taken prisoner and ends up in a hellish region, full of monsters and senseless cruelty.

I found this to be an unusual book – it has scenes of violence and torture mixed with a woman falling for someone that she should detest. It was a fast paced / easy read (only around 34,000 words), with an engaging (bizarre) plot and some really nasty characters.

Overall my rating would be 3.5, because in a couple of places the plot seemed to jump (a prologue may have helped) and some of the writing wasn’t tight enough.

Definitely not for anyone who doesn’t like blood and guts, but if you enjoy ‘erotica / blood’ it is probably worth a look.

[Joshua Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book, but honestly it felt rushed and the erotic portions were a bit blunt and lacked sensuality. I feel like if it was about a hundred pages longer, Bennett would have been able to flesh out the world a bit more ( I loved the setting and would like to see more of it) and give us more reasons to like the heroine and hate her captor. I'll certainly check out the sequel to see if things change pace.

[Joel Crofoot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Duvessa and her two best friends are abducted and brought to the plains of pergatory, under a hedonistic ruler where they are each claimed by one of three brothers. In turn their inner demons are forcefully awoken bringing with them the innate drive for sex, regardless of the girls' feeling for the man, so who will win in this inner conflict?
This is a sympathy-for-the-devil and/or identifying with aggressor type of book, so if that is your thing, this is for you!

[Natalie Darby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the author for sending me a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Well I’m so far behind on reviews that poor Natalie has waited almost a year for this review, on my side though it was really worth the wait! What a great book!

Darling Dark is a paranormal romance that is so cleverly written, you don’t actually know if you’re rooting for the couple or not. Duvessa is a prisoner in Reyes’ kingdom. She is his wife to be and can’t make up her mind about her feelings for him.



The Good Stuff

I liked how the readers were warned before we started this book that Reye’s isn’t a typical book boyfriend and he wasn’t written for the readers to fall in love with. I actually quite liked Reye’s character up until the end of this book, should I carry on reading I have a feeling that I won’t have the same feelings. However, he was still much more likable to me than everyone’s apparent number one book boyfriend...Mr overrated Grey. Give me this arrogant vampire over him any day!

The story didn’t actually go slow for me at any point, I was quite happy just sitting on my train and reading through this, at no point did I get bored or distracted by anything else.

I’m a little useless understanding the Demis and Supes etc, although there is a glossary at the beginning and the way that the story word it all, it isn’t ludicrously confusing. I could read this book through without having to flip backwards and forwards.

Not My Cup Of Tea

Not much really happened in this book, although I enjoyed the read I mainly just read about Duvessa in her room. This book is a starter so it’s not a huge complaint for me, I could tell by the last scene that things are really going to start happening in the next one.

The was one or two points where the story suddenly went to the point of view of one of Duvessa’s friends. To me it was a little irrelevant and I would either have preferred just the POVs of Duvessa and Reyes, or have a few points of view throughout the book. The one random one doesn’t really work.

Overall Rating

As I really didn’t have a lot to gripe about, this book is getting a 4 from me. I can tell that the next book will really pick up storywise, the last few chapters were just like WOW!! I can’t wait to see what happens next!

[Brett Stadelmann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This introduction to Bennett's Infernal Regions series is a twist on typical romances, from first meetings through courtship, passion, and proposal into the early days of marriage. It's a curious blend of two opposing themes, melded together with the aid of its unusual setting. From one perspective, it's a tale of abduction, psychological manipulation, and sexual abuse; and yet the same sequence of events are often seen, by both victim and perpetrator, as rather a tale of sexual freedom and self-confidence, the coming-of-age, and the exploration of secret and unbidden desires.

As a backdrop, we are offered glimpses of an external world whose vagueness--which might otherwise be frustrating--is countered by two important factors. Firstly, the concepts of purgatory, vampires, and werewolves are so ingrained in the collective consciousness that they require little elaboration to evoke a populous and complex world; and secondly lies the promise of a deeper examination of this world's cultures, factions, and locations, which are hinted to be tantalisingly vast and begging to be explored.

Though it suffers from some of the typical trappings of a debut work, these are offset by believable and complex characters, and by a setting which offers a tantalising taste of the greatness that is to come.

And there's lots of great sex.

[L.A. Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Darling Dark is a paranormal romance about a half demon princess struggle with a king who bonds with her by putting his mark on her. Eventually his mark forces her to desire him and surrenders her body to him, which just makes her feel confused. I do not want to get into any further details in fear of providing spoilers. However, I will say it is an excellent read. I really enjoyed it. I found that the pace and plot was spot on making it an easy read. The authors characters were fitting for their roles in the plot. The story was enchanting and drew me into its world that I found myself unable to put it down. Overall Darling Dark was a wonderful story that any paranormal romance reader would love.

[Theresa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Darling Dark was an interesting read, both good and bad.

This story is a mixture of dark erotica and urban fantasy. It's a page turner that drew me in quickly, and I really wanted to finish the story to see what happens. But the book did not satisfy.

Why? Partially because the book doesn't resolve. This is only part 1, so the adventure has only begun. The end doesn't satisfy me, but sadly other aspects didn't help. This story centers around 3 couples, 3 female friends and the triplets who rule the land and want to claim the women as brides.

This story had A LOT going on with all of them, with the main focus on Duvessa and Reyes. If you want world-building, this book has it in spades. Granted, I wish some aspects of the world were much hetter explained, such as abilities, but that is part of why the story isn't as good as it could be. There is so much more that could be expanded on, and having more context on what is normal for the 3 types kf beings would have been nice. You get dropped in this world and immediately feel for Duvessa, a very strong heroine that I like. She is kidnapped and held up in a room by Reyes, which is where things get more murky. Reyes seems irredeemable to me right now, and I really wanted him to be redeemed. But time and again he only seemed abusive and cruel. He claims Duvessa, but there is some VERY dubious consent going on there, bordering on rape some might think, so I wasn't thrilled about it. Add in that the erotic scenes were plentiful, full of rough play, but the scenes did not do it for me in this book. They seemed a little flat and repetitive.

Add in that Duvessa learned almost nothing about and was locked in a room all the time, I'd wager you had some Stockholm syndrome going on there. But this is also where the erotica does come to play, in the dynamic between Reyes and Duvessa. It was developed well for her, and I so wish Reyes were better. But there are many twists and turns that say no. If you can look beyond the consent issues and the way Reyes treats her, always taking not giving, then you'll probably really enjoy this book. But it wasn't doing it for me. A note is made at the beginning about Reyes and his traits, but that still didn't prepare me for all the darkness in this story. Because believe me, it's dark and twisted.

I'm not sure if I'll read the next book yet. I'm curious to see if Reyes does somehow get redeemed, and to see more of the others, but the next book is a novella that's already out.

Finally, the ARC I received (courtesy of Quill and Ink Reviews, in exchange for an honest review) was FULL of grammar mistakes. Either every page, or close to that, and with weird formatting. That turned me off, and I hope that wasn't the final product. Because it drove me nuts. Overall, I wasn't satisfied with a lot of what I read, so that's why the low rating. There's a lot of space to add and grow, and then I think this novel will be much better off.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have never read an erotica anything like this.

For starters, for an erotica this book has an awesome storyline.

Two- this book is DARK,

Three- the world this author created is 100% original and superbly well done.

Vampires, demons, shifters, lycans and something that reigns above them all. I loved Duvessa and her friends Jacinda and Amethyst. These characters are excellently brought to life. and don't get me started on the hotness that is Reyes. I love dark alpha assholes and Reyes does not disappoint.

Overall a very good read, I look forward to see where this author goes with book two.

[Mel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Darling Dark is highly creative with some great twists. A reader can get caught up in the story and the dark seductive scenes are enough to make them want more. This is definitely a book for those who prefer their books on the darker and more sexier side. Be prepared for a lot of sex happening. The book is hard to put down once one is into it. I look forward to the next book in the series.

[Sheena · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book through the Quill and Ink Tour Review Team in exchange for a fair and honest review.....I was captivated by this book from the start...this is a paranormal dark story...three gorgeous, alpha brothers and three beautiful women who are also best friends, a match made in heaven...or so you would think..but this is no fairytale; Duvessa Vasiel and her 'sisters' Jacinda and Amethyst are half breeds and the captives of Reyes, the King of Purgatory and his brothers Hades and Casimir and their combined predicament is the subject of this first in the series...

I confess that paranormal is not my go to genre, mostly because there is so much new language and terminology to keep track of, and indeed Darling Dark has it's fair share, but regardless I immediately became immersed in this menacing and twisted alternative universe ..the author is really skilled at conjuring up vivid pictures with minimal description and the landscape of Purgatory, the evil constructed world in which the story is based, took on a life of it's own.

Written mostly from the perspective of Duvessa but also from a multi person point of view the plot moves on at a good pace with the intrigue and machinations of the characters being slowly but surely revealed....the majority of characters are despicable and ruthless and there is none more so than Reyes..... Duvessa's best friends Amethyst and Jacinda and Reyes' brothers Hades and Casimir add another layer of interest and humour as their stories play out alongside that of the protagonists...

This is now the second book I have read by this author and she is fast becoming a favourite...undoubtedly her books are dark but even the darkest moments are balanced with humour and tenderness. ...the only criticism I have is that there were some leaps in time in the story which left me wanting the gaps to be filled with more explanation ...,

That said..I was enthralled by this book.... but heed the warning only read it if you can truly separate real life from fiction otherwise you will be very swiftly offended... a darkest of dark paranormal reads which ends with a disturbingly unpredictable cliffhanger

[Chanah Dow · Rating 1 out of 5]

*A free copy of this book was provided by Quill and Ink Review team in trade for an unbiased review.*

Let me begin by saying that I have NO objection to porn without plot. I like it a lot. I have around 30 books of it on my phone. As long as it's well written, I'll settle in and enjoy.

Darling Dark is, unfortunately, not. Not only does it need a good proof-reading for grammar, but it DOES try to mix plot in. And, actually, it mixes too MUCH in:
- Science fiction and medical science
- Christian Catholic religion
- Supernatural creatures
- BDSM
- Stockholm syndrome
- Medieval/ancient-world settings & marriage laws
- Modern, 21st century settings and technology
- Forced impregnation
- Forced, drug-induced rape
- A love story with a traditional white-tulle gown wedding and cake cutting, etc
- Political intrigue
- Mind reading/magic

ALL of this is without explanation or importance. It's all jumble amidst repetative sex scenes. And this is before the characters.

Oh, the characters! The men are all cruel, unconscionable, domineering, sleazy, selfish brutes. The main character and her friends, for whom I presume we are supposed to cheer, stamp their feet and get mad when children are ripped apart by their lovers and said lovers rape dozens of women (and impregnate them) to guilt-trip our starring ladies into loving them. . . . which they start to do without question or qualm. and support each other in their mutual Christian weddings to these men with general happiness.

I'm sorry, but this is - at the end of the day - a jumble of fetishes and genres forced into one very short book without explanation, context, or even a healthy moral voice to object to the atrocities. I can deal with any two of these; all three, and this book straight-out romanticizes abuse in all of its forms.

I'm sorry: I cannot force myself to enjoy that.

[K.T. McColl · Rating 2 out of 5]

Darling Dark opens with the protagonist, Duvessa, captured with two friends by Reyes, the ruler of Purgatory. The nature of the conflict that sees this trio captured is given short shrift (hopefully to be elaborated upon in future books), but the politics of the situation are less important than the dynamic that evolves between captive and captor.

The novel bills itself as dark erotica and it certainly qualifies on both counts. There are moments of extreme violence and equally extreme, rough sex. Where the novel is at its most entertaining is in the treatment of Duvessa's conflicted relationship with her captor. Duvessa wavers between desire and revulsion, the former as a result of a spell Reyes has woven around her, and the latter due to his seemingly limitless capacity for cruelty. It's convincing and the reader is soon drawn into the protagonist's conflict. Reyes is also nuanced, though perhaps less so, showing glimmers of sensitivity despite his penchant for savagery. In short, it's an interesting, entertaining dynamic.

And so Darling Dark fulfills its promise as dark erotica. Unfortunately, the novel falls short in attention to detail. While a reader might forgive the odd grammatical failing (particularly in a work by an indie author), it is more difficult to excuse the kind of error that would have been caught by a simple spell-check. In fact, when Prologue is misspelled, the reader's attention is captured far too soon and in entirely the wrong way. Sadly, the rest of the novel only confirms the reader's initial misgivings.

[KenzieKrazyBookz · Rating 5 out of 5]

* I won Darling Dark in conjunction with an ARC of Sordid Seduction in a giveaway*

I'm a huge one click author type of girl. I read one of your books, I like it, I hit buy on the rest. (unless you fuck up to many times)

With that being said I had no fucking idea who this author was, but I entered a giveaway of a giveaway and won two of her books.

I didn't read the blurb of Darling or any reviews, I dove right in. (it was direct to kindle so that part was a given)

Here's a play by play of how I felt when I was reading this book.

Seeing the Glossary- This was creative

Prologue....Uhhh....ok......

Chapter one- Oh, no backstory were just gonna dive right in. Alrighty then.

*Meets Duvessa, meh. Amethyst also meh. Jacinda. had my interest piqued.

Then we get to the Citadel and the whole book took a turn. First off, from that point forward we get murder, mayhem, and non-con.

We meet the formidable Reyes LOVED his character. Fuck I loved all these characters by the time I was done.

Except that bitch Dilana

The more I read the more I wanted to find out what happened. The author created this whole new world that took all the same reused tropes and turned them on their asses. And she did it WELL. This was her story, it didn't conform to anything but what she wanted it to be and that is so obvious when I was reading it i think it made me love this book even more.


Duvessa is a demi-demon who has a backbone and doesn't drop to her knees with a forgive all attitude. 10+ points. She just went from "meh" to IKTR.

Amethyst-succubi- we don't really get to much on her or her POV but I'm hoping we find her in the second book.

Jacinda- she's a shifter, what she turns into isn't said but I also like the fact she can't speak and got paird (more like she got forced) to be with Hades. or she will later on. That story ARC honestly has my full attention.

The other MC'S

Reyes-love. dark and not broody, fucked up on a massive level and doesn't give a hoot who likes it or not.

Hades-love

Casimir-need more on him.

This story had so many twists to it, I'm glad I went into this blind! I can't wait to continue this book.

I read the reviews just now before I posted this and majority seem to be in agreement with me on how awesome this book was.


But. yes, the but, and hopefully someone will read this far.

The editing- I'm not sure if I read a different story from everyone else but I didn't find anything wrong with my formatting and I saw a total of 3 or four typos. But I do know the book had been revised and reformatted- it's on the amz page.

The storyline- this book packs some major character development and world building skill with a clearly thought out plot/story w.e to not be super long.

Characters- they were all individuals, with personalities and special traits

the erotic portions- 4/5 this book has some GREAT! HOT! sex scenes. Duvessa and Reyes shouldn't be together but damn can they burn a screen up.

The twist- fucked me up ngl

the ending- not a major cliff but still a cliff. luckily the next one is out this month


Now for those who claim this book is to dark, or the H/h are not "romancy enough"

Please refer to the blurb where the author said NOT A ROMANCE

and then the warning page-REYES IS NARCISSISTIC AND POSSESSIVE AND PURPOSELY WRITTEN TO BE IRREDEEMABLE.

if you can't handle minor triggers, you DEFINITELY can not handle this book. some parts of this had me scratching my head wondering how the author came up with some of the shit inside.


but all in all

plot. 5/5
heat4/5
char. 4/5

would I recommend? duh read my review.

[C.L. Cannon · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was given a copy of this book by the Quill and Ink Review Team in exchange for an honest review.

The premise of this book sounded intriguing. The execution left much to be desired.

This story was rushed, underdeveloped, and all over the place. The sex was like cheap fetish porn and was poorly written. Nothing about it turned me on, and it borders on rape. I thought, eventually that some sort of solid plot or character development would arise, but sadly, that was not the case.

There are also several formatting and editing mistakes in the file I was given.

This was a complete miss for me, which sucks. I was really looking forward to this after reading the synopsis.

[Ellee · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Darling Dark" was a very, very different type
of book I've read in awhile.It really left me wanting
for more. I want to know sooo badly what's
going to happen next..not only to the main characters
Duvessa & Reyez,but to everyone else that was close
to them . I'm happy I was introduced to this author,
this book had everything:Dystopian World,Supes,Love,
Death,Betrayal...well you get the point. Can't wait to
read more of this series..