ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
I always love second chance romances, but it's a bit of a surprise to me that this is the second novel with a love triangle trope that I have enjoyed in this month alone. I guess that tells you that the drama that comes from love triangles is a captivating, even if the idea isn't usually my favorite. Lauren Runow's second chance, love triangle novel, Falling into the Black, is unique though. Characters Angie, Cole, and Carter share a connection, both men have intense attraction to Angie, and both men have a secret story with her that the other doesn't know about. They share her in the club, their masks hiding their identities, but outside those doors they vie for her attention in the real world. It's sexy, secretive, and even a bit angsty. It's not at all what you expect, especially when one character shares a past ten years old with her and the other enchants her with their forbidden trysts.
"Every touch, every kiss, every pulse means something, and I don't miss the way her head falls back or how her hands grip my back, trying to pull me in closer to her."
I found myself loving Carter and Cole, their dedication to Angie is every girl's dream, but if I had been Angie I would have ran the other way from both. Both men were willing to take their friend down, to forget about the things Angie had willingly done to hurt them both. It's hard to see men like that as someone you'd share a future with, but then Lauren Runow changes it up, she gives background to Carter and Angie's past, she brings light to Cole's friendship with Carter, and she gives us an ending that will make every reader happy. It's the happily ever after a girl like Angie deserves, especially after the nightmares of her youth. I really enjoyed the changing perspective; readers are given the opportunity to understand the minds of not just Angie, but of Carter and Cole as well. I think it really gave depth to the novel, it made each character seem so much more human. Plus, it makes the book more emotional, I loved being able to feel Cole's pain as he warred with himself over friendship or love, and I felt the anger Carter experienced as his old memories came to surface. There's also some incredible secondary characters that you are going to just LOVE, especially if you remember them from Black Widow. And the setting, don't get me started, sex clubs ALWAYS make for an intriguing read. Club Bridge is a bit more tame than others, but it's just as enticing, and I really enjoyed how Lauren Runow used it to bring the characters together in a slow way. It's erotic and gives a bit of suspense to the story.
"What we have is something special, and for this one moment, I never want it to end."
I did have a few complaints with how Falling into the Black read, the characters feel younger than their age and much of that is due to their dialogue and their thought processes. The situations they are in are very adult, but the simplicity of the reading makes this feel like I was reading about under-25 year old characters, not older characters. It ultimately did not take away from my enjoyment though, if anything it allowed me to read much faster. Which, trust me, you'll want to do, this book is hard to put down.
Falling into the Black is a standalone from Lauren Runow, author of the very sexy novel, Black Widow. Fans of erotica and a mild hint of BDSM will love this new release and will absolutely beg for more.