Dark Desire

The Dark #1

by Summer Cooper

Tall, dark and dangerous…
That’s what I want for my birthday this year!

None of my family seems to remember my special day.
Not that I care about gifts or parties.
But a simple “happy birthday” would have been nice!

I’m not usually one to complain, I swear.
Taking it on the chin and burying it deep down is much more my style.
But this year, I want a little more.
I want to lose my virginity!
I want to live out my deepest, darkest desires.
Now I just need the perfect man who knows how to please me…

Genres: Romance, Dark Romance, Dark, BDSM, Erotica, Ebooks, Contemporary

308 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 17, 2019

About the author

Besides her love of chocolate, dogs and music… reading and writing is Summer’s number one route to escape from crazy friends, family and the in-laws!

She found her own happily ever after with a martial arts fighter who also happens to be an adorable IT geek! Now, she loves to write about hot alpha males that come with a pretty face and covered in tough-as-nails muscle... who are secretly looking for their true soul mate (shhh…)!

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READING ORDER

Screaming Demons MC Series
1. Rough Start
2. Rough Ride
3. Rough Choice
4. Rough Return
5. Rough Patch
6. Rough Road
7. Rough Trip
8. Rough Night
9. Rough Love

Dark Desires Series
1. Dark Desire
2. Dark Rules
3. Dark Secret
4. Dark Time
5. Dark Truth

New Earth Series
1. His To Take
2. His To Mate
3. His To Save

Box Sets
Too Much To Love (A Ten-Book Romance Box Set)
Filthy Rich (A Five-Book Billionaire Romance Box Set)
Big Bad Shifters (A Ten-Book Paranormal Romance Box Set)
Down Right Dirty (A Ten-Book Romance Box Set)

Reviews

[Dora Koutsoukou · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 ❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥🖤⚡️💥🌪♨️🌟🌟🌟🌟s❣️

This was undoubtedly a wild, erotic and steamy storyline!!! A great and intriguing start for the Dark series by Summer Cooper!
All characters were greatly portrayed, even Emily’s selfish arsehole brothers!

Dylan and Emily have just shipped on board for a journey with dark winds and plenty of challenges.

🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔
Emily- being virgin at 27 kept me from rating it with 5 stars!

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (5/21/2021)! 🎁

[Alix · Rating 4 out of 5]

Woah that was a spicy one and the ending got me hooked but why on a cliff hanger??
also the use of come instead of cum bothered me so much

can't wait for book 2

[Cheryl Graham-Petit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summer Cooper has given us a dark erotic story with a well written storyline, great characters, deception, drama, explosive chemistry, graphic scenes and so much more. Dark Desire does end in a cliffhanger.

I volunteered to review an advance reader copy of this book.

[Claire · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointed in this dark romance. Too much permission and a contract with no penetration…snore! This is book one in a series that I will not be reading on in.

Good news, one more book out of the house!

[Deanna Rae · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first book I read in 2025 and it was a let down. I wanted to "Did Not Finish" and delete it, but I'm trying to finish all the books I start. I feel like it could have had more of a plot.

[Melody · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Emily's & Dylan's story
Emily comes from a very rich family that owns a lot of hotels and her last name is Thomas and they're one of a big hotel tycoons her brothers run the business and she's never had to work and she spoiled but she does a lot of charity work with her best friend Roxy who she met through charity work she got to know her and come to find out Roxy works at a very exclusive Club call Imo's it's a strip and sex club it's very very private it's invitation-only she works as a stripper there which does it for a living and she does shows on the road she wants her to get her into the private club it was her birthday and her family takes advantage of her all the time she flies back and forth from where everybody lives and stays in the hotel that they own and it was her birthday and she feels bad because nobody even noticed finally she talks her friend in 2 taking her to the club which that's where she meant Dylan which he owns a company which is in the hotel business to but at estate and he's looking to buy property to start his own chain in the area one thing leads to another and they meet each other and Emily is still a virgin and she has been had these dark secret fantasies about being a submissive and she would like to explore that when they list to say things go very very hot very fast very tantalizing story makes you want more have to see what happens in the next book that leaves in a cliffhanger which is so deliciously sexy and I can't wait
I received an arc copy for an honest review

[K. Smock · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is Emily's story. She has always done for her family. Very giving of herself and her time. Now though, she has decided it is time for her to become her own person and not let her family walk all over her. She believes she is a natural submissive and wants to explore and see if this the right path for her. When she meets Mr. Dark in a sex club, things get interesting. Neither knows exactly who each other really is and this adds an element of mystery. Story does end in a cliffhanger. Can't wait to see where the story goes. Real steam and the story is beyond hot.

I voluntarily wrote this review from reading an advanced copy of this book.

[P · Rating 2 out of 5]

Downloaded as a freebie!.this was not for me sadly.

[Cali Jewel · Rating 4 out of 5]

An emotional, sexy, dark and engaging journey filled with overprotective family, loyal friends and thrilling life altering choices..... was a great read. A very entertaining story filled with great characters, deception, explosive chemistry, graphic scenes and so much more. Oh ya and just watch out for that cliff!!

[Ingríð Älva · Rating 2 out of 5]

Freebie 😅
It’s like 50 shades of boring rich girl.
I liked writing but plot itself is dull…
Name of the book and even series is “Dark” …
What is dark about this all? Desire? SubDom?
No pen? Contracts? Good friendships? Lololol

[Adison Kapitzke · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5 🌟
4.5/5 🌶️

This book was pretty good. It demonstrates a very good dom-sub relationship which is hard to come by in books. It does end with a lot of unanswered questions unfortunately but the characters are well developed and the writing is good

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great 1st in series. Amazing chemistry and hot scenes. 🥵 That was a big cliffhanger! Onto book #2! 4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Maddison Page · Rating 3 out of 5]

Noice bit of smut, would read the rest

[Elizabeth Connor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like Summer Cooper’s books. I enjoy her writing and she has some memorable and sympathetic characters, as well as some compelling plots. This story is no exception, but I found myself tempted to put it down several times before reaching the end because I did not care for the content. Some might give this book 5 stars because it really is well written, but I can't do that because in the end, I didn't enjoy it. It had characters from some previous books, which I really enjoyed (the Thompson's with the hotel chain), and I was looking forward to reading Emily's story. However, this book contains too much bdsm for my tastes (and I'll be honest, sometimes I can overlook it, but I really don't like any), and for that reason, I had trouble relating to the characters. As if that weren't enough, it ends on a bit of a cliffhanger. I don't want to read the sequel because I'm pretty sure it will get worse (from my purely subjective POV), but I really, really want to know what happens between Dylan and Emily. Damn!

[Hannah Franklin · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is the exact type of stuff I used to read on wattpad except it was actually written by 12 year olds- but honestly I couldn’t see much difference

[Lydia · Rating 2 out of 5]

She's bland like a glass of milk

[Patty · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW! Summer Cooper has written the most dark erotic adventure. A first of it's kind for Summer and I have to amend her for her amazing skills. This book was amazing and the ending will leave you wanting more.

Emily Thompson is a rich girl, flying from one brother's house to the next, babysitting and being at their beck and call. No life of her own. She wants more than this. She wants to be noticed. She wants to be wanted. Not forgotten, an after thought. Emily gets all that and more the night she meets Mr. Dark.

Dylan James is a hotel tycoon, from the West coast, trying to spread his wings on the East coast. But every time he finds a property to buy he gets blocked. Frustrated and needing release. He goes to the exclusive club. So exclusive, you have to be invited to get in. A club unlike any other. A club that no one knows your name, and the dark desires that one may have can be fulfilled. A club with rules. And rules must be followed.

Emily is about to embark on a dark winding journey into a world like no other she has every seen. Can she enjoy and embrace the experience? Or will she lose her family and heart in the process?

This is the first dark book that Summer has written and she did an amazing job. This book was dark, erotic, and entertaining. The story line is intriguing and will draw the reader into the dark underbelly of BDSM. A book that should not be read by someone not remotely interested in this type of sexual world. It is dark and some find it offensive, but others will find it interesting and curious. She has laid out the plot and built the world that these characters will live in. A world that is dark and curious to readers. A world that will draw you in and keep you reading.

Emily and Dylan are wonderful characters and Summer has developed them well with great backstories to introduce us to them. She starts their story in this book and lays the foundation for them to embark on a dark and mysterious journey. A journey that will be filled with lots of deception. A journey that will be amazing and hard. With these two amazing characters this journey is sure to be amazing.

Overall this book is amazing. A steady paced book, with a perfect foundation laid out for the story of these two amazing characters. A story that will draw it's readers in. A story that will intrigue and entertain. I believe that Summer Coopers book Dark Desire is the start to something really amazing.

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very Captivating Start

In this first book of the Dark Series, Dylan James is in Myrtle Beach attempting to get a foothold into expanding his family's hotel business from the West Coast. He's having problems doing so because the Thompson family has been buying up all the possible sites as quickly as his real estate agent is identifying them, in an effort to frustrate him from his goal. A dominant, Dylan has been spending many of his free evenings at Elmo's, a high end strip/sex club while he continues to search for hotel property. He's looking to find someone to spend a short amount of time with, as he doesn't have an interest in relationships.

Emily Thompson, the youngest sibling of the Thompson clan has become extremely dissatisfied with the inconsiderate way her older brothers treat her. She feels like nothing more than a glorified babysitter for their children and is finally determined to take her life back. She is still a virgin, although it's primarily due to not having found the man she wants to give it to rather than for prudish reasons. Through reading and viewing various sex-related sites, Emily has realized she is drawn to a more kinky side of sex and believes she is likely submissive. She wants to pursue this further without exposing herself or her well-known family to any negative reactions for her unconventional proclivities.

Emily has become friends with Roxie through a charity they both volunteer at. Roxie is a pole dancer, who works at Elmo's when she isn't competing, often very successfully, in pole dancing competitions. Roxie agrees to assist Emily in finding someone to help meet her desires through the resources available at Elmo's. Roxie identifies Dylan as that someone and sets up a meeting for them at Elmo's. Emily's identity is protected by using a fake first name only (Stephanie) and wearing a mask. Both Emily and Dylan are taken by each other and agree to a three day contract, but with several limitations. This begins their connection. How it proceeds is for your reading pleasure - and it is pleasurable!

This is a good and somewhat unusual storyline and I'm really enjoying it so far. Inasmuch as this is a series, a lot of the character and story development is moving more slowly than it would in a standalone novel. But I'm more than sufficiently interested to learn more and hope things continue to proceed as well as they've begun. There is a lot more to learn, and I'm an avid student so far.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dark Desire is book in the Dark Desire series. A steamy full-length standalone novel with no cheating, and ends on mind-blowing cliffhanger, and guaranteed happily-ever-after in book five. A brilliantly written story with extraordinary characters and fascinating storyline that captures your attention from the first chapter and keeps you hooked and riveted and turning the pages with it's non-stop spice, and seducion and pleasure. Emily is a sheltered wealthy heiress of wealthy elusive Thompson family. She's also the baby of the family, her family always ignored her and takes her for granted until they're in need of a favor. The nail had broke the camel's back for her when the whole family forgot her birthday. She decided that she was going to punish and teach all of them a lesson for their discrepancy.
She feels unloved by them so she made a vow on her birthday that she's going to find love. However, she went looking in the most unconventional of places. This is place were she knows none her uppity family would approve of, an exclusive kink club where her friend dancer extraordinaire works as a pole dancers. She was able score a free pass. It is there that she meets the handsome and mysterious billionaire dom Dylan James a.k.a. Mr. Dark who awakens something inside her that she felt before. Dylan and the Thompsons are rivals and had been at war for years.
He's unaware of that Emily a.k.a. Stephanie is rivals youngest daughter. But he's drawn to her and they embarked on a erotic, sinful, and sensual ride one that will change their lives. As they spend together the tall dark and dangerous dom wants more from her, he offers her a proposal one that would fulfill all her deepest desires. But a wealthy heiress as Emily doesn't enter into a contract as this. She's torn and doesn't know what to do and knows that if she rejects the contract that she'll lose him forever and most of all the interesting, orgasmic and exciting experience she has ever had in the entire life. This is great start to series and ends on fascinating cliffhanger. An addicting and unputdownable read and me faning myself with their dom and submissive sexual scenes.

I received an advanced free copy of this book via Booksprout and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Shari Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

WARNING 18+
BDSM Romance
Love this first part of a 5 five part serial by Summer Cooper
If you are into BDSM romances with a strong storyline and characters you need to grab this one either wait til all five parts of the serial are out or as they come available
Summer I really hate you right now making me wait two months to have all of the episodes in this serial

Can their playtime contract of three nights extend to a future
Our strong lovely heroine Emily/ Stephanie is a 27 year old virgin
Emily/Stephanie is rich well her family is and til recently been flying between the homes of her three older brothers taking care of their children when they needed a babysitter/ nanny.
When they don't need her as a babysitter/ nanny they forget about her especially on her birthday
She knows what she wants sexually to fulfill herself but not sure how to find a sex partner
Roxie her best friend introduces her to the gentleman's club where she is a pole dancer and to our hero Dylan
Dylan our strong sexy hero is 32 years old who is a hotelier from Kansas who is in Myrtle Beach NC searching for land to build his latest hotel on
But every time he finds the land is about to purchase the land our heroine's brothers buy the land first
The hero Dylan and heroine who he was introduced to as Stephanie enter an agreement/ contract for the next three days/ nights where he will take her, teach her what she wants to learn
Warning there is a cliffhanger
I recommend you read all five parts of this serial to discover what happens when she learns who he is, when he learns who her brothers are and if there is future for them together
I am volunteering to leave a review for an ARC of this book

[Terri West · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall this is an enjoyable read and I am going to review the whole series here rather than individually. The story starts out well and there are plenty of sexy erotic scenes, there is also plenty of angst and heartache throughout what is ultimately a love story. Is this a dark series? In my opinion no. Although as I have stated there are periods of angst, there was never a moment were I felt any of these books were truly dark, you know, when your stomach is in knots because of what is about to happen.
The last two books could have definitely been reduced to one, and towards the end of the final book things became insanely rushed. There was no real feeling of connection in events at the end and there was also a great deal of repetition in respect of each of our MC's inner thoughts. The other thing that happened in these last two books is that suddenly Dylan seemed to have adopted a way of speaking as if he'd just stepped out of Pride and Prejudice, 'my dear' seemed to be his default setting. My other big problem was the amount of typos, spelling and grammatical errors throughout the series. Also there were a couple of occasions where the chapter was headed as being one MC when it was actually from the other's POV, an example being the penultimate chapter was titled Emily’s POV, when it was actually Dylan’s.
If you are looking for a light romantic read the go for it, however if you really want a dark read this series is not it, for that reason and the issues mentioned above I can realistically only give it 3.5 stars and that is based on the fact that 90% was quite enjoyable.

[Ellen Mills · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh my word! What a great start to what I know is an amazing story. Emily is part of a rich family but is always being taken for granted by her brothers so after a rough day & her brothers have forgotten it's her birthday she goes to see her best friend Roxie who did remember. After all her begging Roxie eventually agrees to let Emily into her world, she's an amazing, graceful, erotic pole dancer at a gentlemans club who has found a man who looks after her & had found the perfect man to introduce Emily to this lifestyle.
Knowing who Emily's family are they agree to give a fake name to hide her identity so she is introduced to him as Stephanie but she also doesn't want to know his name after all their time together will be for only 3 days so she calls him Mr Dark. From the minute they met the sexual chemistry was off the charts & after only 1 night they both can't stay away even though they've not had sex together Mr Dark sets her body on fire & alive at the same time but he also feels more for her than he expected to.
They agree to alter the agreement but whilst reading the paperwork which he's signed shows his real name & the high she was feeling comes crashing down when she discovers he's the enemy businessman her brother is out to destroy. I'm desperately hoping she gives Mr Dark aka Dylan a chance because I know what they have is going to be HOT!!!
I can't wait to read the next book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is different from what Summer usually writes, but that is not bad. This was a really good read. Emily Thompson is the youngest and only girl in the Thompson clan and she has been flying between her brothers to help babysit their kids. The last straw was when they forgot her birthday. Every single one of her brothers and wives forgot. She tells them she needs her own space and that she won’t be at their beck and call. Her friend work at a strip club/sex club and Emily wants to become a submissive. Her friend knows exactly who to set her up with. Dylan is trying to expand his resorts into the East and keeps hitting roadblocks in the form of the Thompsons. Emily (Stephanie) is eager to do this and is excited and scared. When Dylan sees Emily for the first time he is deeply attracted to her. The attraction to him is mutual. Dylan doesn’t know Emily is a Thompson and Emily doesn’t know Dylan is the man her brother has been ‘fighting’. The chemistry between these two is off the charts hot. Will the hotness sizzle when they find out who the other is? This is a good start to Emily and Dylan’s story and I can’t wait to see what happens next. I really enjoyed the storyline and the characters were great.

[Coastie Mom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emily is the youngest sibling of the Thompson family. She is overlooked and thought of as more of the help than a family member. She has always taken care of everyone else. When her birthday is forgotten, Emily has decided she has had enough and is going to put some distance between her and them. Her friend Roxie works at a VIP club and for a while, Emily has been considering looking into this “lifestyle”. Nervous, but eager, Stephanie (Emily) goes to Elmo’s and is eventually introduced to Dylan. Dylan is in the hotel business (like Emily’s family) and is in the area to expand the family business. He is a man who doesn’t do relationships (his past is something else) but is willing to do a 3-day contract with Stephanie to teach her the ropes.

From the start, there are sparks – Dylan will not do anything that is not in the contract and Stephanie is figuring out that she shouldn’t have put some things in there! No names are shared at first – He is Mr. Dark, and she is Stephanie. Unbeknownst to the two them, they are “enemies” . Emily/Stephanie figures out who Dylan is and decides that she isn’t going to tell him as she believes he would stop the contract.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jasmine · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Stephanie" wants and almost begs her friend Roxie to help her get into this club with her and help her find the right man for what Stephanie wants. So when Roxie comes through for Stephanie and puts the plan in motion, can Stephanie go through with it? And when Stephanie wants more and more, will she continue or will the family business get in the way of what she wants/needs in her life?

Mr. Dark has been traveling and trying to expand his hotel chain, but when obstacle after obstacle stand in his way, he knows his only release can be found at Elmo's and when he meets Stephanie, he knows that he needs more and more time with her to truly give her what she wants/needs from life and from him. But when he leaves her with a new contract, will she sign and come back to him?

This is such a great start to the series, I can't wait for more and more. This is about a woman becoming her own person outside her family and finding the best way to explore her desires in a safe way with a man he can give her everything. I could not put this book down!! It has some lust, romance, sassiness, BDSM and off the charts chemistry! I received an ARC of this book from the author.

[Saffron Book archive · Rating 2 out of 5]

Contemporary Romance (BDSM)
First person, dual pov
BDSM: restraints, blindfold

Felt a little odd that the friend who worked at the club ignored her when she said she wanted to go, but it’s clear that friend cares about her, and in hindsight it makes sense she wanted to make sure she was ready to go to the club

Also the love interest being in the club thinking “yeah this other girl will do” when one of them is literally the best friend who later tells her “I’d have him if I wasn’t taken” it just felt a little weird to read that. He also almost cheats on her later which I didn’t like, maybe this book wasn’t for me.

In terms of bdsm, there is a fade to black version to explain that the boundaries and limits are taken care of in the contract, and she knows her safe words. One thing I felt odd was that they both wanted to push the no sex rule rather than re negotiate it before the scenes, because they forget to bring it up before “night 2” but they re negotiate after night 2 so it’s all sorted well

No sex scenes but you have 3 bdsm scenes with multiple orgasms

Apart from that it flowed well but definitely needs book 2 for the correct review perception

[Leanne Bryson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just 2 1/2 stars from me. I'm with some of the other reviewers of this book..What did the 5 star reviewers see that I didn't???" Poor little rich girl Emily Thompson, the youngest sibling of the Thompson clan, is tired of being ignored by her own siblings including them forgetting her birthday. They think of her when they need a babysitter, but not remembering her birthday was the final straw. She believes she is drawn to a kinkier lifestyle, but having no experience at all, she's not sure. When she has her friend set her up with a partner at a lifestyle club, Emily hopes to find out. Dylan James knows what he likes and he is a dominant. He is partnered with Emily and their relationship takes off from here. It seems like there is so much repetitive dialogue, stuff is dwelled on forever, these 2 characters are rather 1 dimensional, and overall this is just not an interesting read. Do I have any desire, dark or not, to continue with this series, I'm not at all sure.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kaye · Rating 5 out of 5]

ONE FABULOUS FIRST!!!
Oh my Doodness! Nope, not a mistake. Talk about starting out with a bang. All the angst and speculation along with all that drama, tension and intrigue go hand-in-hand. Determination for a new course brings this piece of perfection bursting to life delightfully. Summer really nailed this bad boy and kept me on a razors edge from start to finish. Twists and turns abound along with a few bumps and bruises make for one exceptional experience. One fantastic, smooth flowing, heart pounding, pulse racing wonder that brings this little gem together splendidly. The characters are so realistic with such depth and individualism you get drawn in so deep until everything else fades. You can picture each scenario as they play out with such colorful descriptions it really catapults this splendid storyline and fascinating plot to a whole new level. Outstanding job Summer, thanks for sharing this amazing little jewel with us.

[Jackie D · Rating 5 out of 5]

When " Stephaine " enlists her friend Roxie to help her live out her fantasies, and feel like more than just an errand girl to her Hotel running family she cannot think of a better place than the upscale strip/sex club Roxie works.
Once she has met Dylan, its crystal clear- this is where she needs to be.
An electrifying connection between the two keeps this sexy and sassy, light BDSM story sizzlingly as they work to figure one another out. Once I started I couldn't put the book down; I had a feeling I knew where it was going to go- and wanted to warn Dylan and Emily (aka Stephaine ) whom I have come to like already of what I saw headed their way!
Enticing, intriguing, fan yourself heat with layers of emotion and twisted suspense for the future! Summer Cooper has the start of something spectacular here! I am not usually a fan of cliffhangers, but this book is one I can handle waiting to see what comes next!