Black

Underworld #8

by Sophie Lark

Vor sechzehn Jahren habe ich einen schrecklichen Fehler begangen ...

Jetzt bin ich wieder in London und treffe zufällig auf Holly Summers. Sie war buchstäblich das Mädchen von nebenan – eine süße, schlanke Rothaarige, die sich in die hinreißendste Frau verwandelt hat, die ich je gesehen habe.

Sie braucht meine Hilfe. Sie organisiert eine politische Kampagne, die von einem verrückten Bombenleger anvisiert wird.

Ich will sie beschützen, aber ich sehe immer wieder Hinweise auf einen alten Feind, der von den Toten auferstanden zu sein scheint.

Ich muss dieses Rätsel lösen, bevor ich meine Jugendliebe erneut verliere.

Ich werde denselben Fehler nicht zweimal machen.

Anmerkung von Sophie:
Byron Black muss einen Terroristen aufhalten, bevor er London und seine Jugendliebe Holly in die Luft jagt. – Sophie

„Black“ ist ein explosiver, herzzerreißender, romantischer Thriller und das achte Buch der Unterwelt Serie. Es ist ein eigenständiger Roman mit Happy End und ohne Cliffhanger. Er enthält pikante Szenen, die nur für erwachsene Leser geeignet sind.

Genres: Romance, Mafia Romance, Dark Romance, Dark, Friends To Lovers, Contemporary, Ebooks

251 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 13, 2019

About the author

Powerful Romance

Special Editions & Exclusive Stories:
https://sophielark.com/

Sophie lives in Southern California with her husband and three children. Her favorite authors are Emily Henry and Freida McFadden. She’s an Aquarius who loves fitness and looks forward to Halloween every year.

Reviews

[mira · Rating 1 out of 5]

1⭐️

loved the first 4 books in this series but the rest were disappointing but i didn't really expect anything from them since they are sophie's first books. glad that they were reordered so that we can get ivan the first.

these last 2 books didn't really interest me. i skimmed them therefore i rated it so low.

[sara · Rating 2 out of 5]

‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾☆ 1.75 stars ☆☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙

too political, not my style.
romance? meh.
plot? intriguing but meh
Black? i just can’t stop seeing him as the pathetic little man that cried on his knees in front of his thief ex-girlfriend and her new beau💀
Holly? mmm she was okay. pretty meh.

I’m kinda done with these books lmao 💀💀 (specifically the ones written in 3rd person cause SL was learning and it shows)

best order to read the books:
• Brutal Birthright Series in order
• Luca (Underworld #8)
• Black (U #7)
• Anton (U #5)
• Nikolai (U #6)
• Ivan (U #1)
• Snow (U #2)
• Roman (U #3)
• Dom (U #4)
• Kingmakers Series in order

[Brutal Birthright Series can be read between the Underworld and Kingmakers Series, but I recommend to read it before both series!]

╭─━━━━━━━━━━━━─╮

• Underworld Series •

Ivan #1 — 3.75 stars
Snow #2 — 3.25 stars
Roman #3 — 3.25 stars
Dom #4 — 3 stars
Anton #5 — 2.75 stars
Nikolai #6 — 2 stars
Luca #7 — 1 stars
Black #8 — 1.75 stars

╰─━━━━━━━━━━━━─╯

[Brandy France · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This authors writing style keeps me reading from beginning to end. I live the characters and the plot. Can't wait to see what is next

[Ta || bookishbluehead · Rating 1 out of 5]

Finally, the last book in this series and the book I had the most issues with.

The 3rd person POV which I was struggling with ever since reading Anton is featured in this book as well. This book is a direct follow up to Luca and is set way earlier than Anton timewise. Why is this book the last book in this series?

I hated that the male MC was called Black, I know it’s his last name, but it didn’t fit the tone most of the times. And because this book was written in 3rd person, I had to read that stupid name so many times… And I really, really, really didn’t like Black. I didn’t like him in the previous book and I don’t like him in this book.

The story itself around Holly and her boss for the political campaign wasn’t too exciting and predictable.

The romance at least felt genuie and it wasn’t completely insta-love, because the characters already knew each other and had a history.

I definitely will read more books by Sophie Lark, as I’m sure her newer books will be much better. Anyone has to start somewhere, it’s just so brutal in this series, because the earlier works are the books, that are last in the series.

[Gina *loves sunshine* · Rating 2 out of 5]

Where I am at with this book >> I know technically this was reordered to be book 8 BUT I'm reading it as book 2 - in the order it was written. Honestly, I could not imagine reading this as the last book of the series - it really just wasn't very exciting. The story picks up where book 1 left off with Byron Black nursing his broken heart. It's supposed to be a heart stopping thriller but the intensity was pretty low. The chemistry between Byron and Holly was basically a zero. Banter was also at zero. So it didn't really check any of my boxes. But I am taking this all with a grain of salt as these are apparently the author's first books and hopefully her skills get better! I also think this moves into more of a mafia/bratva world which does excite me.

[Tami · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was like an episode of Law & Order.

This book is about Byron Black (Violet's brother) and Holly Summers (Byron's childhood friend.) The romance takes a backseat in this one because we have a case to solve! There's no mafia in this book. It's more of a detective novel with a bit of romance.

I think that was nice for a change and it kept my interest. I thought Byron and Holly's relationship moved too fast for my liking but they seemed genuine as they had been childhood friends.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Did I read this in the span of 12 hours? Yes.

Did I love it like I loved every other SL book? Unfortunately, no.

I didn’t feel the connection to Black and Holly and it felt a little insta-lovey.

But I did enjoy the mystery part of it!

[Isabel · Rating 3 out of 5]

way too predictable. i guessed the plot twist before i even started reading. a lot more politics than romance.

[kina · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars


Two things: black's past & painfully awaited hea

[Kristina Omtvedt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book and the continuation of Byron Black’s story. I would definitely recommend reading the books in order to get the full story and picture of this great character. I have enjoyed getting to know this authors style and creativity. Happy Reading!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (11/27/2019)! 🎁

[Nicole Henderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This series has me hook, line and sinker. This book takes place about two years after Sapphire. Black has been doing so well that he is able to take some time off and move back to London to be closer to his family. Andrea is is getting married to Black’s friend and previous co-worker, Vincent. Violet is a struggling singer who wants to live her life on her own terms. At the wedding, Black reunites with a childhood friend, Holly. Holly works for Tom Morris, an up and coming political star, who is in need of a body guard after a mail bomb arrived to his office.

This book keeps you engaged from beginning to end. Readers will be enthralled with the possibility of a love story and the definite mystery. Can Black find out who is out to get Tom Morris before it is too late?

I’m heading on to the next book in the series. I hope I was able to entice you to come with me on this journey.

[fiorella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Black surprised me in many ways while reading it, not only by the story itself, but because it wasn't the kind of I was expecting. Not in a bad way though, the story was super interesting and entertaining, it is my favorite book from the series, in fact. In truth, I wasn't expecting it to be a political related story, but the way Sophie Lark linked it with bomb terrorists attacks and gave it such an unexpected turn, made out of this book a fascinating story.

I was expecting more steamy between Holly and Byron though, I wanted to know more of them as a couple because they were so cute together. Hence the 4 stars. I love so much their relationship. Plus, can Byron be any more perfect? Also, I loved the quotes at the start of every chapter, made the book a lot more unique.

I do recommend this book to young adult readers, it's a very intriguing story.

[Vassa]

Last book in the series (well, 4th chronologically, but whatever)! Wouldn’t say that’s the best instalment, but I’m happy for Byron Black, he deserved a loving partner after everything he has been through. I saw the twist coming from afar, and the writing was not the best from Sophie Lark. But her books are always fun, and at the end of the day, I do read them for pure entertainment. Looking forward to the Kingmakers series.

[Yana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Where to find a Byron Black?! 🤧😭 Truthfully, I wanted to finish this series as quick as possible so that I can read Kingmakers again 🤣 Although I read the series in a wrong order 😶 but oh wellz… Holly and Black are one of my fav characters and it’s a pity that they were not that focused in the series. It is a nice way to end the series tho 🥰

[ubeyde · Rating 3 out of 5]

officially done with the whole intertwined series the first couple of books in the underworld series was amazing after the book Anton everything went down hill but other than that was an amazing experience nothing could beat the brutal birthright series as well as the kingmakers

[Paula · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was pretty meh. The plot wasn’t interesting, there was zero romance, nothing was really happening. I got the "plottwist" pretty early on. I can’t really take black seriously after the last book tbh. The romance was nonexistent in my opinion. No tension, no longing. Boooring

[Marleen · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.75 stars

A horrible rendition of how politics work, and a boring romance with zero tension. I’m glad to see growth in an author, but that often means the first books aren’t that great. This definitely reads as one of Lark’s first books.

[Isa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solo puedo decir: POR FIN TERMINE ESTA SERIE

[heerr · Rating 3 out of 5]

yes! thank you! such an upgrade from the crapfest that was Luca. still a little unsatisfactory on the romance front, but such a good book in terms of plot, writing and execution.

[Heidi Facklam · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25/5⭐️

[MissKitty · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was good enough.

I wanted a book for Black, the Hero, since I felt so heartbroken for him in the previous book.

I’m glad he gets a HEA with his own heroine.

As in the previous book there is a suspense mystery aspect that keeps the story moving, so it’s a fast entertaining read.

[skyeslibrary · Rating 2 out of 5]

“You make me feel like anything is possible.”

•
the problem is, I’ve never been interested in Black’s character. so, this story really didn’t hold my attention. I only read it because it’s part of the series. it’s a quick read, so I’d recommend still reading it since it is part of the Underworld collection, but maybe limit your expectations.
•

read if you like:
♡ childhood friends-to-lovers
♡ jaded detective
♡ crime solving
♡ politics
♡ London
♡ close siblings

trigger warnings:
☞ domestic terrorism
・

♡ read my reviews for books in this series:
Ivan (book one)
Snow (book two)
Roman (book three)
Dom (book four)
Anton (book five)
Nikolai (book six)
Luca (book seven)
Black (book eight)
—

♡ find me on Instagram!

[Linda Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do we really know what we think we know? Intriguing, suspenseful novel. Love the cover!
This was a gripping, well-written, page-turner that had a twist at the end. Loved it. Just as Ms. Lark leads us in one direction, you, as an astute reader, may get the hints placed before you.
We open with a 22yo Police Constable Byron Black who is headed out on a hostage event. In a fool hardy but brilliant move, he almost saves the day and becomes the new “darling” of the force until… Fast-forward 16 years later and we find a much different Black. After other tragic events, he’s jaded, sometimes morose and currently living in a nice, but empty apartment. He and his two sisters grew up in government housing so this doesn’t bother him at all. At least now he doesn’t have to worry about his drugged-up mother and her boyfriends. By happenstance he meets an old friend from those days, Holly Summers. From then on things begin to happen but can you believe everything that you see?
This was such a good book. Loved the meet-cute after so many years and that first kiss! I volunteered to review an ARC of this book through BookSirens and it comes highly recommended for readers who enjoy mystery with their romance.

[Thia's Bookshelf · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another Good Book in the Series

I was happy to see Byron Black get his HEA, considering how broken he was in his last scene in the first book. Holy was a really sweet and likeable character, although she seemed quite fun and carefree, she was strong and had a dependability about her that definitely centred Byron.

I think I enjoyed the story and mystery of the case in this book are than I enjoyed the romance part, but still found the book very enjoyable. There were a few breadcrumbs to help figure out who was behind the attacks, but it was really fun to read as the pieces started to fit together.

One of my pet peeves when books are set in London is often the inaccuracies about the city, like how the book states that Brixton is in North London and 30mins away from central London, when it's actually in the South, and only about 10mins away. As a reader of you aren't familiar with London, I'm sure I wouldn't make much of a difference, but being from London it is a bit annoying when you finally find a book set in your city and things aren't correct.

Apart from that, I did enjoy this book and I'm looking forward to reading Violet's story.

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable quick read. I haven't read the first book in the series but I think the author did a good job of summarizing what you need to know about Byron Black's background. I liked the main characters and the current-day London atmosphere too. While slightly predictable, I still found the book a pleasure to read. I particularly liked the quotes at the beginning of each chapter. [Small editing issues annoyed me - things that the editor should have picked up, like missing words in the middle of a sentence. Also, the handsome man on the cover bears no resemblance to the description of Byron Black - brunette instead of blond!] I downloaded the first book and the next book in the series, so that's a pretty good indication that I found the book worthwhile.

Thank you to Book Sirens and the author for providing me with a free copy to read, in exchange for an honest review.

[Maria11 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the story, but I figured it out like in the second chapter. I mean I even guessed right at all the particulars. I guess that is why I gave it a three. It wasn't suspenseful to me because I already figured it out. It would have been really good if I didn't.... but I just read too much. I liked the closure we got with Alex and him too. Good story just way too easy to predict.

I received a copy from the publisher for an honest review

[Startled Green · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5 The romance took up about 15% of this book. The rest was more of back story on black and mystery/thriller but it was very good. About 20% in I started skimming through and only finished because this was the final book in the series. No chemistry between the main characters. Just don't care about them and the politics storyline is not appealing to me at all. The 1st 3 books in the series are the best.

[Hannah Robson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rated 3.5 - I’ve finished the Underworld series!

One small thing that I didn’t enjoy was that it included a Boris Johnson quote 😂 but other than that, it was enjoyable especially as it was set in London, I even learnt something about the House of Commons and the speakers seat name!

You can definitely tell that the last four books were Sophie’s earlier written books, I’m glad they were reorganised but I definitely still enjoyed the experience as a whole! Can’t wait to hit Kingmakers soon!

[TBA66 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although I liked Black better in this book than in Saphire, I just didn't think he and Holly had any chemistry. Also, the mystery and the villain were pretty easy to figure out. So, while I have enjoyed many books by this author, I was not impressed with this story's lackluster romance, and the suspense was not very suspenseful.