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'Til Darkness Falls
A malicious deception... An ancient curse... A timeless love...
Brian Macon is a worn-out homicide detective whose job and life hold no meaning until he meets a gorgeous German man who turns his world upside down. Alrick Ritter has a poet's soul, a master cellist's skill, and a sniper's deadly accuracy, and though constrained by sinister forces to be a killer-for-hire, Alrick wants nothing more than to be with Brian. Helpless to resist the call of their hearts, Brian and Alrick begin a cautious affair, keeping secret the reality that places them on opposite sides of the law. But an ancient danger threatens to destroy their love.
Three thousand years ago in the burning sands of ancient Egypt, Prince Rahotep and his devoted slave, Tiye, were robbed of their lives, betrayed by a powerful woman’s mad hatred and the cruel humor of an evil god. Now, destiny has reunited the lovers, joining them in an unquenchable passion even as a twist of fate casts them as potential enemies. Will Brian and Alrick be able to overcome the centuries-old curse to secure the love that should have always been theirs?
Brian Macon is a worn-out homicide detective whose job and life hold no meaning until he meets a gorgeous German man who turns his world upside down. Alrick Ritter has a poet's soul, a master cellist's skill, and a sniper's deadly accuracy, and though constrained by sinister forces to be a killer-for-hire, Alrick wants nothing more than to be with Brian. Helpless to resist the call of their hearts, Brian and Alrick begin a cautious affair, keeping secret the reality that places them on opposite sides of the law. But an ancient danger threatens to destroy their love.
Three thousand years ago in the burning sands of ancient Egypt, Prince Rahotep and his devoted slave, Tiye, were robbed of their lives, betrayed by a powerful woman’s mad hatred and the cruel humor of an evil god. Now, destiny has reunited the lovers, joining them in an unquenchable passion even as a twist of fate casts them as potential enemies. Will Brian and Alrick be able to overcome the centuries-old curse to secure the love that should have always been theirs?
341 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 1, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
November 20, 2010
3,75 Stars
Ancient Egypt, about 1000 years before our time. Prince Rahotep and his slave Tiye love each other deeply, their union favored by Fate itself. But Rahotep's intended bride Hebeny feels cheated of her rightful position of power by Rahotep's side and in his bed. Out of jealousy and hurt pride, she magics up Set, the wicked ruler of the Egyptian underworld. With his help, she manages to turn Rahotep and Tiye against each other. But Set's curse dooms Hebeny to repeat her scheme again and again as she follows the lovers through centuries of reincarnation, for if she fails to turn their love to hate, Hebeny's own soul is forfeit.
Three thousand years later in an unnamed contemporary North American city. Brian Macon, burnt-out, shy, introverted homicide detective is having a drink at a gay bar when a beautiful blond man with an enticingly exotic accent hits on him. Brian is immediately drawn to the stranger who he later learns is a German writer, and the attraction is mutual. The men land in bed together before they even get to exchange names. Soon their passionate affair turns into much more. But Alrick Ritter isn't only a man who loves Beethoven and used to play the cello until a tragic accident robbed him of this pleasure. He's also a hitman and the very sniper Brian is currently hunting. Hebeny, following her ancient curse, has once again set the fated lovers onto the high road to perdition. But as she leans back to gleefully watch the show, something starts to go wrong. It seems that in this incarnation, Brian's and Alrick's love will finally overcome Hebeny's eternal hate.
This book was awfully hard to rate for me.
On the one hand, the plot idea was fascinating. Fated lovers, meeting and falling in love again and again in every reincarnation, doomed to have their love turned into murderous hate every single time...what a wonderful, tragical drama! Both the contemporary and the historical plot line were well done, with sizzling eroticism and true, heartbreaking emotions. Brian Macon was a well rounded, haunted character, his partner Angela a motherly enforcer everybody would love to know, and his captain a wonderfully malicious bitch. The bad boys were your old-school mafia stereotypes, so exaggerated I think they were intentional, and the supportive cast were just as colorful.
Rahotep and Tiye were less well elaborated, but nevertheless likeable characters, Hebeny was acting just the spoiled, ambitious, arrogant teenage girl she was supposed to be, and Set was deliciously mischievous, just like the ancient legends picture the evil god.
The writing had its flaws, though. Both Alrick's and Brian's back stories are told several times, first by the author during the narrative. Later Brian tells his story to Angela in his own words, and Alrick's story is revealed to Brian by Alrick's sister, and once again when Brian tells Angela about Alrick. It's the same spiel with Tiye's and Rahotep's story which is repeated at least three times, at wearisome length and with barely any variations. A little more concise would have the story flow a lot of good.
Yet, when it comes to action, either fights or emotions or sex, there's nothing to bitch about. Those scenes are fast-paced and powerfully written. Even though some sex scenes come across as gratuitous, they are particularly beautiful and nothing to complain about.
Considering the multitude of complicated plot lines, they were surprisingly smoothly woven together with just the tiniest inconsistencies regarding former and present incarnations by the end.
The main reason why I found this hard to rate was the fact that I'm German. I was enticed when I saw one of the main characters was my nationality, and it amused me greatly that Brian thought Alrick's German accent erotic. The story is peppered with background info about East/ West Germany and untranslated German words and phrases. And this is where my but comes in. With a capital B.
Alrick's German is awful, plain and simple. Most of the time he uses outdated or completely inappropriate words and has no command of grammar. This makes him sound uneducated, even stupid although he clearly is anything but. His sister is just as bad. I won't harp on about Alrick's backstory, there are some facts which aren't quite right, but forgiveable since this is fiction, after all. But why, if Alrick being a German is so very important, not have the book proofread by a German native speaker? Those mistakes thoroughly marred Alrick's character for me, to a point I found him annoying and couldn't enjoy the story anymore. Yet, someone who doesn't speak German probably wouldn't notice anything at all, thus I couldn't let this influence my rating.
I'd recommend this book for fantasy - fans and romantics who don't mind a bit of repetitive telling. It's got a fascinating plot and a good story.
'Till Darkness Falls is part of DSP's Bittersweet Dreams Series which features m/m romance stories with untraditional endings.
Ancient Egypt, about 1000 years before our time. Prince Rahotep and his slave Tiye love each other deeply, their union favored by Fate itself. But Rahotep's intended bride Hebeny feels cheated of her rightful position of power by Rahotep's side and in his bed. Out of jealousy and hurt pride, she magics up Set, the wicked ruler of the Egyptian underworld. With his help, she manages to turn Rahotep and Tiye against each other. But Set's curse dooms Hebeny to repeat her scheme again and again as she follows the lovers through centuries of reincarnation, for if she fails to turn their love to hate, Hebeny's own soul is forfeit.
Three thousand years later in an unnamed contemporary North American city. Brian Macon, burnt-out, shy, introverted homicide detective is having a drink at a gay bar when a beautiful blond man with an enticingly exotic accent hits on him. Brian is immediately drawn to the stranger who he later learns is a German writer, and the attraction is mutual. The men land in bed together before they even get to exchange names. Soon their passionate affair turns into much more. But Alrick Ritter isn't only a man who loves Beethoven and used to play the cello until a tragic accident robbed him of this pleasure. He's also a hitman and the very sniper Brian is currently hunting. Hebeny, following her ancient curse, has once again set the fated lovers onto the high road to perdition. But as she leans back to gleefully watch the show, something starts to go wrong. It seems that in this incarnation, Brian's and Alrick's love will finally overcome Hebeny's eternal hate.
This book was awfully hard to rate for me.
On the one hand, the plot idea was fascinating. Fated lovers, meeting and falling in love again and again in every reincarnation, doomed to have their love turned into murderous hate every single time...what a wonderful, tragical drama! Both the contemporary and the historical plot line were well done, with sizzling eroticism and true, heartbreaking emotions. Brian Macon was a well rounded, haunted character, his partner Angela a motherly enforcer everybody would love to know, and his captain a wonderfully malicious bitch. The bad boys were your old-school mafia stereotypes, so exaggerated I think they were intentional, and the supportive cast were just as colorful.
Rahotep and Tiye were less well elaborated, but nevertheless likeable characters, Hebeny was acting just the spoiled, ambitious, arrogant teenage girl she was supposed to be, and Set was deliciously mischievous, just like the ancient legends picture the evil god.
The writing had its flaws, though. Both Alrick's and Brian's back stories are told several times, first by the author during the narrative. Later Brian tells his story to Angela in his own words, and Alrick's story is revealed to Brian by Alrick's sister, and once again when Brian tells Angela about Alrick. It's the same spiel with Tiye's and Rahotep's story which is repeated at least three times, at wearisome length and with barely any variations. A little more concise would have the story flow a lot of good.
Yet, when it comes to action, either fights or emotions or sex, there's nothing to bitch about. Those scenes are fast-paced and powerfully written. Even though some sex scenes come across as gratuitous, they are particularly beautiful and nothing to complain about.
Considering the multitude of complicated plot lines, they were surprisingly smoothly woven together with just the tiniest inconsistencies regarding former and present incarnations by the end.
The main reason why I found this hard to rate was the fact that I'm German. I was enticed when I saw one of the main characters was my nationality, and it amused me greatly that Brian thought Alrick's German accent erotic. The story is peppered with background info about East/ West Germany and untranslated German words and phrases. And this is where my but comes in. With a capital B.
Alrick's German is awful, plain and simple. Most of the time he uses outdated or completely inappropriate words and has no command of grammar. This makes him sound uneducated, even stupid although he clearly is anything but. His sister is just as bad. I won't harp on about Alrick's backstory, there are some facts which aren't quite right, but forgiveable since this is fiction, after all. But why, if Alrick being a German is so very important, not have the book proofread by a German native speaker? Those mistakes thoroughly marred Alrick's character for me, to a point I found him annoying and couldn't enjoy the story anymore. Yet, someone who doesn't speak German probably wouldn't notice anything at all, thus I couldn't let this influence my rating.
I'd recommend this book for fantasy - fans and romantics who don't mind a bit of repetitive telling. It's got a fascinating plot and a good story.
'Till Darkness Falls is part of DSP's Bittersweet Dreams Series which features m/m romance stories with untraditional endings.
October 19, 2015
Eternal love, reincarnation, and a tragic ending, only to see the characters reborn to try again? Two out of the three are exactly my thing, but the third, a lack of happy ever after is not normally something I am attracted to – even if the men are then reborn to hopefully have better luck next time around. The key word here being “hopefully” since, based on a few reviews I read to try to reassure myself, their second attempt is not more successful than their first. Darn! But… I like this author’s work and the story sounded too tempting for me to let it pass by, so I girded my virtual loins, got a box of tissues ready, took a deep breath, and started reading.
The first act, so to speak, is set in ancient Egypt, 3000 years ago. Prince Rahotep loves Tiye, who is his slave, but has to get married to an enemy general’s daughter because his father decrees that’s what’s needed to save the kingdom. They are determined to love each other forever, but the general’s daughter is equally determined to stop that from happening. With the help of the evil god Set, she manages to bring a curse down on them that means they are doomed in every single reincarnation, and she will be there to ensure they never have a happy ending. Needless to say, the curse holds, tragedy follows, and my supply of tissues shrank a little.
This story is interwoven with a modern-day reincarnation where homicide detective Brian meets Alrick, a German who turns out to be an assassin. They are on opposite sides of the law, yet drawn together like they had been countless times over the centuries. The slow reveal as to what happened – in a series of dreams - was fascinating, and I was hoping until the last minute that they’d be able to figure out a way to stop the curse this time around. The scene when Brian says good-bye to Alrick was heartbreaking. Saying anything more will spoil the story for you, but I will admit to making copious use of my box of tissues for the second time.
But then came the epilogue, and personally, I think that was a stroke of genius on the author’s part. I won’t say it made it all better, because it’s still a heart-wrenchingly tragic story, but at least Pearl left me with a glimmer of hope. Nothing definite, and others may interpret events differently, but I choose to be optimistic and believe in the power of love.
If you like epic love stories that are more tragic than happy, if you enjoy emotional roller coasters that will pull you in and not let you go until the very last page, and if you’re looking for a read that is as intense and emotional as it is fantastical and unexpectedly hopeful, then you will probably like this novel as much as I did. Not a traditional romance by any stretch of the imagination (and I never expected one), but a deeply touching love story all the same. It left me emotionally drained, but what a ride!
NOTE: This book was provided by DSP Publications for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
The first act, so to speak, is set in ancient Egypt, 3000 years ago. Prince Rahotep loves Tiye, who is his slave, but has to get married to an enemy general’s daughter because his father decrees that’s what’s needed to save the kingdom. They are determined to love each other forever, but the general’s daughter is equally determined to stop that from happening. With the help of the evil god Set, she manages to bring a curse down on them that means they are doomed in every single reincarnation, and she will be there to ensure they never have a happy ending. Needless to say, the curse holds, tragedy follows, and my supply of tissues shrank a little.
This story is interwoven with a modern-day reincarnation where homicide detective Brian meets Alrick, a German who turns out to be an assassin. They are on opposite sides of the law, yet drawn together like they had been countless times over the centuries. The slow reveal as to what happened – in a series of dreams - was fascinating, and I was hoping until the last minute that they’d be able to figure out a way to stop the curse this time around. The scene when Brian says good-bye to Alrick was heartbreaking. Saying anything more will spoil the story for you, but I will admit to making copious use of my box of tissues for the second time.
But then came the epilogue, and personally, I think that was a stroke of genius on the author’s part. I won’t say it made it all better, because it’s still a heart-wrenchingly tragic story, but at least Pearl left me with a glimmer of hope. Nothing definite, and others may interpret events differently, but I choose to be optimistic and believe in the power of love.
If you like epic love stories that are more tragic than happy, if you enjoy emotional roller coasters that will pull you in and not let you go until the very last page, and if you’re looking for a read that is as intense and emotional as it is fantastical and unexpectedly hopeful, then you will probably like this novel as much as I did. Not a traditional romance by any stretch of the imagination (and I never expected one), but a deeply touching love story all the same. It left me emotionally drained, but what a ride!
NOTE: This book was provided by DSP Publications for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
June 5, 2012
Reviewed on Hearts On Fire... http://heartsonfirereviews.com/
I enjoyed this combination of a bittersweet and a mystery with its' heart wrenching ending. Ms Love flashes us back to ancient Egypt to the day before Prince Rahotep is to marry Hebeny in a politically arranged marriage. Rahotep is in love with his slave Tiye though and the Fates have blessed their union. In a jealous rage, Hebeny makes a deal with Set to keep the lovers apart through eternity. The clincher is that if their love can overcome anything then Hebeny's soul is taken and the men will be lovers as the Fates have decreed. Flash to the present where detective Brian Macon is nursing a drink when he is hit on by the golden haired Alrick Ritter. The two men go back to Ritter's hotel for a night of pleasure but Brian wakes up alone with only a note and a card key. Brian and his partner, Angela, are in the middle of a multiple homicide investigation. Someone is killing members of the Cosmino crime family and the hitman happens to be Alrick. As the love between the Brian and Alrick grows so does the heat that Captain Preston is putting on Brian and Angela to solve this case. The characters in this story are very well developed and I couldn't help but like them all. I found myself wanting Alrick to kill his boss and the investigation to go away so the men could be together. The big problem that I did have with this book was the huge amount of unnecessary information which cluttered up the storyline. This is the second book that I have read by Ms Love where she just dumps information and it will stop me from reading any more of her books. The basic story of a love eternal and reincarnations forever is great but the plot development left me wanting to block out about 150 pages. I recommend this book to anyone looking for an emotional tear jerker because there is no HEA this time around.
I enjoyed this combination of a bittersweet and a mystery with its' heart wrenching ending. Ms Love flashes us back to ancient Egypt to the day before Prince Rahotep is to marry Hebeny in a politically arranged marriage. Rahotep is in love with his slave Tiye though and the Fates have blessed their union. In a jealous rage, Hebeny makes a deal with Set to keep the lovers apart through eternity. The clincher is that if their love can overcome anything then Hebeny's soul is taken and the men will be lovers as the Fates have decreed. Flash to the present where detective Brian Macon is nursing a drink when he is hit on by the golden haired Alrick Ritter. The two men go back to Ritter's hotel for a night of pleasure but Brian wakes up alone with only a note and a card key. Brian and his partner, Angela, are in the middle of a multiple homicide investigation. Someone is killing members of the Cosmino crime family and the hitman happens to be Alrick. As the love between the Brian and Alrick grows so does the heat that Captain Preston is putting on Brian and Angela to solve this case. The characters in this story are very well developed and I couldn't help but like them all. I found myself wanting Alrick to kill his boss and the investigation to go away so the men could be together. The big problem that I did have with this book was the huge amount of unnecessary information which cluttered up the storyline. This is the second book that I have read by Ms Love where she just dumps information and it will stop me from reading any more of her books. The basic story of a love eternal and reincarnations forever is great but the plot development left me wanting to block out about 150 pages. I recommend this book to anyone looking for an emotional tear jerker because there is no HEA this time around.
July 22, 2015
I received an e-ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I wanted to like this. I really REALLY wanted to like this. I was ready to fall in love with this book.
The prompt sounded amazing: A gay love story in ancient Egypt? Rebirth? Enemies who are in love with each other? A gorgeous cover? Count me in.
But boy, was I to be disappointed. I made it through about 30 pages until I absolutely couldn't take any more.
Things that made it impossible for me to continue:
Alrick
I get it, Alrick is German (is that supposed to be a German name?). But as a native German-speaker, let me tell you something: Germans don't say "Ja" and "Nein" when they speak English. I'm pretty sure "Yes" and "No" were the first English words I ever learned, so I'm not gonna replace them with the German equivalent. This was simply riddiculous. If you can't get it across that your character is German (by idk describing his accent, him talking about his home, etc), you probably just should NOT have a foreign character in your story. Because trust me, no one who is in their right mind says "Ja" and "Nein" when speaking English.
The world building of ancient Egypt
The scenes set in ancient Egypt felt too modern. Great historical fiction makes you FEEL like you're living in ancient times. It makes you forget that you were born in the 20th century and makes you feel and smell and taste forgotten times.
Pearl Love's scenes simply felt like cosplay.Or a porn setting. The characters didn't feel like they belonged in that time period. There was hardly any descriptions of the time and place and landscape and social and poilitical situation....etc
It was just "here you have Rahotep and Tiye. They are in lurve. They have sex."
The sex scenes
The sex scenes were super bad! I have read several thousands (I kid you not) fanfics in my life. I haveseen read it all. I have read fanfiction that was better written and more thought-provoking than any published book, and I have read absolute trash with sex scenes that had absolutely no logic, because the author probably didn't even know how sex worked.
"Til Darkness Falls" was pretty damn bad! It wasn't sexy at all. I get that you're not supposed to always use the same words for certain body parts. You can't use "cock" and "ass" in every sentence. But Pearl Love actually used a different word in every single sentence, which left me wondering what the fuck was going on. He stroke what? He put his what in what? What is going on??? Can't we just call things by their names?
The language felt so incredibly forced, it made me cringe. I can imagine the author sitting at her desk, pondering about what word she could use next to describe a penis. Unfortunately, the words she ended up using, made the whole thing sound way too much like bad fanfiction.
Also can you explain to me why both couples have sex in their very first scene together??? How is that exciting? Where is the tension? The pining? The shy glances and awkward touches?
I appreciate sex in books, I do. But when it all already happens in the first scenesand it's that bad then the story simply isn't interesting anymore. Give me some sexual tension.
The writing in general
Everything felt rushed and people were sloppily introduced. They were intruced so sloppily, that I did not care about them at all. It felt like the author wanted to get to the "good part", the part she was excited to write, as fast as possible and sloppily put together a few chapters. Here, have these random strangers, now they have sex but it's really confusing because what body parts am I talking about?'
Now, is there anything I liked about this book?
Would the book have become better, had I fought through another 100 pages? I highly doubt it! The sex would still be awkward, the German dude would still say "Ja" and ancient Egypt would probably still feel like a porn set.
I wanted to like this. I really REALLY wanted to like this. I was ready to fall in love with this book.
The prompt sounded amazing: A gay love story in ancient Egypt? Rebirth? Enemies who are in love with each other? A gorgeous cover? Count me in.
But boy, was I to be disappointed. I made it through about 30 pages until I absolutely couldn't take any more.
Things that made it impossible for me to continue:
Alrick
I get it, Alrick is German (is that supposed to be a German name?). But as a native German-speaker, let me tell you something: Germans don't say "Ja" and "Nein" when they speak English. I'm pretty sure "Yes" and "No" were the first English words I ever learned, so I'm not gonna replace them with the German equivalent. This was simply riddiculous. If you can't get it across that your character is German (by idk describing his accent, him talking about his home, etc), you probably just should NOT have a foreign character in your story. Because trust me, no one who is in their right mind says "Ja" and "Nein" when speaking English.
The world building of ancient Egypt
The scenes set in ancient Egypt felt too modern. Great historical fiction makes you FEEL like you're living in ancient times. It makes you forget that you were born in the 20th century and makes you feel and smell and taste forgotten times.
Pearl Love's scenes simply felt like cosplay.
It was just "here you have Rahotep and Tiye. They are in lurve. They have sex."
The sex scenes
The sex scenes were super bad! I have read several thousands (I kid you not) fanfics in my life. I have
"Til Darkness Falls" was pretty damn bad! It wasn't sexy at all. I get that you're not supposed to always use the same words for certain body parts. You can't use "cock" and "ass" in every sentence. But Pearl Love actually used a different word in every single sentence, which left me wondering what the fuck was going on. He stroke what? He put his what in what? What is going on??? Can't we just call things by their names?
The language felt so incredibly forced, it made me cringe. I can imagine the author sitting at her desk, pondering about what word she could use next to describe a penis. Unfortunately, the words she ended up using, made the whole thing sound way too much like bad fanfiction.
Also can you explain to me why both couples have sex in their very first scene together??? How is that exciting? Where is the tension? The pining? The shy glances and awkward touches?
I appreciate sex in books, I do. But when it all already happens in the first scenes
The writing in general
Everything felt rushed and people were sloppily introduced. They were intruced so sloppily, that I did not care about them at all. It felt like the author wanted to get to the "good part", the part she was excited to write, as fast as possible and sloppily put together a few chapters. Here, have these random strangers, now they have sex but it's really confusing because what body parts am I talking about?'
Now, is there anything I liked about this book?
Eeh...the cover? The cover is absolutely stunning. This story does not deserve such an amazing cover. Set it free!!!
The prompt. God, the general idea of this was so great! It could've been some kind of The Song of Achilles greatness. But unfortunately it was just a huge mess.
Would the book have become better, had I fought through another 100 pages? I highly doubt it! The sex would still be awkward, the German dude would still say "Ja" and ancient Egypt would probably still feel like a porn set.
October 21, 2014
It pains me to write a poor review of this book because it's obvious that alot of work went into it. For me, the premise checked all the boxes. Ancient Egypt, check. M/M romance, check. Reincarnation, check. On opposite sides of the law, double check and inter racial, woohoo even better! It's because of all of this that I plodded along longer than I would have with any other book. I finally had to admit defeat and throw in the towel. There was simply too much detail about stuff I could care less about and not enough about things I did.
The book starts off well, describing the love between the Nubian slave and his Egyptian master/lover but once we get to present times it starts to stumble. There is simply too much detail about nothing. I should not be going cross eyed trying to read a sex scene! I finally started skimming after about 5 pages describing a nipple lick. Then the next thing I knew they were laying there basking in the afterglow. I literally had to go back like, 'Did they even actually have sex??' This was a constant problem. After Alrick and Brian's first encounter in this new life, Alrick leaves Brian a note along with a room key card before he leaves for work. After pages of rambling indecision, Brian finally takes them. We then jump to Brian at the office and a homicide investigation and, for pages, all I could think was 'What was in the doggone note already??" He never read it. He went back to meet Alrick the second night and still hadn't read the note. That doesn't even make sense. I totally skipped over Alrick's flashback to his childhood and how he got into music and his mama etc etc. I don't care! It's not that we don't need background info on the characters, it's that it was ill placed so you find yourself excited to learn info about one thing and then you're being given info dump on something else you could care less about. I really, really wanted to keep going because I so wanted to witness the moment that the characters realized they were reincarnated souls on opposite sides of the law but I couldn't take it anymore. Trying to read the wordy rambling was giving me a headache and considering I was only 1/3 through the book, goodness only knows when we'd get to it. Great idea. Execution needed work.
The book starts off well, describing the love between the Nubian slave and his Egyptian master/lover but once we get to present times it starts to stumble. There is simply too much detail about nothing. I should not be going cross eyed trying to read a sex scene! I finally started skimming after about 5 pages describing a nipple lick. Then the next thing I knew they were laying there basking in the afterglow. I literally had to go back like, 'Did they even actually have sex??' This was a constant problem. After Alrick and Brian's first encounter in this new life, Alrick leaves Brian a note along with a room key card before he leaves for work. After pages of rambling indecision, Brian finally takes them. We then jump to Brian at the office and a homicide investigation and, for pages, all I could think was 'What was in the doggone note already??" He never read it. He went back to meet Alrick the second night and still hadn't read the note. That doesn't even make sense. I totally skipped over Alrick's flashback to his childhood and how he got into music and his mama etc etc. I don't care! It's not that we don't need background info on the characters, it's that it was ill placed so you find yourself excited to learn info about one thing and then you're being given info dump on something else you could care less about. I really, really wanted to keep going because I so wanted to witness the moment that the characters realized they were reincarnated souls on opposite sides of the law but I couldn't take it anymore. Trying to read the wordy rambling was giving me a headache and considering I was only 1/3 through the book, goodness only knows when we'd get to it. Great idea. Execution needed work.
October 11, 2016
Good premise, sad execution.
The flashbacks didn't work for me. I would have wanted the time period in Egypt first, all of it. Nothing was gained by the flashbacks.
Brian has got to be the worst homicide detective ever; how come his profession doesn't bleed through into his personal life a little? There's a note, and he doesn't read it? At least he redeemed himself with the tattoo.
Alrick -- his sorry excuse for his chosen profession didn't wash. His mother's medical expenses would have been covered by universal health care, Germany isn't the US where health care can bankrupt you. I couldn't get up a whole lot of empathy for his lot in life, which made everything that happened have so much less impact. Oh, and please, if you have foreign characters and use their native tongue, get somebody to proofread for you. "Bruder" means brother, not "Brüder" (that's the plural). For the most part the rest was ok, but that one really stood out because it's used a lot.
Spoiler, though you might want to read it as a warning if you're expecting a typical romance ending -- that's not happening here:
The ending didn't work, it was very muddled, and -- cardinal sin -- not even a HFN. Seriously, no matter how much my beloved begs me to go on living, I will grieve, ok? I'll not smile at the next attractive guy who comes along. Brian grieved for a decade after Dennis! He's not the type who just moves on.
The flashbacks didn't work for me. I would have wanted the time period in Egypt first, all of it. Nothing was gained by the flashbacks.
Brian has got to be the worst homicide detective ever; how come his profession doesn't bleed through into his personal life a little? There's a note, and he doesn't read it? At least he redeemed himself with the tattoo.
Alrick -- his sorry excuse for his chosen profession didn't wash. His mother's medical expenses would have been covered by universal health care, Germany isn't the US where health care can bankrupt you. I couldn't get up a whole lot of empathy for his lot in life, which made everything that happened have so much less impact. Oh, and please, if you have foreign characters and use their native tongue, get somebody to proofread for you. "Bruder" means brother, not "Brüder" (that's the plural). For the most part the rest was ok, but that one really stood out because it's used a lot.
Spoiler, though you might want to read it as a warning if you're expecting a typical romance ending -- that's not happening here:
The ending didn't work, it was very muddled, and -- cardinal sin -- not even a HFN. Seriously, no matter how much my beloved begs me to go on living, I will grieve, ok? I'll not smile at the next attractive guy who comes along. Brian grieved for a decade after Dennis! He's not the type who just moves on.
April 25, 2014
3.5 stars. It pains me to give this less than 4 stars but when I started this I didn't realize it was a bittersweet dreams book, so here's me being heartbroken over the ending. Now if Miss Love can write a sequel from the epilogue and make it a HEA, I would be very pleased.
Read
December 21, 2014Oh wow, this is bad
3% in and I'm done, I've lost count of the epithets, but they were many
3% in and I'm done, I've lost count of the epithets, but they were many
not-my-kind-of-read
August 23, 2012I have to read 341 pages with no HEA!! I don't think my heart can take it!!
April 30, 2018
Brian Macon is a homicide detective looking for meaning in his life. Alrick Ritter is a man of mystery, with more secrets than Brian could ever begin to understand. And as the two are dran together, they are unaware that theirs is a love that has been cursed through the ages. Now that their souls have found each other again, can they make things work or will they fall victim of the centuries-old curse that haunts them?
September 18, 2020
I like the main characters but there were a lot of things that irritated me with this book. I'm not a native German speaker but have enough German friends and none of them end their English sentences with 'Ja'. And this is consistent throughout the book. Skipped most of the too many sex scenes and there's basically too much that grated. People in other reviews have said it much better than me.
November 26, 2024
This was bloody brilliant! Even though we knew who the perp was, it kept me on the edge of my seat wondering what was coming next. It was an excellent read, one to come back to when I'm in the mood, which I usually am since I love reading stories that deal with time travel (although this one is not one but only in their spirits). Loved it!
February 4, 2018
This book would make an incredible movie!!! Excellent story!
November 19, 2019
Maybe I might try this again, but it just didn't hit me right.
July 24, 2015
This review was originally posted on Hot Stuff for Cool People.
I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
The first thing that intrigued me about this book, right off, was the beautiful cover- I think that cover could draw anyone in. Then I read the synopsis and realized that I’d heard of this book before, when it was published under, I believe, Dreamspinner Press. And I just… Honestly, the plot sounded convoluted and, since I’d read the synopsis on the first version, I… knew some things about the book and the possible ending (all presented right there, in the book blurb) and I was very, very wary of reading it.
But I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Every time I came across the title or the cover again, I grew more and more intrigued, until I finally gave in and requested it, and read it.
So, this is… I think the second edition of the book, now published under DSP Publications, which is an imprint that does, it feels, books that feature gay or bi or whatever characters, but don’t necessarily feature as much romance. ‘’Til Darkness Falls’ is definitely romantic, though. It just has a lot of other elements twined in, which is one of the other things that made the book so attention grabbing for me. The book starts in ancient Egypt, with a young prince and his slave, who is really his lover. The two boys are deeply in love, but the prince must get married. The future bride, Hebeny, is extremely jealous, and uses an Egyptian god to cast a curse on the couple- they will meet, again and again, throughout their future lives, and fall in love. And Hebeny will always be there, following them from life to life, to ensure that the lovers betray each other.
This is all presented right within the first several pages, so right up front, you know, as a reader, nearly every single thing that’s going to happen, plot wise. And the plot is intense and interesting and creative, but I think… I think putting it so upfront like this is kind of a fatal flaw. I don’t mean to say that knowing what’s going to befall our main characters, Alrick and Brian, takes any tension or excitement away from the book. It doesn’t. But it gives the book a kind of tension that isn’t so much excitement as much as terrible and ominous. This was a stressful read for me. Knowing that Brian is a cop and Alrick is a hitman (and no, those aren’t spoilers) and that they will be at odds, even as they’re falling in love, just gives this huge sense of doom to the book.
Actually, if the knowledge of the characters’ past lives takes the tension out of anything, it takes it out of the romance. Brian and Alrick meet and fall in love almost immediately. Which is exactly what you know is going to happen. So it’s predictable and very sweet but also very fast, and only really believable in that you know they’re soul mates- this seems to be the only real reason the two of them get along so well, so quickly.
And by the end of the book- or maybe even closer to the middle- just knowing that Brian was going to find out about Alrick and their happiness was going to fall apart was incredibly stressful. The tension and feeling of doom just grew and grew and it wasn’t pleasant in any way. It did not make for fun reading. I actually stopped and read two other books, and then had to make myself go back to ‘’Til Darkness Falls.’
Also, in the very first pages of the book, Hebeny is told how to break the curse, so the ending of the book was not any kind of surprise, either.
So, after all of that, it’s probably easy to think I didn’t like this. But that’s the thing- I did. It’s well-written. It’s sweet and the romance is kind of unbelievable, but there are a lot of moments where it’s also very real and touching and it feels honest. And the character development is excellent. Brian and Alrick are very real people. There was also none of the confusing plot lines I was expecting- at times, the story does dip back into Egypt, but only briefly, and it’s always very clean. I just really enjoyed reading the book, right up until the middle, when it became too much.
So a lot of the time, I didn’t like this book. But overall… I did. I think, maybe, this is the first book I’ve ever read where I think a second read would greatly benefit the book itself. Knowing exactly how bad it’s going to be and re-reading might relieve some of the tension and allow a reader to just focus on plot and characters. I mean, I really do think it’s a very fascinating concept, a great creative idea. And I did really like the characters and writing. I just wish that so much information hadn’t been given to me right up front. I don’t know that I’d ever want to read a book with this type of upfront, in your face plot again if I could help it. The stress and the knowledge of what was definitely going to happen was too awful. But I would definitely read this author again.
I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
The first thing that intrigued me about this book, right off, was the beautiful cover- I think that cover could draw anyone in. Then I read the synopsis and realized that I’d heard of this book before, when it was published under, I believe, Dreamspinner Press. And I just… Honestly, the plot sounded convoluted and, since I’d read the synopsis on the first version, I… knew some things about the book and the possible ending (all presented right there, in the book blurb) and I was very, very wary of reading it.
But I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Every time I came across the title or the cover again, I grew more and more intrigued, until I finally gave in and requested it, and read it.
So, this is… I think the second edition of the book, now published under DSP Publications, which is an imprint that does, it feels, books that feature gay or bi or whatever characters, but don’t necessarily feature as much romance. ‘’Til Darkness Falls’ is definitely romantic, though. It just has a lot of other elements twined in, which is one of the other things that made the book so attention grabbing for me. The book starts in ancient Egypt, with a young prince and his slave, who is really his lover. The two boys are deeply in love, but the prince must get married. The future bride, Hebeny, is extremely jealous, and uses an Egyptian god to cast a curse on the couple- they will meet, again and again, throughout their future lives, and fall in love. And Hebeny will always be there, following them from life to life, to ensure that the lovers betray each other.
This is all presented right within the first several pages, so right up front, you know, as a reader, nearly every single thing that’s going to happen, plot wise. And the plot is intense and interesting and creative, but I think… I think putting it so upfront like this is kind of a fatal flaw. I don’t mean to say that knowing what’s going to befall our main characters, Alrick and Brian, takes any tension or excitement away from the book. It doesn’t. But it gives the book a kind of tension that isn’t so much excitement as much as terrible and ominous. This was a stressful read for me. Knowing that Brian is a cop and Alrick is a hitman (and no, those aren’t spoilers) and that they will be at odds, even as they’re falling in love, just gives this huge sense of doom to the book.
Actually, if the knowledge of the characters’ past lives takes the tension out of anything, it takes it out of the romance. Brian and Alrick meet and fall in love almost immediately. Which is exactly what you know is going to happen. So it’s predictable and very sweet but also very fast, and only really believable in that you know they’re soul mates- this seems to be the only real reason the two of them get along so well, so quickly.
And by the end of the book- or maybe even closer to the middle- just knowing that Brian was going to find out about Alrick and their happiness was going to fall apart was incredibly stressful. The tension and feeling of doom just grew and grew and it wasn’t pleasant in any way. It did not make for fun reading. I actually stopped and read two other books, and then had to make myself go back to ‘’Til Darkness Falls.’
Also, in the very first pages of the book, Hebeny is told how to break the curse, so the ending of the book was not any kind of surprise, either.
So, after all of that, it’s probably easy to think I didn’t like this. But that’s the thing- I did. It’s well-written. It’s sweet and the romance is kind of unbelievable, but there are a lot of moments where it’s also very real and touching and it feels honest. And the character development is excellent. Brian and Alrick are very real people. There was also none of the confusing plot lines I was expecting- at times, the story does dip back into Egypt, but only briefly, and it’s always very clean. I just really enjoyed reading the book, right up until the middle, when it became too much.
So a lot of the time, I didn’t like this book. But overall… I did. I think, maybe, this is the first book I’ve ever read where I think a second read would greatly benefit the book itself. Knowing exactly how bad it’s going to be and re-reading might relieve some of the tension and allow a reader to just focus on plot and characters. I mean, I really do think it’s a very fascinating concept, a great creative idea. And I did really like the characters and writing. I just wish that so much information hadn’t been given to me right up front. I don’t know that I’d ever want to read a book with this type of upfront, in your face plot again if I could help it. The stress and the knowledge of what was definitely going to happen was too awful. But I would definitely read this author again.
January 14, 2016
Genre: M/M Mystery Romance
Length: Novel
THIS FANTASTIC mystery starts off in the historical past, with a prince falling in love with a slave in Ancient Egypt. The prince is forced into a marriage, and the soon-to-be princess is furious that the prince loves a slave, so she not only arranges the death of the slave, but curses them to misery for all eternity, compelling them to live their hopeless tale throughout the ages. The only caveat: she has to be there in every one of their incarnations to ensure their unhappiness, or she gets damned for all eternity. When the story picks up again, the one of our star-crossed lovers tis now a detective, and the other is a hitman in contemporary America. The setup isn’t looking good.
I’m a big fan of the mystery genre–first genre I ever picked up. I loved cop thrillers, and I got everything I wanted–and more–because of the elements of magical realism woven into the tale. The writing was solid, with crisp sentences and great use of the senses. The dialog was perfect, the sex was toe-curling good, and the historical elements and even the research into forensics was all extremely well done. I can’t say enough good things.
I read some of the reviews of this book after I finished, and I was admittedly taken aback. I know the version I read was technically another edition–republished by DSP Publications, and pulled from Bittersweet Dreams, the happy-ending-not-required imprint of Dreamspinner Press–but I was shocked to find so many readers unsatisfied with the ending. I was very satisfied, and I honestly felt as if the story ended happily (and the best it could have), so I suppose what I’m trying to say is, keep an open mind. Yes, the detective and hitman story is the majority of the lovers’ tale in the book, but there is another component to their happy ever after–the magical realism that surrounds their love. And I think that’s all I feel comfortable saying, without ruining the ending.
That being said, there was a piece of the story I was apparently confused/mistaken over. Again, without getting into too much detail, I somehow screwed up what role the lovers played in the contemporary setting, as in who was the prince and who was the slave. I’m pretty sure it was just me being silly and skipping over stuff (I may have glossed over some of the historical flashbacks), and it’s not a major plot twist, but just in case, I won’t mention who I thought was who. But if anyone experiences the same–let me know! I’m curious to see if it was intentional.
Have fun with this juicy book! I sure did.
Length: Novel
THIS FANTASTIC mystery starts off in the historical past, with a prince falling in love with a slave in Ancient Egypt. The prince is forced into a marriage, and the soon-to-be princess is furious that the prince loves a slave, so she not only arranges the death of the slave, but curses them to misery for all eternity, compelling them to live their hopeless tale throughout the ages. The only caveat: she has to be there in every one of their incarnations to ensure their unhappiness, or she gets damned for all eternity. When the story picks up again, the one of our star-crossed lovers tis now a detective, and the other is a hitman in contemporary America. The setup isn’t looking good.
I’m a big fan of the mystery genre–first genre I ever picked up. I loved cop thrillers, and I got everything I wanted–and more–because of the elements of magical realism woven into the tale. The writing was solid, with crisp sentences and great use of the senses. The dialog was perfect, the sex was toe-curling good, and the historical elements and even the research into forensics was all extremely well done. I can’t say enough good things.
I read some of the reviews of this book after I finished, and I was admittedly taken aback. I know the version I read was technically another edition–republished by DSP Publications, and pulled from Bittersweet Dreams, the happy-ending-not-required imprint of Dreamspinner Press–but I was shocked to find so many readers unsatisfied with the ending. I was very satisfied, and I honestly felt as if the story ended happily (and the best it could have), so I suppose what I’m trying to say is, keep an open mind. Yes, the detective and hitman story is the majority of the lovers’ tale in the book, but there is another component to their happy ever after–the magical realism that surrounds their love. And I think that’s all I feel comfortable saying, without ruining the ending.
That being said, there was a piece of the story I was apparently confused/mistaken over. Again, without getting into too much detail, I somehow screwed up what role the lovers played in the contemporary setting, as in who was the prince and who was the slave. I’m pretty sure it was just me being silly and skipping over stuff (I may have glossed over some of the historical flashbacks), and it’s not a major plot twist, but just in case, I won’t mention who I thought was who. But if anyone experiences the same–let me know! I’m curious to see if it was intentional.
Have fun with this juicy book! I sure did.
October 7, 2014
I ended up loving this story in the end. I was caught up in the drama and mystery of how Brian and Alrick were going to have their HEA. As characters, I liked the sweetness of Brian and Alrick's love affair. I like what their families, both chosen and blood, contribute to the story. The sex scenes are hot for sure and intense. But I also appreciate the overarching story line. It's somewhat historical and paranormal, which is an interesting combo for me. I generally dislike historical romance novels especially ones with slave narratives in them but this is done well enough that I'm not completely uncomfortable with the storyline.
The plot felt unique and the historical storyline doesn't over power the main plot of the book. Definitely the type of novel that I wanted to read.
The plot felt unique and the historical storyline doesn't over power the main plot of the book. Definitely the type of novel that I wanted to read.
July 26, 2017
I am surprised to find myself enjoying this book. I was looking for something light to read but didn't realize I was in for an emotional ride. Love the premise of the story and although I wish the story ended differently I love the ending as well and it made me crave for more of this type of stories.
I think the execution is fine. I like how the events of the past unfolds and parallels the events of the plot in the "current" time.
I do agree that some of the background stories can be tightened up a bit - the reason for each person to choose the path of profession can be made a bit more believable but no matter, the love story is so good it makes up for it.
Easy read but great story!
I think the execution is fine. I like how the events of the past unfolds and parallels the events of the plot in the "current" time.
I do agree that some of the background stories can be tightened up a bit - the reason for each person to choose the path of profession can be made a bit more believable but no matter, the love story is so good it makes up for it.
Easy read but great story!
March 8, 2016
I received this as an arc from net galley in exchange for an honest review.
A malicious deception, an ancient curse. ....
A timeless love. ....
Brian Macon is a worn out homicide detective whose job and life hold no meaning until he meets a gorgeous German man who turns his world upside down.
Very good read.
I liked the story and the characters.
Angela was my favourite character.
I loved her attitude.
Shocked about a twist in the story.
I liked the ending.
Hope to see more of Brian.
Highly recommended.
A malicious deception, an ancient curse. ....
A timeless love. ....
Brian Macon is a worn out homicide detective whose job and life hold no meaning until he meets a gorgeous German man who turns his world upside down.
Very good read.
I liked the story and the characters.
Angela was my favourite character.
I loved her attitude.
Shocked about a twist in the story.
I liked the ending.
Hope to see more of Brian.
Highly recommended.
January 29, 2016
A story a few steps outside of my norm, and yet so incredibly fulfilling! Highly developed story line, fantastic plot and incredible characters. I especially love how detailed the character interaction is. Most importantly the naughty bits were SO much more than just "how many different ways can we make these guys have sex" they were tasteful, intense and full of emotion. I will happily search out more books by this author. Well done!
July 20, 2012
Very enjoyable. Loved the characters, loved that the sex scenes didn't overwhelm the plot, but what was there was hot. There were a couple of points that stressed suspension of disbelief a bit, mostly the way the caption was nearly omniscient in her ability to puppeteer the events. But overall, a good read, and one I'll read again.
September 5, 2014
At first I thought the book was pretty great, but towards the end the author lost me. I assumed Alrick was the prince, since he was so tall and commanding, but that was not the case. The prince was taller than the slave, so why was Brain the prince? I'm so confused.
June 29, 2011
3.5 stars.
not-going-to-read
May 11, 2012See Amaranth Eden's review.
November 24, 2013
Loved it , hope there more books like that in the future :D
August 17, 2014
i liked this a lot more than I expected. i thought it would be fluffier, but i liked the result. recommend.
maybe-maybe-not
November 30, 2015Free at DSP Publications on 11/30/15
January 27, 2011
I really enjoyed the characters and the weaving of past and present.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews