There is No Light in Darkness

"Even though I have the memories from my nightmares, I’m not sure I want to experience them in the light. They’re more real in the light. I should have kept them buried in the darkness, but it’s too late for that.” There is No Light in Darkness is an incredible mix of suspense, mystery, plot twists, awesome secondary characters and a beautiful, hot and heavy romance. I devoured this book. If it weren’t for life getting in my way, I would’ve had it read in one sitting. The author did a wonderful job with the storyline where it switched back and forth from the past to the present. The main characters rocked this book, but Cole Murphy is what made this story so amazing. The man is divine. Blake Brennan is a law student who has lived in a constant state of fear for many years. When she was four years old, her mother was murdered, she was kidnapped, and then dropped off at her Aunt Shelley’s house with no answers as to what happened to her family. At the age of thirteen, her aunt passes away and then she was dropped off at Maggie’s home – a friend of Shelley’s. Maggie is a kind and considerate woman, who will take in children in need with no questions asked. Blake immediately forms family ties with Maggie and her son Aubrey, as well as Cole – another orphan who was dropped off by his father at a very young age. Cole has no memories of his past and doesn’t know who his father is. Cole and Blake form a special friendship from the beginning and this friendship eventually turns into love when they are in high school. Because Blake is afraid of losing the people she loves, and having her heart broken by Cole, when they go off to college, Blake sets Cole free even though he insists there will never be anyone but her. As the years go by, Cole and Blake live their lives apart, in different states, but remain in touch even though, at times, things were very complicated between them. But, eventually, their friend status changes and they can no longer remain a part. Now that Blake is older, she is determined to figure out the mystery of her past that she only remembers parts of. What happen to her parents? Why did she end up at Maggie’s? Her past is a puzzle. And as every piece of the puzzle is slowly revealed, what you thought you knew, you probably didn’t. I was utterly shocked by the plot twists. The author did a great job keeping me in the dark, guessing non-stop. “I'm in love with you, Blake. I've been in love with you from the moment I saw you. I've been in love with you from the day I was born and possibly even before then. I belong to you. My body belongs to you. My heart belongs to you. Please let me make love to you." -Cole Cole, Cole, Cole… I have a mad crush on this man. The way he loves Blake is so fierce and utterly beautiful. Even though he made some mistakes in the past and present that may have hurt Blake, it was all because he was hurting from losing her. And no matter how many mistakes he made, his love and devotion towards Blake remained strong. The lengths this man would go to, so he could be with Blake, made my heat flutter. He stole my heart. Cole definitely has my book boyfriend stamp of approval. I loved Blake’s character. She has endured so much in her life but she is a survivor. And her strength keeps her grounded. She was determined to figure out her past, and this determination put her in quite a bit of danger, but she never backed down. Gotta love a woman who stands her ground. She fiercely loves her friends that have become her family. She will do anything to keep them safe, especially Cole. The fabulous five, as I like to call them, were all great characters. Greg and Becky who have been together since they were kids were awesome! Aubrey, Blake’s roommate and best friend, loved Blake so much that he followed her to Chicago to keep her safe and secure--and also because he really loves her. He’s like a brother to Cole even though they are no related. All of these characters brought so much substance to this story. The best part about this story was seeing Blake and Cole grow up and fall in love. Not only do they have an intense, hot and heavy romance, they are one hundred percent devoted to one another. If there were any two people who belonged together, it’s Cole and Blake. Both of their lives have been tainted by tragedy and, because of this, they become each other’s rock. The intensity of the story as Blake and Cole begin to discover secrets of their past had my heart beating rapidly. The feelings this story evoked in me are indescribable. I felt everything Blake and Cole went through. I can’t recommend this story enough, to anyone who loves a good mystery and romance. But, let me clarify something, there is a huge cliffhanger at the end. Miz Contreras has promised to release the second story as fast as possible. However, in the meantime, I am going to be on pins and needles waiting for the second book. Rating: A Heat: Hot

WARNING: FREE YOUR NIGHT- this is one book you that will not be able to put down! Most books will have a reader turning pages after a few chapters. However, few authors can grab your attention right away- Claire Contreras you have some mad writing skills, because after page one I was hooked. This book has all of the ingredients to make an exciting read- romance, suspense, mystery, and great character development. There is No Light in Darkness is the compelling story of Blake and Cole, two people with such a magnetic force, that you will be cheering them on from the beginning. Blake has had a very traumatic childhood, making her afraid of love. And why wouldn't she be? Everyone that she has ever loved has been taken away from her harshly, including the two people that she loved the most. Believing that she is the common denominator, she refuses to let her guard down and be with the one person she loves the most, Cole. The story is told in both the present and the past. As you are given glimpses into Blake and Cole's childhood, you cannot help but fall in love with them both. Originally, I was leery to start this book after just reading the synopsis because I did not think the story would have much romance. I WAS WRONG. The heat between Cole and Blake was intense and the chemistry between them was undeniable. A real page-turner, my husband ate burnt chicken the night I read it, because I was so engrossed in the story that I forgot about dinner cooking. This book definitely has passion and sizzle, but the author does a great job keeping a storyline at the same time. I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars. It is an emotional read that will have your heart pounding in your chest and will continually leave you guessing what will happen next. It ends with a huge cliffhanger, but that just makes you more anxious for the next book!

What an amazing book. I saw the Darkness series making it's rounds in the book blogger universe, and immediately added it to my ever growing TBR pile. I have to say I was first drawn in by the cover, what can I say? I am a cover snob, and this one is simply beautiful. Thankfully the story inside was just as well done as the cover. "I wish I didn't have this strong urge to uncover my past, because with this comes devastation and sorrow that I'm not sure I'm strong enough to relive." Have you ever watched the TV show Revenge? There is No Light in Darkness reminded me so much of that show, but even better. There was action, romance, intrigue, and a story that will not allow you to put the book down. I fell in love with Cole. Holy cow this guy is pretty much perfect. I am a sucker for my book boyfriends and if there isn't a special guy to hold my interest... well, let's just say there best be. And I am happy to say that Cole fit the bill. *sigh* He was simply AMAZING. Every time he spoke I melted a little more. Every time he entered the scene I perked up just a little bit more. I just love him. "I'm in love with you, Blake. I've been in love with you from the moment I saw you. I've been in love with you from the day I was born and possibly even before then. I belong to you. My body belongs to you. My heart belongs to you. Please let me make love to you." And the overall story? Gripping. That is the best way I can describe it. Everything about it is a puzzle that you have to slowly put together. I was like a dog waiting on a bone... I attacked each little scrap of new information that was given. My brain would start trying to work out the overall story, but the twists and turns kept coming at me. Just when I thought I figured something out, BAM, something would happen and I would be left rethinking everything. But don't worry, slowly but surly you start getting real answers and it starts to come together. And wow, it's amazing how every single little thing is connected. So my suggestion? Don't wait to read this series. Both books are out now, so you don't have to worry about the HUGE cliffhanger at the end of the book. I have to admit that if I would have read it earlier, without book two available, I would still be sitting in the corner rocking slowly side to side. It would have probably killed me. But thankfully, Darkness Before Dawn, is released and it is the last book in the series. So, no more waiting required. Christine Rainy Day Reads

Can't tell you how much I loved this book. Not only does it have the hot scenes, which it has in spades it has so much more. There are so many answers to be found, I'm dying for the next book...love, love, love...

ce livre était à la fois touchant et palpitant. L'intrigue reste vivante tout au long de la narration et on s'attache aux deux personnages principaux. On comprend peu à peu la profondeur de leur relation et la solidité de leur lien.

...I think, mainly because of the cliff-hanger ending. Can I firstly say I love Cole. He's amazingly...amazing and so sweet, and so in love with Blake...awww! The storyline was intriguing and with the on again/off again relationship that Cole and Blake had going on I was hooked from early on. I will have to read the second book in the series to figure out how it concludes after the cliff-hanger ending, though with how many books I have on my to-read, it may take a while to get around to it.

The beginning was a little slow, but the story keeps you hooked! I'm glad I picked to read this series once the 2nd book was out, I would have gone insane waiting for book 2.