Sunday, July 16, 2017

Review: Cover of Darkness by Kaylea Cross

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Title: Cover of Darkness
Series: Suspense
Author: Kaylea Cross
Read copy: eBook (Kindle)
Published: March 31, 2015
Publisher: Amazon Encore
ASIN: B00UK7I9RE

Targeted by a terrorist cell, Bryn McAllister survives a bombing at the U.S. Embassy in Beirut only to be left to die in a desert cellar. When she is rescued by Navy SEAL Lieutenant Declan McCabe and his team, Bryn must rely on the handsome officer to get her to safety. But just when she thinks the nightmare is over, family friend and legendary CIA operative Luke Hutchinson recruits her and McCabe to help track down the terrorist mastermind responsible for the attack.

With Bryn determined to see the terrorist brought to justice, Dec joins up to protect her, prepared to do whatever it takes to keep her safe during their dangerous mission. Battling the explosive attraction between them, Dec fights to keep his distance from her so he can do his job and keep her alive. But when plans fall apart and Bryn is captured, he must make the agonizing choice between his duty as a SEAL and the life of the woman he loves.

My rating:

During her yearly visit to her Lebanese father, Bryn McAllister is injured in a bomb attack at the US embassy and, along with her father, kidnapped and left for dead in a cellar in a Syrian village.

Luke Hutchinson knows who kidnapped his son's best friend, Bryn, and is determined to end the bastard's reign of terror once and for all. But first, he needs Bryn and her father rescued, and then he'll need the girl's help, providing security in the form of the very man who saved her.


This wasn't as creepy as its predecessor as far as the suspense went, and the heroine was as far from annoying as she could get...But still, it didn't really work for me.

Once more, as the first wave of danger (again, somewhere in the first ten chapters) passed, the pacing got plodding again, and the gist of the story got lost in the (once more very iffy) romance.
I liked both Bryn and Dec, but couldn't help but get merely friendly vibes off them. The whole "romance" was to be just a by-product of the dangerous situation, transference, and hero-worship on Bryn's part. I didn't really feel sexual sparks with them, and what they called love, smelled more of simple affection than anything truly life-altering.

Also, for a series, this didn't really "connect" with the first book except by a few characters. One of them, being the larger-than-life Luke Hutchinson, who is sounding more and more like an asshole, and I truly hope he manages to redeem himself before his book is due.

As far as suspense is concerned, it was once more the saving grace of the entire operation. Gripping and intense, nail-biting and chilling. Although I was rather disappointed it didn't end when the story did, which means we're stuck with the terrorist until Luke's book. I'm rather skeptical of the fact, since I don't know what new plot points it could bring, since we already know the important bits.
Also, as far as the pacing went, this would've worked better as a short story, keeping the suspense arc a lot more condensed without the rather cheesy and implausible romance throwing the wrench into the wheels as soon as things started moving a little faster.

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