Book Review: Alone In the Dark by Karen Rose

Alone In the Dark (Romantic Suspense Series #17/Cincinnati Series #2) 
by Karen Rose

Blurb: 
Homicide Detective Scarlett Bishop has seen enough bad guys slip through the cracks and innocent victims go unavenged to know that good doesn't always prevail. So far she’s been able to lock away her rage and her vigilante fantasies. That lock is about to break.

Former Army Ranger Marcus O'Bannion is a fierce champion of victims’ rights. His secret past gives him good reason. He believes he’s seen the depths of human depravity, but then his investigation into the murder of a young girl who once asked for his help lures him and Scarlett down a dark, dark road—and straight into the crosshairs of a dangerous, powerful underground ring that deals in human trafficking. To stop them, Scarlett and Marcus have to be just as cunning and just as ruthless. But first they have to make it out alive.

   

Nina's Review:
Great Read! The first thing that stands out to me is the time tracking. I LOVE  the ability to follow the story knowing how much long it passed between scenes. The book is laid out almost like a diary, which makes you really see what's happening and when it's happening. Such a fabulous way to enjoy the read!

This is the second book I read by Karen Rose (I started with the first one in the series (Closer than you think) and I must say, I'm so infatuated with her style. She has a talent for description that is organic and fresh. Certain passages I couldn't help but to put the book down for a while to really feel that moment before I could resume the read. Alone in the Dark had good amount of "aww" moments, and definitely more than a fair share of heart-breaking ones. I love when an author describes an emotion or feeling so perfectly that it paints an image in my head while I'm reading. KR does that and it's SO freaking cool!

Alone in the dark was fast paced, intriguing, and exciting. The mystery part revolved around a human-trafficking case and it was so enthralling. I enjoy it so much when I think I'm on to something and then everything gets turned around making me reevaluate the whole theory, that's what happened here up to almost the end. The romance part was fun, deliciously sexy, and sweet (sometimes almost too sweet - but that was okay too, it seemed appropriate for the main characters). Scarlet and Marcus were delightful together and with their flaws and all they were just perfect for each other. The secondary characters were also fascinating. Made me think whose story I'd like to read next. Adored learning more about Stone, Diesel, and seeing some of the characters from "Closer than you think" again. It gave a glimpse of what those characters were up to since the last book, so I HIGHLY recommend that you start from the beginning of the series, it will feel so much more satisfying.

There were a few loose ends that left me wondering if there will be a follow up to those topics on the next book, but probably unlikely, since this series seems to focus on a different couple's story at a time. It's just a hair below 4 stars for me, so I rated 4 stars.

Rating: 4 Stars - I Loved It

Disclaimer:

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Berkley Publishing Group in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

Audio Book Review: Closer Than You Think by Karen Rose

Closer Than You Think 
(Romantic Suspense #16/Cincinnati, #1) 
by Karen Rose

Blurb: 
Psychologist Faith Corcoran is desperate to escape the stalker who’s made her life a nightmare for the past year—desperate enough to run to the one place that has been her nightmare far longer. Both boon and bane, her recent inheritance of her grandmother’s old house in Cincinnati offers sanctuary in which she can start her life anew, but requires that she face the dark memories that still resonate to this day.

But she has no idea how close to home her fears still are.

Two college girls have gone missing in the area, and FBI Special Agent Deacon Novak is called to work on the case. When his inquiry unexpectedly leads him to Faith, he finds a beautiful and brave woman he can’t help but fall for. Soon they’ll discover that this seemingly simple investigation is anything but. Reaching back decades into Faith’s own past, it will shatter everything she believes to be true and will give terrifying new meaning to flesh and blood.

Available for purchase at 

   

Nina's Review:

Closer than you think - get ready for a few all-nighters

Listened to it, loved it, and as soon as it was over I HAD to listen to it again. It was that good. Even at a second listen the story was just as exhilarating as the first time.

Let me tell you, I'm not typically a repeat reader. There are very few Authors whose books I revisit, only one, aside from this one, whose book I actually reached "the end" and flipped right back to the beginning, but Closer Than You Think warranted an immediate re-read, and let me tell you something else: this book is 28 hours long! I just couldn't believe I was so stoked after such a long book. My attention span is short and to keep me engaged that long is impressive!

Something that I thought was absolutely brilliant was the time tracking in the book. Sometimes I wonder how long it passes between certain parts in the stories that I read, and Karen Rose solved that in the most perfectly way, making me feel like I was IN the story. She set the timing and place where the scenes are occurring so it felt like I was right there with the characters. What enhanced the "all-immersed" feeling, was the exhaustion. Like Deacon, detective Bishop, and Faith, I too couldn't sleep while all that was going on in the story. I remember thinking "my gosh, I haven't slept a wink in almost 24 hours. This book is holding me hostage!".

But here we are, I reached the end again and immediately missed them all. I wanted more of Deacon Novak, He is SUCH a great hero and his imperfections make him so perfect! Faith as a main character also didn't disappoint. She is not the typical damsel in distress, nor does she act like those "to-be-rescued" women who we tend to roll our eyes at when they make silly decisions. She is very smart, interesting, strong, and so likable.

Narrator Review: She did a good job with the performance. I think she captured Faith's personality very well, and the sultry sexy scenes were on point. But there wasn't much distinction between the character voices. Kind of got me a little confused if I stopped the book for a moment or two. Overall a passable performance though, I would give the narrator 3 stars out of 5.

As a whole, I truly enjoyed the mystery and found the romance part of the story to be hot, well balanced and exciting. I had never read anything by this Author before but I confess I had a hard time letting go of the characters. 4.5 stars!

I'm super psyched to find out what happens next. Book 2 is coming soon and will feature 2 characters seen in this book. I can't wait!

Rating: 4.5 - I Really LOVED It!