What a fascinating book. I was impressed by the storyline and the characters were all well written and complex. Where there are complex storylines combined with intriguing characters the reader experience is magnified tremendously. To have a book that is well written as well as entertaining is a delight. Reading is about escaping your world and entering another one. The word building was phenomenal in this book. Here I forgot about my own life and was immersed in the world created by the author. I would recommend this book.

I would like to thank NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book even though I did not finish this book.

I'm sorry to say this book didn't work for me. I just couldn't connect with the characters and get into the story. Thank you.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to review this book and to be an early reader via NetGalley! However, I will not be writing a review for this title at this time, as my reading preferences have since changed somewhat. In the event that I decide to review the book in the future, I will make sure to purchase a copy for myself or borrow it from a library. Once again, thank you so much for providing me with early access to this title. I truly appreciate it. Please feel free to contact me with any follow-up questions or concerns.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I will start by saying that I did enjoy this book. I liked the mystery. I am dying to know the identity of The Gentleman and think I have it narrowed down to 2 people (they're both probably wrong, knowing me). I even liked the romance. Tilly and Keaton were both likeable and great characters. I'm looking forward to getting to know Knox and Kipling better in the coming books since they were already great as supporting characters. Though, Kipling constantly hitting on the cop did rub me the wrong way a bit. It definitely was an unintentional reminder that even when a woman is just literally doing her job, she is going to be objectified and spoken to a certain way by men. Not only that, but it's something we should read as flattering and aspirational. No thanks.

Here's the thing: I love romance books and I also love mystery/thriller/suspense books. But something about the combination of the two genres is just maybe not for me. I have a hard time buying a budding romance (complete with having sex constantly) between two characters when dead bodies and threats are turning up left and right. When you find your friend with her throat slit, then go back to your apartment to cry for a bit, study, and then get ready for your date you're super excited for the next day and almost never think about your dead friend again? Something about that reads...sociopathic to me. Not to mention, this book was like others I've read in the genre in that the main characters get so wrapped up in their feelings for one another that they become careless and make decisions that are monumentally stupid. Like missing VERY obvious signs that one of them is walking into a trap.

I had criticisms, but I did like this book and would recommend it, especially if this is a genre that you typically enjoy reading. I will be continuing with the series to see how things develop for our side characters and how things end for everybody.

I wasn't able to read this, I'm sorry. I hate to give a negative review but it wasn't for me. It is asking me for more words

I really tried to like this book but it was a struggle to read and even finish. The storyline was a bit boring and it was hard trying to keep up with the dialogue. it didn't ring true at all in some parts. Plus the cliffhanger in the end really wasn't necessary.

The illusive "Gentleman" is at it again stalking the streets of Charleston.  The second chance love story of Tilly and Keaton nicely counters the string of deaths ravaging the town. Tara writes with clear prose and sets up an amazing back drop with tantalizing characters. A solid read that held my interest.

Darkest Night will reunite two former love back together again.
Tilly and Keaton have love each other when they were teenager but a huge scandal separate them. Years has passed, but they get to reunited again. Tilly has recover so much from her teenager years that she puts her best foot forward. And she shares her positively while she works the bar. But luck may run out since she meets Keaton again. 
Keston has grown up to be very successful that he has no trouble in the landing the ladies. He has no desire since he still love Tilly. But he has luck to his side since he gets reunited with her when he visit the bar that she works. He immediately taken to her and does not want to spare any time while they get reunited again. 
But they are going to face some serious danger since a killer is hunting Tilly. They will need to race against time to figure who it is and how to keep Tilly harm.
Darkest Night is a fast-paced suspense romance read that will keep you interested. 
3 1/2 star

This book had all the right elements, but unfortunately, and I truly can't even pinpoint why, but it just fell a little bit flat for me. I enjoyed it, but it didn't give me that thrill rush I love from a good thriller. I needed more. That being said, for casual romantic suspense fans I've a feeling this is right up your alley - there was just something about it that kept me just liking it a fair amount, but not loving it.

Darkest Night by Tara Thomas is the first full length novel in the Sons of Broad romantic suspense series.

The main characters are Tilly and Keaton who were each other’s first loves that were separated by a family scandal and later reunited. I was not a huge fan that Tilly and Keaton hadn’t seen one another in years but they are instantly in love, a little build up for them would have been nice. It is like the past 8 or so years never happened.

Some evil, mysterious person is out to cause all the Benedict brothers and Tilly pain and trouble. Starting with several murders and some random roses, notes and texts. There are a lot of characters, a lot of unanswered questions and some confusion. I’m looking forward to reading the next book to find out some answers.

Right away, Tara sucks you into this book. The characters are captivating and the writing is fantastic. Told in multiple POV's. 
Keaton and Tilly easily fall back right were they left off. But someone will do anything to keep them apart. 
The cliffhanger will leave you wanting more.

I DNF'd at about 40%...which I think was more than enough to give it a chance.

I love discovering new series, romance/romantic-suspense/mystery.  The setting in the South and Charleston is such a romantic and mysterious setting that I expected a lot more than I got for mood and setting. This book could have been set anywhere and was ridiculous, and not in a wonderful, funny way. It was poorly written. There were a lot of loose ends and I really don't care enough to subject myself to the other two books in this series to see them tied up.

Separated as children Tilly and Keaton are reunited on a chance encounter.  Quickly it seems that Tilly's life is at risk.  As they catch up they learn quickly that things they thought were true weren't necessarily and maybe Tilly's dad wasn't everything that they thought.  

Sweet story, mostly predictable with the highlight being trying to understand the brothers more.  A light summer read.

The title Darkest Night speaks for the amount of mystery and spin this book entailed. It was dark and hit and ver intriguing.  Definitely worth the read.

I just love the characters and the world that has been created. The character development and relationship buildings have been great throughout. This is a 'must read' for sure!!!

This book was hard to read.  I felt like I was missing something about the background of the characters.  It felt like there were about 8 books ahead of this one that I was missing.

Darkest Night is the start of a romantic suspense series by Tara Thomas that takes place in Charleston. The series features one of three brothers romance in each of the books. While I am writing this, there are only three books in the series, and I haven’t researched to see if there are plans to go beyond that. Their family is being targeted by someone trying to destroy the Benedicts. 

The first book is the introduction. So you usually try to give it a little to help build up the story, but they rushed the first 25% of this book. It is all murder chaos, rushed character introductions, and few descriptions of what's going on. Most of it feels like just conversations.  

It starts with Tilly Brock and Keaton Benedict. They were best friends throughout childhood and first loves until they charged her father with embezzling funds from the Benedict‘s family company. At that point, it gets weird with the writing style. Keaton’s mother told him Tilly and her family moved to Texas, and he never contacted Tilly again. She was even hinting for him to date another family’s daughter, Elise, right after. There is only a handful of mentions about the embezzlement scandal and it leads you to believe it was a mistake. It doesn’t touch that plotline at all after those few sentences. Then Elise moving in and practically promised to Keaton because her father worked with his father. Apparently, marriage is all business then. That character felt odd, because she was angry and vindictive, but turns out to be a throwaway character in a bizarre turn of events. It felt clunky and thrown in for some hopeful intrigue. Not to mention there is a murderer who is targeting Tilly specifically. Why because she knew the Benedicts almost 10 years ago…. what… like she is from the deep past childhood, why is she a lynchpin to taking the boys down? It is written like the killer intended for Tilly and Keaton to meet, but they wrote the scene like a random meeting. There are so many random plot things in the book. The murders, a family affair with a half-sister, there is a mastermind with minions who murder. I think there is a human trafficking element.

I want to touch beyond the story and hit the characters a little here too. Keaton is supposed to be this “notorious bachelor” but he feels like just some random college kid in a rich family. The family doesn’t feel like they are as famous as that label suggests. Maybe one of the other brothers would fit that description better, but beyond their own household, they don‘t feel like they are that renown to the community. They really could just be any slightly rich people. It just added to the rough feeling of the story.

There is a lot of unanswered questions left in this book. The writing got better as the story progressed. It ends well to lead you into the next book(s) I feel. I just don‘t know if it is a strong enough start to pull people in for the whole series. I almost quit myself at the start. There are issues with the story I have, but again, that will hopefully be resolved in the future books. I’m just not sure if I am interested enough to try and finish it. I try to push through tough points in books. I am glad I did it with this book. I appreciate this story, but I wasn’t completely sold on it.

DARKEST NIGHT
Tara Thomas.


“He had been her ultimate dream and now he was her present reality.”


Whenever Tara has a new book or genre she has written I’m on board to go on a new journey. You never know where she will take you, but you know you will enjoy the ride.

“You’ll never do great things until you believe you can do them.”


This book has so many elements that I loved. There was friendship, betrayal, mystery, jealousy, chemistry, second chances, suspense, family loyalty and romance. This book had me at the edge of my seat and made it difficult not to read in one sitting. I can’t wait to see where this Sons of Broad Series goes next. 

“The voice in the back of his head kept whispering that she was in danger. As much as he’d like to ignore it, he couldn’t, because it was usually right.”

Though I liked the book, I made the decision at the time I finished not to review it on my site. Maybe in the future I will include it in a book list post or another article.