An excellent start to a new romantic suspense series. Tilly is reunited with Keaton Benedict, her first puppy love and friend. They lost touch because Tilly's dad worked for the Benedict's and was accused for a crime he didn't commit which destroyed her family. Bad things are going down in Charleston which reunited Tilly and Keaton. The story is dark and edgy and moves at a good pace. I love the romance blooming between the now grown-up Tilly and Keaton. I enjoyed the story enough to grab a copy of book #2 while I was out shopping, because the darkness continues...and Keaton has two brothers I didn't know that there were a couple of prequel novellas and wish I had read them first. But I can't wait for more in the series.

I was invited to read this from the publisher thru NetGalley for my honest opinion

I loved this book. It kept my attention and had me on edge. Great read. Great characters.

Thank you St. Martin's Press for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Tara Sue Me writes under the name of Tara Thomas in her newest romantic thriller series Sons of Broad. Darkest Night begins with Tilly Brock and Keaton Benedict. Tilly and her parents banished the town when her father was involved in a scandal in the Benedict Industries. All their hard earned fortune was stripped instantly and eventually losing Keaton. Eight years later, Tilly and Keaton reunited while she's working in the bar. Keaton never thought he'll see the woman he ever loved and this time, he won't let her go. However, their lives are in danger as the mysterious enemy constantly threats them. They must keep each other safe until they found out the suspect.

It was a solid romantic thriller. It's entertaining, fast paced and packed with events. Tara Thomas has a great writing style but I had a problem with the execution of the story. The scenes quickly shifted one to another and it confused me a bit. For example, I'm reading one scene with Tilly and Brock then it suddenly shifts to a new scene with "The Gentleman" (main antagonist) in it. I'm like "Who is this guy?". It took me a while getting used to the format and I just wish there's a divider on it to avoid confusion, at least for the antagonist's part.

The side characters were introduced really well here and we'll get to see the future couples. Of all the characters, Jade was the one who stood out for me. She's a complex anti-heroine and I'm dying to know her back story. Despite of being The Gentleman's soldier, she has conscience and good sense of judgment. I am curious with The Gentleman's real identity and hopefully we'll see more of him in the following books.

This book seemed to jump around a lot and the conversations weren’t very cohesive. I just don’t have the want to try and figure it all out. It wasn’t making sense and I got bored pretty quickly.

Also, I got an uncorrected ARC and it had tons of errors that really messed with my enjoyability of the story line.

This was a good lead in for the series of the Benedict bothers series. Laid the ground work for the family history and second chance for Tilly and Keaton. It seemed a bit unrealistic that the relationship was able to rekindle so rapidly, however I enjoyed the author's style and intertwining of past and present. Looking forward to the next book in this series.

Had a really hard time getting into the book. I tried a few times but for me it just kept dragging on. After a few chapters i stopped trying. I hope that others find this book more interesting to read.

A danger filled, captivating read! With the kick off to a new series, we are quickly drawn into a story of lost friendships, scandal and danger knocking at their door. The characters are easy to like, the story is intriguing and though not perfectly developed, the plot keeps our attention throughout. A solid read!

Childhood best friends and fledgling first loves Tilly Brock and Keaton Benedict were unjustly split apart before they could ever even start to live the lives they were destined to carve out together. She lived through a scandal with her family and went on to struggle to make her way in the world. He lived the good life, but finds himself still yearning for more.

When a chance meeting brings them together again and has them reminiscing about the past and rediscovering what happened to the other after they were torn apart, the attraction they once felt is alive and well and undeniably strong. A jaunt into what could have been leads them into danger and has them watching their backs and racing against time to figure out who's set their sights on them ... and why!

Very formulaic romantic suspense. Fans of the author and series romance will enjoy it.

After her father was accused of embezzlement and fired, Tilly Brock had to make her own way while dealing with her mother’s cancer diagnosis. Tilly’s waitress job at a strip club kept her going, and she had only a few months left of college. After some minor drama with two of the dancers, Tilly is both thrilled and embarrassed that Keaton Benedict was back in her life, after seeing her at the club. Suddenly, people in Tilly’s life are turning up dead, her apartment is ransacked, and her one-time best friend, Elise, is back in town and determined to land Keaton as her husband at any cost.

First off, there are too many dead and/or injured people whose only connection is Tilly. What’s so important about Tilly? Is it just her newfound connection to Keaton? Why does the same cop always seem to be available any time someone else gets killed or injured? The book was all right, and while I got the romantic part, I didn’t really get the thriller aspect. I do have theories about The Gentleman and about Jade, but I’ll keep that to myself.

Amazing thrill ride, this is my first time reading Tara's writing and will definitely be checking out more.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for giving me an ARC of this book. The review below is purely my own opinion:

3.5 Stars.

This is the first full length novel in the Sons of Broad series. Although it can be read as a standalone, I would definitely recommend reading the first 3 prequel novellas (Shattered Fear, Hidden Fate, and Twisted End) that started it all and set the stage so nicely for this book.

In a nutshell: (1) Pace was fast. (2) Plot was engaging. I still don't know "whodunit". And (3) Characters were interesting.

At this point, I've invested enough into tho the series that I want to read the next book.

I could not get into this book. I didn't like the writing & thought the story-line was rushed.

I read the novellas prior to this book and while you can certainly read this one without reading those I think you get a bit of background that helps make this one more enjoyable. I enjoy the mystery/suspense parts of the book more than the romance in both the novellas and this full length book. The mystery/suspense kept me reading and I enjoyed finding out a bit more about the villain AKA The Gentleman. Tilly and Keaton were likable characters but I just didn't feel the chemistry between them and the relationship was very instant. After 8 years apart Keaton basically decides he's still in love with Tilly and wants to do something about it after bumping into her at a gentlemen's club. Their is a bit of other woman drama as well. Although I like the suspense plot I'm not sure I'll continue to read this series.

A serendipitous meeting leads to a second chance at love
A past that is seeking vengeance has come looking for justice
An engaging and thrilling read

It is a slow build that flows easily -transporting the reader into the story - continually stimulating our quest for answers with little twists and revelations that keep you guessing and on the edge - only to deposit you upon a cliff - yes we are left hanging at the end but, in my opinion, it is worth it
I enjoyed the main characters and found them easy to connect with
I am definitely looking forward to getting some information on the brothers - I am a bit on the fence about them but I think that was the author's intention
I have a lot of questions that I need answers for - being a series it has left me with that "suspense high" that any good thriller should .. I have heard there are prequels to this book - I was able to read this as a standalone without pause though I am looking to read the previous stories
I read a complimentary copy of this story

Enjoyed Keaton and Tilly's story, great combination of romance & suspense.

Having read the prequel novellas to this series, I was looking forward to reading more of this series. Even though I did take issue with the heroine of the novellas, I liked the overall mystery surrounding "The Gentleman." In this installment, there is a new couple featured that is also on the Gentleman's hit list for reasons that have not yet been revealed. While I enjoyed most of Tilly and Keaton's story, I did feel as though some threads were unresolved. Of course, the big one is who is the Gentleman and what is his endgame? There are still two more books in the series so I didn't expect a resolution on that front. But I'm wondering are all the unanswered threads connected? If they are, kudos to Tara Thomas for pulling it off. If not, well... Guess I'll just have to read the other books to make a final determination.

I did like reading Darkest Night but it didn't quite gel with me. I couldn't connect with the main characters and felt that the story was a bit flat in places. I also felt that that the book raised more questions than it answered. Would I read it again? I don't know.

This is a gritty, suspenseful, fast-paced story that was hard to put down! Great start to a new series! This is Keaton and Tilly's story so much suspesne with a good portion of romance. Look forward to the next in the series!

This is book one in a new series. It is a little more intense than I like to read in a book. Tilly has always had a crush on Keaton Benedict and when he returns to Charleston and walks into the bar where she is working they both remember their youthful romance. Now as they start to date, a killer wants to hurt the Benedict family and has targeted Tilly to torment Keaton. The book is definitely part of a series as the cliffhanger ending will have you panting for book 2.

3.75 * rounded to 4

This book started off slow for me but did quickly pick up. There was just too much going on in the first couple of chapters that made the book feel frantic. Honestly, I was not sure what to expect and how the story would turn. Charleston is one of my favorite cities to visit, which was the primary reason why I chose to read this book. I did enjoy the scenes where Charleston and some of the cities establishments were mentioned. I also liked both the H/HE but did not care for the brothers. Both appeared to be extremely cocky, full of themselves, and displayed a demonstration of how old money reacts to others. Apparently, there are three novellas prior to this book, but I was not aware until after I completed this one. I was able to follow the story and characters without reading the prior books.

The storyline definitely had promise with Keaton and Tilly. I enjoyed both characters and was rooting for them. However, the story felt a little off with these two. After being separated for eight years as children without even speaking to each other, they professed their undying love upon Keaton running into Tilly at a gentlemen’s club where she was working as a waitress.

I will continue with this series since this one did end in a cliffhanger, which I absolutely despise in a book. The twist did work for this one!