Keaton Benedict of the Charleston Benedicts has just graduated from college and is home to take his place in the family business. An event at the local strip club brings Keaton face to face with his former best friend and first crush, Tilly Brock. The Brocks and the Benedicts were very good friends until Tilly’s father was accused of embezzlement and fired. The Brocks lost everything and Keaton never saw Tilly again. Keaton is thrilled to see Tilly and vows not to let her leave his life again.

Tilly is currently finishing her degree and works as a waitress to support herself. She was hurt when her father was accused and all her friends abandoned her. She wants to believe her and Keaton have a second chance but the economic and social gulf between them seems so wide. Not to mention Keaton MAY have a fiance. As Keaton and Tilly grow closer, murder trails behind then while both begin to receive threatening messages. As the killer closes in and certain accusations are made, Keaton and Tilly realize that no matter how hard you try, some family secrets can never stay buried.

Darkest Night by Tara Thomas aka Tara Sue Me is the first full-length novel in her debut romantic suspense series-Sons of Broad. Set in Charleston, SC, Thomas introduces readers to the very rich and influential Benedict family and sets up the world and possible romances for each son though this book focuses mainly in a reconnection romance for the youngest Benedict-Keaton. There are three novellas that predate this novel. They introduce this series, the characters, and set up the main villain who continues on in here. You do not have to read the novellas to read this story though I have been told it helps because of character crossover and certain pertinent background information.

While I am a fan of Thomas’ erotic writings under her other nom de plume, I found this story weak across the board. The characters are one dimensional with some used as nothing more than plot devices, the mystery is chaotic with no real direction, and the romance is nothing more than a second chance with lots of sex.

Tilly and Keaton are an amicable couple. Nice but nothing very memorable about them stands out. They reconnect after 8 years, talk each other up a little, go to dinner, and BOOM…they’re in love. That’s it. The relationship is established instantly. A person of interest is introduced early on and at first looked to be the spark this book needed. Instead, they are a ridiculous caricature and are introduced to provide conflict in the relationship and to reveal pertinent information. The romance and suspense aspect don’t blend well; the romance completely overpowers the conflict. Tilly and Keaton spend a majority of their time having sex or talking about having sex while occasionally trying to figure out who is threatening them. We don’t even learn why his family set her family up.

A diverse cast of secondary characters are introduced but underutilized. Thomas plays so much much close to the vest, you really don’t get to know anyone beyond a cursory glance. Kipling Benedict, the oldest, is snarky and has the hots for one of the lead detectives investigating a series of murders surrounding the Benedicts. Knox Benedict, the middle sibling, is very secretive and considered the saint of the brother but why? Again, we aren’t told a word. The villain of the story, along with his personal assassin whose identity is the linchpin of the entire arc, is probably the most interesting person in the book. He is a twisted piece whose hatred of the Benedicts is the fuel behind everything happening.

The ending comes at you fast as the main conflict resolves itself in a confusing fashion with no explanation for the character’s actions. Thomas drops numerous clues everywhere to set the stage for book two while leaving numerous plot holes for readers to fall through. While I’m sure this will be a hit for some, I’m going to pass and stick to her erotic romance.

Grade: D

I’m slightly torn on Darkest Night, but I’m going to lean toward the author on this one for one reason… The Gentleman. I need to know exactly who this person is so I’ll continue the series even though the feel of a Happy For Now ending is strong. I don’t mind threads woven throughout a series, I simply prefer for the main couple of each book to be pretty much devoted to them not a lot of other secondary characters who will have their story told in time. To be clear, secondary characters often “make” the story more realistic – at times, they simply overtake the story and that is what I felt here.

There is a lot going on in Darkest Night. I expect some world building in the first novel (even without prequels) but there were times when I was overpowered by too many people involved in everything… or at least, that’s how it felt to me. Although they hadn’t seen each other in years, Tilly and Keaton’s connection was still powerful enough to have them in an insta-love or lust situation almost immediately. Tilly’s family fell from grace when her father was accused of a serious crime, one that Keaton has never really accepted that he was guilty of. When she disappeared from his life Keaton was left without his best friend and a young girl who might have meant more in their future. Now finding her again he’s not going to let her go again – only others have different plans for them both, plans that include blackmail and murder.

Darkest Night is a solid 3.5 stars for me. It falls between “good book” and “I liked it a lot”. There were aspects of both in that I loved some parts and not so much other parts. I’ll round that up to 4 stars on Goodreads and Amazon, but I’m holding out hope that Deadly Secret will change my mind on this series.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

Of the 3 brothers we get to check out baby brother Keaton first. While his older brothers are a colorful duo this time it's not about them. The summer is about to get interesting with his spunky childhood crush back to tantalize and turn his world upside down and an unwanted suitor. Well it wont be easy and there is a whole lot of action, lies, intrigue and even blackmail going on in this multi twists thrill ride that doesn't leave out the romance that moves way too fast.

The characters are awesome and so is the story. I love that Tilly was no push over and that Keaton made his intentions clear. Kip was a hoot and can't wait to get in on that story. This is my first read by this author and it was fantastic and action packed with all the things I so desperately need in a great read.

Someone is out to destroy one of the “ pillar” family’s of Charleston. A family not used to being challenged in any way. Tilly and her family had been disgraced when her father had been accused of embezzling from the Benedict’s company- Benedict shipping- funds he worked for and destroyed their standing in the community and was shunned as well as their family even though they moved away eight years ago. Tilly and keaton had grown up together had been each other’s first crush as they were always together as they were also neighbors as well as friends and then Tilly’s first kiss. Then Tilly and her family moved away. Keaton is now an eligible bachelor. Tilly had learned to be independant and take care of herself with both parents dead. Tilly is putting herself through college to be a teacher and working at an upscale “ gentlemen's bar “ doing a horrible job as a server. Tilly and her friend Raven get a lot of berating from the twins that dance on stage. Tilly never expects to see Keaton again. Keaton s at the club to celebrate his college graduation and he is expected to take up his place in the family company. Keaton is struggling to accept what is expected of him. Keaton would rather help the less fortunate and would like to set up a charitable division in the company to help those in need. Keaton’s was close to her brothers even though they have differences. After Tilly and keaton decide to start a relationship violence starts to be connected in all aspects of her life. The first death was Tilly’s friend Raven from work. Than two dancers from the club. The Gentleman has been involved with all kinds of crime including human trafficking. The Gentleman had raised/ brainwashed Jade and she was his henchman/victim. There was also a family friend staying with the Benedicts for the summer and she is determined to marry Keaton and is not above using blackmail. The Gentleman lets Tilly and Keaton know he is coming.
I enjoyed this book. It was a fun read although it had a lot of violence. I advise you to read the prequel novellas first so you understand all you need to know going into the series. I felt this was a good mystery. I didn’t want to put this down as I wanted to see what happened next It was fairly easy to figure out who the killer was. There was instalust involved. But I did think there were too many characters, too fast and that took away from the book. I liked the plot and the pace. This book had: betrayal, suspense, murder, romance, deep secrets, revenge, jealousy, danger, and so much more. I liked the characters a lot and loved the many twists and turns of this book and I recommend.

This is the first book I have read by Ms Thomas and I have to admit I don’t think her writing style is my cup of tea. If I am being honest it was kind of torture to read this book. I just felt like either I missed some pertinent information or it wasn’t there to begin with. Just some things seemed to far fetched, for instance. Tilly’s dad was accused of embezzlement by Keaton’s family and it tore her family apart. She went from being wealthy to having to work in a stripper bar as a waitress and lost her best friend Keaton too. Then years later they see each other in a bar and within 10 pages they have forgiven each other and relying on each other while trying to figure out who wants to harm Tilly. I would think that after all Keaton’s family put her through it would of taken a lot longer to forgive him or trust him. I know it’s an uncorrected book but I didn’t like how there would be a conversation with the “gentleman” in the same chapter without a page break. It took me a minute to realize that I was reading a complete different story within a story almost. I know it ended on a cliff hanger to indicate there was more of the story to come. But I just am not interested in reading more of these characters.

This first book in an all new series is gripping and leaves you wanting more. Tilly and Keaton are getting a second chance at romance, but there are obstacles in their path. This read is fast paced, full of suspense, and features an intriguing mystery with another set up for the series with The Gentleman. The highlight of this book is the engaging characters, both the good and the villains. The Gentleman is an excellently written villain that holds the readers interest. I have my suspicions on who this character is and cannot wait to see how it plays out over the course of the next two books. This book was my first introduction to the author and I am a hooked fan who will definitely be reading more of her work.

*3.5* I did read the novellas leading up to this book but I think I could have read those as their own book. Then read this book as another standalone in the series and been just as happy.

Even with reading the novellas I felt that Tilly and Keaton moved way too fast. They hadn't seen each other in years and how they parted was horrible BUT it was super fast for me even with all the danger.

I did like the suspense in the book, I liked trying to figure out what Jade was going to do next for Mr. G. (the man behind the scenes, pulling all the strings). Why are they being surrounded by murders? Why is Tilly the one that they're after?

TIlly and Keaton pretty much just fast forward through the rest of their teenage years and right into the adults they are today with no hesitancy whatsoever. Will Keaton be able to keep Tilly safe? The family needs help that they don't even realize and it comes in a strange and unexpected way.

I did like meeting Kipling and Knox, Keaton's brothers and can't wait to see what's going to happen in their books.

Great start to a new series which follows three brothers. Tilly was a great character who rekindles with Keaton, one of the brothers. Keaton was also likeable and well developed as a character. Lots of action and plots within plots as someone is going after the family. Tilly and Keaton had great chemistry and this story kept the pages turning. Can't wait to see what happens in the next book. Secondary characters were also likeable and well developed. I am voluntarily reviewing an arc I received

It's a good start for the series. Likable characters involved in murder and mayhem.

There is a lot going on in the book, maybe a little too much. It may have affected my ability to connect with Tilly and Keaton but where my interest fell short with them, I relied on the suspense element to get me thru. Blackmail, stalking, murder and all kinds of Tom Foolery. And since this is a series you won't get all your answers at the end of the story tied up with a nice little bow.

Overall it's a good read, but I don't plan to continue with the series.

Darkest Night is a sultry and suspenseful thriller set in Charleston, South Carolina. The wealthy Benedict brothers bring the sultry—especially Keaton, the youngest. A shadowy figure who goes by the moniker “The Gentleman” is at the crux of the inexplicable attacks and murders that suddenly populate the brothers’ world; he’ll go to any lengths to take them down. Why? Tara Thomas alludes to the sins of the Benedicts’ late father—there are secrets hidden from his sons that are threatening to spill out into the open.

Kipling, the oldest, runs “the family shipping business, Benedict Industries.” Keaton wants to set up a charitable division that ensures that everyone in Charleston—and eventually South Carolina—has safe water to drink. Keaton decides to sound out his older brother over drinks, but the mood is destroyed when a waiter delivers a “slender white box” to Kipling. What’s with the “long-stem rose set nestled in white tissue paper?” Does Kipling have an admirer? Not so fast, read the note inside:

There were only a few words typed on the thick card stock.

THE TIME HAS COME.

Keaton flipped it over but there was nothing on the other side. He looked up at Kipling. “What the hell does it mean?”

Kipling shrugged. “I don’t know, but they’ve all said the same thing.”

“How many have there been?”

There's only been half a dozen, and they’re “pretty harmless,” says Kipling. But Keaton notices him “looking around the parking lot” when they leave. Keaton has the “uneasy feeling there was something bigger going on.”

Keaton is correct. The Gentleman’s ire is intensifying; he feels “like he could skin someone alive with only a look.” He puts his men on notice.

“Men, we have a problem and its name is Benedict. We are going to have to step up our plan. Take no prisoners. Show no mercy. As of today there is a new plan. The roses have laid the groundwork and they’re showing some concern, but the threat the family poses is growing bigger.

The first step is to eliminate a problem I should have taken care of years ago. Unfortunately, this person isn’t a Benedict.”

The Gentleman carefully avoids sharing too much information with his men, but it doesn’t seem coincidental that a woman from Keaton’s past, Tilly Brock, is in his sights. After years of separation, Keaton runs into Tilly waitressing while he’s getting a drink at a gentlemen’s club.

Tilly Brock has learned—the hard way—how to take care of herself. Once a pillar of Charleston society, her family lost everything in the wake of a shocking scandal. And then Tilly lost the only boy she ever loved.

Is it full steam ahead once Keaton and Tilly rediscover each other? Potentially, but ghastly incidents multiply. Keaton, a consummate gentleman, is at Tilly’s side 24/7 once they reconnect—like when she goes back to her day job to deliver a book to Raven, a work friend. Something seems off at the club.

“Tilly?” Keaton asked. “Is everything okay?”

“Yes,” she said, but then stopped again, as the queasy sensation grew three hundred times worse.

There’s a bundle on the ground. Laundry, thinks Keaton, but Tilly says they don’t have laundry at the club.

“I’m not sure what else it could be.”

Tilly made it to the laundry bundle in question before he did. She had been correct, it wasn’t laundry. It was Raven. And her throat had been cut.

Tilly screamed.

Nowhere is safe for Tilly.

Tilly’s apartment was a total wreck.

Furniture was overturned and slashed through. Mirrors and pictures frames were broken, with shards of glass littering the floor. Worst of all was the WHORE written in red along the far wall of her living room.

Tilly and Keaton are in danger in the city they both love. Their very lives are imperiled by The Gentleman’s killing spree. He and his minions are saturating idyllic low-country Charleston with blood and vengeance.

If you’re a fan of J. R. Ward’s Bourbon Kings series about a “Southern family defined by wealth and privilege—and compromised by secrets, deceit, and scandal,” Darkest Night—the first of the Sons of Broad Trilogy—will be right up your alley. Tara Thomas successfully navigates the tightrope of enticing the reader into an inexplicable world of deepening menace without revealing all the secrets behind The Gentleman’s vendetta against the Benedicts. Stay tuned!

3.5 Stars
This is the first full-length book in the Sons of Broad series. I enjoyed reading the three novellas before this but you don’t have to read them first. They are about a different couple and give you a glimpse into the story.

To me this was a story about second chance romance as well as a thriller. Keaton and Tilly grew up together and now ran in different circles. Tilly is working is working as a waitress at a gentleman’s club. She never thought she would see Keaton again and when she did the sparks flew. They still had that chemistry they had from years before. They end up picking right up like no time has passed between them.

While I enjoyed this story I didn’t like it as much as the novellas. I felt like the connection between the two main characters was there more than in this book. I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series.

Darkest Night by Tara Thomas was a second chance romance full of suspense. Tilly Brock has never forgotten Keaton, but they went down different paths and she figures she will never see him again. Then one-night Keaton walks into the bar where she works, and all those feelings flood back for both. But with danger lurking, can they have their second chance or is it too late already?

Tilly and Keaton connect rather quickly, but there is history between them. Tilly’s family lost everything after a scandal, which is what drove them apart. She is now working and getting through college. Keaton comes from a good family and history and is now known as a playboy. But he never forgot Tilly either. Now they are trying to reconnect, but dangers lurks around them.

I enjoyed Darkest Night by Tara Thomas. It was romantic and suspenseful, had good characters and a story that draws you in.

Happy reading!

Tara Thomas’ Darkest Night is the first novel in the Sons of Broad series. There were three novellas before this full-length novel. While a couple of the characters were introduced in those novellas, it is not necessary to have read them. Other than The Gentleman, not much is in the way of tying the stories all together yet.

In fact, more is learned about The Gentleman in this book, but his darker side is revealed more in the novellas. From that perspective, I am glad that I read them first. Still his identity is hidden. It is implied that he is part of the wealthy and privileged part of Charleston society. But his reasons for what he does in this book is not as clear. No longer just a rich psychopath but a man on a mission to cause other’s downfall. Quite the mystery going on in this series. While Tilly Brock and Keaton Benedict’s story is great, it is the Gentleman who is most intriguing. I want him stopped but I also want to know who he is. Tara Thomas sure knows how to write a despicable villain.

This is the first of three books in the Sons of Broad series, not including the prequel novellas that were also released. Each book follows one of three brothers.

I wouldn’t say this book is cliffhanger, but I’m not sure I would consider it a standalone either. While this book does have its own story, which is concluded in the end, there is also an underlying mystery that isn’t resolved which I assume will continue through the rest of the series.

I’m a fan of romantic suspense, and I was really hoping I would love this one. I thought it was a good story filled with lots of suspense, but unfortunately I felt like I was being told the story rather than living it. (Show me, don’t tell me.)

While I didn’t fully connect with the story, I’m still very intrigued by The Gentleman and am curious if he is a character we’ve already met.

ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆
M/F Thriller, Romance
Triggers: Blackmail, Attempted Murder

This is a story more about power and privilege than a second chance romance that it seems to be. You have a couple who were split apart years ago due to a strange set of circumstances and when they see each other again, there is a plot much deeper than their love.

Keaton is a great guy. He knows what he wants from his life and isn't afraid to go after it. What he doesn't want to happen is his wishes and wants to be pushed aside so that he can take his place in the family business. He has some amazing brothers who are supportive and I really hope they each get their own books too.

Tilly is working to put herself through school and knows that she's so close. Despite working in less than ideal conditions, she knows that if she can just make it through, she'll never have to sling another beer again or see the horrible boss that she has either. However, what she doesn't count on is seeing Keaton again.

While they haven't seen each other since they were kids, it seemed that they were able to start again like no time had passed. I do wish they had taken a little more time in their romance, but they had such a great connection from before, it does make some sense that they would be able to just pick up like no time had passed. They have a great relationship, despite some hiccups.

When the suspense of the story is coming to a head, a lot is going on. I do wish that we were given more answers, but I do have hope that we'll get more when the next book comes out. Overall, this was an intense thriller with some romance thrown in. But it starts a great series and I can't wait to see what happens next.

I have been in touch with the publisher and i rate this book 3 stars so i have turned my blog post into a promo post, you can find the link for the promo post below

http://books-and-thebigscreen.co.uk/books/darkest-night-by…wly-releasednews/

Review: DARKEST NIGHTS by Tara Thomas

If you want to know how the 10% live and love, try this mystery/romantic suspense. If you're curious about the links some will go to in order to.maintain their status, or to feed their greed, or to boost their status (or just cause they're sadistic, cruel, and unconscionable), take a close look at DARKEST NIGHTS. The War Between the States was not the only trouble that came to Charleston.

DARKEST NIGHTS is a fast-paced and sometimes gritty mystery that will entice and enthrall fans of Romantic Suspense.

I read the three prequel novellas before this but I do believe you can read Darkest Night without reading the novellas.

Tilly Brock is a waitress at a gentleman’s club. She knew Keaton Benedict years ago so when she sees him at the club all the feelings she had for him come back. Unfortunately things don’t go as easily as they hoped.

Although I enjoyed this read I don’t think it was as fast paced as the prequel novellas I read before this. Having said that I’m looking forward to reading more of this series.

4.5 stars. This is a series that is focused on three brothers, Kipling, Knox, and, Keaton. This is Keaton’s story. This book had mystery, suspense, and so much more. It’s a second chance romance for Keaton and Tilly. They were best friends when they were young, shared a first kiss, and then abruptly was separated. Eight years later they are reunited and immediate sparks fly. This is a faced paced book that kept me on my toes. There are many secrets that will be revealed in each story to come.

I liked this story, it was intense, the characters were really likeable and I found that the chemistry between them was awesome which made the story even more likeable

I received an advanced copy from Netgalley and I voluntarily leave my own honest opinion