Tilly and Keaton grew up together, their dad's working together in the same company, their mom's best friends and they feeling the first blush of puppy love. Suddenly, Tilly's father is accused of embezzling, fired and forced to move the family out of state to save face. Tilly came back to Charleston a few years later but, never notified anyone that she was back. Keaton has been gone for the past 8 years and has just returned to take his place in the family business. He runs into Tilly purely by accident and, feels that immediate punch he never thought he would feel again. Tilly, on the other hand, wants to stay as far away as she can from Keaton. The problem is that Tilly's co-workers and friends are being killed off, one at a time and, Keaton is convinced that the real target is Tilly. He brings her to stay in the family estate and, the romance is off the charts. Problem is that, the daughter of the man who took Tilly's father's place when he was fired, is on her way to the estate because she is convinced that her and Keaton WILL MARRY!!!!! Fast-paced with quite a few twists and turns, I DID NOT WANT TO PUT THIS BOOK DOWN 'til the very last word!!! I can't wait for the next installment!!!

Tara Thomas is a new-to-me author of romantic suspense. This author writes erotic romance under the pen name Tara Sue Mae, but I had never read her books. Her new series “Sons of Broad” is off to a great start with this first full-length installment. An emotional and heartwarming story of true love is deftly intertwined with a suspenseful storyline featuring murders of young women. The dark and chilling mystery hooked me and I enjoyed the charming romance between the main characters. That being said, the pacing of the story felt a bit off to me, jumping from high point to high point. The story is told in multiple point of views, and I was sometimes disoriented when the POV shift occurred.

Keaton Benedict and Tilly Brock shared a soul-deep connection, but their worlds were both shattered when Tilly, forced into a heartbreaking decision, unexpectedly leaved town. Tilly’s father lost everything and she was ashamed about the stigma on her family. Fast forward eight years, she is back. She has been working at a gentleman club to pay her way through college. The club has been the target of a serial killer and she lives in fear.

Keaton and Tilly’s reunion is heartwarming and bittersweet. It puts them both in danger but Keaton doesn't care because he loves Tilly and will protect her at all costs. His warmth and strength comfort her. Keaton Benedict is endearing, gentle and determined, a perfectly likeable character. The romantic buildup was well done and sweet.

I really loved the mystery aspect of this book, it was intriguing and even scary at times because I wasn't sure what to expect. The secondary characters add depth to the story. One of them, the Gentleman, stands out as a remarkably evil character, pivotal in the suspense. His aim is the end of the Benedict business empire but his motivations are still unclear.

While some things are answered, there are more questions left open for the next book, featuring the middle Benedict brother, Knox. Overall, despite a few quibbles, Darkest Night was a compelling read. 3.5 Stars

4.25-4.5 STARS

In this first full-length romantic suspense novel in author Tara Thomas’ Sons of Broad series, the reader is transported to the streets of Charleston, where a love rekindled blooms anew. But those very same streets hold deadly secrets, where a looming threat also lurks close at hand.

After eight years of separation on the heels of a scandal, it’s a second-chance at love for Tilly Brock and Keaton Benedict. Their reunion is both welcomed and confusing for the notorious playboy, Keaton, who was intentionally misinformed as to Tilly’s whereabouts for all those many years. Pushing aside any misgivings, both Tilly and Keaton are willing to put the past behind them and risk taking another chance on love.

Tilly Brock was first introduced in this series’ prequel novellas, as was a character named “The Gentleman,” who is clearly, evil incarnate. His identity is still unknown, as is his motivation moving forward. And so, the plot thickens with the introduction of a girl name Jade, as the mysterious “Gentleman” puts his plan of vengeance into play. The Benedicts are his target; Tilly, his unsuspecting prey.

With likeable characters and an evil pursuer out to destroy them, I found myself easily drawn into this couple’s suspenseful story. I’m captivated by the premise of this intriguing new series, and am excited to add a new author to my repertoire. But many mysteries still abound, and hence, the ending only served to leave me craving more. And as such, I’m eager to get my hands on the next installment to this series!

After 8 years apart, childhood friends Tilly Brock and Keaton Benedict are brought back into each others lives unexpectedly. When people around Tilly start being murdered, Keaton refuses to leave her side and their relationship grows. This story is filled with many twists and turns, but there should be a disclaimer that there's no resolution in the story and it ends without giving the reader any answers. I enjoyed the mystery and idea of the storyline, so I'll definitely read the next book to see who's behind everything, but I'm a person that needs closure at the end of a book, so I'm a little disappointed with this one. Still a good read!

After reading and enjoying the prequel novellas, I couldn't wait to dive into the main plot of this series. The novellas did a great job of setting the scene with an anticipation of danger and secrets and I couldn't wait to get some answers to some of my lingering questions.

Compared to the novellas, this novel is more romance than straight thriller. I felt like this was a second chance story for Tilly and Keaton and the thriller aspect was just one of the many obstacles in their way. At times the mystery takes a back seat to their blossoming reunion and because of the danger, everything happens rather quickly between them. There is a lot of baggage between them but it gets glossed over due to the circumstances. For me, that's what makes this very much like your classic romantic suspense. I'm always left wanting more from the romance. However, that being said, they have enough bumps along the way to keep me interested.

That was one of the aspects that impressed me the most about this story: its many layers. There are a lot of things at play here and that kept me hooked. I started coming up with various theories, attempting to solve everything myself only to be thwarted later on by another development. We didn't get too many answers but it has me eager for the sequel.

I'm very much invested in this underbelly of Charleston and seeing what will happen in the next two novels now that we have a little inkling of what's to come.

This romantic suspense tale was certainly loaded with suspense, but the romance side fell short for me. Tilly and Keaton shared one kiss when they were fourteen and due to family drama and accusations, they don't see each other for eight years. Both characters are likable and they share a quick wit that adds some levity to the story. They're also intelligent and wise beyond their years in everything except for their romance. The idea that they fell into each other's arms so quickly with so much past drama between them just wasn't believable for this reader. I will say that their intimate scenes were well done and what I would consider steamy light. If the romance had been a bit more developed, it would've been perfect. That aside, the book has plenty of suspense and intrigue, which did keep me reading to see who would be behind it all. There is one edge of your seat scene toward the end, but I expected that. What I didn't expect was the disappointing lack of information about the Gentleman's identity or about how Jade ties into things. As I got closer and closer to the end of the book, I knew there would have to be a cliffhanger, but this one just stops, leaving a lot more questions than answers. It felt more like the end of a chapter than the end of a book and I can only assume that it will pick up from there in the next addition to the series. As it stands, I'm left with a bit of "meh" feeling about this one and haven't decided yet if I'm intrigued enough to continue with the series.

This story is super sexy but definitely edge of your seat... can't wait for the next one...

Murder, Love, Intrigue.... This series has it all and it is written in my home town!

#cliffy #Charleston #LOVED

I wanted to love this book, but I felt there was just something missing. What I can’t put a finger on and it’s bugging me. I was an okay read but it didn’t engage me enough to make me want to read the next book. Thank you for letting me read this book.

This book attempts a steamy romantic thriller that falls flat. And ends in a cliffhanger. During the set up, no real questions are answered, and the reader may be left feeling frustrated but not in a good way a reader should; in anticipation of the next book. I stayed very confused and only read to the end, hoping at least some of my answers would come. Glad I didn't hold my breath waiting.

Also the relationship between Tilly and Keaton was rushed. The reader is aware that there's a previous connection but it happened years prior. So when, within days of reuniting, these two are an instant love connection it fills forced. It's akin to walking in, in the last third of a movie, expecting to know the plot. It didn't work for me. There is a few flashbacks but for me they were oddly placed and just begged more questions than answers. I'm not anticipating the next book. And wouldn't recommend this story, either.

I really enjoyed this one and it was twisty good from the beginning to the end. Keaton Benedict has graduated from college and come home to take his place in the family business, much to his dismay, and on a night out with friends at a gentleman's club he is intrigued to see someone he thought he would never see again. Tilly Brock was his best friend from childhood and she and her family were embroiled in a scandal and forced to move and he was told they moved to Texas but they didn't move away. Tilly is two months from graduation from college and will be out from under this job as a waitress and is floored to see Keaton. What starts as a chance meeting turns into several murders, Tilly's apartment being vandalized, her life being threatened, and a psycho woman turned wanna-be fiance to keep this thriller romance twisting and turning along. There was a three-book prequel you didn't have to read to make sense of this one but it was good too. I am looking forward to the next one in this series and have it on my kindle already!

**Received this ARC for review from the publisher via NetGalley**

I went into this super excited by the premise of this book. It seemed like the perfect twisted romantic suspense that would pull me out of a book funk. Unfortunately, this book didn't do it for me and had a few points and areas that needed to be more developed.
Tilly and Keaton (the romantic interests) were friends that grew up together. But a scandal that was kept secret from them rocked Keaton's family and had his friend moving away from him without so much as a word and tearing them and their friendship apart. Fast forward years later after no contact and Keaton sees Tilly literally across a crowded room and instantly knows her and falls for her. What follows is what had me questioning if I missed something in a previous book or had missing pages somewhere. But this is book one in a series, so I am guessing I just didn't follow some parts the way it was intended.
Keaton's family was the rich family and it's all about a name in a small town in the south. Tilly's family was the loyal family that would do anything to stay together. But it's not all about loyalty and love when you want to succeed. It's all a facade and someone always wants to bring down the big guy that rules the town.
Secrets, murder, love and brothers is the connection in the book. Unfortunately, I did not feel the connection between the characters and could take or leave "the bad guy". When any action went down, there seemed to be something else taking place on the side that didn't connect with who the 'villain' ended up being. As I've stated before, I just felt as if I was missing something.
A decent premise and idea for a story just not executed in the way it could have been. Disappointed.

Darkest Night by Tara Thomas is the first full length novel in the Sons of Broad romantic suspense series. There were three novellas that opened the series that featured a different main couple than the full length books do so it’s not totally necessary to have read them but they did give a glimpse into the story.

In this first full length book the story has been turned over to Tilly Brock and Keaton Benedict. Tilly had been working in the bar with the main character from the novellas where she admitted to still harboring a crush on Keaton but didn’t think their paths would ever cross again as they ran in completely different circles now.

One night Keaton happens into the bar where Tilly is working and when he sees her he is taken back to his teen years and their first kiss before they were abruptly separated. As the two begin a relationship though they find themselves quickly falling into danger as it becomes apparent Tilly is the target of a killer.

Darkest Night is one of those books that while I enjoyed it I do think there is room for improvements to be made in the next book. The series does seem to have a decent fast pace which I enjoy quite a bit and mixes the suspense and the steamy chemistry rather well as the story moves along.

However, in this opener I think it had a bit too much going on to be honest. Not only do you have Tilly, Keaton and the shadowy figures putting them in danger but the author tried doing a lot with the side characters in this one which could tend to lose focus. Tilly and Keaton hadn’t seen one another in years but you blink and they are in love, a little build up for them would have been nice instead of so much with the future characters in the series.

In the end I’m giving this installment of the series 3.5 stars and will still of course look forward to the next book but hopefully it focuses on it’s main couple and the danger instead of bringing in the extra that this one had.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

This first full length novel in the Sons of Broad series was enjoyable to read. As it had mystery, intrigue and even a touch of suspense. It also held my interest and I liked the fact there's an ongoing storyline, and you're drip fed bits of information as this story progresses. Which means I have a few theories and ideas, that I'm looking forward to finding out if I'm right about.
As for the three Benedict brothers, I liked them all a lot and I enjoyed the romance that developed between youngest brother Keaton and Tilly and I'm certainly looking forward to the next book which features middle brother Knox and Bea.
And anyone who enjoyed the three prequel novellas featuring Bea's half brother Brent and Tilly's friend Janie. Is sure to enjoy Darkest Night too.

The story of Tilly and Keaton’s romance was sweet with some steamy moments. I enjoyed seeing them reconnecting, but I wasn’t sure how realistic it was since Keaton had become a harden playboy and Tilly worked in a Gentleman’s club. Even though I’m not completely sure who the ‘Gentleman’ is, it was obvious to me who one of the main villains was. Overall, I enjoyed the story and read it all in one day. I receive a copy of this book from the publisher through Net Galley. This is my honest and voluntarily given review. It was a fun story, though a little too melodramatic at times. I would be interested in reading another book in this series.

Great first story in a series. Hero is Keaton Heroine is Tilly. This is a story that has many layers. But it’s also a story that shows never to give up on true love. Tilley and Keaton were separated when they were young. But they reconnect at a club . Keaton is still in love with Tilly Keaton is from a well off family . But someone called the Gentleman is after Keaton and his brother . Who is it and why

3.5 Stars Darkest Night is the first full book in the Sons of Broad series.

In this romantic suspense someone is out to kill the Benedict sons and is prepared to take out anyone else close to them along the way. I enjoyed this story but felt in parts storylines were cut short. I look forward to seeing where the next book takes us and will continue to read this series

This series has three prequel stories and for the best enjoyment I would recommend reading them in order.

Sons of Broad reading order so far:

Shattered Fear (Sons of Broad Book 0.5)
Hidden Fate (Sons of Broad Book 0.6)
Twisted End (Sons of Broad Book 0.7)
Darkest Night (Sons of Broad Book 1)

3.5 Stars

Darkest Night was a suspenseful, fast-paced read with a second chance at love romance and a plot that never lets up.

After a shocking scandal destroyed her family, Tilly Brock learned the hard way that nothing in life is easy. For Keaton Benedict, everything came too easy as the privileged youngest son in the renowned Benedict family. When Keaton and Tilly meet for the first time in eight years, neither of them is sure what will come of their renewed friendship. But after a startling string of violence occurs connected to all aspects of Tilly's life, Keaton and Tilly's newfound relationship will be put to the ultimate test.

Tilly has had to take care of herself in the years since the scandal that destroyed her family. With both of her parents dead, she has learned to be independent and provide for herself. Only a few months from graduating after putting herself through college, Tilly is determined to hold onto her horrible job as a server at a gentleman's club to pay the bills until she graduates. Tilly is a very strong person and despite her bad situation, she is incredibly kind to others and always willing to help anyone out. She can be quite stubborn and resents being told what to do.

Keaton has always lived a privileged life as the youngest Benedict son. He's known as a bit of a playboy and has never found anyone he would consider settling down for. A recent college graduate, Keaton is expected to take up his place in the family company, but he struggles with accepting his future. Keaton would rather spend his time giving back to those less fortunate and instead would like to create a charitable division in the company to help those in need. Keaton is very close with his brothers and loves them despite their differences.

Tilly and Keaton were each other's first crushes and were together constantly as children due to their mothers being friends and them being neighbors. After Tilly moved away the two lost touch and didn't speak for nearly eight years. After finding each other again, the two quickly fall back into their old friendship and their relationship progresses very quickly from there. The two have great sexual chemistry and those scenes were quite enjoyable, but I struggled a bit with their relationship outside of the bedroom. I think everything just moved a bit too quickly for me to buy into the relationship.

It was exciting to see The Gentleman return after watching him orchestrate everything that happened in the prequel novellas. The man has a serious dislike of the Benedict family and I'm curious to eventually learn the reasoning behind that. People drop left and right in this book and I was honestly surprised by just how much violence there was. This book never lets up with the plot against Tilly and the Benedicts which definitely made my head spin a little. I'm interested to see where things go from here as not everything was resolved and it looks like we won't be seeing the last of The Gentleman for a while.

Darkest Night was a fun read and a good first full-length installment in the Sons of Broad series. I look forward to reading the second book in the series, Deadly Secret, when it releases next month. I would recommend reading the prequel novellas first as it gives you a better understanding of who some of the characters are.

I ended up DNFing this one at 20%. The main characters didn't click for me and "The Gentleman" didn't work at all.

Excellent read! This is a hard one to review without spoilers. Since the best part of this book is the anticipation you feel with every twist and turn of the story I don't want to give anything away. So I'll just say if you enjoy a good suspense filled book this one is for you!! Tilly and Keaton's characters are amazing and the writing is excellent. Their story is a full scale roller coaster ride you don't want to miss.

There is a novella prequel series that although you don't have to have read to enjoy this book I do recommend that you read them. I can't wait for the next book and definitely recommend this one.

Darkest Night follows on nicely to the three part prequel which was an introduction to some of the characters in Charleston. Surprise. Surprise. "The Gentleman" continues on his path of crime and manipulations.

Keaton is the youngest of the three Benedict brothers who have the reputation of being playboys. He has just graduated and is contemplating the right direction for his future.

Tilly was robbed of everything dear to her at a young age and has learnt to fend for herself. She is currently studying whilst waitraissing in a gentlemen's club. She is one of the few characters who featured in the prequel.

Keaton and Tilly were good friends, even shared their first kiss as teenagers and then her life changed drastically. She hasn't seen Keaton since that dreadful day and out of the blues, he turns up at the club. They are both pleasantly surprised and even though they have changed, the friendship and familiarity they once shared haven't changed. It turns out that there have been a lot of lies and deceits of which neither of them was aware. They easily pick up where they left off.

Someone is out to destroy the Benedict brothers and Tilly finds herself in the middle of a treacherous situation. There is a serial killer on the loose and his targets are all familiar to Tilly. Is she next? The person pulling the strings and his reasons for these atrocities remain a mystery.

Keaton fears for her life and offers protection, but there is another party who is just as dangerous. She dislikes Tilly and is set on a relationship with Keaton, whether he likes it or not. This only adds another layer and more intrigues to what's already happening.

I like Keaton's attitude and his mind set. Despite his wealth, he is down to earth and wants to contribute to a better world. Tilly has been through a lot of hardship, but she retains her compassion and works hard towards a better life. Their relationship is easy, comfortable and passionate.

This romantic suspense is very well paced and full of mystery. Even though some of the mysteries are uncovered and Tilly and Keaton realise their dream, there are still a lot of questions to be answered. This first installment is a good indication of what's to come. It's compelling, intriguing and addictive.

I was kindly issued with an eARC and the views expressed are my personal opinion.