Jessica Jones is back, and this case is seriously messed up. A mother swears her teenage twins aren’t really her kids anymore—too perfect, too calm, and obsessed with a girl named Belle.

Jessica follows the trail to a creepy British village, where Belle lives in an isolated farmhouse with a woman who seems off. The town is full of secrets, and Jessica knows something dark is lurking beneath the surface.

This book is classic Jessica—sharp, gritty, and full of twists. If you love supernatural mysteries, small-town horror, and badass investigators, this one’s for you. 🔍💀📖

As a longtime fan of Lisa Jewell and a huge Marvel enthusiast—especially when it comes to Jessica Jones—I was both nervous and excited about Breaking the Dark. Bringing together two of my favorites felt like a big risk, but Jewell absolutely delivered.

She painted the perfect picture of Jessica Jones, seamlessly blending her signature mystery style with Jessica’s sharp internal monologue. The transitions between past and present were smooth and easy to follow, keeping the tension high without confusion.

The mystery itself held up well, keeping me engaged from start to finish. And Jessica? She was a perfect blend of her comic and TV portrayals—gritty, complex, and undeniably her.

If Jewell chooses to write another Jessica Jones novel, I’ll be first in line. But if this is the only one, it stands solidly on its own. A must-read for both Lisa Jewell and Marvel fans alike.

This books is way out of my comfort zone. I thought since it was Lisa Jewell I could get into it. I was wrong. It’s a DNF at 16%. I tried to trudge along but it was not working for me.
I will continue to read Lisa Jewell books though because she’s a fabulous writer, but won’t be reading this series.

I’m not a big Marvel fan and don’t know much about Marvel characters. I requested “Breaking the Dark” from NetGalley because I’m a Lisa Jewell fan and enjoy most of her books - including this one!! This had the darkness of other Jewell novels: villains who knew they were bad, villains who thought they were doing bad things for a good cause, mysteries for the main character to solve before it’s too late. I enjoyed Jessica Jones and how her backstory was revealed, how it impacted her in this story, and getting to see her character growth to overcome trauma and learn to trust people.

Breaking the Dark is a thrilling, unique mystery that brings Jessica Jones, a retired superhero turned private investigator, into a gripping new case. The story of the mysteriously altered twins keeps you on edge, blending suspense with a supernatural twist. It’s a must-read for fans of dark, inventive thrillers with strong, complex characters. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

I love Marvel. Well, Marvel movies. I thought this was an interesting story. I have never seen the Jessica Jones show on Netflix or read any comics, so I wasn't sure what to expect and didn't go into the book with any expectations. I thought it was pretty good. Jessica Jones was a broken and yet relatable heroine that made the book enjoyable to me.

Was this an all time favorite book? No. Was it my favorite Lisa Jewell book? No. Did I enjoy it? Yes.

At 61% I could not keep reading this book. I was so confused about several parts of the story and the entire thing felt very disjointed. When it became apparent some of the things going on were far-fetched and unrealistic I couldn’t keep reading. This is the first book I’ve read by this author and I doubt I’ll be a fan. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

👉🏼 Multiple POV
🔀 Non linear timeline

Two things immediately came to mind:
1. Oh! Lisa Jewel has a book coming out soon!
2. OMG MARVEL?! I’m a huge fan
I was SO EXCITED to get this as an ARC. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for the opportunity to read and review.

*** This is absolutely not what Lisa usually writes. So, please understand that going into this book or you will likely be disappointed. ***

“Perfection isn't a goal. Perfection is a scam.”

I really enjoyed this book. The entire premise about perfection is so entirely relatable with the onslaught of media and advertising and social media influencers. To see the theme morph into a Marvel crime novel was a nice spin. Jessica Jones was the perfect character to tackle this investigation and work her way through her own past trauma throughout.

I absolutely recommend this book for Marvel fans!

I loved the Jessica Jones series on Netflix and I love Lisa Jewell! However, Lisa Jewell writing as Jessica Jones, not so much. I couldn't finish it as I felt like it could be something my middle schooler could have written. I understand Jessica's personality and humor but this just wasn't hitting it for me. I feel like, possibly, if I had never read anything from Lisa Jewell that I might have been able to finish it, but probably not.

I was lucky to receive an ARC of Breaking the Dark by Lisa Jewell through NetGalley. I've read Lisa's work before, and this felt a bit different from the last book I read by her. Despite being thrown off at first, I ultimately found this book really exciting.

I have to admit, it started out kinda choppy, and I was worried I wouldn’t be able to get into it. I’m not sure if that was because the writing felt a little disjointed at times or because this was my first Marvel novel. But thankfully, I got over that quickly once the plot really started plotting.

Lisa did a great job of keeping the story exciting while staying true to Jessica Jones’ character. I loved how she captured Jessica’s voice and attitude—it felt familiar. I can’t say for sure if I would have enjoyed this as much if I wasn’t already familiar with Jessica’s character, but having that pre-existing visual of her and knowing her personality definitely made the reading experience better for me.

That said, I do wish the ending had been flushed out a bit more. Without giving anything away, I wanted a little more closure on what happened to the villain(s), especially since we got their POVs throughout the book.

Overall, a fun and fast-paced read that kept me entertained!

I’m a huge fan of this author which is why I wanted to dive into this one, sadly this one was not my cup of tea as it just didn’t grasp my interest and I couldn’t fully get into it. With that being said it was very well written and I would definitely read another Lisa Jewell book.

I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I love Lisa Jewell and was excited about my first ARC. While it stressed me out not being able to see how long each chapter was, I soon didn’t care. It took me a little while to figure out what was happening, but when I finally did, I was hooked until the end!

What did I just read!!! Did I like it…I’m still trying to figure that out. Did I not like it?? Absolutely not! Nothing about this book is my typical read and it left me scratching my head, but I could not put it down. I was so eager to figure out what in the world was actually happening. The character development was perfect. I really hope they continue this series. I am a Jessica jones fan for life now!!

Others have said if you are a Marvel fan then you’ll love this book. I have to disagree. I am a huge Marvel fan and Lisa Jewell fan and it took me a while to get through the whole book. I normally finish a book within 2 to 3 days. This book took me 8 days to finish. I just couldn’t get into it. If you like sci-fi and a storyline that’s kind of far out there, but with the times. This is the book for you.

Breaking the Dark follows Marvel's Jessica Jones, a traumatized retired super hero turned private investigator who is just trying to make it day by day living in Hells Kitchen. One fateful day, Amber, a concerned mother, shows up at the office and is worried that her children just aren't themselves since returning from a visit with their father. Her biggest worry is that they are simply too perfect now.. well beyond the scope of a summer glow up. Jessica takes the case even though she's not initially convinced there is cause for concern. This all quickly changes when she witnesses first hand exactly what Amber is talking about.

I'm a big MCU fan but I have limited comic book knowledge. I still enjoyed the story very much. It was dark and gritty and I was desperate to get to the bottom of the mystery. At times I was left wanting. I needed to know more about Jessica's background and unpack more about Luke Cage. I really wanted to know more about Ophila & John.

Thank you Netgalley and Hyperion Avenue for the opportunity to read this ARC.

As a Marvel and Lisa Jewell fan, this was a good read. I never read the Marvel comics but only knew about Jessica Jones from the Netflix shows. I was both excited and nervous for this read because I didn’t know if the characters would remain true to their story lines. I was pleasantly surprised. Lisa Jewell did a great job writing a book but also keeping the characters their authentic selves. I do think Jessica could have been a little more badass. She’s a strong woman with a ton of insecurities but the book portray her strength.

Jessica Jones is hired as a private investigator when a woman’s children returned from holiday in the UK as different people. They were not their usual teenage selves. Jessica goes to England and uncovers much more than she bargained for.

I definitely enjoyed this and recommend, especially if you like Marvel! I would love to read a sequel to this too. Hoping that it will happen in the future. Thank you to Netgalley and Hyperion Avenue for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Breaking the Dark by Lisa Jewell hits shelves on March 25, 2025.

I love Marvel and Lisa Jewell, but the formatting of this digital version was not good. I couldn't finish it. Hopefully it'll get fixed and I'll try to finish it again later.

Wasn’t my favorite one by Lisa Jewell. Maybe it was because I’m not a big marvel fan plus it was very slow and I couldn’t get into it

Thank you for the preview read. Fun read based on Marvel classic characters. I enjoyed the plot and characters. Looking forward to Lisa Jewell's continuing the story line.

When I requested this arc for NetGalley I one clicked because it’s Lisa Jewell. I did not realize this was a Marvel character book. I am not a fan of comics or really knowledgeable about the Marvel characters.

That to say this book was ok. I’m not sure I will pick up the second in the series as this isn’t really my type of book.

Thank you NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for the digital copy of this book. All opinions are my own!