4 stars.

STORYLINE
MCU’s Jessica Jones is now a retired super hero, recovering from trauma, and a lonely private investigator living in Manhattan. She takes a mysterious case to help a mom figure out what spell her twins fell under after visiting their Dad abroad.

THOUGHTS
Another reminder of when you get knocked down in life you have to pick your own self up and keep going. Don’t give up. She is unlikeable at times but the mystery is thought provoking and keeps you interested.

Not what I was expecting, but I enjoyed the book. The mystery surrounding the children was unexpected and definitely surprising. Look forward to reading the follow on stories.

Breaking the Dark by Lisa Jewell has all the ingredients of a gripping mystery—secrets, suspense, and twists—but this one landed more in the good category for me. It kept me intrigued enough to finish, but it didn’t quite deliver the wow factor I was hoping for.

The story kicks off with a slow burn, building the tension layer by layer. While I love a good setup, this one took a bit too long to get to the action. That said, when the twists did start rolling in, they definitely had me guessing, even if they didn’t completely blow me away.

The atmosphere was definitely a highlight—Jewell knows how to create a dark and moody vibe that pulls you in. And while I didn’t connect with the characters as much as I’d hoped, their secrets were enough to keep me turning the pages.

Overall, *Breaking the Dark* is an enjoyable read that’s perfect for a rainy day or a cozy evening on the couch. While it’s not my favorite Lisa Jewell book, it still has that addictive quality her fans will appreciate. If you’re new to her work, though, I’d recommend starting with *The Family Upstairs* or *Then She Was Gone* for a stronger first impression!

Thank you to NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for access to the eARC. Overall this was a 3.5 star read for me. I love Lisa Jewell's thrillers and devour the suspense and twists she crafts. While this one was typically twisty, I wasn't quite as invested in the Marvel/Avengers universe (and admittedly, am lacking background information about these characters). It's clear that there is a lot more to Jessica Jones' story, but without being familiar with Marvel, some of that goes missing. Lisa does a great job trying to incorporate what is relevant for Jessica's current situation, but I might have appreciated this more if I knew the entire roster of Marvel characters.

Watching the story unfold from two different timelines was well-done; knowing that the pieces were going to come together somehow and initially having no idea how they would fit is something Lisa does well. If she were writing the additional characters stories, I may be inclined to pick up the stories around Luke and Daredevil. Since they will be written by separate authors, this series overall isn't quite gripping enough for me.

Not your typical Lisa Jewell for sure. I had a hard time getting in to it, definitely a slow burn. But.....then it gets strange and stranger, and then pretty darn good! A little super hero, a little supernatural but all in all a good read.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC of this book! This was my FIRST Netgalley ARC.

I'm gonna start by saying my family is a HUGE Marvel family. (Two of our dogs are named Marvel and Sylvi.) However, Jessica Jones is a blind spot for me. The way the description was written for this book, I was hopeful I could fully connect with little to no knowledge of her character. This was definitely not the case. Many characters were mentioned, as well as things that happened in her history that I feel like would have been helpful to know prior to reading this.

Having said that, the story was very intriguing! I really liked the dual timelines and how they eventually merged into one story. The connection to AI was also a very cool aspect that I haven't read in a story before.

Overall, my rating ultimately is a 3.25 stars mainly because I feel like there was a lot of information I needed that I didn't have to fully connect with Jessica. I definitely want to continue reading this series because I think Jessica is very intriguing!

An intense dive into the seedy underbelly of crime, intrigue and the supernatural in Hell's Kitchen.

We follow Jessica Jones, a down and out superhero turned private eye who is down on her luck. She used to be apart of a superhero team named the Defenders but after going after some of America's most beloved heroes under mind control she isn't exactly favored anymore.

When a woman approaches her about spying on her unnaturally perfect children, Jessica is hesitant to take the job. Things get interesting quickly when she catches Fox, the son, weirdly cracking his bones and uttering weird things while alone.

This novel was a wild ride and I'm so excited to get to continue the series with Daredevil and Luke Cage who had both been announced!

Hmm not a favorite by Lisa, but I did find myself intrigued enough to want to know more!! Overall good book! I think someone would enjoy if they absolutely love marvel comics!

I am a big fan of Lisa Jewell's books and didn't realize this was a Jessica Jones story until I started reading it. I stumbled upon the Jessica Jones series on Netflix several years ago and was very surprised at how much I enjoyed it and was disappointed when it ended needless to say I was then excited by this book. I liked that it was a continuation from the series and hope there will be a sequel especially now that Jessica Jones has embarked on a new path in her life. There are so few women in the Marvel world and even though Jessica is anti superhero and very dark she is an incredible character who struggles with not only her powers but life in general. This story really touches on today's society's (especially the youth) obsession with social media and their appearance and image, in particular everything having to be "perfect". Thank you NetGalley for providing me with the opportunity to read one of my favourite authors.

As someone who did not watch Jessica Jones (but does love marvel) I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it! I hope to see the series continue.

“Breaking the Dark” by Lisa Jewell is a thrilling mix of crime and superhero storytelling. It follows Jessica Jones, a retired hero turned PI, as she investigates a case involving witchcraft, tech, and family secrets. Fast-paced and suspenseful, it’s a bold departure from Jewell’s usual style—great for fans of mysteries with a twist!

I wouldn’t really say this book is a mystery/ thriller in my opinion more sci fi/ fantasy. Lisa jewell is a great writer so I requested to read her book, disappointed in this read as it wasn’t very mysterious as I have stated. The book kind of dragged out and at the end it felt like it was all thrown together I rate it at 3 stars not terrible but not my cup of tea.

This book goes into the surprise column. I was absolutely captivated and intrigued and loathe to stop reading. The book had me at the word Marvel and while I am not familiar with Jessica's character from TV or comics, it's Marvel. Then I started reading and it is so much more. Sure, it is Marvel but also vampires and a complex mystery with a lot of threads to pull. We have teens obsessed with perfection, a tough and powered PI and a town full of suspense.
I was drawn in and had to keep reading. The book is very well written and somehow the time jumps only serve to enhance the tension in the book. There are a lot of character opposed to a close knit group in the flashbacks which led me to try to slot people from the flashbacks into modern times. The most intriguing part was trying to tie past and present together. What was with the perfection and the closed nightclub and the country estate and the kidnapped girls? As I said, there are just so many threads and you just had to keep tugging to get an answer.
Jessica, clearly troubled, had to overcome major obstacles in her past and remains a bit broken but still strong enough to free herself from evil's grasp. The case loosely ties to changes in her personal life with a parallel central figure. At first, I thought that life challenge was unneeded until I started to understand the parallels.
We also get a visit from some of the lesser known Marvel characters. I found myself using the movie and TV characters to visualize the story. I don't know if Jessica Jones will see a resurgence with Daredevil but this would make an interesting TV episode or movie.
Thanks to NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Thank you so much for lending me this book to review. I am not too familiar with marvel media but I highly enjoyed this book. Perhaps it has turned me into a marvel fan. The following is the review I will be posting:

Breaking the Dark by Lisa Jewell is a book that follows Marvel superhero Jessica Jones. After a traumatic event, Jessica decides to retire as a superhero and take on being a private investigator instead. She gets a case when a concerned mother (Amber) comes to Jessica claiming her twin children changed after they visited their father in the UK.

They no longer act like themselves, and some of their physical traits changed a bit too. Amber is convinced the two people who came back from the UK are not her children.
Jessica is led from one clue to the next, trying to figure out the mystery herself.

This book has some twists and turns. Before I get into this review, I want to make clear that I have never seen or read any other Jessica Jones media, so this is my introduction to her. I also do not actively watch marvel movies, and have only seen a few.

With that said, I really enjoyed this book. Not only did I get a mystery/thriller, but I also got a lot of interactions with the characters. The characters are well rounded and highly enjoyable. I appreciate how every small detail is explained by the time you finish the book. I also saw a lot of character growth which is important for every book I read.

I also really appreciated Lisa Jewell writing this book. Not only is she a great writer, but it’s crucial to me that women are able to write stories that may cover heavy topics. I’m unsure I would’ve picked this up if this was a male author. I also find it refreshing to see women write superhero stories as a lot of the popular ones are written by guys.

Overall I would rate this 4/5. The story is fun, but a lot of it resembles another popular story (which they acknowledge in the book). It feels like this was meant to be a different take on that story, but instead it made parts of it predictable. However, most of the book I had no idea how it was going to end. Thank you to the publisher, Hyperion Avenue, for lending me this as an advanced copy. Whether or not you’re a Marvel fan, if you like mystery/thrillers then I recommend. I also warn that if you’re triggered by people doing nonconsensual things, it may be upsetting. There is no SA (or any references to it) in this book, but I feel like it’s still worth mentioning.


I will post the review to my Tumblr on 1/24 which you can find linked here https://www.tumblr.com/paperbackstreetboys/tagged/review

I wanted to read this book because of Lisa Jewel but sadly I am just not the right target audience for this book. I am normally am not a Marvel fan in general but when I saw Lisa Jewel was the author, I had hoped with the complexity of the character & Lisa Jewels writing style, I would be a made to be one. Sadly I am still not a Marvel fan but this has nothing to do with the book or writing.

I must say, Lisa Jewel is genius, from what I was able to read, & she did portay the character brilliantly. From living in Hell's kitchen & with all her trauma & mental struggles, the character did come to life for me, but since it is not my genre & with the superhero aspect, I just could not continue & for that I am sorry.

I did rate this book based on what I had read to date & the character building aspect & due to that it was excellent. I feel Lisa Jewel was the perfect choice to bring this multi-level character to life & this truly would make for an excellent movie someday.

Good luck on this book & seeing this is book #1 in a series, I hope the publisher, Marvel & Lisa Jewel have a long & prosperous relationship with this character.

I was initially hesitant about Breaking the Dark and its premise, but since I usually enjoy this author’s work, I decided to give it a chance—and I’m glad I did. Jessica Jones practically leapt off the page, and having watched the Jessica Jones series on Netflix, I could vividly picture her every move. The novel’s premise is refreshingly unique, and it fully delivers on the mystery. I truly enjoyed the read and am all in for book two, which I hope is just the start of a long series.

This was an interesting read to say the least. At the end of the novel, Jewell mentions in her acknowledgments that she went outside her comfort zone to write this book and I absolutely love that about her, however I think you could tell she wasn’t totally comfortable in this genre. The characters didn’t seem fully thought out and I had a hard time connecting to them. The plot also felt a little choppy and didn’t make a whole lot of sense. Around 30-40% the way through the book, I really wondered why I was reading this. Then about 70% the way through, in true Lisa Jewell fashion, things started to come together and I was finally hooked! I had to figure out what happened! I honestly wasn’t entirely sure about the story line throughout the book, but the wrap up at the end really made up for it. Thank you to Netgalley, Hyperion Avenue, and Lisa Jewell for the opportunity to read and review this novel, this review is entirely my own opinion.

This book was different from what I was expecting from Lisa Jewell. The characters felt unfinished and hard to connect too. This books reads like an inexperienced author wrote it and was quite disappointing for me.

As someone who’s not a Marvel fan and doesn’t typically read superhero-based books, I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about Breaking the Dark. But because it’s Lisa Jewell (and I’ll read anything she writes), I decided to give it a shot—and I’m glad I did… mostly.

The storyline itself was interesting, with Lisa Jewell’s signature touch of intrigue and depth woven throughout. Even in a completely different genre, her ability to create complex characters and compelling plots shines through. I was especially drawn to Jessica, the superhero at the heart of the story, and found myself eager to know more about her early days and how she became who she is. For someone like me, who wasn’t familiar with Jessica or her powers, this added an element of curiosity that kept me turning the pages.

That said, the structure of the book made things a bit challenging. The frequent shifts between different timelines were confusing at times, and I found myself having to reread certain sections to make sense of what was happening when. While the storytelling was intriguing enough to pull me through, the lack of clarity with the timeline transitions occasionally took me out of the flow.

Ultimately, Breaking the Dark is an interesting experiment for Lisa Jewell fans who might not usually go for a superhero story. While it wasn’t my favorite of her works, it’s a testament to her talent that I still found myself invested in the characters and curious about their journeys. If you’re already a fan of Jessica or enjoy books with Marvel-inspired vibes, this one will probably hit differently for you. For me, it was a decent detour from my usual reads, but I’m looking forward to Lisa Jewell’s next book in her more familiar wheelhouse.

This book cannot decide what it wants to be when it grows up, I usually enjoy Jewels novels but this one misses the mark. Characters who fly, magic potions you put on your face, blood drinking vampires.. tiresome and trite. I did not finish it.