3.5 stars rounded up

After finishing this book I had to sit with it for awhile to figure out if I liked it. I'm still undecided. I do enjoy some of the marvel movies. I haven't read any of the comics. I grabbed this book because Lisa Jewell. I do know that I won't grab the next in the series because ehh. The book was entertaining and kept me guessing of what the heck is going on but nothing to write home to mom about.

I went into this book completely blind and was instantly hooked! From the start, it kept me entertained and eager to uncover the truth alongside Jessica. I really admired her determination and drive, which made her a strong and compelling character.

While I was able to predict parts of the twist, the story still held my interest, and I wanted to keep reading to see how everything unfolded. Overall, it was an engaging and entertaining read!

I picked up this book because of the author, not because I'm a Marvel fan. I found it really challenging to get into and I'm not sure if it's because I didn't have the character background or because the writing style is different than what I'd expect from Lisa Jewell. I would only recommend if you're a Marvel fan.

So let me say that I have never seen the Jessica Jones show or really know anything about the character, I have however read Lisa Jewell books before and enjoy them a lot. I probably would've gotten more out of the book and understood more if I had prior knowledge of Jessica Jones, but the book was fun none the less. I thought the plot was interesting and it was as good as any other crime novel. I recommend it, but maybe even more so if you're familiar with Jessica Jones

I like Lisa Jewell and I like Marvel. Decent read. The story line did get a little slow and confusing at times, but overall I enjoyed the story. Reading about what lengths people are willing to go to to be “perfect” was insane.

Thank you to Hyperion Avenue and NetGalley for an advanced e-copy of Breaking the Dark: A Jessica Jones Marvel Crime Novel by Lisa Jewel.

Jessica Jones is a former super hero turned private investigator. Because of the trauma she experienced using her super powers, she now avoids other people and relationships other than her work - which makes for a lonely existence and leads to some very debilitating habits.

When Amber Randall arrives at her office, Jessica is struggling with a hangover and a lot of regret from last night’s bad decisions. However, there is something compelling about Amber’s story about her teenage twins returning totally changed from a summer stay at their father’s house in England. The twins no longer seem themselves, and almost appear trance-like. Their skin has a perfect glow and they have forsaken many of their old friends and habits. They seem obsessed with looking at the sky and constantly talk about a friend they made in the UK named Belle. Amber tells Jessica that they are abnormally “perfect.”

This case will take Jessica across the pond to a small village and deep into the “perfect” world of Belle, the twins’ new friend. As she begins to explore the town of Barton Wallop, Jessica senses that something is not quite normal in this perfect place which is suddenly casting a dark shadow far and wide. How far will people go to be “perfect,” and at what price?

I love Marvel movies, but I don’t typically choose action as one of my reading genres. Having said, I thoroughly enjoyed this adventure with Jessica Jones!! This book combines all of the greatness of a Lisa Jewel book with a side of the Avengers. I highly recommend this if you love thrillers, but are looking for a little bit more of twist from the usual formula.

Although I’m a big fan of Lisa Jewell, I can’t say I’m a big fan of Marvel but thought I might enjoy this one.

Overall, I did find this story interesting and I was curious where it was going. But I think I would have enjoyed it more if I knew anything about Jessica Jones and her backstory. I found the writing pretty choppy for Lisa Jewell. Some of the dialogue came across as cheesy and stilted to me.

Overall, I enjoyed this book but don’t think I need to continue this series. I think marvel fans will really enjoy it!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the arc!

I wasn’t sure what to expect when reading this but it exceeded all of my expectations! I am not familiar with Jessica Jones but this book made me want even more from her character. I also loved the SiFi elements here. It made me think of The Xfiles and I couldn’t get enough! The beginning is a little slow but once I got to the meat of the story I couldn’t put it down.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for this ARC!

Breaking the Dark: A Jessica Jones Marvel Crime Novel
by Lisa Jewell
Pub Date: Mar 25 2025

Breaking the Dark, the first book in the brand-new Marvel Crime series, introduces fans to a grittier, street-level side of the Marvel Universe. Meet Jessica Jones: Retired super hero, private investigator, loner. She tried her best to be a shiny spandex crimefighter, but that life only led to unspeakable trauma. Now she avoids that world altogether and works on surviving day-to-day in Hell’s Kitchen, New York.

The morning a distraught mother comes into her office, Jessica would prefer to nurse her hangover and try to forget last night’s poor choices. But something about Amber Randall’s story strikes a chord with her. Amber is adamant that something happened to her teenage twins while they were visiting their father in the UK. The twins don’t act like themselves, and they now have flawless skin, have lost their distinctive tics and habits, and keep talking about a girl named Belle. Amber insists her children have been replaced by something horrible, something “perfect.”

I absolutely loved this book! It was fast paced with a unique story line. Jessica Jones and all the characters in this story were very well developed. I am absolutely hooked and can't wait for the rest of the Marvel Crime Series!

Many, many thanks to #BreakingtheDarkAJessicaJonesMarvelCrimeNovel #NetGalley and #HyperionAvenue for providing me with an E-ARC of this fantastic new Marvel Crime Series!

I really enjoyed this book. I watched the Jessica Jones series a long time ago and this is such a different type of novel for Lisa Jewell. I’m a huge fan of Lisa’s writing and it’s so nice to have a little something different.

I loved Jessica Jones on Netflix. Lived her Marvel story, but I mainly got this book because hello Lisa Jewell. But this was very far from a classic Lisa Jewell book, and I just didn't vibe with it. These types of books are definitely for people more familiar with marvel side characters.

It’s been a minute since I got lost in the Marvel World and I wouldn’t say I’m a superhero fanatic at all. I just like good storylines. So if you’re not a Marvel/Jessica Jones fan, don’t let that deter you from picking up this Lisa Jewel novel.

I watched the Jessica Jones series when it came out and it’s been a fear years. I did have to ask my spouse what super powers she possessed again (super strength). But overall, she a private investigator that barely has her life together. Usually drinking, unshowered, and her apartment/office is always crumbling or looks like it’s been ransacked. But with very little cash to her name, she takes on a bizarre request from a mother (Amber) of teenage twins. The mom believes her kids went to Europe during their annual stay with their dad and returned “not themselves.” She believes something happened to them and she’s hired Jessica to find out what. And Jessica’s young teenage assistant, Malcom, is used to get closer to the twins.

There’s also a storyline that occurs 38 years earlier….John, a bartender (36), obsessed with a 20 year old, Ophelia. Or is it’s Ophelia obsessed and seeking him?

One other story line just 12 years prior about Polly, who is curious about Ophelia and John. So she befriends their son, Arthur, to secretly investigate the family.

And a mysterious little girl that keeps showing up near Jessica and disappears every time she looks away. This part is spooky.

As Jessica scours the England town, she finds that the house the twin’s father owns has some history itself. And the town doesn’t seem fond of its new inhabitants. Things get even weirder from there when Jessica finds Belle (a rumored girlfriend to a twin).

Overall it has a message about perfection or our quest for perfection. It was a fun story slim the Marvel Universe. And if you’re a Jessica Jones and Luke Cage fan, you’ll enjoy this novel.

Thanks @NetGalley and @DisneyPublishing for the digital copy.

I am a big Jessica Jones fan so my expectations may have been too high. This was readable, but fell short for me.

This book felt like a Marvel movie, but in book form. This story is about two twins who visited their father over the summer and came back not the same. Jessica Jones is hired to figure out what went on over their summer. This book was filled with action, mystery, and reflection of one's self. I have read many of Lisa Jewell's other books, and this one did not disappoint!!

I am not a superhero / marvel girlie. I didn’t realize that this was a Netflix show and now I’ll need to check that out. This was really good! Not a typical Lisa Jewell but such a fun ride!

I wasn’t sure, maybe the first 25 percent, I thought it wasn’t for me. I struggled to connect with the book, but I’m glad I kept going because it turned out to be really, really good.

You may have heard of a badass lady named Jessica Jones. Marvel superhero extraordinaire and Lisa Jewell has given us a deep dive into this character in an unparalleled experience. Breaking the Dark is an absolutely thrilling adventure unlike anything else!

I had to google Jessica Jones because I had no clue who she was, but I am vaguely familiar with the Avengers and Marvel, so when I saw Lisa Jewell had written a book in the genre, of course I had to give it a go! It was definitely different than her typical novels, and that’s not a bad thing. There’s lots of history as well as supernatural elements to the star so there’s a little something for everyone.
Lisa Jewel wrote Jessica Jones as such a broken and yet relatable heroine and of course there's a villain, Polly. Jessica is retired from her superhero days and is now working as a PI and is hired to look into some twins who come back from their summer away very different and super “perfect “ and their mother wants to know what happened while they were gone.
If you’re curious about the novelization of comic book characters, be sure to check this out, as well as the other two books that will be coming in the series.
Thanks to Hyperion Avenue for my eArc in exchange for my review.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #HyperionAvenue for the book #BreakingTheDark by #LisaJewell. Let me first say I am not a big Marvel fan, but Lisa wrote this book and I can now say I feel like I know Jessica Jones really well. Loved it and it blew me away. 👏👏👏 to you Lisa!!
Jessica has super powers. She has had a traumatic experience and likes to drink to hide the pain. She has been hired to find out what twin teenagers have come back from the UK, at their dads, and now act and look “perfect”. As she digs into what is going on and realizing what is happening, she faces something she never knew she wanted. Can she save the day and herself before a terrible thing can destroy a whole lot of people?

Although I am grateful to receive an ARC, I am pretty dissatisfied with this book. I do enjoy Lisa Jewell, however, this book seemed just a little off to me. I am a huge Marvel fan and Jessica Jones fan as well but this just didn’t seem like Jessica Jones and the story didn’t hook me at all. Truthfully, I wanted to DNF the book cause it took me about 3 weeks just to get to about 45% of the book because anytime I picked it up, I always just put it down and read something else. I hear there is supposed to be a couple more books coming out like Daredevil but after reading this one, I’m kinda worried.

✨ A Thrilling Blend of Mystery, Power, and the Darkness Within ✨

Wow! This book hit differently compared to Lisa Jewell’s usual genre. I love how she seamlessly transitioned from psychological thrillers to a superhero mystery and absolutely nailed it! This is by far one of the most fascinating books I’ve read from her, and I just can’t contain my excitement over how incredible it was!

Breaking the Dark follows Jessica Jones, a private investigator and superhero, as she investigates a disturbing case. Twin siblings have reportedly changed after spending weeks at their father’s house. According to their mother, Amber, they look the same, but something feels off. Their mannerisms have vanished, their skin appears eerily flawless, their grades have skyrocketed, and they often seem dazed. While their memories remain intact, Amber knows deep down that something is terribly wrong, even though they insist they’re fine.

Jessica Jones is a fiercely independent and resilient woman. She’s far from perfect, haunted by past trauma and insecurities, yet her determination to push forward despite feeling lost gives her depth and strength. I also loved Malcolm, he was brilliant, resourceful, and arguably more of a superhero than the actual superheroes in the book! His role in helping Jessica was phenomenal, and I truly hope to see more of him in the sequel.

Breaking the Dark is a thrilling blend of mystery, suspense, and superpowers. As a Marvel fan, I was obsessed with how Lisa Jewell combined the superhero genre with a gripping investigative plot. If you love high-stakes thrillers with supernatural twists, this book is a must-read!

A huge thanks to NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for granting me the opportunity to dive into the and amazing and thrilling world of Jessica Jones.

✨WHAT I LIKED:
📌 Jessica seeing the kid.
📌 Malcolm being an undercover agent.
📌 Malcolm genuinely cares for Jessica.
📌 Luke helping Jessica.
📌 Amber offering Jessica a therapy.
📌 Jessica finally opening up and talks about her trauma.

✨TROPES:
📌 Supernatural Mystery
📌 Morally Grey Characters
📌 Not All Heroes Wear Capes
📌 Conspiracy & Cover-Up
📌 Superhero Elements
📌 Romance Subplot
📌 Mental Health Representative
📌 No Spice

🖥️ GOODREADS REVIEW: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6915862039

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