Honestly, I knew I would love this as I was sooooo obsessed with the Jessica Jones Netflix series. I absolutely love a bad ass female lead, and JJ is just that.

Lisa did an absolutely epic job of delivering exactly what I expected and more. Lots of twists, lots of mystery, lots of amazing characters. I can't really say much more without giving away the plot, but if you're a marvel fan (or not), this was fantastic!

Breaking the Dark: A Jessica Jones Marvel Crime Novel was an interesting book. As a fan of Lisa Jewell, I thank Lisa Jewell, Hyperion Avenue, and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

essica Jones, a former superhero, now operates as a private investigator in New York City.
Jessica is hired to investigate the strange changes in teenage twins Fox and Lark after a summer with their father in the UK.
With flawless skin, odd behavior, and constant talk of a girl named Belle, the case leads her to Barton Wallop, a quiet Essex village hiding a dark secret tied to tech, perfectionism, and the dangers of social media.

Jessica is a tough, sarcastic, and relatable character, and the mystery about the twins was creepy in the best way.
The story was superhero / detective drama / techy Black Mirror.

This is written in a dual timeline, the "past" chapters are so important to the story, I get that, you REALLY need them, but every time we went back to the past, there was a bit of "aw man" as I definitely enjoyed the "present" chapters more.

Another great book written by Jewell. Jessica's story of how she fights crime and in between tries to find herself while sleuthing along England was captivating and endearing. I look forward to this series as I am a huge fan of Jewell's books.

I was so ecstatic to receive this advanced reader copy! I’m such a Marvel geek and this was a fun ride in that universe!

Jessica is such a broken, relatable character and I adore her and the way Lisa Jewell wrote her. The plot was intriguing and kept me completely hooked the entire time.

I can’t wait to read the rest of this series!

Thank you, Hyperion Ave for the advanced reader copy!

As a huge fan of the MCU and Lisa Jewell I was beyond excited to read this book! I have not found a Lisa Jewell book I didn’t love and Breaking the Dark was no different. The characters are well developed and the plot had me turning the pages as quickly as I could. After this, I’m looking forward to the other books in this series and hoping this won’t be Lisa Jewell’s only trip into the Marvel Universe!

I don’t care about Marvel comics or movies, but I like Lisa Jewell enough that I had to try this out. Also, I find it pretty interesting that S.A. Cosby (Luke Cage) and Alex Segura (Datedevil) are also in line to be a part of this Marvel experience.

Published March 25, 2025

My knowledge of Jessica Jones is based off the couple of episodes I watched of the Netflix t.v. adaptation. I liked this hard drinking tough P.I. with incredible physical strength. But this is not the Jessica Jones you see in Jewell’s version. And I was disappointed by this. Jewell’s Jones is far more vulnerable and sensitive—and this could be a real draw for readers that don’t dabble in comics and like more character depth. Surprisingly, I wanted more action from her. But less superhero powers doesn’t mean that this wasn’t propulsive. Remember, Lisa Jewell is a thriller writer that really knows her craft, so even though the premise and ending felt kind of silly, I couldn’t put the book down.

This is a mixed review because I’m a bit mixed up about it. This could be a good palate cleanser book. And I bet the audio will be fantastic.

Thank you @netgalley and @hyperionavenue

Thank you to Lisa Jewell and Hyperion Ave for the Advance Reader Copy of Breaking the Dark. I have had read a number of Lisa Jewell books. This one was good but not one of my favorites. I liked that she was able to take a well known character, Jessica Jones, and put her spin on it with her character development. I would have liked a little bit more of some of the characters, like Ophelia and her husband John. I wasn't really sure on her motives. She wasn't exactly immortal but had a longer life span than your average human.

I did like the way Jessica Jones was portrayed and her interactions with the other characters. We did get an overview of her character but it just was enough. t I didn't really watch the tv show but do know that Krysten Ritter played her on the Netflix series so it was nice to have a picture of her.. I will definitely read or listen to more Lisa Jewell novels and also any other novels she writes in the Marvel Universe.

I got this ARC from Netgalley. I love comics and you can see by reading my reviews. I have ready quite a few Jessica Jones comics. I also love Lisa Jewel and had no idea this was a Jeasica Jones book. I thought the book was pretty good. This was an interesting story.. it was a little bit different that the comics. I don’t want to put reasons why for fear of spoilers.

I was so excited when I came across this book. For one I love lisa jewell, and I love Jessica Jones. The story itself was felt true to the marvel timeline and was very engaging. I came across this on netgalley and was approved for a free copy, so a big shout out and thank you. Can't wait for more!

Was slower but not a bad read. Don’t love super heroes but did enjoy this story! Different than her other books but good

Breaking the Dark was a very different Lisa Jewell book than what I have read in the past. It is the first book in a Marvel adjacent storyline. I struggled to get through it. I really enjoyed the main character, Jessica, and several of the surrounding characters. It just felt so drawn out. I’ll stick to the non-Marvel books.

I was absolutely hooked from page one and loved loved this book. The author gave Jessica Jones such an intrigue and wow, what a fun plot to get into. I'm not much of a Marvel fan, but I've always enjoyed the series Jessica Jones and how could you not love Luke Cage?!

There were truly two parts: one being Jessica Jones and her personal issues, and the other being the main mystery in the book. The pacing was done so well, and the author strung you along perfectly enough with the development of the plot. This was a unique thrilling ride and the adrenaline stayed right at the surface beautifully as I couldn't wait to get back to reading. It just kept getting more and more intriguing, with the background of what Miranda would become, to finding out what was going on with the twins. Really - just jump into it and you'll be so entertained.

This was so so much fun to read. I highly recommend it!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Lisa Jewell is one of my favorite authors, so saying I was excited to read Breaking the Dark is an understatement. Although I'm not the biggest fan of Marvel, I knew that whatever direction Lisa chose to take with this story, I would be hooked—and I was right. I absolutely loved how she incorporated contemporary social issues, such as the pursuit of perfection in the world of social media and technology. The book was fun and exciting, but it also provided some great behind-the-scenes lessons to reflect on. I found myself thinking about it throughout the day and continuously finding excuses to pick it up for just one more chapter! I’m really looking forward to the other books in this series and highly recommend this for a fast paced and highly engaging read. I can always count on Lisa Jewell to write something GREAT. A huge thank you to Hyperion Avenue, Lisa Jewell, and NetGalley for allowing me to read Breaking the Dark!

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/201306695
3.5 stars!
Im a big Lisa Jewell fan so this book was an interesting twist from her usual thriller plots. It was a slow start but (even though I’m not a Marvel fan) I enjoyed this fun twist and found myself wanting to pick the book up to figure out what happened to the twins. The parallel timelines and flashbacks helped hold my attention while trying to figure out how the stories were connected.

The division of the chapters was confusing at times but I think that’s just how the ARC was setup and I assume it’ll be resolved in the final copies.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC!

This was…fine. The story didn’t make a lot of sense, and much was left unexplained at the conclusion. Also, moving a Jessica jones story to England felt like it was done solely because the author is more comfortable with that setting. All in all I was disappointed- the author really failed to capture the snark and wit that is Jessica Jones’s true superpower.

So interesting and different than what Jewell’s style is. She writes Jessica Jones well and it definitely made me curious what might happen next. Not exactly a compulsive read but outside of my comfort zone.

This sci-fi thriller is packed with hidden agendas and unbelievable secrets. The main character, Jessica Jones, is a woman with extraordinary powers, who has dedicated her life to helping others as part of the Avengers. When a concerned mother named Amber seeks her help, Jessica finds herself drawn into a chilling mystery. Amber’s teenage twins have returned from visiting their father’s new home, but something about the kids feels off. They look and act differently, yet they refuse to reveal what happened.

I enjoyed this story because it was unlike anything I had ever read before. The story showcases how the use of advanced technology, placed in the wrong hands, can be used manipulate the world. It’s a frightening scenario.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for the opportunity to read this novel.

I am torn on this one. Was it good? Yes. Was it bad. No. But it wasn’t Lisa Jewell amazing.

I liked the story line and such, but as a first book in a new series it lacked a lot. I enjoyed the characters but also didn’t.

I have it 2.5 stars. It was slow and then picked up, but wasn’t an absolute fav for me

I love Lisa’s books and all of the twists and turns and this one didn’t disappoint. I enjoyed how it tied in Marvel and can’t wait to see how the rest of the series plays out.