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The Darkest Hour (KGI #1)

4.18 of 5 stars 4.18 · rating details · 7,678 ratings · 591 reviews

The Kelly Group International (KGI): A super elite, top secret, family-run business.
Qualifications: High intelligence, rock hard body, military background.
Mission: Hostage/kidnap victim recovery. Intelligence gathering. Handling jobs the US government can’t…

It’s been one year since ex-Navy SEAL Ethan Kelly last saw his wife Rachel alive. Overwhelmed by grief and guilt over...more

Mass Market Paperback, 290 pages

Published September 7th 2010 by Berkley

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Mar 06, 2013 Blacky *Mistress of doom* rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-contemporary, of-course, 4-stars-for-enjoyment, 4-stars-for-quality

Well, this was my first non-BDSM Maya Banks, and I really liked it!

I am definitely going to continue with this series, and I'm especially looking forward to book 3!

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The story is about Ethan and Rachel, getting a second chance in life, literally.
It's been a year since Rachel's death and Ethan is still grieving, a total mess. One day he gets an envelope with loads in pics and information that leads him to believe his wife might be alive and held hostage somewhere in South America.
Lucky for him, he...more

60 likes · like · see review

Jul 31, 2012 Buggy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: men-in-uniform-af-spc-op, reunited, rom-susp, shelf-12, tortured-hero, addicted

Opening Line: " He'd hoped if he drank enough the night before he'd sleep right through today."

Ex-Navy SEAL Ethan Kelly is hangover again, it's been a year since his wife Rachael was killed in a plane crash in South America and he can't seem to move on, the pain as fresh as the day she died. Ethan has cut himself off from his large family and refuses to have anything to do with his brother's top secret business, that of KGI (Kelly Group International) With their expensive military backgrounds th...more Opening Line: " He'd hoped if he drank enough the night before he'd sleep right through today."

Ex-Navy SEAL Ethan Kelly is hangover again, it's been a year since his wife Rachael was killed in a plane crash in South America and he can't seem to move on, the pain as fresh as the day she died. Ethan has cut himself off from his large family and refuses to have anything to do with his brother's top secret business, that of KGI (Kelly Group International) With their expensive military backgrounds the Kelly brother's are essentially guns for hire taking the tricky jobs the government can't and specializing in intelligence recovery and hostage/kidnap victim extractions.

On the anniversary of Rachael's death Ethan receives an unmarked package containing surveillance pictures and maps of a drug cartel base camp in Columbia. The photos show something else too, a woman who looks very much like his late wife. Ethan doesn't think anyone will believe him but of course he now has to try and find her. Good thing most of his family is in the victim recovery business and handy with a gun because he's heading into the jungle and getting his wife back.

But Rachael's not the woman he knew a year ago; forcibly addicted to drugs, and suffering from memory loss and PTSD she may never fully recover and just because he's got her back Stateside doesn't mean she's safe either, the bad guys still want her dead. And then there's that little matter of the divorce papers.

There were parts of this book that I loved and others that I struggled with but all in all this was a really good romantic suspense. Banks writes an awesome tortured hero and although I did get tired of Ethan constantly "dropping to his knees" in front of Rachael and thanking or apologizing to everyone now that he's stopped self medicating, I loved that he was man enough to shed a few tears (that bathtub scene killed me)

One of my biggest issues here however was Rachael's extreme closeness to the brothers; it was just a little too intimate. They were forever enfolding her in their arms and cooing "Baby" and "Sweet Pea" and I guess because I've read some of Banks erotica I kept waiting for her to get it on with at least 3 of the 6 Kelly boys which distracted me from Ethan and Rachael's rekindled love story as well as creating several weird, ick moments. There was also the issue of Rachael having been adopted and brought up by the Kelly parents in the same house as her husband to be. Why was that little bit of info necessary? Wouldn't that kind of make everyone related? Another ick moment.

I also found that there were just too many Kelly brothers to keep track of properly and before long stopped even trying. Except for Garrett and Sam (who I'm sure were just trying to get lucky) they all sort of blended together along with the Kelly parents and a side story involving a runaway girl named Rusty that I can only assume we'll see more from in later books. I'll be continuing on with the series of course :) (less)

21 likes · like · see review

Dec 12, 2010 Mojca rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Mojca by: reviews by Zosia, Shawna and Auntee

Shelves: bodyguard-military-merc-gov-cop-leo, contemporary-romance, e-book, maya-banks, suspense-mystery-adventure-thriller, part-of-a-series, series-kgi, cover-hunkiness, favorites, rrrc-1st-reading-tournament, own

Your wife is alive. Four simple words and Ethan’s life implodes. Again. After losing his wife in a plane crash, a year after her death someone concocts a sick joke. Making him believe she might be alive. There’re pictures of her being a prisoner in a Colombian drug cartel camp. Guard change schedules, topographic maps, camp layouts...Everything he might need to get Rachel out of that hell. If he believed she was still alive that is.

And he does. Despite everything, he does. Because maybe, just ma...more Your wife is alive. Four simple words and Ethan’s life implodes. Again. After losing his wife in a plane crash, a year after her death someone concocts a sick joke. Making him believe she might be alive. There’re pictures of her being a prisoner in a Colombian drug cartel camp. Guard change schedules, topographic maps, camp layouts...Everything he might need to get Rachel out of that hell. If he believed she was still alive that is.

And he does. Despite everything, he does. Because maybe, just maybe, a miracle is happening, and he’ll get his second chance. A second chance to do it all again, differently, to be a better—a good— husband to the wife he tried to selfishly push away a year ago. To be the man worthy of her love...But first, he must get her back. Then, their trials will only just begin.

What? Is it possible? A man that isn’t perfect? Are you sure? In Romancelandia? Really? Could it be? And what’s that you say? Their marriage wasn’t that perfect either? Wow!

Because Ethan is far from perfect (besides his height, dark good looks, and apparently being hung like a horse). This guy has made mistakes, big ones (which the reader finds out through the course of the story), and he’s convinced there’s no way of making amends. After all, his wife is dead. Then, a miracle happens (which makes us realize this is Romancelandia after all). He gets a second chance, he gets a do-over. And he’s adamant to not fail this time. Yeah, well, life, despite this being Romancelandia, isn’t always that easy, because he makes the biggest mistake of them all. He lies to his wife. Sure, he’s trying to protect her. Sure, he’s trying to rebuild their lives. Sure, he’s trying to forget the past and concentrate on their future.
Still, a lie is a lie. And that makes Ethan real. Yes, I know, it’s fiction. But it’s those flaws that make Ethan a realistic character. He doesn’t get everything right, he’s not perfect, and that’s why he’s “real”. Despite being a fictitious character, we can relate to him, because of those flaws he has and the mistakes he makes.

Though this is pretty much both Ethan and Rachel’s story, I appreciated him more. I don’t know why. Maybe because he was the screwed up party in their relationship (despite everything Rachel went through), maybe because he had the most to be ashamed and afraid of, maybe because he had the most to make up for.
And he didn’t get the “privilege” of a blank slate like Rachel did. He had to do it all from scratch, while still retaining every single (good and bad) memory of their life together before her “death”. Yes, I felt compassion toward Rachel for the hell she’s been through, but I loved Ethan to bits. Also because there was a moment where Rachel, despite being a great heroine (and a perfect match for her husband), reverted to that stereotypical heroine I hate with all my heart. It was a fleeting moment that ended almost as soon as it began, but it left a sour aftertaste in my mouth after pages and pages of excellent heroine behavior.

As for the rest, I absolutely loved the banter between brothers. It really gave an impression of real family and created yet another connection to the characters, both primary and secondary. The pacing was excellent, the plot tightly-woven, and the suspense intense, though I missed a more “profound” explanation for the villain’s actions.

Ms. Banks has created an amazing story, that despite being classified as a romantic suspense, was more a tale of second chances, new beginnings, and self-discovery. It worked perfectly and I only hope the next book in this series is as good (or better) than this one.(less)

19 likes · like · see review

Sep 17, 2012 Mimi Smith rated it 3 of 5 stars

3 stars

The Suspense

I have to admit I wasn't vowed and amazed by this one. The story is:someone kidnapped Rachel a year ago and then faked her death, so everyone, including her family, thought she was dead. Now, a letter arrives to Rachel's husband Kelly, with pictures of his supposedly dead wife and her coordinates. They get her out, but who did this to her? And why?
I felt the suspense part could have been done better. The premise could be a good one, but it was paid almost no attention at all,...more

11 likes · like · see review

Jan 03, 2013 Susanne rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: genre-romantic-suspense, buddy-reads

She stared from face to face, her heart swelling and aching with irrefutable truth. She was home. She had a family. She was loved.

Ethan believes his wife died a year ago when he suddenly receives a package with her pictures, a detailed map and a note "Your wife is alive". Luckily he has his brothers "The KGI" who launches a big rescue operation. Rachel has been held captive by a Colombian drug cartel for the last year. They've drugged her on cocaine and heroine and she almost doesn't remember he...more

9 likes · like · see review

Sep 10, 2010 Jacqueline rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Suzanne Brockmann/Cindy Gerard/romantic suspense fans

Shelves: contemporary-romance, from-work-borders, romantic-suspense, seals-spec-ops-mercs, hero-thinks-heroine-is-dead

I loved this book. The writing was solid. The plot was solid. Ex SEAL Ethan's wife, Rachel, died in a plane crash a year ago but he gets some info that she is not dead but being held by a drug cartel in South America. He and his brothers, who have a spec ops type agency, go to get her back. She doesn't remember that their marriage had been troubled and Ethan doesn't want her to remember because the trouble was all his fault and he wants a second chance to do better.

There wasn't a lot of suspense...more I loved this book. The writing was solid. The plot was solid. Ex SEAL Ethan's wife, Rachel, died in a plane crash a year ago but he gets some info that she is not dead but being held by a drug cartel in South America. He and his brothers, who have a spec ops type agency, go to get her back. She doesn't remember that their marriage had been troubled and Ethan doesn't want her to remember because the trouble was all his fault and he wants a second chance to do better.

There wasn't a lot of suspense and spec ops stuff here but what there was was well done. I'm assuming that future installments might have more spec ops/suspense stuff depending on the story to be told. For those of you who have read other books by this author this in not erotica but a totally mainstream book. There are just a couple of well written hot love scenes of the type which are normal for these types of books.

Most of the book concerned their love story and it was very well developed. You get a very clear and emotional but not maudlin picture of Ethan's love for Rachel and his agony over his previous failures. Rachel is drawn as a woman who is currently fragile but who is ultimately strong as her memories begin to come back.

This is the start of a series and I can't wait for the next one. There are already 5 more brothers mentioned and a couple of other guys who work for the agency who are potential stars for their own books. However all the characters had a part to play in the story and weren't just shoved in in an obvious set up for the 'next' book. There were lots of scenes with the family although the book stayed mainly in the POVs of the 2 main characters. The family scenes were very well done and I personally like stories where the characters do not exist in a vacuum but you see them interacting with their family and friends as long as the focus stays on the main characters as it does here. The family was a bit idealized but this is fiction and I like to read about a big family of guys who all love each other.

On a final note, I liked the name of the agency. So normal and not some hokey acronym that stands for World's Best Super Duper Good Guys. Rather it was the name of the family, Kelly Group International. Such a normal and believable name. Thank you Maya Banks.(less)

6 likes · like · see review

Jan 03, 2013 Kris (KindleRomance) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle

I'm struggling with my feelings on this one. Banks is an amazing writer and had me tearing up at spots - especially when Ethan gave his one speech to Rachel. The story had a lot of action, some great minor characters, and a huge family you just wanted to be a part of. Unfortunately, if I needed protection, I'm not sure I would go to KGI. They made some very rookie mistakes in protecting this woman to the point I was yelling at the book. (view spoiler)...more

13 likes · like · see review

Oct 26, 2010 Keri rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: maya-banks, reviewed, romance-contemporary, 2010-read

If you have read Amy Fetzer, Cindy Gerard, Suzanne Brockman, Cherry Adair or even Lora Leigh then you have read this book. That is part of the problem with this book, it has been done before. Lots of times, which is what I think hurt this book the most. There wasn't much about this book that was different enough to separate it from the pack. I won't go into a lot of detail about the book itself, as of course I am late to the game and everybody else has told it better than I.

The story of Ethan a...more

9 likes · like · see review

Sep 06, 2010 MaggieReadsRom rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: romantic-suspense, arcs

4.25 stars!

First line:He'd hoped if he drank enough the night before he'd sleep right through today. Instead his eyes popped open at eight A.M., and sunlight promptly fried his retinas.
Memorable Scenes:
- bathtub scene > heartbreaking
- first time they make love after Rachel returns > so beautifully written

Ethan Kelly is grieving for the wife he lost in a self-destructive way: drinking, holding on to everything that reminds him of her, consumed by guilt over his role in the rough time his...more

4 likes · like · see review

Mar 11, 2011 Hbeebti rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, used

I have never read anything of hers before. At least I don't think so. But I really liked this one. A lot of drama thats for sure. Can I just say I want to be in the Kelly family! Gezz to imagine what that kinda of unity feels like. UGH! Anyway this one was kinda sad and so heartfelt that I think that is why I enjoyed it so much. Who was the baddie and why she was taken was kinda typical I guess but as a whole it made the story great. The characters were wonderful and made me look forward to the...more

6 likes · like · see review

Sep 13, 2010 BamaGal rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: romantic-suspense

I really enjoyed this book. There are a few kinks to work out before the next one, but all in all, it is a really good start to the series. Hope it turns out to be a long series. Don't be looking for the old raunchy and crude Maya Banks. This is Maya Banks all grown up and writing a solid adult romantic suspense. Maya Banks has always been hit or miss for me. I really liked her Falcon Mercenary series, I wish she'd kept that one going; but I've found her Colter series to be downright silly, and...more

5 likes · like · see review

Aug 01, 2011 Pamela(AllHoney) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: rs-mystery-thriller, military-or-ex-military, back-from-the-dead, married-couple, kidnapped-captured-stolen, undercover-special-covert-ops, favorites, own, 1st-in-series, my-5-star-romances

Pretty good. A bit of an emotional roller coaster but well worth reading. Ethan, the hero, is a tortured soul who believed his wife to be dead and suddenly he receives information that she may be alive. Alpha protector mode clicks on and so the story goes. I am looking forward to the future additions to this series.

3 likes · like · see review

Jan 07, 2011 ReaderOz rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is a decent romantic suspense book that kind of forgets about the danger in the middle of the story.

In many ways very similar to Cindy Gerard’s To the Brink (but not as good), and also a little to Lora Leigh’s Wild Card (but cleaner and more intelligent than that book).

I loved the concept of the wife presumed dead who has actually been held hostage in Colombia for a year, and the military guys – husband included – who go to rescue her. But the men were far too good to be true and everyone l...more

2 likes · like · see review

Oct 29, 2011 Alyson rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance-contemporary, the-stupid-it-burns

Thin plot, too many characters. Rachel's all right, and Ethan's all right, but I never really got why they're together (in fact, it felt like Rachel should have married a different Kelly boy); this should have been an exploration of a relationship from a new Day One, but it just wasn't. The Kelly family is goody-goody and vaguely sickening because of that, while the brothers are entirely indistinguishable. Rusty was pointless, useless, and apparently only there to show how much of a sucker Mama...more

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Sep 29, 2010 Shawna rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of romantic suspense with sexy, alpha military heroes & reunited married couples

Shelves: cop-bodyguard-govop-merc-military, maya-banks, im-a-cover-hottie-ho, romantic-suspense, series-kelly-kgi, married-couples-married-convenience, reunions-are-sweeter-second-chances, brothers-sisters-cousins-family, heroine-abused-traumatic-past-rape, 2010-reads, angsty-dark-heavy-lotsa-drama, contemporary-romance, favorite-love-scenes, favorite-romance-series, favorites, hero-abused-scarred-tortured-angst, hero-im-gaga-over, hero-mix-of-alpha-beta, hero-stud-mantel-hall-of-fame, hero-celibate-virgin-virginesque, heroine-chaperone-governess-teacher, hh-warrior, i-read-own-faves-keepers, made-me-cry, pregnancy-fertility-baby-kids-drama, hero-alpha‎, best-faves-of-2010, best-top-favorites, military-romance, hh-addiction-recovery-sobriety, hero-i-wanna-marry, hh-post-traumatic-stress-disorder, hh-physical-mental-disability-ill, 5-stars-or-higher, amnesia, hero-brooding, heartbreaking-gutwrenching-romance, steam-3-hot, tearjerker-tugs-at-heartstrings, hero-military-war-veteran

5 stars – Romantic Suspense

I’m a big fan of Maya Banks and military romantic suspense, so I was really looking forward to this first book in her new KGI series. I’m not at all surprised that I liked and enjoyed it, but I was amazed and impressed by the emotional depth and intensity of the story. Ethan might be an alpha military hero, but he’s not afraid to express his love, demonstrate his feelings, or shed tears of grief, relief, joy, and gratitude. The homecoming scene where Ethan cries while...more

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Aug 09, 2012 Jennifer rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: library

I normally don't like this genre at all, but some of the reviews intrigued me. I hoped the angsty resolution would be a bit more developed between the main characters, but nope, too much !DANGER! for that. MC Ethan was such a hair-shirt wearing whiner. One of those possessive types, but clearly not protective enough since his beloved seemed to be in MORE danger with him than not.

Actually, the chemistry between her and Garrett was WAY more believable and kind of awesome. Sadly, no sharing in thi...more

2 likes · like · see review

May 10, 2013 *Book-Lover* rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: action, hero-pov, favorites, suspense

WOW!!!...The Darkest Hour was AWESOME!!!

I started this book thinking: typical hero rescues the girl-fights the bad guys-the end" Gosh, this was one instance where I loved being wrong about a book!

THE KELLY CLAN-I'm gonna start off with the family on a whole cause they ARE FREAKING AWESOME!!

This family rocks! Marlene is a mom that raised her boys right, and still puts the fear of God in them with just one look. She loves her family completely and has a big heart, reaching out to help others. Fra...more

4 likes · like · see review

Nov 22, 2011 Shabby Girl rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: four-star-books

Wow, this was a really good book. I loved it. It's just so fabulous when you pick up a book and it hooks you right from the first page, right through the middle and right to the very end, and you wish there was a bit more. This was just such a book.

Maya Banks is a funny writer to me, in that she can put out books that seem like they've been written by a teenager, such as Colters Woman, and then books with depth, like Stay With Me, which is about an established menage relationship struggling to s...more

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Jan 28, 2011 Sofia rated it 3 of 5 stars

If you crossed Cindy Gerard with Lora Leigh and added a dash of too good to be true, super-sensitive men, then you’d get Maya Banks’ KGI series.
Good enough, but nowhere near as good as Cindy Gerard’s excellent romantic suspense.

3 likes · like · see review

Apr 09, 2013 Carisa rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: g-contemp, hero-type-warrior, s-hot, t-action-fights, t-second-chance

I read this just to get in to the next one and it was better than I expected. The pace slowed a couple of times, but I loved the H/h relationship and also got to know all of the brothers for the next books so it served its purpose.
HERO is a Warrior, who resigned the Navy to stay with his wife but became bitter with his decision, finally asking her for a divorce just before she died in an airplane crash. Now, one year later, still loving and missing her, he learns she’s been held hostage by a dru...more

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Mar 31, 2012 Paige rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: i-own, 2012-books, all-time-favorite-books

“I loved this first book in the KGI series. It reminds me of an alternate route THE VOW might have taken and here’s why. (Of course THE VOW was inspired by a true story.)

Rachel Kelly has been held captive for a year. On the day of the anniversary, Ethan Kelly, her husband, received evidence that she’s alive. Ethan rushes over to his brother Kelly Group International headquarters and begs his brothers for help saving his wife.

They gather Intel and within a week are on the way. They invade the c...more

1 like · like · see review

Jul 15, 2011 Crystal ♥ RBtWBC rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: reading-challenge-sizzling-summer, genre-romantic-suspense, rating-4-5-stars

4.5 Stars
Maya Banks did not disappoint, loved Ethan!

Series Review, books #1-3
The Kelly/KGI Series is a dark and sinfully sexy romantic suspense series that centers on a tight-knit military family, the Kelly’s. There are six Kelly brothers, all of whom served in different branches of the military and together form a special private security agency called the Kelly Group International, which take on the missions that even the government can’t handle. These brothers are hard-bodied, sexy alpha mal...more 4.5 Stars
Maya Banks did not disappoint, loved Ethan!

Series Review, books #1-3
The Kelly/KGI Series is a dark and sinfully sexy romantic suspense series that centers on a tight-knit military family, the Kelly’s. There are six Kelly brothers, all of whom served in different branches of the military and together form a special private security agency called the Kelly Group International, which take on the missions that even the government can’t handle. These brothers are hard-bodied, sexy alpha males that will have you swooning in no time; and with each book featuring a brother’s own HEA you receive plenty of danger, sex and a roller coaster of emotions when these sensuous military men must fight for the women they love

The first book in the series, The Darkest Hour, centers on one of the younger Kelly brothers, Ethan Kelly. Ethan is an ex-Navy Seal grieving for the wife he lost a year ago. When he receives an anonymous package on the one year anniversary of her death, claiming that Rachel is really alive Ethan will do anything to find her and keep her, even if that means raiding a drug cartel’s camp in the middle of the jungle. The Darkest Hour is an emotionally intense novel all about second chances; with plenty of scorching hot romance, action and subterfuge that makes for edge of your seat perfection with a sizzling main couple and a dynamic cast of secondary characters.

(view spoiler)

These are my first Maya Banks reads and they will definitely not be my last! If you like contemporary romance, romantic suspense or even just plain old suspense novels then I recommend her KGI’s to you. I cannot wait for the next addition to the series, even though it won’t be Donavan’s who I am really looking forward to. Each character in this mind blowing series is smart, sexy and compelling; leaving me craving for more more more!

A without-a-doubt, a five-wine glass-must-read series! (less)

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Aug 28, 2011 Lady Valee rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: romantic-suspense

I'm not even sure of what to say about this book. I did love it and I definitely had a great time reading it. From the first page I was completely entailed by it. What's not to love? A great family, 6 HAWT bad ass brothers with a huge love towards their family and a special soft spot for their mother, a guy who thought he had lost his wife forever without being able to apologize for huge mistakes he made to one day find out she is actually alive... So many things made this such an appealing stor...more

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Apr 27, 2011 Taryn at My Secret Romance rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: romantic-suspense, meh, romance, series, reviewed-by-me

I go back and forth on whether or not I should rate this book. Most of the time I do not like the first book to a series. There's so much going on and its thrown at you all at once sometimes making it hard for you to keep up. There were close to 15 people introduced to you in this book and almost all of them fawned over Rachel in some way or another. I will say it was easy to keep up with who the characters are though. I was surprised. I have read a few series where it took me a few books in to...more

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Oct 18, 2010 Anja rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

3.75 stars.

I really liked Ethan and Rachel. I wanted more information on how they got together in the first place and a few more scenes of them together either with him trying to jog her memory by reminiscing on the past or forming a new happy memory.

There was too much focus on the runaway teenager that the Kelly parents adopt who I’m guessing will become a heroine for a future book in the series. There was also a lot of information on the entire large family. I would’ve liked the book to spend...more

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Sep 13, 2010 Erika Badass rated it 3 of 5 stars

3.25/5

So... I didn't find this book all that suspenseful
Ethan believes his wife Rachel died while in South America. On her one year anniversary he gets a package with coordinates, photo's and other documentation that Rachel is alive after all that time. Ethan, who has been wallowing in the bottle since, races to his brothers office (KGI operatives) (all of whom are former military) They embark on a rescue/recon mission.

The rest of the book is filled with Rachel and Ethan's struggle. Rachel has...more

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Mar 29, 2012 Kellie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: hot-hot-alpha-s, military-black-ops-etc

To sum this book up only one word comes to mind...
ROLLERCOASTER!

I was up, I was down, I was up, I was down and then suddenly I was thrown to the left then the right then up again, down again...

What a great storyline.. It made me smile, laugh, blush, cry, get angry, and really frustrated at times!

I loved the Kelly family.. All of them... Mum, Dad and Rachel included with all the boys, not too sure about Rusty yet though.
Looking forward to the next book.

4 likes · like · see review

Apr 04, 2012 Paloma Beck rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, romantic-suspense

The Darkest Hour has made my top books list for 2010. I was already tickled when we chose Maya Banks as our book club’s first author but then add to that it was the first book in her new romantic suspense series. I had been craving a series just like this one since I’d finished Leigh’s Elite Ops series; and Maya didn’t disappoint.
I can’t help myself; I judge a book first by the hero. And Ethan was the perfect hero for me. He felt genuine, an alpha male that had emotions and wasn’t too much a man...more The Darkest Hour has made my top books list for 2010. I was already tickled when we chose Maya Banks as our book club’s first author but then add to that it was the first book in her new romantic suspense series. I had been craving a series just like this one since I’d finished Leigh’s Elite Ops series; and Maya didn’t disappoint.
I can’t help myself; I judge a book first by the hero. And Ethan was the perfect hero for me. He felt genuine, an alpha male that had emotions and wasn’t too much a man to show them. (yum!) I could see why Rachel fell in love with him – heck, I nearly fell in love with him. Watching Ethan deal with his guilt over how he treated Rachel before she disappeared, his joy at finding her, and his fear of losing her again gave depth to his character.
I connected immediately with Ethan as the book opens with him mourning the death of his wife. He is overwhelmed by his guilt and does his best to shut out the world. When Ethan receives proof his wife is alive, he turns to his brothers who run KGI, an intelligence agency, for help rescuing Rachel. I fell into the fast paced, action packed scene when the brothers raid the jungle camp in search of her. They find Rachel drugged and without her memory.
I can’t help myself; I need to feel the love to love the book. When they returned home and began weaning Rachel off the drugs, her memory comes back slowly. Maya knows how to develop a strong character, and instead of appearing weak, Rachel’s struggles give her a soul. Rachel and Ethan reconnect, and Rachel begins to remember that her marriage had not been as perfect as she first remembered. Rachel’s isolation was heart wrenching and Ethan’s sincerity warmed my heart. Their tender love scenes were sweet. I was praying for their happily ever after.
More a romance than a suspense though, The Darkest Hour was centered on the relationships of the characters, something Maya is skilled at and demonstrates in all of her books. The relationships between all the characters felt genuine and immediately drew me in. (I want a family just like theirs!) The Kelly family is terrific. Their interactions felt genuine, and it was like peeking in on a real family. The brothers make jokes, punch each other, and throw each other in lakes. It was nice to see a group of bad ass military-type men doing something other than just plotting and scowling at each other.
I can’t help myself; I want drama, mystery and suspense. My major contention with the book is the story line on Rachel’s abduction and the continued attempts on her life which I felt was weak. She is being hunted by this mysterious man and when we finally learn what’s going on, it seemed like just an afterthought. And what about those bad ass, military-type men? Seems to me they would be overprotective to a fault and wouldn’t have let so many mysterious attempts happen on her life. Come on, Kelly men, do your jobs.
I am also holding out my opinion on the sub plot with Marlene taking in Rusty, the homeless teenager. It was one of only two things I had an issue with because I didn’t feel it connected to the rest of the story. I wanted more between her and Rachel. I thought a lot more could have been done with her character, but my guess is that Maya was setting up something to happen later in her series so I’ll quietly wait to see.
Neither of these two issues bothered me enough to ruin the story because the rest of the book was so strong. I am counting the days until the next book (December, where are you?). The Kelly brothers and their family will have a special place on my favorite books list, no doubt about it.

This review was written for http://guiltyindulgencebookclub.blogs....(less)

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Apr 22, 2013 Spinster rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: erotica

The Darkest Hour gets points for creating a different kind of a romance as the couple was already married, and making it work pretty well. Those are just about all the points I'm going to give out this time.

First off, the ultimate blackmail plot is NOT keeping someone who has overheard a brief conversation alive in captivity. That's just silly. There's bound to be more reliable and effective ways to blackmail someone, especially when the matter is as large and complex as drug trafficking.

There w...more

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Apr 12, 2013 Miraphora rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: romantic-suspance

*Yum Yum* Sarò sincera. Ho scelto questo romanzo per una buona ragione, e non è la trama. Ci sono dei casi - in genere per le mie letture ammmericane - in cui la trama arriva ai miei occhi dopo la copertina. Se la cover mi intrippa, passo alla trama, altrimenti gne...devo proprio impegnarmi per capire di cosa parla la storia. Solo quando conosco un'autrice vado sul sicuro, come per le letture italiane, altrimenti l'occhio gioca una parte decisamente importante.
In questo caso, come si può notare...more *Yum Yum* Sarò sincera. Ho scelto questo romanzo per una buona ragione, e non è la trama. Ci sono dei casi - in genere per le mie letture ammmericane - in cui la trama arriva ai miei occhi dopo la copertina. Se la cover mi intrippa, passo alla trama, altrimenti gne...devo proprio impegnarmi per capire di cosa parla la storia. Solo quando conosco un'autrice vado sul sicuro, come per le letture italiane, altrimenti l'occhio gioca una parte decisamente importante.
In questo caso, come si può notare dallo sgnoccolone in camo pants, fondina e pistolone, dicevo...in questo caso si capisce subito perché ho messo in lista di lettura non sono questo titolo ma tutta la serie!
Insomma, dopo lo sbavamento d'obbligo scopro - acciderbolina - che la serie ha come protagonisti 6 - no, dico...SEI - fratelli, i Kelly, tutti - no, dico...TUTTI - militari di qualche tipo. C'è Ethan, ex Navy SEAL, Sam, Donovan, Garrett e i gemelli (no, dico...gemelli) Nathan e Joe. Ci sono anche i loro compari associati, ma evito di parlarne altrimenti non finisco più. Insomma, la famiglia Kelly ha sfornato sei omaccioni, sei maschi alfa di stampo militare e io mi son sentita perduta. Che ci posso fare, resistenza zero.
The darkest hour è la storia di Ethan e di sua moglie Rachel. Nghe, direte voi, son già sposati! E invece goduria estrema, Ethan era una carogna cosmica e il loro marriage non era rose e fiori e lei...ma sto divagando.
I due son sposati ma per un anno intero, dopo essere arrivati ad un punto morto fatto di litigi e richieste di divorzio, Rachel viene data per morta. Infelice per come Ethan la stava trattando, e convinta che il suo matrimonio fosse ormai agli sgoccioli, Rachel decide di partire per una missione umanitaria ma proprio durante il volo l'areo si schianta al suolo, e tutti - Rachel compresa - vengono dati per morti. Il giorno della ricorrenza della sua morte, un anno dopo, si apre il romanzo con un Ethan ubriaco, trasandato e profondamente infelice. Non solo ha perso la donna che amava ma deve anche convivere con il senso di colpa per averla allontanata da sé e per averla fatta soffrire. Per un anno tira avanti come può, senza lavoro, senza aver tolto le cose di Rachel in casa, praticamente creandosi un inferno personale dove espiare le sue colpe. Proprio in quel giorno arriva la prova, evidente e certa, che Rachel non è morta ma prigioniera in un campo sperduto in Colombia, tenuta segregata da narcotrafficanti.
Ethan e i suoi fratelli non perdono tempo e vanno a salvarla ma la persona che trovano non è più la stessa Rachel che conoscevano. Un anno di prigionia l'ha trasformata in un esserino magro e talmente traumatizzato da aver perso la maggior parte della sua memoria, in preda a continue crisi d'astinenza da eroina, usata dai suoi aguzzini per tenerla sottomessa.
Non è certo un inizio semplice, questo, con un eroe che deve lottare consapevolmente con i suoi difetti ed una eroina talmente conciata che ci si chiede perché l'autrice abbia deciso di farle vivere determinate situazioni. Eppure tutto ha un senso. L'unica cosa che Rachel ricorda è l'immagine di un guerriero a cui pensa ogni volta che cerca di non perdere la speranza. Quel guerriero è Ethan e dal momento in cui lo vede e capisce che la salvezza è arrivata si crea con lui un nuovo rapporto, nuovo e svincolato dal loro passato, che diventerà il collante della storia. Ethan ha paura che Rachel ricordi che razza di stronzo fosse stato, ma allo stesso tempo vuole che le torni la memoria, in modo da poter ricostruire il loro matrimonio. Sicuro è che non vuole perdere questa seconda possibilità. I due imparano a conoscersi da capo, anche se sono facilitati dal loro essere già sposati, metà del lavoro è fatta, l'altra dipende tutta da Ethan e da quanto riuscirà a non compiere gli stessi errori.
Il nostro Ethan, hard body, hard face, grosso e muscoloso, con capelli neri dal taglio militare e occhi blu intensi con quel qualcosa di infelice che lo rende...santo cielo, lo rende uno sgnoccolone pazzesco. Mi è piaciuto molto il fatto che Ethan sia stato un eroe imperfetto, che ha compiuto grossi errori e che non è stato il classico bello e perfetto. Pur essendo un uomo over the top, ex SEALs ultra addestrato, ha insicurezze e paure tipiche dell'uomo comune, con tanto di reazioni sbagliate e speranze semplici e toccanti. Rachel, invece, rimane un po' in ombra. All'inizio perché il trauma, la paura, la tossicodipendenza e il recupero sono tutto ciò che conosce e che impediscono al suo carattere di uscire e farsi vedere, ma anche più avanti rimane schiacciata dagli ingombranti Kelly. Per quanto Ethan e Rachel siano i protagonisti, gli altri fratelli sanno prendersi l'attenzione del lettore anche quando non sono in scena. Il che promette bene per l'intera serie.
In generale la trama viene sviluppata in modo semplice, dando maggior spazio alle reazioni di Rachel di fronte al pericolo piuttosto che ai cattivi e alle loro motivazioni. In realtà questa cosa, per un suspance, avrebbe dovuto funzionare malissimo eppure in questo caso è la soluzione ideale perché crea tutti i presupposti per sviluppare al meglio la relazione tra Ethan e Rachel ma soprattutto ha dato modo alla stessa Rachel di perdere ciò che le era rimasto attaccato dalla prigionia. Ogni pericolo che la mette in difficoltà la rende più forte in un modo molto semplice e umano. Niente strane scene di azione, ma solo scene in cui i personaggi reagiscono come farebbe chiunque. L'ho apprezzato.
Ora, con il secondo romanzo pronto sul mio e-reader, posso solo dire che la Banks è in lista d'attesa e che ha scavallato molti titoli che aspettano da meeeesi il loro turno. Non c'è storia, il prossimo fratello è Sam e io non riesco a resistere al suo richiamo. Sono spacciata.(less)

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About Maya Banks

Maya Banks lives in Texas with her husband, three children and assortment of cats. When she's not writing, she can be found hunting, fishing or playing poker. A southern girl born and bred, Maya loves life below the Mason Dixon, and more importantly, loves bringing southern characters and settings to life in her stories.

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Quotes from The Darkest Hour

“She laid her head against his collarbone, and he kissed her temple. To her shock, she felt a shudder roll through his body about the same time she registered wetness against her skin. Tears. His tears.
She started to turn around, but he tightened his grip.
“Stay,” he said in a choked voice. “Just let me hold you, baby. Just let me hold you.” — 48 people liked it

“Never be afraid to tell me anything,” he whispered against her hair. “No matter how ashamed you might feel. I’ll never judge you, Rachel. I love you.” — 33 people liked it

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