Review: Hearts in Darkness

Happy Thursday, everyone! Hope you're all headed toward a fun, stress-free weekend. I can't say I am myself, since I'm in the midst of finals for my last semester of undergrad. But I WILL prevail! And it shall soon be finished. Onto the review of this awesome novella, Hearts in Darkness by Laura Kaye.

Synopsis:  Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind; and therefore is winged Cupid painted blind.~William Shakespeare

Makenna James thinks her day can’t get any worse, until she finds herself stuck in a pitch-black elevator with a complete stranger. Distracted by a phone call and juggling too much stuff, the pin-striped accountant caught only a glimpse of a dragon tattoo on his hand before the lights went out.

Caden Grayson is amused when a redhead literally falls at his feet. His amusement turns to panic when the power fails. Despite his piercings, tats, and vicious scar, he’s terrified of the dark and confined spaces. Now, he’s trapped in his own worst nightmare.

To fight fear, they must both reach out and open up. With no preconceived notions based on looks to hold them back, they discover just how much they have in common. In the warming darkness, attraction grows and sparks fly, but will they feel the same when the lights come back on?

Genre: Novella--Contemporary Romance

First Lines: "'Wait! Can you please hold that?' Makenna James huffed her frustration at her crappy day as she jogged toward the waiting elevator." A good, solid opening. We jump right into the action of the story without hesitation or unnecessary build-up. I enjoyed that.

Brownie Points: The intimacy of two people being in a dark elevator with each other and talking about things they probably couldn't say otherwise and with no preconceived notions about one another is both unique and fantastic. I absolutely loved the premise of this story. I also enjoyed the slight awkwardness between Makenna and Caden once the lights came back on--the whole story felt very realistic and believable. And the steaminess in the elevator was hot hot hot. I was so frustrated, in a good way, when the lights came back on haha.

Beefs: I had very few beefs with this story. My main wish was that I knew more about Makenna. Caden's character is very well revealed and I felt like I definitely knew him by the end of the novella, but I wanted just a little more about Makenna. However, this was nothing to deter this from being a fantastic read.

Recommendation and General Comments: Anyone who has ever had a conversation in the dark (say a car, for example) where they've been able to talk about things they wouldn't say otherwise would be able to relate to the premise of this book. This is a great read that kept me turning the pages and never lulled in pacing. I was thoroughly impressed. For this reason, I give Hearts in Darkness a rating of full moon!

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This is a really great read that I would recommend to any romance reader. Hearts in Darkness appeals to a wide audience and doesn't disappoint.

Would I aspire to write like this author? 
Definitely. Laura is a fantastic writer and she does a great job at creating realistic relationships between characters. I would love to work with her.

For more information about Laura Kaye and her upcoming books, please visit her blog at http://laurakayeauthor.blogspot.com/ or her author website at http://www.laurakayeauthor.com/index.html