Review: When Darkness Ends by Marni Mann

WHEN DARKNESS ENDS
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Moments In Boston #3
Author: Marni Mann
Release Date: May25, 2021

An all new angsty, dark, stand-alone Contemporary Romance in the Moments in Boston Series …

You never forget your first love … even when he becomes a memory.

There was before.
When we were together, when we were happy.
When we had nothing but dreams.
When not a single bad thing could ever happen because we were young and in love.

And there was after.
When the unthinkable occurs, how do you count time, knowing how precious it is?
When dreams turn to nightmares, how do you wake up every day and choose to go on?
When you have a chance to save another, how can you not?

Even if it changes everything.
Even if it destroys you.

A harrowing, heartbreaking dark contemporary romance from USA Today best-selling author Marni Mann, the third installment in the Moments in Boston series of stand-alones that explores the darkest nights and brightest dawns of the heart. A book that will leave you aching … and looking over your shoulder.

AMAZON | B&N | KOBO 

You never forget your first love … even when he becomes a memory

I struggled with my rating for weeks on this book. Did I like it? Did I not like it? Did I just dislike parts of it. How to I rate it to reflect my feelings on the story accurately. And ultimately, I’ll say that I love Marni’s writing but I just didn’t love this book.

I wanted to rate it a 3, but for me, a 3 is something that ultimately I still enjoyed in spite of the issues I had with the story. And while I was left a bit polarized upon finishing this, I struggled to find what stuck with me on a positive note.

The story is told in two parts of past and present. The past and first half of the story felt painfully slow and teeth rottingly sweet to me. I struggled to stay engaged and I struggled to connect to the characters. I skimmed chapter after chapter. The second part of the story is the polar opposite and read more like a thriller or suspense. I suppose what was lacking from me was a balance. We jump from super bright sunny story into an incredibly dark and depressing one. Now I love me a dark romance, but this didn’t feel dark to me. It felt depressing. It felt disjointed. It was also just too much. Not only do we get the story for the main characters here, but we get perspective on the events from When Ashes Fall in the hero’s pov. While I get the impact, it added nothing to the story here. It didn’t feel needed. Unless you read the first book, it didn’t quite hit the same way. It just felt like too much was happening. It could have been mentioned but didn’t need the super detailed retelling. I understood why the author may have wanted to include it, but it just distracted me from the main story that was happening.

Ultimately, I just failed to connect with both the story and the characters. I didn’t love it and while I can’t say I hated it, I also didn’t like it either. So that’s where the rating comes in. Will others enjoy it? absolutely. You can clearly see I’m the odd man out with my thoughts here. So this is just a case of its me, not you, as the book goes. Alas, you can’t love them all.

USA Today best-selling author Marni Mann knew she was going to be a writer since middle school. While other girls her age were daydreaming about teenage pop stars, Marni was fantasizing about penning her first novel. She crafts unique stories that weave together her love of darkness, mystery, passion, and human emotions. A New Englander at heart, she now lives in Sarasota, Florida, with her husband and their yellow Lab. When she’s not nose deep in her laptop, working on her next novel, she’s scouring for chocolate, sipping wine, traveling, or devouring fabulous books.

Connect with Marni

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest | Amazon | Bookbub | Website | Sign up for her newsletter 

 

Speak Your Mind

*

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Copyright © 2015 · Dirty Girl Romance

%d bloggers like this: