Book Review: Whispers in the Dark

Nathan Kelly has hit rock bottom. Imprisoned, tortured, all hope gone, he’s ready for death to claim him when he hears an angel inside his mind. Only its not an angel, it’s a woman with psychic powers reaching out to him from the other side of the world. With her help, he escapes, returns to the bosom of his family, but he can’t stop thinking about her, or wondering if it was all a dream.

Then, six months later, she calls out to him. Now she’s the one in trouble, and he is determined to help her.

You know I like a bit of the paranormal in my books, so for me this was a welcome twist to a romantic suspense series I was already enjoying. There was a great connection between these two, and decent chemistry, even if there wasn’t much romantic tension. I mean, the two forged a mental connection when they were on opposite sides of the world, and Nathan declared her “mine” from the start. So there wasn’t anything keeping them apart except that she still had bad guys after her.

I do have to say…I don’t normally complain about the execution of sex scenes. In my opinion, whether or not a sex scene is any good depends entirely on the buildup, and how interested I am in the two as a couple. After that, it can be steamy, it can be barely there, whatever. Just as long as I’m feeling the emotions. In this case, though, I was struck by a powerful sense of deja vu. I felt like she had copied and pasted the sex scene from the third book in this trilogy into this one.

Look, here’s the real problem: Cooke-cutter heroines. It struck me particularly because Shay is not a virgin. Modern heroines often aren’t, and I’m cool with that. It’s nice that romance has gotten past the innocent virgin thing. The thing it, though, that modern literature needs to get to a point where virginity (or lack thereof) is influenced by the *character* and not by current trends in modern romantic literature.

Shay lived in a compound with her sister her whole life. she was home schooled. She was in danger and in hiding. Her parents were killed and since then, she’s been on the run. So, I ask you, exactly when and under what circumstances did she lose her virginity?

I’m just saying…I didn’t buy it.

But putting that aside, it was a fun and exciting ride, far-fetched and sensational, just like romantic suspense should be. 🙂

Rating: 3.5/5

Title: Whispers in the Dark
Author: Maya Banks
Published January 7, 2012

Posted in Book Reviews, Mystery/Suspense, Romance, Science Fiction.