Review: The Darkest Night by Gena Showalter

The Darkest Night (Lords of the Underworld, Book 2)
by Gena Showalter
On Amazon

Synopsis 
All her life, Ashlyn Darrow has been tormented by voices from the past. To end the nightmare, she has come to Budapestseeking help from men rumored to have supernatural abilities, not knowing she'll be sweptinto the arms of Maddox, their most dangerous member—a man trapped in a hell of his own.

Neither can resist the instant hunger that calms their torments…and ignites anirresistible passion. But every heated touch and burning kiss will edge them closer todestruction—and a soul-shattering test of love…
 
Review
 I'm not sure why I haven't read any Gena Showalter books before. I've been familiar with her name, and seen her books countless times at the bookstore, yet until this Christmas break I hadn't picked one of them up to actually see what they were about. Again, not sure why I didn't do it sooner, because the covers definitely attract my attention!

I'm so glad I got over whatever was holding me back! I loved The Darkest Night. It had everything I love about steamy romances - a bit of instalove, lots of drama, and a whole lot of spice :) There was so much world building in this story, yet because it was set in a remote foreign location it was easy to believe that their existence was sheltered and idolized.

The characters were well developed and likable. Ashlyn's abilities made it difficult for her to function and Maddox provided a respite from the constant voices. She was a bit too naive in regards to her guardian, but she didn't hold out to the point of annoyance. Maddox was the typical strong, broody, sexy hero who fought to control the demon of Violence that is trapped within him, while also struggling between loving Ashlyn and protecting his friends. The secondary characters, the other Lords of the Underworld, were given surface development and I appreciated that while they all can pass the strong, broody, sexy test, they did have unique personality quirks that set them apart and hooked me enough that I picked up the next few books in the series.