I just want to send a huge thank you to the wonderful people over at Berkley/NAL for sending me a review copy of this book. I absolutely love Maya's books, and can't thank you enough for the opportunity to be able to do a review for her amazing book :D
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 U.S. government can’t…
The enigmatic Hancock has been both opponent and ally to the
KGI teams for as long as they’ve known him. Always working a deep game,
Hancock’s true allegiance has never been apparent, but one thing is for
certain—he never lets anything get in the way of duty.
But now, his absolute belief in the primacy of his ultimate
goal is challenged by a captive he’s been ordered to guard, no matter how much
she suffers in her prison. She’s the only woman who’s ever managed to penetrate
the rigid walls surrounding his icy heart, but will he allow his perplexing
feelings for the beautiful victim to destroy a mission he’s spent years working
to complete or will he be forced to sacrifice her for “the greater good.”
Ok, so lately if I haven't been on a sports romance kick I have been on these strong dominating male security/military type books. Yes I know there is a big difference between the two, but those just happen to be the two genres I have been reading (That is if you conciser dominating male security/military a genre I guess. Maybe just romance? Oh well, I'm making it a genre now)
This book seriously drew me in from the beginning. It really isn't action that did it but more the main character Honor. From even page one we get to see how strong a character she will be. She pretty much gives up her whole life to go do good in another country that is wartorn and struggling to help the people living there. And when the worst possible thing happens and most people would just give up, she just keeps going. Not willing to become a victim but to rather save herself.
I also like that she is smart. She isn't someone who just jumped into making a decision without thinking it completely through. She learned the language, the customs, and anything else she needed to know to become a relief worker and make a difference, and that knowledge is really what kept her alive and out of bad guys clutches for so long. I am a sucker for as strong female character and Honor definitely is one.
I also like how brave Honor is. I mean her offering to even put herself in the position she was in before all the bad stuff was commendable. She has the strength to leave her family and friends behind and risk everything to help people that are essentially trying to kill her because of what country she's from and how she looks. But she does it anyway because she's able to help the innocents that are caught in the middle of all of it. She knows she putting herself at risk and yet she still does it. Not many people would be willing to do that for even someone they know much less random people.
I really loved her character, and I probably just repeated myself about twenty times trying to get that fact out there, but as long as you understand why I like her I guess that's all that matters.
Let's talk about Hancock for a little bit now.
He is one of those characters that just draws you to him. He's mysterious and a little hard to really peg down and that makes you want to dissect him even more to figure it all out.
I have to admit his name sounds pretty familiar to me and I think I vaguely remember him in at least one other KGI book, but I really didn't remember much of him if any going into this book. And yet I really liked him. He is just one of those characters that when you read his inner thoughts you really see that he is dealing with a lot. He is good at his job but yet he isn't what I would call happy doing it. It is just familiar and all he has known for so long. And I get pretty close to my fictional characters as it is, but he was one I just wanted to reach through the book and hug or pat his arm and try to convince him that in the end it will all wind up ok and that he can still be a normal person outside the dark life he's been living. But I also have a fixer complex so hey, probably why I feel that way.
One thing about him that really struck me in this book was how he dealt with everything while on this mission though. I mean I know he is for the most part a good guy just doing what he has to do for the powers that be to bring down the bad guy. but I also feel that he crosses that delicate line of becoming the bad guy himself to complete a job. I think he knows that though and that is a big struggle he has to overcome. It makes him a pretty multi dimensional character though and I think he is a great addition to the KGI world, even if he isn't in the group we are use to seeing.
Something else I want to add is how much I liked the chemistry between Hancock and Honor. They meet in such a terrifying way and their situation is anything but roses and butterflies and yet they just are kinda drawn to each other. I think they really are what the other needs, they give each other that thing that have spent all this time looking for in themselves. The reason why Hancock distracts himself with the jobs, and Honor shipped herself off for relief work. They just mesh and I kinda love it hehe
Pretty much I really liked this book (Could be bias because I like all of Maya's books, but we shan't go there haha)
It was so well written and just drew me in from start to finish. I would seriously suggest to anyone to go out and grab a copy of this book. And the whole KGI series while you're at it ;)
I give Darkest Before Dawn: *****5 Stars*****
I also like that she is smart. She isn't someone who just jumped into making a decision without thinking it completely through. She learned the language, the customs, and anything else she needed to know to become a relief worker and make a difference, and that knowledge is really what kept her alive and out of bad guys clutches for so long. I am a sucker for as strong female character and Honor definitely is one.
I also like how brave Honor is. I mean her offering to even put herself in the position she was in before all the bad stuff was commendable. She has the strength to leave her family and friends behind and risk everything to help people that are essentially trying to kill her because of what country she's from and how she looks. But she does it anyway because she's able to help the innocents that are caught in the middle of all of it. She knows she putting herself at risk and yet she still does it. Not many people would be willing to do that for even someone they know much less random people.
I really loved her character, and I probably just repeated myself about twenty times trying to get that fact out there, but as long as you understand why I like her I guess that's all that matters.
Let's talk about Hancock for a little bit now.
He is one of those characters that just draws you to him. He's mysterious and a little hard to really peg down and that makes you want to dissect him even more to figure it all out.
I have to admit his name sounds pretty familiar to me and I think I vaguely remember him in at least one other KGI book, but I really didn't remember much of him if any going into this book. And yet I really liked him. He is just one of those characters that when you read his inner thoughts you really see that he is dealing with a lot. He is good at his job but yet he isn't what I would call happy doing it. It is just familiar and all he has known for so long. And I get pretty close to my fictional characters as it is, but he was one I just wanted to reach through the book and hug or pat his arm and try to convince him that in the end it will all wind up ok and that he can still be a normal person outside the dark life he's been living. But I also have a fixer complex so hey, probably why I feel that way.
One thing about him that really struck me in this book was how he dealt with everything while on this mission though. I mean I know he is for the most part a good guy just doing what he has to do for the powers that be to bring down the bad guy. but I also feel that he crosses that delicate line of becoming the bad guy himself to complete a job. I think he knows that though and that is a big struggle he has to overcome. It makes him a pretty multi dimensional character though and I think he is a great addition to the KGI world, even if he isn't in the group we are use to seeing.
Something else I want to add is how much I liked the chemistry between Hancock and Honor. They meet in such a terrifying way and their situation is anything but roses and butterflies and yet they just are kinda drawn to each other. I think they really are what the other needs, they give each other that thing that have spent all this time looking for in themselves. The reason why Hancock distracts himself with the jobs, and Honor shipped herself off for relief work. They just mesh and I kinda love it hehe
Pretty much I really liked this book (Could be bias because I like all of Maya's books, but we shan't go there haha)
It was so well written and just drew me in from start to finish. I would seriously suggest to anyone to go out and grab a copy of this book. And the whole KGI series while you're at it ;)
I give Darkest Before Dawn: *****5 Stars*****
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