Review – Whispers in the Dark by Maya Banks

Publisher: Berkley
Publish Date: Out Now!
How I got this book: review copy from publisher

She came to him when he needed her the most

She came to him at his lowest point. The voice of an angel, a whisper in the dark. She’s the only thing that gets Nathan Kelly through his captivity, the endless days of torture and the fear that he’ll never return to his family. With her help, he’s able to escape. But he isn’t truly free, because now she’s disappeared and he’s left with an all-consuming emptiness as he struggles to pick up the pieces of his life. Did he imagine his angel? Or is she out there, needing his help as he’d once needed hers?

Now he rushes to save her before it’s too late

Shea has been on the run from people who will stop at nothing to exploit her unique abilities. She never wanted to drag Nathan, who’d already suffered so much, into danger, but she doesn’t have a choice so she reaches out to him for help. Finally face-to-face after having already formed a soul-deep bond in hell, their emotional connection is even more powerful than their telepathic one. Nathan refuses to consider ever letting her go again, but she worries they can never have a life free of the dangers that dog her every step. He’ll protect her with his every breath, but can he convince her that they are meant to face these threats together?
*Blurb from Goodreads*

The KGI series was probably my most anticipated romantic suspense series ever. I love the dynamics between the Kelly brothers, and think that Banks writes an incredible story, however this one really just didn’t work for me. I’m not a huge fan of genre jumping, and this book committed one of my cardinal book sins: bringing in paranormal elements to a non-paranormal world.

I was anxious to see what would happen with Nathan, one of the twins and youngest Kelly brother after he was captured by the enemy. While I understand why the book went the way it did, especially with the paranormal elements, I just had a hard time getting on board with the extra-ordinary in an ordinary world. Putting that aside for a minute, I think had the book not had those elements, it would have been an A read for sure.

I’ve been a big fan of the Kelly brothers, and that didn’t change in this book. The brothers continue to have a wonderful and incredible dynamic together, and even as their wives got involved with Nathan and Shea, they each had their own strengths to lend to the situation at hand, and yet came together as a family when they were needed most. I loved getting a glimpse into the lives of the past couples, and hope that Banks continues on this trend of showcasing more of the Kelly family throughout the series.

I thought the suspense was well done as well. In the beginning Nathan was still in captivity with the enemy, and I wanted to cry for him at every page turn. But once he got out and healed a little, he went right back to being that hardcore trained soldier, coming through for Shea when she needed him most.

I will admit that the relationship between Shea and Nathan was probably my favorite aspect of the book. Because of the paranormal element, they had a deep and true connection to one another, and despite the fact that their declarations of love came on somewhat quickly, it was also believable and true to their relationship with each other. I really loved these two together.

All in all this is a hard book for me to rate because despite the fact that I hated the paranormal elements in the contemporary world, everything else was wonderful. The suspense was well done, the characters pulled me in and had me falling in love, the romance was so well done and sexy. It was just the one HUGE elephant in the room that had me hesitant.
I give Whispers in the Dark a C.

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