I wanted to like this story so badly, but I struggled with this one as a suspense. As a romance, I would give it a solid 4 stars. As a suspense, it was more like 3.5 stars. And I know the majority of my reviews don't specifically state how I rated it exactly, but since I'm on the fence on this one, I wanted to express where I was coming from.
Keaton and Tilly have a past. They were friends growing up until circumstances sent them in different directions. Life unexpectedly bring them together again and they want to reconnect and find out about the other. They lead very different lives growing up, but at the core, they are more alike. I enjoyed watching the relationship develop between the two of them. They still had to learn about each other, but they felt like they had never been apart. But the chemistry between them was hard to deny. But soon, bad things started happening and they needed to find out what was going on before it was too late. While this book was a suspense, it wasn't edge of my seat suspenseful or hard to figure out. It was easy to go with, but I wasn't drawn in. To me, this felt like romance trying to also be suspense. Would I read the other books in the series? Yes, I'd like to see what happens next. I didn't dislike this book, it just wasn't captivating to me like other suspense books I've read.

The story begins with Tilly Brock, a young woman working at a gentleman's club. This is not her job of choice, but rather to help pay the bills. One night she crosses paths yet again with Keaton Benedict. Coming face to face with her childhood crush, it feels as if time has stopped.

Keaton has never forgotten the girl that got under his skin. Nothing and I repeat nothing will stand in his way of being with the girl of his dreams.

Until one night changes everything!

Danger is lurking in every corner, secrets that have been buried come into play, and Keaton will do whatever it takes to protect the woman he loves.

The Darkest Night is a fast-paced romantic suspense. Working her way towards a teaching degree by waiting tables at a gentlemen's club, Tilly comes face to face with a blast from her past. Keaton, her best friend, the son of the man who accused her father of stealing from the company and drove her family to poverty. The story lost me a little here because she fell back in to the relationship with Keaton after eight years without any hard feelings or reservations or really any kind of lets get reacquainted period. The vamping up of suspense here really saved the story for me. Someone is murdering the people Tilly works with and a threat seems to hang over her head. Keaton jumps in to save the day, offering Tilly a save place to stay. But forces are at work in Keaton's life that puts Tilly in even more danger as Tilly and Keaton's relationship go from 0 to 100 mph in two seconds. Beatings, blackmail, and murder pepper the story with a dash of something extra to keep the reader hanging on. An unlikely ally emerges from the shadows and helps save the day. The suspense is unpredictable and still unresolved over who is trying to destroy the Benedicts even as Tilly and Keaton seem to have their HEA on the way. The story appears to continue into the next book in the series. My voluntary, unbiased review is based upon a review copy from Netgalley.

Darkest Night is packed with action and dead bodies. A lot of dead bodies.

Scandal haunts Tilly as she works as a cocktail server at a gentleman's club, working to attain her college degree in teaching. Her life begins to turn around when she is reunited with a friend from her younger days, Keaton. Romance develops at the same time Tilly and Keaton deal with the danger to Tilly's safety and to the reputation and corporation owned by Keaton and his brothers.

A shadowy nemesis, the Gentleman, works to bring ruin to the Kipling brothers and has no compunction in using Tilly as his method to bring pain and ruination.

DNF-- didn't buy the story or the characters (both unengaging), and the pacing (from the ~30% I managed to get through) was completely uneven.

I read about 20 pages and could tell this was not for me. The romantic plot line accelerated way to quickly for me. I like a little tension and there was obviously going to be none if the two main characters reunite after 10 years and in one night cuddle and kiss in a hotel room. thank you for the ARC in any case.

This is one of my favourite type of romance reads and Tara Thomas did a wonderful job writing this story. There was a lot of questions and suspense throughout the story with characters that I absolutely connected with in the story. This story was an amazing read and I cant wait to read more form this author.

dnf. wasn't a bad book, just not something I would normally pay for to read.

Good start to a series and some interesting characters. I found quite a few things about this story enjoyable and I think it has the potential to be a great story, but either the way it is formatted or the way the author pieced parts together were rather confusing to me. I found the storyline intriguing, but I finished the book confused because of how many unfinished villain or side stories there were. For instance Jade...what all are her secrets, especially if she is a teenager and why was she told she could never set foot in the front door? I have my thoughts on that, but it doesn’t add up to bad secrets so🤷🏻‍♀️Did Tilly’s dad actually take the money or not? If not, why all the blame? What is with the secrets from Knox and Bea? Who is The Gentleman (side note:awesome name) and why does he hate the Benedict’s so much? So the story kept me guessing and intrigued, but I also am left feeling like I missed a lot of things in the story. I will read book two to learn more, but in the mean time if you enjoy suspense and intrigue check this out just be prepared to have questions and possibly need to re-read sections.

Thanks you NetGalley for the ARC!

Decently written book. Graphic sex scenes (too many in my opinion to be termed a mystery of sorts). I loved the locale but wish the author had spent more time developing her characters. This was more like erotica/chick lit.

Still I finished it. *Thank you the author/publisher/Netgalley For the opportunity to read the book in exchange for an honest review.*

This must be the first in a series. It is my initial reading experience with this author. This story is interesting and fast paced. I enjoyed the character interaction. There is romance and steam along with an intriguing story line. Good read. Am looking forward to the next as this ends on a bit of a cliffhanger.

Darkest Night is my first read from this author, and while I there were many aspects I liked to this story, the execution just wasn’t entirely there. It felt a bit disjointed at times and transitions lacking. A POV might change several times throughout a chapter but there was no clear break, same goes with jumps in time. I felt at times I had to take a moment to figure out what was going on and this distracted from the story. That being said, I love the brothers. I liked Tilly. I like that she wasn’t weak and would have taken care of herself had Keaton let her. I didn’t like their insta-love, even if they’d loved each other before. They are different people now and too many secrets were left between them, such has Keaton and his brothers not believing her dad was guilty to perhaps insisting she take the insurance policy. This ranked a good 2.5 for me. I didn’t hate it and actually think it had a lot of potential. I hope the series gets better as it continues.

Solid diverting holiday type read with a predictable plotline but enough content to keep me interested. Thanks

I have read Tara Sue Me novels prior to Darkest Night but this is her first foray into romantic suspense and she is just as talented writing this genre. The suspense was not predictable or easy to figure out and character development was excellent. You need to read this novel to find out what youve been missing!

Even when the story is interesting I wish it didn't make me feel lost most of the time. And that is because it changes points of view constantly within the same chapter without having it divided and is not just between the 2 main characters. I understand the story ending in a cliff hanger but I felt like I was left with more than a few questions unanswered. That said, I did like the mystery and the fact that the characters don't allow others to manipulate them.

A sultry Southern-flavored thriller with sinister whispers of serial killings, sexual depravity, and good old fashioned insane criminals. Throw in old money, old secrets and young love, for kicks.

Much like the prequel, I enjoyed this more as a thriller than romantic suspense. There was little fire or chemistry between Tilly and Keaton; it was more scintillating watching his brothers flirt with other people than these two.

The real action came from the ever crackling threat of abduction and murder. The Gentleman continues his behind the scenes reign of terror while other characters nearer to Tilly and Keaton prove just as insidious and terrible.

Once again, a Sons of Broad story ends with a chilling threat. However, I think I need more than just generic stock characters to keep me on the hook for more. The only thing truly keeping my interest was the mysterious Jade, but it looks like the next installment will focus on another of Keaton's bland brothers instead.

Darkest Night is the first book in the Romantic Suspense Sons of Broad series. There were a couple of things I liked and a couple of things I didn't. It started great and I was looking forward to seeing how the two main characters Keaton and Tilly would reconnect and develop their relationship. Both of them were likable characters and had great personalities. However after being out of touch for eight years, they kind of rushed back into things pretty quickly. I would've wanted them to take it a bit slower and to reconnect more. Because of this it was harder for me to connect with them. I did love how they treated each other, there was a great mutual respect and open communication. They didn't try to 'protect' one another by withholding information.

I also had some issued with the suspense part. It was a bit of a chaos, and I got confused at times. Also there were a couple of loose ends, which left me unsatisfied. Those will probably be resolved in the upcoming books in the series. I did like Keaton's older brothers Knox and Kipling, and the author gave some insight into who their love interest will be in the next books. I think Darkest Night was an okay start to a new series. I am looking forward to the next books in the series because I want to know what will happen next. Also the writing was very pleasant and easy to read.

Tilly (fellow bartender friend of Janie from book 0.5) is a former rich girl. When her father was accused of embezzlement they lost everything. Her biggest regret was not getting to know Keaton better. But his father's company was the target of the embezzlement.

She used to fantasise about running into Keaton and being swept away from her life. but she did not expect to run into him, literally, in the club. But real life is not like her fantasy and she can't believe that he now knows how far she has fallen.

Keaton is amazed to find Tilly again. He had been told she had moved to Texas after her fathers disgrace. But as he soon learns, he has been kept in the dark about a lot of things. But he is happy to have Tilly back in his life. Only a slight wrinkle in his plans is her former best friend and his now clingy-wannabe fiancée! Their families may be keen to merge interests but Keaton wants more than a shared portfolio!

Full of thrills and spills and danger! Great mix of action, danger and passion. Keaton is fab as the rich boy who'd rather be doing good than making more money. Tilly is great as the proud but humbled former rich girl. I cannot wait until the other 2 x K's get their turn in the sun!

My Rating: 3.5 Stars I read this twice and I still couldn't find that connection I needed.

Money buys power, but power can be used for good or evil. Someone with a lot of money is out to destroy one of the “pillar” families in Charleston, a family who is not used to being challenged anywhere. Someone has a score to settle and their power is widespread. Their money and their mind games and their assassins are a deadly mix for Charleston and its people.

Years before, a major scandal cost Tilly and her family everything, including Keaton, now one of Charleston’s most eligible bachelor-playboys. Struggling to make her way through college working in an upscale “gentlemen’s” bar, she never expected to run into Keaton again or that they would have a second chance at love. Only a monster hidden in the shadows with a taste for vengeance will threaten all they could have had as he systematically murders those around them to let them know he is coming…Who is he coming for? Why? Who is the monster in the shadows?

DARKEST NIGHT by Tara Thomas is a tale of the privileged caught in a web of death, danger and desire. If the heat of passion doesn’t reel you in, the deadly mystery should, but be warned, threats come in all forms from all angles and more than one person does not want Keaton and Tilly together.

Just as the tension from the unknown elevates, just as the plot thickens, we are left hanging as we are tossed into another threat that feels too outdated to be relevant in the twenty-first century, manipulation for power through sex and a possible forced marriage.

There is a huge potential for a spellbinding thriller that, for me, was interrupted at the worst times by what should have been steamy and erotic moments that fell short. Perhaps because the characters just didn’t feel alive to me? Were too many characters introduced too quickly without enough depth for me? Lots of unanswered questions to carry over into the next part of the series and a villain that is shrouded in the shadows as a family used to wielding their power and money are discovering they are merely big fish in a small pond.

I received a complimentary ARC edition from St. Martin's Paperback. This is my voluntary review.

Series: Sons of Broad - Book 1
Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks (February 27, 2018)
Publication Date: February 27, 2018
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com

This was a good book.. I would consider it a suspenseful romance.. I’ve read a few of these before and really enjoyed them. this was full of suspense and drama with romance.
Keaton and Tilley were amazing. I loved that they got that second chance at love.
Tilley is working at a gentleman’s club (waitressing of course) trying to make a living for herself after a huge scandal broke uprooting her life in the progress.
Keaton is the sexy bachelor who is used to getting what he wants.. women included.
Tilly runs into Keaton at her job.. he is there celebrating with his brother.. When Keaton finds out that people are starting to get killed at the place Tilly works, and she may just be next.. he does the only thing he can.. he takes her home with him. Knowing she is safer with him then on her own.
This was my first book by this author.. she reached out to us and asked if we would be willing to check out her book. Glad I did.. Thanks bunches 
Thanks – Gail with Night and Day Book Blog blog.ndbbr2014.com