I really like Lisa Jewell, but I really LOVE Jessica Jones, so this was a no-brainer to request. What a wild ride this was. If you've read any Jessica Jones comics or seen the Netflix show, you'll find some familiar stuff here - Jessica's private detective agency, her trauma from past experiences with Kilgrave, her reticence to get close to anyone, and her single-minded focus on her cases. And this case is a very weird one - Amber Randall has noticed that her twin teenaged kids have come back from a summer spent with their father in England looking and acting very different. They appear almost airbrushed, seem obsessed with the word perfect, and seem very detached from reality. To get to the bottom of this, Amber sends Jessica to England, where she finds things to be even more complicated than she could have expected.
While we follow along with Jessica as she follows clues and interviews people in the small British village of Barton Wallop, we also get snippets of a story that started more than a decade prior and features very suspicious characters, some of whom seem to have either superpowers or magic or maybe both? It was really interesting to see some of the hallmarks of a Lisa Jewell book - English settings, unclear character motives, twists and turns and some red herrings - set in the Marvel universe. I wasn't completely shocked by the resolution of the mystery, but I still found it satisfying how all the threads wove together. Content warning for violence, murder (off-page), torture (mostly off-page), abduction... and probably more that I'm not even thinking of. A good read for fans of Jessica Jones, Lisa Jewell, or both (like me!).

"Despite a promising premise involving a private detective named Jessica and the intriguing mystery surrounding the behavior of returning twins, Breaking the Dark falls short of its potential. While the incorporation of AI into the thriller genre is refreshing, the plot feels unnecessarily prolonged, leading to a loss of interest. The characters, particularly Jessica, lack depth and fail to evoke a sense of connection or sympathy from the reader. The narrative, infused with elements of blood, psychics, and superpowers, feels disjointed rather than cohesive. Moreover, the underutilization of Jessica's supposed superpowers leaves much to be desired. Overall, Breaking the Dark earns a lukewarm rating of 2.5 stars, failing to deliver on its intriguing premise."

I enjoy some of the Marvel movies, but transparently know nothing about Jessica Jones so I wasn't sure if I was going to like this. I liked it a lot more than I thought I would. This is easily a 4 star read for me as it was quite action packed and the pacing here was excellent. Man, I was really turning page after page. I'm interested to see how the rest of this series played out as it will be written by two other authors.

Thank you to Lisa Jewell, NetGalley, and Hyperion Avenue publishers for this ARC!

I've read almost all of Lisa Jewell's books. She is a fantastic author. To hear she wrote a Marvel book about Jessica Jones was a huge surprise, but I’m so glad I got a chance to read this! It was excellent. I've watched the Jessica Jones show, as well as the other Marvel series, so I know these characters well already. Let me tell you, this was like watching the next season of Jessica Jones, but in my mind. With Lisa Jewell's stylish and descriptive writing, the mysterious plot, and the hidden gems of other fan favorites and history, this was a treat to read.

When a wealthy Upper East Side woman seeks Jessica’s help, her world takes an unexpected turn. Amber Randall fears for her twin sixteen-year-olds, Lark and Fox, who have returned from a summer in the UK with inexplicable changes. Their once familiar habits have vanished, replaced by unnaturally perfect skin and altered personalities. Something has happened to them, and Jessica is tasked to uncover the truth.

Jessica’s investigation leads her oversees to the UK, where she encounters Belle, an enigmatic teenager living in isolation with her guardian, Debra. Belle’s connection to Lark and Fox becomes apparent, but is this girl responsible for their transformation? Jessica digs deeper, unravelling a web of malevolence orchestrated by evil geniuses. Since I'm a "no-spoilers reviewer", I'll just say the stakes escalate, and Jessica races against time to prevent widespread destruction.

I give this a 4.5 star. Exceptional work by Jewell who took a chance on doing something different and outside her normal genre.

You might have to set aside your believability factor and bring your open mind when you begin this book. Once you do that, sit back and enjoy the ride.
Breaking the Dark is a page-turner, but at about 50%, I could not imagine where the author was going with this story. My curiosity was going wild. The last 50% and the ending were terrific.
I can’t begin to summarize the story adequately; check out NetGalley or Amazon for that. Let me just say, I loved it. It was packed with fantasy, imagination, and make-believe that was somehow made believable.
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review Breaking the Dark.

I didn’t hate the book, but it definitely wasn’t for me. I love Lisa Jewell’s writing and even though I knew this wasn’t going to be one of her typical books, I still wanted to read it. Unfortunately I think it’s going to only appeal to a niche audience and not to every reader. For that reason I will give it 3 stars as I didn’t particularly like it and I know not everyone will either. The audience it’s written for will probably really enjoy it.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Hyperion Avenue publishers for the advance reader copy.

I loved this book! I'm a big fan of the Marvel Universe movies and always look forward to watching them and how they all tie in together. I have to admit to knowing next to nothing about Jessica Jones. I believe there is a Netflix show based on her character. I've never seen it, but I will definitely be adding it to my queue after reading this novel. I was enticed into reading this simply because it was written by Lisa Jewell and the next books in the series are written by S.A. Cosby and Alex Segura. These are some of my favorite authors, so I figured these stories had to be good. So far, I was right!

The plot of Breaking the Dark consisted of an interesting mystery that was dark, compelling and a little scary since we all live in a world where social media dominates our time and so many of us are obsessed with creating the image of perfection. I 'marveled' at the complexity with which Jewell portrayed Jessica's character. She is a superhero, yes, but most of the story focused more on her humanity rather than on her powers. It was quite endearing and showed that even superheroes are flawed and that we are all perfect in our own ways. Jewell did a beautiful job with this story, and I cannot wait to read the next one! I highly recommend this book! You don't even have to be a Marvel fan to enjoy it. If you enjoy a well-written mystery, then this book is right up your alley!

Thank you to the author, Hyperion Avenue, and NetGalley for granting me digital access in exchange for my honest review!

Wow! I loved it! It was a little bit strange but that is not a bad thing. Loved the characters and the storyline. I wish it would be a series. I am so glad I read this book!

Breaking the dark it's not Lisa Jewell's typical novel. Keeping up with the present and then was a little bit mind boggling for me. Yet after all the secrets and twists and turns of this book, it was an exciting read..

This was an unusual but interesting book. Jessica Jones is not a Marvel character I was familiar with, but she has a rather intriguing backstory. The story focuses on the pursuit of and yearning for perfection— especially appearance — and the things people do to try to achieve perfection. But then takes it farther by focusing on filters on photo apps and artificial intelligence and quantum physics, but also blood, “vampires”, and immortality.

The villain's goal was interesting. She wanted to be a famous influencer and have the status and wealth that went along with it, and she was willing to harm or kill others (or allow others to be harmed or killed) to achieve her goal. She also did not consider that what other people considered as "perfection" for themselves might be radically different from what she considered perfection, and the problems that could cause. However, she also believed that if people had physical perfection, and therefore were not focused on their appearance and all the time, money, effort, and anxiety associated with the quest for perfection, it would free people up to focus on other things such as careers, parenting, hobbies, etc. While she definitely took the wrong approach to attempt to bring that world about, it would have been a "social good" had it been able to be achieved in an ethical/moral fashion.

What can I say other than I’m a Hugh fan of Lisa Jewell and I love her form of writing. This for me was another great book.

If you've seen the Jessica Jones tv series, this could be a plausible extension to that, minus Trish and make Malcolm about a decade younger. Comic-wise, it seems to be placed between Alias and The Pulse series, though it's been so long that I've read either, it's hard to say how it fits in tonally. Overall, it's a fun thriller, though it did seem a little YA (the mystery revolves around teens), but that only really stuck out for me because the comics for JJ usually skew more adult. Definitely interested to see what the Luke Cage novel (next in the series) will be like.

I am not a Marvel Head - probably have consumed less than 1/4 of all Marvel content out there, but I did watch the first season of Jessica Jones and have read most of Lisa Jewell's books and enjoyed them, so was intrigued to read Jewell's take on Jessica Jones. I don't think you need to be well versed in Marvel world to fully appreciate the book, but I'm assuming it would add to your enjoyment if you are.

I liked Jessica Jones and especially liked her "intern" Malcolm. (Love a female private investigator in general). The mystery was good, if you're okay with things that are less than 100% based in the real world (as we know it). I didn't enjoy the storyline from the past as much. Appreciated the social media/standards of beauty/AI technology angle.

I'm intrigued enough to check out forthcoming Luke Cage by S.A. Cosby (another author I like) coming out in 2025.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for providing me with an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

Expected publication: July 4, 2024

Out of the box, I knew nothing about the Marvel Universe. I'd never heard of Jessica Jones, had never seen any movies, and had no preconceived notions about anything. So I went into this book raw, with nothing to go on but the blurb. I'd heard of the author but had never read anything by her. It took me a little while to feel comfortable with the story and writing style. Clearly Jessica was a troubled woman, due to her past, and that past was slow to become clearer. The story itself was interesting; I was engaged and looked forward to reading and continuing the tale. I felt the denouement was a little overlong, but that's essentially my only criticism.

In closing, Marvel Newbies -- don't be afraid. There's an interesting story here. It will just take a little patience to feel comfortable.

I received a complimentary copy of the novel from the publisher and NetGalley, and my review is being left freely.

Thank you for the opportunity to preview Breaking the Dark. I typically do not read this type of book. Movies yes. TV yes. Books not so much.
I was taken in right away
This is a Jessica Jones storyline and she is an amazing character. Also Luke Cage and a solid plot
This novel tells the story in a parallel world and that’s what got me
Jessica is a flawed character and she finds herself in a job to find out how two teenagers go to see their dad overseas and come back two very different kids
In the meantime another story is in play that goes back over twenty years. How does this relate to the current situation. Jewell pulls it together masterfully

If you like these types of books and even if you don’t this is a well written book and I liked it a lot.
3.5 stars

Honestly, this one wasn’t for me. I read it because it’s by Lisa Jewell and I like her other books and her stories. Unfortunately I am not a big Marvel fan, nor do I like fantasy, so this one was not a good match for me. I am sure if I was a big marvel fan I’d be rating it higher!

I was not expecting this when I chose this book by Lisa Jewell. I skimmed the preview quickly. It is not my favorite genre and I'm not knowledgeable about Marvel. That being said, the book was well written and will delight any Marvel fan. It would also be enjoyable for readers who like fantasy/ distopian books.

I’m a huge fan of Lisa Jewell, so when I saw her new book, I knew it was a must read. I did not realize it was a Marvel story. I didn’t know how I’d feel about it, but I ended up really enjoying it. It’s a little different from Jewell’s typical books, but it was well done and I enjoyed it. Jessica Jones isn’t the stereotypical superhero. She is dealing with possible alcoholism and also emotional trauma, but she’s a good person that wants to do the right thing. Her case is interesting and the mom that hired her to investigate her twins was very likable. The “case” feels like it has the workings of a Marvel movie, but it was definitely suited for a novel. All in all, solid read. I enjoyed it.

This was so much fun!! Lisa Jewell is a great author. I really enjoyed reading this despite not being a big Marvel fan. I really didn’t want to put it down. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC!

Did I request this ARC without reading the blurb? Yes. Did I realize it was based on Jessica Jones from Marvel? No. I am glad I gave it a chance because I really ended up liking it despite knowing next to nothing about Jessica Jones. I love Lisa Jewell's writing so it shouldn't come as a surprise that I liked it but seeing as how I'm not really a Marvel fan, I wasn't expecting to like it as much as I did.

I love how the mystery of what was happening to the twins unfolded and I NEVER would have guessed what was causing their "oddness". This was very unique and clever not to mention extremely relevant in today's society. I loved Jessica's character and her sassy attitude and quick thinking. The story flowed beautifully and I flew right through it.

Thank you to NetGalley, Hyperion Avenue and Lisa Jewell for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.