500+ PAGES OF “CAPTIVATING” AND “UTTERLY CONSUMING” STANDALONE ENEMIES-TO-LOVERS ROMANCEOnce upon a cold, dark night, a Russian killer stole me from an alley.I’m dangerous, but he is lethal.I escaped once.He won’t let me do it twice. The revenge is his. The betrayal is mine.But so are the lies to protect the ones I love. We’re cut from the same twisted cloth. Both merciless. Both damaged. In his … same twisted cloth. Both merciless. Both damaged.
In his embrace, I find hell and heaven, his cruelly tender touch destroying and uplifting me at once.
They say a cat has nine lives, but an assassin has just one.
And Yan Ivanov now owns mine.
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I’m a big fan of Anna Zaires and Charmain Pauls, so imagine my excitement when they announced they were working on this story together.
I really enjoyed the twists and turns that the authors provided in this series, rather than a predictable love story.
This is my first encounter with either of these authors and based on this book it won’t be my last. I know that some readers may criticise that the first 25% of this book is the free prequel, but since there is still a good 4 hours of reading remaining in the book it’s still great value for money.
There were things I loved about this book and things that, for me personally, could have been better/different. However you can’t please all of the people all of the time! I loved that Mina was a genuinely strong character, a fighter, a survivor and one bad-ass female. I didn’t care for the one TSTL moment that flared like a warning beacon and resulted in quite a cliched ‘plot twist’. HOWEVER, clever writing around this allowed me to still enjoy the story and forgive this obvious move.
I liked how very different Yan and Ilya were, I have identical twin sons so I know how true this can be. Mine are like chalk and cheese . Ilya broke something inside me when he had his heart-to-heart with Mina, this may be a work of fiction but I’m still hoping she had a chat with Yan at some point and opened his eyes to Ilya’s needs. It also explained why he appeared to be a bit of a douche at times, and I’m really hoping Ilya (and Anton) will get their own stories in the future.
Yan – what a guy. I loved him, I really did but he changed far too quickly and easily for my liking. I needed the dark, broody thug to remain for longer. I needed his resentment of Mina to be a little more forceful, a little more convincing. Whilst it took him most of the book to realised he could have, and indeed did have, feelings for Mina, those feelings changed him far too quickly. Softened him to swiftly, leaving behind a man who clearly was no threat whatsoever to the heroine. If you’re selling me a dark romance then I need the heroine (and Hero) to suffer, I need to feel peril, threat, conflict, I need to feel the couple are walking a knives edge and one slip could end it all. I didn’t get that feeling for most of this book, and that’s why I couldn’t give it a higher rating.
The writing, the flow, the dialogue and plot are all great (aforementioned plot cliche aside) and all worked together to make a very good read. Overall the pace was also good, with the book generally holding my attention. I did lose focus part way through, though I’m not sure if it was a me or a book thing. It was at about 58% in, just after Mina’s TSTL moment, so I’m not sure if it was just my frustration at knowing where one part of the plot was heading. However I pushed through and soon found myself totally caught up in the book again.
My final thought is that whilst the sex scenes were scorching hot, I did end up skimming over some. There were just too many and not all of them added anything to the story other than eroticism. I love a good sex scene as much as the next person but once or twice I felt as though it distracted from the story, rather than enhancing it. I already got that this pair couldn’t keep their hands of each other, that sex was a way they communicated their feelings for each other. I didn’t need it smashing over my head quite so many times. It started to feel almost as though they were filler, and this story didn’t need that.
So in summary I recommend Darker than Love because it has a great writing, a good plot, wonderful characters and is really enjoyable read.
Loved reading the exciting and engaging dark romance story. Mina, a waitress, overhears a conversation she shouldn’t have heard, gets kidnapped for the night by two handsome brothers, and spends an unforgettable passionate evening with one of the brothers, Yan. On one of her missions, she ends up being captured by the enemy, Yan, and his team. Read the highly recommended, wonderfully written, full of action, suspense, twists and turns, riveting, and a must read enemies to lovers story.
Darker than Love is a collaborative book by Anna Zaires and Charmaine Pauls. This was the first book I’ve read of Anna Zaires and one of several I’ve ready by Charmaine Pauls. Together they have spun a suspenseful tale that you won’t want to put down.
This is the story of Yan and Mina, two assassins who find themselves on the opposite side of a mission after having spent a night of passion together. When Mina is captured, she realizes Yan and his team were put in jeopardy as a result of that mission. The story develops into a tale of deception, violence, loyalty, and redemption with characters that are damaged and yet powerful at the same time. There are many twists and turns in this book. There are times when you want to hate Yan for his callousness. There are times you want to love him for the care he holds deep. Mina navigates through these twists and turns and you develop deep respect and compassion for this woman.
I was totally riveted to my seat as I turned each and every page of the well written story with characters that were written with great detail and depth! The chemistry between Yan and Mina kept me turning the pages until the very end!
Have you ever been held hostage by a book? Wrapped tightly by words that esnare? Captivated by beautiful and intriguing characters each telling a story with richness. Well, Anna Zaires together with Charmaine Pauls, a powerful duo blended a brilliant book with rich characters and a soul capturing storyline. Man, Darker than Love is an experience of darkness, sinfully sexy and utterly consuming dark romance and suspense. Blinding, Exhilarating. Darker than Love takes you an epic and explosive journey.
Darker than Love is mesmerizing standalone written by the fierce duo Anna Zaires and Charmaine Pauls who take you on fiery ride with a suspense dark romance. Omg, Darker than Love wrecked me. Darker than Love creeped into my heart with its tantalizing story and alluring characters. I am absolutely in awe. Heart Thundering. Nail Biting. Heart Tangling. Soul Binding. Darker than Love is a heart stopping dark romantic tale with danger, action and heart pumping mystery. A tale of deception, love and secrets. A highly charged tale that will mess with your mind and emotions. A twisty ride that will turn all your emotions upside down. A jaw dropping, exquisite book with an unputdownable story. Anna Zaires and Charmaine Pauls blended effortlessly an amazing and sensual dark romance with flawless writing that takes the reader into a scorching ride.
Finally, it’s Yan’s story!!!! I was so happy when Anna Zaires announced she is writing Yan’s story together with Charmaine Pauls. I was so giddy because I loved Yan and Ilya Ivanova since they were introduced in the Tormentor Mine series. Yan is everything. Broody. Domineering. Powerful. Ruthless. I utterly fell in love with him. Together with Mina, a strong, intelligent and capable woman, create an electric chemistry that sets the pages aflame. Absolutely thrilling. Flawlessly engaging.
If you love captivating dark romance and suspense, definitely Darker than Love is a must love of epic proportions.
ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review.
Hold on!!
This is one incredibly hot alpha male/strong woman captivating story!
Twists and turns, abound and the ying and yang between Mina and Yan make this one intense, chemistry laden, roller coaster of a ride!
Mina and Yan are two characters who are bound together from the the instant they meet. Unlikely circumstances bring Mina closer to Yan and he becomes obsessed with possessing her. Mina is hesitant in accepting Yan’s place in her life as several issues complicate their relationship and endanger their very lives. However, Yan is persistant in his pursuit of her and she soon realizes that life is too short to worry over every little thing.
Anna Zaires and Charmaine Pauls have managed to create a captivating tale about two damaged people who are able to heal each other and quell nightmarish thoughts in a dark world. I cannot wait to read the story that these authors co-write next.
Anna Zaires and Charmaine Pauls one amazing duo!!
If you have read the Tormentor Mine series you will know Yan and Mink (Mina). In this book you will learn more about these two assassins and their incendiary relationship! Yan had met Mina before in Budapest, Hungary, where Mina overhears Yan and his brother Ilya talking about a job talking in their native tongue. Mina is no normal waitress she speaks and understands Russian. They grab her in an alley and bring her to their apartment, and Yan is attracted to her and she is to him. They have a very steamy sexual encounter, so Yan decides he wants to keep her. Mina over hears him and escapes the apartment through the window of his bedroom. This all happens in the Novella Sweeter than Love, which is included in this book. Including Mina betraying them when they were still working with Peter Sokolov. Mina is then abducted and brought to Julian Esguerra’s compound in Cuba to atone for what she had done to the team. Peter wants to take her life but Yan continues to see her while she’s being held captive. He tells Peter he will take care of it. She wakes up in his apartment after Yan placed a needle in her neck in Cuba. She is surprised that she is not dead, and Yan is standing over her. She is relieved and frightened at the same time. Yan is still angry about the betrayal, and tells her that she is his and that he placed a tracker in her neck so she can not escape. He will find her! Yan and Mina continue to have hot and steamy sex. Their relationship grows as they learn more and more of their pasts. This novel is gripping and compelling right from the start. If you love a page turner, then this one is a winner. Loved this amazing duo’s writing, I’ve been one of Anna’s biggest fans and now Charmaine has earned herself a new fan!!
I love Yan and Mina’s story and wish there was another book. Mina is a badass just like Yan and they fit very well.
This is the kind of book I live for! The angst was so darn addictive!! I love an alpha male who just has it his way. If you like a bit of danger and a whole lot of sexual tension this is the book!! Fabulously written and the characters are intense and so perfect. Must read for 2020
4.5 stars!!
This is book one of the “Darker than Love” series. I believe it will be a different couple though. This was Mina and Ilya’s story.
This book is not so much as dark but suspenseful and HOT!! Imagine falling for your captor but he thinks you tried to kill him…
I love all the characters in this book. Ilya was alpha to the hundredth degree but so hot. I liked him from the very beginning. His brother two. Damn I love him. Even Anton’s dumb ass grew on me. But Mina And Ilya together was steamy magic!!
This books is kind of lengthy but with that you get to feel what they are feeling and evolve with them. I love that. There were so many twists in this book, it was so exciting!!
I did not feel as though two people wrote this book. It definitely felt like one great author. I am super excited to know another book is to come!! The last couple chapters of this book rocked my world. I was massively proud and I shed a damn tear. You feel their love build. Beautiful.
This is a great read!!
**I received this book as an ARC and in return gave my homey review**
Darker Than Love is packed full of danger, action, betrayal, and revenge.
Yan and Mina have plenty of red hot chemistry between them which radiates from the pages of this fantastic read.
I’ve caught glimpses of Yan throughout other interwoven stories, and I was so excited when I got to read his story! I think Mink is his perfect other half. Of course, in true Anna Zaires fashion, this story captured me from the first pages and I didn’t even realize I read it in one sitting. This makes me want to go back to the very first story between all of their lives and revisit them!
I loved this steamy , smoking hot romance book. I liked how strong of a character mina(mink) was or how strong she had to be. I loved her interaction with the mothers, I instantly found myself cheering for their love story. Well done . I need more from these characters
These two authors are some of the best in the dark romance category and together they wrote an amazing story.
Yan is a great antihero and you really get into his head to understand his feelings and motives. Mina is a multidimensional character that is just as damaged. The two of them together were explosive. Great dark romance with action, angst and ultimately love.
I am volunteering to leave a review for this book.
OMG, I don’t know even where to begin with this book. It was a great read. It had action, hot sex and a happy every after. This was a really a great page turner. This is the love story of two assassins Mink and Yan. That just so happened to be linked to one another by unlikely circumstances. I wouldn’t expect anything less from this dynamic duo. It is must read it will not disappoint.
Oh sweet Lord, I loved this book! Nonstop everything you could want from a book. Zaire and Pauls did an a amazing job together with this story.
Mina and Yan had a great chemistry between each other. Mona with a little soft side to go with a dark side. She brought Yan to his knees without doing anything.
This action filled dark romance was a real joy to read. I loved the plot and the characters, Mina and Yan have amazing chemistry. It’s a wonderfully crafted story that is engaging and mesmerizing.
Darker Than Love by A.zaires/C.Pauls is an awesome read. captivating,engaging and hot filled with action danger and twist and turns that will put you on edge while reading a dark romance of Yan’s and Mina both highly trained assassins who crossed path and have sizzling chemistry and the problems begin.loved this one,im hooked from start to finish! well done Ladies!! I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book