'The Darkest Hour' KGI #1 by Maya BANKS

From the BLURB:

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 US government can’t…

It’s been one year since ex-Navy SEAL Ethan Kelly last saw his wife Rachel alive. Overwhelmed by grief and guilt over his failures as a husband, Ethan shuts himself off from everything and everyone.

His brothers have tried to bring Ethan into the KGI fold, tried to break through the barriers he's built around himself, but Ethan refuses to respond… until he receives anonymous information claiming Rachel is alive.

To save her, Ethan will have to dodge bullets, cross a jungle, and risk falling captive to a deadly drug cartel that threatens his own demise. And even if he succeeds, he’ll have to force Rachel to recover memories she can’t and doesn’t want to relive—the minute by minute terror of her darkest hour—for their love, and their lives, may depend on it.

‘The Darkest Hour’ is the first book in a hot new series from erotica author, Maya Banks.

Maya Banks is a bit of a ‘hit and miss’ author for me. Sometimes I love her books (I would count ‘Colter’s Woman’ amongst my favourite erotica reads). And then sometimes I really despise her books (‘Colter’s Lady’, for instance). But I am always willing to give her a try.

I was pleasantly surprised by ‘The Darkest Hour’.

The premise of the series revolves around KGI (Kelly Group International). This is a family-run group established by six brothers who have various backgrounds in the Army and SEALs. The KGI are private military contractors, of sorts. They do the tough jobs no one else will touch; hostage extractions, assassinations, and murky political surveillance.

We are first introduced to the Kelly family via middle brother, Ethan. Ethan is in a downward spiral following the tragic death of his wife, Rachel, in a plane crash in South America. Ethan has cut himself off from his family and become a recluse in the wake of Rachel’s death, which is also tainted by his own guilt for his perceived involvement.
When we meet him the first year anniversary of Rachel’s death is upon him, and Ethan is drinking himself into oblivion. Until a package arrives, showing surveillance pictures of Rachel and tangible proof that she is alive. Alive, but held hostage in a drug cartel’s base camp.
Ethan rouses the KGI group together to save his beloved wife.... but even second chances come with complications. Rachel may be back, but she has demons to face, and so does Ethan.

I really enjoyed this book. To begin with, I love the series premise. The KGI will no doubt provide many a steamy book – I love the combination of tough army men, with the camaraderie of a family-run organization. I think there’s a lot of possibility in this series, and I will definitely be sticking with it.

Secondly, I loved the fact that although this is a fairly outlandish erotica/romance read, there’s a lot of emotional angst and characterization behind the characters. Rachel is, of course, the character with the most turmoil – and Maya Banks really doesn’t pull punches with Rachel’s post traumatic stress and agonizing recovery.

“God, I sound so pathetic. Damn it, Ethan, I’m tired of sounding so pitiful. ‘What’s left of my life?’ Enough. Enough, enough, enough,” she chanted. “I’m so lucky. I have a second chance and I tried to screw it up. How unforgiveable is that? I have a husband and a great family who loves me, and I was willing to throw all of that away because some woman asking me questions made me feel helpless and inferior.”
She stood, agitated, her hands curling into tight fists at her sides.
“Well, I’m done with that,” she said fiercely. “Do you hear me, Ethan? I’m done. This need inside me is killing me, but I won’t let it. Do you hear me? I won’t let it. I might be crazy, but I’m not going to let you or my family down. I’m not going to let myself down.”

But I also loved the fact that Ethan is recovering, both from his wife’s death and her return. Not to give anything away, but Ethan is harbouring some guilt over the way he treated Rachel before she left for South America. Her return from the dead is a miracle to Ethan, but at the same time he is worried about what she will remember of their imperfect marriage... and that worry turns to guilt over not being 100% elated by her return. I loved the emotional connection Maya Banks made with the characters; it made for a surprisingly fulfilling read.

I did have one or two problems with the book, however...

Because there are six Kelly siblings it was a little hard to keep track of everyone and I felt that the brother’s weren’t given enough page-time to be distinctive. On the one hand I thought their family dynamic came across beautifully, and the Kelly’s were definitely a formidable clan. But I felt a little disconnected from the individual brothers. Ethan was obviously well developed because this is his story. But twins Nathan and Joe have a ‘blink and you’ll miss them’ appearance. Donovan ‘Van’ is the quiet recluse and therefore virtually invisible. Sam and Garrett seemed to be the two Alpha brothers, and were given the most characterization of any other brothers, but still not enough for my liking. But Maya Banks also throws into the KGI/Kelly mix employees like Sean (who is also the town cop) and Rio, and there are a lot of men to keep straight in your head. I would have been fine if Banks had simply referred to some of the brothers, without introducing them in this book (I think Nathan and Joe could have remained off the page, merely mentioned by the family members to be formally introduced in scene in later books?).

There’s also a second storyline about a runaway girl called Rusty who ma and pa Kelly take in off the street. This was a little ‘huh?’ for me. I’m sure this story will come to fruition in future books as Rusty grows and matures, but in this first book it felt out of place running concurrently with Rachel and Ethan’s emotional story.

On the plus side, the sex is hot. This is a guarantee in a Maya Banks book.... she alternates between rough and sensual, smutty and romantic. There’s a little something here to push everyone’s buttons. And because the emotional stakes are constantly raised between Rachel and Ethan the sex is even more intense and frantic. I loved it.

I had a few problems with ‘The Darkest Hour’, but overall I thought this was a great and tempting introduction to a wonderful new series. I will definitely be reading more books in the KGI series.

3/5

'Colters' Lady' by Maya BANKS

From the BLURB:

When police officer Seth Colter sees the delicate, shabbily dressed beauty in line at the soup kitchen where he's serving, he's gut shot over the idea of her being on the streets cold and alone. More baffling is the dark, possessive instinct that tells him she belongs to him.

For Lily Weston, home is a secluded nook in a back alley—until Seth offers her a place to stay. She's wary of his offer, but even one night out of the cold is too much temptation to resist.
Seth is convinced Lily is his. The problem is, when his brothers lay eyes on her, the same primitive instinct comes roaring to the surface. The Colters never imagined they'd follow the unconventional path of their fathers, but they can't ignore their mutual need to offer Lily their protection—and their love. But before Lily and the brothers can forge a future together, they must heal the deep wounds of her past.

Maya Bank’s ‘Colter’s Woman’ was the first erotica story I ever read, so I have a bit of a soft spot for it.
In that first book Maya Banks introduced three very unusual brothers. Adam, Ethan and Ryan Colter were three men who grew up in a family with three dads and one mother – and that family dynamic stayed with them into adulthood and became their ideal family unit. Then Holly stepped into their lives to fill the role of wife for the three Colter’s.

This sequel, ‘Colter’s Lady’ is set a few years down the track. Holly, Adam, Ethan and Ryan have four grown children – Callie, Seth, Dillon and Michael. The sequel focuses on the three Colter male children – when we meet them Seth is a policeman, Michael a veterinarian and Dillon owns a bar. The three men do not want the same ménage lifestyle their parents have, but that all changes when they meet Lily.
Lily is a homeless woman whom Seth discovers in line at a soup drive. He falls instantly in love and offers to bring her home to the Colter ranch and make a life with her. Seth intends to keep Lily for himself, but when Dillon and Michael lay eyes on her the Colter impulse kicks in and all three of them want her.
Lily is cautious at first, but eventually accepts the love of all three men. What the Colter men really have to contend with is Lily’s past and the haunting of old wounds.

I am a big fan of the first book ‘Colter’s Woman’. I know lots of people read and were disquieted by the storyline – not so much the ménage aspect, but the *familial* ménage. Fair enough, I can completely understand some reader’s unease – but I wasn’t overly concerned. To be honest I was probably too awe-struck by the novelty of my first erotica novel to pay too much attention to the finer, disturbing plot points.

However, reading this sequel (minus the rose-coloured glasses) I had a lot less patience for the storyline. Everything I seemed able to ignore in ‘Colter’s Woman’ (like the awkwardness of brothers having sex with the same woman, at the same time) I was unable to ignore in ‘Colter’s Lady’.

The storyline is a carbon-copy of ‘Colter’s Woman’, with few plot tweaks – it is again about a woman ‘on the run’ (from her past instead of an ex-husband this time, but still) and three brothers who decide to be her saviour.
The biggest difference in this second book is the fact that the Colter brothers in ‘Lady’ are uneasy about sharing a woman, whereas in ‘Woman’ they were actively looking for a wife to share. That just makes the storyline glaringly awkward and a lot seedy. Where I could live in the fantasy of ‘Colter’s Woman’ and accept that three brothers would want to devote their life and lust to pleasing one woman, it was harder to believe in this sequel when the brothers all air their grievances and concerns, but decide to share Lily regardless.

Every concern and complaint I've read about ‘Colter’s Woman’ was ten-fold in this sequel, to the point that I couldn’t ignore the incest storyline and the general discomfiture of the plot. No matter how many times Lily talked through her concerns or spoke to Holly and her husband’s about their perfect ménage life, I remained unconvinced;

“My heart tells me I love them, but my mind asks how it’s possible to love three very different people at the same time.”
“The heart has an endless capacity for love,” Holly said. “As a woman you love your family, your children – especially your children – your friends, and you love your husband or lover. Who’s to say you can’t love three men with all your heart and soul? I mean, really, who makes the rules?”

It also didn’t help that Lily was as dull as a houseplant. The most interesting (if completely unfathomable) thing about Lily was her homelessness. But the reason for her living on the streets is a ridiculously contrite plot point, designed to make readers and the Colter men feel sorry for her. But it just turned her into even more of a Mary-Sue and all the more unbearable.

The Colter men; Dillon, Seth and Michael, were unremarkable and dull. I didn’t envy Lily her situation one bit. The sex scenes felt awkward and clunky – where they were inventive and sexy in ‘Colter’s Woman’, in ‘Lady’ the focus seemed to be on Lily’s back-story and her growing love for the men – so the sex took a backseat. But that was okay – since I was feeling icky about the brotherly ménage anyway, I didn’t particularly relish the idea of reading smoking hot smut.

I was actually looking forward to this sequel. Even in light of the awkward feelings ‘Colter’s Lady’ illicits concerning family threesomes, I still hold ‘Colter’s Woman’ in esteem. I only wish Maya Banks had come up with a more inventive storyline, instead of a recycled off-cut of ‘Woman’ that seemed designed to quell nay-sayers and further explain the benefits of brotherly love. I would have preferred it if ‘Lady’ had been about Holly, Adam, Ethan and Ryan – maybe following them after their ‘happy ending’ and observing how their threesome coped with the inclusion of babies and town curiosity? As it was, ‘Colter’s Lady’ is a weakened version of ‘Colter’s Woman’ with none of the endearments that made that book a truly naughty joy to read.

1/5

'Stay With Me' by Maya BANKS

From the BLURB:

On the night of her fifth anniversary, Catherine Cullen-Wellesley intends to break the news to the two men in her life. She's pregnant with their child. It'll be the perfect preamble to the vacation they've promised her: Two weeks on a Jamaican beach. No cell phones, no emails, no business.

But when Logan and Rhys blow off the trip for yet another "business emergency", Catherine faces some difficult truths. She hasn't come first in her busy husbands' lives in a long time. Defiantly, she packs her bags for her long-awaited vacation-alone. It'll give her a chance to figure out what the hell she's going to do with the rest of her life.

When Logan and Rhys come home to an empty house, they realize two things: One, it was a mistake to take Catherine for granted. Two, they're not willing to just let her walk out of their lives.

Winning her back will be the most difficult battle of their lives-more important than any business deal they've ever negotiated.

I am a Maya Banks fan. And now that I’ve got myself a Kindle (*squeal!*) I am going through her back catalogue of e-books.

‘Stay With Me’ is a very different take on Banks’s signature plot. Her most popular books all centre around one woman embarking on a relationship with multiple partners. ‘Colter’s Woman’, ‘Brazen’ and ‘Be With Me’ all follow this premise. ‘Stay With Me’ looks at this plot from a different perspective. In this book the heroine; Catherine, has been married to two men, Logan and Rhys, for six years. While all was well in the beginning of their relationship, on the night of their sixth wedding anniversary Catherine has forced herself to take stock and accept the fact that their once happy partnership is in shambles. Rhys and Logan have buried themselves in work and completely neglected their marriage – and Catherine has had enough.

‘Stay With Me’ is about what comes after Maya Banks’s typical happy ending. The book explores the in’s and out’s, up’s and down’s of a multiple-partner relationship.

Now if this all sounds very plot-heavy for what is essentially a bit of smutty reading, you’d be as surprised as I was. This book is very different from Banks’ typical fare because it’s actually quite serious. Even a little bit depressing – something you don’t really expect from erotica.

To be honest it wasn’t all that smutty. When the plot was so solemn I was expecting a lot of sex to balance out the seriousness – but Banks doesn’t deliver. There is only one three-way sex scene, and even that is a little bit blasé.

I was really disappointed with this book. I expected a lot more but what I got was serious plot and too little smuttiness to make up for it.

1.5/5

'Anetakis Tycoons' Trilogy by Maya BANKS

Maya Bank’s ‘Anetakis Tycoons’ trilogy revolves around the lives of three wealthy Greek Hotelier’s. Chrysander, Theron and Piers. Each book follows one brother as his love-life spirals out of control.

‘The Tycoon’s Pregnant Mistress’ concerns Chrysander, when his mistress falls pregnant and is then under threat from money-grubbing kidnappers.

‘The Tycoon’s Rebel Bride’ follows Theron, who finds himself unwittingly falling for his 24-year-old charge.

‘The Tycoon’s Secret Affair’ is all about Piers, whose one-night-stand storms back into his life fiver months later, with the claim that she is carrying his child.

If the book titles don’t give it away - this series is pure unadulterated romance. The, dare I say, ‘trashy’ kind. They are published by Harlequin Mills & Boon, and follow a pretty predictable plot.

I am a fan of Maya Banks’ erotica. The ‘Anatakis Tycoons’ trilogy is her only ‘tame’ romance, and to be honest it’s not as good as her more hard-core stuff. Because of the genre’s she writes in, Banks’ books lack things like characterization, believability and fulfilling plot. But most of the time her smut makes up for it. In this romance series the smut is tame, exactly what you’d expect from Mills & Boon… but that means that overall the series is fairly flat.

Expect predictably Alpha males. Conveniently easy situations for our heroines. Unbelievable good fortune for our wealthy Greek tycoons and general schmaltziness.

That’s not to say this series isn’t a fun, light read. If you’re looking for a good dose of romance that requires little thought, this is for you. And occasionally the writing elicits genuine smiles;

“See, Jewel, it’s not so hard to train the Anetakis men,” she said cheekily. “Marley has whipped Chrysander into admirable shape, while I have turned Theron to my way of thinking. I can’t imagine you being any less successful with Piers.”

“Theron, keep your woman quiet,” Chrysander said mildly. “She’s inciting discontent among the female ranks.”

The ‘Anetakis Tycoons’ isn’t great, but it’s not bad. It’s just typical Mills & Boon… a wee bit trashy, but a lot romantic.

2.5/5