Review: Darkness Before Dawn

Is love ever enough?

Faced with obstacles she could have never imagined, Blake is brought to darkness and back by forces in her past she never knew existed.
Desperate to stay connected to the only thing he loves, Cole is forced to revisit his past and align himself with the people who knew about Blake’s disappearance.
Separation has forced both Blake and Cole to learn how to live under the worst circumstances, each of them alone in their own hell.


When they reunite, can they be the same two people they were before darkness swept upon them?
Told in separate points of view, Darkness Before Dawn is the continuation of Blake and Cole’s fight to make it to the light.

Title: Darkness Before Dawn (Darkness ~ Book 2)
Author: Claire Contreras | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Website
Publication Date: June 8 2013
Publisher: Self Published
Length: 361 Pages
Add it to your TBR Pile: Goodreads
Buy It: Amazon US | Amazon UK

Source: Purchased (Kindle Edition)
Cover Love: Love. Love. Love.  Perfectly matches the series, I think it's stunning.
Point of View: Alternating 1st person between both Blake and Cole

My Rating: 5 Stars

First, I just need to have a bit of a fangirl moment... I love the male point of view.  It is by far my favorite perspective, with dual POV being my second favorite.  Since There is No Light in Darkness was 1st person, following Blake, I figured book two would follow that same course.  I actually squealed, jumped up and down and clapped when I started Darkness Before Dawn and saw it was dual POV following both Blake and Cole.  If you read my review of book one then you know how much I adore Cole.  And to get his perspective?  I was overjoyed.

“No, I was not involved with Blake.  You are not just involved with the person that causes your world to make sense.  You live for that person.  You breathe for that person.  So no, involved, is not the word I would use to describe my relationship with Blake.   Blake is everything to me.  She’s not somebody I’m involved with, she is my reason, my everything.” 

Okay, now with that out of the way, let us talk about the book.  I loved it.  That is the plain and simple answer.  The mystery and intrigue continues on into this book, starting immediately after the end of book one.  I am happy that we were able to jump right back into the story, because as I mentioned in my previous review, the cliffhanger at the end of There is No Light in Darkness is a killer one.

“Your pain is mine, let me carry it with you, for you – I don’t care as long as you’re with me”

I have to admit that I felt that Blake made some really strange choices this go around.  I always have at least one gripe about a female narrator but in book one I loved her and found no fault in her.  However here, I think she lost her mind a little.  There was one point in particular that I wanted to throw my Kindle, thankfully I showed restraint.  But honestly, she annoyed me a bit.

Thankfully, we also had Cole's point of view which meant that it wasn't long until my sour mood was restored to a happy one.  I fell even more in love with him, as if I even thought that was possible?

“I loved you then, I love you now, I'll love you always.  You've always been it for me, Blake.”

As this is the last book in the series, everything gets wrapped up nicely.  All of your pressing questions are answered and the story completely comes together.  However, with that said, there was room for a larger look into the future.  A lovely long epilogue would have made it all perfect... and thankfully the author has supplied just that.  I am unsure if in future copies of the book this prologue will be added, however you can download and read a free copy of it HERE.  Honestly, you do not want to miss it. It's simply perfect, and I could not have imagined this story ending without it.

So, what are you waiting for?  A completed series and a perfect epilogue, don't wait any longer...

MORE QUOTES FROM DARKNESS BEFORE DAWN