Series Review: Is this series worth your time? Does it get better as the novels progress? Or does it get worse? Find out below:
Synopsis for Dark Paradise (from Goodreads):
There’s a name for girls like me: Sugar Baby. I’m used to being passed around the sexually depraved, middle-aged senators of Washington D.C. like candy, but when I meet him – the mysterious man who buys my exclusivity for three months for price that should frighten me more than his demands – everything changes.
He’s younger than the others. His touch is softer. His lips sweeter. His need fiercer. He has only one requirement…
A blindfold to protect his identity… and to protect me from the danger I’d face if our affair leaked to the world.
No phones. No light. No real names. He says I’m his dark paradise, and we have to keep it that way. He promises I’ll thank him someday.
But what is he really hiding? And what happens if I find out?
SERIESous’ Top Picks: Must Read Author
Series: Dark , Montgomery Duet
Author: Winter Renshaw
# of Books: 2 (Full Reading Order Here)
Book Order: Connected
Complete?: Yes
Genre: Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Dark
Heat Rating: Hot
Point of View: First Person, Alternating
Publication Dates: December 2015 – October 2017
Source & Format: Own–eBook (Paradise); Hidden Gem Reviews–eARC (Promises)
Why I Picked it Up / My Expectations:
So I did things a little backwards with this series. I actually got a review copy of Dark Promises (#2) first without realizing that it was a “sequel” to Dark Paradise. Thankfully, you can read either book in any order since they focus on different leads; but it definitely got me excited to read the first book, even though I had an idea of what vaguely happens.
The Concept / The World:
If you are looking for a political thriller, look elsewhere. While these stories take place in Washington DC with a family in politics, there is very little politics in these stories. The idea of public image is probably the only thing that is “political” in it and what people are willing to do to maintain it.
The Plot:
Like I said in my review of Dark Promises:
This story easily could have been over dramatic but it straddles that perfect line between drama and theatrics. You get enough conflict to provide depth but not so much that it ruins the story.
And that’s true for both novels. There are subplots happening behind the romance and it adds this depth that just makes these books exciting to read.
The Characters:
All these characters are unapologetically themselves and I love that. They aren’t flawless but they know their strengths and how to flaunt them. And in some ways, their stories are redemption stories where they grow and become better people.
The Romance:
Plenty of steam but also solid connections. I really loved all the pairings and watching them navigate their romances despite all the obstacles.
Series Rating: 4/5
Dark Paradise 4/5 | Dark Promises 4/5
If you like unconventional romances (as in they boarder on the darker side of things but nothing too extreme), this is a great series to get your feet wet with!
Read if You Like: redemption stories
Avoid if You: want a true political thriller
- Blurred Lines by Jen McLaughlin (Out of Line Series #5)
- Forbidden by Lauren Smith (Her British Stepbrother Series #1)
- Dirty Headlines by L J Shen
