Book Review of 'The Darkness Deepens' by Sara Davison

Hello Bookworms!

How is your week going? I've been taking more and more time offline to spend with family and care for my physical and mental health, and it's been great. This time of year is always a time of reflection for me and I needed to slow down, be mindful, and be thankful. Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere. I'm still voraciously reading and have some wonderful reviews coming in the next few weeks, including the one I'm featuring today.

This novel...wow... It hits so hard. I hope you enjoy my thoughts on this Dystopian Romantic Suspense and don't forget to scroll to the bottom of this post and enter the amazing giveaway from JustRead Tours.

Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for The Darkness Deepens by Sara Davison, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: The Darkness Deepens
Series: The Day Draws Near #2
Author: Sara Davison
Publisher: Mountain Brook Ink
Release Date: November 15, 2024
Genre: Dystopian Romantic Suspense

Their secrets protect them... but secrets are hard to keep.

No one in the army can find out that Captain Jesse Christensen has become a believer. He and bookstore owner Meryn O’Reilly are forced to meet in secret, facing imprisonment—or worse—if they are found together.

As their relationship deepens, so does Lieutenant Gallagher’s hatred for the Christians in their city, putting all believers, especially Jesse, in extreme danger.

Meryn wants to give her heart to Jesse fully, but her past holds her back. Although circumstances conspire to keep her silent, she needs to tell him her secret so nothing will stand between them anymore.

But when he finds out what she has been keeping from him, nothing will ever be the same.

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop | BookBub

My Review

Dystopian is one of those genres that I typically shy away from due to their content almost always messing with my head, but when I saw that one of my favorite authors wrote a dystopian romantic suspense, I thought I would give it a shot.

I haven’t been in the best headspace lately, and this is a heavier read than I had originally thought. There were times that I had to stop and take a break, but my curiosity had me picking it back up time and time again. Sara Davison is such an incredible writer and paints such a vivid picture of what these characters are going through that you’re connected before you even realize what is going on. While I have been fighting my own personal darkness, this story does speak to perseverance and fighting the good fight and gives me a hope that I greatly needed during this time.

True to form, I jumped in mid-series, but the author did a wonderful job of filling in the gaps while also not letting up on the suspense. There are multiple topics tackled that could be triggering for some, but it is all handled in the upmost respect despite its depressing nature. There are unexpected twists, turns, and moments that I felt deep in my marrow. There is one scene in particular that will stick with me for a long time, the moment so incredibly heartbreaking yet paints such a beautiful picture at the same time. The writing is incredible.

This is going to be one of those stories that is not for everyone. It is raw, intense, and could be something that could happen in the future, which was the scariest aspect for me. But amid the gritty, there is a thread of hope and strength that only comes from supportive relationships and faith, and the story is not over. I can’t wait to see the conclusion of this insane situation in future volumes and plan on reading the first novel to get the full picture. Such an impactful story!

My Rating: ★★★★★

Also Available

About the Author

Sara Davison is the author of five romantic suspense series as well as the standalone, The Watcher. A finalist for more than a dozen national writing awards, including the Christy Award, Davison is a Holt Medallion, Cascade, and two-time Carol Award winner for romantic suspense. She lives in Ontario with her husband, Michael. Like every good Canadian, she loves coffee, hockey, poutine, and apologizing for no particular reason.

Connect with Sara at saradavison.org to follow her on social media and sign up for email updates.

Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will win a paperback copy of The Darkness Deepens plus a $25 Amazon gift card!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight November 18, 2024 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on November 25, 2024. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US/CAN only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

Enter Giveaway

Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!