The theme of the Ultimate Reading Challenge for March is a ‘New-to-You Author,’ and I decided to go with Love Me in the Dark, by Mia Asher.

I’ve been very curious at how she would craft this possibly forbidden tale, and in a nutshell, things aren’t always as they seem in this passionate and emotional romance!

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Two strangers in Paris …
One passionate, earth-shattering kiss. 

He was the artist upstairs
with the tantalizing smile and laughing eyes.

He was the devil inviting me to sin,
seducing me to dance in the bright moonlight.

He was desire and need.

When he touched me, my body sang.
My soul came alive.

But I belonged to another man,
and he didn’t want to let me go.

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I’ve seen Love Me in the Dark floating around through social media for quite some time now, and it seems to always catch my eye with both its enticing cover and intriguing synopsis… Two strangers, an artist and a married woman, meeting in Paris and sharing ‘one passionate, earth-shattering kiss.’ As a new-to-me author, I’ve been very curious at how Mia Asher would craft this possibly forbidden tale. While it was an angsty and passionate romance, there were also unexpected hidden truths and twists that made this quite a suspenseful read as well!

Sébastien’s character pretty much won my heart in the Prologue alone! I cannot image the pain that he must have felt in dealing with his heart-breaking loss in his past, but I admired how he moved forward channeling his emotion into his art. He was incredibly confident, and I loved his charm and charisma!

Mesmerized, I pause to take him in. Sébastien. A thief amongst kings. And how he shines against a backdrop that is already blinding in its splendor.

After spending years trying to appease and get her husband William’s attention, Valentina had really lost her identity along the way. She was on more of a ‘finding yourself’ journey in Paris, and really, what better setting could you hope for? It allowed her to be free and independent, and I admired her strength to stay in Paris on her own in pursuit of her happiness.

She reminds me of the sea: untamed, unpredictable, but beautiful, so damn beautiful.

Neither Sébastien nor Valentina were looking for romance, but that spark just followed them as they continued to cross paths. Sébastien was completely captivated by her, and his charming ways gave Valentina the attention that she had been missing for so long. I really liked how they both appreciated each other for who they were and established a natural friendship, although their feelings made everything much more complicated.

Although Sébastien picked the one woman that he ethically could not have, it really took a lot of courage for him to put his heart on the line again. At the same time, I could definitely understand Valentina’s conflict in being so drawn to Sébastien’s charm and wanting to remain loyal to William and their marriage. I appreciated how they respected Valentina’s marriage boundaries and fought to resist their feelings and sizzling chemistry!

Maybe in another life we’ll meet again and get it right. But whatever happens, you will always remain my one perfect memory, my one perfect dream. I love you, my beautiful man.

There was such a passionate and angsty build between Sébastien and Valentina, and I really did hope for them to find a way to be together on the right terms. When the ‘Wolf that was William’ was revealed, I was ecstatic!

If Valentina were mine, I would have moved heaven and earth to get to her. Because when you finally find something worth living for, you fight until there isn’t one more drop of blood left in you.

I really enjoyed Mia Asher’s beautiful and descriptive writing, which was full of passion and emotion. She also did an incredible job creating this complex storyline, and I loved the journey and setting in Paris. However, I wasn’t very fond of the first part of the story at all. I loved Sébastien’s character, but I didn’t really understand Valentina’s very well, and the pace was a bit slow and challenged my interest. It felt ‘methodical’ at times, but I’m sure it was meant to slowly build up the intensity between Sébastien and Valentina. However, halfway through the pace really picked up with some suspenseful turns, and then the story had my full attention!

I also would have liked to have seen the other side of William earlier in the story, because I think it would have made me like and sympathize with Valentina’s character more. Where I don’t have particular issues with cheating in stories, it didn’t seem justified for her to consider it based on her character. There wasn’t much information or depth provided early in the story as to what Valentina was actually unhappy about in her marriage, and it made it difficult to relate to her without knowing what could possibly be worth stepping out on her marriage.

Overall, I really enjoyed this read, and the ending totally made me swoon! I am a bit torn on my rating for this, because there were parts of this story that I really didn’t like and parts that I really loved. Regardless, I still look forward to reading more books by Mia Asher!

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Purchase Love Me in the Dark on Amazon today – Free in Kindle Unlimited!

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Mia Asher ~ I am a writer, a hopeless romantic, a wanderer, a dreamer, a cynic, and a believer. And, oh yes…I might be a bit crazy – but who isn’t?

I believe in happy endings however I know that not everyone is lucky enough to get one, but such is life. I think fine lines exist to be pushed and possibly crossed.

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What’s next in store for the #UltimateReadingChallenge???

April’s theme is a ‘Single Word Title’, and I have just the book!

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