RELEASE DAY BLITZ: REVIEW, TEASERS, AND GIVEAWAY: You Loved Me At My Darkest by Evie Harper‏

Darkness comes in many forms, and in Evie Harper’s You Loved Me At My Darkest, she examines the multiple interpretations of the term that come from being thrust into impossible situations, without any possibility of escape or hope that the end will turn out the way it’s supposed to be for those who are innocent. For Lily and Sasha, their darkest hours come when they are thrust into a world that sees them as merely playthings, objects to be used and abused as the monsters who own them see fit. Some of Jake’s darkness comes from being part of the group who hunts and steals women to be turned into slaves or collection pieces, but there’s another side to Jake that holds just as much torment, but it’s hard to determine the origin of its blackness and how truly evil he is.

Lily and her sister Sasha’s lives take drastic turns when they are kidnapped while on vacation in New York City. Immediately, they are separated and assigned roles that require them to become ruled and dominated by a man who is callus and inhuman. His world revolves around making money, and so he uses the girls his men steal to acquire as much power and riches as he can, and if someone costs him money, they will pay with their lives. Lily and Sasha’s humanity is stripped from them and regardless of how much they try to remain stoic and keep their emotions locked down, what they have to endure overwhelms them and forces them to give into a darkness they’ve never known before; it’s a feeling that goes beyond the loss they felt after their parents’ death; it’s as if the only way they will survive is if they step outside themselves and become numb to this decrepit existence. As the older sister, Lily believes it is her duty to protect Sasha and find a way out of the hell they are in, but there’s little hope of escape. Regardless of that fact, though, Lily remains hopeful that they will be able to get away, but when things go from bad to worse, Lily is going to have to fight like hell to remove herself from the darkest part of her mind – the place that tells her there’s no longer a reason to try or for that matter live.

The life that Jake has led for the past four years has blackened his heart, but it will be worth it if he can make it to the top of Marco’s crew. That’s his end goal, and it’s within his reach as long as he stays on the path he’s been on, but as soon as he sees Lily and then becomes her guard, Jake’s objective becomes muddled. He can’t care about her; he can’t want to help her because it’s not part of his plan – part of the reason he has endured the cruelty of his time with Marco. He can’t but he does; he can’t not because there’s something about Lily that draws him to her – something that makes him want to fight for her as much as he wants to achieve his end result.

Lily, Sasha, and Jake’s story is not an easy one to read. Its darkness will make readers emotional and have them struggle to pull themselves out of the dark world that surround the three characters. It will make them question the humanity in the world and the type of evil that exists for women to be treated as moneymakers instead of human beings. Lily and Jake’s relationship will not make sense to many, but once everything is brought to light, it may be the only thing that ultimately saves them from succumbing to their darkest fears…their darkest selves.

I’m blown away by the fact that this is Evie Harper’s debut novel. To delve into the dark romance genre right out of the gate and kick its ass is truly an accomplishment. There are so many layers to the storyline, and Evie does a great job of keeping everything interconnected and then slowly unraveling it as it heads to its conclusion. The dual point of view is another aspect of the text that makes it successful; having it told through both Lily and Jake’s perspectives enables readers to get a clear sense of everything that’s at stake for both sides, and it also allows readers to understand Jake’s position better. Without hearing things from his side, readers would not be able to acknowledge what he’s risking by falling for Lily.

I can’t wait to see where Evie takes this series – it’s clear with its title, You Loved Me, that the circumstances each couple face are going to involve almost insurmountable obstacles like the ones that exist for Lily and Jake.

A complimentary copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 poison apples