Review of The Darkest Hour (KGI #1) by Maya Banks

The Darkest Hour is the first book in the series KGI.

Ethan Kelly, an ex-Navy SEAL, has been mourning the death of his wife for the last year. He's shut himself off from friends and family. His brothers have tried to pull him into KGI, Kelly Group International, the private security business they run, but he keeps evading them, preferring to lock himself away in his house.

On the one-year anniversary of Rachel's death in a plane crash on the way back from a relief mission in Central America, Ethan receives a package with detailed information all leading to one conclusion—Rachel is alive.

Ethan must dive into the jungles of Central America to the heart of a drug cartel to rescue his wife. If he survives, he'll have to battle Rachel's lost memory to figure out why she was a target.

Originally, when I was doing a deep dive into Maya Banks's books at my local library, I skipped this series because I have an issue with the Navy because of my trauma. But I gave this book a chance, and it was actually fine. I didn't have any issues because none of the Kelly brothers featured in the novel are currently in the military.

This is a romantic suspense novel, and it was full of mystery and action. I'd read a few of Maya Banks's romantic suspense books before (her Slow Burn series, which was great), but this I liked better. Romantic suspense is the genre of books I write, so reading it is always good because I can make a study of the conventions and expectations of the genre. Outside of that, it was just plain old a fun, exciting read that I flew through in two days.

Ethan Kelly was an interesting character. He had clearly made mistakes in his marriage, and he knew they'd come back to bite him in the end, but he kept them secret from Rachel—and the reader—until he had no choice. I was on the edge of my seat trying to figure out what this horrible thing was he felt he had done. When Rachel discovered it, it broke my heart. Ethan was more nuanced than I expected, and I really liked him and his devotion to Rachel. I liked that he was determined to make up for past mistakes and build a new life with her.

Rachel was a bit more of a damsel in distress than I generally like. Granted, with what she's been through, she'd be incredibly fragile. She was tough as nails to survive what she did, but she relied too much on the Kelly brothers to protect and save her for my tastes. I like heroines who are more proactive and kick-ass. Nevertheless, I liked her and rooted for her.

Maya Banks is always good at description and settings. I had a solid hold on Ethan and Rachel's house as well as his parents' house. I wished I had a better picture of the KGI compound, but I'm sure that will come in future installments.

I enjoyed the plot and all its thrilling excitement. The climax was excellent. Overall, a great start to a series.

I can't wait to dive into more KGI books!

Photo Credit: Rhema Kallianpur

Stars Image Credit: lovethenerddesigns