First, you’ll find no real Dark of Night spoilers here, though you should stop reading now if you truly don’t want to know anything. And, just to get it on the table, I know what happens in the book since I was sent an early copy.
And I loved it. Seriously.
Truth is, I’ve been out of the Suzanne Brockmann loop for a while. A few books ago I was s-o-o-o-o totally turned off by those manly men running around pointlessly in the woods while talking like teenagers that I checked out for a while. Then, I tried again with Into the Fire and it just failed to grab me.
I was in a definite – and, for all I knew, permanent – Brockmann lull.
Then this one arrived in the mail. With no other books really sounding the “read me” alarm, I sat down to read it…and zap! For this reader, anyway, the old Brockmann magic was back again. Seriously.
In case you haven’t been following the saga, a whole lot of readers are mighty pissed at Brockmann right now. Based on spoilers that have leaked out, they’re expressing themselves at Amazon and in multiple threads at AAR. They think – and I’m vastly simplifying things here – that Brockmann has betrayed the trust of her readers by…well, taking things in a different direction then the author led them to expect.
Color me clueless because I just didn’t anticipate that kind of reaction from so many readers. Seriously. Hey, I think I’m a smart woman (I graduated from college and everything), but considering my Brockmann break, I didn’t share the heavy investment many obviously feel in the continuing couple storyline that may – or may not – be the centerpiece here. To further explain my bafflement, this couple – let’s call them Dophia and Secker – never really caught my imagination the way that Max and Gina did. (Me love Max. Me didn’t love Max’s book.)
So, imagine my surprised pleasure when almost from the very first page I got caught up in the kind of terrific storytelling that Brockmann – when she is on her game – does so very well. I just went with it and let the author take me where she would. And I loved it. Seriously.
But, undeniably, based on all that early reader outrage, those who make up Brockmann’s core audience probably aren’t going to see it that way. Which makes me wonder – and not for the first time – just what authors who extend storylines over multiple books owe their readers. Whatever kind of “suspense” angle the publisher tries to put on it, when romance authors reach the level of success that Brockmann has, the truth is that she still writes…well, romance. When readers pick up a book by Brockmann, they know they are guaranteed a main couple HEA and – reasonably enough – that the author’s patented extended couple storylines will also end happily. That’s the deal and both the writer and her readers know it.
But I can’t escape the fact that this book worked for me – far better than anything I’ve read by the author in the last four or five years. And, considering that I fully believed Brockmann had well and truly dropped off my list, that is saying something.
Still, there’s no getting around the harsh truth that expectations – especially when nurtured by the author over multiple books – can be a bitch. And Brockmann may well be about to find that out.
But I’ll say it again because it bears repeating: As a reader who approached Dark of Night with few – if any – preconceptions, I found it to be a great ride. Seriously.
-Sandy AAR
Hi All,
I am a diehard Sophia/Decker fan. I bought the book on the 27th without having looked at any spoilers. I was shocked and so upset once I realized who the couples were I actually felt like crying. I returned the book the next day. I actually read some of the love scenes feeling disturbed instead of happy. I read romance because I like to know my couples, regardless of their struggles, will end with a hea. I also believe that after purchasing the TS series for the past 5 years, Sophia and Deck should have been put together. There were so many frustrating moments for us when Deck was going to approach Sophia and something got in the way. As a fan I buy the books and endure these “”almost”” moments because I expect (in the romance genre) to have the payoff when they finally come together be huge and make me happy. I am also among those that feel there was evidence on both Decker’s and Sophia’s side that they had strong feelings for each other
Also, I don’t like Tracy the receptionist with Deck….Why would it be so hard for us to believe that Sophia would be just as open to his wants and needs. The conflict between them is what made us believe they would have a powerful coming together.
I will say the book was certainly well written (what I read), but I need to have a happy feeling about my couples and I didn’t. I buy all my books because I like to support the authors, but after buying books and investing is sophia/decker for the past five year I feel I was cheated.
I’ve received an ARC from a bookseller and from my point of view and much to my surprise, this is a solid book. I’m not left with questions and although I learned too many spoilers and was a Decker and Sophia reader, I completely am sold.
I’ve read some reviews that I agree with to a certain extent although I don’t think DON is predominantly anyone’s book in particular. I would say there is equal time for everyone.
The book is fast-paced, has a few twists and turns but I am satisfied with the outcome.
I hope that a lot of readers who are dubious will enjoy the book.
I enjoy these characters and I’m sorry in a way that their story is finished.
AAR Sandy Says: we like to mix things up and let different people review authors, so somebody else (and I don’t honestly know who) will be reviewing DON.
Just out of curiosity, Sandy, did you feel compelled to write the review since you enjoyed the book so much or did none of the other reviewers get a chance to read it?
I think the one good thing coming out of DoN will be that Dave and Sophia will be fading characters. Based on the polls neither of them are very popular even with SB’s “”regulars”” being the voters. I cannot say how very, very glad I will be to have to deal with Dave on a very limited basis!
And I too think Farmwife made some very practical and insightful comments. The overabundance of alcoholic characters, the weird situations (and violent situations) and a complaint of my own — the excessively long story arcs — all add up to a not enjoyable read. I will get this one from the library and then I will be done. Everything since ITS has been library reads anyway.
maggie b.
I haven`t read the book yet but from the excerpt on Suz` website and from what I`ve read here I assume that Sophia and Decker are not THE couple in Dark of the Night – and I am VERY happy about that. To tell the truth, I just cannot understand all the people who thought, after the last books, that Decker/Sophia was definitely going to happen. I mean, come on, it was very clear to me at least from “”Into the Storm”” on that Sophia at least might end up with Dave. Personally, I was hoping for it (but then, I just like the “”hopelessly infatuated”” type and was hoping for Dave`s HEA). And after the last book, I was REALLY excpeting it. I would have been absolutely disappointed if I had ended up with Sophia/Decker – and a disappointed Dave. I am very much looking forward to my copy of the new Troubleshooter…!!
After Force of Nature, I quit buying her books, but continued to read them from the library, hoping for a Sophia Decker resolution … comment by Leigh …
That’s me too: look, Suz when she’s on top of her game is fabulous: I’ll definitely read this book for closure, and the Sam and Alyssa book too … but it will be from the library. I buy very very few hardbacks and well :D …
I think Farmwife made some very straightforward, sensible comments. No one has to agree, but I think the trajectory is a bit different from when we first met Tom Paoletti.
I think that Farmwife two & Sandy post bring up valid posts that not all posters seem to realize. Many of us are not quitting reading her books just because we didn’t get Decker & Sophia. It has been accumulation of many things. Most we were overlooking because we wanted closure.
So it not like we are children picking up our toys and going home. I personally had planned on a break after this book. The long waits on open story arc, the books on characters that I wasn’t interested in, the lack of realism in their missions & the youthful dialog all were impacting my enjoyment. And honestly the recurring theme of alcoholism (Tom’s parents? his sister?, Sam’s mother, Mary Lou’s mother, Mary Lou, Mary Lou’s new husband, Murphy, Hannah, Kenny’s father?) was taking a toll too.
I think Ms Brockmann is a talented author, she just not writing the stories that I want to read anymore.
I am not saying that what bothers me is a detraction for other individuals. I just know that over the past four or five books, my ability to suspend belief and get lost in the story has been wearing thin. After Force of Nature, I quit buying her books, but continued to read them from the
library, hoping for a Sophia Decker resolution.
farmwifetwo, your post cracked me up. Funny. I think I remember you from Suz BB. All the fun folks left.
ICAM with your last two paragraphs in particular. I am interested in Decker, but the others (Dave and Sophia)…meh…not really caring for them.
Tell the folks “”hi”” for me. :)
Andrea
I have difficulty with those like Cranky Otter and other “”fan girls”” from Suz’s bb – who have posted here – constantly saying “”oh, she writes RL””, “”oh, she can make you believe anything””.
Why?? There is never a why??? All there is, is a slap. When I get a “”why””, therefore a discussion, I’ll buy into it. Had she put Decker and Sophia together they would argue it the other way and how dare anyone believe Sophia and Dave were going to get together. All b/c the author can do no wrong in their opinion.
Other’s of us have discussed this book elsewhere and I was impressed unlike the bb and AAR discussion didn’t get cross posted… which reminds me of a bunch of 12yr olds… but anyways… and we realized that after the 4yrs we spent on the bb we were doing a good rendition of “”fangirls”” ourselves. Buying books that we weren’t re-reading to be part of the “”clique””. I love how that’s justified on SB’s bb as the assumption that we have “”issues”” due to the fall-out… Yes, after the cross-posting I was reading on AAR I thought I’d go and see if our threads got cross-posted too. It can’t be b/c some are disappointed in losing out on their couple of choice and other’s of us haven’t been interested in where the series has been going for a while. That we were on the bb still b/c we wanted to hang out together and now that we have new space… we’re content.
It’s not romance, it’s not even romantic suspense, it is “”woman’s fiction””. If I want “”RL”” I’ll buy non-fiction or something off of Oprah’s reading list. Romance and Romantic suspense are a light, entertaining read.
I have no opinions either way about this book, I truly could not care less who ends up with whom. The last book I purchased was ITS and I hated it. There are much better serial killer story-line books out there and not one pretends to be romance, but a mystery with a romance. I don’t do “”buddy”” books. I don’t do men marrying teenagers for the sake of making certain they have insurance and sleeping with them. How many drunks to we have to have in a series?? How many unplanned pregnancies that we must be married?? How many Democrates when everyone knows the military is Republican?? How many rapes, horrible childhoods, kidnapped and tortured, killed off wives, drunks… do we need to read about??
I plan on getting it out of the library, reading it, using it for closure, and then I’m done. If she’s going to make a S/A/J/R into a mini-series like JD Robb has… I think I’ll stay with NR…
S
Hey Leigh,
I completely understand your POV, and that of everyone else who feels that way, too, and I respect it 100%. There are authors who, for various reasons, I stopped reading, too. Not every author will work for every person, all the time. I hope you find, or have found, another good author to take Suz’s place. If you do, be sure to pass along the name. I’m sure a lot of people would love to hear who it is :)
Julie
Thanks SandyC & Julie for posting the other viewpoint. I think that you both have articulated your argument well. Not that you are going to change my mind. But I can understand where you are coming from, and I hope that you guys understand the “”otherside”” too.
I hope you realize that for the majority of us, we are not quitting her books just because she didn’t write the book that we wanted to read. It is so much more than that. I think to boil it down to the most elemental level “”most of us believe that there shouldn’t be any question who the hero & heroine are in a love story””