Hearts in darkness

Hearts in darkness

Laura Kaye2013
Makenna James thinks her day can't get any worse, until she finds herself stuck in a pitch-black elevator with a complete stranger. Distracted by a phone call and juggling too much stuff, the pin-striped accountant caught only a glimpse of a dragon tattoo on his hand before the lights went out. Caden Grayson is amused when a redhead literally falls at his feet. His amusement turns to panic when the power fails. Despite his piercings, tats, and vicious scar, he's terrified of the dark and confined spaces. Now, he's trapped in his own worst nightmare. To fight fear, they must both reach out and open up. With no preconceived notions based on looks to hold them back, they discover just how much they have in common. In the warming darkness, attraction grows and sparks fly, but will they feel the same when the lights come back on?
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Reviews

Photo of Jaclyn
Jaclyn@romancebookbubble
4 stars
Apr 24, 2022

*4.5* This was incredibly sweet!!!! It was steamy, fun and super easy to read. It’s basically about two strangers who get stuck in an elevator and start to get to know eachother, and it’s so cute and so steamy! I really loved the development and I loved how much depth Caden had to his character! My heart felt for him and that’s amazing considering this is just about 100 pages! Highly recommend this if you want a sweet and steamy novella!!! Really loved this!

Photo of Belle Waters
Belle Waters@whatbigteeth
4 stars
Nov 29, 2021

reread-3.75⭐

Photo of Kath Lau
Kath Lau@kath_reads
3 stars
Nov 18, 2021

Being stuck in an elevator is definitely one of the scariest thing that can happen to someone especially if you're claustrophobic like Caden. He's terrified but thankfully he is not alone. Makenna enters the elevator before it stops and everything turns pitch-black. Caden and Makenna have totally different outward appearance. Caden is scarred, tattooed, and pierced while Makenna is stylish and conservative. But these differences didn't matter in the their current situation. I liked that they get to know each other without seeing or having a clear vision of what they both look like. It made their conversation real and deep especially when they started opening up to each other about their past. It was my favorite part. I enjoyed their banters and their chemistry. I also liked that they are both determined on what they really want and their little misunderstanding was quickly resolved. This was definitely a fast-paced and a very quick read. I thought it was hot and not too steamy. I wasn't sure if I wanted to read the next book after reading this novella but I gave in because I wanted to know how their story continues.

Photo of Sarah Hayes
Sarah Hayes@smdj1
5 stars
Oct 15, 2021

It was so easy to read! I loved it so much, i do want more though. That would be lovely.

Photo of Lynn Braden
Lynn Braden@ftbooklover
3 stars
Oct 8, 2021

Makenna James has had a very tough day and is looking forward to getting home, relaxing on her couch, and opening a bottle of wine. Unfortunately, as she stumbles into the elevator in her office building, she drops everything, including her phone, and loses her battery just as the elevator jerks to a stop and the lights go out. Caden Grayson captured a glimpse of Makenna as she fell into the elevator just before the lights went out and admired her beauty. Now he's just hoping he can keep it together and not give in to his claustrophobia long enough to help himself and Makenna get out of this strange situation. Hearts in Darkness is a short novella that really just has time to barely introduce the characters and begin a relationship. There is definitely an instant connection between the two that can be felt by the reader, however, as with all novellas, there really isn't time for anything more. Even though it is short, this book manages to establish chemistry and a physical relationship between the two main characters as well as a brief backstory. Overall, Hearts in Darkness does just about as much as can be expected from a story that is under 100 pages in length.

Photo of Kim
Kim@kimberlyfayereads
5 stars
Oct 6, 2021

Find this review and more at kimberlyfaye reads . Novellas are tricky to pull off well, especially when it's a standalone story and not part of a series. You wouldn't know that while reading Hearts in Darkness. It's definitely one of the best standalone novellas I've ever read. I would LOVE more of this story and, rumor has it, that's coming later this year. I can't wait. Character development is so difficult in such a short story – and so important to my enjoyment of a story. Laura did an amazing job of highlighting the depth and complexity of her characters in just a little over 100 pages. I felt like I knew and understood them better after half the book than I do some characters in full-length novels. Makenna and Caden were both wonderful characters. I'm not sure exactly how to identify the trope, but I'm a big fan of books that put two characters together for a limited time in a place they can't escape. Trapped in an elevator, locked in a room or even on a road trip. I love watching how relationships develop in such a short period of time under such circumstances. Hearts in Darkness does this brilliantly. I loved the dynamic between Makenna and Caden. They might have only gotten a mere glimpse of each other before the elevator stopped and the lights went out, but they flourished in the dark. It was like they'd been put in that place at the same time because they each needed someone. They talked about their lives and spilled truths and I was completely enraptured the entire time. I'm pretty sure if you looked up "unputdownable books" in the dictionary, you'd see a picture of this book. Because, seriously, it's one of the most addicting stories I've read in a long time. Hearts in Darkness was the best of the best when it comes to novellas. I was tripping over my feels while reading it. I loved how well these characters got to know each other in just a short period of time. Hell, I loved how well *I* got to know these characters in a such a short period of time. It had swoony moments and smoking hot sexy time. Love in an elevator, indeed! But, more than that, it had two characters I know I won't be forgetting about any time soon. I can't wait for the continuation of their story. Hearts in Darkness can totally stand on its own, but that doesn't mean I'm any less excited at the prospect of a companion novel.

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Markie Gohman@mgohman
3.5 stars
Aug 30, 2022
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Madison Burke@madison-m
3 stars
Aug 24, 2022
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Prerana agrawal@prerana
3 stars
Mar 12, 2024
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Matilda@ladypearl
3 stars
Jan 10, 2024
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Morgan Thomas@moalthom91
3 stars
Apr 8, 2023
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Raya@raeniiae
5 stars
Jan 8, 2023
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Lover of Romance @addictedtoromance
5 stars
Jan 1, 2023
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AJ@wovhen
5 stars
Dec 31, 2022
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Nairne Denholm @nairnedenholm
4 stars
Oct 31, 2022
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Jessica Thomas @sincerelypsycho
5 stars
Oct 2, 2022
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Kaitlin Cassell@castlerox66
5 stars
Aug 25, 2022
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Noelia Abreu@noelia7
4 stars
Aug 13, 2022
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Laja@lajathereader
3 stars
Aug 12, 2022
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Bea R.@bearigodon
3 stars
Aug 11, 2022
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Yesenia Vargas@yeseniavargas
5 stars
Apr 3, 2022
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Maggie El Lethy@maggiee
4 stars
Mar 4, 2022
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Jeni Szilagyi@jennah_v
3 stars
Feb 23, 2022
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Silvia Mihaylova@silvia_mihaylova
3 stars
Nov 27, 2021