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Deadly Force #2
One Dark Wish
Her life must be forfeit for his to be redeemed
Historian Sarah Munro is not used to being shot at, but that's just what happens while she's poking around cemeteries on Georgia's Isle of Grace, searching for the key to a centuries-old cipher. Her quest has unwittingly drawn the attention of two deadly enemies intent on destroying each other--and anyone who gets in their way.
Ex-Green Beret Major Nate Walker is on a mission of his own: to restore the honor of his men. To do that, he is required to stop Sarah--or one of his own men will die. Caught in the middle of a deadly rivalry, Nate can't afford to trust the woman standing in his way. But his heart says he can't afford not to...
Historian Sarah Munro is not used to being shot at, but that's just what happens while she's poking around cemeteries on Georgia's Isle of Grace, searching for the key to a centuries-old cipher. Her quest has unwittingly drawn the attention of two deadly enemies intent on destroying each other--and anyone who gets in their way.
Ex-Green Beret Major Nate Walker is on a mission of his own: to restore the honor of his men. To do that, he is required to stop Sarah--or one of his own men will die. Caught in the middle of a deadly rivalry, Nate can't afford to trust the woman standing in his way. But his heart says he can't afford not to...
512 pages, Paperback
First published September 24, 2019
About the author
Sharon Wray
13 books237 followersSharon is a librarian who once studied dress design in the couture houses of Paris and now writes novels of suspense, adventure, and love. A wife, mother of twins, caretaker of Donut the One-Eyed Dog, she's repped by Deidre Knight and Kristy Hunter of The Knight Agency.
Random Fun Facts:
* Jersey girl married to a boy from Charleston, SC and transplanted in Virginia.
* Still not sure why anyone puts sugar in her iced tea.
* Total Buffy fan. Buffy is why she started writing in the first place.
Random Fun Facts:
* Jersey girl married to a boy from Charleston, SC and transplanted in Virginia.
* Still not sure why anyone puts sugar in her iced tea.
* Total Buffy fan. Buffy is why she started writing in the first place.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
December 30, 2018
One Dark Wish by Sharon Wray
Complex espionage romantic suspense with twists and depths that are slowly revealed.
2nd book in the Deadly Force series. Because of the background, I’m going to say that the first book should be read before this one. I didn’t read the prior book because of timing and felt a bit lost in the former Green Beret stories and twists. But if you read in the moment and don’t worry about too much backstory, you can read it as a standalone.
In summary, it’s all about political maneuvering and power.
Sarah and Nate are the focus of the romance but it was tense throughout because you know from the beginning the Nate is soon leaving for the military prison for a long sentence. All due to political machinations and not because he’s guilty of anything. Its frustrating that this hangs over his head yet they all must accept it and continue with the unknown.
Very much a connected arc over several books. You can enjoy the romance in the single book but the series will tell the story in full.
I will look for the next book because I want to know more about these military heroes and see them through to the win in the end. I have to have faith they will be successful and they won’t be puppets for much longer.
I won a copy of this book from the publisher in a random contest.
Complex espionage romantic suspense with twists and depths that are slowly revealed.
2nd book in the Deadly Force series. Because of the background, I’m going to say that the first book should be read before this one. I didn’t read the prior book because of timing and felt a bit lost in the former Green Beret stories and twists. But if you read in the moment and don’t worry about too much backstory, you can read it as a standalone.
In summary, it’s all about political maneuvering and power.
Sarah and Nate are the focus of the romance but it was tense throughout because you know from the beginning the Nate is soon leaving for the military prison for a long sentence. All due to political machinations and not because he’s guilty of anything. Its frustrating that this hangs over his head yet they all must accept it and continue with the unknown.
Very much a connected arc over several books. You can enjoy the romance in the single book but the series will tell the story in full.
I will look for the next book because I want to know more about these military heroes and see them through to the win in the end. I have to have faith they will be successful and they won’t be puppets for much longer.
I won a copy of this book from the publisher in a random contest.
October 18, 2019
Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) provided by the Author and Publisher in exchange for an fair and honest review.
Riveting plot and awesome characters, just too many of them, but . . . this book is one hot mess and not in a good way. I feel like Alice when she dropped down the rabbit hole. It took a good 60% of the book before I even began to grasp where this story was heading. There were so many characters and they each had their own agenda. There were good guys and bad guys and you really needed a program to know who was which and then I'm still not so sure about several of them. I loved the 17th century plot devise and how it formed the basis for the modern plot. What can I say, I'm a history buff and I love to wander around old cemeteries.
Sarah Munro is a disgraced historian who is on a mission to prove the academic world is wrong about her thesis. She is searching for the key to the 17th century Prideaux pirate cipher that will revel the locations of pirate hides where they stored their booty. This cipher is also bound up with the story of two star crossed lovers whose story ended tragically. Her research has drawn the notice of two very different and powerful foes who will stop at nothing to control both Sarah and her research.
Nate Walker is a dishonorably discharged Green Beret who has been through hell for something he and his men didn't do. Like Sarah, they are also facing foes who want to control them and if they can't control them, then destroy them. These shadowy enemies each want something from Nate and his failure to comply will mean death for someone he loves.
The Fianna, a ancient group of deadly warriors, wants Sarah stopped before she can decrypt the cipher and will kill one of Nate's men if he fails to stop her. The Marigny family leader, Remiel, wants Sarah to solve the cipher. If she doesn't her father will die.
Riveting plot and awesome characters, just too many of them, but . . . this book is one hot mess and not in a good way. I feel like Alice when she dropped down the rabbit hole. It took a good 60% of the book before I even began to grasp where this story was heading. There were so many characters and they each had their own agenda. There were good guys and bad guys and you really needed a program to know who was which and then I'm still not so sure about several of them. I loved the 17th century plot devise and how it formed the basis for the modern plot. What can I say, I'm a history buff and I love to wander around old cemeteries.
Sarah Munro is a disgraced historian who is on a mission to prove the academic world is wrong about her thesis. She is searching for the key to the 17th century Prideaux pirate cipher that will revel the locations of pirate hides where they stored their booty. This cipher is also bound up with the story of two star crossed lovers whose story ended tragically. Her research has drawn the notice of two very different and powerful foes who will stop at nothing to control both Sarah and her research.
Nate Walker is a dishonorably discharged Green Beret who has been through hell for something he and his men didn't do. Like Sarah, they are also facing foes who want to control them and if they can't control them, then destroy them. These shadowy enemies each want something from Nate and his failure to comply will mean death for someone he loves.
The Fianna, a ancient group of deadly warriors, wants Sarah stopped before she can decrypt the cipher and will kill one of Nate's men if he fails to stop her. The Marigny family leader, Remiel, wants Sarah to solve the cipher. If she doesn't her father will die.
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October 25, 2019I've given this one a B for narration but DNF for content. I don't DNF very often, but I had to admit defeat on this one.
In the eight or nine years I’ve been reviewing books and audiobooks, I can count the number of times I’ve DNF’d a review copy on the fingers of one hand. I’ve slogged through some atrocious stories and horrific narrations to the bitter end, so I can at least feel that by being able to warn others away from such duds, the time I spent reading or listening to them wasn’t completely wasted.
So DNF-ing is a rare occurrence for me, but I had to admit defeat and give up just after the halfway mark of Sharon Wray’s One Dark Wish, the second book in her Deadly Force series. I’m not familiar with the author and haven’t read or listened to anything of hers before, but the synopsis sounded appealing.
You can read the rest of this review at AudioGals.
In the eight or nine years I’ve been reviewing books and audiobooks, I can count the number of times I’ve DNF’d a review copy on the fingers of one hand. I’ve slogged through some atrocious stories and horrific narrations to the bitter end, so I can at least feel that by being able to warn others away from such duds, the time I spent reading or listening to them wasn’t completely wasted.
So DNF-ing is a rare occurrence for me, but I had to admit defeat and give up just after the halfway mark of Sharon Wray’s One Dark Wish, the second book in her Deadly Force series. I’m not familiar with the author and haven’t read or listened to anything of hers before, but the synopsis sounded appealing.
You can read the rest of this review at AudioGals.
September 30, 2019
Series where each member of a team of military special forces types find love in their turn, with an overarching mystery arc which gets solved piece by piece throughout the series, are pretty staple fare in romantic suspense (see Suzanne Brockmann for someone who does it amazingly well). Generally, the romance in each book stands alone but you might struggle a little bit to pick up the overall mystery if you don’t start at the first book in the series.
One Dark Wish doesn’t even manage to have the romance stand alone. I actually turned back to the beginning at the end of Chapter One, wondering if there was a prologue or something I’d somehow managed to miss, because for some reason I never figured out, Sarah and Nate’s story started after they’d met multiple times, already kissed, and managed to get themselves caught in the middle of an untenable situation where neither of them could win without the other losing someone dear to them.
I had absolutely no idea what was going on at any stage in the book. With a group of mysterious assassins, a local gangster, Russian mafia, possibly other members of Nate’s own team, Sarah’s boss and, frankly, Uncle Tom Cobley and all arrayed as antagonists, there’s just far too much going on, and that’s even before we go into the entire reason for Sarah’s involvement in the mystery, which involves the solving of a cipher used by sixteenth-century Georgia pirates in order to locate smuggling hidey-holes for modern-day arms dealers.
Absolutely none of it made any sense. There were too many points of view, too many competing goals, and it was never explained why exactly one of the antagonists was prepared to kill in order to have the cipher not be solved.
Considering the hot mess which desperately needed cleaning up by a ruthless content editor with a red pen, is anyone surprised the book has a massive diversity failure too? None of an entire unit of Green Berets are described as anything other than white and straight, and apparently, nor is anyone else in Savannah. Oh, and the hero’s raging PTSD is magically solved by the heroine’s presence (a trope I absolutely hate).
A hot mess which started in the wrong place and never recovered from that fatal mis-step, I can’t bring myself to give this any more than one star.
Disclaimer: I received a review copy of this book via NetGalley.
One Dark Wish doesn’t even manage to have the romance stand alone. I actually turned back to the beginning at the end of Chapter One, wondering if there was a prologue or something I’d somehow managed to miss, because for some reason I never figured out, Sarah and Nate’s story started after they’d met multiple times, already kissed, and managed to get themselves caught in the middle of an untenable situation where neither of them could win without the other losing someone dear to them.
I had absolutely no idea what was going on at any stage in the book. With a group of mysterious assassins, a local gangster, Russian mafia, possibly other members of Nate’s own team, Sarah’s boss and, frankly, Uncle Tom Cobley and all arrayed as antagonists, there’s just far too much going on, and that’s even before we go into the entire reason for Sarah’s involvement in the mystery, which involves the solving of a cipher used by sixteenth-century Georgia pirates in order to locate smuggling hidey-holes for modern-day arms dealers.
Absolutely none of it made any sense. There were too many points of view, too many competing goals, and it was never explained why exactly one of the antagonists was prepared to kill in order to have the cipher not be solved.
Considering the hot mess which desperately needed cleaning up by a ruthless content editor with a red pen, is anyone surprised the book has a massive diversity failure too? None of an entire unit of Green Berets are described as anything other than white and straight, and apparently, nor is anyone else in Savannah. Oh, and the hero’s raging PTSD is magically solved by the heroine’s presence (a trope I absolutely hate).
A hot mess which started in the wrong place and never recovered from that fatal mis-step, I can’t bring myself to give this any more than one star.
Disclaimer: I received a review copy of this book via NetGalley.
March 20, 2022
Loved this book! We met former Green Beret Nate, the hero in this story, in Every Deep Desire (Deadly Force #1). The guy was a mess. But I was so excited to see that Nate would get his own story.
In this book, Nate teams up with sweet, lovely and oh-so-curious historian Sarah. She's digging around the past, in an attempt to restore her professional reputation, and he's ordered to stop her or one of his men will die.
As Nate and Sara start to fall in love (and you SO want them to be together), the risks around them skyrocket. There's two groups of bad guys trying to stop them and danger at every turn. There are more than a few truly heart-pounding moments.
Sharon Wray's books remind me of the best Sidney Sheldon novels--so much suspense and intrigue as you're rooting for the main characters to get their happily ever after. You truly don't know what's what until the very end. Such a great story!!
In this book, Nate teams up with sweet, lovely and oh-so-curious historian Sarah. She's digging around the past, in an attempt to restore her professional reputation, and he's ordered to stop her or one of his men will die.
As Nate and Sara start to fall in love (and you SO want them to be together), the risks around them skyrocket. There's two groups of bad guys trying to stop them and danger at every turn. There are more than a few truly heart-pounding moments.
Sharon Wray's books remind me of the best Sidney Sheldon novels--so much suspense and intrigue as you're rooting for the main characters to get their happily ever after. You truly don't know what's what until the very end. Such a great story!!
October 11, 2019
The Historian and the mercenary!
I’ve anxiously waited for book 2 in the Deadly Force series and was thrilled to see this on my Kindle on release day.
First, I have to mention that cover. It’s like the skies opened and wept for the angel below. Moody and beautiful, the image hints at the story’s southern location, suspenseful genre, and ringing endorsement from Allison Brennan.
The story carries on two weeks after book 1- Every Deep Desire- with Major Nate Walker on the search for answers to why his Green Beret team was set up and court marshalled before being dishonorably discharged.
Sarah Munro isn’t sure why the handsome Nate keeps showing up just when she needs him most, but with danger growing every which way she turns, she’s grateful for his protection. If only she could trust that he didn’t have his own agenda.
As two deadly enemies close ranks on the historian, Nate must make a lose or lose decision that could cost him his men, or the woman he loves.
Favorite Line
Nate sat higher against the headboard and smelled peppermint. Doc Bennett had taken off Nate’s shirt to rub salve on his arms, and now he smelled like a damn breath mint.
Wray, Sharon. One Dark Wish (Deadly Force) . Sourcebooks. Kindle Edition.
If you like alpha heroes and damsels with a backbone you’ll love One Dark Wish!
I’ve anxiously waited for book 2 in the Deadly Force series and was thrilled to see this on my Kindle on release day.
First, I have to mention that cover. It’s like the skies opened and wept for the angel below. Moody and beautiful, the image hints at the story’s southern location, suspenseful genre, and ringing endorsement from Allison Brennan.
The story carries on two weeks after book 1- Every Deep Desire- with Major Nate Walker on the search for answers to why his Green Beret team was set up and court marshalled before being dishonorably discharged.
Sarah Munro isn’t sure why the handsome Nate keeps showing up just when she needs him most, but with danger growing every which way she turns, she’s grateful for his protection. If only she could trust that he didn’t have his own agenda.
As two deadly enemies close ranks on the historian, Nate must make a lose or lose decision that could cost him his men, or the woman he loves.
Favorite Line
Nate sat higher against the headboard and smelled peppermint. Doc Bennett had taken off Nate’s shirt to rub salve on his arms, and now he smelled like a damn breath mint.
Wray, Sharon. One Dark Wish (Deadly Force) . Sourcebooks. Kindle Edition.
If you like alpha heroes and damsels with a backbone you’ll love One Dark Wish!
October 8, 2019
4.5 Stars
This is the second book in the Deadly Force series by Sharon Wray.
This is my first book by this author and I have to say that if you have a choice, start with book one, EVERY DEEP DESIRE. There is a lot of complexity and interesting dynamics in this book. A lot of it has a historical significance and knowing the backstory more thoroughly will make this an easier read. I had no trouble following the action but I did have a lot of questions about these Knights, for lack of a better term, who bow in three different intensities depending on if they respect you or wanted to annihilate you and spoke in Shakespearian verse. I wasn’t sure why this whole Shakespearian Knight dynamic was in this book but I assume it was added to lend credit to our heroine, Sarah Munro who was a historian.
I felt sorry for Sarah. She went through a lot even before the whole Shakespearian Knight thing showed up on her doorstep and threw her for a loop. The entrance of Nate Walker, ex-Green Beret and uncertain candidate for Knighthood, I felt this was a little rushed. He was there and then he was gone. Then two weeks later the story starts up again after Sarah’s little world has exploded. I thought seeing this stuff first hand might have made a better story. I know the book was already pretty long but still, why jump over so much intrigue that would come to bear later?
If you are looking for a tame romantic suspense, then this isn’t the book for you. The sexy scenes are a little over the top. I rolled my eyes a couple of times but they aren’t long and they don’t take over the main thrust of the story, which I appreciate. I am reading more for the action and suspense than the sexy love scenes.
Over all, this is a pretty good read. It keeps you interested from page one and you wonder if you will ever figure out what is truly going on behind it all. I look forward to picking up book one and digging more into the backstory. Definitely check this one out if romantic suspense is your thing.
Highly recommended.
I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.
This is the second book in the Deadly Force series by Sharon Wray.
This is my first book by this author and I have to say that if you have a choice, start with book one, EVERY DEEP DESIRE. There is a lot of complexity and interesting dynamics in this book. A lot of it has a historical significance and knowing the backstory more thoroughly will make this an easier read. I had no trouble following the action but I did have a lot of questions about these Knights, for lack of a better term, who bow in three different intensities depending on if they respect you or wanted to annihilate you and spoke in Shakespearian verse. I wasn’t sure why this whole Shakespearian Knight dynamic was in this book but I assume it was added to lend credit to our heroine, Sarah Munro who was a historian.
I felt sorry for Sarah. She went through a lot even before the whole Shakespearian Knight thing showed up on her doorstep and threw her for a loop. The entrance of Nate Walker, ex-Green Beret and uncertain candidate for Knighthood, I felt this was a little rushed. He was there and then he was gone. Then two weeks later the story starts up again after Sarah’s little world has exploded. I thought seeing this stuff first hand might have made a better story. I know the book was already pretty long but still, why jump over so much intrigue that would come to bear later?
If you are looking for a tame romantic suspense, then this isn’t the book for you. The sexy scenes are a little over the top. I rolled my eyes a couple of times but they aren’t long and they don’t take over the main thrust of the story, which I appreciate. I am reading more for the action and suspense than the sexy love scenes.
Over all, this is a pretty good read. It keeps you interested from page one and you wonder if you will ever figure out what is truly going on behind it all. I look forward to picking up book one and digging more into the backstory. Definitely check this one out if romantic suspense is your thing.
Highly recommended.
I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.
Want to read
June 5, 2021From the blurb, this book seemed perfect for me: bookish historian Sarah against ex Green Beret Nate! But, from nearly the 1st paragraph, I found this book weird. I don't know how else to describe it honestly. It was just weird. It was part special ops, part ghost story. I love both those things, but this didn't mesh well for me at all. There is a LOT happening and none of it felt connected. A reader friend told me it started to make more sense by the 60% mark, but I could tell there was no way I was going to make it that far being so confused and disconnected.
November 4, 2019
In Sharon Wray's One Dark Wish, the 2nd installment in the Deadly Force romantic suspense series, this novel is gripping and powerful from the first page. It all started for historian Sarah Munroe when she's looking for clues and ancient artifacts in a Puritan love story that's more than three centuries old. When she's been shot at, she ran across Nate Walker, a former veteran who's dealing with seizures and had been dishonorably discharged for a massacre in Afghanistan. When Nate spotted Sarah at the Isle of Grace cemetery in Savannah, she became intrigued on his presence there. And there was a chemistry between them. Two weeks later, they meet at the same place and at the wrong time, when he warmed her not to search for clues in the cemetery. There's a war between the Fianna warriors and the Prince's men that's darn-right deadly. But Sarah was more than hell-bent to look for clues and work on that grant proposal to fund the money for her research... it's something she held close to her heart since her late mother had been fascinated with that Puritan love story and its secret cipher code. While dealing with threats for her father's health and the war outside, Sarah and Nate work together to discover the mystery while they deal with threats and other obstacles including from Nate's own XO who had them followed. The closer they get to the truth, the more they unearth the mystery that might be linked to Sarah's birth father. But the sparks would be flying between them to set the night on fire, though there was a ticking timeline before Nate's sent back to a prison hospital in Maine. Even with time's not on their side, they would put their lives on the line to set thing right and happy a sweet ending that would last a lifetime.
September 24, 2019
ARC REVIEW
Deadly Force #2, Because of backstory, it's when the main characters met, and why you need to beware of men who bow I would recommend reading the first book before this one. In the events before both books two teams of Green Berets were royally screwed over the ones that aren't in prison were dishonorably discharged and put to the task of finding out who betrayed them so they can free their teammates from prison and clean their record. There is a large cast of characters but their are only a few you need to worry about in this book, the third person perspective focus on Sarah Munro and Nate Walker the main characters but it also adds Zack a fellow ex-Green Beret and one of the bad guys Etienne. For the most part it's easy to tell when it switches, mid chapter there are chapter breaks and who you are now following is usually named right away. The story is complex there are quite a few different elements to it all lots of different threads that all come together in the end but still leave the overall story arc open for the next book.
I loved Nate and Sarah, they are both complex character with baggage, especially Nate who has health issues. Ever since the ambush and his time as a prisoner and tortured he's suffered from seizures and memory loss, while all his men were in prison he was in a hospital. His CO, Kells, has just informed him he has to go back to the hospital. With only days before he has to go back he has to finish setting up their cover as employees of the Iron Rack Gym and bouncers at the club Rage of Angels but when Sarah gets tied up in this mess he's determined to keep her safe until he's forced to go back.
Sarah wasn't meant to get mixed up in Nate's problems but it seems she was already hip deep in it anyways. Her research into the history of Isle of Grace has landed her in hot water already she's being threatened by both sides; one side wants her to solve the old pirate cipher and the other doesn't even to the extent of going after her father to get her to cooperate. Nate is the only one who wants to protect her even if they were pitted against each other. This book is packed with so much the action it's exciting and there are twists and red herrings, and smoking hot romance. Overall, a great story.
Deadly Force #2, Because of backstory, it's when the main characters met, and why you need to beware of men who bow I would recommend reading the first book before this one. In the events before both books two teams of Green Berets were royally screwed over the ones that aren't in prison were dishonorably discharged and put to the task of finding out who betrayed them so they can free their teammates from prison and clean their record. There is a large cast of characters but their are only a few you need to worry about in this book, the third person perspective focus on Sarah Munro and Nate Walker the main characters but it also adds Zack a fellow ex-Green Beret and one of the bad guys Etienne. For the most part it's easy to tell when it switches, mid chapter there are chapter breaks and who you are now following is usually named right away. The story is complex there are quite a few different elements to it all lots of different threads that all come together in the end but still leave the overall story arc open for the next book.
I loved Nate and Sarah, they are both complex character with baggage, especially Nate who has health issues. Ever since the ambush and his time as a prisoner and tortured he's suffered from seizures and memory loss, while all his men were in prison he was in a hospital. His CO, Kells, has just informed him he has to go back to the hospital. With only days before he has to go back he has to finish setting up their cover as employees of the Iron Rack Gym and bouncers at the club Rage of Angels but when Sarah gets tied up in this mess he's determined to keep her safe until he's forced to go back.
Sarah wasn't meant to get mixed up in Nate's problems but it seems she was already hip deep in it anyways. Her research into the history of Isle of Grace has landed her in hot water already she's being threatened by both sides; one side wants her to solve the old pirate cipher and the other doesn't even to the extent of going after her father to get her to cooperate. Nate is the only one who wants to protect her even if they were pitted against each other. This book is packed with so much the action it's exciting and there are twists and red herrings, and smoking hot romance. Overall, a great story.
September 26, 2019
So what drew me in was the cover of this book, absolutely stunning. I didn't realize that this was a book in a series and therefore took some time for me to get into this book. I loved that Sarah was a Historian, something I would love to do!! Mystery, action, and romance all in one book!
February 9, 2020
Fantastic Story!
I loved this book!
The twists and turns of the plot, combined with a steamy, forbidden romance will keep you turning the pages to the very end.
The author has an easy, flowing way with words, drawing you into her adventure from the start.
I loved this book!
The twists and turns of the plot, combined with a steamy, forbidden romance will keep you turning the pages to the very end.
The author has an easy, flowing way with words, drawing you into her adventure from the start.
July 16, 2019
This is the second book in this series and I am enjoying this series very much. Readers would have to read the first book in this series to really understand the story lines as it does have a lot of characters
Thanks to Netgalley for letting me read this book for an honest review
Thanks to Netgalley for letting me read this book for an honest review
September 9, 2019
I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Netgalley but all opinions provided are my own.
I really admire when an author really goes for it—when she’s not afraid to take plot or character risks—and that’s what Sharon Wray does in One Dark Wish. There are parts of the book that really work for me, like the intriguing plot and complex characters, and also parts, like the actual execution of those risks, that don't.
Wray’s book opens with heroine-historian Dr. Sarah Munro witnessing the murder of her assistant after Sarah saw a man bow. Then the hero Nate Walker kisses her before leaving the police department in a hurry. Two weeks afterward, Sarah’s wandering a historic cemetery without the owner’s permission, looking for the grave of Rebecca, a teenager who was hanged for being a witch in the 17th century and whose diary she’s currently asking to study. She’s met by a man who bows, and she immediately recognizes him as a Fianna warrior (it’s not explained how she recognizes him as such now, and not earlier, at the police department after witnessing her assistant’s murder).
The warrior threatens her if she persists with the diary, but Nate interrupts their meeting, protecting Sarah and ushering her off before demanding that she meet with him later…where he can also demand that she walk away.
It turns out that there’s a pirate cipher related to the diary-writer Rebecca, one that the Fianna warriors do not want decoded and one that another dangerous party, does.
Sarah really can’t win, and that’s where the book’s drama and high stakes come in.
All of this action happens shortly after the book opens, and it was pretty confusing for me at times to follow. This is the second book in the series, so perhaps Wray sets up most of this in the first book. Either way, some additional explanation here and there would have been helpful.
There are also plot-points that feel like they aren’t tied up. Like the assistant who died. She’s mentioned at the beginning of the book and then she’s not addressed to my satisfaction later, although I suspect she could have been related to this book’s plot in some kind of way. Also the matter of who sent Nate to a military mental hospital in the first place feels abbreviated, particularly in terms of the emotional response.
I eventually felt like I had a handle on the main conflict, the primary foes, and how Sarah and Nate fit into everything, but I would have appreciated a gentler introduction to it all.
But despite my moments of confusion and frustration, I kept reading because I saw potential in One Dark Wish and the kind of story Wray tells. The premise is interesting, with cool world-building and compelling villains, heroes, and heroines. Sarah and Nate are smart, determined, and brave, and their dynamic together is enjoyable to watch unfold. Their passion is searing. And finally, the plot’s sometimes too complicated, but I love how well thought-out and ambitious it is, even if it could have been tighter and smoother in execution.
In the end, my response to this book feels as complicated as the plot itself. There are what feel like big problems with this book for me, but there’s also quite a lot to commend it. I’m going to read Wray at least once again because I want to see where she goes—and how she goes—next.
I really admire when an author really goes for it—when she’s not afraid to take plot or character risks—and that’s what Sharon Wray does in One Dark Wish. There are parts of the book that really work for me, like the intriguing plot and complex characters, and also parts, like the actual execution of those risks, that don't.
Wray’s book opens with heroine-historian Dr. Sarah Munro witnessing the murder of her assistant after Sarah saw a man bow. Then the hero Nate Walker kisses her before leaving the police department in a hurry. Two weeks afterward, Sarah’s wandering a historic cemetery without the owner’s permission, looking for the grave of Rebecca, a teenager who was hanged for being a witch in the 17th century and whose diary she’s currently asking to study. She’s met by a man who bows, and she immediately recognizes him as a Fianna warrior (it’s not explained how she recognizes him as such now, and not earlier, at the police department after witnessing her assistant’s murder).
The warrior threatens her if she persists with the diary, but Nate interrupts their meeting, protecting Sarah and ushering her off before demanding that she meet with him later…where he can also demand that she walk away.
It turns out that there’s a pirate cipher related to the diary-writer Rebecca, one that the Fianna warriors do not want decoded and one that another dangerous party, does.
Sarah really can’t win, and that’s where the book’s drama and high stakes come in.
All of this action happens shortly after the book opens, and it was pretty confusing for me at times to follow. This is the second book in the series, so perhaps Wray sets up most of this in the first book. Either way, some additional explanation here and there would have been helpful.
There are also plot-points that feel like they aren’t tied up. Like the assistant who died. She’s mentioned at the beginning of the book and then she’s not addressed to my satisfaction later, although I suspect she could have been related to this book’s plot in some kind of way. Also the matter of who sent Nate to a military mental hospital in the first place feels abbreviated, particularly in terms of the emotional response.
I eventually felt like I had a handle on the main conflict, the primary foes, and how Sarah and Nate fit into everything, but I would have appreciated a gentler introduction to it all.
But despite my moments of confusion and frustration, I kept reading because I saw potential in One Dark Wish and the kind of story Wray tells. The premise is interesting, with cool world-building and compelling villains, heroes, and heroines. Sarah and Nate are smart, determined, and brave, and their dynamic together is enjoyable to watch unfold. Their passion is searing. And finally, the plot’s sometimes too complicated, but I love how well thought-out and ambitious it is, even if it could have been tighter and smoother in execution.
In the end, my response to this book feels as complicated as the plot itself. There are what feel like big problems with this book for me, but there’s also quite a lot to commend it. I’m going to read Wray at least once again because I want to see where she goes—and how she goes—next.
February 20, 2022
One Dark Way by Sharon Wray is an interesting concept for a romantic suspense novel. I loved half of this book and the other half was not bad but not superb. It's not necessarily the first or second half. Just half of the book's content was amazing and the other part was not as great.
I liked how the men in this book were former military men and how they were like brothers. Second, I enjoyed the fact there were two groups that were in a middle of a war with each other and dragging in the main characters into their problems. It created a super web of suspense, intrigue, and casted a dark deadly shadow everywhere. However, the plot pacing was not phenomenal. Using for this genre, the pacing is a bit quicker and more enjoyable. I found myself wanting to just stop reading the book after a bit. But then, I would not know all of the whys, who's, and how it all ended.
The story was dramatic maybe, too much. The suspense was there. Plus, the chemistry and blooming romance between the heroine and hero was all there. I liked that the hero was flawed. Yet it felt like he gave up fighting and was content just knowing his woman was safe. He did not fight to be with her the way most heroes would. So, that was one of the parts that just did not sit well with me especially as a reader huge on romance. All in all, it was a good read. I did not read the first book in this series, and I was able to follow along perfectly. I really liked that about this novel. Therefore, some really cool aspects and some not cool aspects were in this tale.
I liked how the men in this book were former military men and how they were like brothers. Second, I enjoyed the fact there were two groups that were in a middle of a war with each other and dragging in the main characters into their problems. It created a super web of suspense, intrigue, and casted a dark deadly shadow everywhere. However, the plot pacing was not phenomenal. Using for this genre, the pacing is a bit quicker and more enjoyable. I found myself wanting to just stop reading the book after a bit. But then, I would not know all of the whys, who's, and how it all ended.
The story was dramatic maybe, too much. The suspense was there. Plus, the chemistry and blooming romance between the heroine and hero was all there. I liked that the hero was flawed. Yet it felt like he gave up fighting and was content just knowing his woman was safe. He did not fight to be with her the way most heroes would. So, that was one of the parts that just did not sit well with me especially as a reader huge on romance. All in all, it was a good read. I did not read the first book in this series, and I was able to follow along perfectly. I really liked that about this novel. Therefore, some really cool aspects and some not cool aspects were in this tale.
November 7, 2019
Let me just say to start that this a very different book from other books I have read. It is a hybrid novel, part suspense/mystery, part romance/ erotica. I was a little thrown at first because this is a second book in a series. Since I didn’t read the first novel in the series, I was a little thrown off. The storyline of a mysterious group of former Green Berets, who find themselves mixed into a centuries old mystery about an unsolvable cipher that may point out the location of hidden rooms buried under the cemetery, is a complicated one. At the middle of it is the hapless, fearless historian Sarah, and Nate, a disgraced Green Beret on a temporary hiatus from a twenty year sentence in a secret military hospital. Nate already served 3 years and it left him with memory loss and crippling seizures. Sarah wants to solve the cipher, and correct the wrongs of the past, when Nate steps into her path and throws all her plans into chaos. There are a lot of players involved in the story, and I’m not completely sure if I understand the role of everyone involved. If there is any downside to this story it is the fact that there are numerous storylines and they aren’t all fully explained. I will say that if we were all having the kind of sex described in this book, nothing would be getting done. Kinda jealous actually. The storyline does have promise and I would continue the series. It may be too complicated for some people to really get into. Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy.
July 24, 2019
This was quite the story! Lots of action, steamy romance, intrigue and multiple plot lines. I will admit I got a little confused with all the characters – good guys, bad guys, good guys who may be bad guys … This is the second book in the Deadly Force series so pretty well all the characters knew each other from the first book, except for me, as this is my first book by this author. Although this is a standalone, it would certainly help with placing all the characters and past events by reading the first of this series. This author also likes to use italics … a lot! Sometimes I thought it was appropriate, sometimes not, and sometimes she didn’t use them when she could have. I felt this book could have benefited from some tighter editing, but the story line was worth the read.
I received a free copy from Netgalley. This is my honest, unbiased review.
I received a free copy from Netgalley. This is my honest, unbiased review.
June 6, 2021
Super twisty romantic thriller
No plot spoilers
No potential triggers
There are no grammatical or editorial errors that I can recall.
There are some sex scenes and some swearing
The characterisation isn't outstanding but it's more than enough to draw you in and keep you turning the pages. By the middle of the book the characters become more genuine and really snag your attention.
The plotline is so twisty it's a little difficult to keep track of who knows what and as ever, the Fianna are somehow both on the outer edges of the story as well as in the thick of it all.
The story isn't fast paced and once or twice I found my attention flagging but if you are a fan of the genre, and love intrigue and love against all the odds you should enjoy this series.
I do recommend it and would have awarded five stars if not for the slow parts.
No plot spoilers
No potential triggers
There are no grammatical or editorial errors that I can recall.
There are some sex scenes and some swearing
The characterisation isn't outstanding but it's more than enough to draw you in and keep you turning the pages. By the middle of the book the characters become more genuine and really snag your attention.
The plotline is so twisty it's a little difficult to keep track of who knows what and as ever, the Fianna are somehow both on the outer edges of the story as well as in the thick of it all.
The story isn't fast paced and once or twice I found my attention flagging but if you are a fan of the genre, and love intrigue and love against all the odds you should enjoy this series.
I do recommend it and would have awarded five stars if not for the slow parts.
August 15, 2019
This is hard one to review - I really liked the sound of the book - historical documents, pirates, secrets all sounded just up my street but I really didn't end up enjoying the book.
There were so many characters with very complicated backstories and the different elements - disgraced police, heroin deals, smuggled missiles, Russian gangsters, green berets and historical pirates was just a bit too much and too implausible for me. And there were some very long sex scenes.
I can see that this book would be appealing to people, but sadly it wasn't for me.
Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy in return for an honest review
There were so many characters with very complicated backstories and the different elements - disgraced police, heroin deals, smuggled missiles, Russian gangsters, green berets and historical pirates was just a bit too much and too implausible for me. And there were some very long sex scenes.
I can see that this book would be appealing to people, but sadly it wasn't for me.
Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy in return for an honest review
April 13, 2021
One Dark Wish by Sharon Wray is my first read by this author but it won’t be my last. This is a fast-paced, action-packed storyline with a complex plot that has suspense, danger, romance, awesome characters and is full of twists and turn. It is an intense read that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The author is to be commended for her great writing, attention to detail and the history. I rated it a five.
September 26, 2019
I was attracted by the blurb as it contained a lot of elements I usually liked in a novel.
Unfortunately I found the book confusing, too many subplots and characters, and it didn't keep my attention.
It's well written but its' not my cup of tea.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
Unfortunately I found the book confusing, too many subplots and characters, and it didn't keep my attention.
It's well written but its' not my cup of tea.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
August 4, 2019
This one was just ok for me . I like my mysteries with a little less romance.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book
October 21, 2019
Really couldn't get into this book. Took me a long time to read too. Based on this book, I will not be reading anymore in this series.
November 3, 2019
Excellent book. Cant wait for next one.
January 15, 2020
good book cant wait to read more books by this author I kept wondering what was going to happen next
March 29, 2020
Wray picks up One Dark Wish where Every Deep Desire ended; this series is best read in order. Fast paced and fun, I loved seeing an historian as a main character.
June 16, 2021
If you loved book 1 like I did, them you’ll absolutely love book 2 even more. It has more action, romance and mystery in it , it will take your breath away. I’m definitely look forward to book 3
June 6, 2022
Great writing!
I love Sharon Wray’s books.The writing is great. The character development is rich. It’s a long book with an exciting story told within it’s pages.
I love Sharon Wray’s books.The writing is great. The character development is rich. It’s a long book with an exciting story told within it’s pages.
September 24, 2019
I found this book to be a bit confusing although I did enjoy it. I do like series books however understand I should have read the first book in order to understand this one better.
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