Review: Heart of Darkness by Lauren Dane

Heart of Darkness (Bound by Magick #1) by Lauren Dane
Synopsis (Goodreads)

Meriel Owen, next in line to control the largest organization of witches in the country, is asked to investigate the owner of a notorious club reportedly siphoning magic from the font of the Clan. It’s a direct violation of the Clan Code of Conduct, but one look at Dominic Bright and Meriel’s willing to make a deal. One taste of the sexually feral outlaw witch, and she’s eager to go further: he’s her bond mate, a legal conduit into the world of Clan witches and their magic.

Playing by the rules isn’t Dominic’s style, but bonding with Meriel—night after explosive night—is. However, Meriel has unwittingly invited someone else into her world: Dominic’s mother, a dangerous and poisonously influential magic addict whose lust for death and power corrupts all she touches. Now her shadow is closing in on Meriel, her Clan, and the man Meriel loves, and it’s casting them all into the inescapable heart of darkness.

My Thoughts:  I have a tendency to love Lauren Dane's characters. She makes them so vibrant and alive that it's easy to fall into their lives and experience all the things they're experiencing. Dominic fell into this category almost immediately. I adored him. I loved how strong he was and how he was willing to take chances on the things that mattered to him. Meriel, on the other hand, was a little harder for me to get a handle on. With all the responsibilities she's preparing to take on, she's a little colder and more aloof than Dom. Yet, as her story unfolded, she began to show more and more layers. Her relationship with her mother was a slowly unfurling flower. The more we saw of them together, the more levels were uncovered. It was one of the things that both took me by surprise and delighted me to no end.

I also love insta-attraction between two people. Or three people. I'm not picky. I love when characters look at one another and just click. And when they get all growly and possessive (even when they're not werewolves or any other type of shifter)... *swoon*. Dom and Meriel had that. They had the instant attraction. They had the driving urge to get into each others pants. Their powers complimented one another and it was explosive and sexy. Being more versed in what was happening to them, Meriel was able to give Dom the time to understand why he was feeling this way and what it would mean for their future. I admire a girl who can call a halt to a hot and heavy make-out session so that the guy won't have regrets down the line. I also admire someone who is willing to make necessary changes - despite tradition and people being set in their ways - to make things better for her people as a whole.

The world Lauren Dane has created here is big and bold. There are a lot of different players and while it can make things a bit confusing at times it also made it feel like there could be a lot of different stories told. I'm already looking forward to book 2.

Books in this series
1. Heart of Darkness - Paperback | Kindle
2. Chaos Burning

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