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Blackwood by Celia Aaron

7/11/2019

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Blackwood by Celia Aaron
Rating: 5/5
Heat rating: 4/5
Amazon buy button
Category: ​Romantic suspense
Publication date: 01/07/2017
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Cliffhanger: No

This one was a re-read for me. I’ve read everything Celia Aaron has ever written, and I’ve never rated any of her books less than a 5, I don’t think. So, it should come as a surprise to absolutely no one when I say I loved this book.

Plot overview: Archaeology student Elise encounters mystery and intrigue on the property of Garrett Blackwood while investigating her father’s disappearance under the guise of an official dig. It’s a dark romantic suspense with a side of erotica, and sort of a loose interpretation of Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf.
Look, I won’t lie to you. This book won’t be for everyone. Garrett has some...let’s call them kinks. There’s some pretty hardcore BDSM elements here. But everything is 100% consensual, so I don’t really feel the need to call out any trigger warnings. Just know that if you’re looking for sweet, fade-to-black sex scenes, you should look elsewhere. Ahem. 

But that said, I found Garrett Blackwood endlessly fascinating. He had his kinks and his past damage, including a bit of an inferiority complex where he felt unworthy of Elise’s affections, but hey, who among us doesn’t have some damage? Beneath all the layers and damage, Garrett was a decent-hearted guy who took care of Elise to the best of his ability. 

There were a couple of points where I yelled at Elise like I yell at horror movie girls who wander out of the house by themselves when there’s a serial killer on the loose, but she never fell into TSTL territory for me. She was driven to find out what happened to her dad, which maybe clouded her judgement a time or two, but I could understand that, so I cut her some slack. She was otherwise smart and good at her job. (There was some competence porn where she explained some archaeological stuff to Garrett. It was pretty cool. I do love me some competence porn. But I digress...)

There was a bit of mystery and gore in this one, too, which I kind of love. But again, if you’re looking for a sweet, small-town romance...um, look elsewhere. This one falls into the dark and gritty category. (And I loved every minute of it) 

The twist at the end surprised me, too, which is super hard to do. I’m mostly a read-it-all-before kind of girl who can smell a plot twist a mile away, and I was surprised by this one. 

So, long-story-short, if you’re in the mood for a dark, gritty, romantic suspense/mystery with a side of kinky erotica, get your 1-clicking finger ready, because this one will DEFINITELY be your jam.     

Does this book contribute to or help crush the romance stigma?
Stomps the crap out of the romance stigma!!
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