Blackwood by Celia Aaron

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!!

Sexy anti-heroes in romance you'll love to hate​

Angsty, tortured romance heroes you'll love​

Hot recluse romance heroes you wouldn't mind hiding away with​