Darkly by Helen Hardt

Darkly by Helen Hardt is the third book in the Follow Me series but it does not take place after the events of Follow Me Under. Instead, we are given Braden Black's perspective during the events of Follow Me Darkly and how he met and fell in love with Skye Manning. I did not expect to get my heart broken but it did anyway. It felt like I went back in time and witnessed Braden and Skye's blossoming relationship and love story. What makes this even more heartbreaking is that their relationship, specifically following the events of Follow Me Under, is in tatters. Skye loses her identity and control for Braden but at the cost of everything including her relationship with him.

"I want more than Skye's control. I want more than Skye's submission… I want her love."

I have been wanting Braden Black's point of view ever since I read Follow Me Darkly. He was always so mysterious, controlling, and evasive about his past relationships. He is still secretive and refuses to talk about his past but we are able to understand him and see the depth of his obsession with Skye a lot clearer in Darkly. He truly did fall in love with her. This book added a much needed layer and depth to the first book because we are given glimpses of Braden's past, his feelings for Skye, and what he did when he was away from her. It had all of the conversations from the first book in addition to new scenes between Braden and his brother, Ben. I still wanted to smack Braden for hurting and distancing himself from Skye. Ironically, he was also torturing himself while trying to figure out his feelings for her.

"I ache with how much I've missed her, how much strength it took for me not to constantly check in with her."

In the end, Darkly is the perfect companion book to Follow Me Darkly. It was sensual, erotic, romantic, and even heartbreaking if you are caught up in the series and know what happened between Braden and Skye. I enjoyed this book and will be looking forward to seeing how it will all end in Follow Me Always. I loved traveling back in time and seeing how they met and eventually fell in love. There was almost a sweet quality to it. Of course, Braden and Skye are incredibly sexy together as well and their love scenes were scorching hot. Fans of Helen Hardt and the Follow Me series will definitely appreciate this latest installment!

*This ARC was generously provided by the author and publisher for an honest review*

Rating: ★★★★☆