Review: After Dark (Night Owl Series Book 3)

After Dark by M. Pierce
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was very much engrossed in the story and characters by the 3rd book. This book is finally the one where Matt and Hannah have to deal with many of their relationship issues. But they don't do it well. They both lie and hide from each other, and after a year together, their communication is weak. This book also highlights how unhealthy their relationship is. The psychiatrist eventually says that Hannah is good for Matt and all his issues (very Fifty Shades), but I find that false. I can't imagine a medical doctor not trying to work more on the negative co-dependent and enmeshed relationship they have. There is a point where he questions Matt's possessiveness, dominance, and preference for degradation of Hannah. The doctor's questions became a growth moment for Matt, and I liked his character more for it. It dealt with some very heavy issues including death and isolation (but the other did as well), and while it was written well, the resolution to these issues was not so clear.

Hannah resorted to childish behavior when she was angry (so does Matt) and doesn't talk about her feelings well, more often she does the same things back to him to show why she was mad, but then screws that up by also saying it turned her on. They are both f*cked up and immature.

Again, the similarities in plot to Fifty Shades is substantial, but M. Pierce is a better writer than E.L. James. Although Hannah was reduced to nonverbal shyness at the awesomeness and sexy body of Matt, it wasn't irritating like the many Anna (from Fifty) idiosyncrasies.

So if you like Erotic novels, then you might want to check this series out.

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