Synopsis:
WARNING: This book will mess with your mind. It is a very dark, sexy, twisted romance novel. 18+ only.
Blake:
I am a brother
I am a police detective
I am a contract killer
I don’t want to love
I don’t want to feel
I don’t want … EMPATHY.
They say some people are born with decreased activity in the front central lobe causing them a deficiency in empathy. Maybe that’s true about me but whether I was born this way or created in a moment of evil, empathy was something I didn’t possess until her green eyes met mine in the mirror and I couldn’t take her life.
I didn’t want to feel, didn’t want this woman in my life complicating how I lived but she was there at every turn. Sent to haunt me for my sins. Her light so bright she provoked a shadow from everyone she touched. When a job turns bad quickly altering my life forever I’m forced to feel. When nothing is making sense I’m forced to face truths I never would recover from. When life drowns you in its cruelty you don’t know which way the current will drag you or who you’ll become once you re-surface.
Melody:
I was a daughter
I was a student
I was a victim
Did I have his love?
Did I make him feel?
Did I have his empathy?
When the actions of a soulless killer forces sorrow into my veins I never dreamed the man healing my wounds would be the one to leave the worst scar. His love would scar my soul. Scars are permanent; I will never feel the relief from them. Will I learn to live with them, remember why I have them and learn never to let him close enough to inflict more? Will I eventually cover them… like tattoos coating them with new memories, new love and new starts? I didn’t know these answers because the pain was too suffocating, the only thing I knew was they will always be under the surface lingering. He had scars too, from his sins. There is nothing that can cover them, they were too deep, too ugly, too dark and they marked us both forever.
_________________________________________________________________________________Blake:
I am a brother
I am a police detective
I am a contract killer
I don’t want to love
I don’t want to feel
I don’t want … EMPATHY.
They say some people are born with decreased activity in the front central lobe causing them a deficiency in empathy. Maybe that’s true about me but whether I was born this way or created in a moment of evil, empathy was something I didn’t possess until her green eyes met mine in the mirror and I couldn’t take her life.
I didn’t want to feel, didn’t want this woman in my life complicating how I lived but she was there at every turn. Sent to haunt me for my sins. Her light so bright she provoked a shadow from everyone she touched. When a job turns bad quickly altering my life forever I’m forced to feel. When nothing is making sense I’m forced to face truths I never would recover from. When life drowns you in its cruelty you don’t know which way the current will drag you or who you’ll become once you re-surface.
Melody:
I was a daughter
I was a student
I was a victim
Did I have his love?
Did I make him feel?
Did I have his empathy?
When the actions of a soulless killer forces sorrow into my veins I never dreamed the man healing my wounds would be the one to leave the worst scar. His love would scar my soul. Scars are permanent; I will never feel the relief from them. Will I learn to live with them, remember why I have them and learn never to let him close enough to inflict more? Will I eventually cover them… like tattoos coating them with new memories, new love and new starts? I didn’t know these answers because the pain was too suffocating, the only thing I knew was they will always be under the surface lingering. He had scars too, from his sins. There is nothing that can cover them, they were too deep, too ugly, too dark and they marked us both forever.
My Review:
Empathy by Ker DukeyMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is a story involving some horrific events, characters who are cruel, violent, likely sociopaths, and also some romance. It is not one of those stories where you wish you were any of the characters, or were in any of their situations.
This book that engaged me quickly and kept me interested throughout. I was on edge for most of the book because with both main characters there is plenty not to trust, and a whole lot of questions and possibilities about which direction their behavior will lead and what it will mean for Melody. Melody experiences something that is about as horrific a situation you can experience and it notably changes the rest of her life. Her only friendship is with Ryan, who we don't know everything about, but what we do know is pretty scary. Then there is Blake, who is a little trickier to figure out, but is also very intriguing. He is definitely not a safe person, but he seems to have a different grasp on things than Ryan does. Even though I don't think anyone could claim getting involved with either brother is a good idea, watching the evolution of Melody's relationship with Blake was really interesting and at times intensely sexy. I enjoyed this story a lot and would gladly read more by this author in the future. This is not a light and fluffy read, but for those of you who enjoy some darkness and twisted characters (like I do), this may be right up your alley.
*An ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review.
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