Samey, samey, samey - but still good
I’ve read several of Stephanie Tyler’s books recently - she seems to write them at a very impressive rate, and each one has a different plot and is often set in a different country. However, these stories are romances, and each one has hero and heroine (and sub-hero and sub-heroine) having an almost identical relationship - the only question is whether they’ll jump into bed on the second meeting or the third. Now
that I’ve read five of her books, it’s become apparent that her heroes and heroines have pretty much only one way of relating to each other: horizontally. Her heroes are mostly the strong, silent type; her heroines tend to be feisty but troubled. It’s generally love at first sight (or at least lust at first sight), and there isn’t much development of the relationship between the two people apart from suddenly
deciding that they love each other.
Promises in the Dark is a little different
- rather than having two major romance plotlines, we have three - heroes Zane, Caleb and even Tristan (who doesn’t seem like he’ll be a hero at the beginning) all get their roll in the sack opportunity. As, once again, these rolls in the sack
are all pretty much similar, they actually distract from the story itself. There's a lot going on in this book, with most of the action taking place in Sierra Leone and the group DMH playing a significant role. We
again meet doctor Olivia, who was kidnapped in the previous book; she’s managed to escape but is trying to keep away from everyone by hiding in Sierra Leone. We also meet a new woman, Vivienne, a computer geek who
is in way over her head. And we meet nurse Rowan, who finds herself in Sierra Leone on her own with no one to trust. All three female characters are strong in their own way and I liked them all, although some of Olivia’s behavior
is a little difficult to understand.
Tyler tends to choose unusual African settings for her books, and this makes them more interesting.
While I don’t feel totally immersed in the setting, the feeling of menace and of a different world is well written.
The central relationship is fully tied up by the end of the book, but a few loose ends with the other two relationships
are left hanging; I assume they will feature in the next book or so. Despite the repetitive nature of this series, Promises in the Dark is very enjoyable and recommended to those who like action stories with a romantic side.