kbranfield's review
4.0
A unique setting, very little drama and realistic, likable characters prove to be a winning combination in Kara Braden's debut novel, The Longest Night. Set in a remote cabin in the Canadian wilderness, former Marine Cecily Knight and criminal defense lawyer Ian Fairchild unexpectedly find love and heal the wounds from their pasts.
Cecily is a strong, self-sufficient woman who has carved out a safe, but lonely, life far removed from civilization. In an effort to avoid any possible triggers for her PTSD, she carefully controls her environment and has limited contacted with anyone except a few close friends. There is little Cecily cannot do for herself as she survives her primitive and somewhat harsh living conditions with few luxuries. Ian's arrival brings her long dormant emotions and desires back to life and their relationship slowly transforms from friends to lovers.
Ian is very driven and career oriented and his inability to take time off from his law practice has kept him from successfully kicking his addiction to painkillers. Ian's brother convinces him that a place far removed from his regular life is key to his recovery and he arranges for Ian to stay for a few months with Cecily. Although the cabin is definitely not what he expected, he gradually (and somewhat grumpily) adjusts to his new accommodations and he is very curious about his reclusive hostess. His keen observation skills and admirable patience prove invaluable as Ian begins to understand what motivates Cecily's need for isolation.
Ian and Cecily's relationship is uneasy in the beginning as they adapt to their new living situation. Mutual respect provides a firm foundation for their growing friendship and they transition fairly smoothly from friends to lovers. When problems do arise, Ian and Cecily discuss their problems and arrive at compromises that work for both of them.
Kara Braden's The Longest Night is a heartwarming novel that is quite engrossing. The beautiful setting is appealing and the characters are charming and well-developed. The storyline is well-executed and delightfully angst free. An overall sweet yet sexy love story that fans of contemporary romances are sure to enjoy.
Cecily is a strong, self-sufficient woman who has carved out a safe, but lonely, life far removed from civilization. In an effort to avoid any possible triggers for her PTSD, she carefully controls her environment and has limited contacted with anyone except a few close friends. There is little Cecily cannot do for herself as she survives her primitive and somewhat harsh living conditions with few luxuries. Ian's arrival brings her long dormant emotions and desires back to life and their relationship slowly transforms from friends to lovers.
Ian is very driven and career oriented and his inability to take time off from his law practice has kept him from successfully kicking his addiction to painkillers. Ian's brother convinces him that a place far removed from his regular life is key to his recovery and he arranges for Ian to stay for a few months with Cecily. Although the cabin is definitely not what he expected, he gradually (and somewhat grumpily) adjusts to his new accommodations and he is very curious about his reclusive hostess. His keen observation skills and admirable patience prove invaluable as Ian begins to understand what motivates Cecily's need for isolation.
Ian and Cecily's relationship is uneasy in the beginning as they adapt to their new living situation. Mutual respect provides a firm foundation for their growing friendship and they transition fairly smoothly from friends to lovers. When problems do arise, Ian and Cecily discuss their problems and arrive at compromises that work for both of them.
Kara Braden's The Longest Night is a heartwarming novel that is quite engrossing. The beautiful setting is appealing and the characters are charming and well-developed. The storyline is well-executed and delightfully angst free. An overall sweet yet sexy love story that fans of contemporary romances are sure to enjoy.
hldavids's review
4.0
Review now available: http://reviews.libraryjournal.com/2014/06/books/fiction/tons-of-fiction-burrowes-campion-clark-harkaway-mackin-miller-verdon-vollmann-xpress-reviews/
gijanechosen's review
3.0
I kinda felt like the timeline should have been slightly different, that there should have been more time between certain things... But maybe that's just me
labraden's review
3.0
The writing in this book was very engaging and the dialogue very real, but the story was a little light for me. I kept expecting the great problem to emerge or some kind of emotional drama, but it just wasn't there. The female lead suffered from PTSD, which in and of itself should create a great deal of drama, but it seemed almost frighteningly easy for her to overcome. The male lead was addicted to painkillers from a back injury, which also seemed easily overcome. I compare this story to the rolling of a ball. The ball just kept rolling with no bounces or dips until it just stopped rolling. That's how this story felt to me.
szara's review
4.0
I'm not one to read a lot of romance novels. I love a good fanfiction but that was usually a sufficient fix for me when it comes to romance and I always turned to fantasy and sci-fi that fills my bookshelves. But as a huge fan of the amazing Mrs Braden's fanfiction, I had to buy this book. I admit it's the first romance on my shelf (that I didn't buy while covering Romanticism at uni but simply for myself) and I definitely won't hide it behind my collection of Russian fantasy novels, but it will have it's honorary place.
After this somewhat unnecessary introduction (you must forgive me, my uni writing classes taught me mostly about stalling and filling up the word count with relevant but not necessarily essential information and it's been ages since I wrote any review), let's talk about the novel itself.
I hadn't read the fanfiction the novel was based on, so the plot wasn't spoiled for me in the slightest. Being cut of from civilasation in the remotest place of Canada and devoid of interference of third parties, the characters had a lot of room for their romance to thrive. I admire the research applied to living in the wilderness of Canada. The little things about living in a cabin among the woods that were constantly on Cecily's mind gave the novel more realism. When it comes to characters themselves, though Ian Fairchild didn't steal my heart, I developed a crush on Cecily. She is so gorgeously written character, I admit she was the fuel that pushed me to read further even when I was being lulled to sleep by 6h long train ride.
I can't say the novel is unblemished. But it was a really enjoyable read and I got engrossed in the story more often than not. And I think that's saying a lot from a person who could never go through one-third of any romance books I borrowed from library to prove myself that not all romance novels are that bad.
After this somewhat unnecessary introduction (you must forgive me, my uni writing classes taught me mostly about stalling and filling up the word count with relevant but not necessarily essential information and it's been ages since I wrote any review), let's talk about the novel itself.
I hadn't read the fanfiction the novel was based on, so the plot wasn't spoiled for me in the slightest. Being cut of from civilasation in the remotest place of Canada and devoid of interference of third parties, the characters had a lot of room for their romance to thrive. I admire the research applied to living in the wilderness of Canada. The little things about living in a cabin among the woods that were constantly on Cecily's mind gave the novel more realism. When it comes to characters themselves, though Ian Fairchild didn't steal my heart, I developed a crush on Cecily. She is so gorgeously written character, I admit she was the fuel that pushed me to read further even when I was being lulled to sleep by 6h long train ride.
I can't say the novel is unblemished. But it was a really enjoyable read and I got engrossed in the story more often than not. And I think that's saying a lot from a person who could never go through one-third of any romance books I borrowed from library to prove myself that not all romance novels are that bad.
doris1310's review
4.0
Really liked this one.
"Only" 4 stars because I wasn't completely satisfied with the ending, though I understand why it's like that. Of course it left some questions open for me, so it was rather a HFN ☺️
"Only" 4 stars because I wasn't completely satisfied with the ending, though I understand why it's like that. Of course it left some questions open for me, so it was rather a HFN ☺️
harmony's review against another edition
5.0
I know a lot of women who profess to disdain drama in their lives, but then they feel like their boyfriend doesn't care or that they don't have passion if they don't have screaming fights or tearful misunderstandings. After all, isn't that what romance novels teach us makes a good, exciting relationship?
Not this one. Ian is a brilliant and cynical man reminiscent of Dr. House or Cumberbatch's Sherlock--he's smarter than you, we all know it, and you're boring. Far from a perfect character, but oh MY does that type get my heart racing. The female lead, Cecily, is no-nonsense tough, having survived a hostage situation in a war zone, and has retreated to a cabin in the middle of nowhere, spending years polishing her alone-ness as she tries to cope with PTSD. She's no little flower who needs rescuing, but she's vulnerable, and Ian knows just how to get into her cracks. At first, it's just a matter of curiosity. If he's going to be stuck at her cabin, he might as well amuse herself, and Cecily is a genuine puzzle to him in many ways. But as the two bond in their shared isolation, what grows between them is way hotter than mere curiosity.
But the part that gives me the true thrill, beyond the exciting premise, the interesting and deep characters, the detailed setting, and even the yummy sex, is the way that the relationship is developed. Kara Braden has completely discarded those "passion" tropes that are really just a series of stupid assumptions and misunderstandings elevated to an artform. Instead, her characters respect and learn about each other, communicating their needs and fears in a realistic and healthy way. It's exciting to watch two people fall in love and overcome true obstacles--like Cecily's fear of her sometimes violent blackouts--rather than give in to the easy road and have them fight and then not speak for ten pages because she misheard a word he said and he refuses to clarify because he's stubborn and she assumes he is racist. Or something. I have never understood why this is such a THING in romance (in what other genre would it be okay for your main plot line to be solvable by one adult conversation?), and I'm delighted to have read a book that doesn't even come close.
Keep writing, Kara. I'll keep reading!
Not this one. Ian is a brilliant and cynical man reminiscent of Dr. House or Cumberbatch's Sherlock--he's smarter than you, we all know it, and you're boring. Far from a perfect character, but oh MY does that type get my heart racing. The female lead, Cecily, is no-nonsense tough, having survived a hostage situation in a war zone, and has retreated to a cabin in the middle of nowhere, spending years polishing her alone-ness as she tries to cope with PTSD. She's no little flower who needs rescuing, but she's vulnerable, and Ian knows just how to get into her cracks. At first, it's just a matter of curiosity. If he's going to be stuck at her cabin, he might as well amuse herself, and Cecily is a genuine puzzle to him in many ways. But as the two bond in their shared isolation, what grows between them is way hotter than mere curiosity.
But the part that gives me the true thrill, beyond the exciting premise, the interesting and deep characters, the detailed setting, and even the yummy sex, is the way that the relationship is developed. Kara Braden has completely discarded those "passion" tropes that are really just a series of stupid assumptions and misunderstandings elevated to an artform. Instead, her characters respect and learn about each other, communicating their needs and fears in a realistic and healthy way. It's exciting to watch two people fall in love and overcome true obstacles--like Cecily's fear of her sometimes violent blackouts--rather than give in to the easy road and have them fight and then not speak for ten pages because she misheard a word he said and he refuses to clarify because he's stubborn and she assumes he is racist. Or something. I have never understood why this is such a THING in romance (in what other genre would it be okay for your main plot line to be solvable by one adult conversation?), and I'm delighted to have read a book that doesn't even come close.
Keep writing, Kara. I'll keep reading!
kame's review against another edition
4.0
4 Stars
Ian needs to get away from Manhattan; his brother Preston feels it is the only way he will survive so he calls in a favor from a Marine he once helped. Cecily Knight lives remotely in Canada; far away from people. She owes Preston a debt and can't say "No" when he asks.
Ian is sexy, logical, caring and patient. Cecily shut down after some unimaginable events during a deployment. Sparks did not fly immediately and that was okay; because if they did to me it wouldn't have been believable. Their caution towards each other lead to some revealing dialog and in my opinion allowed for true emotion to shine.
This is definitely not a sappy romance - it is two "hurt" people needing to find their way back. It is not a romance where you know they will have an HEA. Their circumstances; both the physical and the emotional ones they are battling caused me to question if they could have a life together; could they fight through the emotions to make it happen; would they be courageous enough.
The end is not a cliffhanger but I myself would love to see where life takes them, this is a book that begs for an Epilogue and I am rather disappointed it did not have one. The plot ended but I don't think the journey to healing for either one of them is complete. My only hope is that we see more of Cecily and Ian in a future book as secondary characters. ( I have read the blurb for Kara Braden's next book and it does not seem reasonable that Ian and Cecily would make a appearance as secondary characters in that one)
Some reviews write themselves right after I finish the book; this one took a while - I needed to process - this book made me think and made me wonder if I was strong enough to be in either of their shoes. Kara Braden's next book is on my lookout list.
I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley for my honest review.
Ian needs to get away from Manhattan; his brother Preston feels it is the only way he will survive so he calls in a favor from a Marine he once helped. Cecily Knight lives remotely in Canada; far away from people. She owes Preston a debt and can't say "No" when he asks.
Ian is sexy, logical, caring and patient. Cecily shut down after some unimaginable events during a deployment. Sparks did not fly immediately and that was okay; because if they did to me it wouldn't have been believable. Their caution towards each other lead to some revealing dialog and in my opinion allowed for true emotion to shine.
This is definitely not a sappy romance - it is two "hurt" people needing to find their way back. It is not a romance where you know they will have an HEA. Their circumstances; both the physical and the emotional ones they are battling caused me to question if they could have a life together; could they fight through the emotions to make it happen; would they be courageous enough.
The end is not a cliffhanger but I myself would love to see where life takes them, this is a book that begs for an Epilogue and I am rather disappointed it did not have one. The plot ended but I don't think the journey to healing for either one of them is complete. My only hope is that we see more of Cecily and Ian in a future book as secondary characters. ( I have read the blurb for Kara Braden's next book and it does not seem reasonable that Ian and Cecily would make a appearance as secondary characters in that one)
Some reviews write themselves right after I finish the book; this one took a while - I needed to process - this book made me think and made me wonder if I was strong enough to be in either of their shoes. Kara Braden's next book is on my lookout list.
I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley for my honest review.
kathleenel's review against another edition
3.0
The writing is fine, and the characters are interesting, but there's just not enough plot or tension to keep the book moving forward. I felt like I could put the book down at any time and not miss anything.
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