A review by sarahgabriellereads
The Darkest Night by Victoria Hawthorne

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

The Darkest Night is an empowering tale of Ailsa Reid and the women who came before her. It takes us on a journey through four generations of Reid women, and the individual yet connected hardships they have faced and overcome. The further into the book I read, the more I fell in love with the Reid women and how their stories wove together, creating a history of strength, determination, and perseverance in the face of men.

The depth and detail Hawthorne added to the story is so well executed. The progression of each character and their story was written pretty perfectly, and the referencing of the Reid women who came before them was intertwined so wonderfully. 

My favourite character is Selina - I related heavily to her and her disability (I myself suffer from a chronic pain disability which renders me unable to work or able to do much else). I enjoyed watching how Elspeth helped her to become more than her setbacks, to push past what she thought were her limits, and to be a strong and confident woman. 

The story holds the truths of how we’ve always lived in a man’s world, yet how the strength of women has always shone through. I hope that every woman who reads this book is reminded that she has the power to write her own story. 

(I received an Advance Review Copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. ARC received via NetGalley.)