In The Dark

I Can See the appeal of dark romance through this book. Literally chelsea curto has such a good writing style. The first 100 Pages I felt like I was going to dnf because I am not a dark romance reader but even tho some things felt really over the top for me I devoured the last 200 Pages. Definetly a fun Read!

I’m actually very conflicted about this book. I’ve devoured everything Chelsea Curto has written so far — and loved it. I devoured this one too: it was easy to read, the reading flow was great, and I really enjoyed that there wasn’t much of a slow burn. Things start fast, the MCs have instant attraction, and they don’t shy away from showing it. That part felt refreshing and new for me, and I genuinely liked it. However… I also felt like the relationship lacked depth. Yes, the characters openly admit that it starts as physical attraction and that they want to build something deeper later on — but that deeper emotional connection never fully landed for me. A lot of their bond is built around discovering Max’s kinks and Hunter guiding her through them, which is absolutely part of their dynamic, but a relationship can’t live on sexual compatibility alone. I missed the emotional foundation beyond desire. Let’s break it down a bit. On one side, we have Hunter — a Fright Night scare actor who also kills people for money. According to his own definition, he’s “not really a stalker,” except when it comes to Max, because he’s obsessed with her. What bothered me was how easily Max seemed to accept this. It felt like she brushed it off mainly because she found him sexually attractive. There wasn’t much questioning — more of a “you say you’re a good serial killer, so okay” situation. That felt rushed. Especially considering that Max previously trusted Brian/Connor for ten months and still believed he wouldn’t hurt her — which we know turned out to be very wrong. So why do a few weeks suddenly feel enough to fully trust Hunter, despite his body count? He does show her that he can be a better person, but… why should she truly trust that? Pure gut feeling? That didn’t end well for her before either. On the other side, we have Max (Maxine) — an elementary school teacher who comes from a relationship where her desires were dismissed and disrespected. She then meets Hunter, who is open-minded and introduces her to a completely different world. I actually really liked Max as a character. Most of what didn’t work for me was tied to how quickly everything unfolded, not to her personality itself. What bothered me the most, though, was the way Hunter handled it when Max questioned whondidball the grocery shopping and laundry. He just assumed that Maxine would believe everything was done by Skyler. Did he really think they wouldn’t talk to each other? That assumption made no sense to me. Instead of simply telling her the truth, he came up with the weakest excuses imaginable — and for someone who’s supposed to be smart, calculated, and in control, that felt incredibly careless. It wasn’t suspenseful or clever, it was just… frustrating. For me, that part of the plot felt unnecessary and honestly a bit dumb, especially because it could have been resolved so easily with basic communication. Overall, I don’t think In the Dark is a bad book. Not at all. But compared to what I know Chelsea Curto is capable of, it didn’t come close. It lacked depth for me. That said, if you’re looking for a fast-paced, uncomplicated read with strong chemistry and a lighter plot — something entertaining for in between — this could absolutely work for you. I still love Chelsea Curto and this book hasn’t discouraged me from reading more of her work. It was an average read that entertained me, but it won’t be a favorite.