Dark is the Sky

By: Jessica Chambers
Publisher: All Things That Matter Press
Publishing Date: February 2012
ISBN: 978-0-98472150-4
Reviewed By: Amy Lignor
Review Date: February 13, 2012

What begins as a deep, intense story of a woman who looks to be at the end of her rope, turns quickly into a tale of family, life, anger, torment, forgiveness and a secret unveiled that has kept family members far away from each other. Wit, love, heartbreaks…this one has it all.

Olivia and Joel Cameron are a pleasant couple. They have a daughter named Lottie who is unspoiled and a good girl. However, they live on a beautiful piece of property with a bit of an ugly past that continues to haunt them to this day.

Olivia is a novelist. One upon a time, she was a real party girl until she ran into this stunning group of men one night while she was blitzed and moderately out of control. That was the night that Joel, one of the brothers (all of whom are handsome to say the least) took over protecting Olivia, and they have been happily married and ‘steady’ for the past eighteen years. The only difficulty they have is that Joel had to leave the family business a while back - an investment bank - and has not spoken with his other brothers for over twelve years. Well, whether he likes it or not, he’s about to.

Violet is Olivia’s sister. She is a barrister and has put together a family gathering; a holiday weekend that will bring back the relatives under one roof. As the family begins to gather, Olivia is already upset because she heard her husband on the phone and just knows, deep down in her soul, that he’s having an affair. She can barely deal with her own existence right now, but she must open the door to Rafe (a Cameron brother) and his squirrelly little wife who jumps at everything as if the ghosts of the past are actually standing behind her with a pitchfork in hand. She also has to welcome Tim - her husband’s twin - and his slightly ‘snooty’ wife who truly has it all and her snooty daughter who thinks she owns the world. And…a son named Adam; a son who is desperately in love and is carrying his own secret into the house. Add to that the playboy brother who takes after their womanizing, deceased father, and you have a family unit that is beyond interesting.

As the mysteries and secrets begin to unfold, the reader is taken on a thrill ride. Not only do they find out how everyone began life and how everyone met, but they see the hope, love, and heartache that came with each individual relationship. As these people deal with the past, each and every moment brings a new conversation to the table that leads them down a path that most would not like to remember - a path that involves a death that no one wants to address.

The author has done a remarkable job of blending romance, family drama, humor, young love, lost hope, and everything else you can think of. This is a story that you will read in a day because you just won’t be able to put it down until you unravel every single ‘Cameron’ secret.

Quill Says: Characters you love, hate and want to get to know better, all come together for a fantastic read.

For more information on Dark is the Sky, please visit the author's website at: www.jessicachambers.co.uk

Article first published as Book Review: Dark is the Sky by Jessica Chambers on Blogcritics.