Book Info
When The Sun Goes Down by Arabella BlackRating: Book ratings explained
Genres: Dark Romance, Romantic Suspense
Pages: 308
ASIN: B09SVMHSCR
Published: 17/02/2022
Purchase at: Amazon | Amazon CA | Amazon UK | Amazon AU
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Weโre going to wreck you, little one.
Mercy Moseley needs to pay for messing with the wrong men. The only issue is, Mercy Moseley is dead. She took everything, and then she abandoned us.
Sheโs left behind her frail little sister.
Homeless. Heartbroken.
A little sister that should be left alone to grieve her loss. But weโre impatient men, and in our world, time is money. Loulou Moseley is young, innocent, and naรฏve.
Sheโs the perfect victim for our madness.
We live a depraved life in front of the cameras. Our twisted world revolves around pleasure, living out the filthy fantasies of the masses. Many wish for a life like ours, the sex, the moneyโฆ But at what cost? Daily, we sell our souls. Weโre the best at our job, and so was Mercy Moseley. She was our leading actress, and now, sheโs gone.
And her innocent little sister?
Sheโs about to replace her.
This is a reverse harem story. This is not a safe love story. This is dark romance.
Subjects of suicide, cheating, parental neglect, physical abuse (and more) will be touched upon.
When The Sun Goes Down – My Review
I donโt even know where to start with this review. You know how a book can be brilliant, but leave you absolutely speechless at the same time? Thatโs me right now after reading When The Sun Goes Down.
The prologue is about as filthy and punchy as it gets. Itโs also incredibly intriguing when you think about it, but Iโm still stuck on the part of it thatโs a blow by blow (pun totally intended) description of a woman watching a porn flick. I had to put the book down at that point to digest what Iโd just read. I knew then that I wanted to give the story โญโญโญโญโญ but that it already had a lot to live up to.
To be clear, this is a book about sex. Selling sex, sex as entertainment and titillation, sex as revenge or as a means to an end. Itโs graphic in ways that many books canโt match; filthy, shameful and blisteringly hot. If youโre into a good bully romance, this book will be a step up from that. There will be people that canโt handle reading much of it, but if youโre one of those that can, youโre in for a real treat.
I find that thereโs always a danger with reverse harem novels, that some characters are favoured over others. Having four protagonists requires a delicate balance but Arabella Black felt the need to push the boat out and go with five. Mercy Moseley may be dead but sheโs as much of a presence in this book as the four, living protagonists, despite not having a single chapter written from her perspective.
The dynamic of Mercyโs harem is a strange one. Vincent wants to pay for her attention, Jackson pays so he can hide the feelings he wonโt admit he has for her, and Knight pays because heโs in love with her and it keeps her with him. On the flip side, Mercy charges them for their time with her so that she doesnโt need to form attachments or build a relationship with any of them, despite that being what sheโs actually doing.
Although we first meet the men from Loulouโs perspective, the reader starts to really get to know them through their time with Mercy. Considering that Loulou is the living female protagonist itโs a unique approach. Mercy wins Knight over with her combination of vulnerability and caring nature. Jackson is attracted to her games and the opportunity to use her to find success and to get back at his wife. Vincent enjoys torture, โthe bloody, soul-sucking type.โ He wants to bend her to his will and for her to become what he makes of her.
I need to see the terror in the girl’s eyes to make it through the day.
As uncomplicated as she can seem at times, Loulou is a surprisingly intricate character. Her core need is to belong, and we see a lot of this as a driving motivator in her actions. Sheโs malleable, with little sense of her own self. At times she seems incredibly naive (even considering her young age). I struggled with the idea that she believes, on Vincentโs say so, that sheโs inherited Mercyโs supposed $2.5m debt and needs to repay it. I wonder what her character thinks would happen to her if she doesnโt repay it? Or is this acceptance a calculated move on her part? Itโs not until her first month with the men has passed that we realise just how shrewd Loulou can be. Or has she been moulded that way?
Out of all the men Vincent was the one I was most drawn to. Iโm not going to say โlikedโ because heโs a pretty despicable and morally reprehensible character. You canโt tell if his motivations are career-driven, revenge-driven or just for kicks. In one moment he is surprisingly protective of Loulou but as a reader, youโre not sure whether heโs actually angry at Jackson for disobeying orders, or itโs a calculated move designed to bring Loulou to heel. His every action has numerous possible influencers and itโs never certain which is the correct one. Heโs observant; in less than 24 hours he picks up the differences between the Moseley sisters and notices that Loulou is the more interesting of the two. It seems that he never really feels much for Mercy, but his feelings to Loulou are intense, even if they never veer towards love.
Thereโs so much more that I want to write, but I donโt want to drop spoilers. Yes, youโll find out who killed Mercy Moseley, but this is not your average murder mystery novel. It wonโt leave you with a warm glow at the end. In fact, thereโs very little warmth in it at all. While technically, the ending could be called a happy one, itโs also a tragedy. And maybe thatโs why I loved it so damned much.