Customer Reviews

Darkling I Listen

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is the first book I have ever read where the heroine was the one who saves the hero. It was awesome! I loved it! Talk about 'bad boy'!!! This was the ULTIMATE in bad boys. No weak female lead here with the desire to 'turn him around' for her benefit. The heroine, Alyson James, is all woman, but very real and simply wants to help the hero, Brandon Carlyle, from his demons that plague him. Lots of heated scenes here and the suspense is real and will make your heart beat a little faster. This would be excellent in the theatre!

~Hollywood bad boy, Brandon Carlyle, is being stalked and harassed by some woman calling herself "Anticipating' for the past 5 years. Up until now he has ignored her and tried to live his life. The only problem though is he has spent the last 3 years in prison for manslaughter. His acting career on the rocks, he goes home to Ticky Creek, Texas for a break and a much needed rest when the stalker Anticipating has found him again and this time wants him dead!

A beautiful stranger, Alyson James is going to get the story of her life, the only problem is the hollywood 'hellion' doesn't want anyone around while he spends endless hours hanging around his uncles and aunts farm. Aly knows a lot about him, since she was the very reporter who opened the story of his alcoholism so many years ago, but he doesn't know she was the one who practically ruined his life and career with that story. Now she intends to somewhat, make 'ammends' with an autobiography with his own words, but she soon learns, a menacing stalker is after him and now her as she gets too close. Secrets abound in the small town and the swamps hold many more dark secrets Aly must solve before its too late. Anticipating is here...she is waiting...Aly can't seem to stop falling in love with the man who's heart and soul is deeper than an ocean and filled with sorrow. She must save him...save him from himself and a woman calling herself Anticipating...

Unbelieveable! Worthy of 10 stars! The suspense is creepy and Ms. Sutcliffe really takes us on a rollarcoaster ride of emotions and secrets. I would love to see this on the big screen, it would be a hit! (and man oh man is Brandon sexy...whew...)

Tracy Talley~@

Brandon Carlyle, a famous movie actor, has the image of a Hollywood bad boy. Brandon is now in hiding after spending three years in prison for manslaughter. He has sought refuge in the small town he grew up in, Ticky Creek, Texas and is living with his beloved aunt and uncle seeking peace and quiet. Although Brandon was at the top of his movie career when he was sent to prison, the offers for acting are now few and insignificant. Now on parole, he relishes the time he is spending with his aunt and uncle, works hard on their ranch/farm, and is questioning what he will do with the rest of his life. He is still young enough to have many acting years ahead. But, what really counts in life? When we first meet Brandon, he is in a depressed state, asking himself these questions and we can see his inner turmoil and identify favorably with him. He doesn't act out his previous bad boy image and fights to maintain a cool head and stay completely away from what could be considered inappropriate behavior. Of course, he is very handsome and tremendously sexy. Brandon is protected from the outside world by Ticky Creeks' residents who cherish him and keep his whereabouts secret.

Alyson (Aly) James is a tabloid writer looking for one last big story that will hopefully provide her with the funds to change her life. Aly has found that big story - she has discovered Brandon's hiding place and wants to be the one to reveal the latest about Brandon Carlyle. Yes, Aly's plans for exposing Brandon are not honorable and she does have a sleazy tabloid background. However, she is a fantastic heroine - one of my favorites. In fact, her description of such a career in reviews of this book, kept me from reading it for some time. I just could not imagine her in a positive light. But the author pulls it off. We read about a heroine who is strong, understanding, kind, and empathetic. She decides that she cannot continue her past career as she gets to know Brandon and his family. She now fully sees that there is always another side to a story. In the case of Brandon Carlyle, his story has an overwhelming and sad side.

Darkling I Listen is definitely a very serious, dramatic story. There are a few humorous lines but mostly it lives up to its name in that it is a very dark tale. Brandon and Aly have a great amount of interaction for the first three-fourths of the book. We are in for a stimulating and intensive read as we see Brandon come out of his shell and are allowed to observe the secrets of his agonizing past. Aly plays well into Brandon's recovery. She shows much more character than her past would indicate.

The sensual portions of the book have been described by other(s) as some of the most sensual they have read. Although well written and meaningful, these scenes rate about a 4.0 out of 5.0 (see More About Me for rating guidelines). Yes, some of these scenes fall closer to a 4.5 rating but the scenes are infrequent and therefore my reasoning for a 4.0 sensual rating. This is not a book in which you miss sensual scenes. You are so caught up in the entire book that they simply help round out a very beautiful story.

Although this is a definite five star rated book, there still were a couple of troubling aspects. First the suspenseful ending of the book was just too much. It was too graphic and violent for my tastes. Second, the epilogue is squandered. It is spent on the many secondary characters (both good and evil) appearing all at the same time to explain their part in Brandon's misery and seek his forgiveness. I wanted interaction between the leads. Instead, I felt that the author wasted the entire epilogue tying up loose ends that we as readers already understood completely.

Darkling I Listen is an excellent, excellent book! It is a deeply moving and multifaceted story. With the exception of the violent final portion of the book, this tale lacks nothing. It is truly great reading. This is my first of Sutcliffe's books and I will keep it to read another day. I look forward to reading her other books and have just started her newest, Bad Moon Rising.

There I was taking a chance NEVER thinking for a minute that I would find anything remotely enjoyable about this book. I saw the name Katherine Sutcliffe and I thought to myself "What is she doing writing a suspense book?" I waited two days to read it (I am kicking myself for that now). I read the first page and I was hooked.
Brandon had all the complexities of Nicholas Sabre Esquire (if you are a true fan you know who that is!) but he had more edge to him. I kept thinking why is he so angry and hurt and when I found out I cried oh how I cried.Alyson was wonderful, a heroine with just the right amount of spunk. The town of Ticky Creek would make you want to move there.
This book is beautiful! I cannot say that I have read a better book this year and I have read a lot of books! This book is amazing. The characters are well developed with foibles and all the redeeming qaulities that make us human. They come to life in "Darkling" as Katherine weaves a tale of both love and terror. I highly recomend this book to anyone who loves to read and especially to KS fans.
I can go on and on but I won't. I am usually a sceptic when it comes to authors moving outside of their genres but I have learned my lesson and what better way of learning it than with this book.
Do something really good for yourself and buy this book!

I'm breathless after reading this book. Wow... thank you Ms. Sutcliffe for this highlight of my week. I never knew Romance could be this good. I find myself reluctant to pick up any books by my usual favorite Authors. Their stories somehow seem pale and shallow in comparison. Makes other romances seems pale in comparison

This is definitely not your ordinary romance novel; not one of those stories where a rake falls in love with an innocence because she has him all hot and bother... nor is it one of those stories where the phrase "I love you" is like a death sentence to the Hero. The characters in this book are so well developed. And the emotional bonds between the characters are so much deeper. The passion between Brandon and Alyson is raw and believable, mixed with just the right amount of desperation, obsession and violence.

My first impression of our Hero, Brandon, was of a selfish, reckless, playboy. But that impression lasted about five pages. Then, we get to the good stuff. I just couldn't help myself. I fell in love with him ...head-over-heels in love... with his heartbreaking past, his undying devotion to his aunt and uncle, his desperate endeavor to protect those he loves.

I love the fact that Brandon is so human. He has undeniable flaws; he has a short fuse, he's an alcoholic, he likes sex (almost too much, hahahah). His reaction to the events in his life is so real and believable. When he first meets Alyson, there wasn't that cliche notion of love at first sight. Their relationship was very well developed, and when Brandon realizes he loves Alyson, he tells her so. There wasn't any of the same old I'm-too-jaded-to-believe-in-love-even-though-it's-hit-me-so hard-between-the-eyes-I-can-hardly-stand-up-straight. He's honest about his feelings, and I think that's one of the reasons why he's such a great hero.

Alyson is a great heroine; genuine in her feelings, brave, spunky...
Brandon can be such an A-hole sometimes, but she gives as good as she gets. She's always hugging him and holding his hands. It's absolutely adorable.
I love her.

There were some very cute scenes in this novel; like the at the bar, when the men were crowding the bathroom, fighting over who has dibs on the last condom in the "rubber machine" and why... and Brandon had to yell above the shouts that he hasn't had sex in four years. The silence that followed was hilarious.

I also love the scene that ensued when Brandon finds out that Alyson had lied to him. It was like Wow... I did not expect that. His violent reaction stunned me... but what he says to her afterward broke my heart. I love this couple. I love their relationship and their passion for one another.

This book...definitely a keeper...

This is a long book, with average characters that lead above average lives - in the sense that they face dangers the average person wouldn't expect to face.

Brandon Carlyle was one of the hottest, sexiest, best looking actors to hit the scene. Although he had a bad-boy reputation, life was good. Women threw themselves at him, men loved him, his fans adored him, and he could command top dollar for doing a film. Then things went wrong. A woman in his company died and Brandon couldn't remember all of the events leading up to her death, and so he found himself in jail. When the story starts, Brandon is out of jail after spending three years there, and he's trying to live in relative obscurity with his aunt and uncle. Things are going okay for him. His life is very dull in comparison to what it once was, but he needs the time to get himself together. Besides that, he's still a very wealthy man and doesn't have to work another day in his life if he doesn't want to. And right now, he doesn't.

Alyson James is a tabloid journalist. She wants to make name for herself and thinks she can do just that by getting an exclusive story on Brandon. She comes to Ticky Creek, Texas, where Brandon's been "hiding", and meets him. Since she's changed her name so as not to have her identity discovered, he doesn't have a clue that she's one of the hated tabloid writers.

Circumstances throw them together and Alyson gets to know Brandon and his family. She discovers that he's nothing like what she expected. He's a sensitive, introspective, very caring man that may have spent time in jail for a crime he didn't commit. Some of the people in Ticky Creek despise him for the crime, but most others prefer just to let him live in peace. Alyson also discovers that Brandon's being stalked by a deranged fan that has been sending threatening letters to him, something that has Brandon fearing more for his aunt and uncle then himself.

As luck would have it, Alyson and Brandon spend enough time together to fall in love. And that's where the trouble begins. Brandon's troubled childhood, the deranged fan, the police officer who hates him and others in and outside the town, all serve to spoil what could be a great love affair. But not only that, Alyson hasn't told Brandon who she really is and why she came to Ticky Creek in the first place. Having gotten to know him, she knows that information may kill their new relationship.

What follows is a series of events that test Brandon's relationship with Alyson and others close to him. Brandon comes through as an average guy, who just happened to become a hot movie star, and Alyson is the woman of his dreams that has more spunk in her than he would have expected.

The book reads like an overlong soap opera. It has its good points, but at times it seems as if the author was throwing a little bit of everything into the book to add length. Overall, I'd say it's an average read with some above average instances of suspense and danger. It's worth a read if you like long, drawn out stories - which can be a good thing if you don't want a book to end.

This book has the best hero I have ever read - not because he was flawless but because he was full of flaws. Sexy but confused, hard but vulnerable. I hardly ever get pictures in my head as I am reading, but when I read this book all I kept thinking was - Russell Crowe! I'd love to see this made into a movie - it would be huge.

As a reader, I have my favorites, and in my mind no author could possibly rise above Linda Howard in the romantic suspense category. Until I read Katherine Sutcliffes debut romantic suspense, Darkling, I Listen.

Brandon Carlyle's life is mired in his past, his rise to fame, his drunken lifestyle while riding the crest of a popularity he still cannot understand, then the shattering plummet that left him convicted of manslaughter and spending three years of his life in prison.

But now he's back in Ticky Creek, no more booze, no more wild rides, and wilder women, just the peace he needs to heal his shattered heart. That peace is shattered though with the deranged letters he begins receiving once again. A fan has stalked him for years, her letters growing more intense, the threats clearer as her proclaimed love for Brandon seeks vengeance for his unrepentant ways.

Danger seems to lurk at every turn as Brandon attempts to fight his way past his time in prison, and bring his life back to an even keel. As if things couldn't get worse, he also has Alyson James on his back. Her story is that she wants to write his true autobiography, not the cheap, patented lies that has passed for it in the unauthorized version presented.

Alyson is tough in the face of his sarcasm, soft and understanding when the terrors of his past rise to leave him quaking. Her gentle touch, her passionate response begins to heal something inside him that he thought would be scarred forever.

But Alyson has a secret. She lied to the one man she has come to love. She came to his tiny Texas town not to help him write his autobiography, but to write a story about his fall from grace that will land her a job as a journalist at a more prestigious magazine than the one that currently employs her.

True love never runs smooth, and Brandon Alyson's couldn't get rockier as her secret is revealed, shattering the peace of Brandon's life, and leaving him alone to face the terror that has stalked steadily closer.

Alyson isn't quite ready to allow that madness to steal the man she loves. Armed with her passionate love, aided by Brandon's friends in Ticky Creek, and her own who will come to her aid, Alyson will rush headlong into the nightmare overtaking Brandon.

Darkling, I Listen is one of the most emotional, sensual, heartrending romantic suspense stories it has ever been my pleasure to read. Ms. Sutcliffe took me on the ride of my life as she drew me into her story, and the lives of her characters. Like a spider spinning an intricate web, her plot took me through twists and turns, had my heart pounding, my palms damp in fear. That is when her bold, brazenly passionate hero and wasn't making my heart pound with his sensual intensity.

Be warned, Darkling, I Listen is a story you won't put down after the cover is lifted and the page turned. And this reader for sure, will be turning the pages again and again for a suspenseful, highly engaging return this wonderful story.

When I picked up this book I never thought it would be interesting to me. The title was so unusal that I almost put it back on the shelf. But something made me turn it over and read the backcover. I had at the time never read any of Katherine Sutcliffe's books before so I had no idea going in what I would expect. What I found was a wonderfuly enchanting book that I couldn't put down!

After reading only a few pages I was hooked! This book is amazing on so many levels its hard to capture even a fraction of them here. Sutcliffe's style is so down-to-earth real life that I found myself blown away with it. The characters were suddenly so real-to-life with all the flaws that everyday people have and not, like so many other romance novels I've read, perfect. Each character is an example of this refreshing style. Real human weaknesses, uncertainities, and vulernabilities are at the heart of each character and it was an eminance pleasure to read this book.

I found myself going through so many emotions over the course of the read, and that's what makes a novel really good. Like some of the other reviewers here I found my heart tearing at Brandon's early life, torn over Alyson's dilimma, and brought to tears over Henry and Bernie's deep love for Brandon and each other.

Brandon was a strong hero, with very real problems, Alyson was an amazingly strong female (without being overwhelmingly so as in so many novels I've read with strong female characters), passionate and tender yet able to handle stress and trauma. The many secondary characters in this book drew you into their lives in an instant and drove you onward to keep turning the next page.

A excellent book to read that has made me become a Katherine Sutcliffe fan! I highly recommened this book to anyone!

This is one of those novels that doesn't come around often. This novel is so well written and thought through that I found myself in awe of Katherine Sutcliffe's talents. Mystery, suspense, humor, passion, and drama all perfectly entwined to make this one of the best books I've read to date. Once I picked it up, I couldn't put it down. Thanks Katherine for producing this outstanding book for us to enjoy.

I thought this book was great!! It's a definite keeper. The chemistry between Alyson and Brandon was red hot. You don't really know for sure who Anticipating is, but you get a clue pretty quick. I think Brandon is one of my favorite heros. He wasn't afraid to admit being afraid. He admitted it like no other hero I have ever read and it wasn't just fear of losing Alyson. Sutcliffe made Brandon real. She made him a guy with everyday feelings and emotions. The suspense was great. The end of the book had me on the edge of my seat!!