Customer Reviews

Darkness Before the Dawn

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

 

 

I know this is a lead-in to Roman Holiday. However, I agree with the earlier reviewer who said she thinks Reilley wrote a long story and then split it up. I had thought this book dealt with the beginning of Kate and Becky's relationship. And in a way it does, if you just think of the beginning as "how they met." However, Becky is barely in this book - no more than any other character except Kate. This book is reported to be a romance, but there is no romance in it. Kate and Becky barely talk! It also seems things work out too well; the highjackers give up too easily. There is no suspense.
All in all, the book is a good lead-in, but not a good book on its own.

This was a great story, but you have to know that it's the setup for the next book. The story here of the hijacking and what happens is very believeable and fast paced. It also provides a good introduction to the characters of Kate and Becky. After you finish this, you need to read Roman Holiday to see where their relationship goes. From the way that one flows into the other, I would almost suspect that Belle Reilly wrote one long book that she decided to split into two. Both of them make great reads though.

From the Back Cover - A troubled Captain Cathering Phillips plans for this flight to Rome to be her last in the employ of Orbis Airlines. Unfulfilled by her job and adrift in her personal life, the only solution she sees is to quit - to run away - as she has done in the past. But a band of terrorist hijackers, as well as a gutsy young flight attendant Rebecca Hanson, throw a wrench into Catherine's plans. The pilot is forced to come to terms with the demons of her past even as she struggles to save th crippled aircraft and the lives of all aboard. - End of Back Cover Text

I first read the Orbis Airlines series by Belle Reilly a few years ago, and recently decided to enjoy it again. `Darkness Before the Dawn' is the first in the Uber series and is an enjoyable, slow-paced read about two intriguing women who fall in love against the odds. Airline pilot Captain Catherine Phillips has had it with her job. Submitting her resignation, she prepares to fly her last assignment to Rome and back. Phillips struggles with guilt borne of family problems and her actions during Operation Desert Storm, and seems to run away from everything in her life. She's not at all friendly, but demands the utmost professionalism from her flight crew. In walks young flight attendant Rebecca Hanson. Becky is a people person. Initially intimidated by the aloof pilot, Becky begins to see and appreciate the woman beneath the icy exterior.

Becky and Kate are violently thrown together as they struggle to save their aircraft from a group of terrorists who have taken over the plane. They struggle through captivity and near-death injury, as their tentative relationship begins to blossom.

The book takes place mostly over a plane flight from the US to Europe, so the time frame is less than 12 hours or so. It's a little far-fetched that these two very different women would feel affection for each other so quickly, but the tragedy surrounding the flight makes it more believable. The romantic parts of the book are at a G level, mostly because the women never even kiss. However, their thoughts and feelings are very evident to the reader. Reilly does a nice job leaving the story open to the sequel, `Roman Holiday.'

Recommended if you're into action books and don't mind missing the physical relationship between the main characters.

This book ended any nervousness I had about flying (which was admittedly never a full-blown fear...just an uneasiness), I guess by humanizing the pilots and what they can overcome. A decent story, even if you're waiting the whole time for character interaction. Definitely a set-up book, but a worthy read, nonetheless.

I deleted my original review so I could change the stars to 3 as I'd originally intended.

This story was a real thrill ride from start to finish! Very timely in its subject matter, with two strong, fascinating heroines confronting external challenges and their inner demons. An excellent adventure story that kept me awake too late one night, finishing it!

The author is very knowledgable about the art of flying, and the technical aspects of the flight were good, but the dialogue just did not with the situations in my opinion, there was no romance, and Catherine Phillips the captain, and Becky her "intended" were just not endearing characters.