ARC Review: Bad Nights by Rebecca York

BAD NIGHTS, which kicks off the new single-title Rockfort Security romantic suspense series, was my first read by prolific paranormal and Harlequin Intrigue author Rebecca York. The cover is gorgeous, and the blurb sounded right up my alley. Former Navy SEAL with a major case of survivor’s guilt? An undercover mission to infiltrate a homegrown terrorist militia? A brainiac heroine unsure of whether she can open her heart again after the loss of her husband? I’m sold! But instead of the solid romantic suspense title I was expecting, BAD NIGHTS is more a fast-paced, standard thriller with slight romantic elements.

Many thrillers tend to be much more plot-driven than character-driven and generally favour the ‘tell, not show’ style of storytelling. There is generally no big, emotional arc for the characters, and the romance—if there is any—takes a distant back seat to the action. This is definitely the case with BAD NIGHTS: the focus is clearly on the plot, and the characters feel like props so the action can happen. Hero Jack Brandt is supposed to be the sexy alpha that bears the emotional burdens of war and being the sole survivor of a suicide mission whose psyche can only be healed by the love of a good woman. I read a ton of romantic suspense/military romance/special operations romance, so I love this type of hero. And Jack is definitely all that—we get glimpses of it in between all the running for their lives—but there’s such little depth to or growth in his character that he feels very one-dimensional and makes it hard to become strongly emotionally invested in him. The same is true for heroine Morgan Rains: there’s plenty of potential for a great character arc with her reluctance to open her heart again after her husband’s murder and the impact of a former patient’s behaviour on her life & career choices, but none of it is fully realised. The transition from complete strangers to lovers to forever after happens incredibly quickly (despite the length, the story develops in a matter of days) and failed to strike a significant emotional chord with me as a reader, though the sexual chemistry between the two in the love scenes was definitely hot. This isn’t really a fault of the author but rather a feature of the genre—but with the ‘romantic suspense’ billing, I was definitely expecting the characters and romance to play a more significant role in the story.

The plot is standard thriller fare (a homegrown militia planning an attack on the US government), but it’s well written, with clear, precise language that makes it easy to envision and understand exactly what is going on. And there is plenty of action and danger to keep one entertained, though it is somewhat unrealistic. It’s a bit like watching a James Bond film: there is no way anyone can do all that, but the heart-pounding action (and sexytimes) is still great fun. The villain, Trainer, is a really interesting character that would’ve been fascinating to explore more deeply in a more character-driven book, and the friendship between Jack and his Rockfort Security partners Shane and Max nicely sets up the subsequent books in the series.

BAD NIGHTS is first and foremost a plot-driven thriller. Readers looking for an action-packed love story where the romance and danger get equal billing should look elsewhere, but those that enjoy nonstop action with a small side of romance (and characters) on the way to the HEA will find a well written and enjoyable, if not particularly original, read.

**ARC provided by Publisher**

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