ARC provided by the Publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
The Darkest Corner is a book that ended up on my DNF list. The more I read the less I liked the story. Sadly I will not be finishing this book.

This was an auto approval. Interests have changed - no longer going to review this book as its bo my cup of tea any longer - sorry

Unfortunately this book did not grab me like most Liliana Hart books tend to do. I was unable to connect with the characters nor was I able to get into the story. I personally did not finish this book and did not post a public review due to that fact.

Great story by Liliana Hart. Really thrilling read, great characters and an enjoyable story. Highly recommend to others!!

Though I liked the book, I made the decision at the time I finished not to review it on my site. Maybe in the future I will include it in a book list post or another article.

This is a very unique book, but very enticing! I loved Deacon and Tess, and their story kept me pinned to the pages until the very end. The Darkest Corner is excellent and a wonderful beginning to the Gravediggers series!

I love Liliana Hart books !!!! this was fantastic !!!

I love the premise of this series and put this book on my wish list as soon as I heard about it so I was excited to be offered the book for review.

Deacon is part of an elite group of men who were military, generally some sort of special services, who screwed up somehow and were offered a second chance by a mysterious woman named Eve Winter to deal with global threats. They 'die' via a special serum, are dead to the world and their families, and are then brought back to life to work for Eve as part of a team called The Gravediggers. This is an appropriate name not only due to their deaths but because in their new life, their cover is that they work at a funeral home in Last Stop Texas. The funeral home doesn't do enough business to employ them but since it's a just a cover, that's okay.

The woman who manages the funeral home, Tess, would love to own the business but it was sold out from under her and is now owned by the mysterious Eve. Tess has no clue who these men are or why they work there or how Eve can afford to pay their salaries, but that doesn't stop her from enjoying the eye candy, particularly Deacon. They've been attracted to each other since he began working for her but they've stayed away from each other for reasons of their own.

There's a lot of heat between Deacon and Tess, and Hart creates a colorful cast of characters. In fact, at times it was like I was reading a small town contemporary romance. It's set in a small town with quirky characters, and the focus of the book for about 3/4 is the romance. The action and suspense was mostly confined to the end of the book and was rushed when it happened while at the same time, it was full of excruciating detail which slowed the pace. The pace of the book is uneven, with events alternately happening quickly and slowly and there's a great deal of exposition. At 40.0% I made this note: "Finally! We get some background on the Gravediggers and forward motion in the story. Lots of groundwork and laying the foundation. I thought the pace would never pick up."

Despite all that, I liked the story. I liked Deacon and Tess, I liked the premise, I liked the secondary characters (though Tess's mom felt over the top at times), and I want to know more about the rest of the Gravediggers. I'll likely pick up the next book.

I'm familiar with the authors Addison Holmes books (cute) and her JJ Graves books, so I know for a fact that she does grit very well. The book to her new series met all of my expectations and more. Easily fall in lust (and love) with the men of gravediggers and the woman who runs them (iron fist but not unlikeable). Deacon and Tess sizzle, but the development of their romance is very-well done. Their black-ops adventure is something that I hadn't expected from her, but she's clearly done her research as the world is very believable. Excellent, excellent, excellent. Couldn't put it down and can't wait for the second book.

This is the first book I've read by Liliana Hart and it's the first title in her Gravediggers series. It was both an innovative and absorbing read, and I give it 4 stars.

The novel starts off with more of a boom than a bang, and you may think you know where this novel is going, but the next chapter takes you to a cemetery in the middle of a rainy night where Deacon Tucker (the hero ) and his associates are digging up a coffin, and you begin to learn about why these men are called the Gravediggers.

These men are all former operatives who've gone rogue from many different branches of the service, CIA, SEALs, Mossad, etc., and they have all been officially declared dead and buried--and yes, they're digging up another operative. In fact, they have been given a tough choice--as rogue agents, they can choose to be terminated by their respective agencies, or they can choose to die-- and no, it's not the same thing at all. If they agree to the latter, they are injected with a serum that produces deathlike symptoms, they are buried, and dug up 2 days later, injected with another serum to revive them, and to work for a contractual 10 years for a mysterious shadow organization known as Neptune.

We next meet the heroine, Tess Sherman, who is a mortician in the aptly named Last Stop, Texas. She had hoped to one day buy the mortuary from its owner, but the former owner was offered a huge sum of money to sell it to the mysterious Eve Winter, who spent a small fortune ordering massive renovations, a new and secretive building cum garage, and installed 5 hunky alpha males as employees. Tess is one feisty realist. In a small town of fewer than 4,000 residents, there's clearly no need for these men to be employed there, as business is slow, but for the past two years, she's carried on with her job and her small-town life, and while attracted to Deacon, they've barely spoken. At least that's the way it has been until the morning she wakes up early and is ready to begin embalming an old lady who'd recently died only to find a very imposing dead man already on her embalming table, at least he appears dead until he sits up and grabs her wrist. She's about to enter the world of the Gravediggers.

What follows is one thrill ride of a romantic suspense novel, filled with fascinating and mysterious characters, shadow agencies, spies, terrorists, the Russian Mafiya plotting world domination and the Gravediggers attempts to foil their plans, subplots galore, a hot and sexy love story, as well as some welcome relief in the form of snappy and smart dialogue, hilarious conversations between Tess and her BFF, Miller, her gambling-addicted and thieving mother, who owns a hair salon reminiscent of the one in Steel Magnolias, her Russian grandmother, the town sheriff, and quite a bit of internal dialogue from Tess. For the most part--it all works.

Where the story falters is during lengthy passages about the relationship between Tess and her mother, her broken engagement which happened years before, conversations with her grandmother and Miller, and far too much internal dialogue from both Tess as well as Deacon. It slows the action in this novel to a crawl and doesn't add much to your understanding of what's really happening or add any depth to these characters. Additionally, while Tess is portrayed as feisty and smart, I found it hard to understand her blind acceptance of these 5 alpha males who are dropped on her by the new owner with a shrug of her shoulders, yet she keeps her musings as to why they're needed to herself.

My only other issue with this novel is the climax. Yes, there's an HEA, but what I expected would be the most exciting part of the novel--the good guys foiling the murderous plot of the bad guys, wasn't all that suspenseful, exciting or dramatic.

All in all, I enjoyed reading this novel. I'm assuming that the other Gravediggers, who were introduced in this novel, will eventually each have their own novels in the future, and I'm looking forward to reading them.

I voluntarily read an advanced reader copy of this novel and received no compensation for doing so. The opinions expressed are my own.

This was my very first Liliana Hart book. I see her all over Goodreads, and her books are rated well, but for some reason I just hadn’t taken the time to read one of her books. But then one of my favorite authors wrote a MacKenzie Family novella, and then another reviewer at Straight Shootin’ Book Reviews reviewed The Darkest Corner, so my interest was piqued. When I was able to get my hands on a review copy from NetGalley, that sealed the deal!

At first, The Darkest Corner started out confusing and slow - there were vague descriptions of who each of the Gravediggers are (which had me wondering if this was a sequel because I couldn't quite figure out what was going on), and then there were lots of descriptions about the funeral home, of which I really didn't care about. Get to the story already! (I may be a tad impatient that way…)

But then Tess started talking to herself - out loud - and I found her endearing and charming. And once Tess and the Gravediggers team started to interact? Game on!

The hero, Deacon, is also majorly swoony. I love a man who loves a woman from afar and then jumps at the chance to be with her when the timing is right. No hesitation, no baulking, just jumps right in and goes for it. I also really liked that when things had the potential to be bumpy (because of “another woman” - but not really, so if that is a “no go” for you in a book, don’t let it scare you away), Tess doesn’t fly off the handle and walk away. She experiences a quick bout of insecurity (which, to me, added authenticity to her character - because really, aren't we all intimidated by a woman we perceive as being more beautiful than we are?), but doesn't let that be the driving force of her actions. I love a nice, mature relationship. One that has conflict, but not angst. It’s refreshing to read nowadays.

One thing that did confuse me though was the family from the prologue. I kept waiting for the story to come back around to them, or at least to the daughter, Carrie. But it never did. It made me feel like there’s a loose end out there somewhere, and I don’t like loose ends! Please, tie everything up nice and tight for me, thankyouverymuch.

I ended up really liking this book. Once things got going (in the third chapter, so really I didn’t have to read long), this was a non-stop, action-packed, entertaining story. Had life not been seriously infringing on my reading time, this would have been a book that I read straight through. I loved the characters, and the dialogue was witty and made me laugh. Furthermore, I am looking forward to reading more from this series. This book has the perfect blend of humor, heat and action that I love from a romantic suspense, and I hope the rest of them follow suit!

First in a new series. Working in a funeral home isn't all that interesting until the new owner brings in a bunch of cute guys who know nothing about funeral work.

Love the gravediggers series so far!! This is a series that drew me in and I loved book one and two. Anxiously awaiting book 3!! Deacon is mysterious and loved his story.

Not ever having read this author I wasn't sure what I was in for but the blurb sounded pretty interesting and I was in the mood for something a bit different that what I had been reading. Though at times I wondered when the romance and the suspense was going to come into play I really did enjoy this one.

Tess has worked really hard for what she wants and that is to own the funeral home where she works and that goal was just insight and then someone comes along and offers the owner way more money and takes it over. They spend a lot of money remodeling things and all of a sudden Tess has more help that she would ever need the small town of Last Stop, Texas. Not that she is really complaining about having 5 very hunky men walking around but she knows they are not just funeral assistants.

Deacon is the leader of a secret ops group called The Gravediggers, they are literally buried and considered dead and brought back with some sort of serum. As far as anyone is concerned they were a disgrace to their country and killed. They are a group so secret the President doesn't know about them. They are from all over the country. For the last couple of years Deacon has tried to keep his emotions intact when it comes to Tess because he knows that relationships are a weakness. But then they learn that she has a skill they need for a mission it's his chance to go ahead and make a move even if he shouldn't.

I liked The Darkest Corner but there was a point to where I started to wonder where the romance and the suspense was going to come into play. We don't get any heat from the couple till about midway through and the suspense doesn't really happen till the end when they go after the bad guy. For a romance it seem to have a lot of backstory at the beginning but it was still pretty interesting to read. 

I liked the characters, well most of them one of the Gravediggers was a bit of a jerk. I felt bad for Tess because she wanted to own that funeral home and to have it taken from her by Eve Winters who is a complete B!@#&. Eve is like the devil reincarnated but I guess to have her job one might need to be but still didn't like her one bit. Tess proves to be more than just a country mortician because her family speaks old Russian and even though she is not thrilled with Deacons line of work she comes around and finds her inner thrill seeker.  Deacon is just hot! Enough said...lol. He really seems like a nice guy and very conflicted because now he has put Tess in danger, I liked him a lot. The other Diggers sound pretty hot too and I loved Elias so I can't wait for his story which is next!!!! :) 

Good start to a new series and I will be reading Gone to Dust real soon!

This new band of undercover ops agents has risen from the dead(literally), to fight terrorism. There are six men to this elite group whom in their previous life worked in the military or sort. They all had to die, or so everyone thought, buried, and dug up to live this covert life. Their new base is a funeral home in a small town in Texas. A perfect front for what they do. But not too perfect when the lady in charge of the funeral home finds out what and who they really are.

The concept of The Gravediggers and what they do is very “Jason Bourne” like, except they are a group of men instead of one. This group of men all have their past that brought them to this point of their lives and from Hart’s introduction, they are all very interesting. I enjoyed reading about these men but some parts of the book not so much.

Deacon, the first of The Gravediggers is the hero for this book. He fits the bill of Bourne. Very smart, sexy, dangerous, yet super sweet. And that is my favorite part of the book. Despite his vow not to commit due to his job, he is willing to take a chance with Tess, the mortician. She is innocent in most ways but also adventurous at heart. Of course, it takes Deacon for her to realize it. The crew finds her entertaining and their reaction to her baking was hilarious. I agree with them. I thought Tess was funny, though very plain Jane, she has spunk. Her issues with her mom were relatable in some ways but I thought she lacked backbone when it comes to standing up to her. I hated that she let her mom take advantage of her more than once.

Deacon and Tess had serious steam. There was this bike scene that is thoroughly ingrained in my head. Unfortunately, the romance was not as strong as I would like and the same goes for the suspense part of the story. Unfortunately, the overall story just didn’t sweep me off my feet.

Despite my personal expectations, I think The Darkest Corner is a fun light read. Fans of The MacKenzie Family series would enjoy this book.

Title: The Darkest Corner
Author: Liliana Hart
Pages: 368
Publishing: May 23rd 2017 by Pocket Books
ISBN: 1501150030
Buy Link: The Darkest Corner

Synopsis:

New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Liliana Hart’s first book in her suspenseful Gravediggers series, featuring an elite group of mysterious men who might be dead to the world, but are also tasked with saving it—and no one can ever know.

The Gravediggers aren’t exactly what they seem. They’re the most elite of the world’s fighting forces—and all they have in common is that they’ve been betrayed by the countries they’ve died for. Because they are dead. To their country, their military, and their families.

Sometimes the dead do rise...

Solomon Lange is a dead man walking. A former black ops agent, he was disavowed and stripped of all honor before being recruited as a Gravedigger. But his honor and good name no longer matter, because no one knows he’s alive, and he’ll never get the recognition he deserves. His mission is simple: save the world or die trying. And for God’s sake, don’t ever fall in love. That’s a rule punishable by death. The kind of death a man can’t be brought back from.

Tess Sherman is the only mortician in Last Stop, Texas. She has no idea how Solomon Lange ended up in her funeral home, but she’ll eat her hat if he’s only a funeral home assistant. Solomon is dangerous, deadly, and gorgeous. And she knows her attraction to him can only end in heartache.

Solomon is on a mission to stop the most fatal terror attack the world has ever known—what’s known as The Day of Destiny—a terrorist’s dream. But when he discovers Tess has skills he can use to stop them, he has to decide if he can trust her with secrets worth dying for. And, most important, he has to decide if he can trust her with his heart.

Review:

Action, steamy love scenes, and sexy alpha males? Yes please! The Darkest Corner is a brilliant first look into what the Gravediggers series is going to bring to the table. I instantly became hooked and devoured this book in a few days time. The characters are incredible and the writing is fast paced and exciting. There was a little more romance than I was expecting, but I'm not complaining about that!

The characters were well rounded and complex, and I loved how I was constantly cheering them on. The idea of a secret society of men protecting the world from terrorist was just so intriguing to me. The novel was also especially interesting because it had a realistic feeling to it. Hart created real life scenarios that could be happening in our world today, which is a scary thought! The only problem that I had was I felt like there was a lot of build up to the action scenes, but not a whole lot of action when we got there. I hope there is a little more action in the following two books!

All in all, The Darkest Corner is a fun and exciting start to The Gravediggers series and I can't wait to continue reading the next two books. I would highly recommend this to readers who enjoy action novels with romance mixed in. A big thank you to Pocket Books and NetGalley for sending this novel in exchange for an honest review!

The Darkest Corner (Gravediggers #1)
by Liliana Hart
What an adventure, a young mortician has been living a strange life when her morgue is bought out by a company that employees a very odd set of skills. What she finds is down right Spy level material, and the Shadow, provides all the toys. But the company has many more secrets that she has been told, will she and her new beau figure out the motives of the company? Will she survived the next trial of events unfolding. A great mystery novel for the young at heart. Or just a quick read for Bond Style fans.

If you're an avid fan of romantic suspense, the concept behind this series should set your heart beating with excitement. What's not to love about black ops agents who are dead for all purposes, working under the radar to safeguard the nation and the world without recognition, and getting a chance for a happy ever after even in 'death'.

Last Stop, Texas was chosen as the location for The Gravediggers' hub for a reason and so far, it's working out just fine, except for Tess Sherman. She was looking forward to taking over Last Stop's only funeral home when the owner sold it but now finds herself managing it for a new owner and the men hired to work for her, who are definitely not who they say they are.

Deacon Tucker was one of the best at what he did until he lost it all. Now reincarnated as a Gravedigger, he's just glad to still be alive and do what he know best. Even though he knows he can't offer any woman a future and has never wanted to before, with Tessa he wants one. After watching her from afar for two years, he's not willing to let her leave last stop as she intends to, even if bringing her into his life will put her in danger.

This was a really great start to this series and I love how the author took the time to set the stage for the entire series. It was a bit slow in the beginning, but quite interesting to meet the characters in the small town as well as on the Gravediggers team.

Tess was something of a contradiction, funny and sweet one moment and feisty and fiery the next. She comes across as innocent and naive about the ways of the world as well as a pushover, especially with her mother but she certainly was fearless about taking on new challenges and experiences, and she rose to the occasion every time she needed to.

Deacon is a dangerous man who has seen a lot of the ugliness life has to offer and has the kind of skills that are the stuff of legends, but he was quite sweet with Tess. I like that he was very honest and open with her about who he was once he decided to go after her and didn't treating her like some shrinking violet who couldn't take care of herself.

For all the suspense and action in this story, there was just as much humor. Tess was actually very funny and between herself, her grandmother and her best friend, I was in stitches.

The Gravediggers team is like the United Nations of black ops teams because every one of the men we meet in this book is from a different country and I really am intrigued about what the author has planned for them. I am also very eager to see what the future holds for the director of the Gravediggers, Eve Winter.

Ms. Hart's Mackenzie family series has been a favorite of mine from the very first book I read. I believe this series has the potential to be just as great as that one and I'm looking forward to reading the rest of it.

Loved this book! It's the beginning of a series and it hooked me from the beginning. The h is smart, snarky and fearless. The H is all alpha man! It looks like each book will be a stand alone with a story of each in the group.