I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
A young woman can’t escape her past as a new job with an esteemed photographer brings the haunting past rearing its ugly head in author Swinn Daniel’s “Eyes of the Beholder,” the first book in the Dark Photography Series.
The Synopsis
Juliette Burns doesn’t do relationships. She can’t afford to.
Landing a job as first assistant to Saxon Payne—one of the world’s most brilliant photographers—is the break she’s been chasing. The work is demanding. The man is impossible to ignore.
And that’s the problem.
Because Juliette has spent her whole life hiding what happened when she was a child: her mother dragged her into the Enlightened Path, a cult where 500 people vanished on the same day. Juliette was the only one who made it out. She has no memory of what happened.
But as things heat up with Saxon, the past starts pushing back. He has secrets of his own. And something—or someone—from the cult is coming for her.
Eyes of the Beholder is Book 1 of the Dark Photography Folio, a five-book series that blends romance, mystery, and the supernatural into one unforgettable story.
THE REVIEW
This was a compelling and gripping blend of adult romance and supernatural mystery. The subtlety of the supernatural elements allowed the reader to grasp the larger mystery surrounding this cast of characters and their backstory, while leaving plenty of room for the growing romance between the two protagonists. The powerful imagery felt both cinematic and immersive, adding heated passion to some scenes and emotional depth to others, elevating the narrative.
The heart of this story was the character development of the two protagonists. The author’s writing style allowed for a natural flow rare in the specific genre of fiction, with a lack of chapters that kept the narrative’s pacing more natural and kept the reader on the edge of their seat many times. The chemistry between the two protagonists was deep, from their humorous banter that came across so naturally to the deeper emotional and physical connections they developed, making this story shine brightly.
THE VERDICT
A richly developed supernatural mystery underscoring a powerful romance made author Swinn Daniels’s “Eyes of the Beholder” a must-read novel. The twists and turns the story takes on, the shocking revelations that hint at a larger story, and the powerful themes of love, trauma, and art itself were brought to life in a visceral way by the author’s expertise in photography, both technically and artistically speaking, and the passion that it inspires in so many people could be felt on the pages of this novel. if you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
Rating: 10/10
About the Author
Swinn Daniels is a psuedonym for author/director/photographer Dan Couto. You can see his work at dancouto.com. You can also read Solipsum, a novel published under his real name.
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