Review: I HIGHLY recommend you to read Sapphire Universe before reading Dark Universe.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 12 20, 2013
***3.5 STARS***I'm going to start of by saying that I didn't read Sapphire Universe before reading Dark Universe, and let me tell you that was a BIG MISTAKE. I know that on goodreads it says you can read Dark Universe as a stand alone novel, but I HIGHLY recommend you to read Sapphire Universe before reading Dark Universe.Lola Chase is a twenty-six year old women that is trying to live her life the way she wants to, but her parents want her to be, have, and live a perfect life. She is constantly pressured by her mother to date and find a respectable men to marry and have a family with. But Lola knows how to speak her mind loud and clear. When her mother sets her up with another guy, Lola is ready to lay her cards on the table after taking a look at the dark handsome guy standing at her door. She lets him know that she doesn't do relationships, but strikes a deal that they can be each others arm candy. What Lola didn't know before making a deal with the guy, was that he was not the date her mother set her up with. The guy she talked to was Drake, and he was looking for her father to make his own deal with the family. This is one of the things I loved about Lola's character. She knows how to voice her opinion in a sarcastic way, that I very much enjoyed reading. Lola had me laughing through out the story with her sarcastic outbursts and thoughts. I truly enjoyed reading from her POV.Drake Thomas is a dark handsome cowboy that has lived a life of hardship. Since the day he was born his own father resented him and his mother, because they ruined his opportunity to become a professional rodeo. Once Drake grew up he suffered his fathers physical and verbal abuse, and when he finally strikes back at his father he realizes that his fathers blood runs inside his veins. Drake gets it into his head that he doesn't deserve to be loved by anyone and that he can't love anyone in return. He is also the type of guy that doesn't do relationships and doesn't like people knowing about his life or his family. I did love Drake's character because I just have a thing for guys that are kind of broken. There are a few chapters that are told from Drake's POV and I enjoyed them as much as I enjoyed reading from Lola's POV.Lola and Drake's relationship develops from the deal Lola strikes with him the moment she meets him, believing that he was the date her mother set her up with. Drake agrees to the deal because he knows that Lola only wants him as arm candy with no strings attached. But as Drake and Lola start spending more time together and get to know each other a little deeper, they start to feel emotions they've never felt before. They don't know what they are feeling towards each other, but they are enjoying all of their sexual encounters. And let me say these are some INSANELY HOT sexual encounters. But after Lola and Drake go through some tough situations and they show their support to each other, they realize that there is something more to their no-strings attached relationship. But Devon Herrera throws a little twist in the story I was not expecting that might damage Lola and Drake's relationship.Dark Universe by Devon Herrera had a lot of potential to be a great read. I'm going to admit that I am to blame for getting lost a few times in the story, because I didn't read Sapphire Universe. I experienced a few what just happened moments. This is also the very first time ever I wished a book was a little longer. Why? Because I felt that I got cheated on some scenes in the story. What do I  mean by this? Devon Herrera fast-forwarded a few scenes that I really wished were in the story. I can't expand more on this, because I might ruin the story for all of you. But other than that I loved Lola and Drake's story. I actually can't wait to read the next installment in this series :D!