Title: Empathy

Author: Ker Dukey

Genre: Dark Romance/Erotic Suspense

Amazon US | Amazon UK

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Blake:

I am a brother

I am a police detective

I am a contract killer

I don’t want to love

I don’t want to feel

I don’t want … EMPATHY.

They say some people are born with decreased activity in the front central lobe causing them a deficiency in empathy. Maybe that’s true about me but whether I was born this way or created in a moment of evil, empathy was something I didn’t possess until her green eyes met mine in the mirror and I couldn’t take her life.

I didn’t want to feel, didn’t want this woman in my life complicating how I lived but she was there at every turn. Sent to haunt me for my sins. Her light so bright she provoked a shadow from everyone she touched. When a job turns bad quickly altering my life forever I’m forced to feel. When nothing is making sense I’m forced to face truths I never would recover from. When life drowns you in its cruelty you don’t know which way the current will drag you or who you’ll become once you re-surface.

Melody:

I was a daughter

I was a student

I was a victim

Did I have his love?

Did I make him feel?

Did I have his empathy?

When the actions of a soulless killer forces sorrow into my veins I never dreamed the man healing my wounds would be the one to leave the worst scar. His love would scar my soul. Scars are permanent; I will never feel the relief from them. Will I learn to live with them, remember why I have them and learn never to let him close enough to inflict more? Will I eventually cover them… like tattoos coating them with new memories, new love and new starts? I didn’t know these answers because the pain was too suffocating, the only thing I knew was they will always be under the surface lingering. He had scars too, from his sins. There is nothing that can cover them, they were too deep, too ugly, too dark and they marked us both forever.

Jaymee's Review

***Arc Provided by Ker Dukey in exchange for an honest review***

5 Stars

Empathy by Ker Dukey is an insane ride, I thought I had things figured out, I thought I knew where this book would go and then she slammed me with a couple of twists that I NEVER saw coming. From the moment I read the synopsis I knew I would enjoy this story. I'm not sure how I'd even classify this book, its a romance but it is also suspenseful, mysterious and a bit of a thriller, I loved every second of it! The plot is well developed, complex, intriguing and spell binding, Ker had me hooked and didn't let me go for even a moment from the first page to the last.

One feature I found unique and very interesting is there were three main characters and we got all three points of view which made the book even better in my opinion! Melody is the main love interest, she is a college student who walked into her family home one night to find her parents brutally murdered. She was attacked but the killer couldn't bring himself to end her life and it started a chain of events that changed three people's lives forever. The author described the night she found her parent's bodies so clearly that I felt the depths of the pain she must have experienced. The descriptions of the aftermath of such a tragedy were gripping and brought the grief and destruction to life on the page. Melody was so strong though, even though she was breaking she kept trying to live normally and face each day the best she could. Blake, a contract killer who is also a police officer is a walking contradiction, In spite of his obvious psychopathic tendencies Melody awakens something in him, she makes him feel things. Even though I hated Blake watching their relationship develop was captivating and heart warming. The reasons he become a killer and developed a heart of ice were actually sort of understandable, I know that sounds crazy but you'll see what I mean, he turned his feelings off but she brought light back into his dark soul. The way he related to her was amazing, he was like a little kid in some ways since he'd never had a real relationship before, it was endearing. About halfway through the book I found myself really hoping that Melody would never find out who he was so they could just live happily ever after, sometimes ignorance is bliss. Ryan, Blake's younger brother, is a friend of Melody's and he is quite a confusing character. He's obviously damaged by the events of his childhood and he mostly keeps to himself, in fact Melody is one of his first friends, something about her just brings out people's emotions. These three characters must maintain a delicate balance as they relate to each other, there are so many secrets that could just blow everything up in their faces.

I enjoyed the entire book but the last 25% or so was just absolutely mind blowing, complete insanity. Several times I found myself muttering "are you serious, did that really just happen?", yes I was an actual crazy person talking to myself! Then the epilogue just finished me off, I think I just started blankly at my kindle for awhile in absolute shock. What a twist! Ker Dukey really knows how to craft one hell of a story that will leave the reader unable to form a coherent thought for awhile after they finish!

This was my first book by Ker but it won't be my last!

Storyline: Completely engrossing

Female Character: Fighter, brave

Male Character: Blake: dark but loveable Ryan: damaged

Author's Writing Style: Descriptive, Engrossing, Creative

Plot Twists: Holy Crap

Laugh Factor: none

Cry Factor: none

Steam Factor: HOT!

Violence: High but not horribly graphic

I have always had a passion for storytelling, whether it be through lyrics or bed time stories with my sisters. I wanted to be an actress growing up so I could live many roles but I learned early on that my mind was too active... I would want to change the script.I would watch films and think of ways they could of improved the story if they took another direction so i thought it best that i tell my own.

My mum would always have a book in her hand when I was young and passed on her love for reading, inspiring me to venture into writing my own. I tend to have a darker edge to my writing. Not all love stories are made from light, some are created in darkness but are just as powerful and worth telling.

When I'm not lost in the world of characters I love spending time with my family. I'm a mum and that comes first in my life but when I do get down time I love attending music concerts or reading events with my younger sister.

You can find me on facebook where i love interacting with my readers.