Disassociating from feeling emotions can cause long-term effects preventing a healthy life. Through The Darkness by Lisa Burkett features Aiden Mallox and his attempt to break down Natalie Kessler's descent into depression. Aiden is the founder of Mallox Consulting and has devoted his life to helping domestic violence victims. Alex and Riley help Aiden with providing for the women in the main center while a small team of workers assists with the reintegration of women into being self-sufficient without fear of being assaulted. When Natalie arrives at a party that the agency is holding, Aiden requests her assistance with an accounting error he made. When he leaves her alone in the office, one of the agents enters the office. Natalie attempts to introduce herself, but Tom Michaels attacks her. Sensing something is wrong, Aiden and Alex discover Natalie in the corner, unable to move. Tom Michaels has disappeared, but he left a message with Natalie. Will Natalie tell Aiden the details of the attack, or will she disassociate from life?

The major theme Through The Darkness focuses on is domestic abuse. Lisa Burkett has written the story from a new perspective that I found fascinating. Instead of focusing on the physical atrocities that the women experience, Aiden also treats the psychological impact abuse causes. I found each of the characters easy to connect with and the transition between them was effortless. This is a fast-paced story that required my full attention to catch the tidbits of information Natalie gives. I also watched the various approaches each caregiver tried in order to help Natalie. I loved the dialogue that is realistic and filled with funny sarcastic remarks. This is a 5-star story that I highly recommend to readers interested in seeing what happens in recovery for victims. While this is a fictional book, the thorough details made me feel as though I needed to help Aiden get through to Natalie.

Through the Darkness is the first book in the Mallox Series by Lisa Burkett, featuring elaborately developed characters and strong plot points. For readers looking for stories with compelling psychological underpinnings, this one will not disappoint. Natalie Kessler struggled with anxiety and severe depression when she first came to Mallox Consulting for help. Mallox specializes in supporting and protecting clients who are trapped in dangerous situations, and most often, these are cases involving women who are victims of domestic abuse. Natalie was able to get her life back after being stalked by a former co-worker, thanks to Aiden and his team. Now, her good friend is being abused by the spouse. Can Natalie transcend her childhood trauma and experience true freedom while helping her friend?

This book deals with real-life issues and addresses a problem that people face in life: dealing with trauma and abusive relationships. The story is engaging and filled with exciting moments right from the first page. The characters, from Aiden to Natalie and Sophie, to minor ones like Riley, are real and well-written. The relationship between Aiden and Natalie goes beyond the client relationship and I loved the way it is handled. Natalie is a character that many women who have suffered trauma and abuse will identify with and Lisa Burkett does an impeccable job when writing the psychological depth of her characters. The prose is beautiful and the dialogues are skillfully crafted to augment the drama, transforming the story into a page-turner one. Through the Darkness brims with realism and humanity; it is very smart and completely unforgettable.