The title of the book Romancing the Dark in the City of Light by Ann Jacobus is surprisingly literal: Summer Barnes struggles with a life or death situation while living in Paris.

Summer Barnes is in hot water. She’s been kicked out of four boarding schools, and if she can’t make this fifth one work, she’ll lose a serious amount of inheritance money. All she needs to do is stop skipping school. And drinking. And running away.

She’s living in Paris now, and what better way to get her life back on track than falling in love in the City of Light. That’s how it works in the movies, right?

Moony brings out the best in her, convincing Summer that life is worth living to its fullest extent. Kurt, however, understands her on a deep, intimate level, and encourages her to accept the darkest parts of herself.

‘Romancing the Dark in the City of Light’ book review

Let it be known up front that Romancing the Dark is not for the faint of heart. Summer is not an easy narrator to like — she’s an alcoholic, her sarcasm draws blood, and she struggles with that age old question, “To be or not to be?”

Moony shows her life can be worth fighting for. He’s survived a horrific car crash and will deal with the consequences of his disability for the rest of his life. Yet, he still draws people to him like a moth to the flame. But you won’t get burnt. Moony is good.

Kurt is not. He’s cold, dark, distant, unreliable, and a little scary. He’s around every corner, and he brings out the worst in Summer. She can’t seem to shake him, and sometimes she doesn’t want to. Is there something wrong with admitting you’d rather spend time alone in the bowels of the city than standing underneath the twinkling lights of the Eiffel Tower?

The story is carefully crafted in a way that forces you into Summer’s shoes. Kurt may be strange and off-putting, but he’s also exciting and intoxicating. Moony may be just what Summer needs, but it doesn’t mean she’s right for him.

But though Moony and Kurt both play a huge part in Romancing the Dark, the star of the show is undoubtedly Summer Barnes. To put it bluntly, she’s not convinced life is worth living anymore. It’s an ugly, cruel, lonely road, and the idea of suicide sometimes feels like a lover’s embrace.

Perhaps the most important aspect of this book is the fact that Jacobus does not pretend Summer’s problems are something that can be easily fixed. Summer loses friends, damages familial relationships, and does some serious harm — physically and emotionally — to those around her. Struggling with alcohol and drugs and the idea that death is a sweet escape from the horrors of existing in this world is real and messy and hard.

The complexity of the story is a reflection of the complexity of life, and Jacobus handles it with a gentleness and care that is to be applauded.

Romancing the Dark in the City of Light by Ann Jacobus is available now. Add it to your Goodreads list or purchase it from Amazon or IndieBound.