4.5 stars rounded down.

I honestly wasn't expecting much from this companion novel to The Shadows Between Us (which I LOVED). I read TSBU so long ago, that I questioned whether a companion novel was needed, if it would compare to TSBU, and if it would be any good. I am happy to say that it IS needed, and it's just as good as TSBU!

I forgot that the sister relationship in TSBU was left on a cliffhanger. They disliked one another, but that's because they didn't fully understand one another and were going through their trials alone instead of together. I liked how we could understand Chrysantha's POV in this novel and see why she made the decisions she did against her sister in TSBU.

Where this book THREW me, was that it was kind of a monster romance??! And I couldn't tell if it was supposed to be YA or Adult...? I honestly think it's fine for both. YA content with an Adult plot maybe?? It kind of read like Belladonna by Adalyn Grace (similar amount of romance and fantasy).

The romance was suspenseful and fun. There was some mystery and trickery in here. It was just a really fun read.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

The second book in The Shadows Between Us duology is about Chrysantha, the older sister of the previous book. She is quite cunning and can't stop patting herself on the back about it. She is the young bride of an elderly man on his death bed.

Being quite the forward thinking feminist she cannot wait for him to die so she has her own money, status and true freedom. Naturally this will all be disrupted by the claims of right to inheritance by an estranged grandson, Eryx. The names are terrible.

Eryx is very much the male counterpart of Chrysantha in values and morality. Take from that what you will.

I found the characters to be unlikable. It was true enemies to lovers, which was nice but the enemies bit lasted forever; and the lovers part barely happened. I'm not sure Chrysantha's story was one that really needed to be told. I cannot for the life of me understand why anyone would enjoy this book more than the first one. The ratings have my eyes popping. It took me several attempts to get through this book. Which was a disappointment as I had rated the first so high.

I'm also not really sure this was YA. So heads up on that.

First I just gotta say how BEAUTIFUL the cover of this book it. I love it!
This book was so good. I could not put it down. They was so much tension (in a good way) and romance that I loved. The authors writing in this was so beautiful as well.
The book also gives off little bit of a beauty and the beast feel. So if you like that then I definitely reccomend.

I want to give this 3.5. I wanted to love it more but the two mc didn’t have that much chemistry. Chrysanthemum was kinda immature but she was just hiding her goodies. Love a good feminist portrayal.

This was the perfect companion book to The Shadows Between Us. It had the same flavor, and featured the same type of crafty, ruthless, intelligent FMC.

This book featured Chrysantha, sister to Alessandra, who wed the Shadow King in the first book. Chrysantha planned and schemed to position herself to become free of a man's control as a dowager duchess, but her plans are up-ended by an unexpected heir laying claim to her late husband's estate.

The main motivator for Chrysanrha throughout the book is to gain equality in her male-dominated world. We hear a lot about the unfairness of how women are treated as property and have no rights of their own. A common theme in both of these books is the extent to which these FMCs will go to reach that status, resorting to merciless and conniving actions.

Overall, this story was an engaging read and I finished in just one sitting. I liked how the characters from the first book are interwoven into this one, without the reader having to have previously read it. I do find the script-flip of the FMC being so ruthless/villianous to be refreshing, but the repetition of the single-minded motivation of equality became a bit tiresome. Also, a lot of secrets being kept was frustrating, Eryx didn't really have much depth to his character and the hate turned to love pretty abruptly, but it was still a quick and fun read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Feiwel & Friends for a review copy of this book.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

"When you hate someone so fiercely, they have to be worthy of that hatred. You wouldn’t ardently hate someone who was beneath your notice or someone who didn’t compare to you in wits or charisma. You have to be on equal grounds to hate someone so much. And that level of hate inherently comes with a level of respect. You’re recognizing that they’re an actual threat. That they compare to you."

I read this via an e-ARC, physical library copy, and audiobook.

I requested a copy of this book because The Shadows Between Us was a very fun and quick audiobook read in the past. I was not overly intrigued by the switch to the POV of a sister we'd only met in some annoying letters, but was excited to be back in the universe.

The Darkness Within Us follows Alessandra's sister, Chrysantha Sthatos. We know starting out that she is the oldest sister, deeply judgmental of Alessandra, and married to an old man. The vibes are vapid golddigger in the beginning. We then learn that Chrysantha is not how she portrays herself. She married the Duke to, yes, hopefully inherit his dukedom quickly, but particularly to have freedom for the first time of a man controlling every facet of her life. Unfortunately, even after taking matters into her own hands, nothing is as easy as it seems. Is Chrysantha cunning enough to scare off the late Duke's alleged grandson with claims to everything she owns?

I did end up enjoying reading Chrystantha's POV more than I originally expected! I also really enjoyed Eryx and the side characters. I was a little disappointed we didn't get more of a romantic attempt with a side character, but I do see how it could have been an obnoxious love triangle that way. This isn't the series that you read for substantial worldbuilding, as we don't really learn much about any fantasy aspects except for how it pertains to the romantic plot. Levenseller's writing is what I like to call snappy, though! It's fun and sassy and easy to breeze through!

I hope to read Daughter of the Siren Queen in her other series next, and would recommend The Darkness Within Us

Absolutely perfect--the thrilling, sweeping romance I've come to expect from Tricia Levenseller, with the intrigue of characters and plotlines I loved in The Shadows Between Us (book 1 in the series).

This one is a can't miss!

***Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for providing me with a digital copy of this book to review.***

This is a great follow-up to THE SHADOWS BETWEEN US. I loved getting Chrysantha’s story. She's such a fun, morally gray heroine. I feel like we often see this type of character from male love interests and not as often from female protagonists. That was refreshing!

What an exhilarating read! I absolutely adored the female main character and loved seeing her growth throughout the story. The mysterious male lead was equally fascinating, keeping me hooked with every twist and turn. The author’s talent for world-building is remarkable, weaving the setting and story together seamlessly.

The immersive writing made me feel like I was on a grand adventure in an entirely new world from start to finish. This is definitely a book worth diving into!

This story picks up two months into Chrysantha Stathos marriage to the old lecherous Duke she married, with him on his dying bed. Alessandra, her sister, is wedding the Shadow King, the most powerful man in the world. Meanwhile, after the death of Chrysantha’s no-good, lecherous husband, a man claiming to be the duke’s estranged grandson turns up to inherit everything that should be hers. Chrysantha thinks she has finally found her freedom, both financially and from under a man's control with her husband's death, but Eryx Demos, the man claiming to be the rightful heir and grandson to her deceased husband, threatens to take all that away. Chrysantha must find a way to get back what she feels is rightfully hers, all while keeping herself from falling for the handsome grandson of the duke who is trying to take it from her.

Chrysantha’s character shows how deceptively complex she can be throughout the story. She pretends to be simple to get what she wants but also uses her cunning to pursue her desires. Eryx is complex himself, hiding his own demon and trying to keep Chrysantha from finding him out. It's a butting of heads and a game of chess while trying not to fall for each other.

This sequel was an easy read in the Stathos sister's adventures in love. Overall, I felt it was pretty predictable at times and it didn't relly pick up until about half in, but I really enjoy Tricia Levenseller's writing and can't wait to read more adventures she comes up with.

Sadly this book just didn’t grab as much as I hoped it would. I put it down and picked it up multiple times but I just couldn’t connect with it. Super bummed.

This wasn’t quite as intoxicating and deliciously dark and witty as the previous book. While I respect the hustle that the author gives her FMCs, I just found the FMC here a bit too much for me to take. The sister rivalry also felt much too drawn out and bitter which weighted down the story.

I was very disappointed by this book. I have loved most of Levenseller's books. This one dragged for me. The ending is relatively predictable which is fine, but it wasn't very enjoyable. The banter between the characters felt stiff. The tension was overwrought.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

5 Stars

This book was SO SO GOOD. I genuinely forgot how much I loved this world and how quickly I get sucked into Levenseller’s writing.

Just like Shadows Between Us, the pacing moves quickly, and the story grips you from the first scene. I love that both books are stand alone romantsy stories but are about two different sisters so you get that familiarity of characters without having had to read the other book. But as a treat, it was so much fun to see the Shadow King and his Queen several times in this story.

Our main characters in The Darkness Within Us were A DELIGHT. Chrysantha is tired of being a pawn in men’s lives and just wants freedom. She has worked so hard to position herself to finance her life and live freely only to have that carefully executed plan go to crap when Eryx shows up. He is the heir to Chrysantha’s late husband’s estate. The heir she didn’t know existed. The heir that has secrets that she will use to gain her freedom again. Problem is……as she learns Eyrx’s secrets, she realizes they have a lot in common.

I couldn’t put the book down and hated to see it end. It was incredible and I can’t wait to reread it one day. I also read via audio and the narrator did an amazing job bringing the story to life.

Thanks to Macmillan and NetGalley for the e-ARC of The Darkness Within Us!

This one is a spinoff of The Shadows Between Us, focusing on Chrysantha, Alessandra’s sister. She’s pretty much a mirror of Alessandra—self-centered, sneaky, and a murderer. Honestly, it felt pretty similar to the first book, so if you liked that one, you’ll probably enjoy this too.

While it’s marketed as YA, the mature themes (including off-page sex) make it lean more toward New Adult. I struggled to get into it, which is why it took me a bit to review. It wasn’t for me, but it might click better with others!

I enjoyed this a lot more than I enjoyed reading The Shadow Betweens Us. And my love for morally grey men, made me enjoy it that much more.

4.25 stars

As a fan of The Shadows Between Us, I was pleasantly surprised by this book getting announced! These books are definitely read because of our main "bad" girl characters. I love how the author commits to the bit and they stay in a morally gray area but we as readers still respect their motivations for being bad. I really enjoyed seeing how the sisters got to understand each other and their relationship evolved. Plus the banter (and really all of the dialogue from Chrysantha) is just * chef's kiss. * The twists and pacing were all fun and engaging, just like the first book. Loved how this sequel of sorts lives up to the original!

I have enjoyed all books that I have read by Tricia Levenseller and this was no exception. Chrysantha's portrayal in The Shadow's Between Us made her an intriguing character and had me itching to read this. Chrysantha's hidden independence and cunning nature was well done and her interactions with the 'heir' were entertaining. If you enjoyed the previous book and were intrigued, or maybe even a little put off by Chrysantha and her choices, give this book a try.

I absolutely loved The Shadows Between Us and I feel like this book came out of nowhere and I was so excited to get back into this universe. I was not a fan of Crysantha at all, so it took me a bit to get into the story. She was just so self centered and ruthless, so it was a bit tough to be in her head and she frustrated me from beginning to end. Still, I truly understood her motivations about wanting true freedom, so even when I wanted to shake her, I couldn’t argue that she had a point.
I loved the conflict and relationship between her and Eryx. Their uneasy truces and constant battling of each other was fun and entertaining. I loved watching it unfold.
I ended up loving how to story progressed and how it all came together, but I have to admit that I was kind of aggravated by Crysantha quite often, so I definitely didn’t enjoy it was much as the first book or in the same way, but it was good!
I do recommend this book and I think fans of slowburn enemies to lovers will love it.