4.5 ⭐️

A big thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan for the arc! I’m very grateful 🖤

Chrysantha puts up a front of being a very simple, and naive woman. But in reality she’s witty, strong, and working on a longterm goal of independence and financial freedom from all the men and societal pressures in her life - something I feel like a lot of us can relate to even today, unfortunately.

After her old, sickly husband “passes”, she thinks she’s finally earned her freedom after seven years of pretending. Until a long lost male heir comes to steal her deceased husband’s fortune away from her. Is the duke really who he seems? Or is he hiding even more secrets than just his identity?

——————

I am absolutely obsessed with Tricia Levenseller’s writing once again!! This book had so much wit and humor - if you had seen me reading it, you would have wondered why I was smiling to my kindle so much 😂 And while the story was pretty low stakes, it still touched on some devastating aspects of being a woman and I liked that it was so important to the story and not something that was ever compromised on. I also LOVED that we once again had two MCs who were both FIRMLY morally gray, I feel like they fit so perfectly in this story and world Levenseller has created.

While I don’t think it was completely necessary, I am very happy that Alessandra and Chrysantha were able to reconnect and find common ground with one another. Their budding new friendship is very cute and I’m glad they can truly bond as themselves now 😊

I would also like to call out how the MMC handled some of the initial physical moments between himself and the FMC, he was thoughtful and adorable and I’m in love with him - I wish all men put as much thought and care into their partners.

Anyway! If you liked The Shadows Between Us, than definitely check out The Darkness Within Us - you will not be disappointed 🥰

While this wasn't my cup of tea, it still was a yummy concoction 😁

This story was technically a sequel to The Shadows Between Us, but I did go into it not having read the first one. While I can see where having some backstory would be helpful, I didn't feel lost while reading this story.

Chrysantha is a young widow and is finally free to live her life without having men dictate every decision. That is until a mysterious grandson of her recently deceased husband (yes she was like 18 and married to an old man 🤢) strides in to claim her title, land, and inheritance. They irritate each other to no end and clash in every corner of this gigantic mansion. Eryx, just like how his name is spelled, is no ordinary military soldier. He has quite a temper and sometimes his eyes glow an odd color when he gets a little enraged, or let's say... impassioned 👀

I really enjoyed their bantering and the natural and slow progression of their dynamic. I also like that this story had some mystery aspects to it. I liked that it was a slow burn, but there also wasn't THAT much romantic plot for the first good chunk in general.

The main issue I had was that this book did NOT feel like a YA novel. I would consider her Daughter of the Pirate King to be YA. This book... felt more like NA. She was constantly talking about the male mistresses she paid for, and while it was fade to black, there were many many discussions about sex. She also claimed to be super shy and reserved in book one, and then you cut to her sleeping around and being pretty insane in this story ahaha.

I do appreciate NetGalley for letting me read this book. I've been wanting to read more of Tricia Levenseller's writing since I love her other series! I can def see other people liking this book, it just wasn't my fav.

Thank you to Macmillan for providing me with a copy of this book!

*The Darkness Within Us* is the companion novel to *The Shadows Between Us*. While you don't have to read *Shadows* to enjoy *Darkness*, I highly recommend it. Both books are fast-paced and addictive, with strong female protagonists.

Chrysantha is a standout character—clever and determined. She manipulates her father into marrying her off to a wealthy, heirless older man, only to have her plans disrupted by the late duke’s grandson, Eryx. Chrysantha fights to keep what she believes is hers, even pretending to fall for Eryx to learn his secrets. But Eryx's secrets and her own feelings complicate things.

The chemistry between Chrysantha and Eryx is electric, filled with witty banter and intense sparks. My only complaint is that the story ended too soon; an epilogue would have been perfect.

Tricia Levenseller has crafted another compelling read with *The Darkness Within Us*. I can’t wait for her next book!

PITCH: Beauty and the Beast meets the The Odd Couple with the elements of the stepmother from Ever After

This FMC plays the game. Calculating and manipulative tend to be words one uses with a negative connotation; Chrysantha puts these traits to positive ends. When Eryx threatens her livelihood, claws come out! The banter is actually befitting of enemies, and the internal dialogue defines this clever main character. Not to mention, have you seen this GORGEOUS book binding? I had no problem reading this book without having read The Shadows Between Us, but I’m definitely interested now!

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced readers copy of The Darkness Within Us by Tricia Levenseller. It is a spin off/ sequel to The Shadows Between Us, with the main female character being from Alessandra’s sisters pov.
I’ll give a more detailed review when the book has been released and I can give away some spoilers. I did read the book all in one night. I did get annoyed at first with the feuding between Chystantha and Alessandra, it just got so petty. Chystantha complained a lot and acted like a child almost the time, but once the MMC got involved it became quite entertaining and I giggled a lot. I do which the couple of spicy-ish scenes we did have were more detailed but because of how it’s done, I’d title this as more of YA. I’ll give it a 4 out of 5 stars.

I absolutely loved this continuation from "The Shadows Between Us". It was perfection, and such a fun read for me and one that I was sad to end. The character development of Chrysantha was flawless.

The Darkness Within Us starts with Chrysantha, the young wife of an old, sickly duke. She is just biding her time until the Duke's inevitable death so that she can become the sole mistress of the house. When a man claiming to be the Duke's long lost heir appears, all of her plans are upended.

Chrysantha is everything a typical heroine is not. She is burning with anger and she's constantly scheming. Her selfishness is probably her most defining quality and she cares for very few people. But all of those things make her such a compelling character and I had so much fun watching her story unfold. I loved the enemies to lovers, will they won't they tension between her and Eryx and also the relationship between Chrysantha and her sister.

I have not read the companion novel to The Darkness Within Us, but after reading this book I'm excited to pick it up! I think knowing more about Chrysantha beforehand will probably make it an even more enjoyable reading experience.

Basically, my memory of The Shadows Between Us was something along the lines of "it was more fun than it had any right to be" so when I saw this companion novel that didn't require me to remember the first book at all, I was like SIGN ME UP. And I'm glad I did! It's definitely more in line with a regency romance, but also there are monsters. IMO, monsters can make a great addition to regency romances, and the author pulled it off here. The characters are interesting, mostly in their flaws, but I really could empathize with the main character (minus the murder-y impulses, although I might have murdered Gross Duke too tbh) and her frustration with her lot in life as a woman. That through-line aside, though, we're basically in it for the romance, and it worked for me (minus one plot-line thing at the end, but it was a pretty typical romance trope/plot-point that I find annoying so that's just a preference thing on my end). Anyway, if you liked The Shadows Between Us, you'll probably like this one too. Romantasy readers, look no farther for your next fun read: 4 stars. I really liked it.

Thanks to Feiwel & Friends and Netgalley for the eARC which I received in exchange for an unbiased review. The Darkness Within Us is out on 09 July.

The Darkness Within Us, written by Tricia Levenseller, is a captivating fantasy novel brimming with tension, treachery, and irresistibly addictive romance.

At first I thought I would be disappointed by a standard story line. I almost didn’t push on through the introduction. I am so glad I did. I read for hours as I tried to solve the secrets along with the Duchess. I love the characters and want more please.

I loved this book....perhaps even more then its companion book, The Shadows Between Us.

The Darkness Within US follows Alessandra's sister, Chrysantha. I definitely got a slight Beauty and the Beast vibe with this one with Chrysantha's love of books and the beast. Except Chrysantha knows she's beautiful and uses it to her advantage to get what she wants.

I was a little unsure how I would feel about this book at first. I loved The Shadows Between Us, but reading from Alessandra's POV I didn't care too much for her sister. But I loved Chrysantha. She's feisty, vengeful, petty at times, smart, generous and isn't afraid to go after what she wants.

I loved Eryx and the mystery around him. I loved the plot and connection and banter between the two main characters. It is a closed door romance (YA romance), but all the tension and build up is there. It's fun and fast paced. I devoured this one, I highly recommend!

Read if you like:
Beauty and the Beast
Shadow Daddies
Enemies to Lovers
Slow Burn Romance
Forced Proximity
Morally Gray Characters

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for giving me this free eArc in exchange for my honest review.

This book was just as fun as the first book, The Shadows Between Us. I adore this writing style and the storyline so much. It’s fast paced and just fun to read.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book as an ARC.
Following the first book, The Shadows Between Us, this book concentrates on the older sister, Chrysantha who married a man much older than her based on laws of the land that do not give women much choice. However, now that her younger sister Alessandra is queen, there are new edicts of the land that give women many more rights. Meanwhile, her late husband's estranged grandson is laying claim to the life Chrysantha has built for herself. He threatens to take away her freedoms by his claim, but there is so much more to him than meets the eye.
I absolutely enjoyed this romantasy for exposing laws and held beliefs that are still present in our society today that do not give women complete autonomy and freedoms that men have. Like the last book, both sisters are fierce and willing to stand up for themselves. While it took Chrysantha more time to stand up for herself, once she gets a taste of freedom, she is more willing to fight to keep it. This is a love story, a fantasy, and women's rights novel.

Thank you to Macmillan for providing me with a copy of this book!

The Darkness Within Us is the companion novel to The Shadows Between Us. While you don't have to read Shadows to fully enjoy Darkness, I highly recommend it. Both books are fast-paced and highly addicting, with female protagonists you're rooting for from the very first page to the very last one.

I loved Chrysantha. She was an absolute boss who knew exactly what she wanted. While pretending to be a slow, simple girl, she manipulated her father into marrying her off to an older man with no heirs. After he dies, Chrysantha is set for life. Or so she thinks, until the late duke's grandson appears and inherits everything.

But Chrysantha doesn't give up. She is a fighter who will do whatever it takes to keep what is rightfully hers, even if it that means pretending to fall for Eryx so she can learn all his secrets and betray him in the end. But Chrysantha doesn't realize the extent of Eryx's secrets, or that it's not so easy to separate her pretend and real feelings for Eryx.

Chrysantha and Eryx had great chemistry from their first scene together. I loved their witty banter, and, later on, the sparks that flew between them had me swooning. I could not wait for them to finally get together, and when they did? Wow. My only complaint about this book was that it ended too soon. I would have loved an epilogue, but I know that's because I was loathe to part with these wonderful characters.

Another hit from Tricia Levenseller!

This one was a bit slower than book one, but the witty comebacks between the two MCs MADE this novel. It was fun to see what they would do next to get at each other haha
Love that they truly start as enemies to lovers, it was a sloooooow burn 😂
Also, gave me a bit of Beauty and the Beast vibes what with Chrysantha being into books, the beast, the slow burn, someone coming for the beast, etc. Of course, Chrysantha was VERY different than Belle. She was vengeful and petty and yet smart and generous. Love how she fights for her staff's welfare! And happy to join in her investigation of Eryx. Felt like a mystery 🤭
Also.....LOVE the few snippets we get of Alessandra and Kallias 😍
The sisters have some exchanges and it's nice to see how their relationship develops.
For those interested, it's closed door love scenes. Some kisses and fade out haha
Only downside for me was the demon thing. Wish there'd been another answer than that. Demons aren't my thing 😅 Otherwise, solid companion novel. Reads like a mystery Regency romance almost, actually 😂

It was just cute fun! I love the tension and plot building. I think this is generally a good book that can be enjoyed by a lot of age groups. I loved the shadows between us so I knew this one would be just as good

Chrysantha is married to an old dying duke. Just waiting for the day of her freedom Chrysantha decides to take matters into her own hands. Once she is free and now is the inheritor of her husband's estate she can do whatever she wants. From redecorating to changing her wardrobe she is finally free to be happy. That is until she has a surprise encounter with Eryx. Claiming to be the nephew of the deceased duke, Eryx is to be the inheritor of the duke's estate and wealth. This is a new problem for Chrysantha. Unwilling to give up everything that should be rightfully hers Chrysantha must get rid of Eryx.
Tricia Levenseller is great at writing enemies to lovers novels. A little more dark fantasy than what I expected but it was feisty and I did enjoy that part. Chrysantha is basically having very bad day. Her sister is getting married to the Shadow King which she is jealous of. It seems like Chrysantha is just a jealous person who can never get her way. This story has like House of Dragon vibes. Her character reminds me of Alicent. She is always struggling to fight for what she wants and things just get in the way. At first her character is unlikeable but I totally understand why. I enjoyed The Shadows Between Us but I didn't enjoy this book as much as I wanted to. I felt like the vibe in this one was so different and it did not feel like a sequel.

Tricia Levenseller is an auto-buy author for me and she's done it again. Truly she manages to balance important and sometimes heavy topics with humor, grace, and some nice romance. I so enjoyed returned to this world and learning more about a character I initially disliked in the first one. I have to say, I was skeptical, but I really ended up enjoying this.

I was initially not looking forward to reading a book about Crysantha. She had me fooled in the Shadows Between Us, but the more I read, the more I NEEDED to read. This book was so captivating. I loved the characters, the depths of Crysantha that we had never seen. The plot kept me turning pages, and I loved the slow reveals. It was really such a satisfying read and I loved it as much, if not more than the first book. Tricia never disappoints!

This is an interconnected fantasy novel with The Shadows Between Us, however you could technically read these books separately.

This is my fifth Tricia Levenseller book, and I must say her writing is improving with each book, and I am loving her style.

WOW!! I was so hesitant on reading from Chrysanthas POV, because prior to this we only had a view of her from her sisters POV, and she was not painted in the best light. However imagine my surprise when I found myself loving her even more than Alessandra! Both sisters are a bit unhinged (killing off those who they perceive has done them wrong and without any feeling of remorse), witty, funny, and snarky. Chrysantha is everything I love in a MC, she's unapologetically herself, she is set in her ways, she's not wishy-washy, and she's not afraid to go after what she wants.

Okay, I thought I loved Kallias (I mean-hello shadow daddy) but Eryx took my obsession to a whole new level. Thank you Tricia Levenseller for giving me another book boyfriend to obsess over. I love Chrysanthas and Eryxs true hatred for each other and how that manifests. There bickering and banter were top notch. The tension and chemistry was such a nice slow burn that I was speed reading through the book to find out when they would finally have *that* moment.

I loved all the side characters in this one! They all felt so real, and added a lot of depth to our MCs.

My one complaint is the pacing at the very end. I felt the last 10% of the book felt a bit rushed and then all of a sudden the book ended. I thought we were going to get at least one more chapter or an epilogue to kind of seal the deal of their relationship and see it past where we left the couple.
My only other complaint is that I am sad to leave this world, and I wish the book was a million times longer so I could keep reading.

Im giving this book 4.5 stars, but for the review I am rounding up to 5 stars.