Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this book! The only reason I didn’t give it 5 stars was because I don’t think I’d reread it!

Chrysantha was an amazing female lead! She was so snarky and willing to do whatever she had to in order to have some control over her life. Eryx was not at all what I was expecting him to be, but I loved him all the same.

This book had so many of my favorite troupes: enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity, touch her and die.

I haven’t read The Shadows Between Us so this was my first time entering this book world and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I already have The Shadows Between Us on my kindle and I will be reading it very soon.

Definitely give this book a read if you love a strong female lead and a male lead who tries not to fall in love with her, but he just can’t help himself.

The Shadows Between Us is one of my favorite books, so when I found out we were getting another book in this world, I was very excited. Unfortunately this book was not as good as the first one, but still entertaining.

I loved the enemies to lovers banter between Chrysantha and Eryx and the tension that was created because of the situation. I also was happy to see bits of Kallias and Alessandra.

I did feel like Chrysantha was a little too similar to Alessandra’s character and parts of the story felt the same. I would have loved something a little different. I am also disappointed that this book is marketed in the YA category as I do not feel like it fits at all. I would not let my teenager read this book.

Content: closed door, prostitution

Tricia Levenseller really knows how to start a book. The opening line immediately had me hooked and The Darkness Within Us kept my interest until the very last page. I was originally hesitant since I don’t always love spin off sequels, but Chrysantha is a FMC that I could read about all day, every day. There’s something fascinating about a woman who pretended to be dull in order to shape the world around her to her will. I also felt a particular kinship to a woman that just wants to read in her garden undisturbed. I loved getting to see familiar favorite characters pop up from The Shadows Between Us in this installment. One of my favorite tropes deals with excellent banter, and Levenseller is an absolute master of banter. The back and forth between Chrysantha and Eryx was sheer delight. I also enjoyed how fast paced this book was making it so easy to binge read. If you enjoy morally grey characters and fast paced YA fantasy books, I highly recommend pick this one up.

LOVED this book!!!!!! I was bummed I did not get the audiobook (I loved the narrator) but I was happy to get approved for this-THANK YOU!. I read TSBU working as an ER nurse during covid and it helped me a lot so reading this was bittersweet. I loved the characters-thought they were well developed and I was happy with the ending. I love that the girls murder and scheme but are still sympathetic. I have an IG account that is cocktails and books centered so I can't wait to post what I made for this book (homemade heart gummy and bubbles)
I'm buying this ASAP for those edges at B&N.

I devoured this in one day! I couldn’t stop reading!

Tricia! My goodness my friend, you’ve done it again! Dynamic characters, witty banter, and ooh so steamy kisses!

Love love loved it!

Obsessed! I read the first book along with the audible and I loved that the same voice actor did this! I then was graciously provided with the audible again for this book and was so happy because I was able to read along while listening which is one of my favorite things to do.

I will say I was not expecting this to be from the sisters point of view as I grew to not care for her much in the first book. I blew through the first book and then again, with this one as I could not put it down. But I truly loved it! It was another enemies to lovers and I did feel like it was similar yet different from the first book. I found myself rooting for them the entire book! The banter back and forth was great! I love the strong headed MFC and that he eventually understands her. It is not my typical read and I am so happy I picked it up and read it. I will be recommending this book to friends! Thank you Netgally as well as the Author and publishing company for allowing me to read this. I truly enjoyed every minute of it.

Chrysantha Stathos (Polios) finally has everything she wants. She locked herself into a semi-abusive marriage with an elderly Duke, knowing that he wasn't long for this world, in an effort to grant herself the freedom that comes with being a Dowager Duchess: control of her own home and money. But only a few short weeks into the life she worked so hard for, a man shows up claiming to be the Duke's grandson who has inherited the estate. Just like that, Chrysantha is back under the thumb of a man, beholden to his whims and wishes. There's only one solution: he has to die. Even if he is sort of hot.

I loved The Shadows Between Us, so I was excited, curious, and a tiny bit wary to read Chrysantha's story. In book one she was set up as an off-the-page judgmental and anti-feminist antagonist, the sister our Slytherin hero Alessandra had to overcome.

I was thrilled with the author's conceptualization of Chrysantha. She didn't try to undo what we saw of her in the first book, but instead created a context to help us understand her words and actions. Chrysantha is a very driven character, like her sister, who has chosen a very different way to "play the game" of a patriarchal society and get herself ahead. I appreciated that she was equally cunning to Alessandra but also unique.

All of Tricia Levenseller's books are wonderfully feminist and empowering, and this one might be the strongest entry yet. Chrysantha is very aware of how society functions to limit and shackle her and most of her moves are placed in the context of the world she is forced to live in.

I really enjoyed the love story in this book, but I think my favorite arc was the one between the sisters. And there's bonus Kallias, as well!

"The Darkness Within Us" by Tricia Levenseler is a sequel I didn't know I needed. Initially, it seemed like a repeat of the first book in terms of character archetypes, but as the story progressed, the unique motivations of each character became more apparent.

What truly captivated me was the evolving relationship between the sisters, Chrysantha and Alessandra. Their initial hostility towards each other, fueled by misunderstanding and personal battles, gradually gives way to a deeper, more nuanced connection. Watching them realize that they are not each other's enemies but are instead fighting their own struggles was a highlight of the book.

The plot twists, especially with Chrysantha's determination to reclaim what she believes is rightfully hers, kept me engaged. Her complex feelings towards Eryx Demos, a man who is both a threat and an enigma, added layers of intrigue and tension. Levenseler masterfully weaves these elements together, making this sequel not just a continuation, but an essential expansion of the story.

If you're a fan of Tricia Levenseller, you'll love this one! I enjoyed it more than the first, and found it to be super entertaining with historical romance vibes. I really liked Chrysantha personality (and pretending to be dumb), and Eryx being so suspicious! Their relationship was fun and closed door, though I did end up aging them up in my head. I loved that the sisters reconcile, but found I wanted a bit more out of the ending!

Thanks to Netgalley for an eARC!

The Darkness Between Us - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I read this one as an ARC and I am so glad I signed up for it. When finishing TSBU, I thought about where the story would lead us and I loved that we got Crysantha’s story. She played her father’s games and married a bed ridden Duke. When he finally dies, she inherited all the money and earned the freedom she worked so hard for but when an unknown man named Eryx shows up claiming to be the rightful heir to the estate, she will do anything she can to get him out & when his secrets start to unravel she decides to use that to her advantage!

It’s no secret that I love a good enemies to lovers romance so TDWU was ✨PERFECTION✨. Both books had wonderful world & character building. The banter between all of the characters were 👨🏽‍🍳💋

Thank you @netgalley, @tricialevenseller & @macmillanusa for the advanced reader copy of The Darkness Within Us! #duologyreview #bookreviewer #netgalley #theshadowsbetweenus #shadowdaddy #friendstolovers #enemiestolovers #romance #fantasy #romantasy

Deliciously witty & unputdownable enemies to lovers sequel to The Shadows between Us! After her bedridden duke passes Chrysantha finally has everything she’s ever dreamed of… freedom from patriarchy. Until the night the duke’s heir mysteriously appears and she knows, without a doubt, he is an imposter, the duke had no heirs, she chose him for just that reason. Chrysantha is conniving and snarky and will stop at nothing to get back what’s hers.

I’ve already preordered the special edition to sit beside The Shadows between Us on my trophy shelf.

ARC review
“When you hate someone so fiercely, they have to be worthy of that hatred…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.”

Chrysantha’s husband has finally died, leaving her a dowager duchess with the freedom to be her own entity. Life is perfect. Until a young man shows up claiming to be the grandson of her late husband the duke, and the sole heir to Chrysantha’s entire fortune, property, and freedom. Chrysantha must now attempt to prove that this young man, Eryx, is not who he claims, by whatever means necessary. But Eryx is not all he appears, and the two find themselves discovering more and more about each other, and themselves.

The Darkness Within Us was THE definition of enemies to lovers. The main characters could not stand the sight of each other while forced to share a home. The banter was to die for, both Chrysantha and Eryx are witty and bold and unafraid to share their thoughts.
The sibling angst of Alessandra and Chrysantha tentatively trying to rebuild their relationship was so sweet, and I loved the glimpses of Alessandra and Kallias relationship and life from The Shadows Between Us.
This was an easy, utterly delightful read! Tricia Levenseller knows what the people want and never misses.

I had a blast trying to piece together the clues and figure out everyone’s secrets. It was fun to watch the relationship between Chrysantha and Eryx evolve throughout the course of this book.

Thank you NetGalley, MacMillan, and Feiwel & Friends for the arc!

The Darkness Within Us 3.5⭐️ 2🌶️

Second Book
NA Fantasy Romance
Closed door romance
Morally grey FMC
🏳️‍🌈 normative society
Forced proximity
Slow burn



This book was terribly predictable, just like the first… but I still enjoyed myself while reading it. I rolled my eyes so hard so many times.

The writing structure was strictly YA. With minimal emotional maturity and introspective moments. So much detail was paid to clothing and food descriptions and not enough to the characters development.

But for all these annoyances…. I still had fun reading it.

I don’t know, I don’t make the rules.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan children’s publishing group| Feiwel & Friends for the eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

I loved the slow burning romance this book has along with the enemies to lovers theme. The bickering between them always had me smiling or giggling. The spice level is low as this is a YA but it was still amazing. At first it was taking me a minute to get into it but once I stuck and things started to progress in the story I fell in love! I couldn't put it down once I hit that point!

I loved the dialogue, the description of their surroundings, i love the dark secrets they each hold and eventually share. They are made for each other and you can see that through their bickering and actions. Loved getting to watch their love story unfold. Loved also watching my grumpy pants turn into a little softy for the Duchess!

This book is wonderful and such a light and easy read. I really hope for a book two or maybe a book on her sisters love story with the King! That would be so cool!

4.5/5 stars!

I did not read the previous book, BUT this was still a standalone that I could read and follow the story. There was small references to the other books it seemed but it wasn't anything that wasn't explained so I could understand.

I loved the world, the characters, and the story. The first chapter starts off strong and pulls you in with a major event/hook! It sucked me right into the series! I'll be looking into the first book and other books by this author.

The characters were built well and I felt like I could connect to each of them and wanting to support them!
I'll be recommending this book and posting a full review on my page once it nears the publishing date.

The Darkness Within Us is an exciting and engaging follow up to The Shadows Between Us.

Chrysantha has always played by the rules, unlike her sister Alessandra. She kept her head down, acted like a quiet and obedient wife, and didn't let anyone see how clever she really was. Now she is the widow of a wealthy duke, in charge of the whole estate, with no one to control her. Freedom is all Chrysantha ever wanted. When a mysterious young man shows up one day claiming to be the long lost grandson of her former husband, and insisting he is the rightful heir of her new fortune, Chrysantha is furious. As a woman in a man's world, Eryx will always have the upper hand, no matter how poor his manners or how well Chrysantha might play the game. But Eryx is hiding something, and Chrysantha is determined to figure him out and win back control of her estate, even if that means seducing him and eventually taking his life.

I actually really enjoyed this book. It was a quick read for me, and I completed it in one sitting. It is engaging and fast moving, and the plot kept me interested. I found it much more entertaining than The Shadows Between Us. Chrystantha is more likeable to me than Alessandra. She is clever and smart, even though she had to present herself as small and simple to the world. Once she is free of the duke, her real personality comes through - she is clever, and smart, and witty, and caring. The book is full of female rage and burn the patriarchy vibes. The romance between Chrysantha and Eryx is sweet, a perfect enemies-to-lovers story with plenty of banter and "touch her and die" vibes. I did get a little annoyed at the "well, I'll just kill him" plot, as this felt a bit too similar to The Shadows Between Us, and one I didn't love in that book either. But as a companion novel to The Shadows Between Us, this book is really great. You do not need to read The Shadows Between Us in order to read The Darkness Within Us, but doing so will provide a lot of background and fill in the details of this story.

Overall, this was a fun and enjoyable read. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

The Shadows Between Us is one of my all too me favourite books, and ever since this book was announced, I’ve been so excited to read it!

This book had so much going for it and I loved every second of reading it.

Chrysantha is jealous of her sister’s success, and wants it for herself. Once her husband dies, she thinks she’ll have money and freedom so she never has to deal with the issues of men in her life again. Until the estranged grandson of her late husband shows up.

The Darkness Within Us captivates as the next Stathos sister unveils years of secret whit and ambition when the new duke turns up to claim everything she so rightfully earned.
Now she has to find a way to claim back her inheritance while forced to live with Eryx and all his secrets too.

Chyrsantha is a Stathos and she always gets what she wants.

Incredible! I devoured this book in 2 days! I love seeing a whole different side to Chrysantha than the impression we got of her in The Shadows Between Us. This is her story and what a story it is! A true enemies to lovers that will make the reader soon fall in love with a monster.