I liked this book better than the first one. Chrystanthas story to me was a lot more interesting and so much girl power and feminist. It was nice to see a bit more of the fantasy side played with a little bit more than book one.

The Darkness Within Us by Tricia Levenseller
4.5/5 Stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

•••Spoiler free review below•••

I loved the first book in this series and I was so excited for book 2! We see a completely different side to the brainless Chrysantha from book 1 and I. 👏 Am. 👏 Here. 👏 For. 👏 It. 👏

Chrysantha proved to be even more devious than her sister which lead to a captivating storyline and a delicious story of enemies to lovers. If you loved book 1 of this series, I think you’ll adore book 2. I especially recommend the audiobook to suck you into the world and set the scene.

Read this book if you like:
-villain x villain
-enemies to lovers
-monstrous MMC
-devious games

The Darkness Within Us will be released July 9th and if it's not already on your tbr, it should be!
.
.
.
Special thanks to Macmillan Audio for sharing a free copy with me in exchange for my honest opinions.

I received the audio ARC for this book prior to ever reading 'The Shadows Between Us,' which I honestly didn't love. I felt like it was just fine. So, I wasn't really expecting much from 'The Darkness Within Us,' but it was actually much more enjoyable and Caitlin Davies did a wonderful job narrating.

'The Darkness Within Us,' follows Chrysantha, Alessandra’s sister. The story unfolds with fiery dialogue and simmering tension. Levenseller’s unapologetic portrayal of her characters shines through, especially in Chrysantha, who evolves from a seemingly unlikable figure to a fiercely determined yet surprisingly lovable protagonist towards the end of the story. This one is steeped in the enemies-to-lovers trope, leaving readers eagerly devouring each chapter.

While the plot is very predictable, its strength lies in its captivating characters and their morally gray choices. With a blend of Pride and Prejudice sophistication and Bridgerton allure, 'The Darkness Within Us' tells a tale of wicked scheming, romance, and redemption.

Overall, if you’re craving an easy-to-digest enemies-to-lovers tale with lots of intrigue and banter, then you will enjoy 'The Darkness Within Us'.

Historical romance with touches of mystery and beasts. I truly enjoyed the characters and their interactions with each other. I loved the book club hosted for Chrysantha and her household staff. The snarky banter between the main characters kept me In stitches. I was truly shocked by how far Chrysantha would go to gain her freedom and control of her life.

Overall: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
Plotline: 3.5/5
World-Building: 3.5/5
Audiobook: 4/5

Romance: 4/5
Spice Factor: 1
Themes: 4.5/5
Writing: 4/5
Enjoyment Factor: 4/5
Review: I hesitated to jump into a sequel to The Shadows Between Us because it was a perfect standalone. However, Tricia Levenseller knows how to write clear, concise, and, most importantly, compelling characters. From the beginning, I was rooting for Chrysantha because she, like most women of her time, felt trapped in her marriage to a man several decades older than her, and her newfound freedom gets ripped from her so quickly she acts like an abused dog. I loved shee that in a female character and how we slowly peeled the layers of her as we progressed. I think that the plot was pretty thin and would get lost at times, and I would have to wonder what the motivations were, but the climax was fun and ended on such a fun note.

I received an ARC of this title from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

THIS BOOK WAS CRAZY!!!!!!

First off the cover, um, yes! It is beautiful and misleading as to the books contents.

Since I had not read The Shadows Between Us, I was unaware of the personalities of Chrysantha and her younger sister Alessandra so I was at a disadvantage in that regard...but not really.

Tricia did a great job at building the characters individuality and she perfectly set the scene of each chapter allowing the reader the ability to become immersed into the world.

Now, Ms. Chrysantha, she did not come to play in this book. She wanted what she wanted and nothing was going to stop her from getting it! She took 7 years to finely craft her persona of being a dim whit, which rendered her invisible to men and allowed her to remain in rooms and hear conversations that women would have otherwise been removed. She, however, is no fool. The death of her husband the Duke, a vile man many years her senior, made Chrys a Dowager Duchess, she had enough money and status to be free and live as she pleased. Just when it seemed as if the world had finally shifted in her favor an unknown heir, Eryx pops up and threatens her happily ever after. Chrysantha then hatches a plan to eliminate the problem and maintain her position, A plan that should have been foolproof, failed, and opened news about Eryx that would have caused a lesser person pause.

The way Chrysantha and Eryx dance around each other and the banter between the two is quite entertaining! It gives Downton Abby with a splash of shape-shifting.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillian Audio for allowing me early access to this audiobook.

I love how Tricia writes her FMCs in this series, I never want it to stop! You can read this as a standalone but I recommend reading in order. This is one I will be buying myself. The narrator is top-notch. I highly recommend for anyone who loves a good anti-herione in a historical fantasy read!

This is close door, which is fine but it seemed a bit abrupt to me.

I am enamored by how atmospheric both of the books in this series are. There is an absolutely perfect level of tension, mystery, romance, and dark undertones. This book was exactly what I needed the next installment of this series to be.

Chrysantha has convinced the world that she is daft, despite being anything but, and she has finally gotten everything she ever wanted. Her terrible husband it gone, and she is a duchess with an estate where she can escape from the rest of the world. Her perfect world is turned upside down when a man appears claiming to be her husband’s heir and threatening to take away the life she worked so hard to create.

I could not put this book down, I just needed to know what happened next. This was fast paced without sacrificing the story. I loved all of the characters, their relationships, and how every character and relationship developed and grew.

I will read absolutely anything Tricia Levenseller writes; she is an absolute auto buy author for me at this point.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book. I leave this review voluntarily.

Tricia Levensellar remains on my auto-buy author list! Her storytelling is supreme. It was nice to see the underlying reasons for the animosity between sisters, although learning what Chrysantha had to do to ensure her independence was heartbreaking. Although she came off as a petty *itch in book one, she’s obviously an insanely strong woman.

Chrysantha is on the verge of having everything that she has ever wanted. She is only 19 but has manipulated her marriage to an elderly Duke who has no other heirs in the case of his impending death. She is thrilled when he finally succumbs and she is left to manage the estate herself since no male heirs are present. Everything is going quite well, especially when she receives news that her sister is to marry the king and has made laws in favor of female ownership and rights. One day a man is in her home and is claiming to be the grandson of her late husband and the rightful heir to the estate. Chrysantha will not allow him to just take over and demands proof of his lineage and the legal change to her husband's will. Eryx, the supposed heir, is trying to undo all the good that Chrysantha has done for the employees of the estate and the financial gain of her accounts as well. Eryx certainly acts strangely and always has his two friends at his side to back him up. Chrysantha is trying to keep what is rightfully hers and knows that Eryx must have falsified the documents that leave him in charge.

I absolutely love an underdog and I love that everyone undervalued Chrysantha and she was able to use that to her advantage and then live the life that she always dreamt for herself. The story was brilliantly written and really fast-paced. I love the way Tricia writes for her female characters and empowers them so much. I also admire the way that she puts real issues into a fictional setting and makes them so relatable. I loved this book and would highly recommend it!

Book one, The Shadows Between Us, was one of my favorite Romantasy book recs from booktok a few years ago, and I have been waiting for this book ever since! While this can be read as a standalone, I highly recommend reading The Shadows Between Us first to understand the sister's relationship.

I really enjoyed this and it was well worth the wait! It was nice that Chrysantha got a redemption ARC (both personality wise and repaired relationship wise). I love these fierce, feminist, morally gray tales with leading women who aren't afraid to straight up murder a guy for wronging them.

If you like the vibes of Pride and Prejudice & Bridgerton mixed with some sexy shadow wielding MMCs and some FMCs that love poisoning, scheming, and outwitting everyone, then this is for you.

Tysm for the audio ARC!

I absolutely loved every second of this audible and couldn't wait to finish it! I listened to it in two days, it had such a hold on me. I loved the characters, the story, the descriptions. I can't wait to get the book! The narrator was perfect and just added to the overall experience of my enjoyment of the book.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio & Netgalley for the audio ARC. :)

4.25 Stars. This was even more fun than the first in the series! I haven't enjoyed YA this much in a while, but Tricia Levenseller gets it right. You've heard of grumpy sunshine but have you heard of grumpy grumpy? The enemies-to-lovers vibes are strong - these two loathe each other instantly.

"I don't want love and happiness. I want freedom."

With Chrysantha, I was getting strong Nesta vibes the entire time - she will do whatever it takes to get the power and peace she wants, love reading, & flirts via insult.

"Are you saying you would kill that man for me?"

Then there's Eryx, who arrives grumpy and mysterious but ultimately provides a delightful gender-swapped My Fair Lady moment. My Fair Duke? Chyrsantha making him suitable for public consumption was one of my favorite parts of the book.

This series is very trope-y but in a way that seems intentional and part of the fun. For a young adult audience, it's a perfect introduction to classic romance tropes, while staying appropriate for the age level since the only on-the-page spice is a kissing scene. Everything else is fade-to-black. The narration was seamless, clear, and lovely. Caitlin Davies delivers a great performance.

Basically, this series is pure fun and I hope there will be more of it!

**I’d like to start off by saying I listened to the audiobook version that I was given from Net Galley for free**

If I could give half stars I would give this book 3.5 but I had to round down instead of up for a few reasons and that mostly boils down to the book not being long enough to let the romance actually play out. That part felt rushed to me.

The story is a spin off from The Shadows Between us which I’ve read a few times and absolutely loved. I rated it 5 stars the first time I read it because it made me have all the feels. I don’t know if it’s because I’ve read a lot more romance books since then but this one seems to fall a little flat.

I loved the main character for the most part. Air head with a pretty face to everyone else but calculating underneath. I especially loved that she got herself some male hookers and owned it, that part had me cackling. I also really loved that she realized how she treated her sister growing up was wrong and takes the first step to fix it. I think the author makes really great characters, the stories are always just too short for me.

Overall I do think this is really nice light read and I definitely recommend you give it a read / listen. The love interest is broody and has the kill you if you touch her vibe and the story starts out as enemies to lovers, which is my favorite!

As far as the audiobook goes the narrator had a beautiful voice and did a great job representing the characters. I enjoyed listening to her bring the story to life.

Enemies to lovers! What Chrysantha and Eryx both want most is their freedom and to be left alone. Neither want to be tied down in marriages but along the way the two find that maybe love is something to be wanted after all. Both characters have their flaws but it’s what eventually makes them work so well together.

I listened to the audiobook and really enjoyed the narrator. She does a great job giving Chrysantha her own voice in a way that is easy and enjoyable to listen to!

I read The Shadows Between Us a couple years ago and loved it so I was really excited to read this! It can definitely be read as a standalone with very minor spoilers to how The Shadow Between Us ends.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook. All opinions are my own!

Remember how I said that <i>The Shadows Between Us</i> was both enticing and forgettable? Well, <i>The Darkness Within Us</i> is both annoying and ridiculous.

I think for me, Levenseller never really had a big hit. I’ve seen her books around and I even sat to read the first two books in her Pirate/Siren’s Daughter series, but somehow the writing never pulled me in and kept me wanting more. It’s not so dull or problematic as for me to stop reading altogether. In fact, every once in a while, there’s something there that either keeps me interested or I find pretty good as far as the writing goes. But they’re almost always one offs or something that doesn’t last very long.

The way I feel about Chrysantha and Eric is just…meh. In a manner very similar to how I felt with the first book in this world, the beginning had me <i>really</i> interested. But that interest just slowly petered out with each subsequent turn of the page. Concepts that could have been fascinating and brilliant dulled, leaving me feeling like the only reason I was finishing the book was because I’d started it in the first place.

I didn’t hate it. But I also didn’t care about it all that much.

<i>The Darkness Within Us</i> wasn’t bad or terrible. It was just…meh. As time went on, I grew less and less interested in what happened with Chrysantha. Her own stupidity at times was grinding, making everything to do with the climax just feel so pointless and dumb.

I think the best description I have for everything past the first couple chapters of this book is stupid characters doing stupid things for stupid ends that have stupid resolutions.

The narrator was fine, I guess? After a while, her voice really started to annoy me. I’m not entirely sure if that was due to the high pitch, the fact that the main character was an annoying idiot, or a mix of both.

At first, I was so sad the second book wasn't about Alessandra, but then. BOOM. This book happened. I loved the first book in the series, but that could not have prepared me for how much more I would love this one. This book gave me regency romance mixed with fantasy- complete with the whole female rights issues. It was amazing to see how the duchess played men for years, with the simple skill of acting dumb in order to further her own agenda. Obviously, we still have a ways to go for female equality, and I really enjoyed this take on it for the fictional time period. Thank you, NetGalley for a copy of this audio!

This book was just as fun as the first one. I liked the way the author writes the main characters. In this as with the first one the main characters are not good people. They do things such as murder and scheming but do not feel bad about it. They are definitely Slytherins. It is refreshing to sometimes have characters that are not always good. But at the same time you are cheering for them to achieve their goals. I liked the characters, the story and the writing. Levenseller is definitely one of my favorite YA authors.

This sequel/follow-up to The Shadows Between Us was just as fantastic as the first book! Although it can stand on its own, reading the first book would provide more background on the world and certain characters. I adored this book, and Caitlin Davies' performance was superb (as always) with excellent inflection that brought the story to life.

Fun & Fast Paced With Great Characters and A Steamy Romance


Thoughts: 💡
I loved Chrysantha. She was cold and calculating and so smart it was almost scary. She used what she had to make her place in the world, but she was secretly a sweetheart. And the angry hate filled enemies to lovers trope was brilliant. I really wasn’t sure that she would have a partner until almost the very end.
My favorite things about this story was all the complicated relationships with various characters. The romance was an important factor of the story, but the story seemed more about Chrysantha finding herself, gaining confidence in living authentically, and learning to trust people. Which admittedly wasn’t an easy feat when living in a complementary society that has little to no respect or protection for women, and the person you’re falling in love with is hiding dark and dangerous secrets and unaliving people in front of you.
The narration was perfect on this one. It was a single narrator, because the book is a single POV; but she was a fantastic storyteller.
I also really need to read The Shadows Between Us now.

Fun Bits:
⚜️ Hate to lovers
⚜️ He has secretes but isn’t hiding the dead
bodies from her
⚜️ Monster love for the win
⚜️ The best side characters
⚜️ An interesting and well crafted fantasy world

✨Note✨ This is a standalone but set in the same world as The Shadows Between Us with some of the same characters.

Stats:📊
YA: Lots of Steam, Fade to Black
Characters: 💙💙💙💙💙
Audio: 🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧
Narrator: 🎙️🎙️🎙️🎙️🎙️
YA Romantasy: Enemies to Lovers, Hidden Secrets, Found Family, Morally Grey, Monster Love 📕
(Single POV)
⚠️: violence, blood & gore, death, sexual harassment and attempted sexual assault