I am a fan of Tricia Levenseller's writing, and I enjoyed this book. I didn't read the companion novel before this, but I don't think it made me miss out on much other than Easter eggs. It took a minute to like the main characters. However, I did end up liking them quite a bit. The magic was interesting and I liked that it kinda had a mystery. The romance was alright, but I did desire more. Overall, enjoyable book and I am excited to have a special edition!

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan audio for a copy in exchange for a honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

This is the second book, although could easily stand alone. I went back and read the first book and thought it was helpful for character development and context.

This is an enemies to lovers, female MC story. Set in a time and place where men usually have all the power and women have none, freedom from a man’s control is what the MC is after. Then her life is interrupted by a new ruler in her home.

This is entertaining, with some predictable moments but with surprises as well. Language is mild and bedroom scenes are not super descriptive (which I like).

3.5 stars

THE DARKNESS WITHIN US
Tricia Levenseller, author
Caitlin Davies, narrator
Fantasy

THE DARKNESS BETWEEN US, Tricia tells the story of the Shadow King and Alessandra. In this book she tells the story of Chrysantha, Alessandra’s sister. Just as cold and calculating as her sister, Chrysantha must win over the before unknown grandson of her late husband to continue living her life of luxury.

I throughly enjoyed this sequel but it didn’t quite have the edge of the first one. Chrysantha’s attempts to make the grandson ready for polite society gave me a good laugh. Plus a twist in it. I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.

I think I liked this book better than the first one! I really enjoyed Alessandra's story, but the intrigue in this one was higher. I liked the unknown of whether or not Eryx was who he said he was and I also felt more chemistry between the characters, romantically or friendship.
This book is about Alessandra's sister Chrysantha. We get Alessandra's version of her in the first book and it's not good. As the eldest child, Alessandra was not allowed to go to parties, find a husband etc before her. The version of Chrysantha we get is that she's her father's favorite, she fetched a high price for him marrying an old man with a title and she's kind of dumb. How wrong this was. Chrysantha schemed the entire time. She put the idea into her father's head to marry this man who was old and had failing health. Then when he died, she could live as a widow by herself in this big house will all her late husband's money. She was so smart and ended up being really witty and a strong character. But then Eryx shows up, supposedly Chrysantha's late husband's grandson. He wants to take everything Chrysantha has worked years to achieve. Eryx really seems to like getting under Chrysantha's skin and making sure she knows that he is the rightful heir to all she thought was hers. There was something extremely interesting about him that we did find out about and I liked that storyline.
Like I said, I really enjoyed the unknown Eryx in this one. It kept me intrigued throughout the whole story and I liked how hard Chrysantha tried to figure out if he was an imposter or not. It really kept the story going after Chrysantha had inherited this fortune and mansion and made for such an interesting story. Alessandra was in this one a little bit and I really liked the roll she played especially at the end. There were some twists and turns I didn't see coming and I really liked how the end played out. I don't want to say why and spoil anything, but I think the ending was fantastic.
The narrator of the audiobook was great, I've listened to a few others narrated by her and always enjoy how she brings the characters and story to life.

Series Info/Source: This is a companion novel to The Shadows Between Us. I got this on audiobook to review from NetGalley.

Thoughts: There isn't anything particularly special about this book, it is a fairly typical enemies to lovers story with a dark (yet humorous) tone to it. However, I absolutely devoured this. I was listening to this on audiobook and could not stop...I had to know what was going to happen and how it was going to happen. I both hated and loved the characters at times and I think that is what was fun about it...it evokes a lot of emotion and sucks you in. This book is a companion book to "The Shadows Between Us" but could be read easily as a stand alone as well.

This book follows Alessandra's sister, Chrysantha. All her life Chrysantha has pretended to be the dumb and easy to manipulate sister, but secretly she has been directing her own fate. She wants to be a Dowager to have the money and power to final be free of any man's influence. With the death of her elderly husband she finally has her wish...until she doesn't. Just months after her triumph a strange man, Eryx, shows up claims to be the true heir to the estate. With his claim he is destroying everything Chrysantha has worked for and built. She is determined to uncover his secrets and send him on his way. However, some pesky feelings she is starting to develop are getting in her way.

There is a ton of witty dialogue in here and the characters have very gray (yet somehow noble) morals. The characters are both awful and admirable throughout which did cause me some frustration reading this. Both Chrysantha and Eryx are awful selfish people at times, but they are also noble and caring. I also love the shadow magic that is in here, it is very intriguing and mysterious.

This is a solid romance with some fantasy elements and it doesn't pretend to be anything other than that. It a lot ways this is a bit cringy and what I would fondly categorize as trashy romance. I don't mean that in a bad way. This is a pure escapist read that those with a fondness for dark and witty enemies to lovers stories will love it. It's just one of those stories that isn't super creative or innovative but is very well done for what it is.

I listened to this on audiobook and the audiobook was well done. I did find Chrysantha's voice to be somewhat strident and painful to listen to at times, so I do think the narrator could have toned that down some for the comfort of the listener. However, the narrator did an excellent job distinguishing between character voices and portraying emotion.

My Summary (4.5/5): Overall I enjoyed this, it was a wonderful guilty pleasure enemies to lovers romance read. There are some additional intriguing elements (like the shadow magic) but this is primarily a romance. I enjoyed the characters, the witty dialogue and the push and pull between the characters. I found this incredibly hard to stop reading and just had to know what was going to happen next, it evoked a lot of emotion and I got very involved with the story. I would recommend if you are looking for a incredibly engaging enemies to lovers romance with some unique fantasy elements.

I give this audiobook 3.5 stats. I really enjoyed 'The Shadows Between Us', so I had high expectations for this book, and I must say it didn't disappoint. I don't think I liked it as much as 'The Shadows Between Us', but it was still well done. The narrator did an awesome job, they really brought the book to life. I enjoyed the story, Chrysantha was a really fun character. She was also quite humorous. I enjoyed her and Eryx's enemies to lovers romance, there banter and chemistry was well done. I was glad that Alessandra and the Shadow King made appearances in this book, I was hoping they would and was not disappointed. I thought the conflict at the end was resolved rather quickly, but other than that I really enjoyed this, and I will be purchasing my own copy to add to my shelves.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the audiobook ARC!

I absolutely loved this book! I finished it in just one day. I got this as an audiobook through NetGalley, and Tricia Levenseller definitely lived up to my high expectations. I was thrilled to listen to this book, especially after enjoying her first book in the series, The Shadow Between Us.

I was hesitant about how I'd feel about Chrysantha due to her sister Alessandra's opinion of her after their mother's passing. However, as I got to know them, I realized that Chrysantha and Alessandra are quite similar, which drew me into the story.

Chrysantha, as the older sister, was expected to marry first. She was only 19 years old when she married a rich old man who was on his deathbed. Unfortunately, she was treated poorly by him until his passing. After his death, she thought she was finally free to live as she pleased, only to have her ex-husband's grandson suddenly appear and make her life a living hell - or so she thought!

As the book progresses, you get to know Chrysantha and understand why she is the way she is. The character development was thorough and effectively portrayed who she was without giving away everything at once. We slowly got to know her and learned why she had the issues she had. Which ends up being her father, something she never thought she and her sister would have in common!

The Duke's grandson, Eryx, exuded an intriguing air of mystery for a long time. No one knew for certain if he truly was the Duke's grandson, adding an extra layer of interest to the situation. Chrystantha was particularly intrigued by him and was determined to uncover the truth!

I was truly captivated by this book and I felt really satisfied with how it concluded and continued the journey of the sisters. Exploring Chrystantha's character made me appreciate how similar she and her sister are in different ways.

I would highly recommend this book to those who enjoy stories about enemies turning into lovers, and discovering little hidden treasures along the way. I want to express my gratitude to NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read this book and share my genuine thoughts. Tricia Levenseller, thank you for creating yet another wonderful book. A special thank you to the narrator, Caitlin Davies, your tone of voice and delivery of this reading were simply perfect. The way you spoke the words painted such a vivid picture for me!

Rating: 4.5/5
I received an Audio for my honest opinion.

This is the second book of The Shadows Between Us. You can read this as a standalone and not feel like you’re missing anything but let me tell you will be missing out on an amazing read.

I loved the first book, and this book did not disappoint at all. I thought Chrysantha was different, but in a good way. Some might say that she comes off as rude and demanding but I don’t see that I see a woman that knows what she wants, she might have had to trick people into believing what wasn’t true to get it but I found that something I could connect/relate too. I loved that no matter what she was her true self when she was alone in her manner. She is a very caring person to her staff, she loves to read, she is smart about money and where to invest. I loved that Levenseller had Chrysantha have a book club with her staff, and they would get together and talk about romance books they read. I thought Eryx was a great male character for Chrysantha and I found their banter to be refreshing and hilarious. I thought there was just the right amount of chemistry between these characters, the slow burn to the “finally” moment was great. Let me tell you about the banter between these characters that will have you laughing.

You will find that the pace of the book is fast and easy to understand, I know I found myself wishing that wasn’t over so fast. I thought the author did a great job with keeping the reader interested throughout the book and that she didn’t linger on certain points in the book.

I did receive the audio of this book and I found the narrator did an amazing job portraying the characters in this book. She was able to keep me on my toes and loved the melting moments that the characters had. I found it easy to close my eyes and imagine what was going on. I highly recommend this audio to anyone who is interested in reading this book.

I want to thank NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to review this book.

I received this book as an ARC through Net Galley. It took me a while to get through it because I honestly struggled with this one. The first book in the series was remarkable, and I was looking forward to this one. Unfortunately, I couldn't stand Chrysantha, this books main character. While I understood her desire to be her own person and have control of her own future, her character was not as dynamic as her sister Allesandra. Also, her lies and her constant scheming with complete disregard of how other people will be affected frustrated me. The only saving grace in this book was Eryx. I'm a sucker for the enemies to lovers trope. Eryx and the mysteries that surround him are the only things that got me through this book.

Overall, I give this story a 3/5 stars. While I couldn't stand the main character, the book was extremely well written, and the secondary characters were amazing.

I listened to this on audio. I enjoyed the story quite a bit and the characters were good. A woman trying to find her place gets what she wants and a man comes to take it all away. The chemistry between the two main characters is great. I really wasn’t a fan of the audiobook, I have been trying to get more into them for long car rides but this one just didn’t do it for me. It makes Chrysantha sound so whiny all the time instead of the powerful female that she is. I probably would have enjoyed it more as a book. thank you NetGalley, the author, narrator, and Macmillan Audio for letting me listen to this book. 3 stars for the story but 2 stars on the audiobook.

I really liked the audio version of this book. I was very engrossed with it and loved all the dramatics with the different voice changes.

I loved the first book and was so excited when I heard she was writing another book in the world. I loved reading the sisters POV book and I thought at times the enemies to lovers relationship worked especially in the beginning but towards the end I did not like the development and was very let down. It almost ruined the first book for me.

This was a great book! I just ordered the special edition and will definitely recommend this series to others!

I loved this book! First off, I think the audiobook narrator did a fantastic job portraying the characters in the book! She kept me interested the whole time and there was never a dull moment when I felt bored or confused. Chrysantha, the FMC was so intriguing and powerful in her own ways. I love books that have a FMC that is powerful, knows what she wants and is willing to do whatever it takes to make it happen. She’s not the good girl heroine, but deep down she does have a heart and cares for those around her. Erxy on the other hand is full mystery and inner darkness. I was so intrigued by his character and was itching to know who and what he is just as bad as Chrysantha. He was the perfect antagonist arriving to foil all of Chrysantha’s plans for his own secret schemes. Their energy and back n forth bickering was perfect, so much that I was sad when the book ended and there wasn’t anymore. Overall this book was a fantastic read.

The first book in the series introduced us into a world of villainous romances, with a conqueror shadow king and the murderous lady courting him. This entry is appropriately villainous too, with a mysterious, unheard of member of the aristocracy who may have shadow powers too and the young murderous dowager duchess who just wants to be left alone on her estate. Protagonist Chrysantha is the sister to previous heroine Alessandra, and she has been hiding her shrewd, calculating personality to win at life. She is not like the pliant dunderhead her sister believed her to be throughout book one.

Our heroine and love interest have both killed, have endearing good qualities, and have infuriating sinister qualities. For example, Chrysantha dismisses the idea that someone starving has gone through more than she has by selecting her husband for his high wealth and poor health and being expected to doing anything sexually related. She knew what she was expected to do; I know that doesn’t entitle her husband to her body whenever he wants it, but she can’t have surmised to never be expected to be touched by the husband she chose. She can be just as outrageous, selfish, and vicious as her sister, the bride-to-be of the Shadow King.

She’s not meant to be a paragon of virtue or a role model. Like The Shadows Between Us, the book doesn’t encourage acting like her. It just has fun with a murderous widow who thinks her problems are the worst thing in the world, ignoring her love interest’s telling her that she doesn’t have it worse than people who are starving, poor, etc.

We learn more about the magic world building that we got the barest glimpse of in book one, which originally was a standalone novel. I would love to have this become a series, building out the world and being good, darkly silly fun.

I would not recommend this book for people who dislike the romantasy genre, the YA genre, the low fantasy genre, first person perspectives, and books without a complicated plot. Like book one, very little actual conflict happens, and when it does there are usually few bad consequences for our villainous cast of characters. Take that as you will. I particularly like it as a refresher between other books or something fun while reading something heavy. I completely recommend this for those suffering from a book hangover.

8/10 highly subjectively enjoyed

Technical note: there were plenty of glitches in my listening to the audiobook, like a record scratching over the words. Also, I absolutely loved having an alternative scene at the end of the audiobook. I love seeing into the author’s process and getting more time with the characters.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Young Listeners for this ARC Audio Copy!

I really enjoyed the narrator and she did a great job with this story.

Thank you NetGalley and Feiwel & Friends for this ARC Copy!

Book two in the The Shadows Between us series but I feel like it can be read as a stand along as well.

I enjoyed this as a fun little YA Romantasy book with the forced proximity trope and of course a shadow daddy love interest.

Nothing about this story was wholly original or captivating but it was still a fun read that kept me interested from start to finish.

Chrysantha was a fun character that showed a lot of growth through the story and watching her scheme and plan was enjoyable, but it was just so hard to believe so many parts of the story. If you are looking for the most realistic and even remotely period accurate book then this may not be the one for you, but if you are just here for the love story and vibes then definitely worth giving a chance.

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audio book.

This was a fun, fast paced read and I loved the characters. Not sure who I like more now, Chrysantha or her sister! This is the 2nd book in the series but can be read as a standalone. The narrator was perfect.

This was such an exciting read and officially on my list of physical books to buy (I mean it is GORGEOUS). I’d like to give this a good 4/5. It was good and I very much enjoyed it. I can’t wait for more!

*** I recorded this title as an ARC via NetGalley in return for my honest review.

I received an audio arc from Net Galley to review.

.I really want to like this world and characters but I struggle with the FMCs. I’m all about a villain origin story or women’s wrongs but I need a reason for the rage. These sisters seem to be mean and petty just for kicks and giggles.

The FMC in this particular book has more redeeming qualities such as enjoying to read and caring about her staff. I just really, really want to know why they are soooo petty. They are obviously liked by other readers so this is probably a me thing.

Rated 3 stars

Dang, I forgot how fast we dive right into the stories of a Tricia Levenseller book!! There is no build-up, it's a full on sprint from page 1 to the end.

* new adult fantasy romance (light on the fantasy)
* enemies to lovers
* slow burn / closed door
* lots and lots of banter

This story starts out with some serious feminist rage against a gentleman who shows-up out of the blue, claiming to be the heir to Chrysantha's estate. Our girl is HOT HEADED and she takes shit from no one, which I appreciate lol She is out to prove that Eryx is not who he says he is, but while she is sneaking around and plotting his demise, secrets are revealed and they become closer. Slowly her anger starts to fade and their relationship turns into more. I liked seeing these two get to know each other and compromise around the estate, but I also really loved their banter!

I also loved how Chrysantha began trying to mend her relationship with her sister (Alessandra from The Shadows Between Us)- it was fun to see her and the shadow king again!