I received the ARC audiobook from NetGalley
I enjoyed this enemies to lovers YA Romantasy book. It could be read as a stand alone, but I highly encourage anyone to read The Shadows Between Us first. I typically stay away from YA books but this one is very well done and does not feel YA until things fade to black / the door closes. Keeping that in mind, this enemies to lovers is very heavy on the enemies and a little light on the lovers. My only complaint is the repeated arguments and miscommunication. I would really enjoy a HEA epilogue. The FMC has perfect female rage and I love the ongoing plot from book 1 to take down the patriarchy and archaic customs. I love that the author removes typical regency era plot points and turns it into “Ok.. what’s the big deal now?”. It made this series feel fresh and distinct from other Romantasy court intrigue books.

The Darkness Within Us by Tricia Levenseller was a fun and quick read! This enemies-to-lovers story is perfect when you're looking for an engaging book with minimal world-building and a great romance. Even though I read the first book four years ago and didn't remember much, I appreciated that you don't need to re-read the first book to enjoy this one.

While I found the stakes between the two main characters higher and more angst-filled in the first book, making it slightly more enjoyable, this sequel still delivered an entertaining experience. Tricia Levenseller consistently writes compelling YA novels and offers captivating stories that are perfect for those who want to avoid committing to a lengthy series.

The Darkness Within Us is the sequel to The Shadows between us. In this book, we get to know Chrysantha Stathos after hearing about her in book one. Her little sister, Alessandra is getting married to the Shadow King but she’s just lost her older Duke of a husband and is set on taking on his wealth. Her plans are interrupted by a long lost relative of the Duke and it’s time to use her brains that she’s been hiding from all of the men in her life. This book was so much fun and I adore this author’s books. While I found Alessandra a little bit more entertaining, I loved the story surround Chrysantha and can’t wait to see what happens next!

This audiobook was narrated by Caitlin Davies. She portrayed the characters so well and had me hooked from start to finish!

Thank you so much to Netgalley, Tricia Levenseller, and Macmillan Young Listeners for providing this free ARC. This is my honest review! This publishes on July 12th.

I have posted my review on Goodreads, in my Facebook book club, and will post a Tiktok review within the week before it releases.

While I had some issues with this book, overall I had a great time reading it. It wasn’t perfect by any means, but I love the fun I had while reading.

I was really looking forward to this second installment of Tricia’s The Shadows Between Us - and it definitely did not disappoint.
Thankfully this new book isn’t too heavily reliant upon the first in the series - so if you haven’t read it, or it’s been a really long time since you’ve read it - you can jump right in.

I really enjoy Chrysantha. I don’t remember her much from TSBU, but this is her book and she’s fun.
Eryx is actually pretty infuriating for a good chunk of the book, but I ended up really liking him. And the turmoil that’s created between the two of them is both entertaining as hell and aggravating. I found myself having visceral reactions and wanting to grab more than a few characters by their shoulders to shake them…hard.

Absolutely loved this, definitely recommend.

Thank you to Netgalley and MacMillan Audiobooks for the ARC of The Darkness Within Us!

I absolutely was in love with The Shadows Between Us when i read it back in 2020. When i seen that book 2 was to come out i was over the moon and even more so when i was able to listen to it right away.

The only real problem i had which is fully my own fault would be the sister jealousy that had happened, it felt very real and raw which i mean should be for someone to write a great character i just feel it was tooo close to my personal life and so it deterred me from enjoying myself with it.

However, i really did enjoy my time with this story and the writing was really good AND the enemies to lovers was very well done i was swooning over these too BUT my biggest take on this was the Beauty and the Beast take and I'm obsessed.

THAT BROTHEL SCENE!!!!!!!

Fast paced read and the narrator was pretty good in giving the characters the voices and emotions they needed.

**🩷**Enemies to Lovers

**💜**YA Romantasy

**🩷**Found Family

**💜**Morally Grey

**🩷**Hidden Secrets

**💜**Monster Love

**🩷**Beauty and the Beast

There are some trigger warnings to please check them before going into it.

I'm in love with this series, there's no other way to put it, the characters, and the world-building, it's beyond beautiful and has so many layers to it.

Chrysantha is a character so much like so many of us, safety, security, and independence, she'd do whatever it took to achieve what she wanted in life, even if that meant marrying a man old enough to be her grandfather.

You see Chrysantha is a planner, she's a thinker, she's always three steps ahead of everyone around her, and in that way she's so much like her sister and yet so very different.

Listening to this audiobook and stepping back into the world of shadows was breathtaking, her story is compelling and full of love, hope, and just a tad.... well a lot of scheming but she's so good at it all that I didn't mind in the least.

Speaking of good, our narrator, Caitlin Davies is beyond brilliant, she gets just the right amount of snark for Chrysantha while somehow making her vulnerable and loveable, and somehow every single character yes even her sister has her voice and personality and's truly a delight to listen to.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this audiobook, I have voluntarily listened to it and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

It’s been so long since I read The Shadows Between Us that I pretty much went in blind in this book. I had no recollection of Chrysantha or basically any of the previous storyline, though it started to come back to me as I listened, so I had no preconceived feelings for her character, unlike others who have expressed hating her in the previous book.

I really enjoyed Chrysantha’s story. The interaction between her and Eryx was so much fun. Their enemies to lovers story was entertaining and amusing to read and all along you’re rooting for them to stop the fighting and just get together already. This YA fantasy romance was a great read and I would definitely recommend, especially if you’ve read The Shadows Between Us and loved that book as well.

I listened to the audiobook and at first I felt the narrator’s voice seemed too mature for the character, as Chrysantha is only 19, but I got over that really quick. I feel the narrator did a great job, her inflection was good, and she was able to properly express the appropriate emotions while reading.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for sending me the audiobook to listen to for an honest review.

Let me start by saying I had no idea this was part of a series, and was not the first! Whoops! However, I didn’t have any trouble following, so I don’t think you have to read them in order.

I had no idea what to expect, when I picked this up! I had no notions of what the book was about, and was pleasantly surprised. This book feels like a combination of Medici-era Italian society and modern day feminism, which was GREAT. There’s the perfect balance between a historical societal narrative and fantasy. It wasn’t part of the quite popular fae-centric fantasy, and the difference is a pleasant change.

Levenseller’s writing style is perfectly well suited for this genre, and felt mature. The female main character was a little frustrating, as she jumped to conclusions, but it did serve as a catalyst for the main events, so I can forgive it!

*I did receive this as an ARC from the publisher, for which I am very grateful!

I adore the Stathos sisters so much,. I love how similar, yet different they are. Chrysantha and Eryx's story did not disappoint. The overall format/style of this book matched the first, instead of at court we are in the countryside. Chrysantha is not who she appears in book 1; she is so. much. more. My favorite surprise in this story: the tiptoe into monster romance that it offers! I was NOT aware of that tidbit ahead of time. I LOVED IT. I really enjoyed this series - although I'm not super sure this is a series. Books 1 and 2 are companions; both are complete stories that can be read as standalones or in sequence. I will say, if you're going to read both, read them in order. Book 2 would spoil a lot of details in book 1.

Levenseller's books are all great, quick reads with a lot of depth in her characters. I personally enjoy eyeball reading and listening to her audiobooks. For this series, Caitlin Davies did a beautiful job on the narrations. I loved both audiobooks in this series (both were narrated by her). I highly recommend both reading modes but would sway to the audiobook if I had to chose 1.

In this book, you can expect a legit enemies to lovers (dare I say monster) romance with dashes of aristocracy intrigue, social/feminist defiance, and more than one mystery will need to be solved.

Thank you NetGalley, Tricia Levenseller, and Macmillan Audio for the audiobook ARC.

I loved Chrysantha’s story just as much as Alessandra’s! Wonderful character development and I thought it was really great getting to see her true self after the rather low opinion I had of her from Alessandra’s POV before. The enemies to lovers was a chef’s kiss in my opinion. Perfectly paced. We also get a smidge more from Alessandra and Kallias and some much needed sisterly development.

4.5 stars - I can't recommend the audiobook enough!

This was the epitome of everything I enjoy about the enemies to lovers trope and I couldn't get enough of Chrysantha and Eryx. Both characters are opinionated and strong-willed, making for a truly enjoyable battle of wits and desire.

After loving The Shadows Between Us, I was nervous about reading a story revolving around Chrysantha, but after learning more of her background, I was able to understand what makes her tick and found myself completely enraptured in her journey.

The character growth for both the FMC and MMC were so beautiful to watch develop throughout the story, and even made my eyes leak a little towards the end. While you don't need to read Shadows to understand this storyline, it definitely helps make it more enjoyable as previous characters have cameos in both, so I highly recommend reading them in order. The audiobook was the best way to enjoy this experience.

If you are like me and were dying to get more out of The Shadows Between Us, then this is the book for you. I can be a bit slow with audiobooks since I mainly listen in the car, but I gobbled this one right up - I could not stop listening to it. The narrator did an excellent job portraying Chrysantha. In fact, I could swear she was her.
It was so easy to be sympathetic to Chrysantha’s plight. I could help but root for her every step of the way. The plot was intriguing, mostly steeped in mystery and ambition, not action. I loved the slow burn of the story. The love interest, Eryx, was a particularly enigmatic; he comes out of nowhere. No one knows who he is and the circumstances surrounding his arrival are rather suspicious, throwing major obstacles in Chrysantha’s wake. As she navigates these obstacles and unravels the mystery that is Eryx, you can’t but be drawn in.
I loved everything about this story. Levenseller’s writing is captivating and immersive. I recommend this book, and if you’re up for it the audiobook, to anyone that wants more from the world of The Shadows Between Us (and yes, those characters and present, though in a small capacity). Also, if you’re looking for a book that aims to empower women to take control of their lives and go after what is theirs, then this is for you.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for a copy of the audiobook. The opinion expressed are honest and my own.

Thank you NetGalley and Tricia Levenseller for the advance copy of the audiobook.

I really enjoyed the Shadow Between Us, but I really struggled to get into the audiobook for The Darkness Within Us because the FMC's thoughts of "I have worked too hard to be shadowed by a man" and "I killed for this" mentality. I love a strong FMC, but the way this FMC was depicted really was very off putting for me. I ended up really enjoying the book once I got about half way through it, but up until then it was a struggle for me.

I am a completionist so I had to read the second installment in the Shadow Between Us Series, and I am glad I did.

I enjoyed this second installment in The Shadows Between Us series. I am glad that Chrysantha is not quite as horrible as she seemed to be in book 1. It took a bit to warm up to her, but I was rooting for her happiness and freedom as I got to know her better. Eryx is the tortured soul, brooding hero type that is easy to love; I do wish we could have seen a bit more of his internal struggle and depth to his perspective I understand that this was all portrayed through Chrysantha's POV, but that just left me wanting when it came to Eryx's character arch and I liked him more between the two.

Thank You NetGalley for an ARC of this audiobook. The opinions shared are my own.

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 really liked the narrator of this audio book. I feel like she perfectly captured Crysantha's sass and how annoyed she is with everyone most of the time and her voice for Eryx was very nice.

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.

I love Tricia Levenseller. Her Siren duet was fantastic, and book one of this duet was equally amazing. I went into this book with high high expectations and it delivered. Such a fun read, and the enemies to lovers arc was perfection.

I did receive an early audio copy and I think it was phenomenally done. The narrator was perfect, I listened on 2x and finished it within 5 hours.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early listeners copy in exchange for an honest review.

I read Levenseller’s first book in this world (The Shadows Between Us) and enjoyed it, but this one was a 100 times better! Maybe it’s because I found Chrysantha to be much more relatable - she’s a woman who has put up with living in a man’s world in order to eventually get the freedom she deserves…only to have it be taken away by another (very attractive) man. The wittiness of the two main characters and the inevitable flame of attraction was exactly what I wanted out of this book. I loved listening to this story unfold and look forward to any future installments in this world!

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and Tricia Levenseller for allowing me early access to this audiobook in exchange for my honest review!

I devoured this audiobook in one sitting, and I'm still reeling from the experience. As the second book in the series, I was worried that I might miss out on crucial context, but fear not - this novel stands strong on its own, with a narrative that's expertly woven and had me hooked from start to finish.

The enemies-to-lovers trope is one of my favorites, and this book delivers it in spades. Chrysantha, the feisty and determined MC, has built walls around herself to protect herself from the harsh realities of her past. But then Eryx bursts onto the scene, shaking things up and challenging everything she thought she knew about herself.

What I loved most about Chrysantha is her sharp wit and unyielding spirit. She's a complex, multi-dimensional character who leaps off the page, and her banter with Eryx is some of the most delicious, slow-burn tension I've encountered in a romance novel. Eryx, too, is a compelling love interest, with a depth and nuance that makes him the perfect foil to Chrysantha's prickly exterior.

The plot is expertly paced, with twists and turns that keep you guessing until the very end. The world-building is rich and immersive, drawing you into a world of intrigue and passion. The narration is superb, bringing the characters to life in a way that's both authentic and engaging.

I’m not sure if it was the book or me but I didn’t love this one. I really enjoyed the first book but this companion novel wasn’t nearly as entertaining as the first. I liked the main character well enough and she had the dry wittiness I love from Levenseller’s main characters but something about the book just felt immature to me. This is probably just me though and the book was really well written.