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.

Let me just say, Tricia levenseller never fails to hit the mark. I eat her words up like its crack cocaine, and I'd probably read her shopping list if she'd only publicizes it.

As if Alessandra wasn't badass enough, I think I might like Crysantha even more. I really dont want to spoil anything before its released in july, so I'm not going to say anything more. But praise the heavens, and I thank the writing gods that this masterpiece was able to fall into my hands a month early.

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

4.5 Stars!
This was, much in the same way it’s predecessor was, a REALLY fun time. I always thought hat The Shadows Between Us read like watching an episode of reality TV, where every single person is bad but you just love to watch the mess unfold. And boy does this book have mess!
I do think I enjoyed the first book a bit more, but this one is up there in terms of entertainment. I cackled a few times at how sassy the FMC was. Tricia, you’ve done it again!

I really loved this book. The Shadows Between Us is one of my favorite Levenseller books, and I was so happy to return to this world. The characters were fun, the story engaging, and the narrator did a great job.

Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“I never hated you— well, maybe a little. Mostly I hated how easily you got under my skin.”

“The Darkness Within Us” is by far my favorite book by Tricia Levenseller. It is interconnected to “The Shadows Between Us”. The story is YA and face paced.

This book follows Chrysantha, sister to Alessandra, FMC from the first installment. Chrysantha is manipulative, calculating, strategic, fearless and will do what it takes to get her way. Strong FMC, per her usual.

🩷 YA
🖤 Fantasy
🩷 Romance
🖤 Mythical Creature
🩷 Dark
🖤 Murder
🩷 Morally Grey

I highly recommend this read. Especially if you’ve read the first book and enjoyed it. Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to listen and review this book. The narrator did an awesome job and would highly recommend the audiobook.

⚠️ Please be sure to check the trigger warnings before reading.

This was not the sequel that I had hoped for. The book was fine but did not live up to the first book.

I honestly don’t think this author is for me. I was really excited to read this book because I know that some many people loved the other one set in the same world but I did not enjoy it.
I didn’t like the FMC and didn’t care much for the mmc and tbh I skimmed the last 30% of the story. I tried as well the previous book but I lost my interest after a few chapters. I didn’t dnf it but I won’t continue it.
I just didn’t think there was much plot whatsoever, the reason why the FMC had to get closer to the mmc felt forced and sadly I did not cared for the romance at all.

I will purchase this series for my public library, and I have recommended it to several patrons. I would say that it is best to read both books. I will be rereading the first one once I receive The Darkness within us at the library.

Possible Triggers:
Death | Murder | Sexual Assault

Summary:
Companion novel to “The Shadows Between Us”; focuses on the sister of the main character from that book.

Audiobook Narration:
What a lovely narration for the book. Her tone and cadence really brought life to the characters' dialogue.

Final Thoughts:
This was not a book for me. I really enjoyed the first book in this series and this one fell flat for me. I think mainly because I really disliked the trope that the main character used in order to make things go her way. I am absolutely not a fan of a woman dumbing herself down to be thought of as unintelligent. I understand that it is a thing, and that women are frequently treated as unintelligent but it rubs me the wrong way to lean into it with wild abandon. I did enjoy getting to learn more about the odd magics that are in this world, especially pertaining to the Shadow Lord. I loved that we got some insight into how Alessandra is doing and what she is doing with her time now (can’t go into details as spoilers, but it’s fantastic). I think my favorite parts of this book involved the characters from the previous book.

“The Darkness Within Us,” by Tricia Levenseller

Chrysantha finally has everything she wanted by pretending to be dumb while waiting for her old husband to die. Now that he has died, she has access to money and her home and can now live the way she wants until an estranged grandson pops up to contest the will. She will try everything to get him out so she can live her dream life again.

I loved this book so much. I loved the first one of the series and this book was just as good. The romance was so perfect, and the bickering was hilarious. It has a lot of mystery and ended up a little different than I was guessing during the book. After picturing the sister in book 1 a certain way it was so cool to get in her POV now and finding out it wasn’t like what we were told because they are looking through different eyes. I listened to the audiobook version and the narration was really good and paced well, it was the perfect voice for the main character. Absolutely perfect, 5 out of 5 stars.

Thank you for the ARC, Netgalley.

Dare I say I loved Chrysanthas story so much more than Alessandra’s? In fact, this book made me dislike Alessandra much more than I expected. This was such a fast paced read and I was sucked in and invested from the get go. SO GOOD. The narration added so much to the tone of the book.

I felt so many emotions listening to this story. Right from the beginning I felt my jaw dropping at the things Chrysantha was dealing with. I loved seeing her character progress throughout the book. I was rooting for her the entire time.

Now Eryx.. I was conflicted with him. He had me scratching my head but wanting more information. His storyline was fascinating and so well written. To be honest, I’d read/ listen to another book about them both. That’s how much I enjoyed this story.

An amazing follow up to The Shadow Between Us.

Thanks so much NetGalley and Macmillan Audio | Macmillan Young Listeners for the ALC.

Tricia Levenseller did not disappoint! I've been waiting so long for the sequel and I love that we got a chance to get to know Alessandra’s sister. I had always wondered what became of her, what made her tick. I love how smart and patient she is. Well patient until she had a taste of freedom. I'd fight like hell too if it was taken from me.
I loved the characters, the plot, and the high intensity of the scenes. It was everything I wanted out of a Tricia Levenseller novel.
Thank you so much for the opportunity! I hope this review helps. Happy Reading and Blessed Be.
Lily Ashtree

I read this without reading the first book, which was fine but I definitely think I would have connected with it more if I had read that one first! That being said, I liked the main character - this book was a fun, fast-paced YA read. I liked the narrator a lot too.

I didn’t even realize this book was connected to the shadows between us until I was a good ways in! I had wanted to listen to this book mostly because I had been seeing it float around and figured it was worth a shot and I was not expecting what I got! I will point out The Shadows Between Us was one of the books that got me into reading in the first place, so I may be biased but that could have just as easily gone against this book. You follow the sister of the main character of the first book and within the first bit you start to see how much they have in common. They both know how to get what they want they just use different strategies to do it.
This book is fantastic! I really did adore it and I loved the main character and how she strategized to gain her own freedom and game the system. I loved how irritated she got when a wrench got thrown into her plans! The relationship between her and the love interest was fantastic. It had such a great twist at the end. If you like enemies to lovers where even in the middle of the relationship they still are debating on how they should kill their love interest and whether they should, you really should pick this one up.

Oh my this book was so good. I loved Levenseller’s book “The Shadows Between Us” when it released in 2021. This one is a companion novel to the first one.

It was such a fun, quick YA fantasy read. It will release in July.

Lady Chrysantha has finally become a widow after her much older, Duke husband dies. She finally got what she has always desired, to live a life free and doing whatever she wants. That is until Eryx appears at her door claiming to be the late Dukes grandson ready to take his rightful place as the new Duke. Now she must find a way to get rid of him before he messes up all her plans.

The narration was very well done.

I owe this book a review.

What I liked: It is very pretty in paper form!
What I disliked: The story, the characters, the characters' purpose.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgallery for the advanced audiobook copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was an awesome book. If you’re into fantasy check this one out. The audio version is outstanding. I really loved the narration of this. The world building and plot, along with the characters was all a five star for me.