I received an ARC from NetGalley to read and review. The below is my honest, unbiased opinion. Thank you, Anne Stuart, the publisher, and NetGalley, for allowing me to review.

A woman holds vigil over her wealthy, dying step-mother. Tensions -- already high with greedy relatives appearing to claim their inheritances -- are further strained by the appearance of the dying woman's long-lost son, who ran away 18 years ago. His mother greets him with joy, the relatives with resentment, but the woman alone knows he is hiding something...that he is not who he says he is. As she uncovers secrets and deceptions of the past and present, she knows only one thing in her heart -- that the irresistible appeal and seductive power of this mysterious stranger may be more dangerous than she thinks!

SHADOW LOVER was a well-written, fast-paced read. It was my first Stuart novel, and I'll definitely be looking into more of her books. The characters were well developed, and I quite enjoyed the twists that were thrown in. With each page, I was left questioning what I thought I knew, and Stuart didn't affirm my guesses until she was good and ready. It made for a rather exciting read!