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.

This author never disappoints! I loved this book! I enjoyed the strong female main character! I don’t like the cover of the book though, I wish it matched the story. 5 stars from me!

This was just as good as the first one I couldn’t put it down! This book follows the love story of the sister. I was not expecting to like her our care about her story but this just sucked me in and I ending up loving this story. The audiobook narrator did a fantastic job. They brought so many voices to the characters. I really enjoy them telling me this story.

This is a fun read if you want something short and entertaining. It has hate-to-love romance and a strong FMC, what more do you really need? The main character, Chrysantha, gives me Nesta Archeron vibes. She takes no crap and is entirely unapologetic.

The book starts off pretty dramatic and it draws you in from the get-go. Chrysantha is a young woman with one ambition, freedom. Married at 19 to a wealthy, old duke, she finds herself counting down the days until his death. After he dies, she will inherit everything and gain the freedom she has yearned for. However, when her husband inevitably dies, things don't go according to plan. Eryx Demos, her husband's estranged grandson, comes into the picture and is there to collect what is rightfully hers. Chrysantha does not take this lightly. She's on a mission to expose Eryx as a fraud and regain the life she is owed. But when she starts digging, she begins to find dirt that could bury Eryx alive.

This romance is a true hate-to-love scenario. And it was fun to see how things developed over time. I do wish there was more of the "love" aspect, by the time they realized their feelings and acted upon them, the book was over. It was a slight buzzkill, but their story is still a good one that I enjoyed very much.

As for Eryx, I wish we got more. The stuff we did get didn't make me empathize with him or gain an interest. He feels a bit cookie-cutter. It would've been nice for him to be a more layered morally grey character. It might have helped to have some chapters from his POV. I did find his form and "skills" to be unique and interesting.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the audiobook ARC. These are my thoughts after listening to the audiobook in full.

So you've finished [book:The Shadows Between Us|35702241], and you've heard there's a companion book with the story of one of the characters. Who would you guess as the subject of their own book?

Hestia? Nope.
Rhoda? Nah.
Rhouben? No.

How about Chrystantha?

<record scratch>

Yeah, I'm pretty sure nobody set down The Shadows Between Us, turned to the person next to them, and said - "you know who I'd like to know more about? The sister who features only as the writer of passive aggressive letters and is repeatedly cited as the most dull person anyone at court has met."

But somehow, it works. Granted, the story takes a LONG time to get going. The entire first half of the audio book should probably be avoided while driving to avoid causing the listener to nod off. But once it FINALLY finds its rhythm, it will suck you in. There is absolutely nothing unpredictable in what happens if you've ever read any kind of fantasy romance, and many plot elements don't hold up too well to close scrutiny - but Tricia Levenseller has that knack for writing characters in whom everyone can find a glimpse of themselves or someone they know. As usual, she leans into the unlikability and lets the characters be amoral, selfish, petty, and sometimes downright evil, which is a blessing in itself in this era of morality plays disguised as novels. This particular cast of characters takes a bit longer to reveal their personalities and motives than most of the author's other character sets - but just put it on double speed for the first 50% and you'll be past the stock character portion of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Fuelled by feminine rage. Chrysantha has played the game of men for 7 years trying to get the life she's always wanted. After being married to a dying old man, his death brings her the freedom she's wished for until someone shows up to ruin everything.
She has to fight, scheme, lie, investigate, and even deal with murder to save her happiness and the happiness of those around her. The journey she goes on is a complicated one of understanding herself and how she has been affected by the world around her and the choices she makes. I enjoyed the growth her character goes through and the active change to her mindset about how she wants to move forward with her life. Especially concerning her relationship with her sister.
It's easy to get pulled into this story with the unchecked teasing and banter. A great story for fans of enimes to lovers.
Just couldn't stop reading.
Audiobook was fantastic.

FYI: This is a companion novel to the The Shadows Within Us. It can be read as a standalone, but I think I got more out of it having read the TSWU first.
🎬Pairing: Pretty Woman.
Let me make myself very clear, Eryx was not a prostitute, although Chrysantha dabbled with some. However, my favorite part of the plot was when Chrysantha took Eryx to the tailor and started giving him etiquette lessons. I don’t know why my mind went straight to Pretty Woman, but it did and I’m sticking with it. Now that I type this out, there are some more parallels. Edward was morally grey. He made his fortune by buying companies and selling them for parts. Some might call him a “monster.” Vivian was a prostitute with a heart of gold and a moral compass that pointed due north. In her own way, that was also true of Chrysantha. They were more than the sum of their parts. We all play a part in this world and they both learned to wear their own masks to survive.

🎵Pairing: “In the Dark” by Opus Orange.
I really struggled to find a song that paired well. I thought of “Animal I Have Become” by Three Days Grace and “Warm Shadow” by Fink. Roses (feat. ROZES)” by the Chainsmokers. There is the concept of the darkness within Eryx and Chrysantha, but there is also the concept of being left “in the dark.” I really struggle with the miscommunication trope, and that was a big part of the climax/exposition.

📖quote: “I think we are a good match.”
“If you think fire and oil are a good match.”
“Exactly. Together we could burn the world down if we wanted to.”
I liked the slow-burn between Eryx and Chrysantha. Forced proximity worked well in this novel. It was plausible, and outside of the lies Chrysantha kept telling to herself and Eyrx, it was super enjoyable. Their relationship felt a little rushed at the end, but not terribly so. I actually enjoyed the relationship between Eryx and Chrysantha in this novel more than Alessandra and Kallias.

Issues:
👉There were some anachronistic inclusions that felt too convenient for the narrative. They were more subtle in the Shadows Between Us but were full force in the Darkness within Us. It had me Googling, “did indoor plumbing exist at the same time as horses and carriages?” I believe there was also a reference to turning off lights instead of blowing out candles. There was also a reference to some sort of indoor plumbing.
👉I love that Chrysantha was a book girlie, but the inclusion of some of the terms like “mood reader,” to contemporary. Also, Chrysantha being in a book club with her servants gave me a mental pause. I wouldn’t expect literacy to be that rampant or that they would have much time to read with all of the responsibilities that I would assume they have.
👉The normalcy of same sex couples felt like social pandering instead of an organic inclusion in the narrative and overall disconnected within the presented time period.
I understand creative license and support it, but my brain struggled to reconcile these disparate concepts that point to a very specific time in history. Maybe it’s just my lack of knowledge or my inability to see Chrysantha’s world as something wholly different than the world I know.

📣I listened to this novel immediately after listening to The Shadows Between Us. Both are narrated by Caitlin Davies. At first, it was disorientating, but I think she gave Chrysantha her own unique voice. She did a good job with Eryx, too. Overall, the narration is 5/5 stars.

Final Thoughts
💭 Though it may not seem like it coming off the heels of my issues, I really did like this novel and absolutely would recommend that you read it, especially if you enjoyed The Shadows Between Us.

Thank you NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Release date for the audiobook is July, 9 2024!

(This will be posted to my Goodreads account and a version will be shared to my Bookstagram @thebooksnuggery)

I was excited to read this book because of how much I enjoyed The Shadows Between Us, but I was a little concerned that I would not really be a fan of Chrysantha based on how she was portrayed in the first book. I could not have been more wrong! I actually ended up loving this book even more than the first, and even prefer Chrysantha over Alessandra now. I don’t want to include too many details/spoilers but I really loved getting to see into Chrysantha‘s internal world, understand who she really is and what drove all of her decisions and actions. Eryx was also great and I enjoyed going along with Chrysantha as she worked to unravel the mysteries that shrouded him while also standing up for herself and the independence she had worked so hard to achieve.
The audiobook narration was fantastic, very clear and easy to listen and soak up the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

This is a highly anticipated follow up to the Shadows Between Us but is a separate standalone. I really enjoyed this fresh story. I love a badass FMC and this was full of twists and turns that kept you reading. I really enjoyed the audiobook and it was produced very well.

The Darkness Within Us is the companion to The Shadows Between Us. It’s a fun and fast-paced, enemies to lovers read with elements of mystery and f the patriarchy vibes. Chrysantha is a strong FMC, who is constantly scheming, even pretending to be unintelligent for years in order to get what she wants. I did find her personality to be a bit annoying. She is solely focused on herself, gaining all money, and has an immature need to compete with her sister. Eryx is a morally gray MMC who is secretive with shadow powers. Overall, this was an enjoyable read, but the stakes felt too low for me to be super invested in the outcome. I listened to the audio and absolutely loved the narrator.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC.

I devoured this book in one day!

Chrysantha was such an amazing FMC and I felt so connected to her. And Eryx, he had me on a roller coaster. Initially I hated him but by Chrysantha’s sisters wedding, I loved his protective manner. The enemies to lovers was perfect and not obnoxious like some books can be. I hope we get more books because I was so in love.

I absolutely adored this medium paced fantasy romance and it was the perfect standalone duet follow up to The Shadows Between Us.

We follow along the story of a strong, power thirsty fmc that is taking her future back into her own hands. There are plot twists, schemes, secrets, and amazing banter. If you love bad*ss women then this is for you!

I would rate this book a 4/5 stars. It was a fun audiobook listen and I enjoyed it!

Thanks to Netgalley for this book! (:

What do you do in a world where marriage is more likely to be your Father's bargaining chip to gain wealth rather than secure a love match for his daughter?

Well, if you’re Chrysantha Stathos, you plot, plan, and scheme your way into marrying a lecherous but rich Duke who is not long for this world. After he dies and right as everything she ever wanted is within her grasp, his alleged grandson Eryx appears claiming the inheritance is rightfully his. And as if that weren’t bad enough her little sister is going to be a queen!

Not to be outdone, Chrysantha decides she’s going to upstage her sister at her wedding and use Eryx to do it. And if she just so happens to uncover something to blackmail Eryx with along the way, well then that’s just icing on the cake. The man has to go, no matter how alluring he might be…

After missing out on getting a physical ARC of this book at a convention (I was 22nd in line and they only had 21🥲) I submitted requests for the ARC and ALC of this book hoping for at least one request to be granted and to my surprise I received both!

I devoured the entire thing over a day, switching back and forth between the audiobook and ebook. I had fun listening to Eryx and Chrysantha’s story unfold, their banter was perfect for an enemies-to-lovers story! This book kept me hooked with its mixture of romance, intrigue, and character development.

This book could be read as a standalone because I haven’t read The Shadows Between Us yet and I understood perfectly what was going on! But since I thoroughly enjoyed this book, I do plan on reading it soon (after I catch up on all my ARCs for June 😆)

Audiobook review: I loved this narrator’s voice, it was just haughty enough to truly embody the character, she was the perfect Chrysantha!! Her pacing was just right for the flow of the story and I can’t wait to see what other novels she’s narrated so I can enjoy more of her performances!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and @Macmillan.Audio for allowing me to write an honest review of the ARC and ALC for The Darkness Within Us!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/ 5

My review was posted on Goodreads and Instagram on 6/3/24.

I will post my review on Amazon on 7/9/24 for approval, it should be live within 48 hours.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan audio for the eAudiobook ARC! The Darkness Within Us returns us to the world of The Shadows Between Us, but this time we follow Alessandra's sister Chrysantha. Chrysantha has hidden her true self and schemed her way to the marriage she wanted all in order to gain her freedom. Now that her husband has died, she believes that her life will finally be her own. However, her peace is soon interrupted by the arrival of a young man claiming to be her late husband's grandson and heir apparent. Now Chrysantha must find a way to get him out of the way so that her peace can be restored, but as they cohabitate, she finds herself inexplicably drawn to him. Tricia Levenseller spins a lyrical and thrilling narrative for Chrysantha that makes her so much more than the side character she was in The Shadows Between Us. Caitlin Davies returns to narrate the audiobook and brings the perfect sass and cunning to Chrysantha.

I really enjoyed this book, with themes of feminism in a world run by men, I was very happy to see a strong woman be cunning and independent. It was great to see the character development and story progression from her point of view. The narrator did a great job, would definitely recommend giving it a listen!

I loved The Shadows Between Us so I was excited to dip back into this world. At first I wasn't crazy about the book being about Chrysantha because she wasn't a favorite in the first book but that changed. I enjoyed seeing Chrysantha's true side. All she wants is freedom to make her own choices. This was a great enemies to lovers story. I was also so happy to get cameos of Alessandra and Kallias. I will read anything Tricia Levenseller writes!

By hiding her intelligence and ambition behind the mask of a beautiful air-headed girl, she has become a wealthy duchess. And, once her elderly husband dies, she will have all the freedom, money, and safety she’s ever wanted.

I love a strong FMC! Chrysantha set a goal, made a plan, and carried through. Victory! Until Eryx Demos arrives and tries to steal everything she worked for. I love how she uses the patriarchy against itself. However, the slow burn of enemies to lovers took too long for my taste. I enjoy YA and think this is appropriate for teens, though. The tension and the banter between the two was quite humorous and sharp.

I did not read the first book, but it did not seem to matter. I might have to read it though because I am curious about the sisters’ relationship. I would have enjoyed more interaction with them as a subplot to keep me more interested when things lulled with Chrysantha and Eryx. Overall, this was just an average read for me.