I really enjoyed The Shadows Between Us, I always enjoy Tricia's books, and I was so excited for The Darkness Within Us! Honestly a huge portion of it was just me rage reading and wanting to throw it out the window so it was very conflicting because I really did love it.

I was pulled in from the very start and I was entertained the whole time! It was fast paced and fun which had me hooked and I read it in one day. There is a good balance of action scenes and quieter scenes, plot, character development and romance.

I have so much to say about the romance I don't even know where to start putting it into words so buckle up.
It honestly took me up until almost the very end to enjoy the romance or to even like the love interest. For 90% of the book I absolutely hated Eryx, he was a complete and utter a**hole and I was dreading them ending up together. I loved the banter, loved the monster, loved the tension, you could see they would have great chemistry and all of that but I absolutely hated the power imbalance, hated that he was a huge hypocrite and hated that he was some sort of fake feminist moron. I couldn't handle how he kept asking what Chrysantha wanted as if she hadn't already told him exactly what she wanted 500 times he just kept asking because he wasn't getting the answer HE wanted. He was basically trying to sell her to some other man and because he might be nice and caring she should be fine with that?? He was also so apathetic towards the struggles of women?? To the point where I was actually shouting at my book like a crazy person. And the dance scene? Trying to have a hot cut in/rescue scene when he GAVE HER to the man in the first place without her consent?? Yeah that doesn't work. Not hot at all when he put her in that position to begin with knowing her experience with men, after she explicitly told him how she feels about her choices. At first I thought this could have benefited greatly from dual POV but I understand the need for the mystery of Eryx to stay intact so maybe having him seem a % less misogynistic in their interactions would have been nice or at least have him attempt to understand what she was saying, I mean he literally used the phrase "not all men"🤢, because I spent majority of the book despising him and just being completely heartbroken for Chrys which took away from my enjoyment. I loved the explanation of why enemies to lovers is so popular (Chrys is a book girlie) but it really didn't work if it was trying to explain why this is a good romance. I will say though I like that Chrys made the point that they aren't equals when he holds the power, I like when an author makes it known that they do see that that's how it's being written rather than romanticizing it or blaming the woman (someone could take notes) (I'm looking at you SJM).
It was refreshing that 1. He is actually younger than her, only be 5 months but still and 2. He is inexperienced and she shows him what she likes. Fortunately it did end the way I wanted, Eryx really came around and Chrys ended up with everything she wanted. I do think though it was quite rushed/abrupt. The book, while fast paced, was slow burn in terms of the romance and character growth and then out of nowhere he was like a totally different person. I guess love changed him or whatever, I'm not going to question it too much.

I think unlike Shadows, Darkness should be classed as NA. It isn't majorly explicit but more than should be in a YA book in my opinion. People seem to forget that the YA age range starts at 12, but the age range is a whole issue in itself.

I adored the main character Chrysantha. She is like Jude level crazy and any time she has a problem it's like hmm murder?? And she always has it as a back up plan. She's fierce, she can hold her own and she's always scheming but then she's also bookish, girlie and so sweet to people. I love Alessandra but Chrys feels more three dimensional in some ways. I especially love her relationship with her staff and the way she looks deeper at her own internalized misogyny and realizes she can fix her relationship with her sister now that she isn't beholden to the patriarchy.

I would actually really love another book about both Chrys and Al! I loved the wedding scene and seeing Kallias and Al again and Chrys's interactions with them and I think these two could be a badass pairing together.

I really enjoyed The Darkness Within Us. Tricia's books are always so much fun, her characters are great and I'm so glad I got read this ARC!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this eARC of "The Darkness Within Us".
Oh, this sequel is phenomenal. I really loved the first book and this book is also totally brilliant. Chrysantha's happy ending is near. Her husband's dying and she just has to count the days until he's gone for good. And then she's finally free. No man will be able to dictate her life anymore. Or so she thought. Cause suddenly her dead husband's heir appears out of thin air. And Chrysantha wants him gone. Cause he's definitely an impostor. And she's definitely not falling in love with him.
I really loved this book. Chrysantha's a woman who knows what she want. And she knows how to get it. Plus, I adored the cameos of Alessandra and the Shadow King.

The writing is beautiful. Book is gripping, dark and unputdownable. The characters were mysterious. The Duke Dies and Chrysantha, the Duchess was to inherit the Duke’s inheritance but the estranged grandson of the Duke shows up. She is in such a dilemma as all she knew that the Duke has no one. As the story progresses, Eryx Demos’s dark side is revealed and the mysterious facade unveils, it brings out the truth and secrets. I didn’t see the twists coming. The story takes an unexpected turn. The ending was so unexpected. Eryx is swoon worthy and mysterious while Chrysantha is strong and determined to go after what she wants and deserves. I liked the setting and the bond between the two of them.

Thanks to the Publisher and Author

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I threw myself into this novel, having previously enjoyed Tricia's previous work. I found the ambiguity of the characters frustrating at times - however overall this was an enjoyable read.

I never know for sure if a book by Tricia Levenseller is gonna work for me. Some books are total hits. Others are not really grabbing me. However, one of the books I absolutely loved was The Shadows Between Us. So, when I discovered that the author was gonna write another book in the world starring the sister, I pre-ordered my special edition right away. When I stumbled upon the book on Netgalley I also had to put in a request for a review copy and luckily Pushkin Press granted me a copy.

This book is insanely entertaining from start to finish although we already know from the start how the story is gonna end. The author did an amazing job combining haters to lovers with a wonderful flavor of chemistry. When those two characters are in the same room, they don't even need to be talking, there are sparks. Sparks of anger and sparks of love, but as some side characters point out, those emotions always go together.

I also don't remember much from the first book, but I'm pretty certain that the stakes in this book are lower. Of course, there is some danger and the heroine and hero are going quite far in trying to get the other out of their hair, but it never really felt like things would go really wrong. That's firstly because the hero is a little too strong for that. And the heroine has played her role perfectly and therefore doesn't have that many enemies.

I also liked how the characters from The Shadows Between Us make guest appearances in this book. The book is probably still a lot of fun if you haven't read that one, but it's for sure more fun if you had. Especially because in this book the sisters are finally in a place where they can show each other their true selves, which surprisingly means that their relationship might actually grow into something friendly at some point.

Not the best book you'll ever read, but for sure an addictive and entertaining book!

If I must be honest, the first book wasn't for me and I was cautious about starting the second one—The Darkness Within Us….and I'm glad I was wrong!
Young Chrysantha had an arranger marriage to a duke that was on his deathbed. Hiding her true intelligence and intentions, her only goal is to inherit everything so she can have her freedom at last! Freedom to make her own choices and to be nobody's property.
And everything goes to plan until a man called Eryx Demos arrives claiming to be the late duke's grandson and wants to take everything from her.
A pinch of mystery, a lot of banter and gripping romance, and honestly, I finished the book in no time (unfortunately for me because I wanted more of them😭❤️).
Chrysantha is such an unapologetic and fiery character that leads to so many entertaining moments and especially the banter between them…. I haven't giggled so much from a book for a long time!😂👌
And either love her or hate her, Chrysantha's character doesn't leave you a chance of staying indifferent.
It's safe to say Chrysantha is my favorite than Alessandra, and I sincerely hope that we get another book in this world.

I waited until I had a free day for this so I could read it cover to cover like I have all of Tricia Levenseller's books that I've read so far, and true to form, I devoured this, but ... I did't love it.

I really enjoyed The Shadows Between Us and was looking forward to returning to the same world and catching up on the characters in Shadows, even if they were only on the periphery, but, it didn't hold me. don't get me wrong, I still enjoyed this: I liked the idea behind the characters, the significance that some of their motives might have for future books in this same world, and Chrysantha was a good character, and I like her point of view and motivations, but there are buts.

Chrysantha felt repetitive, maybe that's the point, maybe it was meant to convey the exhaustion at having to point out the imbalance in the power dynamics between genders is deliberate, but it made for a repetitive reading experience and, for someone who'd spent years creating a persona and smarts to navigate her world, she seemed to make some strange decisions, or lapses of judgement. For example, one of the most important things she points out when faced with an interloper who threatens to destroy the world she'd built, she just seems to forget about, and is then surprised by it later, it's something, especially with her carefully curated relationships at court, she could have delved into herself, and I expected to have been resolved, or a feature of the plot throughout, or much earlier, rather than being a big reveal at the end.

I also felt that Alessandra's role was completely superfluous and thrown in as a nod to fans of the previous book, the previous years of her relationship with her sister, overwritten with a couple of hastily written letters out of nowhere felt rushed, and that's all before we consider Eryx.
Everything he does is reprehensible, he's unpleasant and arrogant and condescending, everything Chrysantha has every reason to hate, and I know that's the point of 'enemies to lovers', but there's so little done to justify such behaviour, and, like with Alessandra, resolved by a single letter, and 'we can get the boy a tutor', his late coming round to talking to her edges into the miscommunication trope, you know, the: 'I wanted to tell you, but I was falling for you' line. I also didn't like how another well-rounded relationship is so easily cast aside, and everyone's ok, because these two are the main characters. I think Eryx should have had a lot more work to do, and that Chrysantha, given her nature, should have needed more than desire to overcome her years of self-conditioning, and previous experience to fall for him, and for her to have been more sensitive to the feelings of her friends (she is, which is nice, but more of that in the text towards the end might have been nice - basically, maybe another chapter or two might have helped?

Anyway, despite the above, I still liked it, I still appreciate Tricia Levenseller's ability to spin a fast-paced yarn, with just enough sprinkling of world-building to leave room for future books, it just wasn't a love affair for me this time.

2.5 stars

It was years ago when I read The Shadows Between Us, but I remember that I loved it. It was quick, it was bold, and the main character was fun. I've rarely read about a character who acts like Alessandra. It was refreshing.
When the author announced The Darkness Within Us, I was curious what Chrysantha‘s story would be. She was dull in the first book, but I wanted to give her a chance.
There were fun and interesting parts in The Darkness Within Us, but overall, it felt boring and underdeveloped. Chrysantha was okay, but Eryx was horrible. He was a walking red flag. He started acting decently when Chrysantha told him about all the horrible men she had to deal with. Because of that, I was not a fan of the romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pushkin Children's Books for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book is everything I needed and wanted! The banter, the fighting, the chemistry made this one of my favourite enemies to lovers book 🤍
After reading The Shadows Between Us, I fell in love with Tricia's work and she has pulled it out of the bag once again

Thankyou for the ARC

This novel offers an enjoyable, brisk, and accessible reading experience. Despite the considerable gap since I read the first book, I seamlessly re-entered the universe, a testament to the author's skill in crafting a memorable and immersive world. The prose remains engaging, and the narrative pace is well-balanced, ensuring a consistently enjoyable journey.

The characters are thoughtfully developed, each contributing significantly to the story's progression. However, I found Eryx to be particularly challenging; his demeanor at the beginning was quite insufferable. Nonetheless, this did not significantly detract from the overall experience.

I would wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone seeking an entertaining and well-constructed narrative. It strikes a fine balance between familiarity and novelty, making it a delightful read for both returning fans and newcomers.

Go read this right now!! As I did not remember much from "Shadows Between Us", I walked blindly into this one and it did not disappoint. Chrysantha was completely unhinged and bat-sh*t crazy - AND I WAS SO THERE FOR IT. To be fair, sometimes it felt like she was being childish and reckless in her actions but it just proved how desperate and devoted to her cause she was. At first, Eryx was not my favourite and I was kind of hoping she would ditch him for the single father, but later on I grew fond of him! The sisterly relationship in this book was like a balm to the scars left after Alessandra's story. We definitely need more heroines like those two in romantasy!! I have to say that I didn't care much for the ending of this book and felt like it could be adjusted to fit the characters a bit more. Also, there were some slight logical gaps that caught my attention (the existence of electricity was not mentioned once in this story, but it was stated that the basement was the only room not connected to it?), but I didn't mind those much. Overall, great story, which I will absolutely recommend everyone needing a fun and light read involving drama and ballrooms!!

*Actual rating is 2.5 stars*

This book ended up not being for me, which is a shame since I liked the first book. The biggest problem for me with this book was the characters. While I have nothing against a morally grey character, here it didn’t work since the main character Chrysantha's motivations and actions didn’t do anything to propel the story forward and instead just came off as petty. It’s a shame since the core of the story centers around women’s lack of power and autonomy in a world ruled by men is a compelling topic to explore with a fmc trying to play life’s game into her own favor. The whole climax of the story was a bit dull and Chrysantha actions made her seem like less of the shrewd mastermind she thinks herself to be and more of a dumbass. The romance also didn’t do anything for me, as the love interest was a bit meh. The thing I did enjoy in this book was the further expansion on the magic that exsísts in this world, and the shadow magic. It was what kept me reading.

I wasn't into it at first but I ended up loving it. Chrysantha sounded so petty and envious at the beginning that I couldn't stand her, but I ended up really liking her.

Tricia Levenseller's addictive writing never disappoints and the chemistry was, as always, off the charts. If there's something this woman knows how to do it's an angsty enemies to lovers.

Also, the way she quotes Damon Salvatore or Jack Sparrow in all her books just makes me want to be her friend.

First of all I would like to thank Netgalley and the PunkinPress publishing house for giving me the opportunity to preview this book before its release date. A thousand thanks!

Let's start with an obvious but important consideration.
I read Trincia Levenseller for the first time with her, probably, most famous book, namely The Shadows Between Us, read many years ago and a book that at that moment was going very, very much. I remember that when I read it, apart from the fact that I liked it a lot and had a lot of fun reading about Alessandra, it came out shortly after the news that the author would write this book about Alessandra's sister, who appears in the book briefly.

The Darkness within Us can be considered a spin off as well as a continuation, since we also see some events after the end of the first book (and yes there are many cameos from the first couple, I loved it). Overall I really liked the book, it was a very fun read and it won me over, but let's go step by step to see why.

What is this book?
- Fantasy ya
- Romance yesssss
- bridgerton but with real life delulu
- Enemies to lovers
- Forced proximity
- Dagger to the throat

Chrysanta's story begins as iconically as that of Alessandra, her sister, began with a murder.
Real drama Queen, thank you Tricia levenseller for these quality moments.

In fact, our protagonist is married to an old duke, specifically because he was one step away from the grave but it takes him a little too long to actually die, and so we have to take action. In fact, at the beginning of our book our protagonist is a very young widow who enjoys all the things that her husband has left her, exploring her interests and also her intimacy. On this aspect I must say that it is the first time that I have read a properly YA book in which the aspect of the sexual intimacy of the protagonist is approached in this way, that is, very freely from this point of view, with a search for what is the knowledge of one's body and also a certain freedom, and I really liked this.
What actually happens? The handsome guy arrives and says that he is actually the late lord's heir and that everything is up to him. Downfall. As if everything she had done had been for nothing because his never-seen-and-heard grandson arrives and since he is a male he has to inherit everything. Well no. We don't fit.

From here begins our very hilarious story I must admit of our two protagonists, between him who literally only has two pairs of trousers (and obviously also Crysanta like Alessandra icon of style and clothes this thing well I don't understand), between entering into society and bickering between them. As they get to know each other, they will begin to discover many secrets about each other and the plot becomes truly compelling.
I must admit that I was more captivated by the general aspect of the book and that actually the couple did not have this appeal like, for example, that of The Shadows Between Us, there is no comparison. But in my opinion the book as fantasy Ya, which can also be read as a stand alone, does his job, because it entertains and in any case the story makes logical sense and is very cute.

Overall I really liked the book, but by now I've realized that I'm quite fond of Tricia Levenseller's rewriting. Write us anything you want like this Tricia.

The Darkness Within Us
Fantasy
Tricia Levenseller
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

• ʀɪᴠᴀʟʀʏ • ᴅᴇᴄᴇᴘᴛɪᴏɴ • ʜɪᴅᴅᴇɴ ɪᴅᴇɴᴛɪᴛʏ •

I just love Tricia Levenseller's writing style, and she is definitely one of my favourite authors.

I liked the MCs, Chrysantha, and Eryx. Chrysantha is spoilt and actually quite a brat at times. She hid her intelligence behind a very carefully cultivated mask, and Eryx seemed to be just as stubborn. It was fun to see their banter and watch them challenge each other.

I love how Tricia Levenseller always makes sure to address important issues in her books be it mental health, the pressure of society or, in this book, the inequality of power and that women have to fight extra hard for certain things while they're given freely to men.

I did guess what Eryx was and what his secrets were, but I still liked the build up and the reveal.

The world building was interesting, and I liked learning more about the curses and magic.

I'm so glad that Chrysantha and Alessandra rekindled their relationship and finally started to be real sisters again.

Although this book can be read as a standalone, I do recommend reading The Shadows Between Us first.

*Thank you to @Netgalley, the author, and the publishers for providing this ARC. This is my own opinion and an honest review, which I am leaving voluntarily*

Thank you to NetGalley for a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Reading this year has been so difficult for me - I've hardly had the concentration span. But this book may have finally broken me out of that.

As she often does, Tricia Levenseller stole my heart with her accessible, fun and brilliantly crafted writing. Going into this book, I expected to hate the protagonist, given how she is portrayed in The Shadows Between Us. But just as Alessandra quickly won me over, so did Chrysantha. The Stathos sisters are a force to be reckoned with and I would read anything and everything about these brilliant women (how incredible would a book with dual perspectives of them be!).

This is probably the closest to adult romantasy Levenseller has gotten so far and I really enjoyed the way it is clear Chrysantha is a grown woman who is continuing to grow and learn who she is as a young woman. Whilst this book is undoubtedly a romance, it also showcases the beauty of friendship, self love and realisation and was an utter joy to read.

There is no doubt in my mind that this will become another reread every year favourite, just as The Shadows Between Us already is.

As always, Tricia Levenseller remains amongst my favourite authors and I will always be at the front of the queue for any and all of her books. I look forward to seeing what she creates next. (and would love more in this world please and thank you!)

The Shadows Between Us is one of my all time favourite books, so when it was announced we were getting another book in this world I was extremely excited, especially as it's about Chrysnatha. There's something about TLs writing style that I find completely captivating - I've rated every single book of her five stars for a reason, and that is because they are brilliant books! I loved Chrysantha as an MC - she's intelligent and ambitious and not afraid to go for what she wants. The enemies to lovers tone of this book was executed flawlessly and now I shall be directing my energy into wishing for another book in this world!

This book had a great plot with intriguing characters. I’ll definitely be looking out for more from this author.

Okay. I’ll hold my hands up and admit that I went into this with a loooot of apprehension. I hadn’t read The Shadows Between Us so when I started this, I had to grit my teeth. I didn’t like Chrysantha at first, I thought she was annoying. But god did that change quite quickly.

I soon came to love her snappy wit and sharp mind. Even though I didn’t know her story it was easy to understand. I liked the way she treated her staff. And the book club!!!!! Talking about an enemies to lovers trope in a book about enemies to lovers is just the kind of humour I love!

And Eryx… hmmm. He’s got that good enemy banter you know? And the fact that he finds Chrysantha so attractive he can’t help himself, yes I love. Their witty snap backs at each other?? I ATE THAT UP.

Overall? Delicious. Witty. Sexy. Loved it by the end!

I love love love a good slow burn!! Chrysantha, Alessandras older sister, kills her husband the duke to speed up her inheritance of the fortune and house that will be left to her. Unfortunately for her, Eryx, claims to be her late husbands long lost grandson and ruins all her well laid plans. She sets out to get to the bottom of this mysterious man but gets more than she bargained for. I adored the banter and chemistry of these two. I think the slow burn and lack of political aspects made this book much more appealing. Chrysantha seems much more inclined to murder and schemes than her sister and Eryx is much more dynamic and interesting than the king. It still retains the fault of poor communication and confusing politics but, it matters much less here.