Cruel Shadows

Kingdom of Monsters #1

by Harper A. Brooks

I’m caught in the shadows…
…and the shadows want to play.

I thought I’d dreamed up the shadow realm and the place I called Dark Castle.

But it’s very real. And he’s still here.

My prince, my savior, my captor…

The monster in my bed.

But this time, he’s not alone.

I must escape, but first, my prince and his shadow men want me to fulfill their demands.

All of them.

The longer I stay, the harder it is to resist their dark promises, their insatiable hunger. Because, while these monsters’ smiles are cruel, their touches are the most delicious torture.

But they aren’t the only threat in this world. The darkness that wanted me before has found me again, and like my Shadow Prince, it’s ready to claim me as its own…forever.

Cruel Shadows is book 1 in the Kingdom of Monsters series. It's a full length fantasy monster romance with some darker themes, lots of steam, and is a story where the heroine will end up with more than one love interest.

Genres: Monsters, Paranormal, Fantasy, Romance, Dark, Paranormal Romance, Why Choose

216 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 1, 2022

About the author

Harper A. Brooks may be a Jersey girl at heart, but now she likes to hideout in the mountains of Virginia with bigfoot and all his little woodland friends. Even though classic authors have always filled her bookshelves, she finds her writing muse drawn to the dark, magical, and romantic. When she isn’t creating entire worlds with sexy shifters or legendary love stories, you can find her either with a good cup of coffee in hand or at home snuggling with her furry, four-legged son, Sammy.


RONE Award Winner
USA Today Bestselling Author
Amazon International Bestselling Author

Reviews

[Toubob · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF

There was some sketchy things that bordered on dub-con. The h was as fierce, independent, strong etc. as a wet tissue. She didn’t really assert herself. The prince would be a cold bastard and threaten her or treat her like shit and then start kissing her and she was fine with it. One of the other men in her harem was manipulative and would have no problem using the h in whatever way benefitted him especially if it helped him gain power or money.

Supposedly the h can portal in without needing an actual portal (mentioned in the novella). So when she is locked up in a room and miserable why didn’t she just portal out of there.

Early in the book she is grabbed from a bush and hauled over the shoulder by someone (not the prince). The stranger sets her down in an alcove and they end up making out. He pulls back before the h can climax so she decides to just rub one out in front of the stranger. This took about 15-30 minutes from her hiding in a bush to try and find the prince to rubbing one out in front of a fully clothed stranger that grabbed her and hauled her over his shoulder. There were lots of scenes like this. The h was really weak and useless in every interaction with the 3 men who will be in her harem. She didn’t seem to notice how horribly treated she was.

A lot of the book felt like it was coming from someone who didn’t realize they were misogynistic but thought they were the opposite. Like a feminist who has never read, listened, heard anything about feminism and never met a feminist. They might think they are feminist without realizing nor noticing all the subtle misogynistic things. I would hope they would notice the obvious misogynistic things.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Kingdom of Monsters series by Harper A. Brooks kicks off with Cruel Shadows. I really enjoyed this book, it had a dark gothic vibe with handsome monsters who could be just as dark and shrouded in mystery.


Stella is the mfc and I can't begin to really describe her. She is a mixed bag strong but emotional, fiery but weak, inquisitive yet accepting, and probably a few other things I haven't mentioned. Stella changes from moment to moment and you never really know how she's gonna react. I don't feel a real strong connection to her yet but overall she's not a bad character.


In this monster romance, the monsters have a gorgeous human side with either an entire monstrous look or just some aspects. Airic, Reis, and Wels are three of those monsters and are the romantic interests in this series. Airic being Prince Airic is a childhood friend of Stella but has changed, he comes off as a jerk to Stella (and others) but from his chapters, I can tell he's putting up a mask for others and I kinda feel bad that he has to but his stubbornness is gonna ruin things if he doesn't get his stuff together. Reis is a loyal knight and bf to Airic, he's a fierce warrior but is like a sexy but adorable puppy for Stella. Wels is the bad boy charmer, the type that is only nice to his girl but he has a sadness to him and I can't help but fall for it.


There's a weird dynamic between them and the relationships feel a little off. Stella has a connection to all three but the guys have some issues with each other that they are gonna have to get over.


Cruel Shadows was a good read with an interesting plot. There's a dark castle with a mysterious pull, hidden passages, and luxurious decor, three brooding males, the shadow people, an unknown enemy, and a bunch of secrets and lies. There is some really shady stuff happening and Stella wants answers but after reading the ending I'm not sure how she's gonna get them. I also have questions, mostly about Stella and I'm hoping they get answered in the next book, Necessary Evil.

[Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Beautiful and Incandescent..."

What would you do if you literally met the man from your dreams??

When Stella was a girl, she used to dream about the dark Shadow land and Prince Airic. They were some of her best memories, until one day... they weren't. Now as an adult after overcoming a long, tiring yet eventful day - Stella closes her eyes to her past. Only this feels more real than ever and when she awakes, she finds herself able to cross into that realm wide awake.

After been told to never come back, Stella is not welcomed as so she thought and goes from one prison to another. She needs answers, she needs interaction and most of all she needs Prince Airic to explain. One thing for sure is that her craving and desire for Prince Airic, his head knight, Reis and Airic's cousin Wels is at a scorching all-time high. She never seems to calm down even when they all infuriate her.

After being locked away and only able to come out in minimal situations, does she start to find out little things here and there. Someone, much darker is after her. It could be life as she knows it. Can Airic, Reis and Wels keep her safe? Or will they just lock her back up like a toy to play with?

This book had an amazing storyline. One I can't wait to continue... I am hoping book two speeds up a bit and we get more answers. While we were given lots of answers at the end of book one, I have a feeling we are in for a wild ride.

"Come with me. Let's have an adventure. Let's get the F out of here and do something sinful."

*Overall 4.5
*Heat? 5/5
*Fast/Med Burn
*Light MM -(just kissing) probably will be more...
*Multiple first person POV - Mostly Stella
*Ends on cliffhanger

[Tara Syrnyk · Rating 4 out of 5]

OK so this is the first in a new series . and while it left me with a lot more questions than answers, overall it was an entertaining read. I really like the concept. Stella finding out her imaginary friend and world isn't so imaginary and also finding out she plays a bigger role than she realized in the wellbeing of all humankind? Really interesting! Add in some unique and overly possessive men/monsters? I am in! It did take me a bit to get totally into the story. I was having a bit of a hard time connecting with Stella, I think that was because she herself was really struggling to find herself, and she was trying to process a lot happening all at once in her life, causing her a lot of confusion and feelings she didn’t really know how to deal with. Once I started to look at the story from that perspective, I found I connected with her a lot better and really started to enjoy the journey she has embarked on. I am really intrigued by the men we have met so far and I look forward to getting to know all the characters more. Malachi did drop a few tidbits of info near the end that really had me curious! I've enjoyed the world building and quick pace of this spicy unique story and I am looking forward to the next installment!

[Naurarwen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stella lives on Earth, she's been dreaming as a child of a young boy in a far-off place. She grows close to him in her dreams until one day he tells her to stay away and since then she's not dreamed of him. After a stressful day at work, the boy who is now a man comes to her again, only this time it feels a lot more real that any dream. It turns out the man and world she's been dreaming of are more real than she could have imagined.

I'm still not 100% on how I feel about this book. The premise is awesome but I feel like some of the things were glossed over and if I were Stella I'd have been asking different questions and being a lot pushier. She seems to be very chilled about her situation and shrugs things off and lets the guys have their way with her. I really want to know what happens to Stella and her guys, so will definitely be reading the next one but so far I've not felt like I've been able to connect with any of the characters.

[TheSugaredBookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW, WOW, WOW!!! I could not stop reading! I binge read and finished this story in hours! Magic, fantasy, a castle, a prince, a curse, a knight, monsters and so much STEAM! This story has it all! 3 love interests who will leave you unable to choose, each completely different from each other but so irresistible! I loved the FMC, Stella. Even at her lowest, she refuses to be a damsel in distress. She's a fighter! I can't wait for book 2!

[Noemi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Am I the only one or is there something 🔥 about monsters romance? In this latest novel by Harper A. Brooks, Stella, our FMC, is a living contradiction. When Stella finds out that her childhood dreams weren't just dreams (or nightmares), but they were actually real, and even Airic, her childhood friend, is a living being, Stella wants answers. Too bad Airic and his shadow monsters aren't providing her. But Stella is stubborn, and she won't stop at nothing to get them.

I'm so curious to see where Stella's story ends up. I can't wait for book 2.

[R.K. Pierce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy cow! 😍🥵 I absolutely loved this book and I devoured it in a day. Everything from the shadow realm to the FMC to the love interests. Give me a castle, monsters, and tons of spice 🔥 and I'm 1000% in. I cannot wait for the second book to come out.

[Emily Wood · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dnf

[Fawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite being over 200 pages long, this story moves at a pretty fast pace. It introduces the characters, the shadow world, and the plot that will expand over several books.

[Book Life With Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cruel Shadows: A Monster Romance and the first book in the Kingdom of Monsters series by Harper A. Brooks is absolutely a definite must read for any monster loving RH romance fan! This story captivated me from the very first paragraph (read for yourself to see why lol) and never let me go! Harper is a genius when it comes to world building and this fabulous new shadow realm is no exception!

Our fierce FMC Stella is just a regular ole waitress barely scraping by—or so she thinks. Having spent most of her life living alone, at a young age she created a secret fantasy world to escape in when she felt lost and alone. When life takes a turn for the worse, she heads home and just wishes to go back to that time when life was simpler and she was playing with her friend Airic. And then the unthinkable happens and she realizes that maybe it wasn’t quite as imaginary as she first thought…

Now stuck in a mysterious new realm surrounded by three very equally hot and sexy men determined to protect her she realizes just how different her life truly is. Determined to find answers as to why she’s here, she’s relentless in her pursuit of answers and is willing to do anything to get them.

I absolutely love me the chemistry between these characters and the way the story slowed perfectly. If you’re a fan of hot and sexy men/monsters, lots of sexy steamy scenes and a killer cliffhanger then this is the one for you!

[Nerdy Housewifey · Rating 1 out of 5]

Won't be reading any further

This book is heavy on spice but very, very, very low on things like plot and character development. The fmc ends the book thinking of the guys as 'her loves', and it's simply ridiculous. Two of them she's only met less than 3 or so times (don't worry she definitely slept with them) but as far as actually knowing them it's really pushing the boundaries of my bs meter.

This was my first book by this author, so maybe this is a fluke, but if not, then I definitely don't recommend this to anyone who enjoys some kind of story to build along with the spice.

[BooksBooksandmoreBooks69 · Rating 4 out of 5]

*trigger warnings are given, so I do advise you to read the warning before starting the book.

What Stella thinks is a dream world, is in fact a reality! As a child it was her favourite place to visit, a safe space where she could leave her worries at the door and play with the boy she met there…..
But why has she started to dream about it again? Because her world is a lonely place, she needs a friend.
But the last time she dreamed of her castle, it had ended with her being told to leave that world and never return!

Airic has become darker and more sinister with time! He is both elated and terrified that Stella is back in his world and his life. But it’s dangerous for her to be here, being human and being in this realm is forbidden, the consequences are lethal. But the more time he spends with his childhood friend, the harder it gets to send her home….
Wels is a shapeshifter with an agenda! He knows his prince/friend is hiding something, he just has to figure what, and how this will benefit him!
Reis is Airic’s best friend and captain of his guard. A knight with a code of honour, but one look at Stella and Reis is contemplating disobeying his friend and prince to be with Stella!

The story does start out a little slow, but I’m happy gathering all the details about this new world, I don’t mind a slow pace at first, but I do want it to pick up speed as we get further in the storyline, and I’m happy to say it does.

I did like how Wels started out as a bit of a douche! Self cantered and pretty arrogant, but almost immediately he wanted to care and protect Stella, even if he didn’t know why!
Airic just needs to see Stella is there for him, but his fear of Stella getting found in his realm and getting hurt has him pushing her away far too many times!
And Reis is becoming Stella’s protector and knight and disobeying his prince more and more!

There is a fair amount of spice in this book (there is also more than one love interest for Stella 😉)
But it’s M/F at the moment, there is only Stella with I’ve guy at a time. The jealousy they show to Stella when one of the others is around does make me wonder how this book will turn out!

And the twists and turns in this book will keep you wondering who to trust and who to stay clear of! The push/pull dynamic between Airic and Stella does get a little monotonous, either commit or leave her to choose either Wels or Reis!

And when she’s finally told why she was banished from this realm, how will Stella react?

Cliffhanger approaching…….
And it’s a pretty good one, will will have you reaching for the next book in this trilogy.

Off to grab the next book….

🦋

[Seraphia Bunny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cruel Shadows is the first book in Harper A. Brooks’s Kingdom of Monsters series. Stella is having a rough day at work. One of her co-workers is giving her grief at every turn, and her boss is threatening to fire her if they don’t make nice. Well, turns out that there is a nasty little secret that is about to be exposed and it’s going to push Stella over the edge.
Stella is a unique character. She thinks that her dreams are just that – dreams. But they are something more. It will take a minute for her to fully comprehend the full impact of this, but when it fully hits her she’s going to be floored. When Stella crosses over into another world she is reunited with a man she thought she’d never see again. Too bad he’s not that “happy” to see her, at least on the surface.
Cruel Shadows is an engaging reverse harem paranormal romance novel. There are a lot of positive aspects of the story, but there are some aspects that that lean toward the negative in a glaring manner.
You’re going to get a major case of whiplash with Stella. One minute – afraid and crying, the next mouthy and demanding. Pushing boundaries and demanding answers one minute, then acting terrified when caught where she’s not supposed to be. The shadow servants are yet another disconnect. If they are telling Airic about her behavior, then why don’t they inform him when she tries to run? There are just too many things that don’t make sense. I didn’t quite understand why she had to completely strip to use her dress as a bandage, or how a particular steamy scene actually worked from a logistics viewpoint. I mean – if she’s on her knees performing a sexual act how is her butt getting grabbed and more by the ONE guy she’s being intimate with while he’s standing?
There are just a lot of things that didn’t quite make sense in this book and needed more thought. For those reasons I’m rating this book a soft 4 (3.8) out of 5 stars.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stella used to experience vivid life-like dreams as a child where she was thrust into a different realm and had an imaginary best friend named Airic. As a young adult, she believes those dreams were just an overactive imagination until one night she finds herself back in the realm. The place is just as she remembered except Airic is now a cruel Prince. Gone is the young sweet boy that she once loved so much. Airic claims her as his own and whisks her away to imprison her in his palace. Stella is treated well but isolated in a bedroom and must cling to the small moments in time where she interacts with other people to keep her sanity.

Prince Airic was very unlikable. He felt more like the villain than Stella’s savior. He admits several times that he is being awful toward the girl he has always loved and never has a good reason why he can’t be kinder. Even after intimacy, he treated her like an object that didn’t have any feelings. The two other men that find themselves bonded to Stella are Wels and Reis — but they aren’t much better. Wels is also an alpha-hole and Reis is more loyal to his prince. Stella is a likable heroine, but I was certainly disappointed that she was aware the men were treating her like a toy but kept falling into bed with them. I kept thinking she would finally refuse physical intimacy but she never did. The steamy scenes were very well written.

The ending was interested and a great cliffhanger. I’m looking forward to the sequel and hope Stella finds more inner strength and guts to stand up for herself! I think Stella is more important than anyone quite realizes. If only Airic had explained everything…

Tropes: Paranormal romance, fantasy romance, royalty, reverse harem, friends-to-enemies, enemies-to-lovers
Heat: 4/5

[Aubrey Ramirez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cruel Shadows
By: Harper A. Brooks

Rating: 4⭐️/5
3🔥/5

✨Tropes✨
- Why Choose
- Royalty
- Monsters
- Possessive/Jealous H
- Fantasy
- Friends to Enemies
- Enemies to Lovers

I really enjoyed this book! Okay, first and foremost, the spice! This book doesn’t have a crazy amount of spice, but the scenes it does have were delicious!🥵 You get a little bit of everything with this book and I was here for it!

I enjoyed Stella’s character! She’s a bit of a firecracker which I absolutely loved, but she does have weaknesses. Despite her really struggles in the beginning and not being able to catch a break, she is a fighter and refuses to quit!

The chemistry between Stella and her monsters is undeniable. Airic, Reis, and Wels are her sexy monsters and I loved them all, despite them all definitely being alpha-holes.

Prince Airic is your typical alpha-hole. He was childhood friends with Stella but over the years he’s come to dislike her. Despite him being mean to Stella I have a feeling he might be my favorite at the end. Reis is a knight and a very strong warrior. He is a bit standoffish, but has his teddy bear moments. Wels is your typical sexy bad body. He knows he’s a charmer and isn’t afraid to use it. He is battling some inner demons and I couldn’t help but love his character! The guys definitely have a way to go to fully getting along and learning to share, but I’m an always here for a possessive/jealous H!

This book ends on a crazy cliffhanger and I’m honestly not sure how the second book is going to play out but I’m dying to find out! I definitely recommend giving this book a read, you won’t regret it!!

[Beba Andric · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every time I pick up a Harper Brooks book, I know I'm in for a treat and her opening sentence is always quick to grab me and sets the scene for a great read. I mean, wouldn't YOU be intrigued by this opening line - " Pamela Sawyer can go suck on a giant dick"

Tired of her very mundane life, her lecherous boss, she quits but the reality of her situation hits hard, she's broke and jobless. The only way Stella could survive the reality of her childhood was to escape to an imaginary fantasy world where she and Airic are friends but when these dreams start again, Stella is surprised and how can dreams feel so real? What follows is an adventure of note! She follows her "dream" but things are oh so different since she was last there. Not only is Airic there, but 2 new players, Reis and Wels. And OMG does it get steamy! I had to unfog my glasses a few times! Very yummy!

Stella is not your usual MC, she's out of her depth, desperate but at the same time refuses to back down. I loved her strength of character. Airic, Reis and Wels are 3 completely different personalities, very awesome, very passionate and very much all taken with Stella! As Stella struggles to understand her place, to understand what is happening around her, the guys are desperately trying to keep her safe. I had a feeling Stella's dreams might be more than just dreams but when the truth comes out, even I was surprised!

If you're after a book to heat you up, a book where there's a mystery, a book that tantalises, where the characters grow from page to page and a book that leaves you desperately needed the next book, this one's for you!

[Mary Kirkland · Rating 2 out of 5]

Stella used to have a very vivid imagination when she was a kid, so much so that she thought she was traveling to another world where she met Airic and since they were both kids at the time, they end up best friends. They go on like this for a very long time until when they are a little older he tells her to leave and never come back. She's not sure why he's so mean but she leaves and ends up in therapy because no one in her world believes that Airic exists. Years later, her life isn't great and she dreams that she's back in her dream world where Airic lives. She travels to the castle she knows he lives but things are different and now he's a cruel adult. He's not the same boy she remembers and the longer she stays there, the more she wants to go home but Airic shows her a small amount of compassion and love and she wants to stay there with him forever. But he locks her in her room and doesn't tell her what's really going on. She tries to escape and runs into Airic's cousin who she also seems to feel something for. Then there's the Knight that Airic sends to her to keep her safe, and she ends up sleeping with him. Stella ends up being this woman who wants Airic but sleeps with any man who flirts with her a little.

Things are not the way she thinks they are and she finds herself in danger but not from the men in her life. Airic should have told her the truth about what was going on but he leaves her alone with other men and lies to her over and over. I didn't like him but this story had promise so I kept reading, only to get to the end and be disappointed by a huge cliffhanger ending. So disappointing. I won't be reading any more books in this series.

[Nikol · Rating 3 out of 5]

The premise of this book plus the cover made me want to read it. I read the first 80 pages and was already loosing my interest a bit. Airic - MC childhood friend from dreams which was not dreams at all was way too confusing for me with his behavior. He wanted to play this cold hearted ruler to keep her away and save but it took like one look or word from MC and his demeanor shattered like a domino but then he remembered he needs to act a certain way and switched again. This weird scene between them ended with sex. I was just not having it.
But I decided to continue. It got a little bit better when there were scenes with two other males Wels and Reis. I liked MC and Reis and their whole “we have to pretend to belong to me” scene during royal dinner and the sex afterwards. That was good. I think I like him the most of the three.
Then it got to having sex with Wels, threesome with Reis and Airic despite her being pissed off at both of them for keeping secrets and keeping her locked in that one room. I mean the sex scenes were good but her thoughts were always all over the place switching from anger to accepting her situation and over again.
And the ending of the book was way too quick. Wels took her from castle to safety of his home to think about what to do next. And despite that danger they had sex which felt more like a emotional connection and their actions afterward were little bit too romantic. Like they don’t know each other had sex two times, kisses each other new times and suddenly from sexual attraction we’re off to something else?
For what it was trying to be it was okay and I will probably read the next book but it had potentional to be better.

[Darcy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Nice Start!!!!!

I absolutely love Harper A. Brooks’s books, however, this one was at times a bit off. For example, you wake up and pick up your clothes from the night before which happens to a dress and the next mention of clothes being taken off it is mentioned as pants and a shirt, but, it has only been an hour or two and no mention of changing clothes. I know it is a little thing that truly might not matter to most, but to me it is like going from point A to point C without going to point B. Again, not really that big of a deal but just one thing that drives me nuts when reading a book because a lot of authors do this.

The storyline is really, really intriguing. I love the concept of the story. Our FMC Stella, she has some really interesting concepts about her. Like she has a great personality. But, I would have liked to see her a tiny bit stronger. She showed us a small amount but would like to see her display more. Overall, the story is well written. I do like the descriptions as they add a great element to the story. It allows me to easily visualize the scenes in the story. There really isn’t a lot of interaction between the MMC’s and not a lot of action other than the spicy scenes. However, nearing the end of this book it starts to pick on that aspect. It does end in a cliffhanger that is pretty major so it is a very nice lead up into the next book. I really hope that we learn more about all this mystery that is surrounding Stella.

[Crissy · Rating 2 out of 5]

The cover of the book was the first thing that caught my attention and made me want to read the story. I absolutely love the cover, but sadly I cannot say the same thing for the story. There was just something about this story for me that made it hard to connect with the characters, and I found that the flow of this story was slow for me. I wanted to like Stella, Wels, Airik and Reis but there was nothing about them that made them memorable. Stella always thought that her imaginary world and friend as a child wasn't real, but she now knows that it wasn't fake at all, and she plays a bigger part in that world than she could have imagined. Airik sent her away because he was trying to protect her. When it comes to the steamy scenes in this story this book does not disappoint but I need more than steamy scenes to enjoy a story and it's even harder to enjoy a story when the characters were just okay. This story ends with you having more questions than answers although Malachi gives you a little insight at the end of the story. I wanted to love this story, but I know that not every story will be for every reader, and this story just wasn't the one for me. Would I give other books from this author a try? Yes, just because this story wasn't the one for me, doesn't mean I won't give another book from this author a try.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of "CRUEL SHADOWS"
WOW!!! What an a wild crazy adventure full of monsters, shadow men, lots of steamy scenes, a castle, a curse, magic, different realm, a prince, crazy childhood dreams, twists, your hooked & can't put down till finished.
Stella has had dreams as a child things she couldn't expain, now as an adult her dreams of Prince Airic come back to haunt her, her imaginary friend is no longer a boy, but a hot delicious man who takes what he wants & this time he's not alone.
Stella has to meet her Prince & his shadow men's demands before she can escape, but the longer she's with them it harder it is to resist their dark promises, insatiable hunger, their touches are the most delicious torture.
I definitely recommend to get this intense, riviting interesting, engaging adventure, Stella is dealing with other threats in this world, the darkness that wanted her before has found her once again just like her Shadow Prince it wants to claim her for its own forever.
I'm so looking forward to the next book in this well written story so well worth the read after that cliffhanger "NECESSARY EVIL" can't come soon enough. AWESOME MUST HAVE READ!!!!

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

The premise was very interesting to me. Finding out that your childhood imaginary world was very real has many possibilities. We don't find out much about the how's or why's in this book, but enough is hinted at that I'm curious. I'm not a big fan of enemies to lovers, so I'm not the target audience for this. There are several alphaholes in this story and Stella falls into the passive damsel in distress role. We know that the controlling men have mostly good motivations, and are aware that their actions suck. But I can't quite imagine what Stella sees in them besides physical attraction.

The writing drew me in and made me really feel for Stella and the situation that she finds herself in. Unfortunately that meant that I spent much of the book confused, and frustrated that she spent most of her time locked away and kept in the dark about why. The people who inhabit the dark castle are called monsters, but there are only a few glimpses about any aspects that are other than human. The shadows of the castle were pretty intriguing and I do wonder what more is going on with them.

The men were varied in personality, and the way they interact with Stella. There is a lot of steam. The pace of the book really speeds up in the last 10%, but expect a slow ride until then.

[Anna McCauslin · Rating 4 out of 5]

" 'Good girl,' he whispers. 'See what happens when you follow my orders? You get rewarded.' "

Harper comes at us with a fast and steamy new monster series. Stella is graced with a night time visitor, and the intrigue of how it happens, and who it is, begins the spiral into a fantastical world. Our characters are introduced early, and after reading a slew of RH books that feature friends in the harem, I enjoyed the thick tensions and distrust that permeate the men as they are tugged towards her. It's obvious that Airic has a claim on her body and heart, but with edging play, sneaking around, illicit library trysts, and combat practices, Airic has stiff competition in Wels and Reis that played out deliciously between the pages. These men are men in body, but possess some interesting traits and skills that lend them the supernatural both in and out of bed that take them beyond the world of mere mortals.

I don't know exactly how many books Harper has planned for this series, but Cruel Shadows is building a long range plot with various implications that I hope are fully explored. Stella is a lynchpin in this fantastical world, and I enjoyed the drawn out story arc with such fast steam. This one will leave your thighs clenched and mind buzzing after the cliffhanger ending.

[Chey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stella has dreamed of a dark shadow land where Prince Airic rules. When she finds she can actually cross over into it, she also finds thats she's not exactly welcomed. But she needs answers, and Airic is going to answer them. If that means she finds herself attracted to not only him, his head knight and cousin, well that's just a risk she'll have to take.

I always love a good monster romance and this one hit all my monster check points. They have some fun scenes, and while this isn't a fast burn romance, it doesnt take excessively long to get the heat. Airic, Reis and Wels are all men/monsters you'll want for yourself. They have a human side, each has a different personality, and their monstrous sides just scream steamy fun.

I could not stand Stella's character. She switches between weak and strong, she's too emotional at times and she's confusing on what she wants throughout the story. I'm hoping the author fixes her character in the next book and makes her a little less of a mix personality.

Overall rating
3.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
3 🌶🌶🌶

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had a very original storyline that I immediately was drawn into. Stella is a normal girl, struggling to make her way through life in less-than-ideal circumstances. One night, after a truly disastrous day, she finds herself transported into a world of shadows she thought was only a figment of her childhood imagination. The boy that was once her friend is now a dark, dangerous man who excites and terrifies her. Add in a stoic, yet stunning knight and a roguish shapeshifter who wants to get her into all kinds of dirty trouble and Stella is in for a world of pleasure and pain. This book left me with a lot of questions but very few answers. The relationship between Stella and her guys is off the charts hot and I can't wait for more of it in Book 2, along with some answers to the aforementioned questions. This book is full of action, intrigue and dirty, sexy fun. Word of warning, it does leave off on a painfully inopportune cliffhanger so prepare yourself. That being said I really enjoyed this book and can't wait for Book 2 to find out what happens next for Stella and her guys.

[Kfsilver · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was really intrigued by the premise of this story, a woman, disappearing into what she remembered as a dream or a childhood playscape only to find the boy she played with has grown up and no longer wants her there. There were a lot of interesting elements to the story - where was she? What happened to the boy she played with? Why doesn’t he want her there? just the idea of the dream realm was really different. However, I felt like there was so much more could have been done with the story. Everything ended with Stella hooking up with a monster. Every fight, every discussion, every difficult trial the boys put her through was forgiven right away: there were so many elements that could have been taken farther - like Stella losing her mind with no one to talk to - that were left hanging. It felt like a continuous circle until the last 15% of the book where the plot picked up substantially. I wanted more of that adventure, more of facing down the bad guys etc. Cruel Shadows was the author’s debut novel, and while it was a good first book, it has a ways to go before being great

[Mimi.Reads.Smut · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun, complex story with plenty of mystery, spice, and plot twists to keep the pages turning.

Stella finds her way back to a kingdom that she thought was a creation of her imagination as a child. Things have changed and it remains to be seen whether it’s better or worse, or a bit of both. Her childhood friend Airic seems cruel and heartless as he tries to make her leave and then locks her up to keep her hidden. His attitude runs hot and cold and confusing as heck. His loyal knight, Reis, is also conflicted, but Stella finds an unlikely ally in Wels, Airic’s cousin and consummate troublemaker.

The dynamics between all of the characters are fascinating and occasionally mysterious. As Stella grows closer to them all, she learns more than she’s bargained for, but not enough to keep her safe from the hidden dangers. There is a fair amount of 🔥🔥🔥 and it’s hot AF!

This ends on a cliffhanger and I can’t wait to read what comes next!

[Laerke55 · Rating 5 out of 5]

H.A.P written such Amazing books i loved her book cruel shadows I love following stella in her journey and i loved to read her growth as a character…. I just really love the Way this author writes… all the books she writes is always soo good and always keeps me on my toes… the Way she writes is soo intresting.. i have loved all the books i have read by her… i love stellas story and i love watching her realstionship with the guys grow stronger and stronger…. i really loved the twist and turn…This really Kept my interest the whole Way and i really loves this book…this book was freaking good.. I’m so exicted to contuine Reading stella and the guys journey and What the author comes up with… I highly recommed that people read her book cruel shadows and if you haven’t read this book yet Then What are you waiting for you are really missing out on something…you wil def not regret giving this book a chance

This book is really a must read book!!!

[Douglas Williamson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Our heroine has always known of the darkness, but she thought it was just a dream. Now she knows better and the creatures that lurk there want to claim her. But some have ever darker purposes in mind, so she is going to have to tread carefully.

This is book one of the series, so all good there.

This is a dark urban fantasy story with something of a reverse harem going on. The story is very well written and easy to read, with a well detailed world that provides an excellent stage for our story. The characters are also well developed and bring the story to life. I like our heroine, but I still have mixed feelings about our heroes. The plot is a bit dark and features plenty of intrigue and action which keep things moving along. Overall, a highly enjoyable story and I am interested in seeing where it goes next.

Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout for review purposes.