The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller - Restarting January 4th 2023

[Maddie]

Yeah I like standalones because less commitment and less memory space XD

[Trisha (semi-hiatus)]

Maddie wrote: "Trisha wrote: "I actually finished it some 8 hours ago, but then had to do other stuff and couldn't update here.



THIS WAS SO AWESOME!?!?!?!?!??
I loved it. I just loved it. It was nowhere near ..."

Exactly!!!

[Trisha (semi-hiatus)]

Maddie wrote: "Trisha wrote: "Laura wrote: "Finished [spoilers removed]"

Same, this being a standalone was pretty disappointing.....and there was quite a lot packed into it!"

OMG it is a standalone! I seriously..."

Yeah, they're pretty rare, at least the good ones.....I like standalones because they require lesser energy, but at the same time not like them for having not enough of the characters and story

[Trisha (semi-hiatus)]

Laura wrote: "Maddie wrote: "Trisha wrote: "Laura wrote: "Finished [spoilers removed]"

Same, this being a standalone was pretty disappointing.....and there was quite a lot packed into it!"

OMG it is a standalo..."

Yeah!

[Laura]

Maddie wrote: "Yeah I like standalones because less commitment and less memory space XD"

Fair enough! :D

[Jenn]

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Date changed. Restarting June 20th 2021. Happy Reading ☺

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[Nadine]

Hello! I'd love to join if that's alright :)

[Trisha (semi-hiatus)]

Nadine wrote: "Hello! I'd love to join if that's alright :)"

Of course!

[B]

Hi, can I please join this buddy read? :)

[callie]

Bhavya wrote: "Hi, can I please join this buddy read? :)"

Of course! The more the merrier!

[Trisha (semi-hiatus)]

Bhavya wrote: "Hi, can I please join this buddy read? :)"

Hi Bhavya!!

[B]

Trisha wrote: "Bhavya wrote: "Hi, can I please join this buddy read? :)"

Hi Bhavya!!"

callie wrote: "Bhavya wrote: "Hi, can I please join this buddy read? :)"

Of course! The more the merrier!"

Thank you! :)

[B]

Trisha wrote: "Bhavya wrote: "Hi, can I please join this buddy read? :)"

Hi Bhavya!!"

Hi Trisha!

[Leon]

Can't wait to start this!

[❀ Crystal ✿ -]

Starting this now!

[❀ Crystal ✿ -]

Ch 13 (view spoiler)[Well the heroine is not the normal goodie two shoes that’s for sure. Wonder if/when she’ll n longer want to kill the king. It’s clear he feels the same about making change in the kingdom as she does….. (hide spoiler)]

[❀ Crystal ✿ -]

Ch 23 (view spoiler)[Oh man she almost has the world at her fingertips and won’t have to kill him…. But yet she won’t have him ☹️ And now who knows what’s going to happen if it’s found out she killed Hector! (hide spoiler)]

[❀ Crystal ✿ -]

Ch 28 (view spoiler)[Omg I was literally just thinking I hope she tells him what she had planned and now this…… nooooooooooo 😭😭 honestly I love the heroine and her bad self. She’s a bitch, badass and a rebel in a world where women are beneath men. At this point I’m loving this book, did not expect this! (hide spoiler)]

[❀ Crystal ✿ -]

Finished (view spoiler)[I loooooove this. Alessandra was such a powerful and devious heroine. Definitely the anti hero of the book, borderline villainous and for me that’s what made the book so good. I’m kinda shocked by his brother being alive and being Leandros, did not see that coming as he was kinda sweet and likable but apparently a better actor than even the heroine. Really wish we had a epilogue though 🥺 (hide spoiler)]

[callie]

I'm a little behind on my reading, I'm hoping to start this one sometime this week! Fingers crossed for some free time, lol

[❀ Crystal ✿ -]

Can’t wait to see how you feel about it, whenever it arrives lol. There’s so many mixed reviews on this book 🥸🤔

[callie]

❀ Crystal ✿ - wrote: "Can’t wait to see how you feel about it, whenever it arrives lol. There’s so many mixed reviews on this book 🥸🤔"

I have high hopes for it cause I've completely devoured all of Tricia Levenseller's other books (excluding Warrior of the Wild which I haven't read yet). I'm betting this one will be the same!

[Nadine]

Just started reading it!

[callie]

❀ Crystal ✿ - wrote: "Ch 13 [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[ a goodie two shoes Alessandra is definitely not, lol. I super enjoyed her character! (hide spoiler)]

[callie]

❀ Crystal ✿ - wrote: "Ch 23 [spoilers removed]"

(little past chapter 23 spoilers I think) (view spoiler)[I was so scared on what was going to happen when/if he found out about Hector.... but I didn't expect the react he gave. like... omg you definitely killed your former lover?? i'm 10000% more in love with you now. plz plz plz plz say you'll marry me. I WAS GRINNING LIKE AN IDOIT (hide spoiler)]

[callie]

❀ Crystal ✿ - wrote: "Finished [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[ OH MY GOD YES. I LOVED ALESSANDRA SO MUCH! I love me a good morally grey character and she really ticked all the boxes.

THE FREAKING PLOT TWIST I DIDN'T SEE IT EITHER WTFFFF

And yes!!! 1000% needed more like an epilogue. I read the last line. said to myself "That better not be it I need more... it's gonna be it isn't it" turned the page and saw the acknowledgements and almost threw my kindle across the room but didn't cause you know I didn't want to break it lol. It was SUCH a good book, but an epilouge would've definitely made it better i think. (hide spoiler)]

[❀ Crystal ✿ -]

callie wrote: "❀ Crystal ✿ - wrote: "Finished [spoilers removed]"

OH MY GOD YES. I LOVED ALESSANDRA SO MUCH! I love me a good morally grey character and she really ticked all the boxes.

THE FREAKING PLOT TWIST..."

(view spoiler)[Glad u enjoyed it as well. Having an imperfect badass heroine is such a wonderful change from the regular almost boring ones in many books lol. I’m hoping the end was so open because maybe they’ll be more?!.!? Fingers crossed, either way it was too abrupt for me as well! Glad you didn’t throw your kindle, think happy thoughts lol (hide spoiler)]

[callie]

❀ Crystal ✿ - wrote: "callie wrote: "❀ Crystal ✿ - wrote: "Finished [spoilers removed]"

OH MY GOD YES. I LOVED ALESSANDRA SO MUCH! I love me a good morally grey character and she really ticked all the boxes.

THE FREA..."

I know there is going to be a companion following Alessandra's sister. I don't think Alessandra is really going to be in it, though Tricia did say that she would try to squeeze her and the king in there somewhere.....

[❀ Crystal ✿ -]

callie wrote: "❀ Crystal ✿ - wrote: "callie wrote: "❀ Crystal ✿ - wrote: "Finished [spoilers removed]"

OH MY GOD YES. I LOVED ALESSANDRA SO MUCH! I love me a good morally grey character and she really ticked al..."

I guess I’ll take whatever scraps I can but really her sister sounded like an annoying entitled pain in the ass so I’m not sure if I’m looking forward to her having her own story lol but I guess a good storyline will help!

[callie]

❀ Crystal ✿ - wrote: "callie wrote: "❀ Crystal ✿ - wrote: "callie wrote: "❀ Crystal ✿ - wrote: "Finished [spoilers removed]"

OH MY GOD YES. I LOVED ALESSANDRA SO MUCH! I love me a good morally grey character and she r..."

THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT! But I watched (part of) Tricia's live that she saved to her instagram feed talking about it and it actually sounds really good! I'll try to sum it up for you- Basically Chystanthia (is that right?) is also kinda a manipulator- she pretends to be dumb so ppl say stuff they usually wouldn't in front of her which she then uses to get what she wants. She married this old dying duke so when he dies she would inherit his estate and be rich and free.... HOWEVER when the duke dies his grandson actually inherits EVERYTHING not her, so she is pretty pissed and the grandson and her have a full on enemies to lovers romance.

Summaries aren't my strong suit, so i would recommend watching the live if you want to know more- but i'm totally on board for it and can't wait!

[❀ Crystal ✿ -]

callie wrote: "❀ Crystal ✿ - wrote: "callie wrote: "❀ Crystal ✿ - wrote: "callie wrote: "❀ Crystal ✿ - wrote: "Finished [spoilers removed]"

OH MY GOD YES. I LOVED ALESSANDRA SO MUCH! I love me a good morally gr..."

Oooh no that’s great, sounds more interesting now. She’s as sneaky as her sister sounds like, thanks for the info 😬😬

[Iris]

Chapter 1 - Chapter 6 (view spoiler)[She seems to have a solid plan as to how get the King to fall in love with her. Loved that she left her dad standing there lol. Don't like her father btw, he only seems interested in whatever money he can get from her engagement (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 7 - Chapter 12 (view spoiler)[I feel like Alessandra is going to kill Vascos, lol Her father IS annoying, my God, let your daughter plan the King's demise in peace lmao. Alessandra decided to own Myrion, man I loved reading that (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 13 - Chapter 18 (view spoiler)[I don't trust Leandros, nono. And they are starting to figure out that she killed Hektor! So Kallias is made of shadows and he controls them to his will. So Kallias is a feminist King lol (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 19 - Chapter 24 (view spoiler)[It seems that Kallias cannot trust anybody in his goddamned kingdom. He is constantly being a target of assassination and can't figure out who is behind. I wanna know how Chrysantha feels about Alessandra? Does she hate her? Does she love her? Does she pity (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 25 - Chapter 30 (view spoiler)[I KNEW IT! I knew Leandros was up to something. Ugh, Kallias's brother and he faked his death so he could get revenge? A-hole. I love Alessandra, she said f*ck this, I'm going to save the King. I hope they live happily ever after (hide spoiler)]

[Iris]

❀ Crystal ✿ - wrote: "Finished [spoilers removed]"

I know right? This book needed an epilogue

[Jenn]

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Date changed. Restarting January 4th 2023. Happy Reading ☺

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[Ryn]

I had this on my list but I didn't realize it was a Tricia Levenseller. I love her books - so happy to get to start this one today!

[Sibil]

Hi! Can I join you? :)

[Ryn]

absolutely!

[Ryn]

Chapters 1-9
Wow. I love Tricia Levenseller's writing. I would marry it, maybe. This one is especially exciting because she's writing about a straight-up bad girl. Her other heroines have been sort of riding the line at the most, but Alessandra is a villain.

I mean, seriously, the opening line: "They've never found the body of the first and only boy who broke my heart." Hooked from there and I spent the rest of the afternoon trying to figure out how to not work so I could read instead. It did not work, so I'm only a quarter way through so far, but this book is GOOD.

Very curious about the whole shadows thing. (view spoiler)[ Why is he magic? What else can he do? What else does he know? Is the no touching thing JUST legality or will it actually harm her? (hide spoiler)] And I must say, I really don't want Kallias to die...

[Ryn]

Chapters 10-15

This stretch has been a little more tedious with Kallias (view spoiler)[ busy frantically ruling all his kingdoms and Alessandra sulking. I love the story, but I don't particularly like her. Although Chapter 15 got interesting again. I do kind of wonder why Kallias is so open with her. He seems so guarded about everything and everyone, it surprises me how much he indulges her about himself, his talents, the kingdom business... (hide spoiler)] Everything, really. He's almost too perfect, which could become annoying. Still really enjoying the book though.

[Sibil]

Ryn wrote: "Chapters 1-9
."

(view spoiler)[I have read only another book by this author, and I wasn't so in love with it, but this one sounded quite intriguing, and even if I am not too far into it, I am highly enjoying it! And I want to know more about the shadows too! They are intriguing!
And I don't want Kallias to die, either!!! (hide spoiler)]

[Sibil]

chapters 1-5
(view spoiler)[The first sentence is something for sure! And the writing is pretty good, it is a real shame having to stop reading because real life is calling!!
And yes, Alessandra is a villain for sure, but you have to admire a girl with a goal! And the dog is the cutest ever!! *_*
Dog aside, there is so much beauty in there! The castle, the dresses and the shadows all sound like something I'd love to see! (hide spoiler)]

[Cinthia]

25% Ch. 1 - 9: (view spoiler)[ Alessandra sounds so cunning, I love that the story starts with this huge reveal, Alessandra tells us she has killed Hektor, for what? not loving her anymore? Anyways, we find out Alessandra is basically a second daughter and isn't allowed to marry until her older sister is betrothed, yet that hasn't stopped Alessandra from having many lovers. We also learn she has little to no respect for her father. We then meet Kallias, whom to be honest I have yet to understand, we learn he is trying to uncover who killed his parents and that no one is allowed to touch him. Also, Alessandra is planning to kill Kallias in order to keep the Kingdom, how you ask? With poison! Kallias has also declared he is courting Alessandra. (hide spoiler)]

[Cinthia]

Ryn wrote: "Chapters 1-9
Wow. I love Tricia Levenseller's writing. I would marry it, maybe. This one is especially exciting because she's writing about a straight-up bad girl. Her other heroines have been sort..."

I do love the writing, some of the quotes give me Pride and Prejudice vibes though. I also loved that first line, kinda grabs you and doesn't let you go. I am also intrigued with the whole shadows thing... what is he?

[Cinthia]

Sibil wrote: "chapters 1-5
The first sentence is something for sure! And the writing is pretty good, it is a real shame having to stop reading because real life is calling!!
And yes, Alessandra is a villain for ..."

Right? Kinda like a beauty and the beast vibe. I feel like the author went for vibes from other stories... but who is the beast really? (view spoiler)[ Alessandra sure has that pat down, evil witch maybe lol. (hide spoiler)]

[Ryn]

Sibil wrote: "chapters 1-5
Dog aside, there is so much beauty in there! The castle, the dresses and the shadows all sound like something I'd love to see!"
I've always loved her worldbuilding. Daughter of the Pirate King was so fun.

[Ryn]

Cinthia wrote: "
I do love the writing, some of the quotes give me Pride and Prejudice vibes though. I also loved that first line, kinda grabs you and doesn't let you go. I am also intrigued with the whole shadows thing... what is he?
I've never read Pride & Prejudice though I think I know the premise. I had not considered this angle. I guess it kind of does but I think Kallias has been way nicer than Mr. Darcy.

[Ryn]

Cinthia wrote: Right? Kinda like a beauty and the beast vibe."

Ooo, I hadn't thought of this at all. The setting definitely does. I guess he sort of is like the beast, but neither one of them seem truly interested in an actual relationship.

I will say that Alessandra in particular seems to speak in a very modern way. It throws me off a little. (Although I love her clothes!)

[Cinthia]

52% Ch. 10 - 16: (view spoiler)[ Things are looking tight for Alessandra, Baron of Drivas is looking for his son, Hektor, and he has a high suspicion Alessandra knows something! Cresenthya did not help Alessandras cause either by admitting Alessandra's dallying's with Hektor. I am liking that Kallias is spending a little more time with Alessandra but did he really have to have the guards killed? and who is this brown masked guy (Robin Hood) fella? I like Hestia and Rhoda and I'm glad Alessandra was able to get rid of Myron. Leandros sounds super cute but there might be something there that doesn't add up. I liked learning about why Kallias can't be touched, it is sad, how is he ever to fall in love and be happy? after 300 years like his father? And his poor brother... (hide spoiler)]

[Cinthia]

Ryn wrote: "Chapters 10-15

This stretch has been a little more tedious with Kallias [spoilers removed] Everything, really. He's almost too perfect, which could become annoying. Still really enjoying the book ..."

I did like that he shares more with her but I also agree with you, too soon? I mean those are pretty private matters and he doesn't really know much about her... (view spoiler)[ I think the whole how his family died was a lot. (hide spoiler)]

[Sibil]

Cinthia wrote: "Sibil wrote: "chapters 1-5
The first sentence is something for sure! And the writing is pretty good, it is a real shame having to stop reading because real life is calling!!
And yes, Alessandra is ..."

Yep, I agree about the beauty and the beast vibes, they are quite strong in there! And yep, Alessandra has the part cut out for her!