What do you think?
Rate this book
Shadows and Secrets Duet #1
The Shadows We Keep
She’s been infatuated for years, but it only took him one chance meeting to checkmate her obsession.
Keira
It’s not stalking if they put the information out there for public consumption… right?
I’ve wanted him for as long as I can remember, but he was never mine to have. So, I sat back and fantasized from behind a computer screen, resigned to never have the man my soul craved.
He wasn’t supposed to know about me, but one rushed morning changed everything.
Now, the entangled web of lies I’ve spun has ensnared him.
But what will he do if he ever finds out the truth?
I’d do anything to make sure that never happens.
Too bad the universe isn’t on our side.
Harkin
I ran from California to New York in a moment of pure desperation to get away from her memory. I was on a path of destruction, ready to throw in the towel to quiet the berating voices in my head.
But then a cab thief came crashing into my day and my world turned upside down.
My mind might be playing tricks on me, but I need to know her.
Possess her. Consume her.
But secrets and lies have a way of escaping from the shadows.
Revealing the hidden truths of our entangled lives.
Keira
It’s not stalking if they put the information out there for public consumption… right?
I’ve wanted him for as long as I can remember, but he was never mine to have. So, I sat back and fantasized from behind a computer screen, resigned to never have the man my soul craved.
He wasn’t supposed to know about me, but one rushed morning changed everything.
Now, the entangled web of lies I’ve spun has ensnared him.
But what will he do if he ever finds out the truth?
I’d do anything to make sure that never happens.
Too bad the universe isn’t on our side.
Harkin
I ran from California to New York in a moment of pure desperation to get away from her memory. I was on a path of destruction, ready to throw in the towel to quiet the berating voices in my head.
But then a cab thief came crashing into my day and my world turned upside down.
My mind might be playing tricks on me, but I need to know her.
Possess her. Consume her.
But secrets and lies have a way of escaping from the shadows.
Revealing the hidden truths of our entangled lives.
414 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 1, 2023
339 people are currently reading
4502 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 134 reviews
September 14, 2023
Why did I read this book knowing it’s part one of an unfinished duet with no release date in sight for the second book? Who the hell knows. I enjoyed it though.
It’s fast paced, hot and a little unhinged.
It’s a little confusing at first cause obviously there’s a lot of secrets but things slowly get revealed to you and it was done pretty well.
This is a seriously hilarious case of the stalker ended up being the stalked. It’s like a dog chasing its tail and I loved it. For me the pacing is done well, it’s fast and I didn’t find myself skimming, definitely insta-lust on both their ends but it’s a little bit of a cat and mouse dance which was fun before they finally get together.
There’s a bit of angst but it’s definitely overshadowed by the unhingedness and spice (which there’s a lot of). I’m not a fan of one of the reveals at the end I think it was added for extra extra drama that didn’t need to be there BUT I am curious about how it’ll play out in the next book.
It’s fast paced, hot and a little unhinged.
It’s a little confusing at first cause obviously there’s a lot of secrets but things slowly get revealed to you and it was done pretty well.
This is a seriously hilarious case of the stalker ended up being the stalked. It’s like a dog chasing its tail and I loved it. For me the pacing is done well, it’s fast and I didn’t find myself skimming, definitely insta-lust on both their ends but it’s a little bit of a cat and mouse dance which was fun before they finally get together.
There’s a bit of angst but it’s definitely overshadowed by the unhingedness and spice (which there’s a lot of). I’m not a fan of one of the reveals at the end I think it was added for extra extra drama that didn’t need to be there BUT I am curious about how it’ll play out in the next book.
July 10, 2024
Do you like stalker romances? What if they stalker became the stalked? YEAH. My only criticism is that I wanted to see their relationship developed a bit more than just over intimate scenes but the smut is THERE (K!nk/BDSM).
& Holy twists and turns. There were so. many. twists. I honestly had no idea what was going to happen and I was SHOCKED. I also didn't realize this was going to be a duet!!! Damn. Now I have to wait for the next one to come out. D:
& Holy twists and turns. There were so. many. twists. I honestly had no idea what was going to happen and I was SHOCKED. I also didn't realize this was going to be a duet!!! Damn. Now I have to wait for the next one to come out. D:
January 9, 2026
dnf @ 42%
i had this book on my tbr for the longest and i figured it’s finally time to give it a go.
unfortunately this didn’t serve
they stalk each other, she has trauma and gets mad at him for stalking her. bitch you were doing that to him first, now it’s suddenly not okay??
her twin sister which is his ex girlfriend died in the accident. that clarifies why he’s attracted to her but i just don’t understand what he sees in her because she’s highly insufferable. they both are
even if i was still new into dark romance i know i wouldn’t like this. NOTHING is happening being 40% in. any tension is non existent
the writing is choppy, the grammatical errors were laughable
in conclusion, you won’t catch me reading the second book in this duet fuck no
life is too freaking short for me to carry on with this. i already know i’m wasting my time and there’s no point. moving on
i had this book on my tbr for the longest and i figured it’s finally time to give it a go.
unfortunately this didn’t serve
they stalk each other, she has trauma and gets mad at him for stalking her. bitch you were doing that to him first, now it’s suddenly not okay??
her twin sister which is his ex girlfriend died in the accident. that clarifies why he’s attracted to her but i just don’t understand what he sees in her because she’s highly insufferable. they both are
even if i was still new into dark romance i know i wouldn’t like this. NOTHING is happening being 40% in. any tension is non existent
the writing is choppy, the grammatical errors were laughable
in conclusion, you won’t catch me reading the second book in this duet fuck no
life is too freaking short for me to carry on with this. i already know i’m wasting my time and there’s no point. moving on
July 8, 2023
There was so much going on and nothing seemed to flow. I really dislike the trope where the love interest sleeps with siblings, it feels incest-y to me and if I knew this would be the case I wouldn’t have picked this up.
As this is advertised as a stalker romance, I feel like more build up should have gone into the background before the relationship and the actual stalking, but there wasn’t really any tension and you didn’t really see their relationship develop. It was too much too quickly, and they were both odd tbh.
There were too many plot lines and not enough backstory, there were also a lot of typos and grammar issues which were making this more frustrating to read. I won’t be picking up the next one.
As this is advertised as a stalker romance, I feel like more build up should have gone into the background before the relationship and the actual stalking, but there wasn’t really any tension and you didn’t really see their relationship develop. It was too much too quickly, and they were both odd tbh.
There were too many plot lines and not enough backstory, there were also a lot of typos and grammar issues which were making this more frustrating to read. I won’t be picking up the next one.
not-published-yet
April 3, 2023I cannot wait to get my hands on this 👀
June 28, 2023
The Shadows We Keep was a quick and enjoyable read.
I enjoyed Harkin and Kiera and was intrigued by them. I wouldn't have minded learning a little bit more about them and seeing more development between them as a couple. At times, it felt like they just kind of became something and I just wanted a little bit more.
There were twists in the book and they were definitely interesting, but at times it almost felt like there were too many twists (especially given all at once). I definitely didn't expect some of them, but there was just kind of a lot at one point. I kind of wish instead of them all kind of being at the same time, maybe having one at the very end of the book to give you that cliffhanger element that makes you anxious for the next book.
I still enjoyed it and am definitely curious about what is going to happen in the next book.
I enjoyed Harkin and Kiera and was intrigued by them. I wouldn't have minded learning a little bit more about them and seeing more development between them as a couple. At times, it felt like they just kind of became something and I just wanted a little bit more.
There were twists in the book and they were definitely interesting, but at times it almost felt like there were too many twists (especially given all at once). I definitely didn't expect some of them, but there was just kind of a lot at one point. I kind of wish instead of them all kind of being at the same time, maybe having one at the very end of the book to give you that cliffhanger element that makes you anxious for the next book.
I still enjoyed it and am definitely curious about what is going to happen in the next book.
August 15, 2024
I desperately wanted to love this one — marketed as a dark romance where two stalkers end up stalking each other. It felt intriguing at the time and I guess they got me, cause I read every last KU page.
But there were ✨issues✨ upon issues:
Like — EDITING!!! There is absolutely no way that this book was proofread. No chance! Or, if it was, the wrong file was uploaded because there was a tense error or just a straight up typo on almost every page. It read like a rough draft.
Also — Plot holes??? A vast majority of this book made very little sense, which leads back to editing. The author mentions an alpha reader in her acknowledgements but y’all, I don’t see any evidence of that.
But there were ✨issues✨ upon issues:
Like — EDITING!!! There is absolutely no way that this book was proofread. No chance! Or, if it was, the wrong file was uploaded because there was a tense error or just a straight up typo on almost every page. It read like a rough draft.
Also — Plot holes??? A vast majority of this book made very little sense, which leads back to editing. The author mentions an alpha reader in her acknowledgements but y’all, I don’t see any evidence of that.
December 19, 2023
I wish I could rate this lower
March 28, 2024
Booktok let me down with this one
December 21, 2024
After discovering Cindy Dawson when I read “Chasing Midnight” I went all out for this author. I picked up her other books and I can’t believe I found a Dark Romance book from her.
Interesting enough I have a thing for stalker romances, it’s one of my favorite things to read in dark romance. I’m such a sucker for all of Cindy’s MMC. Harkin has to be one of my favorite stalkers I have come across. I really liked the whole stalker vs stalker, they quite literally stalk each other. There have been so many books I wished the roles were switched and Cindy did that. And I have zero shame to admit I ate this book up.
The spice was something else, dirty talking men is my weakness! But the plot, however, was filled with twists and turns that I didn’t even expect coming. It was one after another it made it hard to keep up, which I liked.
What you can expect from this book is
The nicknames
Sweating during Harkin dirty mouth
The whole “Good girl” and the whole sassy mouth from Kiera being like “Make me sir” attitude.
The female character has a backbone and it’s whinny (thank you Cindy)
The trauma healing of learning about the couples and the background
And WARNING the damn cliffhanger at the end.
Interesting enough I have a thing for stalker romances, it’s one of my favorite things to read in dark romance. I’m such a sucker for all of Cindy’s MMC. Harkin has to be one of my favorite stalkers I have come across. I really liked the whole stalker vs stalker, they quite literally stalk each other. There have been so many books I wished the roles were switched and Cindy did that. And I have zero shame to admit I ate this book up.
The spice was something else, dirty talking men is my weakness! But the plot, however, was filled with twists and turns that I didn’t even expect coming. It was one after another it made it hard to keep up, which I liked.
What you can expect from this book is
The nicknames
Sweating during Harkin dirty mouth
The whole “Good girl” and the whole sassy mouth from Kiera being like “Make me sir” attitude.
The female character has a backbone and it’s whinny (thank you Cindy)
The trauma healing of learning about the couples and the background
And WARNING the damn cliffhanger at the end.
December 19, 2023
This would be my Capital punishment, but I also need therapy after this
July 28, 2023
I was originally really into it bit I DNF'd @60% I just don't get the FMC. She cyber-stalked the hell out of this guy. Found out his personal info from an anonymous online grief site and became obsessed with him. She is aware that he's just been through something tragic with his ex and that the ex is pretty much her doppelganger but apparently that isn't weird enough for her. He moves to her town and she buy an apartment across from the building he lives in. Then after giving her obsession a break they have a chance encounter & he in return becomes obsessed with her and starts stalking her irl. She's like half excited & half put off at times and it doesn't make any sense to me. Eventually things happen and she ends up in a situation where she'll be staying at his place and she "stumbles" into his office and finds a file with her name on it- a very thorough file. And now all of the sudden she's creeped out and wants to leave. YOU LITERALLY STALKED HIM FIRST & YOU'RE OBSESSED WITH HIM. All of the sudden stalking isn't okay?? Not only that but the guy you're obsessed with is also obsessed with you and probably a little more obsessed than you are. What's the problem? You think after all that she'd be excited that it wasn't one-sided. Idk her reaction put me off it tbh.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 18, 2023
2.75 stars ⭐️
Saw this book on tiktok and liked the idea of two stalkers stalking each other and then falling in love. (Yes I know there’s something wrong with me). But unfortunately there wasn’t as much stalking as I thought there’d be. I kinda felt like the main character’s relationship was very surface level. I also thought that the FMC would have more of a back bone due to her upbringing. Also side rant this low key had like all the tropes which I didn’t love but didn’t hate. I thought the writing wasn’t too bad and there were times where I really enjoyed the story. All in all could have been worse but could have been better.
Saw this book on tiktok and liked the idea of two stalkers stalking each other and then falling in love. (Yes I know there’s something wrong with me). But unfortunately there wasn’t as much stalking as I thought there’d be. I kinda felt like the main character’s relationship was very surface level. I also thought that the FMC would have more of a back bone due to her upbringing. Also side rant this low key had like all the tropes which I didn’t love but didn’t hate. I thought the writing wasn’t too bad and there were times where I really enjoyed the story. All in all could have been worse but could have been better.
December 6, 2025
No sé ni por dónde empezar, la verdad es que no tengo mucho que comentar acerca de este libro, se sintió... regular? no sentí que hubiera mucha sustancia, el plot no fue a dónde yo pensé que iría y se sintió plano, como que hubo oportunidades de plot perdidas.
Se supone que la fmc es la stalker pero luego se conocen por accidente y el mmc termina siendo el stalker de ella después y luego la fmc ya no stalkea?? se me hizo muy meh, y luego en las "grandes" revelaciones las reacciones fueron planas sin ningúna emoción.
Hablemos de los personajes, empezando por Harkin dentro de todo me gustó su personalidad dominante y protector pero se me hizo igual muy plano y luego tenemos a Keira que es una piedra en el zapato, enserio que era tan molesta toda su personalidad era irritante, con ganas de decirle wey yaaaaa you're doing too much!! es la típica que cuando hay problemas en vez de hablarlos con su pareja sale corriendo y si no fuera por MMC ella no arreglaría las cosas, aparte que es una GRAN hipócrita, enojadose con el cuando descubre que la estuvo investigando cuando ella hizo exactamente lo mismo con el incluso desde hace muchos más años, y ella está conciente de eso y dice que no le importa y que mientras pueda ella se va a seguir haciendo la víctima, si, así tal cuál porque ella es incapaz de reconocer sus errores y hacerse responsable.
No digo que fue una perdida de tiempo, el smut estuvo más que bien pero no hubo más profundidad en la relación, y todo estuvo bastante equis, incluso el climax al final estuvo sin sustancia.
Se supone que la fmc es la stalker pero luego se conocen por accidente y el mmc termina siendo el stalker de ella después y luego la fmc ya no stalkea?? se me hizo muy meh, y luego en las "grandes" revelaciones las reacciones fueron planas sin ningúna emoción.
Hablemos de los personajes, empezando por Harkin dentro de todo me gustó su personalidad dominante y protector pero se me hizo igual muy plano y luego tenemos a Keira que es una piedra en el zapato, enserio que era tan molesta toda su personalidad era irritante, con ganas de decirle wey yaaaaa you're doing too much!! es la típica que cuando hay problemas en vez de hablarlos con su pareja sale corriendo y si no fuera por MMC ella no arreglaría las cosas, aparte que es una GRAN hipócrita, enojadose con el cuando descubre que la estuvo investigando cuando ella hizo exactamente lo mismo con el incluso desde hace muchos más años, y ella está conciente de eso y dice que no le importa y que mientras pueda ella se va a seguir haciendo la víctima, si, así tal cuál porque ella es incapaz de reconocer sus errores y hacerse responsable.
No digo que fue una perdida de tiempo, el smut estuvo más que bien pero no hubo más profundidad en la relación, y todo estuvo bastante equis, incluso el climax al final estuvo sin sustancia.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 23, 2024
CAME FOR THE SMUT; STAYED FOR THE PLOT!
FIRST OF ALL: How dare you fellow readers of Bookstagram not tell me this was part of an unfinished duet!! SECOND OF ALL: I wish I would have read this book sooner because hot damn! My jaw was on the floor throughout this entire book. Just when you think there can’t be anymore plot twists another smacks you in the face. And that smut, chef kisses. That mouth on Harkin will have you sweating. I devoured this book in one day it was so good. I’ll be adding it to my list of “books I will never shut up about”. 😂 I always thrilled to find a great spicy book with an even better plot line.
Things I loved most about this book:
🌶️the spicy scenes
😍the nicknames
🥵”that’s my good girl” meets “make me sir”
🖤the strong female character
🩶 the strong male character
🔪the stalker vs. stalker
😭the trauma healing
😱the jaw dropping twists
My rating:
⭐️10/10
🌶️8/9
FIRST OF ALL: How dare you fellow readers of Bookstagram not tell me this was part of an unfinished duet!! SECOND OF ALL: I wish I would have read this book sooner because hot damn! My jaw was on the floor throughout this entire book. Just when you think there can’t be anymore plot twists another smacks you in the face. And that smut, chef kisses. That mouth on Harkin will have you sweating. I devoured this book in one day it was so good. I’ll be adding it to my list of “books I will never shut up about”. 😂 I always thrilled to find a great spicy book with an even better plot line.
Things I loved most about this book:
🌶️the spicy scenes
😍the nicknames
🥵”that’s my good girl” meets “make me sir”
🖤the strong female character
🩶 the strong male character
🔪the stalker vs. stalker
😭the trauma healing
😱the jaw dropping twists
My rating:
⭐️10/10
🌶️8/9
July 26, 2023
THIS!
Usually a book that ends with a promise of a second book has a messy ending with a cliffhanger. Though this book does end with an unfinished story it still ended neat and tidy and without me screaming what the fuck.
I really enjoyed the song per chapter. It kind of set the mood as o wa spreading which was really fun.
Harkin is great, didn’t even mind his ‘sir’ kink.
Keira is a well formed FMC.
Both of them fit together so well and are built up so we know them without each other.
Can not wait for the second book.
Usually a book that ends with a promise of a second book has a messy ending with a cliffhanger. Though this book does end with an unfinished story it still ended neat and tidy and without me screaming what the fuck.
I really enjoyed the song per chapter. It kind of set the mood as o wa spreading which was really fun.
Harkin is great, didn’t even mind his ‘sir’ kink.
Keira is a well formed FMC.
Both of them fit together so well and are built up so we know them without each other.
Can not wait for the second book.
August 3, 2023
If you love slightly dark spicy romances, this one is for you!!
Also with a touch of mafia 😏
I suck at reviews but I enjoyed this book!!
& definitely think it’s worth a read 😍
It is a duet and the second isn’t out yet but there isn’t really a big cliff hanger. But leaves you intrigued for the next book. So I don’t think you need to wait for the duet to be finished.
Also with a touch of mafia 😏
I suck at reviews but I enjoyed this book!!
& definitely think it’s worth a read 😍
It is a duet and the second isn’t out yet but there isn’t really a big cliff hanger. But leaves you intrigued for the next book. So I don’t think you need to wait for the duet to be finished.
July 17, 2023
Two hackers obsessed with each other and that plot twist on top of the plot twist!!! We got TWO PLOT TWIST!!!! And that cliffhanger!! 😳😵💫
September 18, 2023
✨REVIEW✨
🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Y'all I have been waiting on this book since I came across @author cindydawson TikTok and she first started to put some out about this book L. I got to ARC read it and I am sooooo happy I was able to!
The Shadows We Keep is such a great story! I thought I had it all figured out and boy let me tell you, I was so wrong! She pulls you in and it's just amazing till the very end! I finished yesterday and had to get my thoughts in check because i don't want to spoil anything in here!
Harkin and Kiara are a force to be reckoned with!
They go through trials and tribulations that we see them go through! They are crazy and obsessed with each other and god help who tries to come between them.
boy/girl obsessed* hackers
touch her and d!e touch him and d!e
*r mafia
"~ J/OTT MFC & MMC
Y'all will love this so much I just know it! I can't wait till your next one Cindy k
🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Y'all I have been waiting on this book since I came across @author cindydawson TikTok and she first started to put some out about this book L. I got to ARC read it and I am sooooo happy I was able to!
The Shadows We Keep is such a great story! I thought I had it all figured out and boy let me tell you, I was so wrong! She pulls you in and it's just amazing till the very end! I finished yesterday and had to get my thoughts in check because i don't want to spoil anything in here!
Harkin and Kiara are a force to be reckoned with!
They go through trials and tribulations that we see them go through! They are crazy and obsessed with each other and god help who tries to come between them.
boy/girl obsessed* hackers
touch her and d!e touch him and d!e
*r mafia
"~ J/OTT MFC & MMC
Y'all will love this so much I just know it! I can't wait till your next one Cindy k
August 22, 2023
Copy: Kindle (ARC)
Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5/5
Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
Series: Shadows and Secrets Duet (Book 1)
POV: Dual (Keira Fitzpatrick (23) x Harkin Greyson)
Genre: Stalker Romance
Tags: Airport Employee x Freelancer, Nose Ring, Coding, Phone Tab, "My Little Dark One", Doppelganger (Twin Sister's Ex), Exhibitionism, Voyeurism, Throwing Knifes, Knife Play, "Little One", "Sweetness", "Kneel", Mafia, BDSM, Sex Club, Spanking, "Who did this to you?",
TW: Stalking, Cheating (not MCs), Death, Grief, Drugs (mentioned), Alcohol Abuse (mentioned), Self-Harm, Sexual Abusive, Pedophilia, Trauma, SA, Attempted Rape,
I was in a slump when I read this ARC. So I talked to Cindy and told her it would take me a while to finish it. And because she's an amazing friend, she said "of course hun. Take your time." Man I love her for that. ♥️
Yes this book isn't perfect. But Cindy knows how to write intriguing characters and a plot that just keeps giving. Some actions I didn't agree with, but honestly that just made the characters more interesting. It isn't your normal dark romance. It's a stalker romance where you'll hate the main characters. You'll yell at them for being stupid, but then you'll realise they did it for a reason. You'll keep thinking "what the fuck is going on", and Cindy will answer your questions, but at the same time create a new one. It's freaking irritating. But kinda cool. 😅
Tagline:
Two stalkers stalking each other, getting stalked by another stalker.
That's kinda the essence of this book. 🙌😅
Also:
From Stalker romance to Mafia romance in just a few twists.
I loved it. And will always recommend a book by Cindy Dawson, because she is an amazing author slash human (B99 reference - IYKYK). ♥️
Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5/5
Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
Series: Shadows and Secrets Duet (Book 1)
POV: Dual (Keira Fitzpatrick (23) x Harkin Greyson)
Genre: Stalker Romance
Tags: Airport Employee x Freelancer, Nose Ring, Coding, Phone Tab, "My Little Dark One", Doppelganger (Twin Sister's Ex), Exhibitionism, Voyeurism, Throwing Knifes, Knife Play, "Little One", "Sweetness", "Kneel", Mafia, BDSM, Sex Club, Spanking, "Who did this to you?",
TW: Stalking, Cheating (not MCs), Death, Grief, Drugs (mentioned), Alcohol Abuse (mentioned), Self-Harm, Sexual Abusive, Pedophilia, Trauma, SA, Attempted Rape,
I was in a slump when I read this ARC. So I talked to Cindy and told her it would take me a while to finish it. And because she's an amazing friend, she said "of course hun. Take your time." Man I love her for that. ♥️
Yes this book isn't perfect. But Cindy knows how to write intriguing characters and a plot that just keeps giving. Some actions I didn't agree with, but honestly that just made the characters more interesting. It isn't your normal dark romance. It's a stalker romance where you'll hate the main characters. You'll yell at them for being stupid, but then you'll realise they did it for a reason. You'll keep thinking "what the fuck is going on", and Cindy will answer your questions, but at the same time create a new one. It's freaking irritating. But kinda cool. 😅
Tagline:
Two stalkers stalking each other, getting stalked by another stalker.
That's kinda the essence of this book. 🙌😅
Also:
From Stalker romance to Mafia romance in just a few twists.
I loved it. And will always recommend a book by Cindy Dawson, because she is an amazing author slash human (B99 reference - IYKYK). ♥️
October 26, 2024
DNF’ed at 44%
Booktok made me believe this was going to be a dark, intense, edgy, spicy book, and it was absolutely none of those things. I didn’t think it was possible to have such a twist on the stalker trope be so boring and lackluster. It was a chore to get as far into the book as I did.
One thing that really killed my desire to finish the book was the unrealistic manner in which the characters spoke. I fully appreciate that in these kinds of books we’re suspending reality, but the scene in particular where Keira is sharing a traumatic memory just bizarre. The author is trying to establish the scene as Keira remembers it, but it was written like an author describing a scene chock full of adjectives, and not a character speaking in a natural, conversational manner. I once had an English teacher recommend reading the dialogue we wrote out loud to ensure tone and proper sentence flow, and good lord, that would have benefited the author to do so here.
Finally, there were quite a few typos that could have been addressed prior to publishing with a quick runthrough on Grammarly or heck, even Microsoft Word (the author misnaming Machine Gun Kelly as ‘Machine Girl Kelly’ made me cringe). At times I felt like I had somehow stumbled into Beta Reading this book unawares, and again, I didn’t even make it halfway through the book. I can’t imagine what the remaining half of the book contained, but I can’t be bothered to attempt carrying on.
Booktok made me believe this was going to be a dark, intense, edgy, spicy book, and it was absolutely none of those things. I didn’t think it was possible to have such a twist on the stalker trope be so boring and lackluster. It was a chore to get as far into the book as I did.
One thing that really killed my desire to finish the book was the unrealistic manner in which the characters spoke. I fully appreciate that in these kinds of books we’re suspending reality, but the scene in particular where Keira is sharing a traumatic memory just bizarre. The author is trying to establish the scene as Keira remembers it, but it was written like an author describing a scene chock full of adjectives, and not a character speaking in a natural, conversational manner. I once had an English teacher recommend reading the dialogue we wrote out loud to ensure tone and proper sentence flow, and good lord, that would have benefited the author to do so here.
Finally, there were quite a few typos that could have been addressed prior to publishing with a quick runthrough on Grammarly or heck, even Microsoft Word (the author misnaming Machine Gun Kelly as ‘Machine Girl Kelly’ made me cringe). At times I felt like I had somehow stumbled into Beta Reading this book unawares, and again, I didn’t even make it halfway through the book. I can’t imagine what the remaining half of the book contained, but I can’t be bothered to attempt carrying on.
October 3, 2023
It is good for what it is! Very fast paced...almost too fast paced for any real depth imo. It was a whirlwind, in an amusing but confusing way. Kiera felt, to me, like an unreliable narrarator in the sense that new information just popped up out of the blue constantly, big huge character building things that had not a lot of preamble. There were so many things done right in this book! But so many plot twists and turns that it got kind of boring...lost its shock value. Anyway. I have more i could say but ill end with this: its a really decent dark romance! It was entertaining for sure. This author has amazing potential imo.
June 30, 2023
The Shadows We Keep is Cindy's first dive in dark romance and is part of a duology. It's a great start for dark romance newbies who want the dark elements, but don't want to be drowned in it. I was hooked to their story from page one. Both FMC and MMC have stalker elements and as the book picks up you can't stop cause you just have to know what's going on. The ending has me clinging to needing the next book. I won't lie I was a little angry that it ended, but I mean that in the best way possible! That's how invested I had become by the end!
July 2, 2023
There was too much going on for me.
She stalks him
He stalks her
She gets mad at him for stalking her knowing she’s just as bad
BDSM/Sex club
Mafia
Computer hacker
MMC/FMC kill w/o blinking
Fuck ton of drinking (like your girl needs AA)
Found family
Kidnapping
Fake death
Cliffhanger
That’s like 4 plots in 1 book so I had a hard time getting into it.
She stalks him
He stalks her
She gets mad at him for stalking her knowing she’s just as bad
BDSM/Sex club
Mafia
Computer hacker
MMC/FMC kill w/o blinking
Fuck ton of drinking (like your girl needs AA)
Found family
Kidnapping
Fake death
Cliffhanger
That’s like 4 plots in 1 book so I had a hard time getting into it.
January 9, 2025
2nd read through because book 2 was finally released!!!!
Wow this was such a damn good book!
Harkin... yes, sir. 😉
In other news.... IF I WOULD HAVE KNOWN THIS WAS BOOK ONE IN A DUET I WOULDN'T HAVE READ IT YET!!!!!!! Now I have to freaking wait for the second one for who knows how long?! This is abuse!!!!
Wow this was such a damn good book!
Harkin... yes, sir. 😉
In other news.... IF I WOULD HAVE KNOWN THIS WAS BOOK ONE IN A DUET I WOULDN'T HAVE READ IT YET!!!!!!! Now I have to freaking wait for the second one for who knows how long?! This is abuse!!!!
December 17, 2023
Dear god, this book made no sense. As much as I love a walking red flag of a fictional man, this book was so far fetched - and littered with spelling and grammatical errors - only my reading challenge could motivate me to finish.
August 9, 2024
Read this if you want to read about a stalker who becomes the one being stalked, packed with steamy/k!nky scenes, a tatted hacker MC, a list of tropes longer than a CVS receipt, but also lacking any emotional depth to it’s characters.
Keira’s obsession starts after searching for her twin sister who used to date Harkin. She does everything in her power to stay up to date on his whereabouts and moves across the street from him to make this easier on her stalking ventures, that is, until she stumbles into him on her way to work one morning that lands her right in Harkin’s radar.
Harkin is this tatted up, IT tech bro—but more mysterious—with a strong desire to constantly use pet names in every other sentence when addressing Keira. His whole privileged life changes when he loses the love of his life in a fatal accident and moves away from it all to cope with this loss until he comes face-to-face with someone with an uncanny resemblance to his deceased girlfriend.
This all sounds good and promising, and it had all the potential to be greater but the writing just lacked the ethos needed to become invested in their chemistry or story itself. There were other elements to the writing that were a bit too repetitive and took away from the flow of the story as well as becoming an overall distraction (pet names for example). Don’t even get me started on the climax moment of the book, the amount of “discoveries” made was a bit much and muddled the overall story as well. Will not be continuing.
June 23, 2023
What a whirlwind this book is, it kept me on my toes the entire time. But let's just start at the beginning, check trigger warnings before reading. Know that this is a dark romance and it gets darker towards the end.
Keira is obsessed with Harkin, she will do whatever it takes, it first started with stalking his socials to moving in an apartment accross the street from him. Until one day they have to share a cab and both their lives change. They can't seem to stay away from eachother, the tension between them is undeniable. But will their secrets and past lives catch up with them and destroy their relationship and futures.
Okay first book with mutual stalking and i was so here for it. The way they're so completely obsessed with eachother YESSS!! They will do anything for eachother, no matter the cost, but the book isn't only about them being obsessed it's about them having traumatic pasts and being able to overcome them by trusting eachother, being patient and figuring out a way past all of that. It had some twists that i didn't see coming, that made me gasp and giggle and absolutely fall in love with the book. I loved everything and Cindy wrote it so that you feel so connected to the book, you can relate in a way and just fall in love with them. The spice and dirty talking was everything i never knew i needed. Very excited to read the next one!
I am very gratetul to have received this Arc in return for my honest review.
Keira is obsessed with Harkin, she will do whatever it takes, it first started with stalking his socials to moving in an apartment accross the street from him. Until one day they have to share a cab and both their lives change. They can't seem to stay away from eachother, the tension between them is undeniable. But will their secrets and past lives catch up with them and destroy their relationship and futures.
Okay first book with mutual stalking and i was so here for it. The way they're so completely obsessed with eachother YESSS!! They will do anything for eachother, no matter the cost, but the book isn't only about them being obsessed it's about them having traumatic pasts and being able to overcome them by trusting eachother, being patient and figuring out a way past all of that. It had some twists that i didn't see coming, that made me gasp and giggle and absolutely fall in love with the book. I loved everything and Cindy wrote it so that you feel so connected to the book, you can relate in a way and just fall in love with them. The spice and dirty talking was everything i never knew i needed. Very excited to read the next one!
I am very gratetul to have received this Arc in return for my honest review.
July 2, 2023
Interesting
I like the idea of the stalker getting stalked. 😂 Admittedly, I saw some of the twists coming, but this was till a pretty decent read.
Keira is obsessed with Harkin and is cyberstalking him. She finds out he’s in NY and conveniently finds an apartment right across the street from his condo. She goes about living her life while watching him until one day they randomly bump into each other.
She’s not a very good stalker 😂
Harkin quickly become just as obsessed with her when he notices she reminds him of someone. He follows her and leaves her notes. He does a deep dive into her background and makes a fake giveaway for her to have car service. All eventually culminating with her moving in with him.
There were parts in the story where Harkin’s obsession seemed like it was going to take a deeper turn, but, really, he’s kind of a cinnamon roll.
I really like how we come to find out just how much of a badass Keira is. She’s been through some rally tough stuff, but she’s just used it as a way to grow instead of crumble.
This is the first 1/2 of a duet and does end on a sort of cliff hanger, but it’s not bad one. I’d imagine the second book is going to give us answers to some of the twists and solidify Keira and Harkin’s relationship even more.
I like the idea of the stalker getting stalked. 😂 Admittedly, I saw some of the twists coming, but this was till a pretty decent read.
Keira is obsessed with Harkin and is cyberstalking him. She finds out he’s in NY and conveniently finds an apartment right across the street from his condo. She goes about living her life while watching him until one day they randomly bump into each other.
She’s not a very good stalker 😂
Harkin quickly become just as obsessed with her when he notices she reminds him of someone. He follows her and leaves her notes. He does a deep dive into her background and makes a fake giveaway for her to have car service. All eventually culminating with her moving in with him.
There were parts in the story where Harkin’s obsession seemed like it was going to take a deeper turn, but, really, he’s kind of a cinnamon roll.
I really like how we come to find out just how much of a badass Keira is. She’s been through some rally tough stuff, but she’s just used it as a way to grow instead of crumble.
This is the first 1/2 of a duet and does end on a sort of cliff hanger, but it’s not bad one. I’d imagine the second book is going to give us answers to some of the twists and solidify Keira and Harkin’s relationship even more.
July 1, 2023
Mutual stalking? Yes per 👏🏻 lease 👏🏻 I loved that both were completely and utterly obsessed with each other. Harkin's obsession fuels his possessiveness of Kiera and I ate it up. The stalking trope always gets me intrigued and in this case, I loved it but I do also wish it was a little longer. I would have liked to see more stalking on Kiera's part before we moved onto them meeting and whatnot.
The relationship between the two is riddled with secrets and both are dealing with trauma but these two broken souls just work together. It's messy, it's angry and it's so very sexy. Harkin gives touch-her-and-die as well as I-hate-everyone-but-her and those two together are *chefs kiss*. Kiera is badass and strong, which is mostly a result of having to look after herself from such a young age, and I loved seeing that fight in her.
The twisty twists had me shook. I was mouth agape. I had to put my kindle down and take a hot sec. It was all kicking off from about 85% onwards and I was getting whiplash from all the drama. Once we get to the end, it did feel a little rushed and some things that were quite major felt a little too quickly explained away but I'm hoping these are revisited in the second book?
I'm deep into Harkin and Kiera's story, their relationship and what this all means for them and can't wait for book two 🙌🏻
The relationship between the two is riddled with secrets and both are dealing with trauma but these two broken souls just work together. It's messy, it's angry and it's so very sexy. Harkin gives touch-her-and-die as well as I-hate-everyone-but-her and those two together are *chefs kiss*. Kiera is badass and strong, which is mostly a result of having to look after herself from such a young age, and I loved seeing that fight in her.
The twisty twists had me shook. I was mouth agape. I had to put my kindle down and take a hot sec. It was all kicking off from about 85% onwards and I was getting whiplash from all the drama. Once we get to the end, it did feel a little rushed and some things that were quite major felt a little too quickly explained away but I'm hoping these are revisited in the second book?
I'm deep into Harkin and Kiera's story, their relationship and what this all means for them and can't wait for book two 🙌🏻
Displaying 1 - 30 of 134 reviews