Razor's Edge

Shadow Stalkers #1

by Sylvia Day

From Sylvia Day, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Crossfire novels, comes Razor’s Edge, a novella of the Shadow Stalkers—where hearts are laid bare, where desire is a risk, and where love is born from the most intimate secrets…

It wasn’t her fault he was strung out from wanting her…

It was a cool night in Carmel but for Deputy US Marshal Jack Killigrew, thoughts of Rachel were generating a lot of heat and sweat. But having her could never be more than a fantasy. She was his best friend’s widow. He promised to look after her should anything happen. And there’s no way Jack could betray the memory of his buddy by making moves on the guy’s wife—no matter how long he’s desired her.

Rachel’s marriage had been perfect. So had her husband. But fate had a different plan. Now Rachel’s a single mother, resilient and independent. It’s time for her to move on and let a new man into her life. Jack’s been there for her in the past but now she needs him in a different way. All Rachel has to do in convince him that it’s right, that it’s the best thing for both of them, and that it’s about time…

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Erotica, Romantic Suspense, Contemporary, Novella, Fiction

ebook

First published April 23, 2011

About the author

Acclaimed for her signature emotionally charged storytelling and the psychological complexity of her characters, Sylvia Day is a number one bestselling author in twenty-nine countries, with translations in forty-one languages and over twenty million copies of her books in print. Day is the #1 New York Times, #1 USA Today, #1 Sunday Times, #1 Globe and Mail, #1 Der Spiegel, and #1 international bestselling author of over twenty award-winning novels, including six Sunday Times, ten New York Times and thirteen USA Today bestsellers. Visit the author at sylviaday.com

Reviews

[Jacqueline]

good but where’s the rest of it?

I thought I’d downloaded a sample instead of a full book here, but nope, this is the whole thing it’s just a dinky length short story. A shame as the heat and the characters were compelling but there were a couple of scenes that barely scratched the surface then it was all over.

[☾ Dαɴιyα ☽]

A few years back when I was rediscovering the magic of reading interesting, entertaining books, and before I found the many authors I now love reading the most, I admit to have fallen under the Gideon Cross spell. At the time only two Crossfire novels were out, and remember a lot of my favorite authors were still unknown to me, so I decided to read other books by Sylvia Day. I went through the majority of them, I believe, but of the Shadow Stalkers I only read the longest one On Fire. All the others were much shorter, and they were all available only as parts of anthologies, so I skipped those. Now that they are available separately, and with me feeling nostalgic, I figured it was time to back to these stories and their jummy stalkers.

Jack Killigrew is a SOG deputy marshal--a Shadow Stalker--who regularly fights criminals, but not in Razor's Edge. No, here he was fighting his feelings. It's a short story--focus has to be on the priorities, and in this case it was the matters of the heart. For years he'd been in love with his best friend's wife, and for years he'd been able to keep those feelings under control, but that had become more difficult in the past couple years. Ever since his best friend died, that is. Even though Steve asked him to look after his family if anything happened to him, Jack felt it would be wrong going after her on many levels. Little did he know in the period he'd been avoiding her, Rachel had become a completely different woman who was determined to have him.

The woman she was today was more than capable of tackling a challenge like Jack Killigrew. And by God, she intended to.

Poor man never stood a chance. The intense emotional and physical relationship, that I've come to expect for Sylvia Day's novels a long, long time ago, was present here, too, just on fewer pages, but it was still good. There may have been a few things said I wasn't exactly a fan of, but the hotness cannot be denied, and I wouldn't dream of it. The men these heroines meet always make me want to say: I'll have what she's having, and this was no exception.

All in all, a very enjoyable short read.


***This review is also posted on Way Too Hot Books blog.***

[atomickitten]

3.5 stars

That was cute and steamy but way too short.

And this is the type of story that deserves time and length so we could feel the sparks and the longing the 'I loved you from afar' trope needs so badly.

So we could feel the build-up, the emotions, the anticipation for what will happen next.
And this is the only thing you don't get in a novelette.

But srsly, as a full length?
I'd inhale it in one go and 5-star it later on.
Hands down.
Pity it was so short.
But I liked it anyway.

[Tammy Kesteloot]

Sylvia Day does not disappoint!

[Jenni]

I fell in love instantly.
After reading it again I realised how much I loved the characters and the overall story once again. Sylvia is a master at creating the right amount of tension, angst and more making it seem more like being in the moment than a story. She has cleverly woven a tale that you are more than invested in the outcome and want to keep reading because you need to know what is happening with the wonderful characters.

[Crazy4more]

1.5 stars

Too short to have a plot going...

[Alyssa Nicole]

I actually think I would've enjoyed this alot more if it was longer. I just clicked a random audiobook from libby and this is what I got lol.

[Dorothea Müller]

US Marshall Jack Killigrew hat sein Herz schon vor langer Zeit an Rachel Tse verloren. Doch seine Sehnsüchte können niemals Wirklichkeit werden, denn Rachel ist die Witwe seines besten Freundes und für Jack somit absolut tabu. Doch er ahnt nicht, dass Rachel den Entschluss gefasst hat, ein neues Kapitel in ihrem Leben zu beginnen … und dass sie sich ebenso sehr nach ihm sehnt wie er nach ihr.

Eine wunderschöne, romantisch Liebesgeschichte die einen zum Träumen einlädt. Natürlich ist sie, wie immer bei Kurzgeschichte, viel zu kurz und hätte viel länger sein können.

Es gibt ein Sammelband in nicht nur die Kurzgeschichte enthalten ist zwei weitere - Heißes Begehren, Gefährlich heiß

[JIMNESHA Smith]

For a novella this series was awesome and still felt like full length stories and also nicely paced. It took long for 'So Close' series to come out so I wanted to give some of her other books a try. I really am in love with her writing style and just have to say that without being weak/ delicate or rushed, I could still feel true love.

[Sarah]

Short, sweet, well-written? I'll take it!!! This story made me wish for more.

[JoAnn Johnson]

Great story

I like how Jack to care to make her feel loved. She was his equal. They have work to do but can make it happen,

[Delores]

Fast read

Great short story with enough steam to make you melt.
SD has a talent of writing books we love. This one might be short but it hits all the spots!

[Magdalena Wawrzyniak]

Sylvia Day’s *Razor’s Edge* is a compelling mix of romance, suspense, and eroticism, delivering the kind of intense, fast-paced narrative her readers have come to expect. The novella, which is part of the "Shadow Stalkers" series, follows the tumultuous relationship between U.S. Marshal Jack Killigrew and Rachel.

One of the most striking aspects of *Razor’s Edge* is the undeniable chemistry between Jack and Rachel. Day excels at creating tension-filled, steamy encounters that leap off the page. Their dynamic is electrifying, with their shared history adding layers of depth to their interactions. The push-and-pull between them is both passionate and tender, reflecting the complexity of their emotions and past experiences.

However, as a novella, *Razor’s Edge* faces some limitations. The shorter length means that certain plot elements and character developments are not as fully fleshed out as they could be in a full-length novel. Readers might find themselves wanting more backstory or deeper exploration of the characters' motivations. Despite this, Day manages to create a satisfying and complete story within the constraints of the format.

Overall, *Razor’s Edge* is a thrilling read for fans of romantic suspense and erotica. Sylvia Day’s writing is, as always, engaging and emotionally charged, making this novella a worthwhile addition to her body

[Hooked On Romance]

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (3.5 stars)

I didn’t realize this was a novella going in, and I’m usually not into short stories unless they’re part of a series I’m already invested in. 😅

That said, the premise was really interesting. A super sexy U.S. Marshal 😍 who’s secretly held a torch for his best friend’s wife for years but never crossed the line because he’s a stand-up guy. Then his best friend dies and, years later, he’s left to look after Rachel... just like he promised. ❤️‍🔥

I think I would’ve enjoyed this one more if it were a full-length book, or if the relationship had been driven more by Jack. He’s been pining for her forever, but all the moves came from Rachel. I would’ve loved to see him go a little more alpha and claim his woman. 💪🔥

Still, it’s a solid short read: quick, steamy, and perfect if you’re in the mood for something light and sexy. 📚✨

[Amit]

Actually I like this one. It got more maturity in that (erotic) manner (No offense of course). The way the story developed it was really good read to. Where Rachel a women with a son have lost her Husband in accident and from then she by herself moved on all but Alone. For a character it courageous no doubt. And then the name Jack. The U.S. Marshall. Who is devoted into his work more than anything. I do like their chemistry that slowly unfolded in the shortest time. Though Rachel did take time before go into him and surrender herself completely. Anyway I think I might get interested about reading the Shadow Stalkers. Well let see what happen. Only Time can say of course...

Thanks to Sylvia Day...

[Víctoria]

These are very short and pretty quickly smutty. There's enough outside story to keep you going if you want more than just smut. I think I like them so much because they're ridiculously short. So if you're stuck in a reading slump or in a huge series that exhausts you, these are pretty quick breaks. They help me shake off a book because typically I read them in a day. The books typically end abruptly on a happily ever after vibe. And that's relatively annoying. But not unbearable. It's a cute thing to believe these characters will make it through the tough odds.
Wasn't a fan of the audio book version, but again, it's not a 15 book, 15 hour each, series with the same narrator.

[Rosa Mickens]

This is a book of introduction.

This is a romantic and action based book.
This book introduces the characters and how they are entertwined with one another,which also gives us a glimpse of what is to come in the future books.
Although this book isn't action packed with bullets and violence it is action packed and very descriptive in the love scenes.
On the the next book, which I believe will have much more intense action!

[Jess Conn]

I listened to the audio version of this book. I am not quite sure if there’s an actual physical copy or not. It was a good quick read. I wish it dived a little bit more into the characters. I’m hoping that the next book in the series will do that. But it was a fast and kind of cute way to start the storyline of a romance novel series with the main characters already knowing each other having chemistry and bonding over trauma.

[Leigh]

Picked this one at random - since I don't read the book descriptions before reading I figured (based on the sub title only "Shadow Stalkers") that this would be a creepy murder mystery. Oops! Surprised to discover it is a very sexually graphic romance novella! Steamy! Read this in one sitting so I may as well check out the next one in her Razor's Edge series! Or maybe I'll just try her "Men Out of Uniform" series next!

[Kris]

Again, an author that is talked about all the time in my Facebook book group for fun, spicy reads. This one is short, and pretty well-written, but I just can't get into the whole "Shadow Stalkers" thing. I'm just not about a U.S. Marshall/police officer/FBI agent/whatever whiteboy hero complex job as protagonist.

[Jennifer Moore]

Title: Razor’s Edge
Author: Sylvia Day
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Jack has been looking out for his best friend’s widow for a couple years while fighting his own feelings for her. When he arrives I. Town for his godson’s birthday, she makes sure he knows she has the same feelings he’s been fighting. Novella of Shadow Stalkers book 1

#bookstagram #razorsedge #shadowstalkers @sylvia_day

[Jess Garcia]

I’m not sure what I was expecting with this book but it was strange from beginning to end. The characters were random and the fact that Rachel wanted to be with her dead husbands best friend was strange to me.

It was a very quick read but i questioned the whole story.

[pinky]

wth is this book lol

[Debbie Loader]

Too short!! Grrr this is part 1 of 3 - but I am a sucker for a HEA so onwards it is

[Lynn Beaudoin]

Great start to a series

What a start to a series. I started it and before I knew it i was at the end. I can wait to get to the next part.

[Amee]

Whoo! Hot hot hot!!!
Would have liked it to be longer, but this is a good short read.

[Suzanne Wolstenholme]

Short & sweet

[Janet]

3+ stars

[Sara R]

Mini novels by Sylvia Day - a really competent writer. Really fast, contemporary and delectable reading.
The audio by Valerie Rogers was an unexpected bonus.

[Robyn Martin]

Kindle