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Shadow Town
By day, nineteen-year-old Maggie Lane is property manager of Pearl Estates, a posh housing community owned by her father and occupied by Shadows. By night, she's a waitress at a local dive. When a girl at her night job disappears, she dives into Scooby mode. She might be able to handle a missing waitress on her own, but when a new Shadow moves in next door and turns her into a blushing, flirting, love-crazed girl, her need for answers unearths nightmares from her past and monsters of the here and now. It's possible her bad attitude might not be enough to carry her through.
New Adult paranormal romance Shadow Town is the first novel in the Maggie Lane Chronicles.
New Adult paranormal romance Shadow Town is the first novel in the Maggie Lane Chronicles.
- GenresParanormalRomance
275 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 14
29 people want to read
About the author
Robyn Jones
5 books106 followersI'm the mom of two hardcore boys. My oldest trained me to be matter-of-fact, no frills. My youngest wants the whole singsongy sweet package. Thank goodness for reading and writing because they are my sanity makers. I know life is all about the journey, that's why I like my fiction to be all about the destination. I want to be taken somewhere not here when I read, same goes with the stories I create. Thrills, chills, tears, and laughter, but there has to be something to hold on to at the end.
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February 5, 2014I'm a Maggie fan, can't help it.
February 28, 2014
Loved it!!
I one-clicked Shadow Town the day it released because Robyn Jones...she knows how to write a story. She creates these vivid worlds - and I don't mean fantasy worlds - but the colorful every day world that you become fully immersed in. She imparts creative stories with new spins within the paranormal genre. She creates charismatic and quirky characters. And her words...oh, I love how she draws images with her words.
Maggie Lane is one tough chick. She's brave and fierce, and, as she's discovering, loving. Maggie had a sh!t life - truly. She's been beaten down, literally, both physically and psychologically. And she's still fighting - both for herself and any others she feels have been wronged or need protecting. Maggie sees herself as scary and mean but she's really quite sweet. She thinks her super power is seeing the Shadows - something she's been able to do for as long as she can remember. Once she finds out what this really means and secrets start being revealed, she learns she has a much greater super power.
She does manage to get herself into situations she can trouble getting out of. Luckily, she's managed to surround herself, recently, with enough good people who do what they can to protect her and save her (try to) from all the bad.
Shadow Town has quite the quirky cast of characters. There are evil parents and neighbors, jerky bartenders, a sweet little old grandma, dorky teenagers, the Shadows, whom she's always steered clear of, creepy bosses, and HOT best friends and boyfriends. Oh, and an adorable couple that Maggie works her matchmaking magic on, along with a little boy who finds Maggie is just what he needs.
Shadow Town is exciting and entertaining. We get to follow along as Maggie goes about solving mysteries and learns more about herself and the Shadows she's been living with. It's a lot of fun and terrifying at the same time. Yes, really. It was enjoyable watching Maggie make friends and fall in love, two things she's rather unfamiliar with. However, some of the predicaments she found herself in - well, I don't know if I could have been as brave or resourceful as she was.
Now, let's talk about my new book boyfriends - yes, plural. ;) There's Branden, Michael, and Damon. So as not give anything away, I'm going to describe them but not give the matching name. One is the best friend a girl could ever ask for. He's kind and brutally honest - yes, those can co-exist. Another appears one night with all his charm and sexy voice. He does his level best to woo her. And then there the last of the trio who is so sweet and possessive and caring and STUNNED when Maggie chooses him. They all are protective, loyal, and just love Maggie to pieces. But she only has eyes for one of these HOT boys!
My only issue with Shadow Town was that it was a bit slow out of the gate for me. I really wanted to understand the Shadows and that information was slow in coming. Of course, that was all part of Ms. Jones' master plan. I loved the little twist on the paranormal that was revealed. And I think you will, too.
Shadow Town was inventive and a lot of fun. It was a great introduction into Maggie Lane's world and I not above begging to get the next installment as soon as humanly possible!
I one-clicked Shadow Town the day it released because Robyn Jones...she knows how to write a story. She creates these vivid worlds - and I don't mean fantasy worlds - but the colorful every day world that you become fully immersed in. She imparts creative stories with new spins within the paranormal genre. She creates charismatic and quirky characters. And her words...oh, I love how she draws images with her words.
Maggie Lane is one tough chick. She's brave and fierce, and, as she's discovering, loving. Maggie had a sh!t life - truly. She's been beaten down, literally, both physically and psychologically. And she's still fighting - both for herself and any others she feels have been wronged or need protecting. Maggie sees herself as scary and mean but she's really quite sweet. She thinks her super power is seeing the Shadows - something she's been able to do for as long as she can remember. Once she finds out what this really means and secrets start being revealed, she learns she has a much greater super power.
She does manage to get herself into situations she can trouble getting out of. Luckily, she's managed to surround herself, recently, with enough good people who do what they can to protect her and save her (try to) from all the bad.
Shadow Town has quite the quirky cast of characters. There are evil parents and neighbors, jerky bartenders, a sweet little old grandma, dorky teenagers, the Shadows, whom she's always steered clear of, creepy bosses, and HOT best friends and boyfriends. Oh, and an adorable couple that Maggie works her matchmaking magic on, along with a little boy who finds Maggie is just what he needs.
Shadow Town is exciting and entertaining. We get to follow along as Maggie goes about solving mysteries and learns more about herself and the Shadows she's been living with. It's a lot of fun and terrifying at the same time. Yes, really. It was enjoyable watching Maggie make friends and fall in love, two things she's rather unfamiliar with. However, some of the predicaments she found herself in - well, I don't know if I could have been as brave or resourceful as she was.
Now, let's talk about my new book boyfriends - yes, plural. ;) There's Branden, Michael, and Damon. So as not give anything away, I'm going to describe them but not give the matching name. One is the best friend a girl could ever ask for. He's kind and brutally honest - yes, those can co-exist. Another appears one night with all his charm and sexy voice. He does his level best to woo her. And then there the last of the trio who is so sweet and possessive and caring and STUNNED when Maggie chooses him. They all are protective, loyal, and just love Maggie to pieces. But she only has eyes for one of these HOT boys!
My only issue with Shadow Town was that it was a bit slow out of the gate for me. I really wanted to understand the Shadows and that information was slow in coming. Of course, that was all part of Ms. Jones' master plan. I loved the little twist on the paranormal that was revealed. And I think you will, too.
Shadow Town was inventive and a lot of fun. It was a great introduction into Maggie Lane's world and I not above begging to get the next installment as soon as humanly possible!
March 12, 2014
****The author provided me with a copy of this book for my honest review****
Maggie is your typical nineteen year old girl, she manages the uber exclusive Pearl Estates that's owned by her alcoholic, abusive father and filled with people that she refers to as Shadows. There are a few regular humans who live in the community that she helps out financially by working in a skeevy bar because she refuses to touch her inheritance. Her life is turned upside down when a new Shadow moves in, then a waitress/friend goes missing, secrets from every ones past come out along with lies that change everything. What are the Shadows? Who took the waitress and why? Can Maggie figure all this out, deal with a new relationship and find the strength to get over the demons of her past? I absolutely loved this book, from the first pages I was hooked with Maggie's sassy sarcastic I don't give a crap exterior that hides this scarred girl with a protective streak a mile wide and a penchant for helping children. Maggie is different from the typical new adult/young adult heroine while yes most of the men in the story do lust/want her there is an actual reason for it, yes she is a beautiful girl with a good body, but she also has this great personality and is a fighter to the core. There are a lot of male characters in this story each one of them has a different and distinct personality that adds a little something to the story. My favorite ones were Damon and Branden, the love interest, and the best friend they were understanding of all Maggies quirks and just let her be whom she needed to be while at the same time offering her the support she did not know she needed. There is such a wide cast of characters in this book that I could on for a long time about each and every one of them; there are evil people, misguided people, crazy people, creepy bartenders, lots of Shadows, hot cops, teenagers and a sweet yet feisty grandma lady, plus more people each of them touched in someway by Maggie. I enjoyed getting to know all the different characters in this book, I loved how the author wrote them to have such stand out personalities that even as the story progressed you weren't confused, there could be a scene with half the characters in the room and I would not have to stop when one of them would speak and think "who is that again?" The beginning of the book was a bit slow because of the world building and then later on it slowed down again, I actually liked it this way because as I said before I liked the characters so for me it was nice to get to know them and then later on to see them be normal, well normal for them. My only problem with this book was the ending there was a cliffhanger, Ugh how I loathe the time between now and when the next book comes out, all I can say is Robyn write fast for the love of my sanity I don't even care if the book is edited when you send it to me just as long as I get my Maggie fix :)
Maggie is your typical nineteen year old girl, she manages the uber exclusive Pearl Estates that's owned by her alcoholic, abusive father and filled with people that she refers to as Shadows. There are a few regular humans who live in the community that she helps out financially by working in a skeevy bar because she refuses to touch her inheritance. Her life is turned upside down when a new Shadow moves in, then a waitress/friend goes missing, secrets from every ones past come out along with lies that change everything. What are the Shadows? Who took the waitress and why? Can Maggie figure all this out, deal with a new relationship and find the strength to get over the demons of her past? I absolutely loved this book, from the first pages I was hooked with Maggie's sassy sarcastic I don't give a crap exterior that hides this scarred girl with a protective streak a mile wide and a penchant for helping children. Maggie is different from the typical new adult/young adult heroine while yes most of the men in the story do lust/want her there is an actual reason for it, yes she is a beautiful girl with a good body, but she also has this great personality and is a fighter to the core. There are a lot of male characters in this story each one of them has a different and distinct personality that adds a little something to the story. My favorite ones were Damon and Branden, the love interest, and the best friend they were understanding of all Maggies quirks and just let her be whom she needed to be while at the same time offering her the support she did not know she needed. There is such a wide cast of characters in this book that I could on for a long time about each and every one of them; there are evil people, misguided people, crazy people, creepy bartenders, lots of Shadows, hot cops, teenagers and a sweet yet feisty grandma lady, plus more people each of them touched in someway by Maggie. I enjoyed getting to know all the different characters in this book, I loved how the author wrote them to have such stand out personalities that even as the story progressed you weren't confused, there could be a scene with half the characters in the room and I would not have to stop when one of them would speak and think "who is that again?" The beginning of the book was a bit slow because of the world building and then later on it slowed down again, I actually liked it this way because as I said before I liked the characters so for me it was nice to get to know them and then later on to see them be normal, well normal for them. My only problem with this book was the ending there was a cliffhanger, Ugh how I loathe the time between now and when the next book comes out, all I can say is Robyn write fast for the love of my sanity I don't even care if the book is edited when you send it to me just as long as I get my Maggie fix :)
December 12, 2018
So much fun and it reminded me of young Buffy. Quirky and a fast read.
My Rating: 5 stars
My Rating: 5 stars
June 24, 2016
“You can't always tough it out, sometimes you need to laugh it out.”
The Good
This one has a bit of all the things that I enjoy: snark, action, a little mystery, a MoBad heroine, and some spice. MoBad is another of my made up PG words, but you get the point. Maggie is strong and naive at the same time. She's been through so much in her past. It makes her gritty, but in some areas she's never been able to let her walls down so she's truly naive to what life should be like for someone her age. I grew to really love her.
One of the reasons that Maggie means so much to me, is that I felt a connection to her. Granted, I don't run a neighborhood that my evil dad owns crawling with Shadows in Montana or work as a waitress (anymore). Wait, what? It was in those little things that I was really able to connect. Maggie loves to swim every day and I used to be on the swim team in school. She wears crazy t-shirts and makes references to Wonder Woman and Captain America. She's also a painter. I may not paint, but I do love my art and I know what it feels like to get lost in a drawing and being completely transported to a new world.
The setting is a neighborhood called Pearl Estates that Maggie manages so there are quite a few characters of all varieties in the residents that live there. I really enjoyed all the minor players. There are a LOT of important men. Don't get me wrong, they are not all vying for her attention because she only has eyes for one. They are all there playing their own roles. All mysterious, all vital, and all grew on me. One thing that Jones does so well is really get you to care about the people you're reading about.
The action and mystery are wonderful. I felt like I knew exactly what was going on the whole time, them BAM! Ha, didn't know exactly after all. I really appreciated those surprises.
The Bad
Due to the build up and getting to know the characters, the action does come slowly. I found that this doesn't bother me personally since I enjoyed getting to know more about Maggie. The paranormal aspects and mystery were always present, but it is important to know that there are slow parts throughout as well.
The Romance
Maggie is out of school. She manages Pearl Estates and works as a waitress with some rough customers, but she's never had a boyfriend. Enter Damon. He's hot, her's, and he'll wait until she realizes it. I love it.
There are some nice steamy scenes to enjoy but it's built up well. I can't wait to see more of these two.
Conclusion
Wonderful characters, giggle-inducing snark and dialogue, great mystery, action, and romance are all in this story. Absolutely recommended.
*I received this book from the author for an honest review.
The Good
This one has a bit of all the things that I enjoy: snark, action, a little mystery, a MoBad heroine, and some spice. MoBad is another of my made up PG words, but you get the point. Maggie is strong and naive at the same time. She's been through so much in her past. It makes her gritty, but in some areas she's never been able to let her walls down so she's truly naive to what life should be like for someone her age. I grew to really love her.
One of the reasons that Maggie means so much to me, is that I felt a connection to her. Granted, I don't run a neighborhood that my evil dad owns crawling with Shadows in Montana or work as a waitress (anymore). Wait, what? It was in those little things that I was really able to connect. Maggie loves to swim every day and I used to be on the swim team in school. She wears crazy t-shirts and makes references to Wonder Woman and Captain America. She's also a painter. I may not paint, but I do love my art and I know what it feels like to get lost in a drawing and being completely transported to a new world.
The setting is a neighborhood called Pearl Estates that Maggie manages so there are quite a few characters of all varieties in the residents that live there. I really enjoyed all the minor players. There are a LOT of important men. Don't get me wrong, they are not all vying for her attention because she only has eyes for one. They are all there playing their own roles. All mysterious, all vital, and all grew on me. One thing that Jones does so well is really get you to care about the people you're reading about.
The action and mystery are wonderful. I felt like I knew exactly what was going on the whole time, them BAM! Ha, didn't know exactly after all. I really appreciated those surprises.
The Bad
Due to the build up and getting to know the characters, the action does come slowly. I found that this doesn't bother me personally since I enjoyed getting to know more about Maggie. The paranormal aspects and mystery were always present, but it is important to know that there are slow parts throughout as well.
The Romance
Maggie is out of school. She manages Pearl Estates and works as a waitress with some rough customers, but she's never had a boyfriend. Enter Damon. He's hot, her's, and he'll wait until she realizes it. I love it.
There are some nice steamy scenes to enjoy but it's built up well. I can't wait to see more of these two.
Conclusion
Wonderful characters, giggle-inducing snark and dialogue, great mystery, action, and romance are all in this story. Absolutely recommended.
*I received this book from the author for an honest review.
August 30, 2016
Maggie Lane is a manager for an upmarket community, Her father who is an abusive prick owns the community and that is the only connection to him that she wants, but she has a problem, Maggie sees dark shadows surrounding certain people and slowly the amount of families in her community are packing up and moving and the shadows are moving in.
Robyn Jones is an automatic author for me, what ever she churn out of her amazing mind, I will be fan girling all over it, although different to her series Touched Girl which you can find my review to here, Shadow Town is a wonderful, Mystery, Romantic and entertaining read, I could not put it down.
I loved the Characters in shadow Town, Maggie had a rough upbringing and is struggling to manage her father’s property, a part time job as a waitress and a part time playmate for a special needs child. Everyone that meets Maggie is instantly drawn to her, In good ways and bad.
I also loved all the male characters in this story (there are a few) My favourites being Michael and her best friend Branden, neither whom are romantically involved with Maggie but both have unique and fun characteristics, Michael being a bit of a jerky brat but loyal and Brandon being the fun Gay best friend that will do anything for her. I would be lying if I didn’t imagine this going in a ménage type romance, lol.
Damon is Maggies new next door neighbour who although is a shadow he manages to ignite feelings in Maggie that she is not used to including turning her into a girly mess when he is around.
The plot of Shadow town has lots of great twists and turns, and a surprising ending. I highly recommend this book to anyone Robyn Jones is on my must read list and she should be added to yours too.
Robyn Jones is an automatic author for me, what ever she churn out of her amazing mind, I will be fan girling all over it, although different to her series Touched Girl which you can find my review to here, Shadow Town is a wonderful, Mystery, Romantic and entertaining read, I could not put it down.
I loved the Characters in shadow Town, Maggie had a rough upbringing and is struggling to manage her father’s property, a part time job as a waitress and a part time playmate for a special needs child. Everyone that meets Maggie is instantly drawn to her, In good ways and bad.
I also loved all the male characters in this story (there are a few) My favourites being Michael and her best friend Branden, neither whom are romantically involved with Maggie but both have unique and fun characteristics, Michael being a bit of a jerky brat but loyal and Brandon being the fun Gay best friend that will do anything for her. I would be lying if I didn’t imagine this going in a ménage type romance, lol.
Damon is Maggies new next door neighbour who although is a shadow he manages to ignite feelings in Maggie that she is not used to including turning her into a girly mess when he is around.
The plot of Shadow town has lots of great twists and turns, and a surprising ending. I highly recommend this book to anyone Robyn Jones is on my must read list and she should be added to yours too.
November 6, 2014
Well, Maggie surprised me. I thought she would be a tough girl, but she ended up being naïve and unprotected against the people who want to control her life. At first I frowned reading how easy some people could control her, but as the story moved on and I learned more about her past, I knew why she was like that. She pretends to have a tough shell, but turns out she is a soft existence, craving for love. She is a very interesting character and I found myself connecting with her.
I really loved the way Robyn gives us bits and pieces from Maggie’s past and I kept reading, wanting to unravel the story, trying to figure out what terrible thing happened to her. Her nightmares are addictive and I leaned over my e-reader trying not to miss a word.
Robyn has created some awesome characters and even if Maggie has eyes only for one, I couldn’t miss the importance of the others too. As I couldn’t miss the ass! I mean okay, how perfect an ass can be? I think I’m being a little jealous!
What “bugged” me a little, is the pace of the story. Sometimes I felt it was too fast and I found it hard to believe some of Maggie’s reactions and some other times it was a little slow. It’s not something major to spoil the fun though. Also I’d like her to play it a little hard to get. I’d love reading about this phase where the characters try to decide if they will give in or not. I could use some more of that here.
So, that’s it. Maggie is a crazy girl with an interesting story you need to explore. I’m curious what will happen to her in the next book, because Maggie has more troubles yet to face.
As Robyn says in the book: Words can free you, but they can kill you too. What’s it gonna be for Maggie?
We’ll just have to wait for the sequel. Until then, enjoy Shadow Town!
I really loved the way Robyn gives us bits and pieces from Maggie’s past and I kept reading, wanting to unravel the story, trying to figure out what terrible thing happened to her. Her nightmares are addictive and I leaned over my e-reader trying not to miss a word.
Robyn has created some awesome characters and even if Maggie has eyes only for one, I couldn’t miss the importance of the others too. As I couldn’t miss the ass! I mean okay, how perfect an ass can be? I think I’m being a little jealous!
What “bugged” me a little, is the pace of the story. Sometimes I felt it was too fast and I found it hard to believe some of Maggie’s reactions and some other times it was a little slow. It’s not something major to spoil the fun though. Also I’d like her to play it a little hard to get. I’d love reading about this phase where the characters try to decide if they will give in or not. I could use some more of that here.
So, that’s it. Maggie is a crazy girl with an interesting story you need to explore. I’m curious what will happen to her in the next book, because Maggie has more troubles yet to face.
As Robyn says in the book: Words can free you, but they can kill you too. What’s it gonna be for Maggie?
We’ll just have to wait for the sequel. Until then, enjoy Shadow Town!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews