Secrets Within The Shadows

by J.A. Welch

Seventeen-year-old Alis Winters has been called crazy her whole life for her unusual relationship with her imaginary friend – her shadow – but when he walks into her room just days before her eighteenth birthday as the sexiest man she’s ever seen, she knows for sure she’s not crazy.Her shadow tells her of his past lives, of his loss and loves that she knows she’ll never compare to, and of a curse his mother placed on both him and his brother hundreds of years ago. Alis quickly learns there’s secrets he’s hiding from her, and when he disappears in the middle of the night, she turns to the only person she can for answers – his brother.Six years pass and Alis has shut her heart to emotion. She’s lost too much to ever think about her shadow again, until he forces her to. Her shadow returns, ready to win Alis’ heart all over again and break the curse, no matter what it takes.This story is a soft dark romance with multiple trigger warnings. Please take note of all warnings before reading Secrets Within The Shadows.

271 pages, Paperback

Published November 22, 2023

Reviews

[Nicki Permanently exhausted pigeon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this story it was amazing and had such a great twist , this story is captivating and well done

[elisereginaa.reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a rollercoaster of feelings, twists and turns! And I absolutely loved it!

The love between the main characters proved that love can conquer all, even though they’ve been through some really difficult stuff. Like a love triangle trope.

This was overall a well written story with hints of fantasy in a contemporary romance.
Recommend going in blind for the full experience tho.
I’ll definitely re-read this masterpiece and I can’t wait to read more from this author.

[Chelsea Aldred · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book. Really good twists that you don’t see coming. Not too much of a slow burn which I loved. Great main characters and story line. I couldn’t stop reading once I started ❤️

[Toni Amey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Man this book was a wild ride yet I loved every single second of it! There were so many secrets, spice, and emotions coming from this story that I never wanted to put it down.
The plot of this story was phenomenal. You have 2 brothers that have loved the same girl through numerous lifetimes and it was heartbreaking to read about some of them.
Alis went through so much trauma and she overcame it finally and got her HEA, but not before going through something so traumatic and finally learning all the secrets. Nicky did make up for most of what he put her through but I was so mad at him in the beginning for leaving. Dem, was no better. I wanted to like him so much but I feel like he was so manipulative throughout this story. Once you find out all the answers you were looking for this story might become one of your favorite books as this one just did for me! I wish I had read this story so much sooner!!
The ending to this story was perfect. Ahhh , my heart feels so full right now! This story was amazing and I will be recommending it all the time! 10/10 read for me 🖤

[Kayla Nowakowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the premise of this story with love transcending numerous lifetimes and secrets that have been buried. This story is about a girl Alis who has a relationship with her imaginary friend that no one else can see but it turns out he’s not imaginary after all and he becomes more and more ‘real’ as time goes on. When he leaves her out of the blue to find answers with no explanation to her and then stays gone she finds comfort in his brother who has become one of her best friends. I would recommend this story to those who like stories that deal with mental health, love conquering all, and magic/curses.

[Haley Breeden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where do I even start?

I loved this book!! (Much like all of the authors other works)
This book had mystery, it had magic, it had spice, it had loss and betrayal, it had moments where you thought you knew what happened and then it hits you that you were wrong.
It had everything it needed to be one of the best books I have read this year!!

I was hooked from the first paragraph! It was so hard to put down when I had to. I wanted to read this all in one sitting! I’m so glad I picked up this book!

[Emily Casilli · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a weird book. Very intriguing and I had to know more. The whole following shadow was very interesting and suspenseful. I did get lost with what was going on in the back end of the book but it held my interest nonetheless. Are there supposed to be bold numbers on the pages inserted randomly in the sentences? This read like a strange horror book. I’m not sure what genre it is advertised as but that is what I got. Reminds me of weird fiction I’d read from a classic poem.

[lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!!

Wow!! Boy did Alis have a crazy tale to tell. Nikolus aka Nikky has been Alis's friend since she was 6 years old but know one else could see him because he was a shadow. He was there for her until one night he disappeared. Even though Nikky told her to stay away from Demitri he became her friend and then her fiance. Then this tale gets crazier and crazier. This is a spellbinding tale one that was so good. I definitely recommend this book.

[Lisa Diamond-Weaver · Rating 5 out of 5]

The sheer amount of explicitive words that came out of my mouth during the ending of this book was ALOT!!! I was sucked into this story from the start!! The Shadow Man gripped me. I wanted to know more!! I loved Alis and the representation of her mental health. The story does take a 6 year time jump and the pieces start to get put together. The twists and turns in this book had me listening to this in 1 sitting!! JA Welch hits all the emotions and has a riveting story i couldn't put down!!

[Onyx · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite book! The plot twists are wonderful, and I love how the story isn’t quite a slow burn but it’s also not too fast. The mentions and representation of mental health is amazing! I love the love triangle trope too! Can’t wait to read more from you!

[Nikolas Ackerman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had me addicted from the first chapter. It was absolute perfection and I wouldn't change a thing about it. The suspense, the angst, the wholesome moments. It was amazing. This is by far my favorite book. Would absolutely read again.

[Tania · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been wanting to read this, and I was not disappointed. The main characters were SO CAPTIVATING and the twists are fantastically unpredictable. The storyline was really fun to read and I’m so glad I picked it up!

[Ronni Davis-Sandoval · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly, this was SUCH a cool idea, and I commend the writer for that! But an editor, both for technical issues and plot holes, could've worked WONDERS. I would definitely recommend this after some serious edits, though.

[Smutty Demi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found the concept with shadows very original, and was surprised a few times with the twists and turns the story took. Which doesn't happen to me very often, so that's good, haha. Can definitely recommend the book!

[MagnoliaOwl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It is a love triangle between two brothers and a special woman that spans over hundreds of years due to a curse. This story had some unexpected twists and some sad events. If you enjoy love triangles, spice, a mystery, magic and curses then give this book a go.

[Brittany Washington · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️
Alis needed her ass whooped in some instances
Dem needed to be stomped out in Timbaland boots
Nikky stood on business.

It’s just all the back and forth aggravated my soul and I didn’t realize how much of a romance read this was.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just started reading but I’m hooked! Such a good read

[Anitta · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so amazinggg!!! I was thoroughly entertained, invested and satisfied with the way this book was written and absolutely enjoyed the plot! Definitely recommend;)

[Lisa Redmon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read!

Intriguing and unique storyline! Grabs you from the first chapter. Didn't stop reading till I finished it. Will definitely read more from this author!

[Hayley Cook · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so good. I fell in love with Alis right away. She was just so relatable. I loved Nikky I mean come on who wouldn’t love a shadow daddy. I so need my own shadow lol. The emotional ride this story took me on was intense in the best way. The secrets had me hooked I couldn’t stop reading because I literally couldn’t wait to find out what was going to happen. The plot was also very good it had twist I so did not see coming. JA did an amazing job with this one. I also listened to the audiobook and that made it so much more interesting. The narrator’s did an amazing job.

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alis & Nikky

I loved Secrets within the Shadows. A very fresh take on a paranormal romance. JA Welch does a great job of capturing the full gamut of emotions.

[Kayla Culpepper · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story was filled with so many emotions. I love how I feel so connected to Alis and how I was able to find so many similarities between her and I. The relationships between her and Nicky is something out of a dream. How she felt that she was never connected to Dem but so much and felt as if she had no other way. I love the "wtf" moment that I got towards the end. Overall, I will be recommending this book to so many people!

[Ceecee · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want mystery, romance, plot twists, and magic then I highly recommend this book! I was hooked from the first few pages and that pace continued to the very last page!

There are TW/Content Warnings so please read those first.

Thank you to the author for allowing me to read the ARC.

✔️Contemporary Romance
✔️Mystery
✔️Magic and Curses
✔️Love Triangle
✔️Plot Twists
✔️Time Jump
✔️🌶️🌶️

[Luce.Obscura · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a damn story! 😅

I just finished this book and I have no words. It was captivating and a rollercoaster of emotions, and I loved every minute of it! I couldn’t put it down after the first few chapters.

The story line had me gripped, and it had just the right amount of spice! A great read! I still need time to process! 🥺💛

[Diane Murowany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very original subject matter!

Started a little slow, but I quickly became enamored with Alis and Nikkys story. Well written with great characters. I also live in the same town as the author which is fun! I would have given it five stars but there are a crazy number of grammatical and spelling errors.

[Megan Driver · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC read! I loved this book!I loved this book! I couldn't put it down. Each chapter was was like learning something new. A plot twist I didn't see coming. My jaw literally dropped. Can't wait to read more from this author.

[Tiffany Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️ARC Review⭐️

I really loved this book, i couldn't stop once i started reading it. The storyline was great and something I haven't read before, which was really nice. Great characters all around especially the MCs l. Was not expecting the twists at all. Definitely recommend this book 100%!

[Todd Keller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved the twists and turns, truly could never predict what would happen next. The character development is fantastic. I love that this book, and the characters, is so unpredictable that you never figure out what will happen next!

[Natasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

shadow anyone?

I definitely need my own shadow 😩 I loved this book and the characters. The author did a very good job with the storyline.