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Shadows in the Paint
He was sent to disrupt her peace, to haunt her every step-
...to take her body, her heart, and what he believes she stole.
Sienna Deveraux has spent years hiding her pain behind gallery walls and oil paintings, curating beauty in a world that once broke her. As the owner of Rue Belle, she's built a life of routine and quiet strength. But peace is fleeting-and someone is watching.
Renji is no stranger. He's a shadow sent with purpose.
He wasn't just meant to follow her-he was meant to ruin her. With a voice like sin and a presence she can't ignore, he invades her world under the guise of fate. But his obsession runs deep. He's convinced she owes him something... something sacred. Something stolen.
What begins as stalking becomes seduction. What feels like fear twists into want.
And as Sienna teeters on the edge of her past and the truth he hides, she must is he her captor-or her punishment?
A dark, sensual spiral of obsession, trauma, and twisted desire, Shadows in the Paint is a psychological romantic thriller for readers who crave cat-and-mouse intensity, morally gray antiheroes, and heroines who refuse to break.
...to take her body, her heart, and what he believes she stole.
Sienna Deveraux has spent years hiding her pain behind gallery walls and oil paintings, curating beauty in a world that once broke her. As the owner of Rue Belle, she's built a life of routine and quiet strength. But peace is fleeting-and someone is watching.
Renji is no stranger. He's a shadow sent with purpose.
He wasn't just meant to follow her-he was meant to ruin her. With a voice like sin and a presence she can't ignore, he invades her world under the guise of fate. But his obsession runs deep. He's convinced she owes him something... something sacred. Something stolen.
What begins as stalking becomes seduction. What feels like fear twists into want.
And as Sienna teeters on the edge of her past and the truth he hides, she must is he her captor-or her punishment?
A dark, sensual spiral of obsession, trauma, and twisted desire, Shadows in the Paint is a psychological romantic thriller for readers who crave cat-and-mouse intensity, morally gray antiheroes, and heroines who refuse to break.
398 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 26, 2025
14 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
November 11, 2025
I enjoyed the storyline, but the execution was lacking. I feel like a re-edit of the book would work wonders. The MFC and the MMC were interesting, and I wanted to know more about them. The tension and push and pull between them, kept me reading. I can't wait to see how much this author improves.
November 9, 2025
ARC Book Review: Shadows in the Paint
Title: Shadows in the Paint (Sienna & Renji)
Author: Felicia Renee
Genre: Dark Romance, Emotional Suspense, Sports/Art Themes, Healing
Rating: ★★★★ (3.75/5) | Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ (Very Hot)
The Pour: A Neat Glass of Intense, Psychological Heat
This pour is a heavy, almost-black dram—a deeply intense blend of raw emotion, psychological shadows, and undeniable, scorching heat. Shadows in the Paint is an unflinching look at trauma, healing, and the all-consuming love that can pull two fractured souls out of the darkness.
Felicia Renee doesn't shy away from the complex, twisty core of her characters, Sienna and Renji. Their connection is messy, complicated, and utterly magnetic. Set against a backdrop that beautifully juxtaposes the gritty struggle of the basketball "paint" with the cathartic release of art, their story is one that demands to be savored slowly, even as the pacing pushes you to devour it. I was instantly addicted to their journey toward self-discovery and acceptance.
What I Sip and Savored 🥃 (The Smooth Finish)
The parts of this pour that went down perfectly smooth:
🥃 The Psychological Depth: The author handles the characters' emotional baggage and inner darkness with incredible care and realism. Sienna and Renji feel like real, complex people navigating real, painful shadows. It elevates the romance beyond surface-level attraction.
🥃 The Unique World-Building: I loved the duality of the setting—the high-pressure environment of sports contrasting sharply with the intimate, healing space of the art studio. This provided rich thematic material and kept the narrative compelling.
🥃 Unflinching Intensity: The writing itself is raw and visceral. The chemistry is a palpable force, delivering searing heat that feels earned because of the emotional stakes involved.
🥃 Resilience as Romance: Watching the characters find resilience and acceptance not in spite of their flaws, but because of them, was deeply satisfying and made the HEA incredibly impactful.
What I Side-Eyed 🥃 (The Fleeting Jolt)
While I highly enjoyed this experience, even the best whiskey can have a fleeting note of regret:
🥃 Shadows Clearing: Given the depth and complexity of the psychological darkness established in the beginning, I found myself craving just a touch more time dedicated to the final stages of healing. The light at the end felt slightly accelerated, perhaps too quickly dismissing the weight of the earlier "shadows."
The Finish
If you crave a romance that is morally honest, fiercely passionate, and tackles heavy themes with grace and grit, this book is your answer. It successfully blends psychological intensity with intoxicating chemistry, delivering a powerful, haunting, and ultimately redemptive love story. This is a bold, beautiful book that leaves a deep, smoky aftertaste.
The Perfect Pairing
Pairing: A Peated Islay Scotch, served with a single rock. Why? This book is smoky, complex, and delivers a powerful, lingering finish that matches the deep, psychological intensity of the romance. It's a bold choice that isn't for everyone, but those who love it will be utterly devoted.
Tropes: Dark Romance, Emotional Suspense, Art/Sports Juxtaposition, Trauma & Healing, HEA.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Title: Shadows in the Paint (Sienna & Renji)
Author: Felicia Renee
Genre: Dark Romance, Emotional Suspense, Sports/Art Themes, Healing
Rating: ★★★★ (3.75/5) | Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ (Very Hot)
The Pour: A Neat Glass of Intense, Psychological Heat
This pour is a heavy, almost-black dram—a deeply intense blend of raw emotion, psychological shadows, and undeniable, scorching heat. Shadows in the Paint is an unflinching look at trauma, healing, and the all-consuming love that can pull two fractured souls out of the darkness.
Felicia Renee doesn't shy away from the complex, twisty core of her characters, Sienna and Renji. Their connection is messy, complicated, and utterly magnetic. Set against a backdrop that beautifully juxtaposes the gritty struggle of the basketball "paint" with the cathartic release of art, their story is one that demands to be savored slowly, even as the pacing pushes you to devour it. I was instantly addicted to their journey toward self-discovery and acceptance.
What I Sip and Savored 🥃 (The Smooth Finish)
The parts of this pour that went down perfectly smooth:
🥃 The Psychological Depth: The author handles the characters' emotional baggage and inner darkness with incredible care and realism. Sienna and Renji feel like real, complex people navigating real, painful shadows. It elevates the romance beyond surface-level attraction.
🥃 The Unique World-Building: I loved the duality of the setting—the high-pressure environment of sports contrasting sharply with the intimate, healing space of the art studio. This provided rich thematic material and kept the narrative compelling.
🥃 Unflinching Intensity: The writing itself is raw and visceral. The chemistry is a palpable force, delivering searing heat that feels earned because of the emotional stakes involved.
🥃 Resilience as Romance: Watching the characters find resilience and acceptance not in spite of their flaws, but because of them, was deeply satisfying and made the HEA incredibly impactful.
What I Side-Eyed 🥃 (The Fleeting Jolt)
While I highly enjoyed this experience, even the best whiskey can have a fleeting note of regret:
🥃 Shadows Clearing: Given the depth and complexity of the psychological darkness established in the beginning, I found myself craving just a touch more time dedicated to the final stages of healing. The light at the end felt slightly accelerated, perhaps too quickly dismissing the weight of the earlier "shadows."
The Finish
If you crave a romance that is morally honest, fiercely passionate, and tackles heavy themes with grace and grit, this book is your answer. It successfully blends psychological intensity with intoxicating chemistry, delivering a powerful, haunting, and ultimately redemptive love story. This is a bold, beautiful book that leaves a deep, smoky aftertaste.
The Perfect Pairing
Pairing: A Peated Islay Scotch, served with a single rock. Why? This book is smoky, complex, and delivers a powerful, lingering finish that matches the deep, psychological intensity of the romance. It's a bold choice that isn't for everyone, but those who love it will be utterly devoted.
Tropes: Dark Romance, Emotional Suspense, Art/Sports Juxtaposition, Trauma & Healing, HEA.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
November 11, 2025
Tile: Shadows In The Paint
Author: Felicia Renee
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
"He was magnetic, and the more I tried to resist, the more I felt myself pulled into his orbit" - Sienna
"One woman. One obsession. Sienna Devereaux had become my universe. And I didn't know if I wanted to escape" - Renji
Sienna, fierce but broken, struggles with a past that haunts her and finds solace and survival in art. But her life takes a major twist when Renji, a man so intense, becomes obsessed with her and refuses to let go. This is a tale full of love, secrets and the kind of obsession that leaves you breathless.
Disclaimer: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I really enjoyed this book and how poetic it was. I loved how the author beautifully captured how dark and intense obsession can be and I loved how suspense was engaged and maintained from the beginning till the end of the book.
However, the pacing was a bit slow and there were a lot of repeated scenes which confused me at first, but later understood while reading.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys romance with a blend of obsession, intensity and suspense .
Author: Felicia Renee
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
"He was magnetic, and the more I tried to resist, the more I felt myself pulled into his orbit" - Sienna
"One woman. One obsession. Sienna Devereaux had become my universe. And I didn't know if I wanted to escape" - Renji
Sienna, fierce but broken, struggles with a past that haunts her and finds solace and survival in art. But her life takes a major twist when Renji, a man so intense, becomes obsessed with her and refuses to let go. This is a tale full of love, secrets and the kind of obsession that leaves you breathless.
Disclaimer: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I really enjoyed this book and how poetic it was. I loved how the author beautifully captured how dark and intense obsession can be and I loved how suspense was engaged and maintained from the beginning till the end of the book.
However, the pacing was a bit slow and there were a lot of repeated scenes which confused me at first, but later understood while reading.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys romance with a blend of obsession, intensity and suspense .
October 3, 2025
ARC Review-BookSirens
Star Rating: 4.5⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Pub Date: Sept 26, 2025
I really enjoyed this! This is a Mafia Romance/Dark Romance although I didn’t find it too dark between them. It’s mostly a push and pull with a lot of spice between them. Very much so. We have morally grey character Renji who we get to know more as the story continues and I loved both their backstories. Renji is stalking and obsessed with Sienna and gives her the nickname Shadow which I loved! Sienna is a painter which I thought was really interesting. Somehow we know that her family is connected with Renji’s from the past with Sienna’s Mother. I also have to mention the great cultural stuff from Japan on Renji’s side I very much enjoyed that. Lots of action too at 70% to take down Matthieu at his masquerade party. It was overall such a great read. There is some minor grammar errors but it was still enjoyable. :)
Star Rating: 4.5⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Pub Date: Sept 26, 2025
I really enjoyed this! This is a Mafia Romance/Dark Romance although I didn’t find it too dark between them. It’s mostly a push and pull with a lot of spice between them. Very much so. We have morally grey character Renji who we get to know more as the story continues and I loved both their backstories. Renji is stalking and obsessed with Sienna and gives her the nickname Shadow which I loved! Sienna is a painter which I thought was really interesting. Somehow we know that her family is connected with Renji’s from the past with Sienna’s Mother. I also have to mention the great cultural stuff from Japan on Renji’s side I very much enjoyed that. Lots of action too at 70% to take down Matthieu at his masquerade party. It was overall such a great read. There is some minor grammar errors but it was still enjoyable. :)
October 25, 2025
Shadows in the Paint by Felicia Renee is a promising debut for this new author and held my interest throughout. Ms. Renee has penned a complicated story where the players and their motivations are shadowed and multifaceted. Sienna Deveraux is a talented and driven artist; her talent is undeniable but darkness from the past permeates all aspects of her existence. When she is approached by Renji Nakamura with a request for a commission, Sienna can feel the danger emanating from him. Renji is the enforcer for his family, his father has pointed him in Sienna’s direction with the cryptic statement to Renji “that girl has something of mine, and I want it back”. Renji has spent his life being shaped by his father (rather brutally) and doing his bidding. Sienne is just another job, until she isn’t! Sienna and Renji are both broken by their ruthless families and past trauma. Neither have ever been in a relationship where love was an option and with the danger swirling around them, love should be the last thing on their minds! This story is a dark romance with stalking, dubious consent, past abuse, and violence and Ms. Renee kindly provides the trigger warnings at the beginning of the book. The story ended on a HFN note and it appears that there is second installment expected, The Painted Spider. In addition, the book has a unique construction, it is dual POV and the accounts of each character dovetail so that the reader gets the same action but from the other point of view. At points in time, this method of storytelling was somewhat confusing because it seemed like I was reading the same passage again.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
https://theretiredreader.com/read-for...
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
https://theretiredreader.com/read-for...
November 4, 2025
Arc read- booksirens
⭐ 3.5 stars
I loved the storyline and the overall atmosphere of the book—it felt fresh and different. Who doesn’t love a possessive MMC who falls hard for the MFC? 🔥 And a strong, independent female lead? Yes, please!
This story had so much potential, but my main issue was with the dual POVs. While I enjoy getting both perspectives, the chapters often felt repetitive—as if I was rereading the same scenes twice. The details were too similar, which took away from the flow and made it a bit hard to stay fully immersed.
Still, it was an enjoyable read with great characters and chemistry!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
⭐ 3.5 stars
I loved the storyline and the overall atmosphere of the book—it felt fresh and different. Who doesn’t love a possessive MMC who falls hard for the MFC? 🔥 And a strong, independent female lead? Yes, please!
This story had so much potential, but my main issue was with the dual POVs. While I enjoy getting both perspectives, the chapters often felt repetitive—as if I was rereading the same scenes twice. The details were too similar, which took away from the flow and made it a bit hard to stay fully immersed.
Still, it was an enjoyable read with great characters and chemistry!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
November 18, 2025
Received an ARC copy.
Spice level: 4/5
Tropes: enemies to lovers, he falls first, dark-romance, worlds collide
I was initially interested where the story was going. Sienna and Renji had interesting back stories and I liked how their worlds crashed together, I was intrigued. Renji conflict is evident throughout the story. I loved his passion for keeping Sienna safe. Sienna’s storyline was definitely emotional and raw. As I approached the end of the book it seemed a bit rushed.
Spice level: 4/5
Tropes: enemies to lovers, he falls first, dark-romance, worlds collide
I was initially interested where the story was going. Sienna and Renji had interesting back stories and I liked how their worlds crashed together, I was intrigued. Renji conflict is evident throughout the story. I loved his passion for keeping Sienna safe. Sienna’s storyline was definitely emotional and raw. As I approached the end of the book it seemed a bit rushed.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews