Shadows of Obsession

by Alicia Barnes

She's running for her life. He's running from his past. When danger arises, they'll both have to stop running and start fighting.

After escaping an abusive relationship that nearly cost her life, Anna Franklin is done trusting anyone. But when she lands in the small Wyoming town of Warren battered, broken, and desperate for peace, her past isn’t far behind. Daniel, the man who once swore he loved her, will stop at nothing to drag her back into his control.

The Whitaker Ranch was supposed to be her safe haven. A place to heal among horses and wide-open skies, far from Daniel's reach. What she didn't expect was Connor's best friend Jaxon Mercer, a haunted ex-Marine with shadows in his eyes and walls higher than the mountains surrounding them.

Jaxon learned the hard way that letting people close only gets them killed, so he's built a life of isolation and control on the ranch, keeping everyone at arm's length. But something about the broken woman next door slips past his defenses—the way she flinches at sudden movements, the way she tries to makes herself smaller in a room full of people.

He knows that kind of fear. He's seen it in combat zones and felt it in his own nightmares. As Anna slowly reclaims pieces of herself, an undeniable connection sparks between her and Jaxon. Two damaged souls learning to trust again. Two hearts discovering that sometimes the most dangerous thing isn't falling in love, it's believing you deserve it.

But Daniel hasn't given up. He's obsessed, relentless, and closing in. And when he finds Anna, he won't just want her back. He'll want to make sure she never leaves again. In a deadly game where the stakes are life and death, Anna will have to keep running, or stand and fight. And Jaxon will have to choose between the safety of his isolation and the terrifying risk of loving someone enough to save them.

Because some obsessions don't end. They escalate.


Shadows of Obsession is book 1 of an interconnected standalone series that is best read in order. A romantic suspense with a HEA and no cliffhanger. It features a resilient heroine reclaiming her power, a guarded hero learning to trust again, horses, Wyoming ranch life, forced proximity, and the kind of slow-burn romance that's worth fighting for. Contains mature themes including domestic violence.

PERFECT FOR READERS WHO
• Protective alpha heroes with a soft side
• Trauma survivors finding healing and hope
• Steamy romance with emotional depth
• Found family and tight-knit communities
• Horse ranch settings and Western charm
• Dual POV (Anna & Jaxon, plus villain perspective)
• Slow-burn romance with high-stakes suspense
• Damaged heroes who learn to love again
• HEA guaranteed with satisfying closure

Genres: Romance, Amazon, Romantic Suspense, Found Family, Ebooks

435 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 23, 2025

About the author

Hi! I'm Alicia, a debut indie author out of Ocala, Florida. When I'm not working at my corporate full time job, or taking care of my goats, chickens and horses on my homestead, I'm most likely sitting on my couch reading a book with my golden retrievers or dalmatian.

Reading is a passion that I've always had and grew up falling in love with romantic suspense books written by authors like Nora Roberts, Kat Martin and Danielle Steele. Now, my favorite genre to read is fantasy, however, I do love to fall back into contemporary romance, especially if they're suspenseful.

Because I love reading, I've read hundreds, if not thousands of books in my thirty-three years, and at some point, stories started to form in my head. One day I decided to finally start writing one of them down and ten years later my debut novel, Shadows of Obsession, was released. It was only meant to be a standalone, a one and done, an achievement for myself for getting the story out of my head and sharing it with others. But I fell in love with the characters I created and I couldn't say goodbye. During read throughs and editing, I started to enjoy the writing process more than ever and I was motivated to write a sequel.

I am by no means writing to get famous, and I'm not remotely psychotic enough that I am on the same level as best selling authors. I am just trying to share stories that have meaningful impacts that others can enjoy and relate to. I love writing characters with heavy pasts and giving them a happily ever after. And I love writing the trials they go through to heal from their traumas.

Follow along as I continue to dedicate myself to improving my writing and creating impactful, emotionally depth stories.

Reviews

[The Book Ssirren · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had me reeling with emotions. It’s deep and heartfelt, and broken and painful. Anna just wants to find peace at Whitaker Ranch away from Daniel who did nothing but hurry her and leave her a shell of herself. Her neighbor Jaxon is a man who is trying to find that same peace after a life in the military filled with combat and loss. He sees the fear that Anna holds in the way she shrinks away from people and social settings. The way she flinches AB’s mashes herself unseen. Jaxon saw this in the military himself.
Two broken people found solace in one another as they learn to be around one another. Both with walls that they hide behind. This story is riveting, and it grips you and holds on to you without regret. It takes you through their pain, their fear, and the trust that slowly builds between them. This is so masterfully written, so poetic in its words. It wraps around your heart and lives inside you. An absolutely amazing story.

[Vanessa Waldmann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a romantic suspense story about 2 people who have been through a lot of trauma in there life. This was heartbreaking but also healing at the same time.

[Christina Bellows · Rating 2 out of 5]

An entire ranch and not one camera on it anywhere? I skimmed the last 20%.. And also some of the things that the MMC did just didn't make sense. (he sees a guy killing his girl and he just seems to forget about the gun in his hand?)

[Butter Bagel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I hate being critical of this book because I like so many things about it. The characters have lots of potential, the setting is beautiful, and the message about love overcoming trauma is inspiring. The writing is ok but nothing extraordinary.

The first third of the book I enjoyed and then it went downhill from there.

I loved that Anna escaped her crazy ex and found a safe haven on an old friend's horse ranch. I loved watching her slowly piecing her life back together. But here's my issue- once her and Jaxon enter a relationship, they both become the most boring, stagnant people. They just can't keep their hands off each other and Jaxon in particular has a complete personality shift. He used to feel so much more independent and introverted and by the end he's just hanging around to save Anna and tell her how perfect she is all the time. Anna was at least able to start her own business, and Jaxon... helps out now. With whatever she needs. And has no ambitions of his own apparently.

Something else I really had trouble understanding was Daniel's perspective. We know nothing about him other than he was a nice enough guy to help Anna after she ruined her car, and then kept her locked inside his house and would hit her all the time? The progression just didn't make any sense. I just don't get how this guy became an evil murderer out of nowhere, he didn't act like a real person at all and more like some movie character that wouldn't actually exist in real life.

I really question Jaxon's "military training". He didn't seem to know how to use a gun or take anyone out quickly when the situation called for it. He always rushed into these hostage situations with Anna without any real plan or backup. He would call the cops and be like "send in backup, hostage situation", and then just... Hang up? And go in alone anyway? You usually can't just hang up on 911 they make you stay on the line so they can talk you through it. I also can't believe Daniel was so sloppy about holding Anna hostage on Conners property, not thinking anyone would look for her at her own rental? Why not just put a gun to her head and have her drive her own car to some remote location and keep her there? Makes no sense.

Also why didn't he just Google Con business to get his address, he literally has a job selling horses from his personal ranch... Why he needed to hire a private investigator is beyond me.

I really hated that Anna was kidnapped twice, like once wasn't enough. It felt like we were constantly going backwards on her personal growth because she would start healing from trauma only to get freaking kidnapped and beaten again, this just seemed to happen over and over again and it was frustrating as a reader to feel like we'd see real progress and then have to start over multiple times.

I also want to touch on how little Sam was mentioned in this story. Apparently she was Anna's best friend, and the only person who kept telling her to leave her abusive relationship. It cost her her life. Daniel murdered her because she pissed him off, but this was all mentioned as an aside and it felt disrespectful to me. There was not one point in the story where Anna seemed overcome with grief over her friend or an ounce of guilt about caring for her horses after she died. Almost like Anna didn't feel even a bit responsible for putting her friend in danger by being involved with such a psycho man.

The amount of times Anna was referred to as frail and delicate, and Jaxon as a cedar scented protective cocoon was so repetitive i started to roll my eyes.

I think this story has a lot of potential and while it was genuinely sweet at times it was also frustratingly slow and repetitive at others. Wouldn't say I regret reading it but it was way longer than I had patience for personally. I think with a little more practice and a strong team of editors this author can really blossom and I would come back for more.

[Kendall {Book Crazy} · Rating 5 out of 5]

I discovered this book when I was scrolling through Goodreads and I saw it below another book that I was looking at! I was intrigued by the cover, so I grabbed a copy and read it when I could! After reading, I can say that I really enjoyed this book! The plot held my attention all the way through and it only took me a few sittings to read because I didn’t want to put it down! There was also plenty of romance in the plot and it was slow burn, which I was expecting! I loved the way it developed and that the characters got to know each other first! It allowed for some very steamy scenes between the main characters too! There was also some action and suspense in the plot, which added a lot to it and made me enjoy it more! The characters were also amazing and made this book even better! Anna was the main female character, and in this book she has run away from her abusive boyfriend and had settled in a ranch with a close friend! I felt for Anna because she wanted to be happy and free and to make her own choices! She also found her place in the ranch and was surrounded by people that cared about her! Jaxon was the man male character and love interest of Anna! Jaxon was a guy who had a lot of torment and grief and it made him grumpy and standoffish! I did feel for him because he had been through a lot! He did start to open up more and show his softer side as his relationship with Anna developed! Jaxon was very protective of Anna and he wanted her to be safe! This book was written from both Anna and Jaxon’s point of views! I was hoping that this book was going to be written this way before I started reading and the synopsis gives the impression that it’s going to be! I loved that it was because it helped me connect more with both characters and see their feelings for each other develop! It allowed for more things to happen in the plot as well, which helped as Anna and Jaxon didn’t spend every second of the plot together and they were both going through their own situations! I now can’t wait to read the next book in this series! I know that it’s going to focus on a secondary character, but this has me even more excited to read it! I can't wait to read their story! I'll definitely be looking forward to the next book releasing and reading it as soon as it does! I also love the cover for this book! It has a creepy, suspenseful vibe to it, which suits the feel of the book and it drew me to the book as well and made me check out the synopsis! I love that it doesn't have models on it as well!

[Siobhan D · Rating 5 out of 5]

A place that is a safe haven Whitaker Ranch , Anna need and want to heal away from Daniel. The man who caused her pain. What she did expect was Jaxon a ex Marine with walls has high as hers.
Jaxon the silent and pain keep him at arm lengths, but the woman called Anna is slowly getting to his soul. He sees how she tries to hide and flinches. learned the hard way that letting people close only gets them killed, so he's built a life of isolation and control on the ranch, keeping everyone at arm's length. But something about the broken woman next door slips past his defenses—the way she flinches at sudden movements, the way she tries to makes herself smaller in a room full of people.
The person who tried to break Anna, Daniel will do anything to hunt her down and claim her back.
Oh this man is pure evil, but two dented souls make each other whole and fight the evil that is coming.
Drama, romance and great characters.

[Ashley Ramirez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book!

I absolutely LOVED this book. I have been in a major reading slump and this pulled me out. When I am reading, I read for entertainment so I am looking for just that. Did I enjoy it? Did I believe it? Did it make me feel something ? Yes to all 3!

I was wary because As a horse girl, books about equestrian subjects can be risky. An unrealistic portrayal can really take me out of the story, but the author obviously knows her stuff and did a beautiful job of bringing the reader to the ranch with her without it taking over the whole story. I am going to be recommending this book to all of m h friends, especially the equestrians.

[Tyler Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm really sad to give this book a 2.5/5 because it could have been so good. The plot was there. I loved the different perspectives and watching two people work through their traumas together. However, the writing in this book irritated the crap out of me. There do not need to be a thousand adjectives to describe every little detail in the book. I felt like I was constantly reading a sentence with, descriptor and descriptor. Like over and over again. Overall, it just felt like there was a lot of repetition and unnecessary fluff.

[Mariah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had a love hate relationship with this one. The storyline and characters were great, I had to see it through. But I struggled to push through some of it, the detail throughout the book were way too repetitive and drawn out, almost insufferably so... May read book #2 in the future but for now my brain needs a break from this specific writing style.

I did grow to love each character individually and as a family!

[Will · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of drama, trauma, suspense, pain, emotions, and heat with a capitol H. Sure, there are a few quirky things about the way the characters reacted at certain times during some of the drama, but it only makes them feel more real. No one is perfect and always going to do the right thing, but all the characters in this story were well developed and felt real. Usually lengthy stories bore me before I reach the end. This one never did. Kudos to the author.

[Elyana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book so much. The build up of the relationship between the FL and the ML had me eating this book up. I couldn't put it down and went through a roller coster of emotions throughout the book. The FL has definitely been through so much and so has the ML, so to see them start to rely on one another was amazing. This book got me out of a reading slump and motivated me to want to read more books from this series. Look at trigger warnings before starting the book.

[Kaylee Donahue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing ! It pulled me in right away and kept me hooked the whole time. The characters felt real and complex, and the tension built perfectly without dragging. I loved the darker vibe and the way obsession was explored—it kept me turning pages. Definitely a book that sticks with you after you finish. Highly recommend! Can’t wait for the next book!

[Denise Fooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

This was my first time reading this authors book and it won’t be my last. Oh my god once I started reading this book I couldn’t put it down. I read it in 2 hours. There was romance between Jaxon and Ann. The suspense and danger was felt in reading the book.
I’ve already pre ordered the book on Connor.
So please read this book you will love it.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Omg I couldn’t put this book down no lie! You have a women who escapes a horrible situation and finds herself again. A man who’s been hurt,closed his self off learns to open up and find happiness. So many twists and turns I would recommend this to anyone who likes suspense and romance

[Joy Whiteside · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really great read that grabbed me and kept me interested and reading. This story moves along at a speed that is easy to read as well as enjoyable. This book will not disappoint, it needs to be on your TBR list, there is no doubt about it.

[Nathalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a great story about overcoming trauma. It touched on multiple mental health issues. I absolutely love Jaxson and Anna's story. Do check the triggers there are some dark themes in the book.

[☆Laura☆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25⭐️


Espero que en el libro Harper no perdone tan rápido a Connor. Sé que él viene de una mala relación, pero eso no es excusa para tratarla de esa manera, cuando ella siempre intentó ayudarlo y estar ahí para él.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars
Took me a while to get into the story and even longer to warm up to Jaxon.