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Shadows of reason
Not yet published
Expected 17 Jul 26Shadows of reason is a novella in the Shadows series. Please read Shadows of the Past first. In this book there is a 3 months time jump that will cover some events from Shadows of the past. I promise it will make sense.
A professor-student romance for those who always fall for the morally gray, grumpy teacher.
Amalia
When your mind has always been both your greatest strength and your worst curse, you learn to stay silent.
But one look from Silas Vaughn, my math professor, is all it takes to give voice to the whispers in my head.
And it’s terrifying when even my heart starts to have something to say about him.
Silas
My mind gave me everything I needed to find the man who killed my brother.
That should be my only priority, along with my family. But a few strands of chestnut hair keep pulling my attention away from what I thought mattered.
And there’s no formula that can help me understand Amalia Sanchez—or force her out of my system.
A professor-student romance for those who always fall for the morally gray, grumpy teacher.
Amalia
When your mind has always been both your greatest strength and your worst curse, you learn to stay silent.
But one look from Silas Vaughn, my math professor, is all it takes to give voice to the whispers in my head.
And it’s terrifying when even my heart starts to have something to say about him.
Silas
My mind gave me everything I needed to find the man who killed my brother.
That should be my only priority, along with my family. But a few strands of chestnut hair keep pulling my attention away from what I thought mattered.
And there’s no formula that can help me understand Amalia Sanchez—or force her out of my system.
Kindle Edition
Expected publication July 17, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
Did Not Finish
June 20, 2026DNF @ 61%
As much as I wanted to enjoy this book, I expected more from it being a professor student romance. I expected more tension from this book, the MCs jumped way too quickly to liking each other, they had zero hesitation for any professor student boundaries which really killed the tension for me. The MMC pissed me of a little. Before they even had any proper interaction, he was breaking peoples fingers for touching her and forbidding her from even talking to other men. After four interactions he was Inlove with her. It all felt too insta love for me and fell a little flat.
Thank you to the author for this ARC 🩷
As much as I wanted to enjoy this book, I expected more from it being a professor student romance. I expected more tension from this book, the MCs jumped way too quickly to liking each other, they had zero hesitation for any professor student boundaries which really killed the tension for me. The MMC pissed me of a little. Before they even had any proper interaction, he was breaking peoples fingers for touching her and forbidding her from even talking to other men. After four interactions he was Inlove with her. It all felt too insta love for me and fell a little flat.
Thank you to the author for this ARC 🩷
June 16, 2026
Another amazing story from R.Nimes. I absolutely adore student/teacher trope and here it was done absolutely amazingly!
The slow burn, the angst, the twist everything was amazing! I did guess the twist but it still shocked the hell out of me!
Amalia was such a vibe! Her nerdiness was absolutely endearing and i loved her way too much!
Overall i’m absolutely in love with this book and i’m so happy author decided to translate it so we could get this extra story!
The slow burn, the angst, the twist everything was amazing! I did guess the twist but it still shocked the hell out of me!
Amalia was such a vibe! Her nerdiness was absolutely endearing and i loved her way too much!
Overall i’m absolutely in love with this book and i’m so happy author decided to translate it so we could get this extra story!
Review of advance copy received from Author
R. Nimes has firmly established herself as one of my favorite authors, and with every book she writes, my obsession with the Shadows universe grows stronger. I could honestly spend hours talking about this series, but for now, let's talk about the novella that completely stole my heart and introduced me to what might just be my favorite R. Nimes couple: Amalia and Silas.
These two absolutely own my heart.
Amalia and Silas are the perfect blend of adorable, intelligent, awkward, sweet, and undeniably attractive. They're both unapologetically nerdy, and instead of that being a small personality trait, it's woven beautifully into every aspect of their relationship. Watching them fall in love was an absolute joy, and I devoured this novella in a single sitting.
Amalia is impossible not to love. She wears colorful clothes, decorates herself with cute hair clips, keeps her hair in a bun, drinks an alarming amount of hot chocolate, and radiates sunshine everywhere she goes. She's brilliant, kind, quirky, and somehow manages to feel like a rainbow covered in glitter and rhinestones while also being an absolute genius. Honestly, she's the human embodiment of comfort.
And Silas? Don't even get me started.
I fell for him the moment he bought those hair clips. Then I fell harder when he went grocery shopping for her. Then somehow he managed to become even more irresistible by understanding all of her nerdy math jokes and embracing every eccentric thing that made Amalia who she is. How am I supposed to look a real-life man in the eye and tell him I love him when fictional men like Silas exist?
What I loved most about Silas was how morally gray he could be while simultaneously being completely gone for Amalia. Even he struggled to explain why she affected him the way she did, and that made his feelings feel all the more genuine. His grumpy, possessive, jealous tendencies paired perfectly with Amalia's bright and bubbly personality, creating one of the most enjoyable grumpy-sunshine relationships I've read in a long time.
Their hot chocolate obsession deserves its own paragraph.
The fact that Silas bought multiple varieties of hot chocolate just so they could compare them was ridiculously cute. The spreadsheet they created to rank each one based on creaminess, flavor, and every other imaginable category nearly sent me over the edge. It was peak nerd romance, and I loved every second of it.
Their shared love of mathematics and numbers also gave this story a unique charm. I laughed every time they used specific percentages to describe exactly how they felt about something. Their conversations felt authentic to who they were, and the way they connected through numbers was both hilarious and incredibly endearing. As someone who never expected to learn mathematics while reading a romance novel, I was pleasantly surprised.
The student-professor dynamic was executed beautifully. There was plenty of tension, emotional depth, and chemistry, and watching them navigate their growing feelings kept me completely invested from beginning to end. Their relationship felt safe, caring, and deeply respectful, which made the romantic moments all the more satisfying. The spice was perfectly balanced—not overwhelming, but enough to complement the emotional connection they built throughout the story.
What impressed me most was how much this novella managed to pack into such a short page count. There was romance, comedy, action, emotional vulnerability, discussions about real-world issues, plenty of nerdy humor, and even some fascinating science and mathematics sprinkled throughout. It never felt rushed, yet it constantly kept me engaged.
My only reason for not giving this a full five stars is the same challenge I often face with novellas: I simply wanted more. I wanted more time with these characters, more scenes of them falling in love, more moments of their ridiculous hot chocolate experiments, and honestly, a little more action as well. The story was so enjoyable that I wasn't ready for it to end.
For readers who already love the Shadows series, this novella is absolutely essential. It fills in so many gaps from Shadows of the Past and adds incredible depth to Silas and Amalia's relationship. And for anyone who hasn't started the series yet, this book is a wonderful example of everything R. Nimes does so well: lovable characters, sharp humor, emotional storytelling, and romances that stay with you long after you've finished reading.
Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to make myself a ridiculously oversized cup of hot chocolate.
And then I'm diving straight back into the rest of this universe because one thing is certain: R. Nimes has created something truly special.
These two absolutely own my heart.
Amalia and Silas are the perfect blend of adorable, intelligent, awkward, sweet, and undeniably attractive. They're both unapologetically nerdy, and instead of that being a small personality trait, it's woven beautifully into every aspect of their relationship. Watching them fall in love was an absolute joy, and I devoured this novella in a single sitting.
Amalia is impossible not to love. She wears colorful clothes, decorates herself with cute hair clips, keeps her hair in a bun, drinks an alarming amount of hot chocolate, and radiates sunshine everywhere she goes. She's brilliant, kind, quirky, and somehow manages to feel like a rainbow covered in glitter and rhinestones while also being an absolute genius. Honestly, she's the human embodiment of comfort.
And Silas? Don't even get me started.
I fell for him the moment he bought those hair clips. Then I fell harder when he went grocery shopping for her. Then somehow he managed to become even more irresistible by understanding all of her nerdy math jokes and embracing every eccentric thing that made Amalia who she is. How am I supposed to look a real-life man in the eye and tell him I love him when fictional men like Silas exist?
What I loved most about Silas was how morally gray he could be while simultaneously being completely gone for Amalia. Even he struggled to explain why she affected him the way she did, and that made his feelings feel all the more genuine. His grumpy, possessive, jealous tendencies paired perfectly with Amalia's bright and bubbly personality, creating one of the most enjoyable grumpy-sunshine relationships I've read in a long time.
Their hot chocolate obsession deserves its own paragraph.
The fact that Silas bought multiple varieties of hot chocolate just so they could compare them was ridiculously cute. The spreadsheet they created to rank each one based on creaminess, flavor, and every other imaginable category nearly sent me over the edge. It was peak nerd romance, and I loved every second of it.
Their shared love of mathematics and numbers also gave this story a unique charm. I laughed every time they used specific percentages to describe exactly how they felt about something. Their conversations felt authentic to who they were, and the way they connected through numbers was both hilarious and incredibly endearing. As someone who never expected to learn mathematics while reading a romance novel, I was pleasantly surprised.
The student-professor dynamic was executed beautifully. There was plenty of tension, emotional depth, and chemistry, and watching them navigate their growing feelings kept me completely invested from beginning to end. Their relationship felt safe, caring, and deeply respectful, which made the romantic moments all the more satisfying. The spice was perfectly balanced—not overwhelming, but enough to complement the emotional connection they built throughout the story.
What impressed me most was how much this novella managed to pack into such a short page count. There was romance, comedy, action, emotional vulnerability, discussions about real-world issues, plenty of nerdy humor, and even some fascinating science and mathematics sprinkled throughout. It never felt rushed, yet it constantly kept me engaged.
My only reason for not giving this a full five stars is the same challenge I often face with novellas: I simply wanted more. I wanted more time with these characters, more scenes of them falling in love, more moments of their ridiculous hot chocolate experiments, and honestly, a little more action as well. The story was so enjoyable that I wasn't ready for it to end.
For readers who already love the Shadows series, this novella is absolutely essential. It fills in so many gaps from Shadows of the Past and adds incredible depth to Silas and Amalia's relationship. And for anyone who hasn't started the series yet, this book is a wonderful example of everything R. Nimes does so well: lovable characters, sharp humor, emotional storytelling, and romances that stay with you long after you've finished reading.
Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to make myself a ridiculously oversized cup of hot chocolate.
And then I'm diving straight back into the rest of this universe because one thing is certain: R. Nimes has created something truly special.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Quick note before the review. This is the English translation of the original Romanian release, and it comes with bonus chapters that weren't in the first version. So even if you read the original, there's new material here worth picking up.
If you've been deep in the Shadows series and need to come up for air, this is the breather. It sits between Shadows of the Past and Shadows of Fury, and it's the lightest the series gets without losing what makes it good.
This is a novella, so it moves fast and stays focused. No sprawling plot, no heavy darkness. Just Amalia and Silas and a slow-burn forbidden setup that never tips into anything sketchy. He's her professor and she's in college, but there's no power play here. It stays warm and balanced the whole way through. If the rest of the series is the deep end, this is the part of the pool where you can still touch the bottom.
And the chemistry. This is where the book won me. Amalia and Silas have the kind of dynamic that feels effortless, and somehow it's the healthiest pairing in the whole series despite the forbidden wrapper. I believed them. I rooted for them.
The small gestures are what got me. Amalia is obsessed with hot chocolate but has no idea which one is her favorite, so Silas just buys every brand. All of them. That's the whole book in one moment, attention paid, care shown, no grand gesture required. It's the kind of soft detail that warms you from the inside out.
"Keep going, Amalia." "But you said..." "Fuck what I said."
That's the other side of the coin. Sweet on the surface, plenty of heat underneath.
They might be my favorite couple in the entire series. I didn't expect a filler novella to do that, but here we are.
Spice-wise, this is a three out of five. Not spiceless, but lighter than the other three books. If you're series-deep, you already know what you're getting. If you're newer, this is a gentle on-ramp.
Four stars. It knows exactly what it is, a sweet, lighter add-on that fills the gap between two heavier books and leaves you grinning. Sometimes that's exactly the book you need.
Sounds like: Come Closer by Sombr.
If you've been deep in the Shadows series and need to come up for air, this is the breather. It sits between Shadows of the Past and Shadows of Fury, and it's the lightest the series gets without losing what makes it good.
This is a novella, so it moves fast and stays focused. No sprawling plot, no heavy darkness. Just Amalia and Silas and a slow-burn forbidden setup that never tips into anything sketchy. He's her professor and she's in college, but there's no power play here. It stays warm and balanced the whole way through. If the rest of the series is the deep end, this is the part of the pool where you can still touch the bottom.
And the chemistry. This is where the book won me. Amalia and Silas have the kind of dynamic that feels effortless, and somehow it's the healthiest pairing in the whole series despite the forbidden wrapper. I believed them. I rooted for them.
The small gestures are what got me. Amalia is obsessed with hot chocolate but has no idea which one is her favorite, so Silas just buys every brand. All of them. That's the whole book in one moment, attention paid, care shown, no grand gesture required. It's the kind of soft detail that warms you from the inside out.
"Keep going, Amalia." "But you said..." "Fuck what I said."
That's the other side of the coin. Sweet on the surface, plenty of heat underneath.
They might be my favorite couple in the entire series. I didn't expect a filler novella to do that, but here we are.
Spice-wise, this is a three out of five. Not spiceless, but lighter than the other three books. If you're series-deep, you already know what you're getting. If you're newer, this is a gentle on-ramp.
Four stars. It knows exactly what it is, a sweet, lighter add-on that fills the gap between two heavier books and leaves you grinning. Sometimes that's exactly the book you need.
Sounds like: Come Closer by Sombr.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I was so happy to recieve this book! I devoured all the others in the series, I couldn't wait any longer for this one!!
Its recommended you at least read Shadows of the Past first as there is a event that happens and a time jump. But of course it can still be read as a standalone.
This book is a professor/student romance, I mean if that single trope hasn't hooked you in already, what did? - Silas is the professor and Amalia is the student, there first meeting was abit of a coffee spilling accident, if that isn't mortifying enough, imagine finding out its your professor you spilt the coffee on! Oops!
There next interactions in class could be tense to say the least, Amalia is still wanting to be liked by her peers so she does the work for two people. Silas isn't wanting her to do that, he wants her to be smart in his class and not take any shit. He is also having these confusing feelings towards her he cannot explain.
They feel these feelings for each other they simply can not explain, its not how their brain is wired, they are basically geniuses in there own right but just cant grasp how they feel. Its kind of adorable to watch, their first kiss? Oh my god, it was so sweet and tender. I wanted to read it all over again.
Don't even get me started on Silas' inner monologue when he sees her again, using that brain of his to calculate the unfortunate demise of another student because he steals Amailas attention. I think I see a green flag somewhere 🤔
There is so much I want to say, but i can't without giving away spoilers in the book, I cant deal with how adorable these two are, its making me melt.
As you get towards the end of the book, you will see Amailas version of an event that happened in Shadows of the past. But again, it can be read as a standalone. But I would highly suggest reading it. Like I said this series is AMAZING!
I loved this book so much!! I hope Lupe has a book coming soon OR another series of R Nimes coming..
Its recommended you at least read Shadows of the Past first as there is a event that happens and a time jump. But of course it can still be read as a standalone.
This book is a professor/student romance, I mean if that single trope hasn't hooked you in already, what did? - Silas is the professor and Amalia is the student, there first meeting was abit of a coffee spilling accident, if that isn't mortifying enough, imagine finding out its your professor you spilt the coffee on! Oops!
There next interactions in class could be tense to say the least, Amalia is still wanting to be liked by her peers so she does the work for two people. Silas isn't wanting her to do that, he wants her to be smart in his class and not take any shit. He is also having these confusing feelings towards her he cannot explain.
They feel these feelings for each other they simply can not explain, its not how their brain is wired, they are basically geniuses in there own right but just cant grasp how they feel. Its kind of adorable to watch, their first kiss? Oh my god, it was so sweet and tender. I wanted to read it all over again.
Don't even get me started on Silas' inner monologue when he sees her again, using that brain of his to calculate the unfortunate demise of another student because he steals Amailas attention. I think I see a green flag somewhere 🤔
There is so much I want to say, but i can't without giving away spoilers in the book, I cant deal with how adorable these two are, its making me melt.
As you get towards the end of the book, you will see Amailas version of an event that happened in Shadows of the past. But again, it can be read as a standalone. But I would highly suggest reading it. Like I said this series is AMAZING!
I loved this book so much!! I hope Lupe has a book coming soon OR another series of R Nimes coming..
Review of advance copy received from Author
thank you so much to r nimes and bookfunnel for the arc!!! my jaw was literally on the floor when I received this in my mail because i love love r nimes's books, the way they hook you right from the first page and have the most well thought out and done stories ever. and this book didn't disappoint aswelll.
amalia was such a sweetheart, reading her made me feel like I was reading myself in a different font. her bright clothes, cute hair clipss, loving maths and numbers and especially especially SHE'S A HOT CHOCOLATE LOVER so yeah how can I not love this absolute piece of sunshine. also her people pleasing tendencies, the way she didn't trust herself and not putting herself first made me genuinely feel so seen. her struggles were described in such a raw way that even though if you won't relate with them, you will definitely connect and appreciate the writing style because it is so phenomenal.
SILAS SILAS SILAS ohmygod, the way this man always understood my baby Amalia and boosted her self esteem ARGHHHHH. he is the embodiment of your fictional man who is morally grey but at the same time manages to be a total cutie for amalia. he's going into my fav book boyfriends list without any doubt. his backstory with his father and him finding justice for his brother were genuinely so well written.
i am a sucker for professer/student romance and their tension and chemistry were everything. the story had a perfect balance of emotional depth and connection and the way they navigated their relationship dynamics made it more satisfying.
the only complaint i have is that i wish we could have gotten to know silas's backstory regarding karina and sebastian in a little more detail because in my opinion it felt a little rushed and underdeveloped or maybe it's just because this is a novella and i wanted so much more from these characters arghhh.
loved julia, maksim, luna and roman snippets sm. my original babies forever 💗💗
so yeah if you haven't picked up any book by r nimes, this is your sign to pick any book by her nowww because she's an awesome writer who needs more recognition and hype 💗
amalia was such a sweetheart, reading her made me feel like I was reading myself in a different font. her bright clothes, cute hair clipss, loving maths and numbers and especially especially SHE'S A HOT CHOCOLATE LOVER so yeah how can I not love this absolute piece of sunshine. also her people pleasing tendencies, the way she didn't trust herself and not putting herself first made me genuinely feel so seen. her struggles were described in such a raw way that even though if you won't relate with them, you will definitely connect and appreciate the writing style because it is so phenomenal.
SILAS SILAS SILAS ohmygod, the way this man always understood my baby Amalia and boosted her self esteem ARGHHHHH. he is the embodiment of your fictional man who is morally grey but at the same time manages to be a total cutie for amalia. he's going into my fav book boyfriends list without any doubt. his backstory with his father and him finding justice for his brother were genuinely so well written.
i am a sucker for professer/student romance and their tension and chemistry were everything. the story had a perfect balance of emotional depth and connection and the way they navigated their relationship dynamics made it more satisfying.
the only complaint i have is that i wish we could have gotten to know silas's backstory regarding karina and sebastian in a little more detail because in my opinion it felt a little rushed and underdeveloped or maybe it's just because this is a novella and i wanted so much more from these characters arghhh.
loved julia, maksim, luna and roman snippets sm. my original babies forever 💗💗
so yeah if you haven't picked up any book by r nimes, this is your sign to pick any book by her nowww because she's an awesome writer who needs more recognition and hype 💗
June 22, 2026
When the author announced that she was giving us Amalia’s story I was ever so excited💜
If you have read Shadows of the Past, which is Maksim and Julia’s book, you will know that Amalia is one of Julia’s sisters in which she was separated from for years after saving them both from an unfortunate and terrifying night which resulted in the passing of their parents. This book does overlap with Shadows of the Past at certain points so I would recommend reading that first to enjoy the experience.
Now Amalia and her sister lived with their uncle after that night and has lived her life believing her older sister is still alive. If you looked up genius in the dictionary you best believe you will see Amalia’s face, she may have dabbled in some illegal activities previously to assist her old teacher and now she is moving on to college. It is here that she catches the eye of a professor by the name of Silas.
Now Silas definitely has his own agenda, the main reason he decided to teach at this university was because he received a lead on the man who was responsible for his brothers passing. Similar to Amalia, he and his brother were involved briefly with the underworld and they got involved with the wrong people which his brother paid the price and now he is ever so desperate to bring down the man responsible. This was a certainty but the one thing he did not plan was Amalia.
To say that Silas was absolutely smitten would be an understatement, while he may have came off to Amalia as an uptight and smart professor on the outside on the inside he was thinking a completely different story. When the line of forbidden was crossed between these two there was absolutely no stopping it, but there were secrets buried beneath the surface that these two must work through.
Overall I absolutely loved this story and I am ever so excited for the next installment. Thank you to the author who provided this e-arc for my honest thoughts 💭
If you have read Shadows of the Past, which is Maksim and Julia’s book, you will know that Amalia is one of Julia’s sisters in which she was separated from for years after saving them both from an unfortunate and terrifying night which resulted in the passing of their parents. This book does overlap with Shadows of the Past at certain points so I would recommend reading that first to enjoy the experience.
Now Amalia and her sister lived with their uncle after that night and has lived her life believing her older sister is still alive. If you looked up genius in the dictionary you best believe you will see Amalia’s face, she may have dabbled in some illegal activities previously to assist her old teacher and now she is moving on to college. It is here that she catches the eye of a professor by the name of Silas.
Now Silas definitely has his own agenda, the main reason he decided to teach at this university was because he received a lead on the man who was responsible for his brothers passing. Similar to Amalia, he and his brother were involved briefly with the underworld and they got involved with the wrong people which his brother paid the price and now he is ever so desperate to bring down the man responsible. This was a certainty but the one thing he did not plan was Amalia.
To say that Silas was absolutely smitten would be an understatement, while he may have came off to Amalia as an uptight and smart professor on the outside on the inside he was thinking a completely different story. When the line of forbidden was crossed between these two there was absolutely no stopping it, but there were secrets buried beneath the surface that these two must work through.
Overall I absolutely loved this story and I am ever so excited for the next installment. Thank you to the author who provided this e-arc for my honest thoughts 💭
Review of advance copy received from Author
This gets a 4.5⭐️ from me.
Shadows of Reason is the first book in this Shadows univers that the author created and now i just know where all my money will go next. Because it's addictive!
I fell for Silas the moment he got the hairclips🤭 and then fell some more when he went grocery shopping🫠☕️ and then he had the audacity to understand all her nerdy jokes... Like, how am I supposed to go and look a real, living, breathing human guy in his eyes and tell him I love him when Silas exists?
Amalia? She's every inch of a rainbow, covered in glitter and topped with rinestones. She's sweet and smart and nice and basically a genius powerpuff girl with cute hair clips and an unhealthy relationship with hot chocolate.
And when you combine these two you get the perfect ratio of grumpy×sunshine nerd couple and I was definitely here for it.
This book has everything. A mix of romance and comedy and action. There's serios talk about feelings and situations that happen all around the world. There's funny nerdy jokes and then some good intro into the world of science ( mathematics mostly). And then there's some spicy time, not too much and not too little, just the right amount and the safe, loving kind. And then there's the action.
Now thats where my 0.5 of the 5 stars disappeared. I wanted a little more action. I wanted to feel some more stressed(not that my cortisone level appreciates that...)
So now that i tasted the water with my toes, if y'all excuse me, I will go make myself a cup of hot chocolate sprinkle some cinnamon and add an insane amount of whipped cream ( i don't even like whipped crea 🙃) because i want to feel as unicorny and smart as Amalia feels. And also grab a copy of the rest of the books in this univers
Shadows of Reason is the first book in this Shadows univers that the author created and now i just know where all my money will go next. Because it's addictive!
I fell for Silas the moment he got the hairclips🤭 and then fell some more when he went grocery shopping🫠☕️ and then he had the audacity to understand all her nerdy jokes... Like, how am I supposed to go and look a real, living, breathing human guy in his eyes and tell him I love him when Silas exists?
Amalia? She's every inch of a rainbow, covered in glitter and topped with rinestones. She's sweet and smart and nice and basically a genius powerpuff girl with cute hair clips and an unhealthy relationship with hot chocolate.
And when you combine these two you get the perfect ratio of grumpy×sunshine nerd couple and I was definitely here for it.
This book has everything. A mix of romance and comedy and action. There's serios talk about feelings and situations that happen all around the world. There's funny nerdy jokes and then some good intro into the world of science ( mathematics mostly). And then there's some spicy time, not too much and not too little, just the right amount and the safe, loving kind. And then there's the action.
Now thats where my 0.5 of the 5 stars disappeared. I wanted a little more action. I wanted to feel some more stressed(not that my cortisone level appreciates that...)
So now that i tasted the water with my toes, if y'all excuse me, I will go make myself a cup of hot chocolate sprinkle some cinnamon and add an insane amount of whipped cream ( i don't even like whipped crea 🙃) because i want to feel as unicorny and smart as Amalia feels. And also grab a copy of the rest of the books in this univers
Review of advance copy received from Author
4.5 ⭐️
"Have a little obsession with my hands, Miss Sanchez?"
Grumpy professor and nerdy student:SOLD
If you've read the first 3 books in the series, I'm sure you need a little break after all the traumas so the novella is exactly that,a breath of fresh air after a long day.
Because it's a novella everything happens quite quickly,yet we have angst,longing and lots of tension.
"Your mind is a privilege, Amalia. Stop carrying everyone on your back just to be considered a 'nice' classmate. At least in my class, I don't need you to be nice. I need you to be smart."
I loved the fact that even though Amalia doesn't trust herself and wants to please everyone, Silas always tries to boost her self-esteem and makes her put herself first.
"Next time, break his fucking hand, Amalia. And if you can't do it yourself, come get me."
Silas tries to keep his distance from Amalia at first but that doesn't last long because when another teacher makes her feel uncomfortable and takes her hair clips,he doesn't think twice about breaking his fingers for touching her.
Long story short if you haven't read anything by R Nimes yet,this is your sign to start because you're missing out on a fantastic universe.
All books in the series can be read on their own, but for a complete experience I recommend starting in order.
Thank you Ramona for the opportunity to reread the story of Silas and Amalia ❤️
"Have a little obsession with my hands, Miss Sanchez?"
Grumpy professor and nerdy student:SOLD
If you've read the first 3 books in the series, I'm sure you need a little break after all the traumas so the novella is exactly that,a breath of fresh air after a long day.
Because it's a novella everything happens quite quickly,yet we have angst,longing and lots of tension.
"Your mind is a privilege, Amalia. Stop carrying everyone on your back just to be considered a 'nice' classmate. At least in my class, I don't need you to be nice. I need you to be smart."
I loved the fact that even though Amalia doesn't trust herself and wants to please everyone, Silas always tries to boost her self-esteem and makes her put herself first.
"Next time, break his fucking hand, Amalia. And if you can't do it yourself, come get me."
Silas tries to keep his distance from Amalia at first but that doesn't last long because when another teacher makes her feel uncomfortable and takes her hair clips,he doesn't think twice about breaking his fingers for touching her.
Long story short if you haven't read anything by R Nimes yet,this is your sign to start because you're missing out on a fantastic universe.
All books in the series can be read on their own, but for a complete experience I recommend starting in order.
Thank you Ramona for the opportunity to reread the story of Silas and Amalia ❤️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Author
R. Nimes has officially given me my absolute favorite couple in the entire Shadows series.
Shadows of Reason is a fast paced, focused novella that delivers everything you want in a forbidden professor x student romance without any of the sketchy power dynamics. Amalia is a brilliant, colorful math genius trying to move past a difficult history and a tragic childhood loss. On her first day of college, she accidentally spills coffee on Silas, the uptight professor who happens to be hiding a dark, vengeful agenda involving the underworld.
The chemistry between Silas and Amalia is effortless and beautifully balanced. Even though Silas is a morally grey, possessive MMC, his devotion to Amalia is incredibly sweet. The small gestures completely stole my heart, especially when Silas buys every brand of hot chocolate available because he has no idea which one is her favorite.
While this can be read as a standalone, it overlaps significantly with Shadows of the Past. I highly recommend reading that one first to fully understand Amalia's background and her separation from her sister. If you love a slow burn, age gap romance with a protective hero and a relatable, endearing heroine, you will devour this just as fast as I did.
Shadows of Reason is a fast paced, focused novella that delivers everything you want in a forbidden professor x student romance without any of the sketchy power dynamics. Amalia is a brilliant, colorful math genius trying to move past a difficult history and a tragic childhood loss. On her first day of college, she accidentally spills coffee on Silas, the uptight professor who happens to be hiding a dark, vengeful agenda involving the underworld.
The chemistry between Silas and Amalia is effortless and beautifully balanced. Even though Silas is a morally grey, possessive MMC, his devotion to Amalia is incredibly sweet. The small gestures completely stole my heart, especially when Silas buys every brand of hot chocolate available because he has no idea which one is her favorite.
While this can be read as a standalone, it overlaps significantly with Shadows of the Past. I highly recommend reading that one first to fully understand Amalia's background and her separation from her sister. If you love a slow burn, age gap romance with a protective hero and a relatable, endearing heroine, you will devour this just as fast as I did.
Review of advance copy received from Author
R. Nimes is one of my favorite author. She is amazing and talented. I can talk all day about this series because I am really obsessed. Let's talk about this book though, because I have finally found my fav couple by R. Nimes and its Amalia and Silas. They're both nerd, cute, hot, sweet and so so many things. I love them so so much. I love how morally grey Silas was in this book and even he can't explain why he felt what he felt for Amalia. My sweet sweet Amalia, always put her hair in a bun, wear colorful clothes and love hot chocolate. How adorable is she?! Silas bought all types of hot chocolate for Amalia urgh so freaking cute! And how cute they are when they have this spreadsheet rating which hot chocolate is the best based on creaminess etc. Urgh I can't. Its a professor x student tropes and of course I devoured this. I kept on messaging R. Nimes about this book and she is a doll! I don't think but I know I'm annoying always sliding in her DMs talking about her books! Lol sorry R! If I can force you to do something, please read this book. I cannot stress this enough! Such a cute cute couple! And maybe, you'll learn some mathematics in this (because I did) lol!
Review of advance copy received from Author
ARC REVIEW
5⭐
2🌶️
I usually don't enjoy student/teacher trope but since this was a short story I genuinely enjoyed it. What more can I wish when MMC is nerd with possessive and jealousy feelings over his best student. I loved how his mind worked and how obsessed he was towards Amalia. It's an insta love story with hacker FMC and genius MMC. I loved how Silas quit his job immediately just to be with her in another country and how he was taking care of his late brother's fiance and kid. Since it's a short story there isn't really a big drama but it has enough to keep you intrigued. I was sooo happy when other characters appeared from "shadows of past" and how their relationship was between FMC and MMC. Even though Lupe made grave mistakes toward her sister I still wish there is happy ending for her too in future books.
5⭐
2🌶️
I usually don't enjoy student/teacher trope but since this was a short story I genuinely enjoyed it. What more can I wish when MMC is nerd with possessive and jealousy feelings over his best student. I loved how his mind worked and how obsessed he was towards Amalia. It's an insta love story with hacker FMC and genius MMC. I loved how Silas quit his job immediately just to be with her in another country and how he was taking care of his late brother's fiance and kid. Since it's a short story there isn't really a big drama but it has enough to keep you intrigued. I was sooo happy when other characters appeared from "shadows of past" and how their relationship was between FMC and MMC. Even though Lupe made grave mistakes toward her sister I still wish there is happy ending for her too in future books.
Review of advance copy received from Author
4.5⭐️
I really enjoyed this novella and getting to experience Silas & Amalia fall in love. I flew through this in one sitting. The student-professor dynamic was amazing, and I loved how grumpy and jealous Silas was. Their bonding over maths and numbers was so much fun to read, and I especially enjoyed how they gave each other specific percentages to describe EXACTLY how they were feeling about something and how specific they were🤣
The only reason this wasn’t a five-star read for me is that I generally prefer having more time to connect with the characters and story, which is something a novella naturally can’t provide to the same extent as a full-length novel.
If you enjoy the Shadows series, this novella is an absolute must-read. It adds so much to Silas and Amalia’s story and fills in all the blanks from Shadows of the Past.
I really enjoyed this novella and getting to experience Silas & Amalia fall in love. I flew through this in one sitting. The student-professor dynamic was amazing, and I loved how grumpy and jealous Silas was. Their bonding over maths and numbers was so much fun to read, and I especially enjoyed how they gave each other specific percentages to describe EXACTLY how they were feeling about something and how specific they were🤣
The only reason this wasn’t a five-star read for me is that I generally prefer having more time to connect with the characters and story, which is something a novella naturally can’t provide to the same extent as a full-length novel.
If you enjoy the Shadows series, this novella is an absolute must-read. It adds so much to Silas and Amalia’s story and fills in all the blanks from Shadows of the Past.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Give me the professor/student trope and I'm sold.
I really loved Amalia and Silas together. The chemistry and tension between them kept me hooked the whole time.
I also liked that the book wasn't only about the romance. It had action, suspense, and enough things happening to keep me interested from beginning to end.
Overall, it was such a fun and addictive read, and I couldn't stop turning the pages.
I really loved Amalia and Silas together. The chemistry and tension between them kept me hooked the whole time.
I also liked that the book wasn't only about the romance. It had action, suspense, and enough things happening to keep me interested from beginning to end.
Overall, it was such a fun and addictive read, and I couldn't stop turning the pages.
Review of advance copy received from Author
This was my first time reading a book by R. Nimes and I’m so happy I got this chance! Her writing captivates you, gives you all those good feelings you love to have when setting down to read a good book!
Silas and Amalia were so dang cute together! I don’t think I’ll ever look at hot chocolate the same way again. Lol the angst, the spice and the math was amazing! Now I need to go and read every other book written by R! Because I ate this one up!
Silas and Amalia were so dang cute together! I don’t think I’ll ever look at hot chocolate the same way again. Lol the angst, the spice and the math was amazing! Now I need to go and read every other book written by R! Because I ate this one up!
Review of advance copy received from Author
I adored every single word. Such a beautifully written story that takes you through every possible emotion. It follows a forbidden relationship between a professor whose ethics are far from flawless and a model student who struggles deeply with trusting her own abilities. I absolutely loved their story. It’s perfect and leaves you with an incredibly beautiful feeling long after you’ve finished reading. 💜🥹
Review of advance copy received from Author
I love this series!! And I was so excited to read about amalia.
I liked the book, but not as much as the others. I would have loved some more build up, tension and interactions before they got feelings, but i really loved amalia!! Such a sweet and smart fmc. I also loved Silas and how he was struggling to understand his emotions, but knew he would do anything to make her smile. they were both nerdy and cute and a little awkward in a good way 🩷 cant wait for the rest of the series!
I liked the book, but not as much as the others. I would have loved some more build up, tension and interactions before they got feelings, but i really loved amalia!! Such a sweet and smart fmc. I also loved Silas and how he was struggling to understand his emotions, but knew he would do anything to make her smile. they were both nerdy and cute and a little awkward in a good way 🩷 cant wait for the rest of the series!
Review of advance copy received from Author
Shadows of reason is an absolute must-read if you are a fan of forbidden, high-stakes romances that keep you turning pages late into the night. The book provides the perfect, high-tension backdrop for a story that is as intellectually stimulating as it is emotionally charged. The relationship between Amalia and Silas will stay with me for a long time.
June 20, 2026
Did not think this was something I needed as we were between books. Amalia and Silas were so endearing and quirky I honestly read this with a smile on my face (totally needed after the heaviness previously read). It slot in so well before SOTP that it didn’t feel repetitive, it was all still fresh.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Really loved the story of Amalia and Silas.
Love the professor-student trope, and how Amalia was buit as a smart girl, colored dressed and hot ciocolate lover.
Also loved the university atmosphere. A very good book overall, my rating was based on the comparison with the other volumes of the series. Thank you for the oportunity of reading this book before the launch!
Love the professor-student trope, and how Amalia was buit as a smart girl, colored dressed and hot ciocolate lover.
Also loved the university atmosphere. A very good book overall, my rating was based on the comparison with the other volumes of the series. Thank you for the oportunity of reading this book before the launch!
Review of advance copy received from Author
This book was PERFECT!! I am absolutely obsessed with this series and was a little bit nervous about the professor X student trope but my goodness it works so well, there is still heavy PLOT with mafia vibes and Amalia & Silas work so well together. Cannot WAIT for book 5.
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