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Shadow Lover
Taking care of her dying Aunt Sally, the only mother she has ever known, Carolyn Smith is stunned when Sally's son Alex returns after eighteen years, especially since she witnessed his murder on the night of his supposed disappearance, and as she races against time to expose the sensual imposter, she enters a world of dark secrets, passion, and deceit. Original.
320 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published March 1, 1999
45 people are currently reading
1306 people want to read
About the author
Anne Stuart
203 books2,062 followersAnne Stuart is a grandmaster of the genre, winner of Romance Writers of America's prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award, survivor of more than thirty-five years in the romance business, and still just keeps getting better.
Her first novel was Barrett's Hill, a gothic romance published by Ballantine in 1974 when Anne had just turned 25. Since then she's written more gothics, regencies, romantic suspense, romantic adventure, series romance, suspense, historical romance, paranormal and mainstream contemporary romance for publishers such as Doubleday, Harlequin, Silhouette, Avon, Zebra, St. Martins Press, Berkley, Dell, Pocket Books and Fawcett.
She’s won numerous awards, appeared on most bestseller lists, and speaks all over the country. Her general outrageousness has gotten her on Entertainment Tonight, as well as in Vogue, People, USA Today, Women’s Day and countless other national newspapers and magazines.
When she’s not traveling, she’s at home in Northern Vermont with her luscious husband of thirty-six years, an empty nest, three cats, four sewing machines, and one Springer Spaniel, and when she’s not working she’s watching movies, listening to rock and roll (preferably Japanese) and spending far too much time quilting.
Anne Stuart also writes as Kristina Douglas.
Her first novel was Barrett's Hill, a gothic romance published by Ballantine in 1974 when Anne had just turned 25. Since then she's written more gothics, regencies, romantic suspense, romantic adventure, series romance, suspense, historical romance, paranormal and mainstream contemporary romance for publishers such as Doubleday, Harlequin, Silhouette, Avon, Zebra, St. Martins Press, Berkley, Dell, Pocket Books and Fawcett.
She’s won numerous awards, appeared on most bestseller lists, and speaks all over the country. Her general outrageousness has gotten her on Entertainment Tonight, as well as in Vogue, People, USA Today, Women’s Day and countless other national newspapers and magazines.
When she’s not traveling, she’s at home in Northern Vermont with her luscious husband of thirty-six years, an empty nest, three cats, four sewing machines, and one Springer Spaniel, and when she’s not working she’s watching movies, listening to rock and roll (preferably Japanese) and spending far too much time quilting.
Anne Stuart also writes as Kristina Douglas.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 181 reviews
February 12, 2016
Really enjoyed this one. Her books are quite atmospheric. Not sure if you know what I mean ...
A con man. A rich family. Mind-games. Murder. Lies. Passion.
I know this review is a bit vague but I think you are better off not knowing too much about it.
A woman holds vigil over her wealthy, dying step-mother. Tensions -- already high with greedy relatives appearing to claim their inheritances -- are further strained by the appearance of the dying woman's long-lost son, who ran away 18 years ago. His mother greets him with joy, the relatives with resentment, but the woman alone knows he is hiding something...that he is not who he says he is. As she uncovers secrets and deceptions of the past and present, she knows only one thing in her heart -- that the irresistible appeal and seductive power of this mysterious stranger may be more dangerous than she thinks!
A con man. A rich family. Mind-games. Murder. Lies. Passion.
"They've trained you well, Carolyn.
They did what they could never do with me."
"And what's that?"
"They made you one of them. They sucked the life and soul from you."
"I want you. I don't care who you are. I don't care what you are."
She could hear the racing thud of his heartbeat. She could hear her own pulses race ...
He stretched out on the bed.
He could smell the rich scent of sex and sweat and Carolyn.
He wanted her back, wanted her with a need so powerful it made him shake.
I know this review is a bit vague but I think you are better off not knowing too much about it.
"I'm afraid I'll fall in love with you."
May 23, 2016
Review written May 22, 2016
4 Stars - A solid good family feud romance. My approval!
My very first by Anne Stuart. A quite old one from 1999 with some promising good friends reviews. I listened to the 9:13 hrs audiobook narrated by Michael Pauley.
•
•
•
Yay! I'm glad, a bit surprised and happy
I actually think I got more than expected. I like books by Sandra Brown, Linda Howard and even Nora Roberts at times, and this is somewhat similar. Shadow Lover is told in just that solid good old suspense style i truly enjoy. I wasn't sure at first, maybe was it a weak start from the narrator, but already after a few chapters was I hooked.
This audiobook was glued to my earbuds this sunny Sunday. Perfect!!
**********************************************
Vermont in the winter
Shadow Lover is a story about deep old family secrets, a missing spoiled rebellious teenage son 18 years ago and a rich old damaged family. The by now over 70 years old dominant McDowell matriarch is dying...
Alexander (Alex) McDowell dissapered and now when his mother Sally is on her deathbed sick in cancer is he once again back with the big family in their winter mansion. Is this blue eyed goodlooking man who shows up from nowhere really the future McDowell heir he claims to be?
Carolyn Smith is the foster kid who since toddler age lived in the shadows of the real so much loved McDowell son. She is the sweet girl Alex teased, the girl they all McDowell's actually treated more like a servant or a nobody than a true daughter in the house. The girl who then long ago, as a young thirteen year old, had her first innocent "crush" in the few years older so beautiful blonde boy. The girl who saw him die on a beach a horrible frightening night nearly twenty years ago.
Carolyn is sure this returning lost Alex-son just is a fake. He can't still be living, he just must be a money hungry imposter ... a scary very sexy attractive swindler though.
**********************************************
My summary...
Shadow Lover was both exciting thrilling, romantic hot and it took time before I knew who was good and who was evil. A good well thoughtout storyline and a lot of interesting characters to suspect. Add nicely described steamy heat, a neat bit of cruelty and some (lighter) darkness. It was heartbreaking at times.
I always appreciate a strong heroine to admire and Carolyn truly was one. Not to forget a perfect romances novel alpha hero. Overly sexy, rough and a harsh jerk to start with (..as it should be - Mmm!!).
Audiobook and narrator?
I must admit that I felt it was a bit shaky to start with. Michael Pauley may not be my absolute favorite but he did it good and I was fully satisfied the second half. This was a terrific story for listening and I prefer suspense and crime narrated by a male voice and Mr Pauley did it good. Tumb up from me.
**********************************************
All in all nicely done with a really good suspense plot.
I'm a big smile, I like. It will be more by Anne Stuart.
I LIKE - to guess who is the baddie. The hero?
4 Stars - A solid good family feud romance. My approval!
My very first by Anne Stuart. A quite old one from 1999 with some promising good friends reviews. I listened to the 9:13 hrs audiobook narrated by Michael Pauley.
•
•
•
Yay! I'm glad, a bit surprised and happy
I actually think I got more than expected. I like books by Sandra Brown, Linda Howard and even Nora Roberts at times, and this is somewhat similar. Shadow Lover is told in just that solid good old suspense style i truly enjoy. I wasn't sure at first, maybe was it a weak start from the narrator, but already after a few chapters was I hooked.
This audiobook was glued to my earbuds this sunny Sunday. Perfect!!
**********************************************
Vermont in the winter
Shadow Lover is a story about deep old family secrets, a missing spoiled rebellious teenage son 18 years ago and a rich old damaged family. The by now over 70 years old dominant McDowell matriarch is dying...
« What would you do if the boy you loved returned almost 20 years later and you fell in love with him all over again - even if you were sure it couldn't be him? »
Alexander (Alex) McDowell dissapered and now when his mother Sally is on her deathbed sick in cancer is he once again back with the big family in their winter mansion. Is this blue eyed goodlooking man who shows up from nowhere really the future McDowell heir he claims to be?
Carolyn Smith is the foster kid who since toddler age lived in the shadows of the real so much loved McDowell son. She is the sweet girl Alex teased, the girl they all McDowell's actually treated more like a servant or a nobody than a true daughter in the house. The girl who then long ago, as a young thirteen year old, had her first innocent "crush" in the few years older so beautiful blonde boy. The girl who saw him die on a beach a horrible frightening night nearly twenty years ago.
Carolyn is sure this returning lost Alex-son just is a fake. He can't still be living, he just must be a money hungry imposter ... a scary very sexy attractive swindler though.
**********************************************
My summary...
Shadow Lover was both exciting thrilling, romantic hot and it took time before I knew who was good and who was evil. A good well thoughtout storyline and a lot of interesting characters to suspect. Add nicely described steamy heat, a neat bit of cruelty and some (lighter) darkness. It was heartbreaking at times.
I always appreciate a strong heroine to admire and Carolyn truly was one. Not to forget a perfect romances novel alpha hero. Overly sexy, rough and a harsh jerk to start with (..as it should be - Mmm!!).
Audiobook and narrator?
I must admit that I felt it was a bit shaky to start with. Michael Pauley may not be my absolute favorite but he did it good and I was fully satisfied the second half. This was a terrific story for listening and I prefer suspense and crime narrated by a male voice and Mr Pauley did it good. Tumb up from me.
**********************************************
All in all nicely done with a really good suspense plot.
I'm a big smile, I like. It will be more by Anne Stuart.
I LIKE - to guess who is the baddie. The hero?
January 25, 2014
POUR THAT DARK OBSESSION ALL OVER ME…
4 Anne Stuart Continues to Captivate Me Stars…
A tale of the ultimate con…a rich and privileged family, children of dubious parentage, a night of murder and young innocent passion, and a woman with fuzzy memories and a hole in her soul.
Readers today are edging toward these darker romances, and they just might lap this up like melted chocolate. This hero isn’t a sadist…no, he’s the quintessential gamma hero.
Alex definitely rides a fine line between a gothic hero and the best damned person ever. It’s hard to get a read on him, and that’s the point. He’s ruthless, handsome, cold and calculating. He has good in him…all of Stuart’s heroes do. They just don’t give two shits about what society deems appropriate. They don’t care about how that Joe Blow over there is judging them. That’s a hard concept for most people to consider.
Most people want acceptance, camaraderie, attention. Not so that gamma hero, and not so with Alex. He wants none of that. Except when it comes to Carolyn. He wants her. Just her…she becomes his obsession. Yes, there’s a seedy, greedy feel to his lust, his desire, his own brand of love for her. And I loved it. I love that one woman consumes him, above all else. She’s it for him and screw the rest of the world.
Carolyn is the changeling of the MacDowell family. The orphan that was never adopted, living in the background among the rich and privileged, she’s always felt out of place. And yet she’s always been grateful that she had a place to call home, however unwanted or unloved she may feel. The prodigal son, Alex MacDowell who lived to torture her as a young woman, has returned after an eighteen year absence. Everyone seems to accept his story, even his own mother, Sally, who is on her deathbed waiting for cancer to steal her last breaths. Everyone is convinced that this man, this imposter, is the real Alex, the spoiled little rebellious rich boy, returned to see his mother before she dies. But not Carolyn. Because she saw him die on that night long ago. So this man is someone else, a scavenger come to scoop up the MacDowell riches.
Or is he?
Carolyn, they shy and unassuming little helper of the family is a raging hormonal mixed bag of broken hearted emotions. For she’s never felt this confusing passion for anyone except for the now-deceased Alex MacDowell. This imposter and his sneering, beautiful face, is the lowest of low and she should feel nothing but contempt for him. So how could she love someone so self centered, so uncaring and unfeeling? Love is strange. You don’t control who you love. Or feel all of your teenage lustfully delicious feeling for.
Obviously with such a so-so average rating, I may be in the minority with my opinion but I do urge readers to remember that this is a re-released book. I didn’t find it to be horribly dated, though, except for maybe the lack of cell phones. But the integrity of the story is solid…the twist and turns gave me whiplash…the good kind. Plot twist, watch out! I was thinking so far ahead, I didn’t notice what should have been obvious and it was great.
The steam level is about a three, but it's very sensual and therefore satisfying...these two really do connect passionately, and the walls come tumbling down when they are intimate.
I agree with the gothic undertones. Think Rebecca without the ghost of dead wives past…think Jane Eyre without the insanity of living wives in the attic. This is one messed up family, and this story sort of brings home the importance of how the best things in life are free…money breeds evil. Love conquers all :D:D:D
Copy provided by Bell Bridge Books via Net Galley
4 Anne Stuart Continues to Captivate Me Stars…
A tale of the ultimate con…a rich and privileged family, children of dubious parentage, a night of murder and young innocent passion, and a woman with fuzzy memories and a hole in her soul.
“The things you most longed for in life quite often turned out to be worthless and shallow.”
Readers today are edging toward these darker romances, and they just might lap this up like melted chocolate. This hero isn’t a sadist…no, he’s the quintessential gamma hero.
Alex definitely rides a fine line between a gothic hero and the best damned person ever. It’s hard to get a read on him, and that’s the point. He’s ruthless, handsome, cold and calculating. He has good in him…all of Stuart’s heroes do. They just don’t give two shits about what society deems appropriate. They don’t care about how that Joe Blow over there is judging them. That’s a hard concept for most people to consider.
Most people want acceptance, camaraderie, attention. Not so that gamma hero, and not so with Alex. He wants none of that. Except when it comes to Carolyn. He wants her. Just her…she becomes his obsession. Yes, there’s a seedy, greedy feel to his lust, his desire, his own brand of love for her. And I loved it. I love that one woman consumes him, above all else. She’s it for him and screw the rest of the world.
“Of course you watch me, just as I watch you. Whether you admit it or not, we’re both suffering from a case f terminal, mutual lust, and even if we manage to keep our hands off each other , we can’t stop watching. “
Carolyn is the changeling of the MacDowell family. The orphan that was never adopted, living in the background among the rich and privileged, she’s always felt out of place. And yet she’s always been grateful that she had a place to call home, however unwanted or unloved she may feel. The prodigal son, Alex MacDowell who lived to torture her as a young woman, has returned after an eighteen year absence. Everyone seems to accept his story, even his own mother, Sally, who is on her deathbed waiting for cancer to steal her last breaths. Everyone is convinced that this man, this imposter, is the real Alex, the spoiled little rebellious rich boy, returned to see his mother before she dies. But not Carolyn. Because she saw him die on that night long ago. So this man is someone else, a scavenger come to scoop up the MacDowell riches.
Or is he?
Carolyn, they shy and unassuming little helper of the family is a raging hormonal mixed bag of broken hearted emotions. For she’s never felt this confusing passion for anyone except for the now-deceased Alex MacDowell. This imposter and his sneering, beautiful face, is the lowest of low and she should feel nothing but contempt for him. So how could she love someone so self centered, so uncaring and unfeeling? Love is strange. You don’t control who you love. Or feel all of your teenage lustfully delicious feeling for.
“Some women were attracted to him, some women despised him. Carolyn Smith just happened to fit in both of those categories.”
Obviously with such a so-so average rating, I may be in the minority with my opinion but I do urge readers to remember that this is a re-released book. I didn’t find it to be horribly dated, though, except for maybe the lack of cell phones. But the integrity of the story is solid…the twist and turns gave me whiplash…the good kind. Plot twist, watch out! I was thinking so far ahead, I didn’t notice what should have been obvious and it was great.
The steam level is about a three, but it's very sensual and therefore satisfying...these two really do connect passionately, and the walls come tumbling down when they are intimate.
I agree with the gothic undertones. Think Rebecca without the ghost of dead wives past…think Jane Eyre without the insanity of living wives in the attic. This is one messed up family, and this story sort of brings home the importance of how the best things in life are free…money breeds evil. Love conquers all :D:D:D
Copy provided by Bell Bridge Books via Net Galley
December 13, 2015
This is why I love Anne Stuart. She is the BEST!!!
September 10, 2016
4 STARS
I remember very little from reading Anne Stuart's Ice series. I remember the gamma heroes, the formulaic plot progression and not being overly thrilled with either. I remember those books being widely shelved as Romantic-Suspense when it felt this side of anemic on both aspects for me.
Okay, maybe I remember more than a little but I definitely don't remember it being as much fun and sexy (good Lord was it sexy!) as Shadow Lover.
Carolyn Smith has always considered the MacDowells her own blood. Despite being seen as nothing more than a dignified servant, she has remained faithful and loyal to its members. Especially the matriarch of the moneyed and illustrious family, Sally MacDowell whose health has been rapidly deteriorating. Her looming death and the large inheritance has brought to the doorsteps of their Vermont mansion a man who claims to be Alexander MacDowell, Sally's only son who disappeared and has been presumed dead for the last 18 years and more importantly, the sole heir to the MacDowell fortune.
Carolyn is certain he's an impostor, carrying the secret baggage of being the sole witness to the real Alex MacDowell getting shot to death on the night he ran away from home. Yet this man bears a striking resemblance to the irascible, beautiful and troubled boy who tortured her throughout their shared childhood. This man bears scars and knows secrets only she and Alex are aware of. And this man stirs something in her that she has long buried, emotions meant to be unreturned.
But if he is the real Alex MacDowell, who tried to kill him that night so many years ago? And why isn't he dead?
At first glance, the premise of Shadow Lover comes across this side of predictable with huge hokeyness potential. In truth it comes across as the bastard child of an Agatha Christie novel and a Joan Collins-starrer soap opera, if that child wears a lot of black, heavy eyeliner and listens to Bauhaus. If that doesn’t pique your interest you just might be dead, please consult your doctor.
The mystery was deceptively simplistic. The question of whether the man claiming to be Alex is the actual Alexander MacDowell gets answered quite early in the book which of course leads one to expect a more intricately fashioned layers of deceptions, lies and counter-lies. Don’t worry this book delivers on so many levels deeper than that aspect. I have a nasty habit of guessing ahead where the story will go and how it will get there and while I’ve had some success in the maze Anne Stuart created here, I’m not ashamed to admit the plot twist of the plot twist of the plot twist still managed to surprise me. I liked how the reveals were peeled off gradually, a striptease of WTFery that was never irritating or gimmicky. It all felt streamlined smoothly into the tension surrounding each of the characters which adds to their appeal individually and as a couple.
And that’s a huge incentive for an atmospheric, goth romantic-suspense. I liked that the hero and the heroine have a shared childhood history. The backstory of thirteen year-old Carolyn’s simultaneous hatred and inexplicable crush on seventeen year-old Alex, her rebellious tormentor, is something I have a great weakness for. It made for great banter and intense sexual energy between them whenever they were together and its been a while since I’ve seen such intense chemistry in this genre.
While the chemistry between Alex and Carolyn was undeniably flammable, they were likeable independent of each other. Enough for me to care that they end up together in the end. Carolyn could have easily devolved into a sentimental doe-eyed girl who argues half-heartedly with Alex while imagining him naked. She didn’t. She’s the person Alex needs most to convince of his identity and I find her rigid loyalty to a family who only cares for her superficially, bittersweet and heart-rending but also admirable. Alex is not a stereotypical hero. He’s neither an alpha, beta or a gamma. He just is. He doesn’t turn into a steaming pile of lovelorn mush after sex. He’s smart in a very utilitarian sense complemented by a sometimes abrasive and acerbic wit with a habit for sexual innuendoes that has the right blend of… I dunno, tempered randiness.
The MacDowells hold some insane family secrets that fit quite well with the underlying sinister feel of the book as a whole. Let’s just say they’d totally be great neighbours to the Lannisters, the Barratheons and the Tullys.
I liked how very unpredictable the scenes were and the reactions from each character on each plot twist were uncanny and non-stereotypical. Attempted murder with an intentional food allergen challenge test?
Can I just commend Anne Stuart for writing one of the most intensely hot sex scene I’ve read in a while? I mean, I know I’ve been reading one too many YAs lately but once upon a time I read my share of books with crazy sex scenes involving vegetable play and what-not. This was… different. And I’m not even talking about poetic narrative with frou-frou descriptions of emotions and the universe and destiny and whatever. No, fellow pervs, this was carnal and graphic. You could only read about sex so many different ways before it gets derivative and boring. This was very good in being creative without crossing ridiculous.
Unfortunately some of Shadow Lover weak spots were in the archaic stereotypes it chose to adhere. Everybody is beautiful, of course. And conversely, the heroine is clueless as to how attractive she is. Of course. The reminder that Alex has “Cossack eyes” was too often to ignore among other repetitive observations peppered with limited and redundant adjectives. I liked how this managed to avoid being dated by not incorporating much technology in the storyline but combined with these old-fashioned details this could’ve as easily been a book from the 80s. And I’m not sure if that was the author’s intention. I would’ve liked some more dialogue from Alex and Carolyn’s pasts as their banter as adults were quite entertaining to witness, but again that maybe the YA-reader in me talking.
Shadow Lover may be handicapped by a deceptively throwaway, generic title, a none-too-original story and some old-fashioned romance novel pitfalls. But its making me reconsider the rest of Anne Stuart’s backlist so it must have done a couple of somethings right.
ARC provided by Bell Bridge Books thru Netgalley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
Also on BookLIkes.
================================
Beautiful, rich, CRAZY people! Throwing chairs and innuendoes at each other! 'Sploding cars and houses! And SEX! Insanely hot monkey sex!
Like sands through the hourglass, these are the motherfucking days of our lives, bitches!
They lived in shadows, the two of them, with secrets and lies surrounding them. But what lay between them was real. And that was all that mattered.
I remember very little from reading Anne Stuart's Ice series. I remember the gamma heroes, the formulaic plot progression and not being overly thrilled with either. I remember those books being widely shelved as Romantic-Suspense when it felt this side of anemic on both aspects for me.
Okay, maybe I remember more than a little but I definitely don't remember it being as much fun and sexy (good Lord was it sexy!) as Shadow Lover.
Carolyn Smith has always considered the MacDowells her own blood. Despite being seen as nothing more than a dignified servant, she has remained faithful and loyal to its members. Especially the matriarch of the moneyed and illustrious family, Sally MacDowell whose health has been rapidly deteriorating. Her looming death and the large inheritance has brought to the doorsteps of their Vermont mansion a man who claims to be Alexander MacDowell, Sally's only son who disappeared and has been presumed dead for the last 18 years and more importantly, the sole heir to the MacDowell fortune.
Carolyn is certain he's an impostor, carrying the secret baggage of being the sole witness to the real Alex MacDowell getting shot to death on the night he ran away from home. Yet this man bears a striking resemblance to the irascible, beautiful and troubled boy who tortured her throughout their shared childhood. This man bears scars and knows secrets only she and Alex are aware of. And this man stirs something in her that she has long buried, emotions meant to be unreturned.
But if he is the real Alex MacDowell, who tried to kill him that night so many years ago? And why isn't he dead?
At first glance, the premise of Shadow Lover comes across this side of predictable with huge hokeyness potential. In truth it comes across as the bastard child of an Agatha Christie novel and a Joan Collins-starrer soap opera, if that child wears a lot of black, heavy eyeliner and listens to Bauhaus. If that doesn’t pique your interest you just might be dead, please consult your doctor.
The mystery was deceptively simplistic. The question of whether the man claiming to be Alex is the actual Alexander MacDowell gets answered quite early in the book which of course leads one to expect a more intricately fashioned layers of deceptions, lies and counter-lies. Don’t worry this book delivers on so many levels deeper than that aspect. I have a nasty habit of guessing ahead where the story will go and how it will get there and while I’ve had some success in the maze Anne Stuart created here, I’m not ashamed to admit the plot twist of the plot twist of the plot twist still managed to surprise me. I liked how the reveals were peeled off gradually, a striptease of WTFery that was never irritating or gimmicky. It all felt streamlined smoothly into the tension surrounding each of the characters which adds to their appeal individually and as a couple.
And that’s a huge incentive for an atmospheric, goth romantic-suspense. I liked that the hero and the heroine have a shared childhood history. The backstory of thirteen year-old Carolyn’s simultaneous hatred and inexplicable crush on seventeen year-old Alex, her rebellious tormentor, is something I have a great weakness for. It made for great banter and intense sexual energy between them whenever they were together and its been a while since I’ve seen such intense chemistry in this genre.
”I remember coming up to your room. I was half-tempted to take you with me, you know,” he added. You were very tasty back then, and you did adore me so. Teenage boys need to be adored.”
“Teenage boys need to be beaten,” she said.
While the chemistry between Alex and Carolyn was undeniably flammable, they were likeable independent of each other. Enough for me to care that they end up together in the end. Carolyn could have easily devolved into a sentimental doe-eyed girl who argues half-heartedly with Alex while imagining him naked. She didn’t. She’s the person Alex needs most to convince of his identity and I find her rigid loyalty to a family who only cares for her superficially, bittersweet and heart-rending but also admirable. Alex is not a stereotypical hero. He’s neither an alpha, beta or a gamma. He just is. He doesn’t turn into a steaming pile of lovelorn mush after sex. He’s smart in a very utilitarian sense complemented by a sometimes abrasive and acerbic wit with a habit for sexual innuendoes that has the right blend of… I dunno, tempered randiness.
The MacDowells hold some insane family secrets that fit quite well with the underlying sinister feel of the book as a whole. Let’s just say they’d totally be great neighbours to the Lannisters, the Barratheons and the Tullys.
I liked how very unpredictable the scenes were and the reactions from each character on each plot twist were uncanny and non-stereotypical. Attempted murder with an intentional food allergen challenge test?
Can I just commend Anne Stuart for writing one of the most intensely hot sex scene I’ve read in a while? I mean, I know I’ve been reading one too many YAs lately but once upon a time I read my share of books with crazy sex scenes involving vegetable play and what-not. This was… different. And I’m not even talking about poetic narrative with frou-frou descriptions of emotions and the universe and destiny and whatever. No, fellow pervs, this was carnal and graphic. You could only read about sex so many different ways before it gets derivative and boring. This was very good in being creative without crossing ridiculous.
Unfortunately some of Shadow Lover weak spots were in the archaic stereotypes it chose to adhere. Everybody is beautiful, of course. And conversely, the heroine is clueless as to how attractive she is. Of course. The reminder that Alex has “Cossack eyes” was too often to ignore among other repetitive observations peppered with limited and redundant adjectives. I liked how this managed to avoid being dated by not incorporating much technology in the storyline but combined with these old-fashioned details this could’ve as easily been a book from the 80s. And I’m not sure if that was the author’s intention. I would’ve liked some more dialogue from Alex and Carolyn’s pasts as their banter as adults were quite entertaining to witness, but again that maybe the YA-reader in me talking.
Shadow Lover may be handicapped by a deceptively throwaway, generic title, a none-too-original story and some old-fashioned romance novel pitfalls. But its making me reconsider the rest of Anne Stuart’s backlist so it must have done a couple of somethings right.
ARC provided by Bell Bridge Books thru Netgalley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
Also on BookLIkes.
================================
Beautiful, rich, CRAZY people! Throwing chairs and innuendoes at each other! 'Sploding cars and houses! And SEX! Insanely hot monkey sex!
Like sands through the hourglass, these are the motherfucking days of our lives, bitches!
February 6, 2015
~~~~ 5 SEXY AND SULTRY STARS! ~~~~
I love Anne Stuart!! And I seriously loved this book. Can I believe this was originally published in 1999? Wow. I loved everything: the mystery, the atmosphere, the characters and the all-consuming need to keep reading despite life getting in the way. Anne Stuart writes puzzles.
She slowly adds layer by layer, exposing certain truths at an agonizingly addictive pace. You question something and think you know, but then something else entirely happens to bring you back to square one.
This is the beauty of this authors writing. Everything is revealed slowly and surely making her stories incredibly interesting and hard to put down. Carolyn has come back to Vermont to care for her dying caretaker and matriarch Sally MacDowell. The woman is losing her battle but her family is almost counting the days till their large inheritance is finally granted.
Then a mysterious stranger comes to the house and claims to be the long lost, possibly presumed dead son of Sally. But Alex McDowell is gone--or so Carolyn thinks. After all, she witnessed his murder 18 years ago. Is this really Alex back from the grave? Or a brilliantly adept imposter out to Rangel the McDowell's of their money and Carolyn of her heart?
BRILLIANT. BRILLIANT. BRILLIANT.
Amazing storytelling and rock solid suspense. This book was perfect in every way, and is my favorite by this author so far. Anne Stuart's male characters tend to be on the outskirts of propriety. They are direct, sometimes ruthless and impervious to societal norms. They do what they want and when they want to, always infusing any potential sweetness with a vicious streak. They're often calculating and eerily calm when danger is on the horizon but also exhibit a reserved tenderness for the heroine in question. They're not assholes like in contemporary romance that we sometimes see. No, these characters are more richer, more mature so their tendencies come off as deliberate and focused.
Alex was more tender and forthcoming with his feelings compared to other male leads I've read by this author. He has the same traits but softer, more approachable. I loved him. Loved him! And then there's Carolyn. The woman was no match to her feelings and life-long desire to be with Alex. She was strong and intelligent but also had perfected her walls and ability to keep others out. What does it say that the only person to breach those walls was Alex and now the imposter? Is it really him?
Seriously a fantastic and addictive book, loved it and highly recommend it.
I love Anne Stuart!! And I seriously loved this book. Can I believe this was originally published in 1999? Wow. I loved everything: the mystery, the atmosphere, the characters and the all-consuming need to keep reading despite life getting in the way. Anne Stuart writes puzzles.
She slowly adds layer by layer, exposing certain truths at an agonizingly addictive pace. You question something and think you know, but then something else entirely happens to bring you back to square one.
This is the beauty of this authors writing. Everything is revealed slowly and surely making her stories incredibly interesting and hard to put down. Carolyn has come back to Vermont to care for her dying caretaker and matriarch Sally MacDowell. The woman is losing her battle but her family is almost counting the days till their large inheritance is finally granted.
Then a mysterious stranger comes to the house and claims to be the long lost, possibly presumed dead son of Sally. But Alex McDowell is gone--or so Carolyn thinks. After all, she witnessed his murder 18 years ago. Is this really Alex back from the grave? Or a brilliantly adept imposter out to Rangel the McDowell's of their money and Carolyn of her heart?
BRILLIANT. BRILLIANT. BRILLIANT.
Amazing storytelling and rock solid suspense. This book was perfect in every way, and is my favorite by this author so far. Anne Stuart's male characters tend to be on the outskirts of propriety. They are direct, sometimes ruthless and impervious to societal norms. They do what they want and when they want to, always infusing any potential sweetness with a vicious streak. They're often calculating and eerily calm when danger is on the horizon but also exhibit a reserved tenderness for the heroine in question. They're not assholes like in contemporary romance that we sometimes see. No, these characters are more richer, more mature so their tendencies come off as deliberate and focused.
Alex was more tender and forthcoming with his feelings compared to other male leads I've read by this author. He has the same traits but softer, more approachable. I loved him. Loved him! And then there's Carolyn. The woman was no match to her feelings and life-long desire to be with Alex. She was strong and intelligent but also had perfected her walls and ability to keep others out. What does it say that the only person to breach those walls was Alex and now the imposter? Is it really him?
Seriously a fantastic and addictive book, loved it and highly recommend it.
February 18, 2016
Boy, do I wish I had as much writing talent in my body as Anne Stuart has in her little pinky. She is engrossing, entertaining, and simply "the best" writer of romantic suspense that I can think of.
I am a HUGE fan of Ritual Sins and Nightfall...they are what got me hooked on Stuart in the first place. Moonrise was too dark for my taste, but I can happily say that I put Shadow Lover in the mix with my favorite of Stuart's books.
What this book has, and what Stuart does so well, is the element of "intrigue". The reader is captivated after reading the first paragraph of the book, and that intrigue NEVER goes away....even after you read the last sentence.
Shadow Lover is excellent...and here's why
1. Carolyn and Alex have a past. They've loved each one another forever.
2. Is "Alex" really "Alex" (oh and by the way...you won't know until Stuart decides to tell you and then you have to guess again and again...brilliant!)
3. Good vrs. Evil is blurred until you don't really know who is good and who is evil....and it changes!
4. The setting is so "cold" literally and figuatively. The family is as cold as the climate.
5. The romance between Carolyn and Alex is mysterious, hot, and predestined...I had many ahhhhh...moments.
If you haven't read Anne Stuart yet....this is a great place to start. If you have read her and like her..what are you waiting for. This book does not disappoint.
I am a HUGE fan of Ritual Sins and Nightfall...they are what got me hooked on Stuart in the first place. Moonrise was too dark for my taste, but I can happily say that I put Shadow Lover in the mix with my favorite of Stuart's books.
What this book has, and what Stuart does so well, is the element of "intrigue". The reader is captivated after reading the first paragraph of the book, and that intrigue NEVER goes away....even after you read the last sentence.
Shadow Lover is excellent...and here's why
1. Carolyn and Alex have a past. They've loved each one another forever.
2. Is "Alex" really "Alex" (oh and by the way...you won't know until Stuart decides to tell you and then you have to guess again and again...brilliant!)
3. Good vrs. Evil is blurred until you don't really know who is good and who is evil....and it changes!
4. The setting is so "cold" literally and figuatively. The family is as cold as the climate.
5. The romance between Carolyn and Alex is mysterious, hot, and predestined...I had many ahhhhh...moments.
If you haven't read Anne Stuart yet....this is a great place to start. If you have read her and like her..what are you waiting for. This book does not disappoint.
May 3, 2019
3.5 stars
Liked it but didn’t love it. Enjoyable read but it didn’t wow me.
I’d like to try something else by her so if you have a recommendation let me know! 😊
Liked it but didn’t love it. Enjoyable read but it didn’t wow me.
I’d like to try something else by her so if you have a recommendation let me know! 😊
February 29, 2016
4 Suspenseful Stairs!!!
Another fantastic AS read!!! Alex McDowell disappeared 18 years ago. No one knows what really happened to him except Carolyn, who has never told anyone and keeps secrets locked within her subconscious.
18 years later, patriarch of the McDowell family Sally McDowell is on her deathbed when her long lost son Alex returns from the dead to resume his place within his affluent family and secure his inheritance. But is it really Alex or a very clever and well informed imposter?
Carolyn Smith was not a McDowell but she loves Sally like a mother and is fiercely loyal and protective of the women who took her in at the tender age of two. Because of her love for Sally she will do anything to protect her in her final days. She is torn, and unsure what to believe or trust and we are thrown into a web of lies, deceit, and mystery.
Tons of suspense, questionable relatives, greed, a heroine with passion, and a dark hero with secrets, sex appeal, and even more secrets to reveal.
Another fantastic AS read!!! Alex McDowell disappeared 18 years ago. No one knows what really happened to him except Carolyn, who has never told anyone and keeps secrets locked within her subconscious.
18 years later, patriarch of the McDowell family Sally McDowell is on her deathbed when her long lost son Alex returns from the dead to resume his place within his affluent family and secure his inheritance. But is it really Alex or a very clever and well informed imposter?
Carolyn Smith was not a McDowell but she loves Sally like a mother and is fiercely loyal and protective of the women who took her in at the tender age of two. Because of her love for Sally she will do anything to protect her in her final days. She is torn, and unsure what to believe or trust and we are thrown into a web of lies, deceit, and mystery.
Tons of suspense, questionable relatives, greed, a heroine with passion, and a dark hero with secrets, sex appeal, and even more secrets to reveal.
January 18, 2024
Well that is the last damn book I read by this author. I've tried 3 times to see why people like her work and I guess I just don't get it.
This story is probably more like 2 to 3 stars but I'm giving it ONE, because it was just that damn disappointing and unromantic.
I find this author's heroes are invariably selfish assh*les and even when her heroines are strong, she makes sure they are unable to defend themselves by whatever plot devices she can think of.
I don't mind an ahole H but I need the power to be evenly balanced by the end, or the story just isn't satisfying. Why do Anne Stuart's heroes always win the arguments? Even when they are wrong!!!
And the ending.... GD! that was just so so VERY DISAPPOINTING.
Anyways, The setting is the estate of an old money, family whose laurels are rotting beneath them. The matriarch, Sally is dying and then her long lost son, Alex shows up. He had disappeared when he was 17 and Carolyn, who had been 13 at the time had been devastated. Not just because she'd had a huge crush on Alex, but because she had witnessed his murder.
Carolyn was a foster child who had been born of Alex's babysitter. They grew up together but Carolyn was never formally adopted and was treated like a servant or gofer by Sally.
Now Carolyn is back to take care of Sally on her death bed. Alex returns and all the other relatives show up too to make sure he's the real Alex.
It sounds like a great set up and Carolyn is strong in that she never shows what she really feels. But she never fights back either. She was bloody frustrating how she'd just ignore all the little digs.
And Alex was an asshole when he was 17 and nothing has changed (if he's really Alex). Whoever he is, he is a bully to Carolyn. Always goading her and saying mean shit.
I hate smug heroes
The author suggests he is acting that way for a reason, but the reasoning didn't hold water. It seemed to me that Alex just enjoyed needling her.
For some stupid reason Carolyn claims to love the douche canoe long before the end of the story, and I can't figure out why???!
The story is bereft of humour, unless it's at Carolyn's expense. Alex doesn't show a sunny side to his character except when he's going out with his other cousins who never invite Carolyn because they don't consider her family.
We get POVs from Alex too, but if anything they made him even more of a douche.
So finally after most of the story is over, the author decides it's time to start looking for the villain who shot 17 year old Alex. But it's not much of a mystery and was super easy to guess.
The other mystery about who Alex is, was answered to the reader much sooner but Carolyn is left in the dark till near the end.
There's a chase with the villain all set to kill them, and then afterwards Alex just leaves... for a f*cking year! WHY???? There really was no explanation except that it suited Alex to wait that long.
In fact, Carolyn has to go find him. She's spent the last year miserable and sorting out the legalities of the estate. But when she finds him...
And I wasn't a big fan of Carolyn either. Towards the end all they did was bicker and bitch at each other. And I couldn't figure out why?!? By then she knew who he was. And he knew she knew.... so why were they still being jerks? Can't they save the jerkiness for the villain and shitty relatives? They were jerks till pretty much the last sentence. I ask you, how is that romantic???
safety was technically good but kinda sucked anyways.
This story is probably more like 2 to 3 stars but I'm giving it ONE, because it was just that damn disappointing and unromantic.
I find this author's heroes are invariably selfish assh*les and even when her heroines are strong, she makes sure they are unable to defend themselves by whatever plot devices she can think of.
I don't mind an ahole H but I need the power to be evenly balanced by the end, or the story just isn't satisfying. Why do Anne Stuart's heroes always win the arguments? Even when they are wrong!!!
And the ending.... GD! that was just so so VERY DISAPPOINTING.
Anyways, The setting is the estate of an old money, family whose laurels are rotting beneath them. The matriarch, Sally is dying and then her long lost son, Alex shows up. He had disappeared when he was 17 and Carolyn, who had been 13 at the time had been devastated. Not just because she'd had a huge crush on Alex, but because she had witnessed his murder.
Carolyn was a foster child who had been born of Alex's babysitter. They grew up together but Carolyn was never formally adopted and was treated like a servant or gofer by Sally.
Now Carolyn is back to take care of Sally on her death bed. Alex returns and all the other relatives show up too to make sure he's the real Alex.
It sounds like a great set up and Carolyn is strong in that she never shows what she really feels. But she never fights back either. She was bloody frustrating how she'd just ignore all the little digs.
And Alex was an asshole when he was 17 and nothing has changed (if he's really Alex). Whoever he is, he is a bully to Carolyn. Always goading her and saying mean shit.
I hate smug heroes
The author suggests he is acting that way for a reason, but the reasoning didn't hold water. It seemed to me that Alex just enjoyed needling her.
For some stupid reason Carolyn claims to love the douche canoe long before the end of the story, and I can't figure out why???!
The story is bereft of humour, unless it's at Carolyn's expense. Alex doesn't show a sunny side to his character except when he's going out with his other cousins who never invite Carolyn because they don't consider her family.
We get POVs from Alex too, but if anything they made him even more of a douche.
So finally after most of the story is over, the author decides it's time to start looking for the villain who shot 17 year old Alex. But it's not much of a mystery and was super easy to guess.
The other mystery about who Alex is, was answered to the reader much sooner but Carolyn is left in the dark till near the end.
There's a chase with the villain all set to kill them, and then afterwards Alex just leaves... for a f*cking year! WHY???? There really was no explanation except that it suited Alex to wait that long.
In fact, Carolyn has to go find him. She's spent the last year miserable and sorting out the legalities of the estate. But when she finds him...
And I wasn't a big fan of Carolyn either. Towards the end all they did was bicker and bitch at each other. And I couldn't figure out why?!? By then she knew who he was. And he knew she knew.... so why were they still being jerks? Can't they save the jerkiness for the villain and shitty relatives? They were jerks till pretty much the last sentence. I ask you, how is that romantic???
safety was technically good but kinda sucked anyways.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 4, 2018
#RitaStuart #RetoRita2
Ha sido una lectura entretenida, tipo thriller con grandes dosis de intriga. Por momentos parecía que estuviera viendo una película de esas telefinescas de la sobremesa de los sábados.
El argumento gira en torno a la desaparición de Alex Macdowell, el hijo de diecisiete años de una acaudalada familia y su repentina reaparición en las vidas de todos casi veinte años después. Las mentiras, enredos y oscuros secretos de cada uno de ellos son el motor de la historia. El dinero, como suele ocurrir en estos casos, es el que mueve a casi todos los personajes y también es el principal motivo de las venganzas y traiciones.
Hay una pareja protagonista, claro, que son Carolyn y Alex, cuyo amor se verá teñido desde el principio por todas las maldades en las que se ven envueltos hasta poder descubrir quién o quienes son los malos malísimos de esta historia.
No me ha parecido un libro romántico en sí, no he tenido la sensación de que la trama haya girado principalmente en torno al amor de los protagonistas, más bien éste podría ser como un complemento más que aportar a la novela.
Algunos giros me parecieron un poco predecibles. Sin embargo, también consiguió sorprenderme en otros.
En general, me ha gustado y lo he disfrutado bastante. Seguiré leyendo a la autora.
Ha sido una lectura entretenida, tipo thriller con grandes dosis de intriga. Por momentos parecía que estuviera viendo una película de esas telefinescas de la sobremesa de los sábados.
El argumento gira en torno a la desaparición de Alex Macdowell, el hijo de diecisiete años de una acaudalada familia y su repentina reaparición en las vidas de todos casi veinte años después. Las mentiras, enredos y oscuros secretos de cada uno de ellos son el motor de la historia. El dinero, como suele ocurrir en estos casos, es el que mueve a casi todos los personajes y también es el principal motivo de las venganzas y traiciones.
Hay una pareja protagonista, claro, que son Carolyn y Alex, cuyo amor se verá teñido desde el principio por todas las maldades en las que se ven envueltos hasta poder descubrir quién o quienes son los malos malísimos de esta historia.
No me ha parecido un libro romántico en sí, no he tenido la sensación de que la trama haya girado principalmente en torno al amor de los protagonistas, más bien éste podría ser como un complemento más que aportar a la novela.
Algunos giros me parecieron un poco predecibles. Sin embargo, también consiguió sorprenderme en otros.
En general, me ha gustado y lo he disfrutado bastante. Seguiré leyendo a la autora.
January 11, 2016
I must admit to Ms. Struat mastership!!!
I adored Alex! His mistery. His keeping secrest. His hotness that was soooo subtle and so powerful! He's the cold, he's hot, he's ruthless, he's adorable, he's calculating, he's gentle. He's a contraddiction and he's so perfectly perfect! :)
The whole story is like a hide and seek game where you don't know until the very end what's true and what's false; what's illusion and what's reality!
I enjoyed the ride, very, very much and I was really sad when it ended!!!! :)
I adored Alex! His mistery. His keeping secrest. His hotness that was soooo subtle and so powerful! He's the cold, he's hot, he's ruthless, he's adorable, he's calculating, he's gentle. He's a contraddiction and he's so perfectly perfect! :)
The whole story is like a hide and seek game where you don't know until the very end what's true and what's false; what's illusion and what's reality!
I enjoyed the ride, very, very much and I was really sad when it ended!!!! :)
November 1, 2014
Shadow Lover is a sexy and mystery read surrounding the McDowell's family that is full of lies and deceit. The mystery surrounding the truth about Alexander McDowell was very intriguing. It kept me guessing from start to finish. Even with the hero POV, he never gave anything away and making me second guess myself. No wonder Carolyn just can't make up her mind. Recommended for fans of Sandra Brown.
October 15, 2014
This is my choice for the October prompt for the TBR challenge, which is to read a Paranormal or Romantic Suspense title.
I actually had this book lined up a few months ago for this very purpose. I haven’t read a massive number of Ms Stuart’s books, but I’ve enjoyed those I have read and I know she’s the very doyenne of romantic suspense authors, so it seemed like a good bet.
Unusually for me, Shadow Lover is a contemporary – or rather, it was when it was originally published in 1999, but that’s still “contemporary” by my standards!
I tend to be a bit stingy when it comes to grading books; even with a book I’ve loved I sometimes shy away from hitting the 5 star button, or giving it an A, because there’s a tiny niggle or two which meant the book fell just slightly short. I will even admit to being guilty of finishing a book thinking “now, what did I find that means it’s not a 5-star book?” sometimes; of enjoying something a lot but thinking it must have been too good to be true.
But with this one? Nope. I thought about it for a bit and decided I really couldn’t find anything that bothered me to the extent of knocking down the rating.
The MacDowell family is quintessentially (American) old money – a Park Avenue apartment, a house in Martha’s Vineyard, another in Vermont, Armani suits, perfect year-round tans, Mercedes in the garage etc… At the beginning of the story, Sally MacDowell, matriarch of the family, is dying of cancer and hasn’t long left to live. Around a year previously Carolyn Smith, the young woman Sally had fostered from the age of two, but never formally adopted, left her home and job, essentially putting her life on hold to go to stay with Sally at the family home in Vermont. Sally is being cared for by a full-time nurse, but Carolyn owes her a lot and thinks of her as a mother – and she wants to be with her for the last months of her life.
Sally’s ex-husband is dead, her only son disappeared (and is believed to have died) eighteen years ago and her closest living relatives are her younger brother, Warren and sister Patsy and Patsy’s children. All are self-centred and wealthy and stand to be much moreso when Sally passes as her large fortune will be divided between her siblings. Or rather, half of it will, because she has never altered the will she made when her son was alive in which he inherited half her money, and Warren and Patsy the other half between them. Given that Sally’s son, Alex, has never been found or declared officially dead, this means that Warren and Patsy face a lengthy period of probate (or whatever the American equivalent is!) before they will inherit anything.
This isn’t something about which Carolyn cares to think very much – she’s not concerned about the money at all; she’s there for Sally. Life plods along until one morning a stunningly gorgeous man appears at the house claiming to be Alex MacDowell. He certainly could be Alex (and I’m going to refer to him as such in this review). He’s the right age, bears a striking resemblance to the younger Alex and knows everything that Alex would have known up until he’d run away from home at the age of seventeen.
Sally, Warren and Patsy accept him almost without question, but Carolyn is torn. On the one hand, the possibility that Sally’s long-lost son has appeared to be with her in her final days will bring comfort to the dying woman. But on the other – Carolyn knows that this man can’t possibly be Alex MacDowell because she saw him die eighteen years ago on a deserted beach.
Alex and Carolyn grew up together and although in many ways, Alex had been the bane of her existence, by the time she’d reached adolescence, Carolyn had developed a massive crush on the handsome, charming, heartless and malicious hellion who would torment her one minute and show her a generous act of kindness the next.
Needless to say Alex’s reappearance reawakens all those old, confusing feelings. Alex knows Carolyn doesn’t like him and is desperately trying to have nothing to do with him; but he also knows that she’s the one person in the entire household that he absolutely HAS to convince that he is who he says he is.
To say much more about the plot would be to give too much away, but Ms Stuart kept me guessing right up until the last possible moment as to the identity of the man claiming to be Alex MacDowell – and even then, it wasn’t as simple a case as one might think. She’d convince me he was an imposter, and then the story would take a turn which would convince me otherwise. Even in those moments when the reader is inside Alex’s head, we’re never quite sure of his identity – even he thinks and speaks of himself in the third person at times, and the way the author continues to keep the reader guessing is utterly masterful. And she does it in such a great way, too – not by planting clues, which would probably have driven me up the wall, but instead, by keeping everything perfectly plausible and perfectly vague until she was ready to let me in on the secret.
Alex and Carolyn have great chemistry, as well as a lot of shared history. Her heart longs to believe he’s Alex, because she never got over him, while her head tells her it’s impossible and he’s just a con-man out to take advantage of a dying woman. Yet she can’t help gravitating towards Alex, no matter how much she tries to distance herself from him – and he knows it and doesn’t hesitate to take advantage of it, continually needling her and getting under her skin about her relationship with the MacDowells and the way they’ve treated her over the years.
The plot is superbly crafted, with a twist or two I certainly didn’t see coming until they almost ran me over, but it’s the relationship between the two principals which is the big draw. Alex is almost indecently sexy – handsome, charming and clever, but with a ruthless streak and determination to get what he wants which fortunately, falls short of true arsehole-dom. Carolyn at first comes across as a bit of a drip, but as the story progresses, it becomes clear that here is a woman with real strength of character, but who has cultivated the art of self-preservation to a high degree and never lets anyone get too close.
The small cast of secondary characters is drawn with fairly broad strokes, and while the identity of the villain had been narrowed down in the last few chapters, I still wasn’t 100% sure as to who it was until the last moment. But it’s Alex who is the driving force behind this book – he’s sarcastic, single-minded, sexy-as-hell – in short, he’s utterly compelling, and while he certainly hasn’t led a blameless life, he’s not a cold, heartless villain either.
This is one of those times where the skill of the plotting, characterisation and writing all add up to make one terrific read. I’m not saying the book is completely without flaws – it isn’t, because nothing is perfect. But the storytelling is fantastic, the hero is gorgeous and the sex is hot. Honestly – what more could a girl ask for?
I actually had this book lined up a few months ago for this very purpose. I haven’t read a massive number of Ms Stuart’s books, but I’ve enjoyed those I have read and I know she’s the very doyenne of romantic suspense authors, so it seemed like a good bet.
Unusually for me, Shadow Lover is a contemporary – or rather, it was when it was originally published in 1999, but that’s still “contemporary” by my standards!
I tend to be a bit stingy when it comes to grading books; even with a book I’ve loved I sometimes shy away from hitting the 5 star button, or giving it an A, because there’s a tiny niggle or two which meant the book fell just slightly short. I will even admit to being guilty of finishing a book thinking “now, what did I find that means it’s not a 5-star book?” sometimes; of enjoying something a lot but thinking it must have been too good to be true.
But with this one? Nope. I thought about it for a bit and decided I really couldn’t find anything that bothered me to the extent of knocking down the rating.
The MacDowell family is quintessentially (American) old money – a Park Avenue apartment, a house in Martha’s Vineyard, another in Vermont, Armani suits, perfect year-round tans, Mercedes in the garage etc… At the beginning of the story, Sally MacDowell, matriarch of the family, is dying of cancer and hasn’t long left to live. Around a year previously Carolyn Smith, the young woman Sally had fostered from the age of two, but never formally adopted, left her home and job, essentially putting her life on hold to go to stay with Sally at the family home in Vermont. Sally is being cared for by a full-time nurse, but Carolyn owes her a lot and thinks of her as a mother – and she wants to be with her for the last months of her life.
Sally’s ex-husband is dead, her only son disappeared (and is believed to have died) eighteen years ago and her closest living relatives are her younger brother, Warren and sister Patsy and Patsy’s children. All are self-centred and wealthy and stand to be much moreso when Sally passes as her large fortune will be divided between her siblings. Or rather, half of it will, because she has never altered the will she made when her son was alive in which he inherited half her money, and Warren and Patsy the other half between them. Given that Sally’s son, Alex, has never been found or declared officially dead, this means that Warren and Patsy face a lengthy period of probate (or whatever the American equivalent is!) before they will inherit anything.
This isn’t something about which Carolyn cares to think very much – she’s not concerned about the money at all; she’s there for Sally. Life plods along until one morning a stunningly gorgeous man appears at the house claiming to be Alex MacDowell. He certainly could be Alex (and I’m going to refer to him as such in this review). He’s the right age, bears a striking resemblance to the younger Alex and knows everything that Alex would have known up until he’d run away from home at the age of seventeen.
Sally, Warren and Patsy accept him almost without question, but Carolyn is torn. On the one hand, the possibility that Sally’s long-lost son has appeared to be with her in her final days will bring comfort to the dying woman. But on the other – Carolyn knows that this man can’t possibly be Alex MacDowell because she saw him die eighteen years ago on a deserted beach.
Alex and Carolyn grew up together and although in many ways, Alex had been the bane of her existence, by the time she’d reached adolescence, Carolyn had developed a massive crush on the handsome, charming, heartless and malicious hellion who would torment her one minute and show her a generous act of kindness the next.
Needless to say Alex’s reappearance reawakens all those old, confusing feelings. Alex knows Carolyn doesn’t like him and is desperately trying to have nothing to do with him; but he also knows that she’s the one person in the entire household that he absolutely HAS to convince that he is who he says he is.
To say much more about the plot would be to give too much away, but Ms Stuart kept me guessing right up until the last possible moment as to the identity of the man claiming to be Alex MacDowell – and even then, it wasn’t as simple a case as one might think. She’d convince me he was an imposter, and then the story would take a turn which would convince me otherwise. Even in those moments when the reader is inside Alex’s head, we’re never quite sure of his identity – even he thinks and speaks of himself in the third person at times, and the way the author continues to keep the reader guessing is utterly masterful. And she does it in such a great way, too – not by planting clues, which would probably have driven me up the wall, but instead, by keeping everything perfectly plausible and perfectly vague until she was ready to let me in on the secret.
Alex and Carolyn have great chemistry, as well as a lot of shared history. Her heart longs to believe he’s Alex, because she never got over him, while her head tells her it’s impossible and he’s just a con-man out to take advantage of a dying woman. Yet she can’t help gravitating towards Alex, no matter how much she tries to distance herself from him – and he knows it and doesn’t hesitate to take advantage of it, continually needling her and getting under her skin about her relationship with the MacDowells and the way they’ve treated her over the years.
The plot is superbly crafted, with a twist or two I certainly didn’t see coming until they almost ran me over, but it’s the relationship between the two principals which is the big draw. Alex is almost indecently sexy – handsome, charming and clever, but with a ruthless streak and determination to get what he wants which fortunately, falls short of true arsehole-dom. Carolyn at first comes across as a bit of a drip, but as the story progresses, it becomes clear that here is a woman with real strength of character, but who has cultivated the art of self-preservation to a high degree and never lets anyone get too close.
The small cast of secondary characters is drawn with fairly broad strokes, and while the identity of the villain had been narrowed down in the last few chapters, I still wasn’t 100% sure as to who it was until the last moment. But it’s Alex who is the driving force behind this book – he’s sarcastic, single-minded, sexy-as-hell – in short, he’s utterly compelling, and while he certainly hasn’t led a blameless life, he’s not a cold, heartless villain either.
This is one of those times where the skill of the plotting, characterisation and writing all add up to make one terrific read. I’m not saying the book is completely without flaws – it isn’t, because nothing is perfect. But the storytelling is fantastic, the hero is gorgeous and the sex is hot. Honestly – what more could a girl ask for?
June 6, 2018
4/5 para este nuevo libro del #RetoRita2 de Junio #RitaStuart
Me ha gustado mucho esta novela, tanto la parte romántica como la de suspense. Consigue mantenerte atrapada desde la primera página hasta la última, estás durante toda la novela dudando si es o no el verdadero Alex McDowell y ya no sabes quién es nadie... Os la recomiendo si todavía no habéis empezado con la lectura de Junio.
Me ha gustado mucho esta novela, tanto la parte romántica como la de suspense. Consigue mantenerte atrapada desde la primera página hasta la última, estás durante toda la novela dudando si es o no el verdadero Alex McDowell y ya no sabes quién es nadie... Os la recomiendo si todavía no habéis empezado con la lectura de Junio.
May 23, 2022
I liked Anne Stuart's historical romance books despite the sometimes blatant Americanism and anachronism. I think she's a fantastic author. This book was my first foray into her contemporary. The writing was on point; I'd give you that. The book does have pacing issues, unfortunately. The first half was sluggish, and it only picked up by the second half. I thought the whole mystery surrounding Alex's actual identity was very well done. The sexual tension between Alex and Carolyn was palpable. The love scenes were excellent. The first one even featured vampiric love scenes with biting and blood. Hmm...not bad. Ms Stuart kept putting forth a character as a villain, which is almost always a red herring, and it was. Since everything was kinda good, why only three stars? I was pretty bored in the first half. Carolyn kept going on and on about her youthful adoration for Alex and her present attraction toward Alex. It was repetitive. This book was an okay read if you're a fan of Ms Stuart and if you're in the mood for a mystery romance.
April 10, 2014
Oh gamma heroes what shall I do with you? Shall I slap you in the face? No, you'd probably enjoy that. Shall I ignore you and hide from you? No, you always tend to sneak up on me. Oh, I know! I'll throw you off of a very high bridge. Above concrete. Then throw a really big boulder after... Just to make sure you're nice and squishy and never show up in front of me again.
Typical arrogant, selfish, jerk Hero + troubled heroine stuck in martyr-ville = everything I hate about romance novels.
I just.. I don't get it.. How can you hate someone and love them at the same time?! This dude used and abused her over and over again and she kept going back like a good little puppy. Actually no, not like a puppy, cuz puppy's grow into dogs who usually bite back... The heroine on the other hand just kept asking for it.
I just... *sigh*... Oh well I can't fight the system but I've said my piece so yeah...
Typical arrogant, selfish, jerk Hero + troubled heroine stuck in martyr-ville = everything I hate about romance novels.
I just.. I don't get it.. How can you hate someone and love them at the same time?! This dude used and abused her over and over again and she kept going back like a good little puppy. Actually no, not like a puppy, cuz puppy's grow into dogs who usually bite back... The heroine on the other hand just kept asking for it.
I just... *sigh*... Oh well I can't fight the system but I've said my piece so yeah...
April 24, 2014
I’m a major fan of romantic suspense – and Anne Stuart is one of the best at writing highly intriguing and the unusual – which is this reader’s addiction.
Shadow Lover introduces the unpredictable and highly unconventional and calculating MacDowell family. Within the family scene Carolyn Smith is the outsider. Sally MacDowell brought her into the house as a foster child when Carolyn’s mother died. Alexander is Sally’s wild and uncontrollable son – too gorgeous for words – who disappeared at age 17. He and Carolyn always had a “connection.” When he returns eighteen years later to find his mother lying on her deathbed with her brother and sister and niece and nephew also in residence, it is Carolyn who finds it hardest to believe. The family has always thought Alex to be dead. There are millions of dollars hanging in the balance when Sally dies. Who is the true heir? Why did Alex disappear all those years ago? Did the real Alex die all those years ago, and is this man who claims his place in the family an interloper?
There are so many blurred lines crossing back and forth between characters and relations that keep the bad guy’s identity just out of reach until the end.
Romance and suspense balances perfectly to make this an overall exciting and emotionally satisfying read.
Shadow Lover introduces the unpredictable and highly unconventional and calculating MacDowell family. Within the family scene Carolyn Smith is the outsider. Sally MacDowell brought her into the house as a foster child when Carolyn’s mother died. Alexander is Sally’s wild and uncontrollable son – too gorgeous for words – who disappeared at age 17. He and Carolyn always had a “connection.” When he returns eighteen years later to find his mother lying on her deathbed with her brother and sister and niece and nephew also in residence, it is Carolyn who finds it hardest to believe. The family has always thought Alex to be dead. There are millions of dollars hanging in the balance when Sally dies. Who is the true heir? Why did Alex disappear all those years ago? Did the real Alex die all those years ago, and is this man who claims his place in the family an interloper?
There are so many blurred lines crossing back and forth between characters and relations that keep the bad guy’s identity just out of reach until the end.
Romance and suspense balances perfectly to make this an overall exciting and emotionally satisfying read.
September 19, 2014
I’ve decided that I like Anne Stuart books. I’ve only read two so far and apparently she has a gazillion already written but they seem to be short little bundles of eventual happily ever afters. They are a little formulaic but I didn’t care at all. I liked guessing at the mystery, I liked rooting for the couple, I liked finding out that everything was not as it seemed. They are short enough I don’t have to invest much time and I can easily finish the entire book in one sitting.
Alex and Carolyn grew up together until he decided to run away and was never heard from again. Carolyn never told anyone what she saw the night he left, the night she is sure he died. Now almost twenty years later a man shows up claiming to be Alex and Carolyn is torn between revealing the secret she has carried all these years or letting the woman who was like a mother to her die happy thinking her son has returned.
Carolyn is the ever dutiful adoptive daughter. Although Sally took Carolyn in when she was two years old, she treated her well but Carolyn knows she is still not a true MacDowell. She longs to be a part of the family that has always been kept at arm’s length from her. She has been beyond dutiful to them and Alex think’s that maybe it is time to shake her up and make her want something more for herself.
“They don’t really look at you, Carolyn. They don’t listen to you; they don’t waste one moment thinking about you. You’re part of the furniture to them.”
“Maybe,” she said, refusing to rise to the bait.
“I think about you, Carolyn. I look at you every chance I get.”
“Yeah, and if I’m a piece of furniture to you, it’s probably a bed.”
The dispute over Alex’s true identity is settled rather quickly in the book, but that isn’t even close to the end of the mystery. Because even though that little detail is cleared up, what is not cleared up is why someone tried to kill the real Alex MacDowell twenty years ago, and will he/she try again.
The romantic tension between Alex and Carolyn is palpable and I loved the way he crawled underneath her skin to get her outside of her comfort zone. Every good girl needs a man who can push her buttons and get her outside of her head.
“Answer me one question, Carolyn,” He said. “If you don’t eat or drink or have sex, what do you do for fun?”
“I eat healthy things, I drink in moderation, and I have sex when I find someone worth sleeping with.” She didn’t bother to hide her defiance.
“But your standards are impossibly high, aren’t they? How long has it been since you found someone you couldn’t resist?”
“It hasn’t happened yet.”
Well then what else can you say except ‘Challenge Accepted’ and Alex seems to be more than up for the challenge and there were a few steamy scenes.
I will say I was pretty sure I figured out the culprit early on. But there were plenty of revelations that I didn’t see coming along with the reasoning behind the murder attempts which made a very enjoyable suspense story.
I’m sure I’ll read more of Anne Stuart’s works in the future because I like the setup of her stories so far and I really like knowing I’ll get a complete story in about 250 pages. So far these are some of my favorite PMS/Rainy Day comfort reads.
May 2, 2024
Solid 4 stars
Really, really well done. I think Ritual Sins is still my top favorite by Anne Stuart, but this is a close second.
I definitely like Stuart’s contemporaries more than her historicals, which always come off feeling campy and drawn out. Her contemporaries get right to the point and develop the romance waaaayyyy better.
Really, really well done. I think Ritual Sins is still my top favorite by Anne Stuart, but this is a close second.
I definitely like Stuart’s contemporaries more than her historicals, which always come off feeling campy and drawn out. Her contemporaries get right to the point and develop the romance waaaayyyy better.
March 16, 2014
Anne Stuart can do no wrong. This was amazing!
July 6, 2023
⭐️⭐️ two stars -
Two, barely able to strike them on the first pass, weak stars.
What a load of over-dramatic rubbish. Not to mention repetitive. Lots of repetitiveness. So much repetitive filler. So much of the same thing over and over, ad nauseam. Whole thoughts, repetitively expressed. Over and over. Do you get what I’m saying? Repetitive filler for nearly 60-70% of the story. Just a lot of talking in circles, and repetitive actions. Are you with me??
😂😂😂
Shall we go over it again? Repetitive drivel. ✍️✍️✍️
Do not recommend , unless you’re very, very bored, and you have the stomach for this sort of overdramatized, surface-level characterization. Stuart has created an entirely superficial world; one where mc’s have no expressed purpose other than to fill in the larger plot line. Does that make sense? Shall I go over it over, and over again? Sorry - had to 😂😂
Pretty much a hard to get through plot, due to the repetitive boredom factor (as previously mentioned 🤗). Not even worth it for the drama of the last 3-5% of the story. That minimal action did not make up for the lack of character development nor for the cliche driven storyline.
I may or may not try this author again. This isn’t her most popular book here on Goodreads, and that may be with good reason. I may try another read by her, or I may not. Not sure yet.
Still bored and still amazed by the amount of repetitive nonsense spewed here. This could easily have been cut in a third 💁♀️
Two horrified stars. Do not recommend.
Two, barely able to strike them on the first pass, weak stars.
What a load of over-dramatic rubbish. Not to mention repetitive. Lots of repetitiveness. So much repetitive filler. So much of the same thing over and over, ad nauseam. Whole thoughts, repetitively expressed. Over and over. Do you get what I’m saying? Repetitive filler for nearly 60-70% of the story. Just a lot of talking in circles, and repetitive actions. Are you with me??
😂😂😂
Shall we go over it again? Repetitive drivel. ✍️✍️✍️
Do not recommend , unless you’re very, very bored, and you have the stomach for this sort of overdramatized, surface-level characterization. Stuart has created an entirely superficial world; one where mc’s have no expressed purpose other than to fill in the larger plot line. Does that make sense? Shall I go over it over, and over again? Sorry - had to 😂😂
Pretty much a hard to get through plot, due to the repetitive boredom factor (as previously mentioned 🤗). Not even worth it for the drama of the last 3-5% of the story. That minimal action did not make up for the lack of character development nor for the cliche driven storyline.
I may or may not try this author again. This isn’t her most popular book here on Goodreads, and that may be with good reason. I may try another read by her, or I may not. Not sure yet.
Still bored and still amazed by the amount of repetitive nonsense spewed here. This could easily have been cut in a third 💁♀️
Two horrified stars. Do not recommend.
September 7, 2016
For the most part, this book was interesting.
The banters and the battle of will between Carolyn and Alex was fun. But, it went on and on, and it made Alex a childish annoying bully. He knew he was hurting her but he kept doing it, thinking she needed the push out of her comfort zone, to make her realized there's more to life than the McDowells, that beneath the cold exterior lays a hot temper... eh, whatever, you're just a jerk.
And Carolyn, I don't know what you see in Alex except his sexy bod. The way teenager Alex and adult Alex treated Carolyn was basically the same. Torment her cruelly while offering occasional kindness to keep the leash short.
And the ending really annoyed me. After all the mysteries was revealed, Alex, for reasons only known to him, disappeared for months and months. It was Carolyn who finally came after him. She finally found out where Alex was because apparently he had been keeping in touch with McDowell's family lawyer. Huh.
The mystery was pretty intriguing, full of secrets and lies. Those McDowells were pretty fucked up.
I have to commend for the writing though. It made up to be an entertaining read.
The banters and the battle of will between Carolyn and Alex was fun. But, it went on and on, and it made Alex a childish annoying bully. He knew he was hurting her but he kept doing it, thinking she needed the push out of her comfort zone, to make her realized there's more to life than the McDowells, that beneath the cold exterior lays a hot temper... eh, whatever, you're just a jerk.
And Carolyn, I don't know what you see in Alex except his sexy bod. The way teenager Alex and adult Alex treated Carolyn was basically the same. Torment her cruelly while offering occasional kindness to keep the leash short.
And the ending really annoyed me. After all the mysteries was revealed, Alex, for reasons only known to him, disappeared for months and months. It was Carolyn who finally came after him. She finally found out where Alex was because apparently he had been keeping in touch with McDowell's family lawyer. Huh.
The mystery was pretty intriguing, full of secrets and lies. Those McDowells were pretty fucked up.
I have to commend for the writing though. It made up to be an entertaining read.
June 16, 2018
#retoRita2.0 #RitaStuart
Tenemos unas historia de suspenso con secretos familiares de ricachones de alcurnia (yankies del este). Una matriarca a punto de morir, el regreso de un hijo pródigo o ¿un impostor tal vez?, una joven criada en la familia, primos y tíos, un asesinato en el pasado, muchos dinero y más secretos.
La historia daba para una película de Hitchcock pero le faltó el "toque".
Las motivaciones de Caroline no me convencieron y faltó "ambiente". Los personajes secundarios merecían mayor desarrollo. La parte romántica un poco floja (repito, no entendí a Caroline, mucho histeriqueo ).
Alex bastante correcto y varonil.
A pesar de todo, bastante entretenida. Iba para casi cuatro pero el final abrupto me hizo definir por el tres.
Tenemos unas historia de suspenso con secretos familiares de ricachones de alcurnia (yankies del este). Una matriarca a punto de morir, el regreso de un hijo pródigo o ¿un impostor tal vez?, una joven criada en la familia, primos y tíos, un asesinato en el pasado, muchos dinero y más secretos.
La historia daba para una película de Hitchcock pero le faltó el "toque".
Las motivaciones de Caroline no me convencieron y faltó "ambiente". Los personajes secundarios merecían mayor desarrollo. La parte romántica un poco floja (repito, no entendí a Caroline, mucho histeriqueo ).
Alex bastante correcto y varonil.
A pesar de todo, bastante entretenida. Iba para casi cuatro pero el final abrupto me hizo definir por el tres.
December 5, 2015
This was better than I remembered. Clever plotting, nice chemistry between the Bad Boy and his prey. Audiobook narrator is one I'd listen to again.
August 2, 2020
2.5 Stars
August 13, 2024
Review from 2015
A- for both narration and content, 4.5 stars rounded up.
Shadow Lover is a superb combination of mystery and romance that hooked me in from the start and didn’t let me go until I’d finished it. The hero is almost indecently sexy, the heroine won’t take any crap and goes toe-to-toe with him all the way, and while the sex scenes are probably quite tame by today’s standards, they’re nonetheless hot as hell. I read the book last year for a reading challenge and absolutely loved it – I’m a sucker for an Anne Stuart bad-boy, no matter the time-frame – so when I saw it had come out in audio format, I had to listen to it, even though I’m unfamiliar with the narrator.
An orphan, Carolyn Smith was fostered at the age of two by the incredibly wealthy Sally MacDowell. While she was brought up amid the amazing luxury enjoyed by the quintessentially “old money” family, Carolyn has always been an outsider, viewed by some of the family members as little more than a useless hanger-on. In spite of that, however, Carolyn has always been loyal to the MacDowells – to Sally especially – and has, in many ways, formed herself in their image, becoming a very proper, self-controlled and somewhat aloof young woman. When Carolyn learns that Sally is terminally ill, she immediately quits her job and travels back to Vermont, putting her own life on hold to be with her in her last months.
Sally’s ex-husband is dead, her only son, Alexander, disappeared eighteen years ago, and her closest relatives are her brother, her sister and her sister’s children, all of whom are shallow, self-centred and looking forward to receiving a sizeable inheritance when Sally dies. Even though her son is presumed dead, he has never been declared so legally and Sally has never altered her will, which stipulates that half her immense fortune will go to him and the other half will be divided between her siblings. But money isn’t something that concerns Carolyn – she is there for Sally, not for financial gain.
Carolyn has been back in Vermont for about eight months when she gets the shock of her life. A stunningly gorgeous man claiming to be Alex MacDowell arrives out of the blue – and even though he certainly could be Alex – he’s the right age, bears a striking resemblance to the younger Alex and knows everything Alex would have known – Carolyn knows it can’t be him. Yet whoever he is, he has clearly done his homework, and quickly wins over everyone in the house, convincing them that he is who he claims to be. While Carolyn knows the re-appearance of her long-lost “son” is providing great comfort to Sally in her last days, she refuses to stand idly by and see an imposter cheat a sick, elderly woman out of a great deal of money. She challenges Alex at every opportunity, something which seems to amuse rather than alarm him, and all the while is trying desperately to fight off the old feelings of attraction she had thought long buried.
At thirteen, Carolyn had nursed a massive crush on the seventeen-year-old hellion. Handsome, charming, feckless, heartless – Alex had been the light and the bane of Carolyn’s existence back then, tormenting her one minute and showing her a generous act of kindness the next. And now, his re-appearance (if it IS him) has unsettled her all over again. Alex knows this, and is ruthlessly prepared to take advantage of Carolyn’s conflicted feelings towards him, knowing she’s drawn to him but is trying to keep her distance. She’s the one person in the entire household he absolutely HAS to convince of his identity – and she’s the one person who views him with hostility.
The mystery plot is strongly crafted with a twist or two along the way I certainly didn’t see coming. Ms Stuart keeps listeners guessing as to the identity of the man claiming to be Alex MacDowell, making me believe he was Alex and then causing me to change my mind several times. And she does this masterfully, not by planting clues (which would probably have driven me nuts!) but by cleverly keeping things vague – but plausible – until she was ready to let me in on the secret. But while this aspect of the novel is certainly intriguing, the big draw is the relationship between Carolyn and Alex, which is brilliantly drawn and crackles with sexual tension so palpable that when it explodes, it EXPLODES.
Alex is a one of those deliciously dangerous heroes for which this author is famous; handsome, charming and clever with an acerbic wit and a nice line in innuendo, he’s also calculating, ruthless and doesn’t give a damn – unless it’s about Carolyn. He realises she has walled herself off emotionally, so he pushes and prods her to get her to break out of her comfort zone of the good, dutiful “daughter”; and it’s only with him that she is able to really let go, say what she thinks and be less than perfect.
Although this is the first time I have listened to him, Michael Pauley is a very experienced narrator with well over one hundred titles to his credit at Audible – and having now heard him, I’m not at all surprised at his popularity. His interpretation of Alex was going to be key to the success of this audiobook, given that he’s the driving force of the story – and as soon as he spoke as Alex, I was convinced I was in for a great listen. His portrayal is superb – he really captures the essence of the character, his confidence, his authoritativeness and his sensuality. When it comes to the love scenes… well, he gets right into the swing of things, so you might need a cool cloth with which to mop your fevered brow! Mr Pauley performs the narrative expressively and at a good pace, and differentiates expertly between characters. He does use the same register for most of them, but adopts a slight difference in timbre and lightening of tone for the women which is very effective, making them recognisably female without resorting to falsetto. He also does a great job in conveying Carolyn’s repressed nature, how tightly wound she is, and how hard she fights against the strength and depth of the attraction she feels for Alex. His acting choices are all spot-on, and he also fleshes out the secondary characters extremely well, using deep, clipped tones for Sally’s brother, Warren, and a more laid-back, lazy drawl for her self-indulgent sister.
I enjoyed re-acquainting myself with Shadow Lover very much and would certainly recommend it to fans of this author or to anyone looking to listen to a strongly plotted and characterised romantic thriller. The story has some minor weaknesses, but they weren’t enough to spoil my enjoyment of it, and Michael Pauley’s excellent performance adds greatly to the overall listening experience.
A- for both narration and content, 4.5 stars rounded up.
Shadow Lover is a superb combination of mystery and romance that hooked me in from the start and didn’t let me go until I’d finished it. The hero is almost indecently sexy, the heroine won’t take any crap and goes toe-to-toe with him all the way, and while the sex scenes are probably quite tame by today’s standards, they’re nonetheless hot as hell. I read the book last year for a reading challenge and absolutely loved it – I’m a sucker for an Anne Stuart bad-boy, no matter the time-frame – so when I saw it had come out in audio format, I had to listen to it, even though I’m unfamiliar with the narrator.
An orphan, Carolyn Smith was fostered at the age of two by the incredibly wealthy Sally MacDowell. While she was brought up amid the amazing luxury enjoyed by the quintessentially “old money” family, Carolyn has always been an outsider, viewed by some of the family members as little more than a useless hanger-on. In spite of that, however, Carolyn has always been loyal to the MacDowells – to Sally especially – and has, in many ways, formed herself in their image, becoming a very proper, self-controlled and somewhat aloof young woman. When Carolyn learns that Sally is terminally ill, she immediately quits her job and travels back to Vermont, putting her own life on hold to be with her in her last months.
Sally’s ex-husband is dead, her only son, Alexander, disappeared eighteen years ago, and her closest relatives are her brother, her sister and her sister’s children, all of whom are shallow, self-centred and looking forward to receiving a sizeable inheritance when Sally dies. Even though her son is presumed dead, he has never been declared so legally and Sally has never altered her will, which stipulates that half her immense fortune will go to him and the other half will be divided between her siblings. But money isn’t something that concerns Carolyn – she is there for Sally, not for financial gain.
Carolyn has been back in Vermont for about eight months when she gets the shock of her life. A stunningly gorgeous man claiming to be Alex MacDowell arrives out of the blue – and even though he certainly could be Alex – he’s the right age, bears a striking resemblance to the younger Alex and knows everything Alex would have known – Carolyn knows it can’t be him. Yet whoever he is, he has clearly done his homework, and quickly wins over everyone in the house, convincing them that he is who he claims to be. While Carolyn knows the re-appearance of her long-lost “son” is providing great comfort to Sally in her last days, she refuses to stand idly by and see an imposter cheat a sick, elderly woman out of a great deal of money. She challenges Alex at every opportunity, something which seems to amuse rather than alarm him, and all the while is trying desperately to fight off the old feelings of attraction she had thought long buried.
At thirteen, Carolyn had nursed a massive crush on the seventeen-year-old hellion. Handsome, charming, feckless, heartless – Alex had been the light and the bane of Carolyn’s existence back then, tormenting her one minute and showing her a generous act of kindness the next. And now, his re-appearance (if it IS him) has unsettled her all over again. Alex knows this, and is ruthlessly prepared to take advantage of Carolyn’s conflicted feelings towards him, knowing she’s drawn to him but is trying to keep her distance. She’s the one person in the entire household he absolutely HAS to convince of his identity – and she’s the one person who views him with hostility.
The mystery plot is strongly crafted with a twist or two along the way I certainly didn’t see coming. Ms Stuart keeps listeners guessing as to the identity of the man claiming to be Alex MacDowell, making me believe he was Alex and then causing me to change my mind several times. And she does this masterfully, not by planting clues (which would probably have driven me nuts!) but by cleverly keeping things vague – but plausible – until she was ready to let me in on the secret. But while this aspect of the novel is certainly intriguing, the big draw is the relationship between Carolyn and Alex, which is brilliantly drawn and crackles with sexual tension so palpable that when it explodes, it EXPLODES.
Alex is a one of those deliciously dangerous heroes for which this author is famous; handsome, charming and clever with an acerbic wit and a nice line in innuendo, he’s also calculating, ruthless and doesn’t give a damn – unless it’s about Carolyn. He realises she has walled herself off emotionally, so he pushes and prods her to get her to break out of her comfort zone of the good, dutiful “daughter”; and it’s only with him that she is able to really let go, say what she thinks and be less than perfect.
Although this is the first time I have listened to him, Michael Pauley is a very experienced narrator with well over one hundred titles to his credit at Audible – and having now heard him, I’m not at all surprised at his popularity. His interpretation of Alex was going to be key to the success of this audiobook, given that he’s the driving force of the story – and as soon as he spoke as Alex, I was convinced I was in for a great listen. His portrayal is superb – he really captures the essence of the character, his confidence, his authoritativeness and his sensuality. When it comes to the love scenes… well, he gets right into the swing of things, so you might need a cool cloth with which to mop your fevered brow! Mr Pauley performs the narrative expressively and at a good pace, and differentiates expertly between characters. He does use the same register for most of them, but adopts a slight difference in timbre and lightening of tone for the women which is very effective, making them recognisably female without resorting to falsetto. He also does a great job in conveying Carolyn’s repressed nature, how tightly wound she is, and how hard she fights against the strength and depth of the attraction she feels for Alex. His acting choices are all spot-on, and he also fleshes out the secondary characters extremely well, using deep, clipped tones for Sally’s brother, Warren, and a more laid-back, lazy drawl for her self-indulgent sister.
I enjoyed re-acquainting myself with Shadow Lover very much and would certainly recommend it to fans of this author or to anyone looking to listen to a strongly plotted and characterised romantic thriller. The story has some minor weaknesses, but they weren’t enough to spoil my enjoyment of it, and Michael Pauley’s excellent performance adds greatly to the overall listening experience.
August 22, 2019
Heroine just liked to argue about everything. Very tring and childish. I couldn't bring myself to like her.
July 5, 2023
I was hesitant to read this but then after reading some good reviews I thought I'd give it a go. But I found it to be really slow. Nothing really happens. And to fill page space, the characters just constantly repeat themselves about all of the nothing that is going on. And I did not like Carolyn! She was bland and dull. I imagined her talking in monotone every time I read from her point of view. Her relationship and chemistry with Alex was awful. She was so rude to him the entire book until basically the last like 10 pages. Their relationship was her telling Alex to stay away from her and Alex giving her a wry grin and telling her he knows she wants him. And I'm not kidding, that's the gist of their interactions. So incredibly one note. There is no depth or variety. And it's not like they have a relationship where they flirtatiously bicker. Nope because you'd have to have some personality in order to do that and Carolyn has none. She isn't kind, she isn't fun, she isn't shy. She's nothing. So when Carolyn and Alex finally do go at it, it disconnects me from the story and flow of the book because it's so forced and contrived on the authors part. Since every interaction between the two is her telling him to stay away from her and that's basically all she ever says to him and then all of the sudden they have sex with eachother it just made the book disjointed. The murder mystery and little twists are interesting enough but by the time I got to them I was just so relieved that this book was almost over that I couldn't appreciate the solved mystery.
March 7, 2020
3.5 stars
Carolyn Smith was first brought into the wealthy MacDowell family as a foster child when she was 2 years old. She grew up in that family, along with the matriarch's son, Alex, who was 5 years older than her. She had a huge crush on Alex, who ended up leaving the family when he was in his late teens. After disappearing for 18 years, Alex makes a sudden and miraculous return to the family when he finds out that his mother is dying of cancer. But Carolyn believes he's an imposter who wants the inheritance because she witnessed Alex getting murdered 18 years ago.
I really liked Shadow Lover for the most part. I love how atmospheric this book is. The setting and the cold weather provide the perfect tone and layout for this complicated family saga to unfold. Shadow Lover is slow paced on the suspense until the very end because the mystery relies on the revelation of family secrets. Every single family member is present in the dying matriarch's house, which provides the perfect backdrop for family secrets to come out of the woodwork. I love reading romantic suspense novels that focus on families and Shadow Lover was no exception.
My only issue with this book is that the whole back and forth with Carolyn and Alex got a little too repetitive towards the end. The pacing slowed down in the second half, but the story was still gripping. The romance was safisfactory, but it didn't sweep me off my feet. But it did have the dark and anti-hero elements I've come to expect from Anne Stuart, so that was awesome!
Carolyn Smith was first brought into the wealthy MacDowell family as a foster child when she was 2 years old. She grew up in that family, along with the matriarch's son, Alex, who was 5 years older than her. She had a huge crush on Alex, who ended up leaving the family when he was in his late teens. After disappearing for 18 years, Alex makes a sudden and miraculous return to the family when he finds out that his mother is dying of cancer. But Carolyn believes he's an imposter who wants the inheritance because she witnessed Alex getting murdered 18 years ago.
I really liked Shadow Lover for the most part. I love how atmospheric this book is. The setting and the cold weather provide the perfect tone and layout for this complicated family saga to unfold. Shadow Lover is slow paced on the suspense until the very end because the mystery relies on the revelation of family secrets. Every single family member is present in the dying matriarch's house, which provides the perfect backdrop for family secrets to come out of the woodwork. I love reading romantic suspense novels that focus on families and Shadow Lover was no exception.
My only issue with this book is that the whole back and forth with Carolyn and Alex got a little too repetitive towards the end. The pacing slowed down in the second half, but the story was still gripping. The romance was safisfactory, but it didn't sweep me off my feet. But it did have the dark and anti-hero elements I've come to expect from Anne Stuart, so that was awesome!
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