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The Shadows

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I was taken.
Taken from the world I created for myself.
I’m not alone, I’m one of many girls locked in this castle awaiting…something.
We’re too be sold, like animals for slaughter to rich men who will do God knows what to us.
I won’t let this happen.
I will fight and escape this hell hole.
I escaped the castle or so I thought.
I found myself running straight into the hands of not one, but three of the most gorgeous men I’ve ever seen.
Everett, Dean, and Colson.
They say I’m there’s now.
They say they will protect me.
They will save me.
Can I trust them from those that continue to seek me out?
Do I really have a choice?

219 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 31, 2022

379 people are currently reading
3191 people want to read

About the author

Rebecca Hamby

5 books167 followers

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5 stars
392 (33%)
4 stars
353 (30%)
3 stars
275 (23%)
2 stars
99 (8%)
1 star
42 (3%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 106 reviews
Profile Image for Vee.
371 reviews174 followers
September 28, 2023
When I felt myself constantly justifying the MMC’s morally grey/ downright bad behaviour I knew I was being sucked into this book.

At first the frequent mention that they looked they GQ models or that they were the most beautiful men was a little annoying. Mostly because she was about to be sold and I felt there were more pressing matters to be thinking of. Yes you can acknowledge that these men are attractive, but you are currently trying to escape a human auction, so we need to refocus. Maybe that’s just me trying to be rational about it.

Once you get past the first couple of chapters you start to really get to know the guys through their pov and they are all very lovable. Colson is very much a cinnamon roll, golden retriever type. Dean is kinda the muscle, protective, kinda stand-off-ish, but ultimately a softie. Everett is the leader, level-headed, calm under pressure - always puts her first.

The first chapter launched straight into the action, but for me it took a while to warm to it. I think once they are in such close proximity to each other and started to develop relationships with each other, the books gets so much better. Also the spice is very well done.
Profile Image for Emily.
232 reviews1 follower
May 30, 2023
I’ve been looking a long time for anything that comes close to the Madison Kate series by Tate James, and this is finally it. The plot was fresh and entertaining, and the relationships undeniably hot and fun. The story and writing needs so much more editing and reference checking, so might be triggering for grammar-focused people. But for a debut why-choose romance, it was damn good.
Profile Image for Kendra.
105 reviews13 followers
August 14, 2022
Rating 2.5-3/5

It was okay and predictable. The plot and storyline were there, but the way it was written didn't draw me in like it should have.
Profile Image for Elizabeth Saucedo.
240 reviews9 followers
October 31, 2023
Dnf at 36% - I really wanted to like this but the dialogue from the MMCs didn't come off genuine. The FMC was repetative and frustrating. The overexplanafion of unimportant details but underexplaining the important stuff was even more frustrating.
10 reviews
August 14, 2024
I have 0 clue what to say except that this book obviously did not go through vetting. So many typos, wrongly used words, lack of punctuation and more. This book is basically a mid wattpad book that has actually been published. Not even a good wattpad book, a subpar one. Dnf.
Profile Image for c.
95 reviews
September 23, 2023
This book had so much potential only to be ruined by how fast paced it was. I can’t imagine why it would need to be a trilogy 🫣
Profile Image for Rebeca.
33 reviews11 followers
February 4, 2022
I'll try to keep it short and sweet because the less you know the better!

Sloan hasn’t had the best life one could ask for; with abusive parents and having to move far away from them she is faced to make her own life by her own means. That is until one day she is kidnapped and thrown into a van. She wakes up in a room with other girls that are around her age; Sloan seems to be the only one that wants to get out of the room alive. Once the opportunity arises she runs out but is faced with a man that is beautiful beyond this world which then turns into three insanely handsome guys that claim are only trying to help her from the dangers that are out there waiting for her. Can she trust all three of them? Can she let all three of them into her life? Please add this to your TBR I promise it will not disappoint 🥰❤️‍🔥
11 reviews
January 31, 2022
ITS A MUST READ! ❤️

Rebecca killed it with this book! So much so that I read it straight through in one sitting! The suspense and romance was written perfectly! I hate cliffhangers, naturally, so I can not wait for book 2! You killed it Rebecca! You’re first book as an author is amazing! Congrats!!
Profile Image for Mckayla.
60 reviews16 followers
May 7, 2024
Okay I loved this book sooooo much but the ending kinda made me mad because it was a cliffhanger and it never said that in the trigger warnings 🥲 I tried to start the second book but started reading a different book so hopefully one day I can come back and finish the other two books but the first book just didn’t give me what I needed don’t get me wrong the storyline and spice was there but I don’t know 🤷🏻‍♀️
Profile Image for Doom Sunshine.
617 reviews76 followers
December 2, 2023
The author states that she has an editor, but I'm not so sure if that is the case.
The FMC's name is Sloan or Sloane; the author couldn't decide on the correct spelling.
We're introduced to Sloane as a someone who has survived, will do whatever she can do to survive and has street smarts. Yet, the author wrote her to be a damsel in distress. Sloane has MANY opportunities to fight back before the bidding by using objects in her bunker for weapons; a toothbrush; curling iron; metal slats from the bunks; using the food/coffee/tea for distractions while she grabs a knife.
By 33% her "rescuers" have threatened sexual violence against her, cause ya know, can't have a dark book without a bit of boundary crossing and intimidation via SA. Not once did the FMC ever push back against this.
Most of the scenes that were there to move the plot forward felt forced and/or out of place.
The cliffhanger was expected as was the last 15%.
Profile Image for Erin.
238 reviews120 followers
March 27, 2022
This was a cool concept and I flew through it pretty quickly.

The plot, character, and relationship development was all kind of surface level. As well as the details behind what and who ‘The Shadows’ are. It was all extremely fast paced.

Sloan flip flopped in her feelings a lot. One minute she was trying to be tough and the next she said she felt safe around the guys. I wish she kind of picked one mindset to stick with.

There are some formatting issues in the book, but it’s not so bad that it’s unreadable.
8 reviews
June 6, 2022
I’ve never felt compelled to write a review before, but I woke up this morning after having finished the book last night and it’s still bothering me.

She has sex after three days of knowing these men and condoms weren’t brought up once?
Did I miss something?

Also the formatting is strange, some pages aren’t even a half page of text. That plus the couple grammar and word errors makes the book seem very highschool/fanfiction-esque.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Kirsten.
124 reviews11 followers
September 14, 2023
This book had me hooked from the prologue, and that's not an easy feat. Without drawing direct comparison, think DOV but done better. This book is definitely fast paced, and quick to read - do not expect slow burn or drawn out character growth. The three men give 'touch her and die' vibes. They are possessive and will unalive anyone who even looks at Sloan wrong. The book is part of a Trilogy, so does end on a cliffy.
212 reviews1 follower
September 20, 2023
DNF @ 7%

I’ve come to realize than any book recommended by booktok is awful. This is the third DNF in three days and that’s a first for me. Obviously from the title I stopped at 7%, that’s about as much as I could handle. At this point I didn’t care for the writing, the MFC or the plot. It was all ridiculous.
5 reviews
March 7, 2023
Meh. It's spicy but the characters are inconsistent

The first 2/3rds of the book is good. Very sassy and strong willed female character in a revrese harem.

It seems like this book was written by 2 different authors.
Profile Image for Bryana.
3 reviews
July 25, 2023
Despite loving Dean, the writing was so bad that I can’t give this more than 2 stars. It was predictable, rushed, cliche, and written like a teen on watt pad. Bummed because the storyline and potential were there.
4 reviews
September 4, 2023
DNF. Writing wasn’t it for me. So many errors. Very repetitive. Good premise, poor execution.
Profile Image for cele.
59 reviews
November 19, 2023
The book cover is fabulous! But the book itself? Hmmm, meh… the writing isn’t rly good and so is the plot.
Dnf
Profile Image for Terri Holgate.
89 reviews
October 25, 2023
I so wanted to love and devour this book, but ultimately I felt very deflated and let down. It had a great premise but I just found so many issues for me.
Cons for me were; Within the first maybe 10 pages I felt like sentences were being repeated, like we were told she had a crappy upbringing and then two sentences later it was like "...because of my awful upbringing..." and again a few sentences later. On top of that, there were a lot of grammatical issues, which is not something I normally care too much about I mean it happens no big deal, but they just seemed to be every other page and it really took me out of it. Our FMC Sloan just seems unrealistic and honestly, she annoyed me from the start. No matter her previous life she’s taking being kidnapped in trafficking very well. She’s also being very bitchy to the other girls considering they are victims as well. The MCs were likable but seemed to have the personality of kids, like they just rescued her and the MC sat playing video games.
I did really love the premise though, with the human trafficking and the brothers being pure badass. I also loved that it's a why choose. I really liked the whole party aspect at the start, I thought at one point maybe the bodyguard was the love interest but thankfully not. Spice was meh. Kinda lacking for me.
Overall, 3 stars on plot and 1 for spice.
Profile Image for Sarae.
14 reviews
December 10, 2023
I need a harem.

Another book that proves everyone woman needs a harem. I just want to be worshipped. Is that too much to ask??

Not if you’re the girls for Everett, Colson, and Dean. They do make a good Dominant, Golden Retriever, and Broody trio.

Sloan is a great FMC. Stubborn and strong, sassy and quick witted, but so broken. Hiding all of her pain and darkness behind a wall of humor, silence, comebacks, and/or apologies. You can tell someone knows what it’s like to be raised by abusive narcissists.

I have to say there was a lot of description in this book. Serious detail about the rooms, decor, furniture. I didn’t see the need for it, outside of painting a very detailed image of the space. But it didn’t seem to add to the plot any.

The passion was very well executed. You can certainly tell everyone’s trying to tiptoe around it, given the circumstances. But once it’s out in the open, it’s balls to the walls. Pun intended? 😂

Overall, a nice start. Moving on to book 2. The cliffy on this one…😮‍💨😮‍💨. Fu……
Profile Image for Venus Howard.
90 reviews
March 16, 2022
Good Book!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was dark, but not to where the main male characters are bullies to their girl! I love the possessiveness, alpha, take care of my woman at all cost approach to this book. I can’t wait to read the second book in this series to see where and whom is apart of cliffhanger. I like the way that Sloan’s character has started out in this book being quiet and introverted and weak, however I am hoping that she becomes a little badass in the next one shows her men just how she can handle herself like she proclaimed throughout this book. The intimate scenes are good medium burn, I hope the second book steps it up to fire and maybe some group action! I loved the multi POV that was used in this book so you get the overall fell of the entire group and not just one sided!
Profile Image for Aya  Blackwood.
461 reviews10 followers
January 22, 2024
I think I would have given this book 4 stars if a few things had been taken care of. The author thanks her editor, but I really don't think the editor did her job. There was so much repetitive content the book could have been half the pages and nothing would have changed. There were words used in the wrong context. Choppy sentence structure, too the point where I had to stop go back and read the sentence out loud to understand what was happening. Repetitive words in the same sentences/paragraphs and not just two or three times like five or six. Also a cliffhanger but the next book is available so not as many points lost for that.
I am sad that it was so surface level as well. I feel like it is an interesting premise and a lot could be done with it. I was really looking forward to reading it and feel let down
Profile Image for Kallie.
229 reviews4 followers
March 31, 2025
I don't even know how to start this review. I tried to keep an open mind throughout the entire book. This is a great "why choose" romance. The idea of the plot is good, but the writing I struggled with a lot. The main female character, Sloan/Sloane is a mix between an independent survivalist and a damsel in distress. She does not know when to be feisty and when to keep her mouth shut nor when she needs to fight. I really struggled with her personality.

Sloan is purchase by men who allegedly care for her and want to fix their mistakes, but are quite possessive. I did skim a good portion of the book because Sloan drove me crazy. It is fast paced and jumps right in. The men give a "touch her and die" vibe and the book ends on a cliffhanger, so prepare for pure chaos when reading this book. The ending did make me want to read book two, but I do not plan on it as of now.
Profile Image for Jessica (Jess).
23 reviews6 followers
July 29, 2022
𝟝 ⭐️ 𝔹𝕠𝕠𝕜 𝔸𝕝𝕖𝕣𝕥!

The Shadows is Rebecca Hamby’s debut novel and it does not disappoint! It’s badass, sexy and spicy! The story is fast paced and keeps you hooked from the first chapter 😍

Sloan is such a badass female character and I love her! I would love to read more about her past, which is hinted at in this one but doesn’t delve deep enough so I hope it is something we find out in future books 🖤

I need an Everett, Dean and Colson in my life! Have these three been promoted to my favourite book boyfriends YES THEY HAVE!! 😍 Everett gives me some serious Klaus vibes! Especially when he calls Sloan “Love” 🥵

“𝑩𝒆𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒍𝒆𝒇𝒕 𝒎𝒆 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒅, 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓,𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒂𝒇𝒆.𝑰 𝒂𝒅𝒎𝒊𝒕 𝒊𝒕,𝑰’𝒎 𝒇𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒆𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎.“
- Love this Quote 🖤
Profile Image for Princess Petty.
53 reviews1 follower
December 6, 2024
DNFd halfway through and it was only a 300 page book so that’s saying a lot. First and foremost the book had potential with the plot, except there wasn’t one after about 5 minutes of reading.
The climax is short lived and has zero detail, the author does repeat the same thing over and over again for non important parts of the story but lacks details on huge events. the writing is very mediocre . Almost as if you’re reading in bullet points. The storyline itself makes absolutely no sense when it comes to the MCs.
I’m upset that I wasted my time reading it, even past my threshold of tolerance I continued and was severely disappointed.
If someone recommends this book to you, they don’t like you.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 106 reviews

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