What do you think?
Rate this book
In The Shadows
Maeve
I hate him.
I never thought I'd ever hear from him again
but at least now I know it was all a lie.
Time to move on.
Except he won't let me.
Deep down I don't think I want him to let me.
He's always in the shadows, watching, waiting.
I hate him.
Jayson
I love her.
I never thought I'd ever speak to her again.
But I need her to know it wasn't all a lie.
I tried to move on.
I can't and I can't let her.
Deep down I know she doesn't want me too.
I'm always in the shadows, watching, waiting.
I love her.
I hate him.
I never thought I'd ever hear from him again
but at least now I know it was all a lie.
Time to move on.
Except he won't let me.
Deep down I don't think I want him to let me.
He's always in the shadows, watching, waiting.
I hate him.
Jayson
I love her.
I never thought I'd ever speak to her again.
But I need her to know it wasn't all a lie.
I tried to move on.
I can't and I can't let her.
Deep down I know she doesn't want me too.
I'm always in the shadows, watching, waiting.
I love her.
153 pages, Paperback
Published December 30, 2022
4 people are currently reading
81 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
February 9, 2023
Before I start this review, I'd like to point out something real quick.
My final and impressively low ratings of this and consequent rant-view, have nothing to do with the book's dark and questionable content. I was aware of what I was getting into when I picked it up and purchased it.
I actually picked this up on purpose because I was in the mood for something similar after the Flawless fiasco.
So...yeah, I knew this wasn't going to be a Bible study guide.
💀𝗜𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗛𝗔𝗗𝗢𝗪𝗦 - 𝗕𝗬 𝗥𝗜𝗟𝗘𝗬 𝗔𝗟𝗩𝗘𝗦💀
★𝗙𝗜𝗡𝗔𝗟 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦: ⭐
★𝗬𝗔/𝗡𝗔/𝗔: 🅽🅰/🅰
★𝗦𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗘𝗦: 𝚂𝚃𝙰𝙽𝙳𝙰𝙻𝙾𝙽𝙴
★𝗚𝗘𝗡𝗥𝗘 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗥𝗧𝗢𝗡𝗘𝗦: 𝙳𝙰𝚁𝙺 𝚁𝙾𝙼𝙰𝙽𝙲𝙴 - 𝚂𝚃𝙰𝙻𝙺𝙴𝚁 𝚁𝙾𝙼𝙰𝙽𝙲𝙴 - 𝚂𝙴𝙲𝙾𝙽𝙳 𝙲𝙷𝙰𝙽𝙲𝙴
★𝗣𝗢𝗩: 𝙳𝙾𝚄𝙱𝙻𝙴 𝙿𝙾𝚅 - 𝙵𝙸𝚁𝚂𝚃 𝙿𝙴𝚁𝚂𝙾𝙽 - 𝙿𝙰𝚂𝚃 𝚃𝙴𝙽𝚂𝙴
★𝗧𝗥𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗦: 𝙼𝙼𝙲 𝙸𝚂 𝙰 𝙱𝙰𝙳 (𝙵𝚄𝙲𝙺) 𝙱𝙾𝚈 - 𝙸𝚃 𝚆𝙰𝚂 𝙰𝙻𝚆𝙰𝚈𝚂 𝚈𝙾𝚄 - 𝚂𝚃𝙰𝙻𝙺𝙴𝚁/𝚂𝚃𝙰𝙻𝙺𝙴𝙳 - 𝙴𝚇 𝚃𝙴𝙴𝙽 𝙾𝙽𝙻𝙸𝙽𝙴 𝚂𝚆𝙴𝙴𝚃𝙷𝙴𝙰𝚁𝚃𝚂
★𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗦: 👥/5
★𝗪𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ✍🏼/5
★𝗣𝗟𝗢𝗧: 📜/5
★𝗗𝗔𝗥𝗞 𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗠𝗘𝗦 & 𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗚𝗚𝗘𝗥 𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦: 💀💀💀💀/5 (𝚁𝙴𝙰𝙻 𝙻𝙸𝙵𝙴 𝙰𝙽𝙳 𝚂𝙾𝙲𝙸𝙰𝙻 𝙼𝙴𝙳𝙸𝙰 𝚂𝚃𝙰𝙻𝙺𝙸𝙽𝙶 - 𝙳𝚄𝙱𝙲𝙾𝙽 - 𝙲𝙰𝚃𝙵𝙸𝚂𝙷𝙸𝙽𝙶 - 𝙼𝙴𝙽𝚃𝙰𝙻 𝙲𝙾𝙴𝚁𝙲𝙸𝙾𝙽 - 𝙷𝙸𝙳𝙳𝙴𝙽 𝙸𝙳𝙴𝙽𝚃𝙸𝚃𝙸𝙴𝚂 - 𝙰𝙽𝙾𝙽𝚈𝙼𝙾𝚄𝚂 𝚃𝙴𝚇𝚃𝚂 - 𝙲𝙷𝙴𝙰𝚃𝙸𝙽𝙶 (𝙽𝙾𝚃 𝙱𝙴𝚃𝚆𝙴𝙴𝙽 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙼𝙲𝚂)- 𝙳𝚁𝚄𝙶 𝙳𝙴𝙰𝙻𝙸𝙽𝙶)
★𝗦𝗠𝗨𝗧 𝗤𝗨𝗔𝗟𝗜𝗧𝗬: 🔥/5 (𝚂𝙴𝚇𝚃𝙸𝙽𝙶 - 𝙾𝚁𝙰𝙻 𝚂𝙴𝚇 𝙰𝙽𝙳 𝙷𝙴𝙰𝚅𝚈/𝙿𝚄𝙱𝙻𝙸𝙲 𝙿𝙴𝚃𝚃𝙸𝙽𝙶 - 𝙵𝙴𝙼𝙰𝙻𝙴 𝙴𝙹𝙰𝙲𝚄𝙻𝙰𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽 - 𝚂𝙴𝚇 𝙸𝙽 𝙰𝙻𝙻 𝙿𝙾𝚂𝙸𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽𝚂)
★𝗦𝗠𝗨𝗧 𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗡𝗦𝗜𝗧𝗬 & 𝗤𝗨𝗔𝗡𝗧𝗜𝗧𝗬: 🚒🚒🚒/5
★𝗘𝗫𝗣𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗜𝗧𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗦: 🤐🤐🤐🤐/5 (𝙼𝙰𝚃𝚄𝚁𝙴 𝙻𝙰𝙽𝙶𝚄𝙰𝙶𝙴 - 𝙶𝚁𝙰𝙿𝙷𝙸𝙲 𝙳𝙴𝚂𝙲𝚁𝙸𝙿𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽𝚂 𝙾𝙵 𝚂𝙴𝚇 𝙰𝙽𝙳 𝚂𝙴𝚇𝚄𝙰𝙻 𝚂𝙸𝚃𝚄𝙰𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽𝚂)
★𝗥𝗢𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗖𝗘: 🌹/5
★𝗟𝗢𝗩𝗘 𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗔𝗡𝗚𝗟𝗘: ❌
★𝗠𝗔𝗜𝗡 𝗥𝗢𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗖𝗘: 𝙵/𝙼
★𝗥𝗘𝗣: 𝙼𝙼𝙲 𝙷𝙰𝚂 𝙰𝙳𝙷𝙳
★𝗘𝗡𝗘𝗠𝗜𝗘𝗦-𝗧𝗢-𝗟𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗦: 🖤/5
▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰
This said.
Hi, this was terrible.
Objectively speaking In The Shadows is a total mess that needs editing so. fucking. bad.
The plot is chaotic, the relationship between Maeve and Jayson so full of red flags I don't know where to start listing the reasons why someone should fix this book's GR tags and let the world know this novella isn't for everyone.
Darkness aside, I feel like this was written by a teen whose only source of inspiration were other teens' recycled fanfictionesque ideas of how a dark stalker romance stories should sound like.
The smut made me wanna throw myself out the window for the very same reason; a pity considering this novella's main purpose was clearly to outrage its audience and bring lots of smut into people's lives.
The characters have no depth, no distinct voices, not a real personality or a real backstory. I think it's related to the poor writing but both M and J sounded like they were 13 when in reality they were in their early 20s.
The whole stalker plot made no sense and didn't fit what little we first saw about Jayson's character. But again, hard to define when said character has the personality of a breadstick to start with. It's basically You, if the author said plot, what plot.
I also find it super weird that after 7 years both MCs are still pining for each other and that FMC
1) forgave the asshole immediately even after he ghosted her for years apparently affecting her future (although they barely were nothing more than internet pen pals);
2) had the hots for her stalker, even after they exchanged literally 3 words.
The only part I liked about this was the FMC's best friend calling her out for being stupid and the fact that it was really short.
My final and impressively low ratings of this and consequent rant-view, have nothing to do with the book's dark and questionable content. I was aware of what I was getting into when I picked it up and purchased it.
I actually picked this up on purpose because I was in the mood for something similar after the Flawless fiasco.
So...yeah, I knew this wasn't going to be a Bible study guide.
💀𝗜𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗛𝗔𝗗𝗢𝗪𝗦 - 𝗕𝗬 𝗥𝗜𝗟𝗘𝗬 𝗔𝗟𝗩𝗘𝗦💀
★𝗙𝗜𝗡𝗔𝗟 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦: ⭐
★𝗬𝗔/𝗡𝗔/𝗔: 🅽🅰/🅰
★𝗦𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗘𝗦: 𝚂𝚃𝙰𝙽𝙳𝙰𝙻𝙾𝙽𝙴
★𝗚𝗘𝗡𝗥𝗘 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗥𝗧𝗢𝗡𝗘𝗦: 𝙳𝙰𝚁𝙺 𝚁𝙾𝙼𝙰𝙽𝙲𝙴 - 𝚂𝚃𝙰𝙻𝙺𝙴𝚁 𝚁𝙾𝙼𝙰𝙽𝙲𝙴 - 𝚂𝙴𝙲𝙾𝙽𝙳 𝙲𝙷𝙰𝙽𝙲𝙴
★𝗣𝗢𝗩: 𝙳𝙾𝚄𝙱𝙻𝙴 𝙿𝙾𝚅 - 𝙵𝙸𝚁𝚂𝚃 𝙿𝙴𝚁𝚂𝙾𝙽 - 𝙿𝙰𝚂𝚃 𝚃𝙴𝙽𝚂𝙴
★𝗧𝗥𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗦: 𝙼𝙼𝙲 𝙸𝚂 𝙰 𝙱𝙰𝙳 (𝙵𝚄𝙲𝙺) 𝙱𝙾𝚈 - 𝙸𝚃 𝚆𝙰𝚂 𝙰𝙻𝚆𝙰𝚈𝚂 𝚈𝙾𝚄 - 𝚂𝚃𝙰𝙻𝙺𝙴𝚁/𝚂𝚃𝙰𝙻𝙺𝙴𝙳 - 𝙴𝚇 𝚃𝙴𝙴𝙽 𝙾𝙽𝙻𝙸𝙽𝙴 𝚂𝚆𝙴𝙴𝚃𝙷𝙴𝙰𝚁𝚃𝚂
★𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗦: 👥/5
★𝗪𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ✍🏼/5
★𝗣𝗟𝗢𝗧: 📜/5
★𝗗𝗔𝗥𝗞 𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗠𝗘𝗦 & 𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗚𝗚𝗘𝗥 𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦: 💀💀💀💀/5 (𝚁𝙴𝙰𝙻 𝙻𝙸𝙵𝙴 𝙰𝙽𝙳 𝚂𝙾𝙲𝙸𝙰𝙻 𝙼𝙴𝙳𝙸𝙰 𝚂𝚃𝙰𝙻𝙺𝙸𝙽𝙶 - 𝙳𝚄𝙱𝙲𝙾𝙽 - 𝙲𝙰𝚃𝙵𝙸𝚂𝙷𝙸𝙽𝙶 - 𝙼𝙴𝙽𝚃𝙰𝙻 𝙲𝙾𝙴𝚁𝙲𝙸𝙾𝙽 - 𝙷𝙸𝙳𝙳𝙴𝙽 𝙸𝙳𝙴𝙽𝚃𝙸𝚃𝙸𝙴𝚂 - 𝙰𝙽𝙾𝙽𝚈𝙼𝙾𝚄𝚂 𝚃𝙴𝚇𝚃𝚂 - 𝙲𝙷𝙴𝙰𝚃𝙸𝙽𝙶 (𝙽𝙾𝚃 𝙱𝙴𝚃𝚆𝙴𝙴𝙽 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙼𝙲𝚂)- 𝙳𝚁𝚄𝙶 𝙳𝙴𝙰𝙻𝙸𝙽𝙶)
★𝗦𝗠𝗨𝗧 𝗤𝗨𝗔𝗟𝗜𝗧𝗬: 🔥/5 (𝚂𝙴𝚇𝚃𝙸𝙽𝙶 - 𝙾𝚁𝙰𝙻 𝚂𝙴𝚇 𝙰𝙽𝙳 𝙷𝙴𝙰𝚅𝚈/𝙿𝚄𝙱𝙻𝙸𝙲 𝙿𝙴𝚃𝚃𝙸𝙽𝙶 - 𝙵𝙴𝙼𝙰𝙻𝙴 𝙴𝙹𝙰𝙲𝚄𝙻𝙰𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽 - 𝚂𝙴𝚇 𝙸𝙽 𝙰𝙻𝙻 𝙿𝙾𝚂𝙸𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽𝚂)
★𝗦𝗠𝗨𝗧 𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗡𝗦𝗜𝗧𝗬 & 𝗤𝗨𝗔𝗡𝗧𝗜𝗧𝗬: 🚒🚒🚒/5
★𝗘𝗫𝗣𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗜𝗧𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗦: 🤐🤐🤐🤐/5 (𝙼𝙰𝚃𝚄𝚁𝙴 𝙻𝙰𝙽𝙶𝚄𝙰𝙶𝙴 - 𝙶𝚁𝙰𝙿𝙷𝙸𝙲 𝙳𝙴𝚂𝙲𝚁𝙸𝙿𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽𝚂 𝙾𝙵 𝚂𝙴𝚇 𝙰𝙽𝙳 𝚂𝙴𝚇𝚄𝙰𝙻 𝚂𝙸𝚃𝚄𝙰𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽𝚂)
★𝗥𝗢𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗖𝗘: 🌹/5
★𝗟𝗢𝗩𝗘 𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗔𝗡𝗚𝗟𝗘: ❌
★𝗠𝗔𝗜𝗡 𝗥𝗢𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗖𝗘: 𝙵/𝙼
★𝗥𝗘𝗣: 𝙼𝙼𝙲 𝙷𝙰𝚂 𝙰𝙳𝙷𝙳
★𝗘𝗡𝗘𝗠𝗜𝗘𝗦-𝗧𝗢-𝗟𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗦: 🖤/5
▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰
This said.
Hi, this was terrible.
Objectively speaking In The Shadows is a total mess that needs editing so. fucking. bad.
The plot is chaotic, the relationship between Maeve and Jayson so full of red flags I don't know where to start listing the reasons why someone should fix this book's GR tags and let the world know this novella isn't for everyone.
Darkness aside, I feel like this was written by a teen whose only source of inspiration were other teens' recycled fanfictionesque ideas of how a dark stalker romance stories should sound like.
The smut made me wanna throw myself out the window for the very same reason; a pity considering this novella's main purpose was clearly to outrage its audience and bring lots of smut into people's lives.
The characters have no depth, no distinct voices, not a real personality or a real backstory. I think it's related to the poor writing but both M and J sounded like they were 13 when in reality they were in their early 20s.
The whole stalker plot made no sense and didn't fit what little we first saw about Jayson's character. But again, hard to define when said character has the personality of a breadstick to start with. It's basically You, if the author said plot, what plot.
I also find it super weird that after 7 years both MCs are still pining for each other and that FMC
1) forgave the asshole immediately even after he ghosted her for years apparently affecting her future (although they barely were nothing more than internet pen pals);
2) had the hots for her stalker, even after they exchanged literally 3 words.
The only part I liked about this was the FMC's best friend calling her out for being stupid and the fact that it was really short.
January 4, 2023
Going to try my hand at a no spoilers review. Not going to like I’m the beginning I didn’t know if I was going to like it but after that 3rd chapter I think I was kind of hooked. It’s a super short book so if your trying to find a quick and easy read this is definitely the book for you. It has everything you want. A awesome FMC, morally grey MC, annnnd the person who you’ll definitely hate.
So glad I gave this book a chance and I’m excited to see what else this author does in the future.
So glad I gave this book a chance and I’m excited to see what else this author does in the future.
July 7, 2023
3.5 💫 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Love a psycho stalker 😜
Love a psycho stalker 😜
February 1, 2023
Wow.
Let me say I picked this up on recommendation of a friend. This is a genre I quite enjoy and so giving a new author a shot was definitely nerve racking. That having been said let me break this review down into sections.
Knowing this is a debut author, editing errors were to be expected and although there are some, they were easy to look over. I've seen similar ones in books by authors like Harley LaRoux, HD Carlton, and even JK Rowling, to name a few. They weren't so bad that I found myself losing out on the story.
I love these kinds of books but a lot of them tend to lack a logical explanation of why a woman would be attracted to and then give in to a stalker type of lover. This one wraps that up in a neat little bow with the explanation of having known one another (sorta) in the past. Anyone who spent countless hours in a chat room as pre-teens, knows that feeling of puppy love and probably being ghosted! I mean there's a whole show about it called catfish! This makes this portion of the story relatable and gives us a reason to want Maeve to give Jayson a second chance.
The red flags here are the kind we stan if you're an avid reader of the tropes this novella falls under. Albeit this is an excellent starting point for a new author under a trope that's so heavily saturated right now. This book has all the elements we love and all the details we miss in books that rival it.
All in all, I think this book delivers on its promises and I'm super excited to watch this author grow and evolve. I can't wait to see what she puts out next!
Let me say I picked this up on recommendation of a friend. This is a genre I quite enjoy and so giving a new author a shot was definitely nerve racking. That having been said let me break this review down into sections.
Knowing this is a debut author, editing errors were to be expected and although there are some, they were easy to look over. I've seen similar ones in books by authors like Harley LaRoux, HD Carlton, and even JK Rowling, to name a few. They weren't so bad that I found myself losing out on the story.
I love these kinds of books but a lot of them tend to lack a logical explanation of why a woman would be attracted to and then give in to a stalker type of lover. This one wraps that up in a neat little bow with the explanation of having known one another (sorta) in the past. Anyone who spent countless hours in a chat room as pre-teens, knows that feeling of puppy love and probably being ghosted! I mean there's a whole show about it called catfish! This makes this portion of the story relatable and gives us a reason to want Maeve to give Jayson a second chance.
The red flags here are the kind we stan if you're an avid reader of the tropes this novella falls under. Albeit this is an excellent starting point for a new author under a trope that's so heavily saturated right now. This book has all the elements we love and all the details we miss in books that rival it.
All in all, I think this book delivers on its promises and I'm super excited to watch this author grow and evolve. I can't wait to see what she puts out next!
January 15, 2023
Wow wow wow!
This was a phenomenal novella especially for a new writer! I think a lot of people forget that a novella is a short excerpt of a bigger picture- like an episode instead of a movie. For a novella, this one was packed with details many novellas lack.
I loved how the author was able to add the details she did by giving these characters the unique situation of having knowing one another before- a concept I’ve not seen in other similar novellas. In doing this, she was able to develop Maeve’s (FMC) quickly enough to give us what we are all wanting from a novel like this- the spice!
AND OH BOY WAS THIS BOOK SPICY! Cold showers are a must with this one. I heard this author is already working on her next piece and I can’t wait to see what she has in store for her horny followers.
Definitely a top read, a perfect novella. I would only suggest some editing, however, I understand things happen with publishers and when I emailed the author it was said that it’s being worked on!
This was a phenomenal novella especially for a new writer! I think a lot of people forget that a novella is a short excerpt of a bigger picture- like an episode instead of a movie. For a novella, this one was packed with details many novellas lack.
I loved how the author was able to add the details she did by giving these characters the unique situation of having knowing one another before- a concept I’ve not seen in other similar novellas. In doing this, she was able to develop Maeve’s (FMC) quickly enough to give us what we are all wanting from a novel like this- the spice!
AND OH BOY WAS THIS BOOK SPICY! Cold showers are a must with this one. I heard this author is already working on her next piece and I can’t wait to see what she has in store for her horny followers.
Definitely a top read, a perfect novella. I would only suggest some editing, however, I understand things happen with publishers and when I emailed the author it was said that it’s being worked on!
January 8, 2023
The second I head stalker romance I knew I had to read this book! I was able to be on the ARC team for this debut launch and am so happy to be a part of it. The book starts off with Maeve being relatable as ever trying to stop a ghosting from happening but like most real life romances, Jayson still ghosted. Years later they reconnect (all ghosts come back as we all know) and that's when the magic starts. She sends him a lovely go love yourself and then we get into the stalker aspect with random flowers, broken windshields, and the most amazing gift of all, imo, books. I won't go too much more in detail just give you the beginning but I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to read more from Riley
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 4, 2023
Probably one of the best stories I’ve read from a debut author!
This story was easy to get addicted to and perfectly wrapped up in this novella. A refined mix of danger and romance, with exciting characters makes it a very easy read.
I personally didn’t enjoy a few small things (consistent little breaks between paragraphs and the ‘I said’ ‘he said’ after the dialogue) but I’m excited to see how the author evolves in writing as their storyline’s are so enjoyable to read.
This is the type of book that you can pick up and absorb in one sitting, congratulations to the author, definitely one to watch!
This story was easy to get addicted to and perfectly wrapped up in this novella. A refined mix of danger and romance, with exciting characters makes it a very easy read.
I personally didn’t enjoy a few small things (consistent little breaks between paragraphs and the ‘I said’ ‘he said’ after the dialogue) but I’m excited to see how the author evolves in writing as their storyline’s are so enjoyable to read.
This is the type of book that you can pick up and absorb in one sitting, congratulations to the author, definitely one to watch!
Read
June 19, 2023Stalker romances are my favorite. This one fell flat for me, however.
I can normally overlook a lack of editing if the story is engaging enough. I wasn't feeling it in this one.
I found both characters highly annoying and very surface-level. There was no real depth. Their inner voices were very choppy, and I got tired of our MMC saying "love" or "babe" after every single sentence he spoke to the FMC.
The plot was also a mess. The FMC forgave the MMC way too quickly. And by that, I mean she literally forgave him for ghosting her 7 years ago in a single day. There was no grovel.
For a debut novel, it's almost kinda, not really there. But for my tastes, it didn't do it for me.
I can normally overlook a lack of editing if the story is engaging enough. I wasn't feeling it in this one.
I found both characters highly annoying and very surface-level. There was no real depth. Their inner voices were very choppy, and I got tired of our MMC saying "love" or "babe" after every single sentence he spoke to the FMC.
The plot was also a mess. The FMC forgave the MMC way too quickly. And by that, I mean she literally forgave him for ghosting her 7 years ago in a single day. There was no grovel.
For a debut novel, it's almost kinda, not really there. But for my tastes, it didn't do it for me.
January 2, 2023
This is a great novella, I read it through one sitting. I also enjoyed the playlist at the start of the book and how it started with a text exchange before flashing forward to the current day. The FMC is very feisty and has an attitude that I enjoy in a book. MMC is dark and possessive but loves Maeve. If you enjoyed Haunting Adeline, then this book is for you. I wish that this book was longer as I enjoy more 'stalking' and suspense and I'd love to explore the background more, however I look forward to reading future books that the author publishes and hopefully Maeve and Jayson story is continued further.
January 2, 2023
O my let me tell you the spice of this book is extra extra spicy.....I absolutely loved this book the main characters played off of each other so well.jayson is the sexy bad boy and Maeve is the good girl who loves the bad boy. If you like spicy books you need to read this book. I am so excited to see what other books this author has to offer in the future. But im sad im finished reading this book because i really couldn't get enough of the characters
January 2, 2023
I received an ARC copy and I was pleasantly surprised with this novella! With Riley being a new author I had no other work to reference and I really enjoyed her work! It was a well written dark romance, my favorite genre. This stalker romance has second chance romance trope, 🔪 play, touch her and you die and so much more! I finished it in one sitting. If you enjoyed the cat and mouse duet def give this book a try! I can’t wait to see what this author comes out with 😊
January 3, 2023
I loved this book! A good read, around 150 pages I finished it in one sitting. The development of Jayson was my favorite and how he grew as a person in a short amount of time. I
Hope Ri comes out with another book!
I love how feisty the FMC is and takes no shit. This was an easy read and major stalker vibes (which is in the trigger warning).
There is a HEA
Spice: 3/5- in my opinion
Story: 5/5- store was written beautifully
Hope Ri comes out with another book!
I love how feisty the FMC is and takes no shit. This was an easy read and major stalker vibes (which is in the trigger warning).
There is a HEA
Spice: 3/5- in my opinion
Story: 5/5- store was written beautifully
January 8, 2023
AMAZING
I am so glad I got to be a member of Riley's ARC team on this book. It is an amazing book I couldn't put it down I read it from front to back without stopping it kept me wanting more. Riley did an amazing job with this being her first book. The characters were great. I found a new book boyfriend Jayson. I will say it is a must read. You will not be disappointed. You feel like you are part of the book as you read it. I can't wait to see what she comes with next. Great job Riley Alves can't wait to read the next book.
I am so glad I got to be a member of Riley's ARC team on this book. It is an amazing book I couldn't put it down I read it from front to back without stopping it kept me wanting more. Riley did an amazing job with this being her first book. The characters were great. I found a new book boyfriend Jayson. I will say it is a must read. You will not be disappointed. You feel like you are part of the book as you read it. I can't wait to see what she comes with next. Great job Riley Alves can't wait to read the next book.
January 8, 2023
Perfect book to start my 2023 reading list. The buildup into the lives of the MC and then the subsequent dive into the relationship was so intriguing that I didn't want to put it down and couldn't wait to see what developed. Don't skip on the Playlist. It was provided at the beginning by the author and was the perfect complement to vibe of the book. I can't wait to see what the author puts out next!
November 25, 2023
It is an amazing book I couldn't put it down I read it from front to back without stopping it kept me wanting more. Riley did an amazing job with this being her first book. The characters were great. I found a new book boyfriend Jayson. I will say it is a must read. You will not be disappointed. You feel like you are part of the book as you read it. I can't wait to see what she comes with next. Great job Riley Alves can't wait to read the next book.
January 2, 2023
The ups and downs of mauve and Jayson story keeps you intrigued and wanting more!! Mauve is a fun and feisty FMC and I absolutely love that!! Then you have Jayson who is possessive and head over heels for Mauve! If you like a good dark romance with a Stalker trope this is definitely the book for you!!
January 2, 2023
I really enjoyed this novella. The dynamic between the characters was great. It had the feels of the Cat and Mouse Duet. Leaving me routing for both Maeve and Jayson. Sometimes I feel there is not enough depth in a novella to draw you in, but this is an EXCEPTIONAL novella. Especially for a new author! I can’t wait to read more of her work!! 🤩 ❤️🔥
January 9, 2023
This is Riley’s debut book and it did not disappoint. I loved the dynamic of Maeve and her friends, Jade and Ana. Their supportiveness and protection of Maeve is a friendship all of us strive to have someday. Jayson and Maeve’s relationship continue to flourish and take form throughout the book. I def would recommend this short read!
January 31, 2023
Loveddddddd thisssss!!!😍😍This author needs to release more books immediately cause this is my new fave! This was everything I needed and more, my new favorite stalker romance book 💯 The plot, the writing, the smut, the characters, their relationship, everything was amazing! Can’t wait to see what else this author has in store for us!!
January 31, 2023
100% recommend! If you love dark romance/stalker romance books you’ll love this one! It’s for sure my new favorite!😻 The smut was immaculate, the storyline, everything was great! Loved all the characters even the side characters and would love to see more of them in the future. Can’t wait for her next book! ❤️
June 18, 2023
This was HOT- what a great debut novella!
Once I picked this up I couldn’t put it down!
I loved that there was history between the two MCs. Maeve was such a relatable female in so many ways (except I’m sure the whole getting hot for your stalker thing 😜). It was cute how sweet Jayson was to Maeve even with how dark he really was, he treated her right.
Once I picked this up I couldn’t put it down!
I loved that there was history between the two MCs. Maeve was such a relatable female in so many ways (except I’m sure the whole getting hot for your stalker thing 😜). It was cute how sweet Jayson was to Maeve even with how dark he really was, he treated her right.
January 2, 2023
If you liked the Cat and Mouse duet, this novella is for you! A super spicy, super quick read that’s full of suspense, stalking and romance. I thoroughly enjoyed this novella. My only wish is that it was longer!
January 2, 2023
I love a good stalker romance! Both main characters and side characters are really likable and have amazing chemistry together. The novella kept me entertained the whole time. Can’t wait to read more from this author!
January 2, 2023
This novella was a great way to ring in the new year! It had all the wonderful triggers and red flags we love of our book boyfriends. I’m excited to see what else Riley salves comes out with, because she has gained a loyal reader in me
January 2, 2023
I read this ARC and it started as a slow burn. It took a minute to lead up to the story but once it did, it hooked me! I couldn’t wait to see how things played out. I really enjoyed Jayson the MMC and how he showed his love. Definitely was a fun read
January 2, 2023
Great Debut Novella!! This novella was a great way to start my 2023 reading! I gulped it down in one sitting. I love a good stalker trope and this did not disappoint! If you like dark romance you’ll enjoy Jayson & Maeve’s story. I look forward to reading more from Riley in the future!!
January 9, 2023
This was a really good, quick read if you like dark, spicy romances! Great dialogue, super likeable female lead, and I loved the dynamic between the two main characters. Reminded me a lot of Haunting Adeline in all the best ways. I look forward to reading more by this author in the future!
January 9, 2023
This debut novella had very similar dark vibes to the Cat & Mouse Duet. Sometimes a story this short can be difficult to connect to the characters but not the case here; this author was able to hook me in fast. I like how the story ended in a way that would allow more to come for Jayson & Maeve.
January 9, 2023
This book was so good, I read it within 2 days the characters and the plot were well written. The way he treated her like treasure and she was like not even scared of him like she enjoyed being stalked. I will be reading this in the future again
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 11, 2023
Can I just say wow! Maeve falls for a boy over the internet only to be Catfished. A couple years later the mysterious Jayson pops back up sending a message. Can she ever forgive him for just dropping out of her life? All while she is being stalked... What would you do for the one you love?
Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews