Behind the Shadows by J.A. Owenby
Rating: 4/5
Spice: 4/5
Plot: 5/5
Primary Genre: Dark Romance
Blurb:
Some of us were born into darkness. Others were shackled. They drugged me. Chained me. Tore apart my mind until the pieces didn’t fit anymore. Then they gave me a name. Cleaner. K!ller. Son. Monster. Told me the blood on my hands was hers. Then they smiled and made me k!ll again. And they told me she never existed. But I’ve seen her. In dreams. In flashes of red hair and blood. And now she’s real—flesh and bone and terrified eyes. But they made one mistake. They didn’t bury her deep enough. Now she’s back. And even if she doesn’t remember me—My obsession remembers everything. She runs. I follow. She screams. I savor it. She looks at me like a stranger. And I try not to laugh. Because I know her body better than she does. I’ve watched her sleep. Touched her skin. Marked her without mercy. And now that I’ve found her again…There’s no version of this where I let her go.
You don’t have to love me, little ghost.
Lock the door. Scream my name. Run.
I’ve never needed permission to take what’s mine.
**Dear readers, this dark romance contains multiple storylines, and many exciting moving pieces that come together in one satisfying and unexpected HEA. If you enjoy a single storyline, this book might not be for you.
BEHIND THE SHADOWS is Kip and Holland’s story—a standalone pitch-black stalker romance and psychological romantic thriller of obsession, betrayal, and deadly lies. Perfect for readers who crave dark romance with a morally gray antihero, a forbidden captor/captive love story, and a heroine fighting to survive a monster who can’t be saved. No cheating, no third-act breakup, and includes an HEA. Check author’s website for TW/CW.
***While not required, it’s highly recommended to read the duet In the Shadows and Back in the Shadows first.
My Thoughts:
For starters, I’m kind of obsessed with this series so I highly recommend that you read the first two books when you have the time. They don’t HAVE to be read to understand this book but you’ll enjoy it, like, EXTRA if you read them. There are a ton of twists and turns in the ongoing Shadows storyline that are quite entertaining. I loved getting to know Kip better and his love interest/our FMC is a great character. Up front trigger warning, there are some deep dives into child abuse trauma and child sex trafficking/child sexual abuse trauma. This might sound kind of cheesy but Kip and Holland feel meant to be. They’ve got a ying and yang vibe about them that you’ll love. The storyline/thriller vibe of this book is amazing. If you don’t like smut and want to skip over it, you’ll still have an incredible story to read here. There was some hinting around about their friend Dope so I’m wondering if he might get his own book too? I really hope so because he’s quite the mystery. Anyways, as usual, another J.A. Owenby book that I love and I think ya’ll will too. Check it out!
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