Cursed in Shadows: Stoneridge Shadows Book One Author CJ Cooke
Book Review
5 out of 5 stars!
"I had no idea how to take the idea of adding him into the whole mate mess. Because that's what it was." - Cassia
Because of the nature of her magic, that's more of a curse than a blessing, Cassia believed she was destined to be alone. Her shadow magic wanting to constantly consume her whole until nothing is left and sometimes, she wishes it would. But fate had other plans for her as she soon finds herself gravitating towards a group of men. Men with different backgrounds, abilities, and their own demons. Men who are her mates!
Cassia needs help facing the impending fight that started in the shifter territory. Her guys are not going to just stand by and watch their mate face it all alone! They're going to be right there in the middle of everything with or without having officially formed a bond with Cassia. Somethings coming and it isn't good, failure is not an option!
So, as I was reading this book I started picking up on things and feeling like I was missing something. With a quick search I found that there was a prequel series to this duet! "Wolf Hunts: The Stoneridge Pack Book One", Stoneridge Pack is about Callie and her mates' origin story, and I imagine Cassia and some of her guys will be present in the books as well. This is not to say this book was not enjoyable, but for a better reading experience I suggest you start with the Pack series first.
I may have spoiled some things for myself, but I am fine with that. I absolutely loved Cassia and her guys now I am really interested in reading about Callie and her mates. Just be aware that Callie and her mates are mentioned a lot within this read and I imagine there are potential spoilers.
"Feel free to give in to temptation whenever you feel the need." - Cassia
"You might regret saying that." - Alexander
This story is fast paced, and I really enjoyed how with the guys there was different burn rates! Two of them are slow burns while one is a fast burn that peaks in the first chapter of the book! I love why choose romances, especially ones where you can see how the guys are trying to figure out their dynamics, the FMC is trying to understand her feelings, and of course some of the guys are being idiots.
Cassia has written off a lot of things and her past haunts her every day. One of the biggest things she cast aside was the idea of having mates or having a partner of any kind. Her magic is rare and unique but very deadly and dangerous to those around her along with herself. I loved the take on the magic and how one of the MMCs placed it in perspective for her. Placing a little doubt in her head that maybe she wasn't just a monster with unnatural abilities.
"We're all filled with darkness. It's part of the nature of being alive." - Felix
I absolutely love vampires! And the take on vampires in this book was just phenomenal. I really enjoyed the twists and how the vampires tie in with current events within the read. I don't want to give too much away but it made so much sense. This may be a spoiler, but I really appreciated the take on how vampires were not the number one supernatural beings. But some of the vampire clans are partly at fault for how the world views them.
I loved all the intricacies of the characters and the different bond links that were presented. Some bonds being platonic and giving insight as to why they were formed. I also liked how we have a panther shifter, and his mentality/upbringing is different from that of the wolf shifters. The entire cast was amazing, and I really love each of them for different reasons.
However! Davion would have to be my favorite character out of the book! His attitude and his morbid sense of humor had me laughing so much. The description of vampires and what they truly are had me chuckling several times as non vampires looked at the creatures. Davion was everything for me and his blasé approach on things!
This book does contain language, violence, and blood. There are fight sequences and magic being used as well as weapons. Hints to dark pasts and things that had to be done but no crazy details. Feelings of anxiety/panic are present and the multiple POVs are in first person. I loved that all of the MMCs and the FMC were very much touch them or look at her and die vibes! Everyone is equally possessive of the others!
We get MF action in this book and teasing of MFM action. So many teases that get stopped because of other pressing matters within the read. . . You will groan in frustration multiple times especially with some of the hints of interactions to come! There's a vampire love interest and biting/drinking blood during fun time is a thing and it was yummy! It's like an unspoken rule that when you have a vampire lover you also include biting/drinking blood within "the" scenes. Shifters also biting to ensure their marks are present on their mate!
This is a duology so be prepared for the cliffhanger! I was broken because of everything that lead up to the ending of this book. I knew it was coming but still was like where is this going to cut off at?! I need answers now and will be reading the second part as soon as it's available! Will also have to grab the audiobook versions of Stoneridge Pack so I can understand more of the backstories. Not to mention CJ Cooke is just an awesome author and I want to have read more of her work!
Enjoy the fast-paced action with shadows, shifters, and vampires! Don't forget to give the author some stars!
CJ Cooke - Paranormal Romance Author (authorcjcooke.com)
CJ Cooke (@catejcooke.author) • Instagram photos and videos
CJ Cooke (@authorcjcooke) | TikTok
Stoneridge Pack Series:
The Stoneridge Pack (4 book series) Kindle Edition (amazon.com)
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