Title: Sleeping With Shadows
Author: Rachel Hailey
Genre: Fantasy Romance
Publisher: Fyreside Publishing
Publication: 9/22/2020
Read: July 2020
Format: Digital
Pages: 593
Rating: 3 1/2 Caffeinated Stars
Trigger Warnings: Mention of suicide, emotional abuse, death of a child, torture, talk of drinking and driving, threat of rape, murder

Goodreads Summary:

Once The King of Nightmares, Ashe lost everything when he was betrayed. Released from prison, he’s got one goal: Stay Free. To make that happen he’ll have to rescue the girl who stole his crown while saving the court he’d rather see burn. But he can’t do it alone. He needs Callie.

Abused, neglected, and finally shunned by The Court of Light, Callie is done with court politics. It’s just too damned bad Ashe doesn’t care. He’s arrogant, manipulative, and dangerous. Everything she’s been taught to fear. It would be so easy to hate him, but the sadness in his gaze calls to her heart, and his touch awakens her own darkness. She has never wanted anyone more.

Callie is Ashe’s darkest desire, but to earn his freedom and prevent the destruction of humanity, she must embrace the destiny that will keep them apart. But is the safety of the world worth losing the kind of love he’s only dreamed of? 

My Thoughts:

When Rachel approached me to read this advanced reader copy, I jumped at the chance! I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I love paranormal books. I was extremely excited to jump in and see where this book took me. The one thing that I loved the most about this book was the world. Rachel knows how to make a mysterious world where faeries and supernatural beings exist. I also loved that she played with the various types of fae and didn’t go the Tinkerbell route. I found myself enthralled by the world and the different creatures.

This book was also incredibly fast-paced. I have been struggling to read due to personal reasons, so I enjoyed that Sleeping with Shadows captured my attention. The storyline was exciting and kept me on my toes. I couldn’t wait to see what happened next. I will say, my most prominent issue with this book is that it should have been separated into two books. I would have loved to see this book fleshed out, flourished up and made into a series.

The characters were interesting though I never felt connected to them. Callie was a bit too brash and immature to me, and though Ashe was my favorite character, I still never felt connected to him. Even though I didn’t feel connected to the characters, I did enjoy watching them interact and see the chemistry between them. I will say, the romance felt more lust-filled. I would have loved to see the more tender moments between Callie and Ashe throughout the book.

Overall, I enjoyed this book, and I am excited to see where Rachel goes in her career. I would recommend this to anyone who likes fantasy/paranormal books.

Want to give this book a shot? Add it to your Goodreads to-read list!