Shadows Within by Cassy Vincent

 

Published on October 3, 2025

369 pages

I read the paperback version

Back Cover

Scarlett Voss has always known how to fight, inside the ring and out. With a fractured family and scars she doesn’t talk about, she keeps her world tightly controlled. But everything shifts when she crosses paths with Callum cold, calculated, and born into a legacy darker than she could ever imagine.

Tied to an elite and secret society that pulls strings behind the scenes of their prestigious university, Callum is both a threat and a temptation. Scarlett should stay away, but there’s something in him that mirrors the chaos she tries so hard to contain. And when their worlds collide, the pull between them becomes impossible to ignore.

But the deeper she falls, the more Scarlett realizes she’s been part of a dangerous game far longer than she knew. Shadows from her past aren’t done with her yet, and the answers she’s been avoiding may be the ones that finally break her.

As lines blur between love and control, Scarlett struggles between wanting to protect her heart or surrendering it to someone who might just ruin her.

This IS a twisted dark romance that explores the cost of secrets, and the kind of love that doesn't ask for permission.

My review

Hello darkness, my old friend! It’s been a while since I read a dark romance. I think my last one was the first volume of Better. I’m more into sweet romance because it’s what I’m looking for in real life, however Callum is the kind of guy that keeps you hooked until the final chapter. It’s a super cool character to find in a book. He’s attracted to Scarlett and will do everything he can to protect her, but I always remember that it’s 1000% romanticized and I wouldn’t want a stalker like him in reality. It’s just fun to let the imagination go while I read the pages.

I appreciate the fact the people close to Scarlett are hiding something from her and not just Callum. I won’t spoil it, yet you should read it to find out. I like the friendship between her and Sophie. I want Book 2 to be about her. I'm aware it’s only the first book, but I think  something is missing about Scarlett. When Callum is there, she’s a hopeless girl. While you know, she’s strong, she’s fighting daily at the gym, and she stands for what she believes.

The tension between the protagonists seems real. The reader can experience the strange connection between them, but since it’s a slow-burning, you have to be patient. At the same time, I was remembering it was the first volum of a series, so it’s normal to let the world build before anything else.

I will give my star to Scarlett’s dad. He’s one of the coolest I have met in books and although he’s far from being like Callum, I feel the mysterious aura around him. Sophie is coming in second position. I wish I had a friend like her in real life.

I can’t tell you why exactly, but the character I disliked the most is the psychology teacher. I had a bad sensation about him from the beginning, and he wasn’t a jerk when the reader first encountered him.

Excerpts

My ass gets slightly damp – now I’m both cold and miserable. I lean back against the chair’s cheap plastic and close my eyes. The music gets louder. I’ll give her fifteen minutes, then we’re gone. (p.2)

While most people resort to journals or therapists, I box and listen to a playlist that could drown out just about anything. Putting my gloves on brings me a sense of calm, followed by a rush of control I don’t feel anywhere else. (p.10)

“Anxious or avoidant attachment styles don’t just show up, they’re survival strategies. If comfort wasn’t reliable as a child, then intimacy as an adult can feel like a threat, not a reward. It’s neurological and not necessarily behavioural.” (p.15)

“Get in lose, we’re going to a party.” I snort. Sophia likes to quote her favourite movies and picks a line that best fits the situation. It’s no surprise to me that she references Mean Girls tonight, she does at least once a week. (p.42)

“You do that a lot, you observe. Close enough to know everything, but far enough not to be noticed.” (p.47)  

“It is what it is,” I say.

“That doesn’t make it right, Angel.” (p.111)

For the first time in the last months, I think about the possibility that Callum and I might not work out. Maybe we were never meant to survive each other. (p.157)

“I may be a monster, but you tame the beast inside of me.” He kisses the top of my head and pulls us toward the headboard. I wonder if this is the closest thing he’s ever felt to love. (p.198)