A review by bribreez
The Darkness Within Us by Tricia Levenseller

adventurous funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

4.25⭐️

Throughout the first book, Alessandra’s older sister, Chrysantha was mentioned sporadically, but now we got her story, and she wasn’t anything like the innocent, simpleton she portrayed herself to be. Similar to how Alessandra was cunning and able to plan and execute her plans flawlessly, Chrysantha was equally just like her little sister. Chrysantha had always played the long game of marrying an old Duke, awaiting the day he would pass, and she would inherit his dukedom, land, money, and be free to do as she pleased. When Chrysantha’s freedom was just as she always hoped, suddenly she met a man claiming to be the heir to her deceased husband?! In Chrysantha’s eyes she wasn’t going to allow anyone to take all that she had worked hard for, even if the supposed young man was mysterious and handsome, she wouldn’t allow another man to control her life. 

Alessandra will always be my favorite with her cunning ways, but wow Chrysantha was just as much of a baddie like her little sister! Chrysantha was the type of young woman who took into account, everything. With marriage prospects, she bided her time to find the perfect one that would fit her needs in terms of wealth, status, and no heirs so she would inherit everything. In the first book, Chrysantha was mentioned in passing, but from Alessandra and everyone else’s perspectives, they saw Chrysantha as a simpleton who was easily influenced. Things were much more than they seemed as Chrysantha manipulated and planned for her future. I don’t necessarily like how she acted towards Alessandra, but the more the book got into her own story, I started to side with her a lot, and I grew to be more fascinated by her. Chrysantha was a strong female lead, and even with her own goals of attaining wealth, and freedom, she was very kind to those who worked in her household which I really liked. Chrysantha was determined to keep her freedom and title, and all that she worked for, but with the arrival of, Eryx things got a bit more complicated for her. 

When a mysterious, rugged man comes claiming to be the heir to Chrysantha’s deceased husband, it seemed like Eryx Demos was going to be the new duke. Eryx was a mysterious man who at first glance seemed like maybe he wasn’t actually the man he said he was because, as far as Chrysantha knew, her husband didn’t have any children, grandchildren, basically nobody to inherit the dukedom which is why she went through with the marriage. Once Eryx came into the household, it was clear that he and Chrysantha didn’t like each other at all. Between arguments, snarky comments, and the occasional imagination of taking out each other, Eryx and Chrysantha were truly enemies at odds with each other. Once the story progressed, I started to notice some subtle hints that not only was Eryx mysterious, but he wasn’t entirely normal as one imagined. Eryx was clearly hiding something, and the more Chrysantha tried uncovering his secrets, she also noticed more unusual things about him that made her wonder, who was Eryx, and what was he hiding??

If you love the enemies to lovers trope, omg you will LOVE this book! Chrysantha by herself was always a clever, cunning, and strong woman, but when she was up against Eryx, she did not like whatsoever! The way Eryx and Chrysantha got on each other nerves was like fire and ice, they didn’t get along, and majority of the time they just hurled insults at each other. Suffice it to say, I was really enjoying the enemies to lovers trope in this book! Not only was there the antagonistic animosity between Chrysantha and Eryx, but later on that gave way to some equally heated tension that OOOOO was great! 

One thing that actually surprised me was seeing Alessandra and Chrysantha’s relationship change. Before this book, I wasn’t entirely sure if I was going to like Chrysantha, especially with the way Alessandra had a complicated relationship with her. Once the story focused on who Chrysantha truly was, I actually liked her, and thought she was so clever with how she went about everything. The only thing I was still unsure about was the relationship between the two sisters, and how they always had animosity between each other. Once Chrysantha and Alessandra started talking again, and being honest for the first time with one another was when I saw the distinct change in their dynamic. Little by little, I got to see Chrysantha and Alessandra actually open up to each other, and by the end of the book, they were truly sisters, and were there for each other. This book not only had a happy ending for Chrysantha in her love life, but also seeing her and Alessandra start over on a lovely note was great. 

Overall, I enjoyed Chrysantha’s story and how much she was methodically with everything she did. Say what you will, but you gotta give major props to Chrysantha for fooling people for seven years into making everyone believe she was a simpleton, someone nobody would think they were a potential threat. Chrysantha was a strong female lead, and seeing her over the course of the story illustrated how she grew, and ultimately found herself finding her equal in the last person she expected, Eryx. Eryx was an interesting character from the start with his mysterious past, and unusual behavior. Once I got to see underneath the mask that Eryx donned, it was something I wasn’t expecting, but I also really liked! Eryx and Chrysantha’s enemies to lovers dynamic really was addictive, entertaining, and full of tension that built up marvelously! Towards the end, things got even more interesting, and by the end, it all wrapped up in a happy ending for Chrysantha and Eryx. Definitely would recommend this book if you want an enemies to lovers romance, a strong female lead, and forced proximity!