Review: Shadow Rider

Author: Christine Feehan
Series: Shadow, #1
Released: June 28th 2016
Publisher: Piatkus
Length: 448 pages
Source: Publisher for review
Buy: The Book Depository

The #1 New York Times bestselling 'queen of paranormal romance'* is back with a sexy new series starring a Chicago crime family that hides a dark, mystical secret ...Whether it's fast cars or fast women, Stefano Ferraro gets what he wants. When he's not fodder for the paparazzi, he commands Ferraro family businesses - both legitimate and illegitimate. While their criminal activity is simply a rumor yet to be proven, no one knows the real truth. The Ferraros are a family of shadow riders capable of manipulating light and dark, an ability Stefano thought ran in his family alone - until now ...With little left to her name, Francesca Cappello has come to Chicago in hopes of a new life. She wasn't expecting to attract the attention of a man with primal hunger in his eyes, driven to claim her as his to protect and to please. And if he discovers her secret, it could ruin her ...

There are several reasons why tropes exist, and all of them are good. Mostly they exist because people find comfort in the familiar. I find this to be especially true for romance readers, including myself. I want new stories, yes, but I also want to know what to expect. I don’t want my romance novel to make me anxious or sad. The very best romance authors understand this and use it well. They give us all the formulas we know well and love, but they also weave in their own signature, something that separates them from everyone else.

When it comes to paranormal romance, Christine Feehan is a superpower. Her Dark Carpathians novels are all international bestsellers, and there are too many to count. Feehan doesn’t fear tropes at all. In fact, she embraces them and uses them to their full potential. In Shadow Rider, the heroine calls herself a damsel in distress and Stefano a white knight on several occasions. I detected a healthy dose of Feehan's self-irony in her words and it amused me to no end.

Feehan keeps writing growly alphas because it’s what she does best. Stefano Ferraro is one of those – he always knows what everyone needs to do, he doesn’t take no for an answer and when he finds a woman worthy of his love, he takes over her life until there’s nothing left. Francesca Capello doesn’t mind at all. She wants to feel safe, and the best way to achieve that is to turn herself into a doll piloted by a rich, mysterious man. The second they meet he starts ordering her around, and he orders her right to the altar. While I myself am uncomfortable with that type of relationship, there’s a reason why the trope is very much alive, and I don’t doubt for a second that Stefano will become one of those romance heroes with legions of fans.

I have to give credit to Feehan for creating a unique, thrilling world. I don’t read that much PNR, but I do read urban fantasy all the time and I’ve never stumbled upon anything like she shadow hunters. They depend on the shadows and move undetected through them to bring justice to those who were abandoned by the system. The families can best be described as super hot, filthy rich, avenging members of the mafia, albeit with the very best of intentions. There is a sea of potential in this world and I look forward to seeing it fully developed.

Of course, Feehan set the foundation for the rest of this series. After all, Stefano has many brothers and even more cousins, all desperate to find that one woman fate has chosen for them. Although I’m not that interested in their future romances, I do want to see how the paranormal aspects might develop.

In short, Shadow Rider is the perfect read for romance fans who enjoy smoking hot, overbearing men and heroines that just want to be swept away.

A copy of this book was kindly provided by the publisher for review purposes. No considerations, monetary or otherwise, have influenced the opinions expressed in this review.