The Darkness Within Us by Tricia Levenseller

---

✦ BLURB ✦

Chrysantha Stathos has won.

By hiding her intelligence and ambition behind the mask of a beautiful airheaded girl, she has become a wealthy duchess. And, once her elderly husband dies, she will have all the freedom, money, and safety she’s ever wanted.

Or so she thought.

A man claiming to be the estranged grandson of Chrysantha’s lecherous late husband has turned up to steal her inheritance. To make matters worse, her little sister is going to be queen and is rubbing it in her face.

Chrysantha decides that the only thing to do is upstage Alessandra at her own wedding. And as for this grandson, he has to go. Never mind that he’s extremely handsome and secretive with mysterious powers . . . No, Chrysantha wants Eryx Demos dead, and in the end, a Stathos girl always gets what she wants.

---

💅 A duchess, a schemer, a threat in heels—and don’t call her shallow unless you’re ready to bleed.

Pre-Reading Thoughts:

Oh, we’re back with the Stathos sisters? Excellent. I loved Alessandra’s sharp ambition, but I’m ready to see how Chrysantha plays the game. I’m expecting gowns, gossip, and a glittering body count. Bring on the deception.

Post-Reading

As I thought…
Chrysantha is a whole delight—she’s all calculated charm and “silly girl” theatrics hiding an absolutely steel spine. I loved watching her plot her way through increasingly complex social knots, all while making sure she looked fabulous doing it. This is fun, twisty fantasy with a deliciously vain, smart heroine who will absolutely kill you with a smile.

It surprised me by…
Leaning even harder into female rage and the cost of being underestimated. Yes, it’s full of glitz and flirtation, but there’s something quietly satisfying in watching a woman weaponize the way the world sees her. Chrysantha knows she’s being judged—and uses it like a blade.

---

🎵 Music Pairing

🎵 Featured Song: “Look What You Made Me Do” – Taylor Swift
🎶 Vibe Album: FROOT – Marina (especially “Savages” and “Can’t Pin Me Down”)
🎧 Artist Recommendation: Rina Sawayama (for glamour + chaos)

---

💄 Vibe Check

• A colour palette: Champagne, pink opal, and venom green

• A soundtrack: Harpsichord pop and vengeful strings

• A season: Spring turning stormy

• A mood: “I’m smiling because I’m plotting”

• A scent: Roses, arsenic, and a hint of scandal

---

🃏 Tarot Pull: The High Priestess – Moon Dust Tarot

Chrysantha wears secrets like silk - elegant, intentional, and impossible to unravel unless she lets you. The High Priestess captures her perfectly: a woman who watches, waits, and wields power not through force, but through knowing.

---

For fans of:

📚 The Selection but make it Machiavellian
🎬 The Great, Bridgerton with fangs, or every movie where a beautiful woman turns out to be much smarter than you thought.

The Darkness Within Us publishes on the 27th January, 2026. I received a free copy and am giving an honest review.