Shadow Riders by Christine Feehan

Title: Shadow Riders
Series: Shadows bk 1
Author: Christine Feehan
Genre: Paranormal

Blurb: 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

Thoughts: If you’re a fan of Feehan it will come as no surprise to you that once again she’s created a series that sucks you into a new world with the first book, and reminds us why she’s the queen of paranormal and the ultimate alpha male. 

Of late I’ve not liked as much as I normally do Feehan’s books. I can’t say that of Shadow Riders. Of all of her books that I’ve read in the last couple of years (and yes I’ve read them all) I’ve enjoyed this one the most. The world that she’s created with the Ferraro family is completely unique and not something I’ve read in any pnr book.

Reading the blurb and even the first couple of pages you might think that Stefano isn’t just an Alpha Male but an Alpha-hole (is that even a word) Male. Trust me he isn’t. He’s a guy that takes protection, especially the protection of those under his domain extremely seriously. He’s a man who values family over anything, unless it pertains to his parents and them he can’t stand.

Because of his and his siblings abilities he’d given up hope of ever finding someone like him to marry and have his own family with, but even more than that, to give his siblings the hope that there were others like them and they too would find someone to spend their lives with. So when he recognizes Francesca as being like them, he does everything in his power to make her his.

Francesca might come across as a weak heroine, but she’s anything but. You just have to wait and give her a couple of chapters to see her backstory and then you discover just how strong she really is. She’s strong enough to try and protect the Ferraro Family from the evil that is stalking her, when all she wants to do is let Stefano love her and have the family that he’s always dreamed about as well, the same family she’s always dreamed about.

With Shadow Riders Feehan reminds us why and how she’s stayed at the top of the paranormal romance world for so long. I can’t wait to see what happens next in this series.

If you’ve never read a Feehan book, this is the perfect place to start, and while you’re waiting for the next book in the series you can enjoy her extensive back list. (Her Sea Haven and Leopard series are my favorites)

Grade A