REVIEW: Shadow Storm by Christine Feehan

In Shadow Storm (Shadow Riders #6) by Christine Feehan, Emmanuelle “Emme” Ferraro was raised in a very different family than most. As shadow riders, she and her siblings dole out justice where normal law enforcement methods fall short. Which means that she’s all too familiar with the issues that plague the crime families in Chicago. When Emme fell in love with Valentino, the heir to the Saldi family’s territory, she knew they couldn’t really have a future–and she certainly couldn’t divulge her family’s secrets. Then her trust in him was broken in a brutal way two years ago. So when Emme gets a call that Val is in mortal danger, she of course helps, but she tries to keep her heart out of the equation. Not easy to do when so much binds them together.

‘Her body burned for his. He burned equally as bad for her. She saw it in the heat of his eyes. At least she wasn’t suffering alone.’

Val didn’t have any other choice but to involve Emme and the Ferraro family after his home is attacked and he gets badly injured. The Ferraros and Saldis have a checkered history together with bad blood that runs back generations. But Val aims to finally make peace with the Ferraros. Especially if it means he can get back in Emme’s good graces and gain her trust again. Because if there is one thing he’s sure of, it’s that he and Emme are meant to be together. As Val works with her brothers to take out those who are threatening not only the Saldis but many other lives as well, he realizes that this might start a whole new chapter for both families. But only if they can complete their mission safely.

‘For a man like him, who swam with sharks, who put his trust in very few, and one misstep could not only doom him but other entire families, a woman like Emme was the most perfect treasure in the universe.’

Shadow Storm was a riveting, fast-paced story I didn’t want to put down for one second. With its heartbreaking subject matter and the powerful, fated romance between two strong-willed people, Christine Feehan’s latest in the Shadow Riders series was an absolute knockout.

‘This was her choice. To love him. To give him a reason to survive in the middle of a world of blood and violence. A reason to keep going.’

Trigger warning: View Spoiler »Child/human trafficking, murder, torture. « Hide Spoiler

I am so in love with Emme and Val! If you’ve been reading the Shadow Riders series, you’ve seen all the mentions of them having a relationship and then some kind of falling out, with neither Val nor Emme being forthcoming about it. And if you’re like me, you’ve been not-so-patiently waiting to get the full details of what happened. Christine Feehan far surpassed my expectations with this. I knew there was a strong bond between Val and Emme but had no idea how involved it was or how they first began seeing each other.

For readers who are new to the series, I will caution that both the Ferraros and the Saldis are basically mafia families. So the action scenes were sometimes detailed and gory, but it always fit the situation so it wasn’t gratuitous. You can imagine, with Val being the heir to Saldi’s territory, he was an alpha all the way. Much like Emme’s brother Stefano was. Val was tough as nails, he knew loyalty to his family was everything, couldn’t abide by women or children being hurt, and he was absolutely, completely in love with Emme. Sigh…

Emme really brought out the kinder, compassionate side of Val. Growing up as she did, she understood where he was coming from and the darkness he had seen and been part of. She was capable and oh so strong, even if her mother Eloisa made her feel inferior since childhood. I loved watching Emme take control of her own personal life, deciding whether she could trust Val or not. It was complicated with her being from a family of shadow riders, something she couldn’t tell anyone–including Val–but as Emme and her brothers helped him fight against a rival, it turned out the Saldis had a secret of their own. And it made things even more tangled up for the families.

Christine Feehan’s Shadow Storm was an epic tale of two crime families putting aside differences to partner up against evil–and trying to resolve their past to allow the Ferraro’s youngest sibling to have a future with the Saldi heir. Complex and breathtaking. Highly recommended.

QOTD: Christine Feehan is famous for having long-running series (her Dark series is up to 31 books now!). Do you enjoy coming back to the same worlds over and over or do you draw the line at a certain number of books in a series?

Book Info:

Publication: Published May 25, 2021 | Berkley | Shadow Riders #6

Danger inspires fierce passion when a new threat targets Chicago’s Ferraro crime family in this novel in Christine Feehan’s New York Times bestselling series.

A long-simmering feud between two families comes to a head in this gripping novel in Christine Feehan’s New York Times bestselling Shadow Riders series.

As the youngest member of the Ferraro family, Emmanuelle has watched each of her brothers find happiness in love while her own heart was shattered by a lover’s betrayal. For two years she’s stayed as far away from Valentino Saldi as possible—until she learns that he’s been shot during a hostile takeover of his family’s territory.

Emme’s first instinct is to call her brother Stefano for help, and soon the entire Ferraro clan arrives to bring Val back from the brink of death and protect the Saldis from further attack. With one choice Emme has re-exposed herself to Val’s intoxicating pull and dragged her family into the Saldis’ private war.

A deadly storm is brewing, and only time will tell who survives…