Shades of Darkness
Trials of Fear, Book 2
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Narrated by:
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Adam Gold
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By:
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Nicky James
About this listen
Six years ago, an unforeseen incident turned Rory Gallagher’s life upside down. Now, he lives in darkness, fearing the sun, fearing light altogether. Rory has developed Heliophobia. As a creature of the night, Rory has learned to adapt to his unusual lifestyle. He draws comfort from shadows and safety from the nighttime hour.
Unfortunately, his mind is the darkest place of all, and the one place he can’t seem to escape.
Finding help isn’t easy, but when Rory registers with a local, 24-hour counseling center, the man he meets surprises him in more ways than one. Young psychology student, Adrian Anderson, is Rory’s complete opposite. How will this smart, preppy, do-gooder ever get through to the man with a chip on his shoulder who has learned to hate the world?
It doesn’t take long for Rory to discover they have something horrific in common. Despite rules and regulations, this sad detail helps them form a bond neither of them expected. Could Adrian be the shining light Rory needs to dispel the darkness for good?
©2018 Nicky James (P)2020 Nicky JamesListeners also enjoyed...
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LEX - I came to LA with dreams bigger than me: to learn from the best choreographers in the business and secure a professional dance gig working for Hollywood's elite. Everything was going according to plan - until I was literally shoved into the arms of the one man who could make or break my career. Come to find out, it wasn't my career I had to worry about. It was my heart.
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AN EXCELLENT STORY AS FORBIDDEN BECOMES FOREVER
- By CAROLYN 🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹 on 02-29-20
By: K.K. Allen
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Riven
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- Length: 8 hrs and 27 mins
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Theo Decker might be the lead singer of Riven, but he hates being a rock star. The paparazzi, the endless tours, being recognized everywhere he goes - it all makes him squirm. The only thing he doesn't hate is the music. Feeling an audience's energy as they lose themselves in Riven's music is a rush unlike anything else...until he meets Caleb Blake Whitman. Caleb is rough and damaged, yet his fingers on his guitar are pure poetry. And his hands on Theo? They're all he can think about. But Caleb's no groupie - and one night with him won't be enough.
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Emotional; Raw
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Guarding Evelyn
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Story
After an unfortunate incident and a forced leave of absence from the Secret Service, Arden Ryan is moving back to Chicago where she can get over her failures in the comfort of her childhood home.
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The book itself was amazing ..
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By: Erin Zak
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Misadventures of a City Girl
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Overall
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Story
Fresh off a divorce from a Hollywood hotshot, Madison Atwood needs an escape. With the paparazzi fresh on her heels and her love life splashed on every tabloid, she runs away to a swanky retreat in Northern California. Avalon Springs is the mountainside haven she needs to find herself again. Luke Dawson lives off the grid, preferring solitude to society. When he finds a beautiful woman soaking in the hot springs on his property, he can't stop himself from watching her. She captures his attention, but she's just a city girl - a beautiful distraction disturbing the peace.
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Ugh!
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By: Meredith Wild, and others
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You Had Me at Hola
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
When soap opera darling Jasmine Lin Rodriguez returns to her hometown of New York City to film the starring role in a bilingual romantic comedy for the number one streaming service in the country, she figures her new “Leading Lady Plan” should be easy enough to follow—until a casting shake-up pairs her with telenovela hunk Ashton Suárez. After his last telenovela character was killed off, Ashton is worried his career is dead as well. Joining this new cast as a last-minute addition will give him the chance to show off his acting chops to American audiences.
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Fun read
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By: Alexis Daria
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Bad at Love
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Overall
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Story
Bad at commitment or born to roam? Either way, US Deputy Marshal Kurt Dandridge feels trapped. Maybe staying in one place for too long is the source of his unhappiness, or maybe it's because he's engaged to the wrong person. Finding his fiance in bed with another man takes care of one problem but creates another. Ridge needs a place to live. He'd leave Savannah altogether if not for his vow to apprehend an elusive fugitive. Renting a room from Kendall Blakemore seems like the perfect solution until Ridge finds himself falling for the alluring man. Would one kiss derail his course?
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Boring
- By daniel worden on 10-18-24
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Bad Habits
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Smart-mouthed hacker Caspian escaped an abusive home at 16. Now he's one of the most sought-after black-hat hackers in the world. Jonah is a ruthless contract killer with only one weakness: the vibrant runaway he took in years ago, Caspian. But Cas bailed when he turned 18, and Jonah has maintained a steady diet of eat, kill, sleep since then. A threat to Cas' life brings him back years later - not as the boy Jonah remembers, but as a hardened computer hacker with a price on his head and a list of names everybody wants.
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Not enough story
- By Amazon Customer on 08-17-21
By: Neve Wilder, and others
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All Fired Up
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Vampire and private investigator Evan Fournier isn't supposed to be taking on paranormal cases, but when the murderer hits close to home, he agrees to look into it. The last thing he expects is to become a target himself - and then to become irrevocably bonded to the man who just tried to kill him. With his memory gone and his soul bonded to a stranger, former firefighter Colin Zhang wants to be anywhere else. He doesn't have a damn clue why he just tried to kill Evan. Every time either of them tries to leave, pure agony stops them short.
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Excellent Emotional Development!
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By: Jenn Burke
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Golden Hour
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Performance
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Story
Lina Ragelis prides herself on her bravery and strength, two traits that have served her well in her career in the US Army. Having been disconnected from her family since she turned eighteen, Lina has learned to rely solely on herself—and her slightly overbearing best friend—and she swears she prefers it that way. It's an easy lie for someone who has spent her entire life dodging love. Lina's pretty certain that she's damaged goods. But the truth is, she's the kind of person everyone wants in their corner, and the kind of woman many women want to love.
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Brilliantly written, Heart-tugging story
- By Tbird78 on 11-11-22
By: Kat Jackson
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Accidentally Amy
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Isabella Shay is usually a very honest person. But when she's running late for her first day at a dream job and the barista yells for "Amy" three times with no answer, she does the unthinkable. Izzy takes that PSL. But when she turns around and runs directly into the most attractive man she's ever seen, spilling the drink all over his GQ shirt and tie, she ends up having the ultimate meet-cute. Sparks fly and things feel beyond promising until he says the words, "See you tomorrow, Amy." Uh, oh-she'll definitely have to straighten him out the following day.
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The banter is everything
- By Kenz on 12-30-22
By: Lynn Painter
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Diary of a Bad Boy
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From USA Today best-selling author Meghan Quinn comes a sassy and sweet romance about an Irish rebel who falls in love with the wrong girl. Full of witty banter and swoony moments, it's the perfect romantic comedy to binge on.
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Read/Listen to "Secre to Dating" First
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By: Meghan Quinn
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Savior
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Handsome and mysterious, he swoops in to offer me a new life, but this is no knight in shining armor. He’s cold, hardened by his past. But there’s an inferno underneath the ice. I can feel the heat each time he looks at me - each time he gives in to the desire between us. No matter how much I push to unleash the fire in his eyes, he shoves back harder each time. He’s merciless with his cruel words, telling me how naive I am, how little I know of the world.
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So humiliating and icky, not sexy
- By 🎧 Smoochie Reviews 🎧 on 05-12-20
By: Fiona Cole
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What listeners say about Shades of Darkness
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall
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- Amelia
- 11-07-20
Unique, emotional, and romantic
Adrian and Rory's struggles ripped my heart out in this audio. I felt their fear, pain, and humiliation so vividly in this story that sometimes I felt like screaming from the sheer agony of it all. Adam Gold transported me into these characters' lives, and his expressive narration gripped me by the heart as I was listening to all the ups and downs of their journey.
In terms of the actual story, it was difficult for me to listen all the way through without raging at the cruelty of humanity. The bullying Adrian dealt with made me feel sick to my stomach, and every time something good happened to him all I could do was wait to see how his roommates would spoil it. I was expecting the main conflict in this story to deal with Rory's heliophobia, but Adrian's own issues felt much more troubling and weighty at times. Part of me doesn't understand why Adrian never stood up for himself--the fact that he lived with these people for four entire years sent chills down my spine when I found out. I know his parents weren't exactly helpful when he needed a sounding board, but the thought of such a pure, gentle spirit getting crushed by bullies for so long filled me with equal parts rage and sadness. I think my own intense emotions are what made me so disappointed that the bullies didn't get the harsh punishment they deserved by the end of this story. I understand that's just the harsh reality of life, but every cell in my body was itching to make those guys pay for what they did to Adrian.
Rory's part of the story was no less heartbreaking to uncover, but seeing him seek help for his issues and confide the whole truth in Adrian softened the jagged harshness of what happened to him. Don't get me wrong--when he finally confessed the graphic details that led to his phobia, I wanted to throw up. The one bright spot from the very start of this story was Krew. I was suspicious of his dramatics at first, but he quickly elevated himself from "okay sidekick" to "best BFF ever". His unwavering support of Rory and easy acceptance of Adrian made me smile, and I'm seriously hoping we see more of him in future books.
Those who are expecting Rory to be "cured" of his phobia will probably be disappointed by the epilogue, but I actually really appreciated the realism. Mental health isn't binary, and phobias can't be turned on and off with the flip of a switch. At the end of the epilogue, I could see leaps and bounds of progress from Rory's side, and his and Adrian's future looks brighter than ever.
**I voluntarily listened to a free copy of this book. This review expresses my honest thoughts and opinions.
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- Kat
- 09-07-22
Loved it!
4.5
I just loved this one. Deals with bullying and the fear of the sun. Adrian was adorable and sweet, and Rory just breaks my heart with how hard he falls for him as the perpetual loner.
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Overall
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Performance
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- Racheal Yunk
- 11-10-20
Even in darkness, one can find love and happiness!
It had been a while since I read Rory and Adrian's story. I loved the way Adam Gold brought those character's to life for me. I enjoy my time reading and imaging how these men sound. So when I know a book I love is on audio and being read, especially by narrator's such as Adam Gold, I rush to get them.
Adam brought their world to me. I fell in love with both Rory and Adrian all over again. I also felt the pain again with Rory, his frustration over his limitations. I got angered over the treatment of Adrian and the awful things that had been done to him.
Krew, how I missed his sassy, in your face, and the most caring friend to have. I was thrilled with how Adam brought his character alive.
I absolutely enjoyed going back to their story and Adam did an amazing job bringing their story alive.
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- 💋 Serenepw
- 11-14-20
👓🍹 I totally recommend!👓🍹
Adrian and Rory's story is different to say the least. Two people in need of each other to bring them to life, away from the darkness that others' hate pulled them into. And in case of Rory that is literally the way he was living his life. It was creative the way the author gave reasons for his condition. I was caught off guard. I did not see that one coming. There were many moments of surprises in their story. I was completely at awe with the way the narrator read their story. All the characters' voices were unique. He performed an amazing job. That brought this amazing story life. I so highly recommend. Enjoy! 👓🍹
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- jen reilley
- 10-30-20
Phenomenal
I absolutely loved Rory and Adrian but let’s start with the narrator Adam. He is pure gold. The way he brought everyone to life was exceptional. He brought me right in where I did not want to stop listening. He performs the story
These two guys broke my heart. Adrian and the bullying and Rory living his life in the dark. What was done to Rory to put him in the mindset he is in is beyond comprehension. To lose the trust in friends and people after that incident is totally understandable.
I love that both Rory and Adrian were there for each other for love and support and they were super sexy together.
I am so in love with this series of fears and Nicky has hit it out of the park.
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- Michelle
- 11-11-22
Really Good
This was an excellent story but at times was really hard. Rory's experiences with bullying was heartbreaking and I just wanted to fold him in a protective hug. And having Aiden, whose own experiences gave him such empathy, come along to draw him out made my heart happy. Adam Gold is a fantastic narrator and he really brings these characters to life.
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- justablonde2000
- 11-04-20
love this story
I read it when it first came out and I loved getting to hearing Adam bring them to life. He did a great job on the voices to keep them all different and interesting.
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- Erryn Barratt
- 12-28-20
Powerful and Raw
Phobia: an extreme or irrational fear or an aversion to something
Heliophobia: a fear of the sun, sunlight, or any other bright lights
Before I listen to a Nicky James audio, I gird my loins (in a manner of speaking). I know I’m going to be challenged. I know I’m going to have to think, feel, endure, and then rejoice. I know these things and I like to think I’m prepared. Ha. This talented author always finds a way to knock me on my tush.
Shades of Darkness was no different than her other audios. And I can’t say enough good things about the book.
The second in the Trials of Fear series, the book is about a man who fears the light, and the man he’ll face that fear for.
First let me say that this book made me uncomfortable. I don’t want to give too much away, but I will say there is a lot of mentioning of bullying, as well as on the page stuff. My heart was in my throat for pretty much the entire eleven hours. Most people won’t have that visceral reaction, I think, but those of us who endured bullying as a child or teenager (or even as an adult) might have a strong reaction. I know I did. And that made the book all the more powerful to me. And my feeling of pride and euphoria when I got to the end was ever sweeter.
Rory lives in darkness. His story, when finally revealed, broke my heart. Not that I ever doubted his reasons for avoiding light, but when I heard the whole story…well, punch to the gut. I have light sensitivity and often need sunglasses on cloudy days, but that has to do with my eyes, not my mind. Seeing things from Rory’s perspective put a whole new spin on the light.
Adrian is a psychology student about to start his Master’s program. He gets top grades but it’s never good enough for his neurosurgeon father. After all, a doctorate in psychology is not the same as a medical doctor. No matter how many accolades Adrian receives, it’ll never be good enough. Also a scenario I can relate to.
Rory is lucky that his friend Crew cares about him. Enough to push him to call a counseling center. But with his inability to tolerate even the smallest amount of light, he believes getting help is impossible. That is until a brave man offers to come over to his apartment. And although the first meeting doesn’t go well, both men are willing to try again. When Adrian is the recipeint of his roommates’ cruel prank, Rory’s protective instincts go into overdrive, even though he barely knows Adrian.
Soon the men admit they have feelings and that compromises Adrian on a professional level. So what to do? Rory has finally found someone he can share with, but is the physical attraction enough to give up what little progress has been made? Well, this IS a romance so the answer was pretty obvious. I liked that there wasn’t much skirting of the line. Being involved with a patient is not okay. Both men can acknowledge that. Doesn’t mean Adrian won’t keep pushing, though, and it doesn’t mean Rory won’t dig in his heels.
Slowly their tenuous friendship develops into more. Both men are lonely and here’s an opportunity to connect with someone. To find solace. To share intimacy. And, of course, I was rooting for them all the way. But how can someone in the dark be with someone who is in the light? And is physical intimacy enough or do they have to own up to their emotional bond as well?
When it looks like Adrian is about to be the victim of a vicious prank, Rory tries to be there for him. That day is a turning point for both men. I have to admit, I had to stop and start the audio a couple of times. As authors we are told to take the worst-case scenario and then make it happen. Put our characters through the unimaginable. Make them suffer. In the end, if they survive, it makes their victory all the sweeter. So, yeah, I was cheering through the last few scenes in the book. My relief was palpable.
Have I scared you away? I hope not. This book had a profound impact on me in all the good ways. I did, as I knew I would, think, feel, endure, and rejoice. This is one of my all-time favorite books. It competes with Ms. James’ other books that I loved: Love Me Whole, No Regrets, New Beginnings: Abel’s Journey, and Owl’s Slumber. She handles mental illness with grace, always giving her characters dignity. As someone who suffers from a mental illness, I appreciate her portrayals. Her characters are rarely ‘cured’ at the end of the book. For them, like for me, it’s a chronic condition. It impacts my life, but it doesn’t dictate how I live that life. I have found my own form of happiness. and so have her characters.
On a final note, I want to mention the narration of Adam Gold. He’s narrated all of Ms. James’ books and I’m so grateful. He is amazingly talented and his performance was incredible. In case you can’t tell, I highly recommend this book.
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- Elizabeth M
- 11-06-20
Loved it
This book/ audio was absolutely amazing. I was drawn into the story from the beginning. Nicky James does an amazing job with this phobia. It is very interesting to learn about as well. This was my first time listening to Adam Gold and he did an amazing job.
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- James
- 06-08-23
Worth every minute
I have to say that Nicky James is a new author to me but once I read one book, I became obsessed and am now on the final book. I do recommend you start with book one and read in order for this series to get the best experience. I also want to give a shout out to Adam Gold he hands down nailed it, and brought each and every character to life.
With this second book so far is my favorite of the series, I’m usually not a fan of bullying but this book doesn’t over due it but there’s enough that gives it a “real life” effect. Rory is an isolated loner due to his phobia and only has one true friend named Krew that seeks help for his “friend with benefits “ to conquer his fear and get back to normal life. Arian is new to the field of psychology and on his way to getting a high degree while working his first job full-time in the summer. He lives on campus with three others in the same dorm, that happen to be his current bully’s as of four years. Being new to the job he has to take the shift available which happens to be overnights to a 24 hr clinic. Adrian and Rory meet and there relationship and struggles start there. This is an amazing story and worth the time and credit! Enjoy!!
PS on another note, another Nicky James book that is highly recommend outside of the trial of fears series is “Love me whole”. This is the actual book that got me hooked on Nicky and Adam Gold. give it a go if interested!
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