Painted in Shadows

A Dark Fantasy Romance

By: Leah Ryan

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

"You have the kind of face that should come with a warning label." Too bad Olivia painted it for everyone to see.

She's an artist with too much curiosity and not enough self-preservation — the kind of woman who wanders into the darkest corners of Vespera because the light there is interesting. Putting the most dangerous man in the city on canvas was never the plan. She's never even seen his face. No one has.

Ruvan rules the underworld with shadows at his command. No one outside his circle has ever seen his face — until Olivia. One look at her painting and he knows two things: someone betrayed him, and killing her would be the safest option.

Instead, he keeps her close. Instead, she keeps talking. Instead, sparks ignite where there should only be fear.

But Olivia is hiding something — rare, unregistered magic that could unravel the system keeping people like her branded and controlled. And when light collides with shadow, their attraction might be the spark that burns the whole city down.

Perfect for fans of dark, slow-burn romance: a grumpy crime lord, a reckless sunshine artist, and a city where love is as lethal as power.

* This book was revised and updated on 2/24/2026 to address timeline and continuity errors identified by early readers. Thank you to every reader whose feedback helped make this story stronger.

5.0 stars

I devoured it. I was hooked from the beginning even with it being virtual narration and it had mistakes in reading, the writing was so good I didn't care. The banter, character development and romance hit every box. It is a must read.

Witty dialogue had me from the start. Unfortunate use of virtual voice. Nearly ruined the book.

Please please never use a robot to to tell a story. You can’t cozy up and settle in with non-feeling and screwed up narration. Great book but very difficult listen.