Reviewed by Cindy
TITLE: Shadow’s Never Lie
SERIES: Shadow Duet Book 1
AUTHOR: Lark Taylor
PUBLISHER: Lark Taylor
LENGTH: 319 Pages
RELEASE DATE: May 1, 2026
BLURB:
Dominic Walker has always been a good liar.
Dominic stands where I am supposed to — at my identical twin’s side. His confidant. His right- hand. His best friend. The brother he would choose.
I’ve been cast aside, relegated to the shadows. Forced to watch as Max and Dominic get everything they want. Everything I secretly want.
But then, Dominic suddenly sees me and issues an offer I can’t refuse. A challenge, actually. One he never expects me to follow through on.
With anyone else, I wouldn’t have considered it. But I’ll be damned before I let Dominic get the better of me.
It has me sinking to my knees. Literally.
A decision that changes everything.
Dominic pulls me out of the shadows, and I never want to go back.
But it’s not the shadows I need to be afraid of.
No, it’s the path that leads somewhere far darker than I could ever have imagined. Somewhere where truth and lies become shadowed.
Shadows Never Lie is the first book in the Shadow Duet. It’s a contemporary, high-angst MM romance, featuring brand new characters. The duet will end in a HEA.
REVIEW:
I’m going to be honest and say that I wasn’t sure about this book in the first couple of chapters. I’m not a big fan of “mean and humiliating” but I misjudged the blurb.
Ryan’s life is complicated and lonely. He isn’t sure why his twin doesn’t want anything to do with him and he’s tired of being his stand in for the worst of things life has to offer. And he’s jealous as hell of his brother’s best friend.
Dominic is also complicated. And the more that Ryan reluctantly spends time with him, the more he’s surprised about the guy he’s finding underneath the bravado.
This story is heartbreaking for so many reasons. Ryan’s yearning for a place where he feels like he belongs hit really hard and 18-year-old me could totally relate. Dominic struggles are just as sad and infuriating, but I really enjoyed watching these guys very slowly opening up to each other as the story goes on.
I loved that as the story went on, the reader could see things about their relationship that takes these two young men so much time to figure out. It was also frustrating and made me want to smack their heads together and rattle their brains.
These are great characters who captured my heart and turned out to be completely different than what I was expecting. There was some anger and frustration on both their parts but they were also sweet and loving and kind.
Once I got reading, I literally could not put it down. I may have growled at my family a time or two for interrupting me. Of course, this story is a duet and ends on a cliff-hanger. Fortunately, the second part is due out May 15 so you won’t have long to wait for the next part. And that’s good because the ending left me so mad!
Give this story a chance and you won’t be sorry.
RATING: 
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