Mia LeMay witnesses a murder from her balcony, a murder that is the latest in a string of serial killings. The only other witness to the murders was killed, and now a government agent wants Mia to go into hiding. Mia thinks she is going into hiding with an agent named Rogue. Instead, she is with Rick Ryder, a man with secrets of his own. Will Ryder keep Mia safe from a killer who is stalking her every move?

Jenna Ryan does a marvelous job crafting a spooky ambiance as every shadow, heck, even a doll seems suspiciously scary. Voodoo permeates every aspect of the storyline as anything seems plausible, particularly deep in the depths of the bayou. The tropical storm hitting the area accentuates the eeriness even further. However, my favorite part is Billy, and I love the way Jenna Ryan works Billy into the story.

The romance between Mia and Ryder heats up pretty quickly as their attraction ignites almost immediately. Ryder isn't my favorite hero because I don't like some of his actions, including the impersonation and lies to Mia. Once his secrets begin to emerge, the actions are understandable, but I really wanted Mia to give him his comeuppance.

BLACK ROSE is the first in the Shadows series and offers readers a tantalizing teaser of what is to come in future books. As one would expect, there are loose ends left hanging because the resolution only opens up a deeper mystery. I suspect many paranormal romance readers will appreciate BLACK ROSE as Jenna Ryan excels in mysterious and eerie world building.