Haunted by Secrets: My Review on the Latest Book by Maddison Cole

Haunted by Secrets is the third and final book in Shadowed Souls, a dark why-choose college romance I’ve been in love with ever since I first started it last August.

I mean, what’s not to love about five male main characters and one hell of a badass female lead who struggle with life and find strength in each other to keep moving forward?

I couldn’t imagine Maddison Cole surpassing the attachment she made me feel toward the first two books (Forged by Shadows & Bound by Obsession). And yet, she did.

Not right away, though—she had me hooked at first. This third book picks up right where we left off, with the previous book’s cliffhanger welcoming us straight into trauma land. The action escalates until the storm finally fades, and an illusion of peace is restored.

It was the kind of peace that feels comfortable for the first two minutes—until you start fidgeting, restless, waiting for the worst to happen. Actually praying for it to hit you, just to get it over with.

And for most of this book, it feels like the earthquake never arrives.

Little did I know, we weren’t at the epicenter of that quake. Instead, the devastating waves of a tsunami were looming, ready to shatter every fleeting moment of peace I had so foolishly allowed myself to enjoy.

And that’s where the real reckoning begins—where many questions are answered, yet even more take shape, whether in our minds or spoken through the characters’ voices.

But the ending? It was worth every second of the wait. The final chapters, the epilogue... I’m still overwhelmed by everything the Shadowed Souls had to endure, overcome, and ultimately, rise from.

The happy ending is there—waiting at the finish line, where the characters we’ve loved, hated, cried with, and cried for stand with a smile and a promise.

This book is about redemption, closure, forgiveness, and acceptance. But above all, this is Wyatt’s book.

He doesn't care if I hate him, as long as I live.

He’s the character we learned to keep our distance from in the previous books—the one we always kept an eye on, waiting for his next move. Watching him with suspicion, torn between screaming at him to turn good and secretly rooting for his dark side.

Well, this is the book where he finally opens up. Where he embraces his past and rises above it. Where he lays his cards on the table—but this time, he’s playing to win. To reach his ultimate goal: keeping Avery safe. No matter the cost.

Wyatt is unraveling for me. Untangling years of false truths and misguided beliefs for himself.

This is also the book where the Shadowed Souls become one. Where one person’s trauma belongs to everyone.

I won’t go into detail about every character—if you’ve read my previous reviews, that should be enough. Besides, anything I say now might slip into spoiler territory, so I’ll skip this part.

But let me tell you about the incredible found family we have here. I haven’t read anything else by this author, but oh my stars, she knows how to craft deep, real characters. She built a family out of trauma, making each of them perfect for one another.

They heal each other, support, protect, and stand by their group—no matter how badly they mess up. Because in the end, family is what keeps you going. They might end up with a punch to the jewels, but love and understanding will always prevail.

Glancing between my friends, my family, the weight in my chest starts to lift. The world outside still feels heavy, but here, in this room and surrounded by them, I can carry it.

And this is one of my favorite tropes—especially since discovering Why Choose. Friendship is just another expression of love. But the Shadowed Souls? They go beyond that. They’re brothers.

Leaving their world behind is going to be so difficult. I got really attached to Wyatt in this final book—his character arc is one of the best I’ve ever read.

She's too precious for one heart, too loving to be caged to one man—even if I wish it wasn't so.

Avery has always been a bad bitch, and she stayed true to that until the very end. But my heart? It decided to devote its full attention to her stepbrother.

Huge shout-out to Thiago—I already love him, just saying. There’s nothing hotter than a man who knows his way around a keyboard. (And yes, I am assuming he’s talented with his digits. Let’s hope he’ll be working another kind of magic with those fingers soon.)

If you’ve made it this far into my review but haven’t read the trilogy yet: check the trigger warnings, then run to join Waversea University.

Wyatt, Avery, Garrett, Axel, Dax, and Huxley are waiting for their next Shadowed Soul.

Be ready to fall in love. Be ready to heal.