{Book Review} SHADOW TOUCHED by Becky Moynihan

 

Shadow Touched

A Touch of Vampire Book 1

Becky Moynihan

YA/NA Paranormal Romance

305 Pages

Blurb:

Some truths are best kept in the shadows...

At nearly eighteen, I’m months away from escaping my aunt’s secrets and lies. Except, I’m harboring a big secret of my own.

A red-eyed man cloaked in shadow has been stalking me at night.

I wanted Rosewood, Maine to be my final destination before college. My chance at normalcy. But strange, unexplainable things are threatening to derail my plans.

The red-eyed man followed me here, and he’s not the only one. Two hot guys transfer to my new high school right after I do. They track my every move, especially the aloof and mysterious Lochlan D’angelo.

As I’m sucked into a dangerous world embroiled in secrets, I start to question everything I’ve ever known. Including who I am.

Fans of Twilight, Vampire Diaries, and modern Beauty & the Beast retellings, sink your teeth into a world of dark mystery and forbidden desire.

SHADOW TOUCHED is the thrilling first installment in a steamy upper YA/NA paranormal vampire romance series. If you like enemies-to-lovers and fated mates, heartrending twists, a tough heroine, and a sexy antihero, this book is for you.

My Review:

Let me start of by saying that Becky is a talented author. I've read and enjoyed her Elite Trials books and her cowritten series with Tyffany Hackett but Shadow Touched is my new favorite!

Vampires are coming back to popularity in books lately and this is the first one I've really enjoyed recently. This has all the elements to love - vampires, werewolves, witches, secrets, swoon-worthy boys, great friendships, and steamy chemistry between the main character and her love interest.

McKenna is a strong female lead. I liked her personality and her sense of style. After her Aunt Tess moves her (yet again, this time t0 ->) Rosewood, Maine she makes friends (possibly for the first time ever) with a feisty girl named Isla and her friends Peyton and Hailey. Isla was a great secondary character and I liked how fast and easy their friendship was. Then there are the boys - Reid, Kade, and *sighs* Lochlan. I was kind of iffy about Reid throughout the book and I'm still not sure if I liked him or not. Kade was hilarious and he lit up the page in every scene he appeared in. But Lochlan? *Fans self* Me likey the Loch! The chemistry between Lochlan and McKenna is off the charts, which considering they couldn't really touch and I'm still swooning over the steamy scenes is saying something. 

I can't wait to see where things are headed in book 2. I definitely recommend this books to anyone who loves enemies-to-lovers, broody boys, and a great cast of characters. There are some steamy scenes, which I am all in favor of!, but may not be suitable for younger readers. 

My Rating:

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

5 of 5 Stars!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? - 12 April 2021

#IMWAYR is a weekly meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at The Book Date.

Happy Monday Bookdragons! Last week I got back on track and had a really good reading week. 

What I Read Last Week: 

Shiver by Allie Reynolds

I really enjoyed this book. It's a locked-door thriller set at a ski/snowboarding resort in France with And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie vibes. I kept seeing it on bookstagram and it was definitely worth checking out!

The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse

I did not enjoy it at all. I should have known because it's a Reese Witherspoon pick and I'm always leery of her choices. But I kept seeing it on bookstagram and it sounded good so I bought it at the same time as Shiver. They seemed like they were both on the same theme and I should have enjoyed them both. It started out creepy and promising. But only a few pages in I couldn't stand the main character, Elin. Even that far into the book I wondered how she could possibly have ever been a detective with the type of personality she had. Anxiety and being a cop are not a good mix. I got about 30-40 pages in but I couldn't get past how much I disliked Elin. 

Currently Reading:

Mina and the Undead by Amy McCaw

{Placeholder}

Next Read

Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts by Kate Racculia

I've had this book for a while and I'm determined to read it this month. I actually thought it was about something completely different when I picked it up than when I just read the blurb as I was preparing this post so I'll see how I like it. It's worth a shot right?

*** 

 What are you reading this week? Have you read any of these books?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? - 5 April 2021

#IMWAYR is a weekly meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at The Book Date.

Happy Monday Bookdragons! March was a bad reading month and I didn't finish any books toward the end of the month but I did get back on track at the beginning of April... 

What I Read Last Week: 

The Duke and I (Bridgerton #1) by Julia Quinn

I started The Duke and I while I was in my reading slump but I didn't actually finish it until April 1st. This may go as part of me watching the show first but I did and didn't like the book. I feel like we see a lot less of characters like Eloise in the first book who was such a strong character in the show. And I did not like the book version of Simon. He was hot one minute then he was throwing a hissy fit because of something someone said the next minute. How is someone supposed to know not to ask about your childhood or father if you never explain why it is such a sore subject? Especially when it's your wife. There were humorous parts of the book which I enjoyed but overall it was kind of a 'meh' read. 

The Lost Village by Camilla Sten

Holy S! This book! Before it released I wasn't sure if I was going to like it but after reading some positive reviews I decided to give it a chance. And it paid off huge! This book was amazing! It was deliciously tense and eerie, definitely creepy to read at night, and perfect for a reader looking for a book that will leave their heart-racing and stay with you after you finish the last page. Mark my words: this book will make it onto my 'best of' list at the end of the year! 

Currently Reading:

Shiver by Allie Reynolds

After my slump, rearranging my TBR, and having the stomach flu over the weekend (I'm better now thankfully) I just started Shiver last night finally. But with a prologue like that I'm definitely intrigued to see where it's heading. 

Next Read

Mina and the Undead by Amy McCaw

I've been waiting for this book since I first heard of it and I got my copy on Saturday! The paperback edition is really cool in person also!

*** 

 What are you reading this week?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? - 18 January 2021

#IMWAYR is a weekly meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at The Book Date.

Happy Monday Bookdragons! I hope you had a somewhat relaxing weekend. 

What I Read Last Week: 

Witches of East End by Melissa de la Cruz

I'm glad I gave this book a chance. Like I mentioned last week it is a lot different from the Lifetime tv show that was on a few years ago - from character descriptions to magic vs. magic ban to characters having different names... and no Aunt Wendy 😭 - but I really enjoyed the book once I got in my mind that show was its own separate entity. It's a quick read and it kept my interest the whole way through.

Currently Reading:

Glass Houses by Rachel Caine

I devoured this series when I was younger. I couldn't read the books fast enough. But I've tried rereading it twice now and I'm just not feeling it. I mean it's like I know exactly what's going to happen and I can't focus on the book. Maybe it's a read-once-love-it-but-don't-reread kind of book for me. It happens sometimes. 

Next Read

Serpent's Kiss by Melissa de la Cruz

Now that I've gotten through the first book I'm eager to keep reading about the Beauchamps so I just put the second and third book on my kindle.

*** 

How do you feel about rereading a book? Can you enjoy a book once you know how it's going to end? Or are some books just better reading one time only?

50/50 Friday: Best/Worst April Read

50/50 Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Carrie @ The Butterfly Reader.

What is 50/50 Friday?

Everyone has a favorite and then we also have something we dislike. Like a coin, there are two sides to every question. Example: best sequel you've read/worst sequel you've read. So that's what 50/50 Friday is all about. Carrie posts a new topic every Friday so be sure to check out her post to see the topic for the following week!

Topic for the Week

Best/Worst Read of April 2020

I read a lot of books I really liked in April so this is tough... 

Best

Worst

I feel bad calling this one the worst... it really wasn't too bad. But it was only a 3 star read compared to the other books I read in April.

Next Week’s Theme: 

Favorite/Least Favorite Book You Had To Read For School

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? - 20 April 2020

 

#IMWAYR is a weekly meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at The Book Date.

Hey Bookdragons! I unexpectedly disappeared the past couple weeks but I'm back. My dad died on April 1st (from cancer, not coronavirus related) and I've been under a lot of stress so I needed to take a step back. Understandably I haven't been reading much either but I did manage to finish a couple things. 

What I Read Last Week(s):
The Return by Rachel Harrison

This one is a serious contender for one of my favorite books of the 1st 1/2 of 2020! It's creepy and atmospheric AF with a supernatural monster that isn't so much named on the page as given the feeling of. 

The Winter Witch by Karpov-Kinrade & Heather Hildenbrand

This is a cool Beauty and the Beast retelling. It's short - only about 96 pages but it's definitely worth a read!

The Alien's Future by Ella Maven

This series was introduced to me during a chat in Virtual ApollyCon (since Apollycon was cancelled due to the virus) and I really enjoyed this novella introduction to this sexy sci-fi series!

The Mist by Stephen King

One of my goals this year is to read some of Stephen King's backlist and this was a quick, eerie book that ironically fit being in 'safer-at-home' mode lately. 

Currently Reading / Still-in-Progress
Spindle Fire by Lexa Hillyer

I'm about 30% into this one but I put it on the back burner while I listen to Aurora Rising for the read-along.

Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

 Yesterday wrapped the second week of the read-along covering chapters 10-15. I caught up on the reading listening to the audiobook while I dyed my hair yesterday.

Reborn Yesterday by Tessa Bailey

I was making great progress with this one about a week and a half ago and then I just... didn't feel like reading about corpses and funeral homes and vampires. I want to try to finish it this week. 

Up Next
I Killed Zoe Spanos by Kit Frick

I recently joined the street team for this upcoming YA thriller and I can't wait to dive into it. 

What have you been reading lately?

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Supernatural Characters

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish.

Top Ten Tuesday - Halloween Freebie!

This week's TTT was a freebie prompt for whatever we wanted to do for Halloween and I picked Supernatural Characters. That's right, I'm counting down my top ten favorite non-human characters!

Rhysand

Elena Michaels

Myrnin

(My favorite mad scientist vampire who wears vampire bunny slippers)

The Darkling

The Goblin King

 Lorcan Salvaterre

Daemon Black

Gallowglass de Clermont

Amy Goodnight

(while not technically supernatural, Amy does come from a family of witches and knows how to handle ghosts)

Manon Blackbeak

To be honest, there are so many different supernatural character I could have picked - from vampires and werewolves to high fae and aliens and more, this just scratches the surface of some of my favorite characters - what are some of yours? 

Drop me a link to yours!

As always, happy reading bookdragons and have a bewitching Halloween!

- 💀Taylor

"What I'm Reading" Wednesday #59

I came so close this week to actually being in the middle of a book for "WIR"-Wednesday but Rebel of the Sands was hard to put down and I ended up finishing it before dinnertime yesterday. Does anyone else feel that they read books quicker at the beginning of the year than at the end of the year? Really, just last month I think I barely read three or four books, yet January still has six more days and I've already read 8 books. It's insane. This "WIR"-Wednesday I'm burrowing back into Kristen Middleton's Night Roamers Series with...

Vengeance (Night Roamers Series #3) by Kristen Middleton

Blurb:

Nikki arrives in Vegas, with Ethan and Duncan, to search for her family. She soon finds out that not everything is as it seems...and isn't sure of who she can trust anymore, as things begin to unfold.

Meanwhile, Celeste takes advantage of the nightlife in Sin City, while joining forces with a new group of immortals, who will stop at nothing to get their hands on Nikki.

Why I Chose This Book / What I Think So Far:

I chose Vengeance because I love Kristen Middleton's Night Roamers Series. I mean I blew through Blur (book 1) in one night and read book 2 just as quickly. It really is one of my favorite YA Vampire Series out there. It's sexy, suspenseful and addicting.

 I grabbed a copy of Vengeance last summer but thanks to my huge TBR shelf of physical books I haven't been able to get to this book on my kindle yet. Lucky for me I've been trying to get through some of my unread Kindle books while I wait for some book orders to arrive and a couple books I have on hold from the library. I'm eager to dive back into this series and see what happens next (and of course lust after bad boy, Ethan. Not really shipping Nikki with Duncan here...)

BOOK REVIEW: The Curse of the Bruel Coven by Sabrina Ramoth

The Curse of the Bruel Coven by Sabrina Ramoth

Blurb:

When secrets from the past collide with the present, the consequences may be deadly. 

Growing up in a small town in Louisiana, seventeen-year-old Vivienne Davenport's life is that of an ordinary teenager. At least, until the untimely death of her mother reveals a family secret. She's adopted . . . and her real mom is a witch. 

The truth of her lineage only complicates Vivienne's life further. Buried deep within her family’s history of magic is a deadly curse that has plagued her family for generations. 

When her birth mom disappears, Vivienne must tap into her suppressed powers in order to save her long-lost mother. And herself. 

Can Vivienne become the witch she needs to be? Or will her newfound powers prove too much for her to handle? Only one thing is certain, Vivienne will soon learn that all magic has a price. 

My Review:

When 17-year-old Vivienne goes through her recently deceased mother's photo albums in search of a photo from her childhood that she needs for school she stumbles across a photograph of her with an unfamiliar woman that she has a strong family resemblance to. Vivienne's grandmother "Nemma" confirms her suspicions that she is in fact, adopted. 

     With the help of her best friend Savannah, Vivienne tracks her mother down in New Orleans and they set off to see her. When they arrive at Claire (Vivienne's birth mother)'s house in the French Quarter there is an instant connection between Vivienne and Claire, but as Claire lets them in her mood is frosty and dismissive. After not receiving a sufficient answer as to why Claire gave Vivienne up Vivienne gets angry and Claire's coffee table begins to shake. This confirms Claire's worst fears: her firstborn daughter's powers have awakened leaving her in high risk of danger from an "immortal" or vampire that's been trying to feed on the blood of a Bruel family firstborn daughter since his creation during the Civil War. 

     Vivienne doesn't believe Claire's story about witches and vampire and thinking her crazy she and Savannah get up to leave. They're nearly out of the city limits when Savannah realizes she has forgotten her cell phone so they have to go back. When they return to Claire's house everything has been ransacked and Claire is gone. A girl appears at the top of the stairs - Vivienne's half-sister Mira and realizing what has happened she takes the girls to their aunt's apartment above a magic shop in the Quarter. 

      Vivienne is suddenly introduced to a whole host of relatives she never knew she had; a sister, cousins, an aunt, and a grandmother. When a location spell for Claire goes wrong Grand'Mere (Vivienne's grandmother) asks for her help to locate Claire before it's too late. 

     Will Vivienne and the others be able to find Claire and stop whatever witches are aiding the immortal one? Can Vivienne get control over her powers or is she not as strong as everyone expects her to be? Is the immortal one really evil? 

       At first, I was afraid this book was a little too fast paced. The entire book - from Vivienne finding out she was adopted to traveling to see her birth mother to her birth mother's disappearance and the process of finding Claire - transpires in about a week's time. However, the more I read this book the more I liked it. I love that it's set in New Orleans, my favorite city in the world, and the book is really easy to get into - possibly because of the fast pace. I sat down and read this book in one sitting. I really liked Vivienne's dreams that take her back to the past and I look forward to seeing how Vivienne grows, both as a character and into her powers, in the next book. The Curse of the Bruel Coven is definitely an interesting read. 

My Rating: 5 of 5 Stars

"What I'm Reading" Wednesday #11

        This "What I'm Reading"-Wednesday I'm reading a book I absolutely cannot put down. Aren't those the best kind?

Shiver by Kristen Middleton

Blurb:

While Nikki tries to adjust to her new home in Shore Lake and forget about the horrors of last summer, she battles with her own inner demons still craving Ethan's dark embrace.

Meanwhile, Duncan disappears in the middle of the night after being stalked by shadows, Nathan is spending more and more time with Celeste, and there is a hot new club in town, where the after-parties are to die for.

What I think of the book so far/ Why I Chose it:

I loved the first book in this series and the second book is really good too. It's been a few months since I read the first book but I instantly jumped right in and it feels like returning to old friends after a short break. Nikki is still a strong main character and Ethan is still my personal choice for her. This book sucks you in, and you feel unwilling to put it down until you're done. The only problem I have with this book is that I have a paperback copy and while the front and back cover, as well as the inside correctly identify this as the second book in the series, the spine states that it is the third book. At first I thought I had purchased the wrong book. Secondly, inside the book on the copyright page the book is listed as the "Second Additon". While I haven't found any errors within the book itself, the obvious typo is a bit comical. No big deal, but the author might want to correct these small - easily fixable problems before any more paperback copies are sold. Overall it's a fantastic read and I can't wait to finish this book and the rest of the books in the series. My Early Rating: 5 of 5 Stars

Here's what else I've read since last week...

Mad Love by Suzanne Selfors

Blurb:

Writing her own love story could drive a girl insane. 

As the daughter of the bestselling Queen of Romance, life for sixteen-year-old Alice Amorous should be pretty good. But ever since her mother was secretly hospitalized for mental illness, Alice has been forced to maintain a brave front - lying to her new crush, Tony; answering fan letters; forging her mother's signature; telling the publisher that all is well. Now time is running out, and so is their money. The next book is overdue and the Queen can't write it. Alice needs to deliver a new novel for her mother - and she needs to come up with one fast. 

That's when she meets Errol, a strange guy claiming to be Cupid, who insists that Alice must write about his tragic romance with Psyche - the greatest love story of all time. Only, Alice doesn't believe in Cupid...

What I Thought of this book:

I've read this author's other three Young Adult novels and loved 2/3. While Mad Love is not my favorite by the author parts of it (especially those about dealing with Alice's mother's publisher) are hilariously relate-able to a writer like me. As a main character, Alice was alright. I found Realm to be annoying, as I'm sure the author intended her to be and I didn't even come around to her at the end. Add in the assorted neighbors, Errol, and Alice's crush Tony, that I liked and disliked at different times throughout the reading process. I thought I would have really enjoyed this book, what with the writing aspect and the mythology stuff, which I usually gobble right up. This book was just okay in my opinion. I didn't overly like it, nor did I overly hate it. 

My Rating: 3 of 5 Stars