[ 442 ]

[katara]

Shadow Kissed (Marked by Blood #1) by Rebecca L. Garcia

Fantasy, Romance, Vampires, New Adult, Witches, Adult, Paranormal, Supernatural, Enemies to Lovers, Dark, Spice


Some fates belong to the shadows…


Everyone at the guild is on high alert, but no one will tell Olivia why. She thought it was somehow tied to the death of her boyfriend, but the truth is far more grisly.

Darkness has come to the mortal kingdom.

Captured by a vampire named Sebastian, who insists he’s protecting her, she’s taken to the horrific City of Nightmares. As she fights to survive in a world where mortals are fed on or traded, Olivia must place her trust in Sebastian, if she hopes to survive. Can she escape the clutches of her bloody destiny, or will she succumb to the dark shadows?

Delve into the dark and delicious world of vampires and mortals in Shadow Kissed, a new adult fantasy romance by Rebecca L. Garcia!



Review:
When it comes to vampire romance, these books can be a hit or miss for me. Some of them have a promising premise, characters that you will be thinking of long after you have placed the book down, and a plotline that will make you eager to find the next book. I have had many hits and very few misses when it comes to vampire novels. This one was indeed promising, the storyline, and the characters seemed to stand out from other novels that I have read. The whole series is right up my alley and I am glad I was able to devour the first book within a matter of hours. Was it disappointing? Nope. The only thing that disappointed me was the female lead, but Sebastian - I find him absolutely book boyfriend material and all so scrumdiddlyumptious delicious.

Can I have him? Is there a way to have him? Do I have to lick him and say he is mine? Is that how this works?

Because both she and her mother are sorceresses, Olivia has a big target on her back, but the problem is her abilities are lacking. Just fourteen days ago, her boyfriend committed suicide but Olivia does not have much time to grieve when her city is attacked by vampires. Her mother has gone missing during a mission and Olivia has been rescued by a vampire, who has made her a "guest" in his own home. Olivia desperately wants to find her mother and her best friend and be far, far away from the vampires. But that is easier said than done when she learns what exactly her mother has been trying to protect her.

Olivia does not come across as a likable character. She is selfish and pretty much a brat throughout this book. She does not grow up nor does she show any character development. She has become my least favorite character. She does things that make me want to grab the nearest iron skillet and smash her head with it. Although I understand she wants to find both her mother and Draven, she should also realize that the target on her back does not magically disappear; it remains like a neon sign right over her head.

Sebastian, Zach, Anna, and Erianna are all my favorites. They rescue Olivia when her city is attacked and take her back to Sebastian's home. I don't know how any of them have the patience for Olivia's childishness, but everyone, except Zach, seems to tolerate it and maybe they believe that her attitude may be due to the change she has gone through - her city being attacked, her best friend being ripped away from her, and her mother missing. I loved these characters. We do get to know a little bit of Sebastian's background; I would have loved a lot more of the others. Their character developments were much better and Sebastian has now become my book boyfriend (I keep a list!)

The world-building sounds amazing and there is so much out there I would like to know - how were vampires created, why sorceresses are so sacred to them, and how did Olivia's mother and father meet? INQUIRING MINDS NEED TO KNOW THIS!

Also, the romance between Sebastian and Olivia seemed a bit shaky almost to the point it did not feel like a enemies-to-lovers, but more like Sebastian babysitting Olivia and playing along to help her find both her mother and Draven. For me, that was a bit of a disappointment. I mean, how can you not be disappointed because there is so much chemistry out there to be touched on with them.

Okay, so it is my inquiring mind. xD Seriously, I cannot wait to read books two and three. I know this will probably be answered in the next books but can we have a story with Olivia's parents? Part of me does not quite believe there is not something between more between them.



Rating:

4.8 out of 5