YES, GIVE ME ALL THE TROPES.

We've got enemies-to-lovers, found family, there-was-only-one-bed, fake engagement, slow-burn romance, vampire royalty, subterfuge, and so much more!

There's so much to like about this book! It's dark, sexy, and surprisingly fresh. I LOVE that this doesn't have your typical "misunderstood species" angle where the vampires aren't actually as evil as they're made out to be. Like, no - most of the vampires are still dangerously vicious, and I appreciate the hell out of that fact. I also love that there's more than one type of vampire - there's the blood-drinking Sangaree, and then there's the soul-sucking and horrifyingly creepy Aniccipere. We love a bad-guy + even-worse-guy dichotomy.

I also really love our main character, Olivia. Usually, I'm not a huge fan of first-person narrative, but I surprisingly enjoyed watching the story unfold from her perspective. Also, I adore how very human she is! I've said this in previous reviews, but it's so frustrating when the MC is instantly badass and powerful after a quick revelation or change in the plot. Olivia struggles with her confidence and magic; she second-guesses her own decisions - it makes her feel so much more relatable and real. I think it'll undoubtedly add to her character development throughout the series.

I'm obsessed with Olivia & Sebastian's interactions. Just, UGH - the slow burn and sexual tension are *chef's kiss*.

I will say that some little things about the writing style and plot development felt slightly cluttered at times, but it wasn't anything overtly pronounced. For instance, I like when world-building happens through dialogue (I prefer it, actually), but there were moments when it felt a little strange that the MC didn't already know the information being explained to her. The author gives a reason for this, though - so it's not a huge disconnect; it just felt a little off.

There was also a quickness to the plot that felt a tad bit hurried, but I don't hold it against the book at all because I think it's leading up to an incredible sequel. The entire book stands well on its own, but I have a gut feeling that the sequel will be a show-stopper - I'm calling it now.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC!

Thanks to NetGalley, Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op and Rebecca L. Garcia for providing me with an ARC of Shadow Kissed in exchange for an honest review!

''You can't fix something unless it's brought out into the open, and people often shy away from the ugly side of our nature.''

Olivia knows everyone at the guild is on high alert, but no one will tell her why.
Sometimes she wished she wasn't a sorceress, so she could live normally. The vampires and a far more terrifying creatures, known to suck souls from their victims, craves her sorceress magic. They want to use her ability to manipulate and influence other's emotions and energies.
But darkness is already here - in Baldoria.
Olivia gets taken by Sebastian and is being held in the City of Nightmares - the most dangerous place in the vampire kingdom. As she fights to survive in a world where mortals are nothing more than things to be fed on or traded. And once the truth of her upbringings comes out, Olivia realizes, the ones she loves have been shielding her from a fate far worse than death.

This was such a fun, easy and quick read! We have several jackpots here:
✔ Fake Dating
✔ Slow Burn Romance
✔ Found Family
✔ Lost Royalty
✔ Vampires can fly! Say what?
✔ ''Who did this to you?'' and ''There's only one bed.''
✔ Interesting worldbuilding

I can't really write more about this book, because it would be full with spoilers. And I don't want to ruin this story for you! :)
Olivia can't catch a break of being in the danger. She finds herself being literally and figuratively a prisoner at several occasions. She deals with grief and trauma, that affects her health and weakens her abilities. But with unlikely alliances, she tries to embrace her true self and is on a learning path to become healthier and stronger. She is not straight away badass MC, but she has her moments. Did I mentally high-fived Liv, when she kicked THAT person in the nuts? Yes, yes I did!

I enjoyed Olivia's interactions with sweet and compassioned warrior Erianna, stoic Zach and I absolutely wanted to learn more about the Master of Travel - Sebastian. I wish we learned more about the four gods.

I haven't read many vampire/mortal type of books (les forget Twilight please lol), but the world-building here was fresh and interesting. From cities to kingdoms and blood dens. The pacing for the story was fast, emotions were various and atmospheric scenes were easy to imagine.
There are twists and turns that you could already guess, but it doesn't affect whole plot. By the way, Shadow Kissed ends with a cliffhanger!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

3.5/5 rounded up to 4!

The world of Shadow Kissed is chock full of interesting history, religion, and court politics. And Garcia uses every bit of it to set the stage for her gritty fantasy. The Kingdom of Sanmorte is corrupt, dirty, and brimming with forbidden carnality. Not exactly the kind of place that the sheltered heroine, Olivia, ever thought she would find herself in. Nevertheless, Olivia is willing to do anything, become anyone, and sacrifice it all to protect those she loves most.

While it is very trope-y, I had fun with this one! The final act really drew me in and raised the stakes even higher. I am looking forward to book 2 and reading more from this author!

**ALSO** the pronunciation and lore guide at the end was much appreciated :)

I enjoyed this book, but thought the pacing and story building could have been fleshed out a little more. Otherwise, the premise and overarching theme was well done. May revisit this at a later date after I do a reread to see if my opinion changes.

I really enjoyed this novel! What's not to love! Dark politics, vampires, romance??!! I absolutely loved Olivia and thought she was such a boss. This was a fantastic storyline and I was engaged throughout the entire novel. I am so excited for the next book! I hope to see more by this author soon.

Slow-burn, fake romance, vampires and sorceress, banter and sexiness. This book has it all. I really enjoyed this book, I kept wanting to read more. I can't wait to continue where this book left.

As a longtime lover of vampires, I jumped at the chance to read this ARC.
The storyline in Shadow Kissed is addictive, I had a hard time putting it down. The slow-burn romance is a nice change of pace from so many insta love relationships. Not that I mind them, it's just nice to see things changed up.
The end... it's hard to say without spoilers, so I will say that the build-up to it was just right and made my jaw drop. There's a cliffhanger, so now I will be waiting (I'm)patiently for the next installment.
It was exactly the book I wanted to read

Vampire romances have to be written well for me to enjoy them, but I do enjoy a good one as an avid fan of both Jennifer L. Armentrout and the Vampire Diaries. Shadow Kissed by Rebecca L. Garcia is one of the particularly well written vampire romances. Shadow Kissed tells the story of being captured as a mortal, in what is, quite possibly the most dangerous place to be a mortal. She must place her trust in the very person who captured her in order to survive. It features some of my absolute favorite tropes from slow burn, to the one bed trope, to found family, to fake dating. The banter between the characters quickly became some of my favorite things, I have read in a while. I can definitely feel that this will be a series that will be heavily popular on a variety of social media sites, for it found family aspect that I believe is comparable to other popular fantasy series, such as From Blood And Ash, and ACOTAR. Just in the first book, I found that the sexual tension between Olivia and Sebastian was incredible, and their chemistry was as well, I cannot wait to see that progress further in the rest of the series. The best way I can sum up Shadow Kissed is by saying it is a crossover between the From Blood and Ash series and The Vampire Diaries, and if you enjoyed those two and love tropes such as slow burn, one bed, fake dating, and found family, then I highly recommend that you read this. Shadow Kissed by Rebecca L. Garcia comes out March 16, and can be found on Amazon.

Not a huge fan of this one. I was excited for a vampire book, and a fan of all of the tropes that are in it, however, this just wasn’t doing it for me. I’m not sure if vampires are just too overdone at this point but this book was predictable and unoriginal. Everything these vampires are is taken directly from TVD and just left me not excited. The world and characters both felt underdeveloped. The writing was simple, which didn’t exactly bother me but add it to everything else and it just turned me off even more.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me an early copy of this for my honest review!

#Netgalley

Unfortunately this was just not it for me…

The writing was very simple which is fine but it could have been alot better
The characters is where it all went downhill for me. I really really did not like the main character, for her age she was quite immature.. and dumb? She was also very very weak, I like myself a badass female MC, not someone who’s weak and annoying
And all the other characters were just so bland, nothing to them

I was keen for the fake dating trope in this book, as I’m a new fan of that trope, but yeah noo… this was not it.
The plot was average, nothing special. It was very very fast paced right from the beginning, and just no world building at all.
Parts I did find boring, I’m honestly just thankful it’s over

One thing I will mention though is that this book does have a stunning cover, whoever designed it did a fantastic job

I am excited that I read my first book by Rebecca L Garcia and #ShadowKissed (Marked By Blood book 1) did not disappoint. The book pulls you in from the very beginning with incredible world building.
“I allowed myself to pretend I wasn’t held captive by a vampire and my fate wasn’t in his hands.”
Olivia has been protected her whole life with very little detail or understanding why. It isn’t until she is captured by Sebastian when she finally starts to understand why. Sebastian is everything Olivia has grown up to hate, a vampire! Olivia must learn to trust the one thing she hates to get around all the curveballs life is throwing her way.
Not only was the book amazing it includes all my favorite tropes:
#enemiestolovers
#slowburn
#fakedating
#foundfamily
#vampires

AND SO MANY MORE!
“I never expected you to behave. It’s not really in your nature.”
Olivia is a strong female lead accompanied by the best witty banter you could ask for. Of course, the book leaves us on cliffhanger. I can’t wait for the second one to come out so I can continue this amazing world Garcia has brought to life.
Thank you so much #NetGalley for allowing me to read ARC!

this book was chefs kiss - brooding vampires, lost royalty, one bed, fake engagement, found family - some many amazing tropes rolled into one. i ate this book up!!

release date march 16th.

olivia is our main character who lives in the kingdom of baldoria. her city is under attack by vampires, and she’s taken away before she can be killed.

sebastian is the charming vampire who comes to her rescue, but she can’t figure out why. (also, fangs and wings.. cmon who wouldn’t want that). he’s keeping secrets from her, and she’s determined to figure them out.

i fell in love with this world!! the author does a great job at world building and giving us a good base for the first book. i cant wait to see how it develops in the next two books!

the characters ughh. erianna was my absolute fav. i would love love love to see more of her in the upcoming books. zach, erianna and seb are truly the meaning of found family - they make my heart ache.

from the beginning to the end, this book is packed with action, plot twist and angst. it was such a good introductory into a new trilogy and i highly recommend for anyone who enjoys fantasy and vampires!

** i received an e-arc of this book from the publishers at netgalley! all thoughts are my own

This is a wonderful take on a vampire saga, well written, engaging and the kind of story that draws you in and doesnt let go.

Dark, deceptive, and intriguing are the best ways I can describe it.

Olivia is a sorceress who doesn't know how to use her magic in a world where she needs it more than she knows.

Her mother Ravena thinks she's to young to understand what's really going on or at least that's what she tells Olivia.

Astor is the love of Olivia's life, or so she thinks, her blind faith and belief in him could be the end or the beginning of her life depending on how you look at it.

Sebastian is something Olivia never thought she'd find, a vampire that values mortality and has friends and feelings.

Sargon is the king of the vampires and is more involved in everyones lives than I could have imagined.

I loved this book and it's cast of characters. I can't wait to read more of this series, it's really wonderful.

I’d like to begin quickly by Thanking netgalley for sending me an advanced copy of this book, my thoughts and opinions are my own.

I devoured this book in 1 day! What a fantastic start to what I beg to be a book series!
Let me break down a little bit to understand what your getting yourself in for:

- Dark Fantasy
- Vampire royalty
- Slow burn romance
- Enemies to lovers to enemies
- Morally grey characters
- Fake Dating
- One bed trope

What I loved about this read was the diversity between kingdoms, I thoroughly enjoyed imagining mortals living in a modern world completely guarded from a ‘medieval’ vampire kingdom. It gave off ‘underworld’ vibes and yes.. I fully imagined Erianna rocking that notorious ‘Celina’ get up!

The world building for Sanmorte was super dark and alluring, I really hope I get to learn more about the vampire culture in book 2.

The plot was very easy to follow indeed, full of twists, betrayal, bloodlust, and magic. My only hope would of been to see more of the vampires in action to fully see what they’re capable of but, vampires with wings ? 🌝

The romance is very VERY slow burn and that just so happens to be a win for me. I really was left with whiplash by the end in a sense that I could literally not tell you what I predict to come from the two mc’s relationship and THAT CLIFFHANGER!! Why did you do this to me Rebecca ?! Seriously this book gets a massive thumbs up from me & I anxiously await book two 🤞🏻

So let’s start by saying this was the first book that I have read from Rebecca L. Garcia and I can honestly say I will be reading more of her work! I am so eager for the next book already as the end of “shadow kissed” has me longing for more!!!! This was the first book in the trilogy of “Marked by blood”.

With the unexpected twists, vampires, one bed troupe, slow burn romance and a tiny bit of spice, what’s not to love about this book.

I loved this book because of how fast paced it was and constantly kept me wondering what was going to happen next! The characters were amazing and I loved Sebastian and his friends, they had the cutest bond. I definitely recommend reading this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for allowing me to read the ​E-ARC of Shadow Kissed.

The best I can say is that I skimmed and finished it. Lackluster characters, poor worldbuilding, reads like a bad YA with mind numbing dialog. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC from Netgalley.

This book was an enjoyable read, and I found myself easily sucked into the story! I mean, who doesn’t love:
🩸Vampires
🛏 One bed trope
❤️ Enemies to lovers (possibly)~ TBD
💍 Fake engagement

I finished Shadow kissed in a day and though I enjoy a quick read, I also love a big thick book and I was left needing more!

Yes, there are parts of the story that feel familiar with other reads, but there is enough differences to make it it’s own story and not enough similarities to deter me from finishing.

Olivia has the whole sheltered girl MO and loses so much throughout the story, and even though she gets a little down on herself, she gets back up and keeps fighting.

It’s does feel like there are some pieces of the story missing here and there but seeing as this is a series I feel like it’s possibly been done on purpose to keep your mind guessing as to the possible “what ifs”~ and I like a little suspense in a story because you never know what’s going to happen next!

I would definitely recommend this book, and can’t wait to find out what happens!

A refreshingly new take on vampires. This book creates a new world but is easy to understand and imagine because of the detail. Very fast read, I couldn’t put it down!

Olivia has lived a pretty sheltered life. As a sorceress, she is pretty rare but her powers have never held much strength. It has been less than a month since her boyfriend allegedly committed suicide, Vampires are attacking the kingdom she lives in, and her mother who is also a sorceress has left with the other members of the guild to defend their home. Unfortunately, her mother winds up captured.

When the guard left protecting Olivia gets carried off by one the Vampires she is left alone and defenseless. Before she can escape, a Vampire named Sebastian takes her captive and back to his home in the City of Nightmares. Sebastian swears Olivia is not his prisoner and he and his friends are only trying to protect her from Nightshade, a group of Vampires who have been hunting Olivia for nefarious reasons.

Olivia has slowly come to realize that her entire life people have kept secrets from her; her mother would never talk about her father and the rest of the guild would get cagey when asked questions. Slowly, Sebastian reveals what those secrets are but he has been keeping a few secrets of his own, like the real reason he 'kidnapped' Olivia. Can Olivia trust Sebastian enough to help save her mother and friend? Olivia must learn to trust in order to save herself, her mother, her friends, and Sebastian.

Rebecca Garcia has written a wonderfully well illustrated world. Olivia is a completely likable character. It is easy to recognize she has low self-esteem when it comes to her magical abilities and how those doubts about herself came to be in her young nineteen years. Sebastian and his friends are lovable 'villains'. They all have had difficult pasts that they are attempting to overcome. There are moments you want to hate Sebastian and yell at him to get his head on straight but he is flawed and still learning to cope with the painful conditions of his transition from Human to Vampire.

I loved Shadow Kissed. It was one of those books that sucked you in and wouldn't let you escape; I read it in one afternoon as I didn't want to put it down. I am excited to read the next installment in the Marked by Blood series.

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc copy I received of this novel.

This was a super quick read with all the familiar tropes I love - slow burn romance, sorcery and vampires, found family. It was an enjoyable read and I’ll probably read the next instalment. It just felt really familiar (not that there’s anything wrong with that!). Hopefully now that the world and plot is set up, I’ll feel more connected to the next book.