This was the vampire fantasy book I have been craving, Slow burn enemies to almost lovers romance with a little action. The plot moves quickly but still gives lots of details and the ending has left me dying for book 2. I cant wait to see Sebs reaction when he finds out what Oliva has requested!!! The pair together is life!!

Firstly, the cover!!!!It's stunning! I need a physical copy on my shelf now that I've finished the book.

I loved everything about this book. The writing was engaging and the story fast pace. I fell in love with the world building, the whole thing was just so much fun! I went in with zero expectations as I've never read anything from the author before, but ended up falling in love. Will defiantly be reading more from Rebecca L Garcia.

Now, I'll be patiently waiting for book 2.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a free e-ARC of this beautiful book!

I received a copy of this book via NetGalley for an honest review. This was a decent read, some of the top tropes were fake dating and enemies to lovers.

Olivia, the main character was an empath, although I liked her, I felt she was a weak character. She rarely used her powers and unfortunately I couldn't really relate to her at times. I did however think she improved near the end of the book and I liked how she grew a backbone.

I really like Sebastian, I felt like this was his book. I did like the banter between him and Olivia, as well as his friendship with the side characters. At times I did feel like something was missing in their relationship.

I would give the 🌟🌟🌟/5, the book started of really slow for but picked up near the end. There was hardly any spice if that's what you're looking for. I would love to see the characters grow in the second book where the author shows more and tells less. The ending has me wanting to read the next book.

I received an eArc of this book by Victory Editing via NetGalley (thank you!)

This book was definitely a 4 star read for me! It kept me hooked throughout and I was a big fan of Seb— he was swoon worthy and pretty much everything that came out of his mouth had me smiling. He has an infectious personality for sure!

“I’m sorry to disappoint.“

“Oh trust me, you haven’t.” He is just hottttt!

The description of grief hits you right in the chest in the first chapter— it really allows you to feel the emotions the MC, Olivia, is feeling and the struggles she is going through. I picked up really easily of the foreshadowing and little hints that her ex? boyfriend wasn’t actually dead because there was mentioning of finding no body, which straight away had me suspicious.

However, there were lots of times were I didn’t guess what would happen, which was nice.

I also found myself highlighting numerous quotes from the book and they really resonated with me as a reader:

“You once told me every monster is redeemable.”

“That was before you showed me what a monster really looks like.” Tug at my heartstrings why don’t you?!☹️

Olivia’s love for Astor was well written— he wasn’t just forgotten about as the chapters progressed. Olivia still really struggled to wrap her head around what had happened— a real human emotion.

I enjoyed the fight scenes and they were very well written. I particularly grew fond of Erianna.

I flew through this and I absolutely love when a book has you wanting to constantly read on. I definitely will the picking up the next instalment!

Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. I really really really wanted to like this book more than I did. This book contained some top tier romance tropes like the one bed trope, the “who did this to you”, and the fake dating trope but these were not executed well enough for me. I felt no chemistry between the MC and the love interest. I did enjoy the fast-paced story telling but at the same it felt too rushed. I needed more world AND character building. Though this was an enjoyable read I feel like it was missing something.

2.5 stars

When I saw the cover I decided I wanted to read this but the farther into the story I got the more I realized this wasn’t for me.

I couldn’t get attached to the characters. I thought Olivia was too whiny and impressionable. It’s hard to follow a character that isn’t confident and is sheltered from the war that’s supposed to build tension for the reader.

I think this book could have benefitted from multiple perspectives to address what’s going on in the battlefield and make it feel more high-risk. I needed more “show not tell” when it came to the different types of vampires in this world…world-building in general felt lacking tbh. Astor could have been an interesting perspective to follow or Olivia’s mother.

Thank you to NetGalley and ARC provided by Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for this eArc! You will find my unbiased review below.

Shadow Kissed by Rebecca L. Garcia is Paranormal/New Adult Fantasy novel and the first of three.

This series starts off with Olivia, a sorceress hidden within the mortal lands, mourning the death of her boyfriend. Although she is a sorceress, she has never been able to use her magic but is an empath. During her mourning, her home is attacked by vampires as the blood of a sorceress is wanted by all vampires. When the the people she loves is taken by the vampires and she is saved by one she finds herself in the lands of the Vampires. Now she is left to uncover who she really is but does not know who to trust- the ones she loves, the ones who saved her, or the the ones who betrayed her.

- Found Family
- Fake Engagement
- One Bed Troupe
- Politics
- Slowburn

Overall, this book was an enjoyable, easy read. The world building wasn’t overwhelming and the lore behind the vampires. The world seemed like a gothic, modern world. It is a fast paced book which kept it entertaining. However, with praise there are some things that could have used improvement. The writing in this book wasn’t bad but it can be improved. Things are mentioned that a little cringy being in a novel such as the main character writing fa fiction about a God. There are some scenes that seemed to happen right after an emotion or high strung moment which made it feel awkward or dramatic. The main character and her love interest felt a little disconnected however I was happy to see they were actually learning about each other and not randomly in love with each other. However, these things are easily overlooked to actually enjoy the story. I’m excited to see where the author goes moving forward with this series!

Rating: 3.5 / Rounded to 4 Stars

I will be positing my review on Goodreads, my Instagram, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble

It had been a while since I read a book about vampires and decided to give this one a chance.
It was the description and the cover that won me over.
It has a few of my favorite tropes, such as found family, fake dating, slow burn, and of course, one bed!
The characters are well written and complex, each with unique personalities, goals, and flaws.
Olivia has great character development and her relationship with Sebastian is just to die for.
Even secondary characters, like Erianna and Zach are given a backstory and a personality and are not used just as pawns to move the story along.
I believe that the author could add a bit more description of her world.
We get the basic descriptions, mostly of how the characters look, but at most points, the author decides to tell us how everything is and how everyone feels, instead of showing us.
In general, It was a decent read and I enjoyed it.
Can't wait for the next book.
A thank you to NetGalley for the free ebook copy.

I received this book free from Netgalley im return for my honest opinion.

I wanted to love this book! It has all the things I like... vampires, found family, fake relationships... all good tropes!! The plot has the potential but it just wasn't well executed. It felt rushed and I didn't really connect with the characters or their struggles. In all honesty I DNF'd at 50% because I just couldn't get past it. As I said... the plot is there but I would love to see it re-worked!

Shadow Kissed by Rebecca L. Garcia
“When you release control, no one can force your hand.”
~~~~
CW: adult language, suicidal thoughts, mentions of slavery, blood, violence, and scenes of murder.
Thank you Rebecca L. Garcia, NetGalley, and Victory Editing for this Digital ARC. This has turned into a favorite!
Right away this book had me screaming “EMOTIONAL DAMAGE” while making Mac & Cheese in my kitchen. Then a few moments later I’m laughing so hard I’m choking on the noodles! Garcia made this book stick in my brain right away and I fell in love with all the characters!
This plot has one bed trope, enemies to lovers, slow burn, extreme banter, plot twists, deceptive, and so much more that I can’t even list. Y’all are just going to have to read it, and get ready for when book 2 comes out; which I am now counting the days!

Quite a simple story, but even still this was a fairly decent read.

Con: I wish that Shadow Kissed hadn't been pitched the way it was on NetGalley, i.e. New Adult sexy vampires. Why? Because there was no spice. Okay, there was ONE scene of heavy petting... And that's it. That's fine, of course, but please don't set the expectation because it will only lead to disappointment.

Pro: The love interest is quite cheeky and a total cinnamon roll (and he, not even at the very start, comes across as anything but).

Con: I struggled to picture the setting throughout the book because the descriptors are so sparse. I wished the author gave us more.

Pro: You can tell the author had loads of fun writing Seb's dialogue; it was loads of fun to read.

Con: In general, the writing could use more editing and tightening. Some sentences would have been so much more impactful if they were written in active voice. Sentences where the same word is used twice (a massive personal gripe of mine). And, I wished the author did more showing and less telling. The FMC's depression for example. We're told a few times that she's depressed, and yet we almost never see it.

I hoped that this story might be something I could recommend as either a way for people to get over their War of Two Queen's hangovers or as an exciting start to a new series. I can't do either with my full chest, however, I do think this story will still hit the mark for some readers.

I was so excited to read this book, especially after all the 5 star reviews. I really had to force myself to finish this book, and almost just put in in my "did not finish pile". I always struggle to write reviews, because I am no so eloquent in my delivery but this popped into my head...If you have ever been a fan of The Incredibles, I immediately thought of Violet and how insecure she shy she was, and how she struggled to use her Powers (especially the scene where the plane is blown up). HOWEVER, Violet through adversity, discovers she is awesome!! This did not happen in this book. The heroine is whiny and has no redeemable traits. She is kidnapped by the enemy, taken to a foreign land and while she has no power to think of, all of a sudden she is calling the shots and threatening to leave. She manages to blow out a window, but that's about it. I couldn't help but associate her with Incrediboy--who tried so hard to be something he was not, and inevitable was killed for it. Only she doesn't die, will probably get people killed and i'm assuming at some point will have incredible powers. This book is a no for me.

I am frustrated that I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I thought I would. The world-building and lore is fascinating. I was instantly drawn into the story, as it is action-packed and full of mystery from the very start. I felt an immediate connection to Olivia, the main character. But after a few chapters in, things started to fizzle out for me.

Sebastian’s personality gave me whip lash and I can’t pin down how to describe him. He’s supposed to be a badass but I never really saw this happen. He’s very hot and cold but in a way that makes him seem like two different people, rather than two sides of the same person. Olivia started out fiery and strong but seemed to slowly become quite the opposite. The romance feels forced, if there at all. I just didn’t believe it. Their feelings don’t seem justified within the story. The connection felt superficial at best. His motivation seemed manipulative and selfish, so I just couldn’t understand the connection between them. I am disappointed about that because enemies to lovers is one of my favorite tropes and I was really rooting for that. It had the structure in place for it but the actions and motivations of the characters just didn’t align together in a way that I thought brought them together under the same purpose.

A few aspects of the story world are a little jarring at times. I think this is because of the pacing of information presented. For example, I couldn’t really get a handle on the time period it takes place in, with the difference between part of the world living in modern times and part living in times past, I kept getting confused (why was I surprised there were cars?). I needed a better description of some things at the beginning, like the fact that the vampires have wings, a fact which I love, but by the time it’s first described I already had a completely different image in my head so it kept popping up as a surprise.

I love the fast-paced action and lore about the gods - that stuff is usually my jam. I wish there was more of this sprinkled throughout because then it just stops and we get chapters of dialogue that is info-dumping, unrealistic, and exhausting to read, particularly with one of the side characters who seemed to exist solely to dole out cliché therapeutic advice. The last third of the book is mostly political maneuvering and plotting, with the climax of the ending gone in a flash. With a lack of transitions, there isn’t a cohesive flow throughout the book. The sections are too structured, instead of meshing into the story as a whole. The abruptness pulled me out of the fantasy.

I think the book could have been greatly improved with another few rounds of editing. The writer has a crafted the makings of brilliant story but the execution of the narrative is what is lacking for me. Sometimes the writing got a little messy and the wording could be clearer. I think this book just needed more, it needed reworking of what is there and it needed more added to it, all of which could have dramatically improved the issues I had with it. Because, like I said, the story world and basic plot and even the characters have wonderful potential but it wasn’t delivered in a way that I enjoyed following along with. Even the side characters felt one-dimensional and uninteresting. To me it reads like a draft that needed to be worked into the enchanting magic I know is hidden in there somewhere. There are some really brilliant moments of writing and dialogue that outshines the rest. Some parts sucked me in and others were skimmable and boring.

I really wanted to love this book and it felt so promising at the start. Sadly, it just didn’t captivate me as I had hoped. However, I would read from this author again. I think she has a talented, inventive mind for fantasy and an engaging voice. With a little more resolution in the editing phase, I think this could have been a five star read for me.

I need more of Sebastián and Olivia like now. I was hooked from the very beginning. I cannot wait for book 2 in the series and I will be owning the series in paperback.

Rebecca Garcia did amazingly well with this book! I was so wrapped up in this book that I was crushed when it was over. Shadow Kissed is a great book about a girl who finds out that she is not a simple girl. She finds out that everything she has known is turning upside down and she has lost everything and everyone. She is suddenly being helped by a man that should want her dead but his agenda is why he wants to keep her alive or is it?

This is not your typical Romance. The sexual tension is high between these two but the Sabastian's agenda is the only reason why he's being nice. He wants her to be in power so that he can become human again. However, when he turns her into those that her mother has been trying to protect her against, will result in Sabastian's entire life-changing as well.

I am in desperate need to find out what happens! Olivia wakes up after days of being in the dungeon safe and that's when she finds out that Sabastian told the king who she really was. Now she's decided that since he could not stick to the plans, she would do the same to him.

This is right up my alley. Now this is the fist book in a series I do believe so there was alot of info dump going on in it. But this has it all, one bed trope, who did this to you, enemies to lovers trope. What more could you want? Ugh it was good!

3.5 Stars

Vampires ✔️
Found Family ✔️
Slow Burn Romance ✔️
Faking Dating ✔️
One Bed Trope ✔️
“Who did this to you?!” ✔️

This book had all the right ingredients for a book I would adore. However, I felt it was lacking a little.

It is the 1st of the series, so I understand the “info dump” that happened. But I felt the world building could’ve been shown more than told. I am expecting more in the next book.

I found the 2nd half of the book is a little more exciting and the ending!! I do want to read the second book and see where the characters go.

Olivia and Sebastian’s banter was wonderful and I’m a sucker for Slow Burn romances. I can’t wait to see where their romance goes and with some added *Spice* 🔥🥵

Shadow Kissed is the first part in a new series called Marked by Blood by Rebecca L. Garcia. In the past I’ve read several books from her Embraced by Darkness series, which contains several standalones. This series will be a trilogy which will fully release during 2022. But will I like this series just as much as I love the Embraced by Darkness series?

Even though this book is really different from the other books by this author, I also really loved this. Olivia her faith is bound by her blood, but is always hidden from her. But when she is captured by a vampire called Sebastian, she gets to know more about her dark faith, one she has never wanted to have. But can she escape her faith or should she surrender herself?

This book has a lot of action, plottwists and a slow-building romance. Rebecca L. Garcia has a nice writing style and a good pace. She has managed to give the reader enough information about Olivia, Sebastian and their backgrounds but also has some open ends for the next parts. I really look forward to keep reading in this trilogy since I was sucked into Olivia’s story. Therefore I give 4 stars to this book.

Sorcerers. Vampires. Secret society to protect mortals. I’m all in!

This book had me hooked from the beginning. I read this book in one day! It is so rare for me to have the attention span to read an entire book in a day, but this book was amazing!! I could not put it down ! I cannot wait for the next book! The ending was *chefs kiss*. I loved this book!!!

I loved the world building, the characters, the lore and the humor!

Rebecca is quickly becoming an instant buy author for me.

Shadow Kissed is the first novel in the Marked by Blood series. As I have, so far loved everything written by the author, my expectations going into this novel were very high. I am thrilled that it did live up to them and I honestly cannot wait to read the sequel, even though the wait will be difficult. The story follows sorceress and empath 19-years-old Olivia who just lost her boyfriend, Astor, a few weeks prior. As vampires covet her kind, she is in hiding and being protected by her mother, also a sorceress, and the Guild in the mortal kingdom of Baldoria. This kingdom was very interesting as it was modern realism (existence of cars and melatonin) and the fantasy along the lines of urban fantasy territory.

When the Guild is attacked by vampires, Olivia’s mother and a mortal friend are taken to Sanmorte, a kingdom filled with vampires which has a more medieval yet modern feel. Olivia is taken by a vampire, Sebastian, who says he is trying to save her from the others. She soon learns that her mother was taken to the Vampire King, Sargon, but her friend is still missing. She is determined to find both as she discovers many secrets along the way. Although Sebastian says that Olivia is not his prisoner, she is not free to roam around to attempt to find answers on her own. Along with Sebastian, Zach and Erianna, both vampires, are determined to keep Olivia safe from the others without telling her the reasons. The banter between these four characters was amazing as I loved how each interacted with Olivia and each other. Sebastian and Olivia have amazing chemistry with a slow-burn romance beginning to form between them although becoming closer is not easy.

While the characters, both heroes, villains, and those that fall between, were all enjoyable, Seb steals the show as he is the perfect mix of mysterious and snarky with hints of kindness. The story itself starts off a little slower as Olivia’s character is introduced, and the vampire threats begin to build. It takes off and continues at a faster pace once Olivia is with Sebastian and his group. The novel as a whole was a quick read as it was simple yet very interesting and enjoyable. There are bits that are predictable, yet they were written well so I did not mind. I loved all of the plot twists as they were spread out throughout the story, and each built on the other for the reader to begin putting all the pieces together along with Olivia. Overall, this novel did not disappoint as I loved reading it and really cannot wait to see what happens after that semi-cliffhanger ending!

**I want to give a special thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a review copy of this enjoyable novel. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.**