I enjoyed this book but personally this book felt a tad bit like twilight which in my opinion needs to be left in the past but anyway it was overall quite good the split person between the past and the present with two children who stand to inherit the house of their relatives

I was intrigued by this as Shalini Boland is one of my favourite authors and the new genre gave me pause, I wondered how she would approach it.

Unfortunately, I found it a bit ho hum, lagging in parts and a little contrived. It picked up towards the end, but I felt that overall the story was a bit bland. Also, really far-fetched, and ironically I'm not talking about the vampires. The buying off of the foster parents, the convenience of a sudden massive inheritance and these two kids (for that is what they are, no matter how tough their lives have been) rushing off to play house in a mansion, all alone.

Nah, seems off to me. I think I'll stick to Ms Boland's thrillers, they offer far more to sink your teeth into, no pun intended.

Thanks to Second Sky and NetGalley for my ARC.

2.5 stars rounded up to 3.

Thanks to #NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a digital copy for an honest review!

Hidden is written in two separate timelines. One happened in 1881 following Alexandre and his family on an archaeological quest in Turkey. The second is in the present, following orphans Maddie and Ben, who are siblings moving into an inherited mansion.

Firstly onto the things I liked about this book.
Alexanders' POV is far more interesting than Maddies; I wish we had stayed and explored more about the lost city and its legends. That's it.

Vampire illness, deep slumber, mystery and mansion exploration were going great until Maddie woke Alexandre; from there on, it went downhill. Insta-love, no real high stakes; the book seemed long and too short; some stuff happened, but not really. I probably won't read the rest of the series because it didn't grab me, and I have no interest in finding out what happens next.

All in all not a bad book but neither memorable nor attention-grabbing.

I’ve loved Shalini Boland’s thrillers, and this is my first read of fantasy from her. I am more of a science fiction lover over fantasy, but i really liked the characters in this one. I felt vested in both Madison and Alexandre. I weirdly kept imagining Fiyero from Wicked. Maybe it was the playboy flirt in him. And with Madison, while she could come off a little bratty at times, her spunk really came through too.

I love the redesigned covers for the re-release of the books. I keep wanting to touch them, but alas I have an eCopy.

With two different timelines, it almost seemed like this was two different books at the start since it took a while to figure out what the connection would be (as there is always some sort of connection, right?) I am not incredibly knowledgeable of vampire lore, but I really liked the old world vibe in the past part of the book. I really know nothing about that setting, but could picture and feel it based upon descriptions. And the catch at the end of the chapters kept me wanting to read to resolve the cliffhanger.

The stage is set for the remainder of the series and if you think you will just read the first book, think again.

Although this book had me hooked in some parts, others were a bit difficult to get into. The story is slow paced and ideal for fans of Twilight and is perfect for the Young Adult paranormal genre.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I thought this book was on the younger side of YA and more possibly teen. Some of the things the MC had to do were farfetched for someone of her age.

I usually read YA but felt I was too old for this book.

t’s been awhile since I’ve read a vampire romance. Concept was interesting in this one. Madison and her brother Ben lost their mother a few years ago and have been with foster parents for the last 3 years. She’s doesn’t trust anyone and is always waiting for the shoe to drop. On her 17th birthday she finds out that she has inherited an estate and is now extremely wealthy, the only catch is that she has to live in the house. She later finds out that she has 5 other houseguest. The story jumps back and forth between Madison’s story and Alex - the houseguest she discovers and becomes infatuated with and then tries to kill. Her plan backfires and she ends up curing him of a sleeping sickness that has spread to most of his kind.

It didn’t blow me away, but I’m curious to see how it unfolds in the next book.

Hidden is a YA vampire romance told in dual timelines. Normally, this type of story and structure is right up my alley. Unfortunately, this book was way too slow to get going. It took until almost 55-60% of the book to feel like the plot was really moving. The first half felt like one giant prologue. That being said, I did enjoy the last half of the book enough that I will definitely read the next book in the series.

It was definitely giving "stereotypical" vampire kind of book but I still enjoyed it. I don't think I will read the next one but it was enjoyable enough.

At first, the story started out a bit slow but eventually ended up picking up the pace and then I was hooked. Most of the characters were interesting and the dual POVs added a nice touch to the novel.

First book in what is going to be a great series!

It has a dual timeline of Madison and Alexandre's back stories coming together in present time. It's a slow burn book, the back stories are in depth which I enjoyed as it really gave you a sense of who they were and what their lives were like. Once they meet though .. WOW .. the book picks up pace. I loved the dynamic between them both and thought Alex was very endearing it finishes with an exciting ending leaving you wanting to know more.

I love a good vampire book and this was a good mix of light and dark, I'm really looking forward to reading the next books.

Thank you Netgalley and Second Sky for the ARC

Rating : 5⭐️ -FAVORITE OF 2023-
Thanks to NetGalley and the author for the eARC !

I read it in 8 days … which is fast for me ! I LOVED that each chapter were alternating between Madison’s story and Alexandre’s story. A world well built, characters that you get attached to, and I didn’t see the plot twist coming at the end, really !!! For sure, i’ll read the rest of the story !

I asked where I work to list this book to be able to sell it in a bookstore in Paris ☺️ (and I’ll take a copy for myself lol) You can see that the author did research and thanks the French parts inside are correct ! We appreciate 😊
Anyway heart on Alexandre.

This was unfortunately not for me .I am a huge vampire fan but this didn’t really grab my attention .

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher/author for allowing me to read the eArc .

I never knew Shalini Boland writes fantasy and she writes it so well. I am hooked on this series and I need to read books two and three as soon as possible
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The twists and plots come in abundance and they make the book difficult to put down. It is deliciously dark and as I was reading, there was a movie going on in my head. It made me feel like I am in the cinema, watching one of the best movies out there
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I loved the characters and the pace of the story, I didn't know how to read quicker to find out what happened. It is such a new take on vampire stories and that ending left me craving for more

It was nice. It's a good entertainment but a bit too cliché. It's not really original, the characters are kinda basics but it's still nice to read.

I have been excited to start reading books from Blue Sky and even more so since I found out one of my favourite thriller writers, Shalini Boland would be writing in a new genre!

Obviously a swap of genre is always a risk, will the writing be as good, will readers follow into a new genre and will they be received just as much as the thrillers?

I was so happy that Shalini Boland delivered an epic debut fantasy, just like she does as a thriller author!

The blurb really intrigued me and I couldn’t wait to dive in to a new world, one which I knew was a trilogy so knew should I enjoy the first Id have two more to read straight after.

I wasnt expecting to fall in love with these characters but I did. Each were unique, the back story is expertly written and I even enjoyed the historical back story which I wasn’t at first as generally don’t enjoy historical fiction but it was delivered so well with the architectural element of discovery. A fabulous start to the trilogy!

I struggled with the dual POV chapters and didn't really get into the story until the two merged. Just WOW when that happened. Mads is no Bella here, and is quick to take charge. Unfortunately, after reading the ending I didn't feel the call to continue the story.

Thank to the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me an ARC. The above is my honest opinion on the book.

Hidden is a must read for fans of The Vampire Diaries and Twilight - it will leave you craving more. Lucky for you, it's a complete trilogy so you can sink your teeth into the next book, Taken, once you've devoured the beginning of Maddie and Alexandre's story.
*
This was my first book by Shalini Boland and I got totally sucked in! It was so easy to read and get lost in the dual timelines - modern day Maddie with her Cinderella-esque story and 19th century Turkey following Alexandre's archeological adventures.
*
But my favourite was when the pair meet! Honest to goodness, the nostolgia I felt reading this book was like a comfort blanket! It had all the vibes from circa 2008, the high time of YA paranormal romance, and I was here for it! I can't wait to continue the trilogy and find out how Maddie and Alex's story ends.
*
Thank you to Second Sky Books and NetGalley for an ARC.

'Hidden' by Shalini Boland is a dual pov, cross century story about a girl and her brother who are just barely getting by in the foster system. Madison is of course, a bit of an outcast. She wears a lot of dark clothing and has little money. Lately, stress also has her acting out at school.

Just when things seem about at their worst, the siblings inherit wealth and a house. As the eldest, she's in charge of their fortune, guided by a solicitor representing the estate of their ancestors. But there's always a catch.

Alexandre is a feisty Frenchman who always seems to find himself in trouble. Also the eldest of his family, he's expected to set a good example and maintain a good reputation for his own siblings as they come into their own. Easier said than done.

After upsetting another group of nobles, he and his family leave town for a bit on the trip of a lifetime. Off to Turkey on a career making archaelogical expedition, his sister doesn't even want to go. She finds the entire idea off-putting and boring, but has no choice other than to accompany them.

What I love about this tale is the origin story for the vampires. It's uncommon to see authors dig deep (no pun intended) for their characters turning points, but Boland does this in a way that's almost reminiscent of the vampire queen herself, Anne Rice.

Boland excels at the backstory, the social structure of the world she builds for that time, and the dialogue is well-done. Even Madison and Ben's backstory is handled pretty well. I find them to be less interesting characters in general, but largely because they are mostly stereotypes. They're still likable and you want to see them succeed.

I enjoyed the way the two timelines were written, with the dual-narrations coinciding with each other.. drawing closer and closer until they merged. It's at this point I think the story struggled a little, however.

Somewhere, Alexander's personality got lost when he was put in the modern setting. Dialogue didn't mesh well and chemistry could have been better between the pair. Madison's reactions flipped in moments, in ways that didn't feel authentic.

Nonetheless, I am looking forward to trying book two. It's possible that since this is just the first in the series, Boland hadn't fully settled into her groove yet and as it had a ton of potential, I'm hopeful the improvements will show themselves there.

Still, it was a solid enough read if you don't mind a slow pace. I think Alex could be lovely.

Shalini Boland is an author who makes me think of her psychological thrillers. Which are excellent, BTW. Hidden is the first book in a new series called Vampires of Marchwood. Any book which includes vampires has to be on my reading list.
Told over two timelines, we meet Alexandre from the past and Madison in the present day. Madison is seventeen and in Foster care with her younger brother. She inherits Marchwood, an estate in the English countryside. Her life changes in so many ways. Alexandre is in 19th century and on an archaeological dig with his parents which turns his life on its head.
A young adult supernatural romance which captivated me immediately. I always enjoy a dual timeline and Shalini Boland has written this so I didn't want to put it down. I enjoyed both characters individual stories. Madison, the hard done by foster kid, who ends up with a 'country pile'. Alexandre's, which took me on an archaeological dig. The discovery of a hidden city makes for such an intriguing story.
This was a story that was rich and vivid in the telling. I was easily transported to Alexandre's world and couldn't wait to discover how these two very different people crossed paths. I thoroughly loved the fact that it's not too dark a story. It's a nice mix of dark against light.
It's a book that isn't just for young adults, it's one that will entertain readers of almost any age. I was certainly swept into this series so well that I didn't want Hidden to end. I was so lucky I had the second book!
Thanks to Second Sky Books and NetGalley for the copy of the book