This is a new to me author but the description of the book really drew me in. I wasn’t sure what I was in for but I was not disappointed at all!

The Lost Queen series begins with A touch of shadows, the first book in Jessica Thorne's series. If you are looking for a good introduction to the Romantasy genre, I recommend this book. With uncomplicated magic system and minimal world building, the first installment is an easy read for new readers. I was captivated by the author's fast-paced plot with action, mystery, and a dash of spice. I am eagerly awaiting the next installment.

I will start by saying that I enjoyed this book. It was not without its issues, but overall I had a good time reading it and will definitely be picking up the next ones in the series.

The meh elements of this were, for me, a bit of a rollercoaster. I liked the beginning of the book. I felt a pull to the characters and was interested to learn more about what was going on and who these people were. Then we got to the middle. I didn’t feel like much developed in the romance. It was installed and then didn’t really go anywhere new. The characters stayed mostly the same and there was not a lot of world building. Once we got out of this and the story started to move again, I felt connected to the characters again and I wanted to know more. We also start to unravel some of the secrets and the stakes get higher.

I feel like this was a good setup for the rest of the series, but it almost could have been shortened and just made part of the next book. I needed this background, but the middle was slow. Now that I know where we are going, I am much more interested in continuing on though.

Took a while for me to finish but I did end up ultimately enjoying this book Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book

I loved this book. I was so good. the twist and turns kept me on the edge of my seat. I look forward to reading more from this author

i wish i never read this. thats honestly all i have to say. im scarred. cursed. who let me read this? i need a five month break just because of this :/

The world building and characters in this book were great. I enjoyed most of the story but was unsure of the ending. I would be interested to see how to story continues in the next book though. I would recommend this book,

This book really surprised me in the best way. The writing was smooth and engaging, keeping my attention almost the entire time, and the author's storytelling pulled me in from the start.

I especially loved Wren's story. Her development throughout the book kept me invested, and I genuinely cared about what would happen next.

While there were a few moments where my interest dipped slightly, it didn't take away from how much I enjoyed the overall experience. The world-building was solid, and the pacing worked well for most of the story.

If you're into short, well-written fantasy with a compelling lead, A Touch of Shadows is definitely worth checking out!

I really enjoyed this book and i can't wait to see where the author goes in the future with their writing.

This book was very repetitive and felt like I have read it before. Everything in the story up to what I read felt very told instead of a read experience. This was a very bland writing style and I had a hard time picturing the scenes,characters.

The romance was told instead of felt, almost wrote as if checking a box.

Thank you to Netgalley and Second Sky for this ARC copy for my honest review.

Jessica Thorne's novels are always a hit/miss for me. I enjoyed this one and think there's potential.
I'm surely it will be appreciated by romantasy fans, I found it entertaining and appreciated the world building.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

One thing I love is a good fantasy I love a book that can make me forget what's going on in the world and go into an imaginative world where the impossible happens and you meet characters and creatures you would never meet for real and this book had ot all

This was a surprisingly quick read. Felt it could have had more depth to it but still looking forward to a book 2 and hope there will be just more in it.

This was a super easy fantasy read, I'd say it's really great for people who are just starting to dip their toes into the genre. The world-building and magic system were not super complicated and honestly, felt a little underdeveloped but this is also just the first book in a trilogy so there's definitely lots of potential. This was a short novel and very fast paced which meant the romance was a little quick and insta-lovey, which I don't mind in a book but I know it's not everyone's cup of tea! I think there's still a lot of room to flesh out the characters but I did enjoy Wren and Finn and am excited to see what's next for them!

A Touch of Shadows is the first book in a new fantasy romance series, which follows a witch with forbidden shadow magic and a knight sworn to catch those who use it. Wren risks exposing her secret to save Finn, and the two then find themselves on the run from enemy soldiers closing in on Asteroth and looking to capture both.

I enjoyed the opposition between the light and dark magic, and I enjoyed how the back story played into it all - a good start to a new romantasy series, and one I'll be sure to continue.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
This book has all the amazing tropes we love about a romantasy! We fell in love with Wren instantly and following her story! This book is fast paced and incredibly written to the point you won’t want to put the book down! The enemies to lovers….. no spoilers but this trope is our favorite and boy did @jessthornebooks know it;) Thank you @secondskybooks and Jessica for sharing this amazing story AND for not making us wait for the second book BECAUSE a Kiss of Flame is out on the SAME DAY🥹🥹

A quick entertaining read. A good romantasy that I read in one sitting. I like more world building but still enjoyed the story.

This was a good first book to kick-start a series. It doesn't really work well as a stand-alone, because I think that the worldbuilding wasn't explained well enough, but if you think of it as a first in a series, it makes sense. I hope that the author continues to work towards making sense of the world the MCs live in in the upcoming books so the readers are able to appreciate it more.

The romance was very good imo, even if a little underdeveloped, but again, chalking it off to being the start of a series!

This was such a strange book. It was so creepy but took forever to get entertaining. I wish this was a series.

An amazing fantasy romance

Wren lives in the forest, but there are rules. Because shadow magic whispers to her, and if anyone finds out, her life would be over. And when she stumbles upon a knight in the darkwood, under attack, she feels more tempted to give into this dark power than ever. The only problem is: Finn's duty is to hunt shadow magic. And if Wren reveals herself to him, he might kill her. But saving him is more important.

I adored every second of this story! It has everything I love in fantasy romance, and more. Wren is an amazing FMC, powerful even if she has to hide it, uncertain about who she is and where she comes from, but determined to fight for what's right no matter what people throw her way. Finn is a grat love interest as well, devoted, strong and touching in the best ways. I immediately fell in love with them both, and the connection they have is absolutely beautiful and insipiring. As for the plot in itself, it was gripping, exciting and filled with revelations, twists and turns that kept me on the edge and made this book an absolute page-turner. I couldn't get enough and I couldn't wait to see what would happen next to Wren and Finn, for better or for worse. The romance is addictive and hot, full of questions and fate-entwined desire. All in all, an amazing fantasy romance that stole my heart.

I recommend if you like fantasy romance with dark magic and deals.

"He was the truest heart she had ever known."