By: Cait Marie
Blurb
Some truths are best kept in the shadows…
At nearly eighteen, I’m months away from escaping my aunt’s secrets and lies. Except, I’m harboring a big secret of my own.
A red-eyed man cloaked in shadow has been stalking me at night.
I wanted Rosewood, Maine to be my final destination before college. My chance at normalcy. But strange, unexplainable things are threatening to derail my plans.
The red-eyed man followed me here, and he’s not the only one. Two hot guys transfer to my new high school right after I do. They track my every move, especially the aloof and mysterious Lochlan D’angelo.
As I’m sucked into a dangerous world embroiled in secrets, I start to question everything I’ve ever known. Including who I am.
Review
I’m going to be honest, I can’t remember the last time I read a vampire book. I was completely obsessed with them in high school, but then it was like I just stopped. Shadow Touched reminded me of why I’d love them so much, why they’d been such a big part of my life growing up.
This book had been sitting on my shelf since its release because I adore Moynihan’s other series, The Elite Trials, but I kept putting it off. And honestly, the only reason I’m not super mad at myself for doing so is because now I get to binge the entire trilogy!
I absolutely loved this book. The story feels original while still giving us those distinct tropes and vibes you want from an upper YA/NA vampire book.
I do want to point out that it reads like young adult, and the character is almost 18, but there is some steam. Nothing super graphic, but it’s definitely for an older audience. I’m pretty sure there will be even more in the next books too, which I’m here for.
Kenna is the typical new girl who finds herself in the middle of all these secrets (aka the supernatural world she didn’t know existed). She meets a variety of characters, most of whom I adore. Lochlan is this mysterious strangely-protective guy that she can’t help but be drawn to, and their chemistry is off the charts. Then, there’s Kade and Isla, the best friends of each. Kade is my favorite, naturally. Anyone who knows me will not find this surprising at all. He’s the funny, sarcastic one, but he’s also wildly protective and loyal.
They all felt very well developed, as did the plot. It kept me intrigued and needing more. It was hard to put down, and I immediately wanted to start the next one when finished. I highly, highly recommend this book. It reminded me a bit of Twilight, of course, but also the show Lost Girl with hints of Beauty and the Beast. It’s perfect for readers who still prefer the writing style of YA but want a bit more steam.
There were a couple things that didn’t really add up near the end, but it wasn’t enough to deter me. For example, without spoiling anything, there’s a lot that happens at the end, and the aunt just vanishes for most of it. I know there’s a reason she was gone for a moment, but I feel like it was weird that she didn’t make an appearance sooner with so much ruckus happening. Especially since she’d been right there moments before. She’s super protective, so it was odd to me that she didn’t immediately follow Kenna as she ran outside. Again though, that wasn’t enough to throw the story off at all. I probably only noticed because I was still in editor mode while reading that part.
Functionally Fictional 