Rebecca L. Garcia

When it comes to vampire romance, these books can be a hit or miss for me. Some of them have a promising premise, characters that you will be thinking of long after you have placed the book down, and a plotline that will make you eager to find the next book. I have had many hits and very few misses when it comes to vampire novels. This one was indeed promising, the storyline, and the characters seemed to stand out from other novels that I have read. The whole series is right up my alley and I am glad I was able to devour the first book within a matter of hours. Was it disappointing? Nope. The only thing that disappointed me was the female lead, but Sebastian - I find him absolutely book boyfriend material and all so scrumdiddlyumptious delicious.

Can I have him? Is there a way to have him? Do I have to lick him and say he is mine? Is that how this works?

Because both she and her mother are sorceresses, Olivia has a big target on her back, but the problem is her abilities are lacking. Just fourteen days ago, her boyfriend committed suicide but Olivia does not have much time to grieve when her city is attacked by vampires. Her mother has gone missing during a mission and Olivia has been rescued by a vampire, who has made her a "guest" in his own home. Olivia desperately wants to find her mother and her best friend and be far, far away from the vampires. But that is easier said than done when she learns what exactly her mother has been trying to protect her.

Olivia does not come across as a likable character. She is selfish and pretty much a brat throughout this book. She does not grow up nor does she show any character development. She has become my least favorite character. She does things that make me want to grab the nearest iron skillet and smash her head with it. Although I understand she wants to find both her mother and Draven, she should also realize that the target on her back does not magically disappear; it remains like a neon sign right over her head.

Sebastian, Zach, Anna, and Erianna are all my favorites. They rescue Olivia when her city is attacked and take her back to Sebastian's home. I don't know how any of them have the patience for Olivia's childishness, but everyone, except Zach, seems to tolerate it and maybe they believe that her attitude may be due to the change she has gone through - her city being attacked, her best friend being ripped away from her, and her mother missing. I loved these characters. We do get to know a little bit of Sebastian's background; I would have loved a lot more of the others. Their character developments were much better and Sebastian has now become my book boyfriend (I keep a list!)

The world-building sounds amazing and there is so much out there I would like to know - how were vampires created, why sorceresses are so sacred to them, and how did Olivia's mother and father meet? INQUIRING MINDS NEED TO KNOW THIS!

Also, the romance between Sebastian and Olivia seemed a bit shaky almost to the point it did not feel like a enemies-to-lovers, but more like Sebastian babysitting Olivia and playing along to help her find both her mother and Draven. For me, that was a bit of a disappointment. I mean, how can you not be disappointed because there is so much chemistry out there to be touched on with them.

Okay, so it is my inquiring mind. xD Seriously, I cannot wait to read books two and three. I know this will probably be answered in the next books but can we have a story with Olivia's parents? Part of me does not quite believe there is not something between more between them.… (más)

So a few weeks ago when I got this book I went to read a little just to see what it was about so I could do a spotlight post! The next thing I knew it was 13 hours later & I had read the whole book! I really enjoyed the main character Victoria! Even though she is a witch & obviously I am not! Which is totally unfair! I found it really easy to relate to her! The emotions that you feel from reading this book at times are heartbreaking & at other times happiness! Victoria doesn't really trust anyone other than her sister & her other siblings but the one sister she was closest to is gone. The grief she feels is a strong presence throughout the book! Will she be able to see beyond her grief & pain to do the right thing? Well you'll have to read the book to find out!
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Thank you to Rebecca L Garcia for the eARC of Shadow kissed.

I must say when I read the blurb for Shadow Kissed I was very intrigued.
Once I started reading this I couldn't put it down. I loved it!
Olivia and Sebastian were great and I found myself throughout the novel thinking will they, won't they? I loved how all the characters were vital to the development of the story and the way the writing drew you in was outstanding. I was really rooting for them all.
The little twists and turns were very well placed and had me turning the pages for more.
The ending left in a cliff hanger and I certainly will be reading book two once it's out. I want... No scrap that... I *need* to know what happened next.

This is the first novel I've read by Rebecca L Garcia and it definitely isn't going to be my last.

I really recommend this book to everyone that loves a good vampire/mortal adventure that doesn't have the normal "I fell in love with a sparkly vampire" trope!… (más)

I really loved parts of this book, but the story as a whole sadly just didn't jive with me.
I love a good witchy, romantic read with a villainous main character, but the relationship between Victoria and Elijah was just disappointing and lacking.

So, Victoria is portrayed as this morally-grey witch, dark in all her witchy ways and to be honest, that's why I wanted to read this book, but she just didn't live up to that hype for me. She continually lost her edge with the hot and cold, back and forth dance she kept playing to string Elijah along for her own vengeance. It truly made me lose interest. Which is completely a bummer because the familial relationships were much more enjoyable. When the two main characters driving the plot fall flat though...eh.

While I am bummed this book missed the mark for me, I will check out the other book(s) in the series.

Thank you to Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for the e-ARC to read and review honestly.… (más)