Author: Shalini Boland
Book: HIDDEN (plus TAKEN and HUNTED)
Publication Day: March 21st 2023
Description for HIDDEN:
Falling in love has never been so dangerous…
From USA Today bestselling author Shalini Boland comes the addictive Vampires of Marchwood series. Perfect for fans of K.F. Breene, Sarah J. Maas and Tracy Wolff.
My name is Madison Greene. On my seventeenth birthday, I inherited an old mansion and wealth beyond my wildest dreams. I thought it was a joke, but as I step through the creaking door of the sprawling building, I realise my life in foster care is in the past. I’ve been chosen and my world has changed forever.
But I wasn’t told that Marchwood House hides a secret.
As I explore every inch of the crumbling property, I stumble upon a set of large, dusty boxes in the basement. When I pull back the lid and look down, I find myself staring at the most handsome face I’ve ever seen. High cheekbones, porcelain skin…
And when he wakes up and locks eyes with me, I realise my heart already belongs to him, even though my head is screaming at me to get as far away from Marchwood as possible. Because I know what he really is.
I never planned to fall in love – but it’s too late now. Alexandre has a dark and dangerous past. He needs me and I have to help him. But can a human really save a vampire?
BLOG TOUR REVIEW FOR HIDDEN
Review for 'Hidden' by Shalini Boland.
Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Shalini Boland, Second Sky publishers and Bookouture anonymous
Publication date 21st March 2023.
This is the ninth book I have read by this author. I have previously read 'The Other Daughter', 'The Wife', 'The Couple Upstairs', 'One Of Us Is Lying', 'A Perfect Stranger', 'The Family Holiday', 'My Little Girl' and 'The Daughter In Law', all of which I highly recommend. It is also the first book in the 'Marchwood Vampires' series.
I was originally drawn to this book by its eye catching and stunning cover and its intriguing synopsis and title. The synopsis stated that "From USA Today bestselling author Shalini Boland comes the addictive Vampires of Marchwood series. Perfect for fans of Stephanie Meyer, Bianca Scardoni and Amanda Hocking.''. I am a fan of Stephanie Meyer so am looking forward to seeing if it lives up to this! I am also a huge fan of Shalini and if this is half as good as 'The Other Daughter', 'The Wife', 'One Of Us Is Lying', 'A Perfect Stranger', 'The Family Holiday', 'The Couple Upstairs', 'The Daughter In Law' and 'My Little Girl' it is sure to be a page turning read. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).
This novel consists a prologue, 31 chapters and an epilogue. The chapters are short to medium in length so easy to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!
This book is based in London, England 🏴, UK 🇬🇧, Paris, France and Turkey. The bonus for me of books that are partly or fully based in the UK is that I live in the UK and have sometimes visited places mentioned in the book which makes it easier to picture. The fact that this book is based in England is even better as I have been on holiday in England many times so may even recognise some places Shalini has set the book around. I have in fact literally just returned from a holiday in Dorset!
This book is written in third person perspective with the main protagonists being Madison Greene and Alexandre. The benefits of third person perspective with multiple protagonists are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything. To have the benefit of both first and third person perspective ensures you don't miss out on anything.
WOW!! Where to even start?!? Firstly I must say yet again I was NOT disappointed by the very talented Shalini Boland!!! I started reading this book this morning and finished it in a few hours. Yet again being completely blind sighted by THAT ending!!
It is extremely well written as is every book I have read by Shalini with vivid descriptions that really put you in the storyline. The blurb and cover work perfectly with the storyline. Every single time I told myself I'd finish the chapter and then put it down and every single time I was left with a sort of cliff hanger refusing to allow me to put it down.
If your planning on reading this I would recommend clearing your schedule!!! The first thing I must say is that I genuinely had no ideas which way this book was going to go in regards to how I was going to feel about it. I am not a massive fan of fantasy but but I AM a HUMONGOUS fan of Shalini so I just had to give it a go!! I am extremely glad I did because you Shalini are an absolute writing legend!! You are one of those very rare and extremely talented authors who can put their hand to anything!! To go from psychological thrillers to fantasy and STILL manage to blow it out of the water just WOW!! A MASSIVE WELL DONE!!! If I had a quarter of your talent I would be absolutely landed!!! This storyline is fantastically written with multiple perspectives as well as multiple timelines giving you a huge insight into everything that is going on. We start of in present day with Madison Greene who is a seventeen year old girl who lives in foster care with her younger brother Ben. She is on the verge of being kicked out of her foster home but on her 17th birthday she discovers that her and her brother Ben have inherited an estate in England called Marchwood Manor which will become her new home along with a lot of money. Madison thinks that she has turned into Cinderella until she discovers that there is actually a catch and that the manor comes with sleeping vampires!!! This is where her life will change forever. We then time travel back to the 1881 where we meet Alexandre Chevalier who is a flirty, sexy and charming man who goes too far and ends up on an archaeological dig with his parents where they discover an underground city and his life changes forever. This book is extremely gripping and intriguing and is ram packed with suspense, red herrings, romance, mistrust, terror, revenge, accusations, history, deceit, humour, escapism, adventure, fantasy, love, suspense and so much more! It really sets up the scene for the second two books in this trilogy while also having its own amazing storyline. Shalini merges the timelines and the characters together perfectly with each part being placed just where they need to be to give the reader a perfect picture of what is going on. As always her evocative story writing skills sucks the reader deep into the book where they become lost within the storyline along with the characters and surrounded with everything going on until they hit the end of the road and come up for air wondering where they are! Amazon US rates this book as suitable for people of the age from the age of 12 to 17 years old but I am 36 and loved it and think it is suitable from the age of 12-99 or even infinite for those vampires hiding among us. I absolutely loved watching Alexandre and his family discover the hidden city as I have always been fascinated with archaeology and reading or watching anything being discovered just amazes me whether fact or fiction. There were both light and dark moments in this book but nothing that was too scary so I think it would be suitable from the age of 12 years as I'm sure they see and hear a lot worse on TV and in games now!! As always, Shalini also manages to throw in several twists and shocks that I did not see coming. How do you manage to do this to me every time Shalini?? Seriously?? Congratulations for being one of the very few authors who manage to blow my mind every single time!!! There's nothing worse than when you have worked everything out and your not even half way through a book so a massive well done for that!! I definitely did not even have the person involved in my suspect list AT ALL, wasn't even close to working out what was going on, soooo many red herrings and as for the epilogue don't even get me started!!!! Absolutely mind blown!!! I absolutely love the fact that I know Shalini will never fail and that every time I read one of her books I can guarantee it is going to be an absolute page turner. If you have never read any books by this extremely talented author then you are definitely missing out!! A sexy, action packed vampire romance that puts the 'Twilight' series to shame!!! This is the first book I have read from Second Sky and I decided on this one as Shalini is one of my favourite authors and it has definitely got me wanting to sink my teeth into more of Second Sky's fantasy books!!! Shalini always manages to create such stunning atmospheres and surrounding and this one has got to be one of the best!! The manor house is stunning, gothic and just a place I would move into now if I had the chance, vampires or not!! Shalini's endings are always the best and leaves you wanting more and needing to know what happens next and this book is definitely no exception to that rule and I cannot wait to dig into the second book in this trilogy which is called 'Taken'.
It is set over multiple time lines. When books show what has happened in the past and what is happening in the present I find it really helps the reader (if it is well done) understand why things are happening and what has lead to the present activities and decisions. It also shows the bigger picture.
It is always worrying when starting a new series as you have no idea who the characters are. It is very important for me to bond with not only the lead protagonists but also any characters that may make repeat appearances during the series too.
The characters were all well rounded and strong with their own personality traits, strengths and weaknesses. It was very interesting watching how the bonds strengthened and weakened between characters throughout the storyline. I really liked both Madison and Alexandre who were both very likable characters. My heart went out to Madison who suffered after the death of her mother and then became "damaged" living in the foster system and care home. Her circumstances make her attitude a bit prickly which is very understandable but she has a beautiful bond with her brother Ben which was lovely to read about. Alexandre is head strong, impetuous and has a tendency to get himself into trouble. He is full of curiosity and ignores the saying 'curiosity killed the cat'. However, a cat is said to have many lives too. One thing I love about the characters in all of Shalini's books is that she makes them jump out of the page and puts you right next to them throughout. Having so many different perspectives ensures you get to know each one and see what they are doing. I absolutely loved the last chapter, something I love with Shalini is that she always seems to dedicate the last chapter to a certain character in books and completely shocks you making you really want to see what happens next and several times I've been left hoping and wondering if that storyline will be carried on.
A HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to Shalini Boland for YET another absolutely fantastic success!! I cannot wait to read more of your amazing work!! I really would love to see your books on the big screen one day, I can guarantee they will be a success if they are even half as good as the books you write!!! Here is to your next huge "blockbuster"!!! 🥂
Overall a page turning, gripping, epic vampire romance that puts every other vampire book I have ever read to shame!!
Genres covered in this novel include Teen & Young Adult Fiction, Romance, Teen Fiction, Coming Of Age Fantasy, Romance Fiction, Young Adult Fiction, Paranormal & Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Vampire Romance, Science Fiction & Fantasy Romance For Teens, Myths & Legends, Coming Of Age Fiction, Paranormal Fiction, Urban Fiction, Fantasy, Fantasy Romance For Teens, Fairy Tale Fantasy, Teen & Young Adult Fantasy Romance, Vampire Romance, Romantic Fantasy, Werewolf & Shifter, Myths & Legends For Teens, Paranormal Demons & Devils Romance, Urban Fantasy, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Romance, amongst others.
I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of Stephanie Meyer, Bianca Scardoni and Amanda Hocking.and of course Shalini Boland and just anyone looking for an epic read. What are you waiting for?? Go grab your copy now!!!
434 pages
This book FREE to purchase on kindle, free on kindle unlimited and £9.99 in paperback via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!
Rated 5 /5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.
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Description for TAKEN:
Falling in love has never been so deadly…
From USA Today bestselling author Shalini Boland comes the addictive Vampires of Marchwood series. Perfect for fans of K.F. Breene, Sarah J. Maas and Tracy Wolff.
My name is Madison Greene and I was an ordinary teenager until I fell in love… with a vampire. Alexandre is tall, with a sexy French accent and mesmerizing eyes. He makes me feel protected, and he’s completely captured my heart.
At Marchwood House, our sprawling mansion nestled in the English countryside, we’re in our own perfect bubble together. But, in the blink of an eye, everything changes when an old enemy of Alexandre’s sets a trap and rips me away from my boyfriend’s arms.
The ancient demon takes me to his underground city, deep beneath the windswept desert. In the twisting tunnels and enormous vaulted caverns, there’s a bloodthirsty vampire around every corner. I’ve never been so terrified…
It seems like there’s no way out from this underground maze. My life is hanging by a thread, and every second I’m here is a step closer to death. I can’t just sit here and hope that Alexandre will rescue me.
Can I outsmart a city of vampires to escape from this hellish place? And will I ever see Alexandre again?
Description for HUNTED:
Falling in love has never been so complicated…
From USA Today bestselling author Shalini Boland comes the addictive Vampires of Marchwood series. Perfect for fans of K.F. Breene, Sarah J. Maas and Tracy Wolff.
My name is Madison Greene and my boyfriend is a vampire. And not just any vampire, one with brooding good looks and a smile that makes my heart skip a beat. As I curl up against Alexandre’s side, our hands entwined, I feel like the luckiest girl in the world.
Although our relationship hasn’t been easy. I’m human, so there were always going to be complications. But I thought we’d banished the demons from his previous life. I couldn’t have been more wrong…
Because there’s a new threat in the form of Nadia – a blue-eyed beauty who seems determined to do everything she can to break us apart. I trust Alexandre but I don’t trust her.
As I start digging into the truth to find out who Nadia really is, centuries-old secrets begin to unravel. And in order to set Alexandre free from the chains of his past, we must return to the ancient underground city of vampires to defeat Alexandre’s archnemesis once and for all.
Can I finally save Alexandre? Or will loving a vampire be the death of me?
Author Bio
Shalini Boland is the USA-Today bestselling author of seventeen psychological thrillers. With over two million copies sold, her titles are published by Amazon Publishing, Audible, Bookouture, Second Sky and Grand Central Publishing.
Shalini lives by the sea in Dorset, England with her husband, two teens and their increasingly demanding dog, Queen Jess. Before kids, she was signed to Universal Music Publishing as a singer/songwriter, but now she spends her days writing (in between re-stocking the fridge and dealing with endless baskets of laundry).
She is also the author of two bestselling Sci Fi and Fantasy series as well as a WWII evacuee novel with a time-travel twist.
Social Media Links
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ShaliniBoland
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shaboland/
Second Sky Email Sign Up: www.secondskybooks.com/shalini-boland
Purchase Links
Hidden: https://geni.us/B0BTJ9PJ3Jsocial
Hunted: https://geni.us/B0BVNZ3DPCsocial
