What do you think?
Rate this book
The Hidden #1
The Hidden
On her first day of college, Emily meets a walking, talking god. With a gorgeous face, killer blue eyes, and a body to die for, it’s easy to see why Thomas Paige is the envy of every guy at Potomac Ridge University and why every girl within a fifty mile radius wants to get a piece of him.
Emily’s not interested in becoming another notch on his bedpost. She’s convinced herself that her novel use of the word “no” is what’s got him hounding her all over campus.
But there are two sides to every story, and Thomas is determined to make Emily hear his. Especially since Emily seems to have no idea that she’s not human.
For millennia, two immortal races have lived among us, hiding in plain sight. Known as The Hidden, they’re embroiled in a bitter battle for supremacy. Emily soon finds herself thrust into the supernatural world she was purposefully sheltered from, where those close to her aren’t always who they claim to be.
With Emily’s own transition into immortality fast approaching, she has no idea what she’s in for, or that her unique background will put her in the middle of their ancient conflict. Who can she trust when both sides want her dead?
*Intended for ages 18+ due to sexual situations
Genre: New Adult, Paranormal Romance
Emily’s not interested in becoming another notch on his bedpost. She’s convinced herself that her novel use of the word “no” is what’s got him hounding her all over campus.
But there are two sides to every story, and Thomas is determined to make Emily hear his. Especially since Emily seems to have no idea that she’s not human.
For millennia, two immortal races have lived among us, hiding in plain sight. Known as The Hidden, they’re embroiled in a bitter battle for supremacy. Emily soon finds herself thrust into the supernatural world she was purposefully sheltered from, where those close to her aren’t always who they claim to be.
With Emily’s own transition into immortality fast approaching, she has no idea what she’s in for, or that her unique background will put her in the middle of their ancient conflict. Who can she trust when both sides want her dead?
*Intended for ages 18+ due to sexual situations
Genre: New Adult, Paranormal Romance
Kindle Edition
First published December 21, 2012
42 people are currently reading
1738 people want to read
About the author
Kelley R. Martin
9 books728 followersKelley lives in East Texas, but she swears it's not all country music and cowboy boots... Okay, some of it is, but not all of it. She's got an amazing husband, who continues to inspire her every day. Even after twelve years and two ridiculously cute little girls.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
July 29, 2013
For more review, visit Jacqueline’s Reads
4 Star Gazing Stars
If you are looking for a steamy read with a slight paranormal theme, then Hidden is for you.
In the prologue Thomas meets Emily, Thomas is older, but Emily is a child (don’t worry guys, there’s nothing icky). Ever since then, Thomas has taken an interest in Emily (again, no ick factor, promise). I just really liked the beginning it was different. Later, Emily meets Thomas on her first day of college. Both do not make very good first impressions. Thomas is swooned over Emily and does whatever he can to claim a friendship with her. Emily doesn’t want to deal with a relationship, but she can’t help but want to be around Thomas since he seems to be where ever she is.
I’m not a big paranormal fan and I have to say the first half of the read is more Emily and Thomas’s back-story and getting to know each other. The second half of the read has more paranormal elements as it focuses more on what Thomas is and his intentions towards Emily. So you get best of both worlds.
The one thing I really liked about Hidden is the slow relationship Emily and Thomas formed, oh I love friends falling in love with each other! This is also a very dialogue based read, which is something I LOVE! I hate narrative writing, so it was nice to read a lot of banter between Emily and Thomas. There’s plenty of tension between the two and at times I think Emily over-reacts to Thomas and I just want her to chill out, but it doesn’t last that long.
I was trying to skip all the bases and run straight to home plate. Geez, I was such a slut. But that’s what he did to me. Thomas brought out my inner whore like no one else could.
OH and Thomas, SWOON. He’s so freaking sweet! At some parts I want to say, sheesh Thomas, just be an ARSE! Hidden is written in both Emily’s and Thomas’ POV which is so nice and I love that. The supporting characters are pretty awesome as well. We have Beth, the sluty best friend and Gabriel the perfect guy friend to listen to all of your problems.
Emily was the best thing that ever happened to me, and I’d be damned if I let her go without a fight. So if she didn’t want to see me right now, well, too fucking bad. Because I was bringing the fight to her.
There is a kind of love-triangle, I mean there’s Gabriel but he doesn’t really act on his intensions, however all of his actions keep you on his toes.
Despite the somewhat lengthy intro, the second half really nailed it for me. There’s lots of steam, tension and a kind of surprise ending, which really made me happy. Oh and there’s a cliffy guys. I know and it’s a good one too!
An ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review
June 29, 2013
WARNING: I’m in total fangirl mode right now, so this review will probably be all over the place.
This book, you guys…oh my goodness, this book. Was. Amazing! It hooked me right from the beginning and never let me go. It had a perfect blend of mystery, sweetness, humor, and sexiness.
THE CHARACTERS:
Emily's a virgin at the beginning of the book (that seems to be a theme in new adult books...), but she's not totally naïve either.
Here's a passage from her:
I didn't really know what I was doing, but I'd seen enough porn to get the gist of a blowjob–although he'd be sorely disappointed if he tried to jizz all over my face.
I choked on my Diet Coke the first time I read that. Emily's inner monologues are hilarious at times, and I totally heart her for it. I want her to be my BFF, like, for reals. She’s snarky and doesn’t take shit from anyone. She kind of reminds me of Katy, from the Lux series, but with a dirtier mouth and more sexy times.
Here’s a scene between her and her overprotective friend, Gabriel, during a fight:
I threw my napkin down on the table and pushed out my chair to stand. “I’m done with this.”
He grabbed my wrist, the look in his eyes fierce. “Well, I’m not. So sit.”
Oh, hell to the fucking no.
“Get. Off.” I tried to pull away, but he had an iron grip on me. My eyes darted around the restaurant, taking note of people starting to stare.
He stood up quickly, blocking me from the view of the other patrons. Moving his body close to mine, he brought his mouth to my ear and released his hold on me. “Don’t think for a second that I won’t cause a scene if you try to run. Now sit.”
My hands had clenched so tight that my nails dug into my palms. I pulled my head back and looked up at him, sticking my chin out defiantly. “Don’t think for a second that I won’t cause a scene if you don’t get out of my way. Now move.” I didn’t respond well to bullying, and I sure as hell didn’t respond well to threats. Gabriel would have to drag me back to that seat kicking and screaming if he wanted me there so fucking bad.
How badass is that?! I love a heroine with a spine.
*sigh* Thomas is perfect, y’all. I love that he’s not an outright jerk to Emily, and that he’s not a huge manwhore, like in a lot of other new adult books I’ve read. He’s actually pretty inexperienced and unsure of himself around Emily, which only endears him to me, because it’s so much more realistic.
Gabriel is the quintessential bad boy. He’s hot as sin and a total slut. He’s also emotionally retarded, but really tries when it comes to Emily. It’s super sweet. I really enjoyed his POV and hope we get to see more of him in book two.
THE STORY:
Emily meets Thomas on her first day of college, and it’s lust at first sight.
A light sprinkling of stubble covered his jawline and his dark blond, shaggy hair looked amazing in an “I roll out of bed looking this good” kind of way. And his lips… Oh God, his lips. I could write an epic poem about those lips. They had the barest hint of pink, and they looked soft.
I wonder what they taste like…
My teeth bit down on my lip. God, he was gorgeous. I wanted to run my fingers along his jaw, over his stubble. Hell, I wanted to lick his stubble.
A huge misunderstanding results in a disastrous first conversation, and Emily walks away thinking Thomas is a huge jackass/lunatic.
For the last day and a half, I’d obsessed over our encounter–replaying every look, every word–and I couldn’t figure out where I’d messed up. I finally concluded that I hadn’t done anything wrong, and he was just a douchebag. A beautiful, fucked-in-the-head douchebag.
I mean, he’d been such an ass, and for what? What was the point of his behavior? I failed to see how I could’ve mortally offended him, but he acted like I had. And the more I thought about it, the more it infuriated me until I was just downright pissed.
When Thomas realizes he messed up and completely misjudged her, he tries to smooth things over, but Emily (rightly so) reacts like this:
Two days before, he acted like I was gum on his shoe–just a nuisance, and nothing to be bothered with. And now he wanted to walk with me? This guy made absolutely no freaking sense. He was probably bi-polar or had a split personality. Whatever it was, he was definitely one screwdriver short of a toolbox.
“I’m sorry.” His voice was still light and friendly–not at all indicative of his capability to be a giant ass-hat. “I’m not trying to upset you, I just–”
“Look.” I stopped and faced him. “We already established that you were an asshole on Monday, okay? You apologized, and I accepted. The end.”
Poor Thomas. Most guys would have given up by now, but he’s not most guys :) He’s determined to get into her good graces because and because she’s gotten under his skin in a way no other person has ever been able to do.
“Can’t you just leave me alone?”
He lowered his eyes. “No.”
“Why not?” I demanded.
“I just…can’t.”
Ugh, I’d had it with his little games! “That’s not–”
“You need me,” he said, lowering his voice.
My brows knit together as I stared at him. What did he mean I needed him? For what? My mouth set into a hard line as I crossed my arms. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
He smirked. “I know. That’s why you need me.”
What the hell does that even mean?
I shook my head again. “I don’t need you.”
The smirk left him. “You will. And I’ll be here, waiting.”
“I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about, but I don’t need you, and I never will.” My skin burned as anger built inside me, like a volcano ready to erupt. “The sooner you get that through your thick skull, the sooner you can leave–me–alone,” I hissed, turning to leave.
He grabbed my wrist and pulled me off to the side of the hallway, backing me up to the wall as his arms caged me in. “It’s you who won’t leave me alone.”
I gaped at him. “I’m not the one who–”
“It’s true.” His gaze seared into me, pinning me to the wall. “I think about you far too much, and to be honest, I don’t like it… You won’t get out of my head.”
The more Thomas tries, the more he gets under Emily’s skin, much to her chagrin.
I lay in bed that night, unable to sleep. My mind kept going back to him. His hair had been a golden mess, almost looking like he’d just come from the beach. And his eyes were still the most exquisite shade of light blue I’d ever seen.
Not that I noticed any of this, of course, because I was still furious with him.
The beautiful son of a bitch acted as if our feud on Monday never happened and we were the best of friends. And the way he’d looked at me during our conversation in class made me uncomfortable. His stare was…personal. Intimate. My skin had burned until I couldn’t keep up eye contact. Then when I’d asked him why he’d been staring at me so intently, the dismissive tone of his voice made me shake the thoughts from my head.
I must’ve been imagining things. There was no underlying meaning there. It was just a look–nothing more, nothing less.
However, that hadn’t stopped my traitorous heart from hammering in response, or kept my skin from growing warm as all coherent thoughts vanished. I didn’t like how one look from him had that effect on me.
Thomas finally manages to convince Emily that he’s not a total dickwad, and to take a chance on him. They fall for each other. Hard.
Everything’s great until Emily discovers a secret about Thomas that shatters her whole world . Emily wants things to work with Thomas, but she doesn’t think they can, not in the long run. So she develops an “enjoy it while it lasts” mentality.
There are two big twists at the end of this book that I did not see coming, and I don’t want to spoil them for you, but boy are they gooood. It sets up book two nicely.
THE WRITING:
Kelley R. Martin is one of my new favorite authors and definitely someone to look out for. Girl can write. She does a fantastic job of “showing, not telling”, and I loved the build-up of Emily and Thomas’s relationship. It wasn’t insta-love by any means, and the sex scenes were H-O-T, but there was also a sweetness to them.
This book was only .99 cents (when I bought it), so I wasn't expecting a whole lot, but I was surprisingly blown away. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes new adult novels, and for only a buck, it's a GREAT deal!
This book, you guys…oh my goodness, this book. Was. Amazing! It hooked me right from the beginning and never let me go. It had a perfect blend of mystery, sweetness, humor, and sexiness.
THE CHARACTERS:
Emily's a virgin at the beginning of the book (that seems to be a theme in new adult books...), but she's not totally naïve either.
Here's a passage from her:
I didn't really know what I was doing, but I'd seen enough porn to get the gist of a blowjob–although he'd be sorely disappointed if he tried to jizz all over my face.
I choked on my Diet Coke the first time I read that. Emily's inner monologues are hilarious at times, and I totally heart her for it. I want her to be my BFF, like, for reals. She’s snarky and doesn’t take shit from anyone. She kind of reminds me of Katy, from the Lux series, but with a dirtier mouth and more sexy times.
Here’s a scene between her and her overprotective friend, Gabriel, during a fight:
I threw my napkin down on the table and pushed out my chair to stand. “I’m done with this.”
He grabbed my wrist, the look in his eyes fierce. “Well, I’m not. So sit.”
Oh, hell to the fucking no.
“Get. Off.” I tried to pull away, but he had an iron grip on me. My eyes darted around the restaurant, taking note of people starting to stare.
He stood up quickly, blocking me from the view of the other patrons. Moving his body close to mine, he brought his mouth to my ear and released his hold on me. “Don’t think for a second that I won’t cause a scene if you try to run. Now sit.”
My hands had clenched so tight that my nails dug into my palms. I pulled my head back and looked up at him, sticking my chin out defiantly. “Don’t think for a second that I won’t cause a scene if you don’t get out of my way. Now move.” I didn’t respond well to bullying, and I sure as hell didn’t respond well to threats. Gabriel would have to drag me back to that seat kicking and screaming if he wanted me there so fucking bad.
How badass is that?! I love a heroine with a spine.
*sigh* Thomas is perfect, y’all. I love that he’s not an outright jerk to Emily, and that he’s not a huge manwhore, like in a lot of other new adult books I’ve read. He’s actually pretty inexperienced and unsure of himself around Emily, which only endears him to me, because it’s so much more realistic.
Gabriel is the quintessential bad boy. He’s hot as sin and a total slut. He’s also emotionally retarded, but really tries when it comes to Emily. It’s super sweet. I really enjoyed his POV and hope we get to see more of him in book two.
THE STORY:
Emily meets Thomas on her first day of college, and it’s lust at first sight.
A light sprinkling of stubble covered his jawline and his dark blond, shaggy hair looked amazing in an “I roll out of bed looking this good” kind of way. And his lips… Oh God, his lips. I could write an epic poem about those lips. They had the barest hint of pink, and they looked soft.
I wonder what they taste like…
My teeth bit down on my lip. God, he was gorgeous. I wanted to run my fingers along his jaw, over his stubble. Hell, I wanted to lick his stubble.
A huge misunderstanding results in a disastrous first conversation, and Emily walks away thinking Thomas is a huge jackass/lunatic.
For the last day and a half, I’d obsessed over our encounter–replaying every look, every word–and I couldn’t figure out where I’d messed up. I finally concluded that I hadn’t done anything wrong, and he was just a douchebag. A beautiful, fucked-in-the-head douchebag.
I mean, he’d been such an ass, and for what? What was the point of his behavior? I failed to see how I could’ve mortally offended him, but he acted like I had. And the more I thought about it, the more it infuriated me until I was just downright pissed.
When Thomas realizes he messed up and completely misjudged her, he tries to smooth things over, but Emily (rightly so) reacts like this:
Two days before, he acted like I was gum on his shoe–just a nuisance, and nothing to be bothered with. And now he wanted to walk with me? This guy made absolutely no freaking sense. He was probably bi-polar or had a split personality. Whatever it was, he was definitely one screwdriver short of a toolbox.
“I’m sorry.” His voice was still light and friendly–not at all indicative of his capability to be a giant ass-hat. “I’m not trying to upset you, I just–”
“Look.” I stopped and faced him. “We already established that you were an asshole on Monday, okay? You apologized, and I accepted. The end.”
Poor Thomas. Most guys would have given up by now, but he’s not most guys :) He’s determined to get into her good graces because and because she’s gotten under his skin in a way no other person has ever been able to do.
“Can’t you just leave me alone?”
He lowered his eyes. “No.”
“Why not?” I demanded.
“I just…can’t.”
Ugh, I’d had it with his little games! “That’s not–”
“You need me,” he said, lowering his voice.
My brows knit together as I stared at him. What did he mean I needed him? For what? My mouth set into a hard line as I crossed my arms. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
He smirked. “I know. That’s why you need me.”
What the hell does that even mean?
I shook my head again. “I don’t need you.”
The smirk left him. “You will. And I’ll be here, waiting.”
“I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about, but I don’t need you, and I never will.” My skin burned as anger built inside me, like a volcano ready to erupt. “The sooner you get that through your thick skull, the sooner you can leave–me–alone,” I hissed, turning to leave.
He grabbed my wrist and pulled me off to the side of the hallway, backing me up to the wall as his arms caged me in. “It’s you who won’t leave me alone.”
I gaped at him. “I’m not the one who–”
“It’s true.” His gaze seared into me, pinning me to the wall. “I think about you far too much, and to be honest, I don’t like it… You won’t get out of my head.”
The more Thomas tries, the more he gets under Emily’s skin, much to her chagrin.
I lay in bed that night, unable to sleep. My mind kept going back to him. His hair had been a golden mess, almost looking like he’d just come from the beach. And his eyes were still the most exquisite shade of light blue I’d ever seen.
Not that I noticed any of this, of course, because I was still furious with him.
The beautiful son of a bitch acted as if our feud on Monday never happened and we were the best of friends. And the way he’d looked at me during our conversation in class made me uncomfortable. His stare was…personal. Intimate. My skin had burned until I couldn’t keep up eye contact. Then when I’d asked him why he’d been staring at me so intently, the dismissive tone of his voice made me shake the thoughts from my head.
I must’ve been imagining things. There was no underlying meaning there. It was just a look–nothing more, nothing less.
However, that hadn’t stopped my traitorous heart from hammering in response, or kept my skin from growing warm as all coherent thoughts vanished. I didn’t like how one look from him had that effect on me.
Thomas finally manages to convince Emily that he’s not a total dickwad, and to take a chance on him. They fall for each other. Hard.
Everything’s great until Emily discovers a secret about Thomas that shatters her whole world . Emily wants things to work with Thomas, but she doesn’t think they can, not in the long run. So she develops an “enjoy it while it lasts” mentality.
There are two big twists at the end of this book that I did not see coming, and I don’t want to spoil them for you, but boy are they gooood. It sets up book two nicely.
THE WRITING:
Kelley R. Martin is one of my new favorite authors and definitely someone to look out for. Girl can write. She does a fantastic job of “showing, not telling”, and I loved the build-up of Emily and Thomas’s relationship. It wasn’t insta-love by any means, and the sex scenes were H-O-T, but there was also a sweetness to them.
This book was only .99 cents (when I bought it), so I wasn't expecting a whole lot, but I was surprisingly blown away. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes new adult novels, and for only a buck, it's a GREAT deal!
January 3, 2013
When the author asked me to review this book I initially wasn't going to do it. Not because the book didn't sound amazing but because I already have so many books I need to review and I didn't really want to add another. But then I kept thinking about it and my mind kept going back to this book and I knew I had to give it a shot. From the moment I started reading The Hidden, I dropped every other book I was reading and became 100% invested in this book.
I really enjoyed Emily's character. She's nice, strait up and easy to relate to. I liked that Emily never got whiny or tried to blame everything on other people. Even when things go bad, she might get upset and want to freak out on everyone but there's always that moment of rational thought that stops her and makes her realize what's really going on. I'm also really happy that even though Emily was adopted she wasn't all sad and wallowing in self pity about it. Sure she wonders, but she loves her adopted parents and not once does she try to use that as a way to be a bitch. I just really liked that I didn't hate the main character at all. It's so hard to find a main character in a book that didn't make you want to scream but Emily is it. By the end of the book I felt like she was my best friend, which might sound weird but it's true.
Thomas is so freaking perfect! Everyone automatically judged him and wrote him off as a man whore (especially Emily), when in reality he's not like that at all. Even though Thomas isn't new to sex, with Emily everything felt new to him, almost like he was a virgin himself. That's not to say he doesn't know what he's doing (because he does!!) it's just that before he never really did foreplay or trying to satisfy anyone but himself. Thomas is different from other characters I've read and he's definitely on my list of book boyfriends.
I loved the paranormal aspect of this book! Even more, I loved that this was New Adult. I haven't read many Paranormal New Adult but I'm really loving it. I'm not really sure what to classify them as but for me, I kept thinking of them as some kind of Aliens. I don't want to give anything away but it's all really interesting and cool!
Great start to an intriguing series. It has everything: great characters, interesting plot, steamy romance and most importantly, amazing writing. I can't wait to read the next book. Definitely recommend this book to New Adult fans and people who enjoy Paranormal books.
*Received from Author in exchange for an honest review.
**This review also appears on my blog
World of Books
I really enjoyed Emily's character. She's nice, strait up and easy to relate to. I liked that Emily never got whiny or tried to blame everything on other people. Even when things go bad, she might get upset and want to freak out on everyone but there's always that moment of rational thought that stops her and makes her realize what's really going on. I'm also really happy that even though Emily was adopted she wasn't all sad and wallowing in self pity about it. Sure she wonders, but she loves her adopted parents and not once does she try to use that as a way to be a bitch. I just really liked that I didn't hate the main character at all. It's so hard to find a main character in a book that didn't make you want to scream but Emily is it. By the end of the book I felt like she was my best friend, which might sound weird but it's true.
Thomas is so freaking perfect! Everyone automatically judged him and wrote him off as a man whore (especially Emily), when in reality he's not like that at all. Even though Thomas isn't new to sex, with Emily everything felt new to him, almost like he was a virgin himself. That's not to say he doesn't know what he's doing (because he does!!) it's just that before he never really did foreplay or trying to satisfy anyone but himself. Thomas is different from other characters I've read and he's definitely on my list of book boyfriends.
I loved the paranormal aspect of this book! Even more, I loved that this was New Adult. I haven't read many Paranormal New Adult but I'm really loving it. I'm not really sure what to classify them as but for me, I kept thinking of them as some kind of Aliens. I don't want to give anything away but it's all really interesting and cool!
Great start to an intriguing series. It has everything: great characters, interesting plot, steamy romance and most importantly, amazing writing. I can't wait to read the next book. Definitely recommend this book to New Adult fans and people who enjoy Paranormal books.
*Received from Author in exchange for an honest review.
**This review also appears on my blog
World of Books
July 6, 2014
The blurb of this book should have a notice that reads 'WARNING: LOVE TRIANGLE IN THE BOOK' as I really detest love triangles and therefore this book was ruined for me because of it. Why can't Emily just stick to one guy! Thomas is perfect for her! Therefore I am only rewarding the book 2 stars because it really, REALLY, annoyed. However the overarching storyline was unique and very original, so the author deserves a high five for that.
January 28, 2013
Well done, Ms. Martin, well done. This debut novel totally rocks, and I am not just saying this because I received a free copy. I'm all about full disclosure and will always be honest in my reviews. Fortunately, this is really easy since I loved "The Hidden". Loved it like I-need-the-sequel-now loved it.
Divided into three parts with alternating points-of-view, this book kept my attention from start to finish. I loved both Thomas and Emily, which is a rarity. The lead female characters usually annoy me to no end. Thankfully, no issues here.
My only word of warning: if books were rated, this one should have a NC-17 rating. Not YA; not even close. And not to say that I didn't enjoy every last juicy description...oh yeah, I definitely did. Maybe too much... *blushing*
To find out more, check out my full, spoiler-free review here:
http://nevaehnewadultbooks.blogspot.c...
Divided into three parts with alternating points-of-view, this book kept my attention from start to finish. I loved both Thomas and Emily, which is a rarity. The lead female characters usually annoy me to no end. Thankfully, no issues here.
My only word of warning: if books were rated, this one should have a NC-17 rating. Not YA; not even close. And not to say that I didn't enjoy every last juicy description...oh yeah, I definitely did. Maybe too much... *blushing*
To find out more, check out my full, spoiler-free review here:
http://nevaehnewadultbooks.blogspot.c...
December 24, 2012
Loved it! Thomas is my new book boyfriend :) And I did not see the ending coming AT ALL.
June 6, 2013
Kelley brings a whole new meaning to the word mystery. This book had it in abundance. From the very start, we get told that Thomas is something, else. He first meets Emily when she is a little girl, where she forces him to be her friend and drags him to her tea party.
if I didn't read it myself, I wouldn't have believed it, this supernatural creature, a predator is his own rights, cannot say no to a little girls request of coming to her tea party. Then there is this heartbreakingly sweet moment between them when he has to leave, it's one of my favourite moments in this book, when you read The Hidden, you'll know what I am talking about.
I loved how Kelley incoporated the whole Paranormal into the New Adult, I loved that aspect of the book, it made the plot even more interesting. Then you take into consideration, the amazing characters.
I really liked Emily, she wasn't whiny, annoying or heavily flawed that some main female character can be, she was really strong, and true to herself, and i enjoyed learning more about her as a person, her personality, her fear, doubts, dreams etc. There were times were even though everything was spinning out of control she didn't take her emotions out on other people, like a person would usually do, she had an amazing self-control, and every time she had enough of everything ad was about to head into bitchy-land, a voice of reason stopped her. I really liked that she had that 'inner' logical voice, that counseled her from disaster.
I liked Thomas, but there were times were I was hardpressed not to shake the living day-lights out of him! I know y'all know the exact scene I'm talking about, the uhm first time scene. Dude really?? like come on! I was really dissapointed in him in that scene. He did redeem himself later, and thank gods he did, or the rest of the book would have been unbearable. Deep down Thomas really is this perfect, great guy. I didn't understand why everyone thought he was this major man-whore. He didn't sleep with anyone besides Emily, even before he met her [again]. he hadn't slept with anyone in decades, even Emily thought he slept around, I thought he was unjustly judged.
Kelley really sucked me into this world she has created, I was hooked from the very moment, this is one of the few New Adult with Paranormal books that has me "I'm-gonna-die-when-is-the-sequel?!" feeling. The myetery, the plots, the different point of views, the characters, this book has it all!
Highly recommended.
*received ARC for my honest review*
if I didn't read it myself, I wouldn't have believed it, this supernatural creature, a predator is his own rights, cannot say no to a little girls request of coming to her tea party. Then there is this heartbreakingly sweet moment between them when he has to leave, it's one of my favourite moments in this book, when you read The Hidden, you'll know what I am talking about.
I loved how Kelley incoporated the whole Paranormal into the New Adult, I loved that aspect of the book, it made the plot even more interesting. Then you take into consideration, the amazing characters.
I really liked Emily, she wasn't whiny, annoying or heavily flawed that some main female character can be, she was really strong, and true to herself, and i enjoyed learning more about her as a person, her personality, her fear, doubts, dreams etc. There were times were even though everything was spinning out of control she didn't take her emotions out on other people, like a person would usually do, she had an amazing self-control, and every time she had enough of everything ad was about to head into bitchy-land, a voice of reason stopped her. I really liked that she had that 'inner' logical voice, that counseled her from disaster.
I liked Thomas, but there were times were I was hardpressed not to shake the living day-lights out of him! I know y'all know the exact scene I'm talking about, the uhm first time scene. Dude really?? like come on! I was really dissapointed in him in that scene. He did redeem himself later, and thank gods he did, or the rest of the book would have been unbearable. Deep down Thomas really is this perfect, great guy. I didn't understand why everyone thought he was this major man-whore. He didn't sleep with anyone besides Emily, even before he met her [again]. he hadn't slept with anyone in decades, even Emily thought he slept around, I thought he was unjustly judged.
Kelley really sucked me into this world she has created, I was hooked from the very moment, this is one of the few New Adult with Paranormal books that has me "I'm-gonna-die-when-is-the-sequel?!" feeling. The myetery, the plots, the different point of views, the characters, this book has it all!
Highly recommended.
*received ARC for my honest review*
December 29, 2012
such a wonderful story, I was tearing up for Thomas there towards the end, but that ending was a curveball for me...it's a very great book, but if you don't pay too much attention you could get a bit confused on who is talking, especially at Part Three. overall I give it a 4/5 because nothing is perfect, but this was very close.
Read
February 21, 2015DNF.
I loved this authors Down and Out book so I thought I would give her other works a peek and
I really liked this book so far, but I just now went to check on the second book in this series and realized it ends in a cliff hanger and no third book is in the works and that's been over a year ago since the second book, so I'm going to forgo continuing until the series is finished.
I loved this authors Down and Out book so I thought I would give her other works a peek and
I really liked this book so far, but I just now went to check on the second book in this series and realized it ends in a cliff hanger and no third book is in the works and that's been over a year ago since the second book, so I'm going to forgo continuing until the series is finished.
July 9, 2017
Well...it's a sweet read. It did get boring at times but then again picked up the pace.
I'm definitely awaiting to read the next book.
I'm definitely awaiting to read the next book.
October 24, 2016
At 10%: Right off the bat, the writing reminded me of Twisted Bond in the way that it tried so hard to be funny but ultimately failed. At least for me it did. This is definitely a case of "it's not you, it's me" and I can only hope that it'll get better.
ETA; Now that I've finished this book, I have to admit that it improved as it went on. I didn't love the writing style, the first person narrative or the swear words that were so plentiful, but it was engaging.
Thomas was a sweetheart and not a manwhore. The author did include one flashback with him and ow, but it wasn't terrible. He didn't have good memories of it and wasn't in love with her. I don't like it when authors include scenes of the MCs with other people, even if it happened in the past, but in the whole scheme of things, it was mild.
Unfortunately, the h wasn't that great. She was pretty insecure and hearing all of her inner monologue was annoying after a while. I'm glad that there was more than her pov.
I will finish this duology, but only because I'm curious to see what happens in the end. If you're looking for well a written fantasy/paranormal story, you can probably skip this one. If you don't mind swearing and are just looking for something light and fun, give this a try
ETA; Now that I've finished this book, I have to admit that it improved as it went on. I didn't love the writing style, the first person narrative or the swear words that were so plentiful, but it was engaging.
Thomas was a sweetheart and not a manwhore. The author did include one flashback with him and ow, but it wasn't terrible. He didn't have good memories of it and wasn't in love with her. I don't like it when authors include scenes of the MCs with other people, even if it happened in the past, but in the whole scheme of things, it was mild.
Unfortunately, the h wasn't that great. She was pretty insecure and hearing all of her inner monologue was annoying after a while. I'm glad that there was more than her pov.
I will finish this duology, but only because I'm curious to see what happens in the end. If you're looking for well a written fantasy/paranormal story, you can probably skip this one. If you don't mind swearing and are just looking for something light and fun, give this a try
October 18, 2020
Kindle Unlimited.
New adults paranormal romance. I enjoyed this, even though the characters felt very young. It's been a while since I read a Young Adult/College-age book, and this definitely falls into that category.
The supernatural world is interesting, and you see where the plot is going, even if it takes a while to get there. Part 3 from Gabriel's point of view is a little redundant, but the parts that aren't, further the plot and drama factor.
As an aside. I can't get over my disgust at Feeders. Too gross for words, and I can't wrap my brain around how the next installment will go without falling into the Horror genre.
New adults paranormal romance. I enjoyed this, even though the characters felt very young. It's been a while since I read a Young Adult/College-age book, and this definitely falls into that category.
The supernatural world is interesting, and you see where the plot is going, even if it takes a while to get there. Part 3 from Gabriel's point of view is a little redundant, but the parts that aren't, further the plot and drama factor.
As an aside. I can't get over my disgust at Feeders. Too gross for words, and I can't wrap my brain around how the next installment will go without falling into the Horror genre.
February 13, 2017
I was thinking about scrapping the book for a while. It wasn't bad just nothing major was happening. Until I got to about 83 percent, and my mind was blown. I didn't see that coming at all. Moving on to the second book. I hope it has no cliff hanger, I don't see the third book anywhere in site.
June 13, 2017
DNF at 35%. I'm not even sure what I just read... it's an all over the place mess, in my opinion. Bland characters, hurried plot progression that left me confused, and it switches POV every other freaking page.
March 21, 2014
Find more on the blog: http://hotstuffbookreviews.wordpress....
This book is the first one in a New Adult paranormal romance series. I discovered this book by chance and I’m happy to say that it won me over after a while without reading any paranormal romance novels.
The author succeeded in blending the codes of New Adult books with the ones commonly known in paranormal romance novels. It’s a good thing even if I do think that the sex takes too much space sometimes. Though, I like how the author didn’t fall in the used clichés when it comes to the male interest. Thomas… Damn, he’s one fine male character! (And Gabriel too, but don’t worry, there’s no love triangle).
The multiple POVs made it a little annoying in the last part of the book because it made us go back in time, revisiting a few scenes we already read, but this time from another character’s POV. It’s a little frustrating and I had a harder time enjoying it. But, I did enjoy reading the whole novel, I just think that Gabriel’s POV should have been put elsewhere as to better enjoy it.
I truly love all the characters, even the ones we barely see because they bring a little something that completes the book, they complete the atmosphere.
The mysteries are well-brought and quite well-used for the most part. It’s quite fun even sometimes and I do hope that the author will dig deeper in the next installment. I want high stakes!
The romance itself it great and I could actually ‘see’ the chemistry between Emily and Thomas. It’s always a plus. I felt for them and I’m quite eager to see more of them in the next installment. I just hope that I won’t be disappointed.
The writing style is efficient. Everything flows well and it was never boring to read. The author knows how to convey the characters thoughts and I was able to picture everything in my head, which made it hard for me to put down the book.
Though, even if we often see many sex scenes in New Adult books and I don’t mind them, I truly think that sometimes sex scenes are too much used. But don’t get me wrong, it’s not all about sex here and they work well. In fact, some are even cute.
This book is the first one in a New Adult paranormal romance series. I discovered this book by chance and I’m happy to say that it won me over after a while without reading any paranormal romance novels.
The author succeeded in blending the codes of New Adult books with the ones commonly known in paranormal romance novels. It’s a good thing even if I do think that the sex takes too much space sometimes. Though, I like how the author didn’t fall in the used clichés when it comes to the male interest. Thomas… Damn, he’s one fine male character! (And Gabriel too, but don’t worry, there’s no love triangle).
The multiple POVs made it a little annoying in the last part of the book because it made us go back in time, revisiting a few scenes we already read, but this time from another character’s POV. It’s a little frustrating and I had a harder time enjoying it. But, I did enjoy reading the whole novel, I just think that Gabriel’s POV should have been put elsewhere as to better enjoy it.
I truly love all the characters, even the ones we barely see because they bring a little something that completes the book, they complete the atmosphere.
The mysteries are well-brought and quite well-used for the most part. It’s quite fun even sometimes and I do hope that the author will dig deeper in the next installment. I want high stakes!
The romance itself it great and I could actually ‘see’ the chemistry between Emily and Thomas. It’s always a plus. I felt for them and I’m quite eager to see more of them in the next installment. I just hope that I won’t be disappointed.
The writing style is efficient. Everything flows well and it was never boring to read. The author knows how to convey the characters thoughts and I was able to picture everything in my head, which made it hard for me to put down the book.
Though, even if we often see many sex scenes in New Adult books and I don’t mind them, I truly think that sometimes sex scenes are too much used. But don’t get me wrong, it’s not all about sex here and they work well. In fact, some are even cute.
May 25, 2014
Normally I I don't go back and change a review but I wish someone had done this for me. This book and the second in the series were awesome but after I finished #2 (and posted both reviews) I saw that the author hadn't even started the third because she has writers block!! Instead she has started a different series. This wouldn't be that big of a deal EXCEPT for the fact that #2 ended on a huge cliffhanger!! If being left hanging doesn't bother you and you are looking for a book with a great storyline, incredible characters and steamy bedroom scenes, this is the book for you. If I had known there might not be any resolution to this story, I would have postponed buying books 1 & 2 until #3 was completed.
Original review: As a rule I don't read "supernatural" books, like with vampires or other fictitious types of non-humans. Reading the description of the book I thought it was about normal college kids but when I started the book sample I realized some of the characters were not human, just trying to blend in with the human population. I don't know why I didn't stop reading as soon as I realized the storyline was one I didn't normally like but by the time I got to the end of the sample, I was completely hooked! The writing and editing were done really well and the alternating POV's made the characters seem to come to life. The story moved along at the perfect pace and the twists and turns were surprising ones that I never saw coming. Thomas was an uber-hottie and the intimate scenes between him and Emily were off-the-charts hot! I really liked how Gabriel was introduced and then faded into the background before exploding back onto the scene in a huge way. Awesome ending and I can't wait for book #2!!!!
Original review: As a rule I don't read "supernatural" books, like with vampires or other fictitious types of non-humans. Reading the description of the book I thought it was about normal college kids but when I started the book sample I realized some of the characters were not human, just trying to blend in with the human population. I don't know why I didn't stop reading as soon as I realized the storyline was one I didn't normally like but by the time I got to the end of the sample, I was completely hooked! The writing and editing were done really well and the alternating POV's made the characters seem to come to life. The story moved along at the perfect pace and the twists and turns were surprising ones that I never saw coming. Thomas was an uber-hottie and the intimate scenes between him and Emily were off-the-charts hot! I really liked how Gabriel was introduced and then faded into the background before exploding back onto the scene in a huge way. Awesome ending and I can't wait for book #2!!!!
Read
February 22, 2013I just can't read this book right now. Maybe I'm too quick in my decision to put it down and it really gets better after a point so maybe I will try it again sometime later. But as it is, it's too confusing and too sexually charged and it's way too soon in a plot of 400 something pages for all that to start so soon. Add to that the fact that you see some chosen cuss words, their use is absolutely not necessary, and I'm just too tired to process all that at the moment. I have nothing against some (or a lot, depends) cussing, but somehow the use of the word "fucking" just didn't blend in with the overall writing style. It sounded forced and simply foreign. The difference between YA and NA isn't only the use of cuss words or the descriptions of sex scenes. So there's no need to force the reader to understand that this isn't a YA story by making your characters cuss when there's no need to or by giving us glimpses of the guy's thoughts and how he wants to fuck a girl he just laid eyes upon.
October 8, 2014
Holy Crap!! This book took me by surprise. I have read Mrs Martin's Down and Out book, and loved it!!! So I am not sure why I am so shocked at how good this book was. Maybe because I knew I was going back and reading her first book, that I was expecting to be a little let down. Or going into it knowing there was a paranormal twist. I guess I was expecting the same old N.A. formula. Nice girl virgin meets bad boy reformed( even if there was a paranormal element to him). And yes,it does start out that way, but whoa does it take a turn. The author has built a new paranormal world that exists within our that was new to me! That's right NEW. At least I have not come across anything like it. It was cool and some parts icky, but it completely sucked me in. So much so, half way through this one I downloaded the second in the series. Which in some ways is even better than this book, though it is harder to take in some parts for me.
January 9, 2016
I downloaded this book long before I started reading it; and at that time, I may have known that it was part of a trilogy and I still went for it because of the positive reviews (I don't fully remember). Much later, while perusing through the numerous books in my NOOK, I randomly started reading this one. And a little into the book, I realize it's part of a trilogy. Since I almost always prefer to read standalones, I was a bit put off.
Then, I found out that the author is having a bit of a writer's block and hasn't even gotten around to writing the third book in the series. Then, after having read more of the book, I realize there's a love triangle coming up (also something I try and stay far away from).
Thus, for more than half the book, I just wanted it to finish. Now, making this review even more obscure, I think I may still read the entire series (if and when it gets completed) because I am somewhat invested in the story. But not enough to feel impatient for it.
Then, I found out that the author is having a bit of a writer's block and hasn't even gotten around to writing the third book in the series. Then, after having read more of the book, I realize there's a love triangle coming up (also something I try and stay far away from).
Thus, for more than half the book, I just wanted it to finish. Now, making this review even more obscure, I think I may still read the entire series (if and when it gets completed) because I am somewhat invested in the story. But not enough to feel impatient for it.
January 29, 2013
I downloaded a sample chapter of this along with like forty others in an attempt to find something new and quick to read. This one immediately grabbed my attention just because Thomas getting somehow dragged into a tea party was brilliant. I really quite enjoyed it, The Hidden were quite an interesting new concept and I liked that Emily wasn't a naive pushover. I didn't like the way it switched POV randomly, sometimes in the middle of a scene and I really didn't like how all the really important plot bits occurred in the last 10% from someone else's POV. And what the hell kind of ending was that? There better be a damn sequel available that's for sure. It was a worth the read but be prepared for a very, very slow build and then a slam you in the face fact announcement.
October 15, 2014
I've never really been a fan of the paranormal genre and I actually didn't realize this was that type of book. I decided to give it a try anyhoo. Im about half way through this book and I'm not sure if I want to continue. I keep reading the reviews and all the reviews are amazing and I'm just not feeling it, am I not far enough?! Very tempted to refund on amazon, not going to lie....I think I'm just going to find some spoilers and go from there...
*UPDATE*
So I decided to return this book to amazon. It was probably due to my lack of interest in the supernatural genre, though I did read the twilight series. I can appreciate a good storyline no matter what but I guess this series has a lot of character and story development I just didn't have interest or patience for.
*UPDATE*
So I decided to return this book to amazon. It was probably due to my lack of interest in the supernatural genre, though I did read the twilight series. I can appreciate a good storyline no matter what but I guess this series has a lot of character and story development I just didn't have interest or patience for.
April 27, 2017
Goddamn it. I read this not knowing the series was going to go on unfinished, and that book two ends in a cliffhanger. AND if that's enough, there's a love triangle, and apparently I have to see her cheat and end up with the other guy if I read book two.
Torn, here. Read book two and hate it or try to get over a lifelong predilection of always finishing a series even if I hate it??
I probably would've rated this a four, even though I'm not big on paranormal/supernatural shite. But finding out about book two and three only AFTER finishing book one? I wanna give it ZERO FUCKING STARS.
Torn, here. Read book two and hate it or try to get over a lifelong predilection of always finishing a series even if I hate it??
I probably would've rated this a four, even though I'm not big on paranormal/supernatural shite. But finding out about book two and three only AFTER finishing book one? I wanna give it ZERO FUCKING STARS.
January 15, 2013
I really enjoyed this book, much more that I thought I would. Loved that it wasn't a cliffhanger ending. Kind of a "surprise, here's more" that's left me looking forward to seeing what happens in book two. come on April. No obvious love triangle, liked that, so sick of those. The sex scenes were more erotic than I expected, fair warning to younger readers. Very impressed with the writing and the story. Very fresh and very enjoyable. I'm glad I bought this and will be recommending it to others.
March 14, 2014
One of those books more people should have read. A slow burner, but I have just finished the second book in the series and really loved it. I can't wait for the next book. Enjoyable writing, good pace etc- plus that undefinable X that makes you love a writer.
Its paranormal, but I would rather a 'guess what? You are immortal' cliche then another whimpering idiot with a bad childhood. Seriously, can anyone who has not been locked in a cupboard by their granny get a book these days?
Its paranormal, but I would rather a 'guess what? You are immortal' cliche then another whimpering idiot with a bad childhood. Seriously, can anyone who has not been locked in a cupboard by their granny get a book these days?
October 12, 2014
About 4 Stars
I feel like it was incomplete, it just fell of in the middle of the story and ended. I guess that is one way to get you reading book two...so I here I go. Whelp, I just went to look at book two and it looks to end in an even bigger cliffhanger and the third book hasn't even been started (apparently due to writers block). I think I will be stopping here..I am thinking this is No Bueno!
I feel like it was incomplete, it just fell of in the middle of the story and ended. I guess that is one way to get you reading book two...so I here I go. Whelp, I just went to look at book two and it looks to end in an even bigger cliffhanger and the third book hasn't even been started (apparently due to writers block). I think I will be stopping here..I am thinking this is No Bueno!
April 30, 2016
3.5 stars even though the paranormal stuff was ridiculous. But now i read a review where its stated in 2nd book the heroine HAD to CHEAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WTF -_- just ruined everything I enjoyed in this book...I was waiting to read 2nd book but knowing the shit happened over there....nvr gonna read this series again -_- soo ridiculous......why this nice book had to go down that way in next book is beyond me.
January 1, 2013
a good concept but it was 80% "romance" (aka sex) and I just wished there would have been more of the supernatural content. I felt that the ratio was more fitting a book tagged as erotic romance instead of supernatural romance. I'm glad I got it as a free e-book, because it was not something I would have been happy to pay for.
February 1, 2015
the first 80% of book- romance
last 20%- the paranormal aspect starts picking up and sets up nicely for the sequel
characters- liked them. they were entertaining
story- 4/5
action- not a lot
romance- not insta-love, grew during the first half of the book then took off
content- definitely for ages 18 and up. there's a lot f-bombs, and a lot sexual content (that's pretty detailed btw)
last 20%- the paranormal aspect starts picking up and sets up nicely for the sequel
characters- liked them. they were entertaining
story- 4/5
action- not a lot
romance- not insta-love, grew during the first half of the book then took off
content- definitely for ages 18 and up. there's a lot f-bombs, and a lot sexual content (that's pretty detailed btw)
April 4, 2015
I don't normal read paranormal romance because most of them tend to follow the same overused generic plotlines. The Hidden, however, was unlike any other paranormal romance I've read before, the storyline was interesting, refreshing, and amazingly well written. It was cute, hilarious, and sexy all rolled into one adorable couple, Thomas & Emily. Definitely a must-read.
December 26, 2016
Not that great
The story seems a bit cold and immature. Sorry but for a college girl and 300 yr old guy they all seem immature. The characters on the book seem detached and emotionless. I pushed myself to finish this story and just couldn't. Right at the end it switched characters narration and rehashed in a couple chapters what I already read. That just made me say, done!
The story seems a bit cold and immature. Sorry but for a college girl and 300 yr old guy they all seem immature. The characters on the book seem detached and emotionless. I pushed myself to finish this story and just couldn't. Right at the end it switched characters narration and rehashed in a couple chapters what I already read. That just made me say, done!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews