Delayed Admission

Shadow Veil Academy #1

by Heather Renee

She's being hunted and the only way to survive is to become the hunter.

To Raegan Keyes, she's the only one of her kind but has no idea what she is. Until one night, when she finds out her unexplainable abilities aren't the only thing she needs to worry about, and her world becomes much bigger than she ever could have dreamed.

When a mysterious man named Enzo arrives, too striking to be human, Raegan learns she's not as alone as she believed. As more secrets are revealed, she's swept off to an academy for others like her thousands of miles away from home by a complete stranger whom she'd rather stab than travel with.

As tension builds between Raegan and Enzo, she begins to find her purpose as she settles into her new existence. With a group of new friends, she's finally feeling alive again. That is until something sinister comes along, once more throwing her life into mayhem.

Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal, Young Adult, Audiobook, Magic, Witches, Romance

310 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 25, 2019

About the author

Heather Renee is a USA Today Bestselling author who lives in Oregon. She writes Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy novels with a mixture of romance, humor, and sass. Her love of reading eventually led to her passion of writing and giving the gift of escapism.

When Heather's not writing, she's spending time with her loving husband and beautiful daughter, going on their own adventures. She loves to hear from her fans, so visit her website: www.HeatherReneeAuthor.com and check out the Contact Me page for ways to connect.

Reviews

[PamG · Rating 3 out of 5]

Teen angst, danger, secrets, romance, and grief are combined in the first book of the Shadow Veil Academy trilogy, Delayed Admission by Heather Renee. Raegan Keyes is grieving eight months after the death of her parents. Her Aunt Jules has moved to Portland, Oregon to be with her since she’s still only seventeen. One night, Raegan finds out that the unexplained abilities she has aren’t the only things she needs to worry about when someone tries to abduct her. However, a young man, Enzo Vaughn comes to her rescue.

Raegan learns the world is much different than she thought and is taken to an academy for others like her located outside of Salem, Massachusetts. She’s starting to enjoy life with new friends and academic and research challenges when something sinister stirs throwing her life into chaos.
Raegan can be stubborn, independent, loyal, and determined. She initially wants to blend in, but she says what’s on her mind. Enzo is an elf. He’s intriguing, strong, and protective. I would have liked more dynamics in their characters. The other characters have varying degrees of depth, and will likely develop as the trilogy progresses.

The premise is intriguing and the writing is descriptive making it easy to visualize the academy and characters. As the story unfolds, readers will find themselves wondering how Raegan is to survive the dangerous situation she’s in. She also deals with making new friends and Enzo’s ex-girlfriend. My biggest quibbles are that the story jumps time-frames frequently without warning and without a great explanation, as well as the need for more character depth. Additionally, I wanted more details on the supernatural world and the academy council. Themes include young adult romance, grief, secrets, lies, friendship, and much more.

Overall, this is an engaging and suspenseful young adult fantasy novel with plenty of danger that takes the characters and the readers on an emotional rollercoaster. Despite my quibbles, I am looking forward to reading the rest of the trilogy.

I purchased a copy of this novel. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. This book was originally published on June 25, 2019.
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My 3.21 rounded to 3 stars review is coming soon.

[Mlpmom (Book Reviewer) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to love this because I liked the premises but...well, it was a bit of a mess at times. The plot (or lack of) was all over the place and things just suddenly happened or months would pass within a chapter or even within a page and nothing was really explained well. The characters weren't very fleshed out and none of the supernaturals or their world (heck even the Academy!) were even really introduced properly and most information was briefly hinted at or not given at all.

I want to say this was the author's first novel and so the writing reflects that but I'm not sure if that is true. However, I do feel the writing and the series itself does have room to grow and become something better so I might pick up book two and see how it goes from there.

[beth m · Rating 2 out of 5]

What?

I don’t know what I read. I really don’t, there was a lot that did not make sense and not in a way where it’s alluding to making sense later on in the series. So the book has a lot of potential but there were things that just didn’t make sense. Like: when the female lead feels compelled to a door it magically opens and she hears a voice in her head then... fast forward I don’t know if it was days or weeks and then all of a sudden she admits to having this voice in her head all the time? When was the reader supposed to be made aware that she has an entity in her?🧐 did I miss that part. I felt like the author’s intention was to make her interesting and powerful but there wasn’t follow through. She literally has no experience in the magic realm and she caught up to second year within half a year of work.. if that was the authors way of showing the reader she’s powerful and a force that hand was poorly played.

Then the relationship between her and the guy? I don’t know. There were just things that didn’t click. So he lured her there because her “creator” taught him things...? I don’t know then she finds out and of course he falls in love with her blah blah blah. I don’t get it. So then she flies away??? At the end she just “needs to get away?” This just all didn’t make sense. And I know the gargoyle thing will be explained but kinda annoying.

Also I’m annoyed with the school their whole idea of “we can wipe away your memories and bind your powers” and this attitude of magicking away memories so students don’t know idk I’m just not a fan of the whole attitude of taking away memories or binding in the way the author wrote.

I’m interested in the series but the way it’s written. I’m still struggling with this book.

[Kim Slye · Rating 2 out of 5]

Limited vocabulary

This story could have potentially been 5 stars, but the author has extremely limited vocabulary for any strong or negative emotions. It consists of dropping F bombs regularly, with other swear words used as terms of “affection” between main characters. The story line itself is creative and interesting, but the flow is ruined by unnecessarily crass language. She doesn’t represent YA Fantasy well. She doesn’t guard the intelligence or emotional sensitivity of her lead heroine when the character easily surrenders her innocence to a handsome elf with little more reason than he helped her through a tough situation. The end of the story should have been climatic, I just felt relief that it had ended.

[Tassi (Read Ramble Repeat) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay time hasn't helped Heather broke me good and proper.



So if this review fails to make any sense remember this ↑

Goodness where to even begin. I know I say this a lot but there ARE a lot of awesome books out there and I have read some seriously fantastic ones this year. But holy smokes Heather I think this is one of your best yet! There's gotto be some witchcraft involved right?!



and while that is a possibility since its a book of magic but its mostly the good kind so who cares. *shrugs*

First I'm going to give you some advice. Nothing and I mean absolutely nothing, can prepare you for the journey that is up ahead of you, when you start reading this book.



So if you go down this road just throw all caution to the wind and don't even try to prepare. Just throw what you think might happen aside.





Okay so a little about this story. Lets see if I can get through this without blurting out any spoilers. I promise to put them in spoiler brackets if I can't help myself.

So we have Raegan a 17 year old nearly 18, who has lost her parents recently and has gone to live with her aunt Jules, who she didn't know about as apparently Jules and her parents had a falling out. But recently these new abilities have started to show themselves, like say glowing fingers or moving objects accidentally. She's not really sure if she's just been imagining these things happening due to the emotional stress of losing her parents but one day when she goes to the cemetery to see her mum and dad she's attacked by this man that she can see these shadows around. A man named Enzo saves her but afterwards wants to take her to this school called "Shadow Veil Academy". Without saying too much more she goes although reluctantly, learning that her Aunt hasn't been all that forth right with her about a whole other world were Shapeshifters, Witches, Elves, Vampires you name it exist. Cool right?

But everything isn't as easy as just starting a new school. Raegan somehow has been kept out of the system and nobody had even known she existed up until this point. No trail whatsoever of her existence. Curious and curiouser. But to then top it off she learns she's not just one race but has multiple inside her making her a hybrid. Which isn't all that different until they learn she is waaaaay more unique then that. But something else is brewing at the school and its nothing good. From the moment Rae got to the school she felt a pull that became stronger and stronger and its not until she's standing in front of this door that she's told is nothing but bad news but can't ignore the pull that it has over her. When that door opens it unleashes an evil sorceress who hitches a ride inside Rae's head. And nothing good can EVER come from that. I'm gonna stop there otherwise I'm gonna spill all the beans and its just to awesome to do that.



Anyways because she's been brought into this world a lot later then usual she has to have a mentor to help her to catch up. And who else would it be but the most infuriating, arrogant but sexy Elf on the planet Enzo who she and me both are sooo not crushing on hehe. Let the fireworks begin lol.

Raegan automatically clicks with Gemma the girl that first showed her around the school and guys you are soooo going to love this chick! She is epic and everything we all want in a BFF. She's so full of spunk and just absolutely perfect for her. Their friendship is like #friendshipgoals. The friendship these two have and how they stick together is truly something to read.

The characters in this book are so epically written that you really felt you were in on everything. You loved who Rae loved and hated who she did and everything in between. So amazing work there Heather!!



I absolutely LOVED how much this book took me in and although nothing like crazy full on happened until like towards the end there was so much story world building happening and a heap of information we needed for that explosion of an end. Not once did it feel like nothing was happening though, its more in the sense you could feel things slowly heating up bit by bit and tensions increasing in a steady crescendo as it prepared for that whopper final to be unleashed. This has got to be one of my favourites as Academy worlds go. So I take my hat off to you for accomplishing that Heather.



There's seriously so much to be said about this book it was truly an incredible read! And I cannot wait to have the next book. I have soo many questions that I need answered coz I kinda feel like my world is crumbling (kinda dramatic but whatevs you'll understand it when you read it). I just seriously can't get over that ending. Like it surprised me. And not to sound like I'm full of myself but this is honestly a rarity to happen. Like never would I have guessed that certain people were involved and roles they played. Like I worked out some but



Heather it has been an incredible honour to be apart of your ARC team. I know your totally enjoying all our torment but daaang girl you take being kicked in the gut to a whole new level lol. I nearly had a mental breakdown bc the page on my ipad wouldn't turn anymore. I wanted to yell and scream at it coz it just had to be broken and that Heather couldn't leave me hanging like that but well in the end it was just me that was broken (see first gif lol). So when that happened I seriously felt the need to hug my pillow and cry.



The things us readers put ourselves through. Totally go read that book!

Okay there's a tonne of other stuff running through my head even now a day later. But I'm gonna stop there otherwise we will be here for evvveer! lol. Can't wait to see what's in store for us next hurry up already.


hehe

Happy Readings My Nerdy Friends

[Veronica245]

Basic writing, insufferable main character, clearly patterned unoriginal plot… yes in a shit pile it goes

[Leila ✨ · Rating 1 out of 5]

Una veeeerga este libro. Lo leí porque lo gané en un sorteo de instagram el año pasado, y tengo la intención de bajar la cantidad de libros en mi biblioteca que están sin leer. "Delayed Admission" es un libro corto, pero que carece de una trama. Tipo, sin 350 páginas donde no pasa nada. Pasan cosas que vos decís "qué carajo man", como la protagonista pensando "no puedo ayudarlo a Enzo porque la posibilidad de perderlo de nuevo me dolería mucho" un segundo, y al siguiente pensando "voy a ir all the way con Enzo porque lo amo y es el único para mi" like ????????

Me chupa un reverendo huevo como sigue la historia. No pienso leer el segundo.

1.5 de 5 estrellas.

[Desiree · Rating 2 out of 5]

* please forgive any typos , this was composed half drunk in my bathtub, using my mobile....

THIS was book was a dumpster fire. I nearly DNF! I never DNF. Ever. I closed this book so many times and I had to keep reading this garbage because not finishing books seeeeeeriously fucks with my anxiety? OCD? Or whatever undiagnosed psych disorder I have that compels me. BUT I DIGRESS. What did I hate about this novel you ask. Raegan ‘holier than thou’ Tribrid.
I found her so incredibly annoying and unhinged.

The author also for some reason felt the need to remind us every other sentence how Reagan was super woke and feminist.

If I had to hear about her special damn pants one more time.....
And then when she finally gives the pants a break a he went on a rant at Gemma for offering her some boots for a date. Calm your tits girl . Geesh.

And their friendship? WhT friendship? The entire arc of Reagan and Gemma consisted of Gemma yelling and threatening raegan like an errant child. She tells raegan what she can and can’t do.
And I felt raegan was always lecturing about how woke she was and she didn’t need make up or boots and she wouldn’t be pressured to second base because they only had 1 previous date and she wasn’t sure how she felt. (Spoiler alert : she fucks him 3 paragraphs later.)
Anyways , the Reagan/ Gemma dynamic felt controlling and abusive to me more than besties.

I found it disturbing in the beginning when Enzo is tutoring her in defense and they are on the ground. She gets turned on starts petting him and then elbows him in the face. How does that bring them closer together?

At one point they are going to the headmasters office for something important and she is thinking how much she likes Enzo because “ he walks beside her not infront of her. “ Ugh ok, you should totes bang him on the second date.

She is on the Enzo hunt for months, Pushes away her friends , refuses to eat. Faces the dangers of the dungeon for him.

Enzo comes back, que internal dialogue. “ I’m not sure how I feel. Not sure if I want to see him”..... Sounds like real love to me.


And then ending.... WTF was that.



She is just like “I’m out”. And her aunt is just like “ k. Bye”. Malina only left bc some rock dog chased her off the property and you want to leave the grounds and your only protection????

She just saw that she isn’t powerful enough and Malina was seconds away from taking her by force.
So why would she LEAVE the only place that is SAFE that Malina is afraid ?

AND why does no one have a problem with it?!?!?




BAH! Garbage I say!


2 stars because I don’t hate the overall story idea, just all the words in the book.

[Hetal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delayed admission was an extremely addicting novel with a likeable and relatable main character, Raegan. I'll be honest, I am not someone who enjoys shifter novels anymore. The whole alpha male thing gets boring after a while. Renee managed to add in not only shifters, but also witches, and elves into the book in a delightful and fresh way. There was none of the alpha male nonsense and strong family and girl bonds. Raegan also has a strong sense of self. She isn't willing to change herself to fit in with society. She likes herself best when she's comfortable and that was especially appreciated.

of course there's a great and mysterious male lead who will equally aggravate and make you swoon.

the narrator, Vanessa Moyes does a fantastic job with voices, especially Raegan and Enzo. She brings innocence, anguish and a delectable throatiness to the characters she helps recreate for the story that only plays to enhance an already entertaining novel.

I thought I had the ending all figured out, but boy I did not see that twist coming. Reminiscent of the story telling capabilities of author Jaymin Eve, Delayed Admission is one series in the paranormal academy genre you don't want to miss!

[Katherine Paschal · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely adored The Raven Point Pack werewolf series by this author, so I was really excited to get my hands on more books by her- especially ones in the magical academy genre that is my current obsession. Delayed Admission was a quick, fast paced read that was a perfect piece of escapism.

The overall world building of the paranormal or the school in general was not very detailed but I am hoping that the next book in the world will expand on all things supernatural. This story instead focus mainly on the main character learning how to master her magic, the school dynamic and drama and the main focus which was a mystery. The mystery element of the story was great, full of twists and random surprising danger. I was a little miffed that time elapsed randomly, weeks or months passing with no story, and I wanted to know what was going on during that time.

This narrator is hands down one of my favorite audiobook narrators, I will gladly read anything she wants to narrate at this point. She is the perfect voice for a teenage girl,. her pacing is engaging AND all the characters have distinct voices which helps me stay present in the story with no confusion on my part as to who is talking.

Just know that the author excels and the heartbreaking, cliff-hanger ending and this is no exception. I highly recommend getting all the book so you can binge them back to back and not have to wait for answers (but I might be biased since I have zero patience!)

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this! The MC, Reagan, had some unique traits, which I enjoyed. Lots of surprises. Some good laughs. Lots of curse words so if that offends you, skip this series. I loved Enzo's character. And Reagan's BFF Gemma was awesome and so fun. I loved their friendship. I don't think enough books include a solid, realistic friendship. 💕

This was my first audiobook with Vanessa Moyen. She is wonderful! I see why she's so popular. She really makes the story come alive. Does different voices. Just awesome. My favorite voice she did was Malina. I was kind of blown away that it was still her. It felt like it was a totally different person. She's fab.

Favorite quote:
"Crazy old magic man say whaaaat?!"

[Nisareen · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s been eight months since 17 year old Raegan Keyes lost her parents and she’s been living with her Aunt Jules ever since. Lately though, Raegan has been exhibiting abilities in which she’s able to move objects with her mind and her hands light up when her emotions are heightened. She’s also been having nightmares about the death of her parents.

One day while visiting her parents grave, she’s attacked by a shadowy assailant but is saved by Enzo, an Elf who tells her that due to her burgeoning powers she will be the target of scavengers unless she enrols at the Shadow Veil Academy where she’ll be taught to control them. Reagan’s initial scepticism takes a back step when she learns that her Aunt Jules is in fact a shifter and that Raegan’s powers have been hindered by a binding spell placed on her by her parents who it turns out weren’t really her parents after all. Raegan is in fact a hybrid, part elf and part witch. In an attempt to find answers, Raegan enrols at Shadow Veil where she hopes to learn the truth about her real parents as well as her powers.

Raegan undergoes a ceremony by a council of sorcerers in order to lift the binding spell that has been placed in her. They are shocked to discover that Raegan is not only part Elf and witch but also has an element of dragon in her. Something that is unheard of.

Matters take a sinister turn when Raegan feels a strange pull towards a forbidden door at the Academy. No sooner has she touched the door, when it’s flung open and part of the essence of an evil sorceress who is being imprisoned in the dungeon, plants itself in her mind. Raegan learns that the sorceress is in fact Malina, a Doyen who is an original being and the last of her kind. She can only be killed by another Doyen or die willingly. Her greed for power means that the only thing the council can do now is contain her. As Malina’s presence at the Academy threatens to overwhelm Raegan and destroy the Academy, Raegan must call on her dragon heritage to help her.

Delayed Admission is the first instalment of the Shadow Veil Academy series and was my first introduction to the author. Written solely from Reagan’s point of view, the book sets up the world building and introduces us to the characters. Raegan is suffering from grief and survivors guilt over the death of her parents. She’s recently begun to manifest special abilities but decides to keep them secret from her Aunt Jules who has been looking after her. When she’s attacked by a scavenger, an Elf named Enzo saves her and convinces her to enrol at the Shadow Veil Academy where she can be trained to tap into her full potential.

Despite the fact that she’s a year behind other students, Raegan adapts well at the Academy under Enzo’s mentorship. Unfortunately as with a lot of Academy books these days, the book falls into one of those insta-love cliches where the main characters have sex in the first book, which I find annoying. Of course it later transpires that Enzo is hiding secrets of his own. Some rather big whoppers in fact.

I found the secondary characters appealing. Gemma’s quirkiness made me laugh and Lyssa, despite initially starting off as an antagonist proves to be an ally. Headmaster Stone was also a likeable and interesting character.

The plot itself has potential what with Raegan’s half elf/witch/status and how she came to be. Little is known about her father(s) or the mysterious gargoyles whose eyes watch her around the Academy. Malina herself is an intriguing albeit unhinged antagonist and I look forward to further exploring her background. The book ends with a devastating betrayal as well as a cliffhanger that will have readers wanting to pick up the next instalment.

I listened to this book in audible form which was narrated by Vanessa Moyen. I was impressed by the way she was masterfully able to bring each character to life with their own unique voice, switching effortlessly between characters and accents.

Ideal for fans of academy books, elves, witches, warlocks, dragons, gargoyles, vampires, ancient beings, secret societies, mysteries etc

[Bookishly Tiff · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore Heather Renee and jumped when given the opportunity to listen to Delayed Admission! Though provided with a copy all opinions are honest and my own.

What I loved:

💥 Raegan. If you listen/pick up this book, it'll take you no time to recognize that she is strong and takes no shit right from the start.

💥 The pacing is perfection. There's no real lull in the story/filler time. Right from the start the book takes off and keeps pace with being pointless and repetitive.

💥 The story itself is amazing. I loved the unique world that Heather Renee has created and the diversity. Honestly I seriously look forward to finding out more!

💥 The narrator nailed it! I guess only people that listen to audiobooks will know what I mean here. I'm not sure I've listened to something Vanessa Moyen has read before but you can bet I'd pick it up now!

What was meh:

💥 The token mean girl. She just fell flat for me. I didn't feel she really had a true place in the story but with that being said I didn't hate her being there. I just don't get her place yet.

Overall:

Guys I HIGHLY recommend this book if you're a fan of YA books, books set in an academy/boarding school and fantasy! It's super quick and a lot of fun!!

[Em (Diversify Your Shelf) · Rating 2 out of 5]

So much of this has promise but I just can't with love interests actually saying something to the equivalent of "you're not like other girls." Especially when it is in regards to wanting to wear uniform pants instead of a skirt. In how every many decades the academy had been around you're saying NONE of them wanted to wear pants? I highly doubt it.

[Sarah Owens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good for something I picked up for free on stuff your kindle day. If you’re looking for a school based fantasy with very light romance, this is a decent pick

[Renée · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delayed Admission by Heather Renee is the beginning of her fantastically magical new series - Shadow Veil Academy.

Recently orphaned and with teal light that glows from her fingertips that Raegan Keyes has no idea where it’s coming from and if she’s losing it. Will she be able to keep her secret from her aunt Jules for long? Or will she finally release whatever’s building?

This story is full of twists and turns through each development of the story. Plus magic, elves, shifters, witches, vampires, hybrids and more.

Can’t wait for the next book - Deadly Declaration.

[Novel Grounds · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book completely took me by surprise. This is my first read from this author and it definitely wont be my last. I am hooked.


I jumped onto this tour because I am on a big PNR school type read binge and this one was EVERYTHING.

Heather crafted a world that you dive into and get lost in. I loved the squad that we met in this world and now I need novellas for each and every one of them.

We dive into Raegan's life and she is exactly the normal teenager you expect, aside from the fact that she is now having random magical instances. Throw in the fact that she now has to go to Shadow Veil and that her whole life has been hidden from her.

Just a few twists, ya know?

But really, this novel was so much fun to read. It had just enough romance for me and a crazy plot that threw twists all around you as you read. The characters drove me a bit nuts at times, but hey, they are 18-20 year olds, it is expected. Part of my liked the fact that they had their flaws and made some poor life choices.

But back to the story itself, there were shifters and vampires, elves and magic galore! I loved getting to see this authors depiction of all of the different magic races and her world building was fantastic. I cannot wait to see where she takes us next.

There are so many ways this story can go and I can't wait to read the next book. Im headed to grab it now. I love when I discover a series and its already complete!

[Wendi Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great book! The storytelling was imaginative and entertaining, the worldbuilding complex, and the bad guys were b-a-d! I loved the cast of characters and that ending! Got me all tied in knots like nobody's business.
I loved how kickass Raegan grew to be over the course of the year, and I can't wait to see what's in store for her next! Great read!

[Tess · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yeah...nope

Wow. So this story is rather underwhelming... The plot was all over the place and the characters rather one note. I almost DNF'd around 60%, but decided to continue. Unfortunately, I was left with more questions at the end then answers and that's not even due to the 'cliffhanger'... In essence, I don't think I'll be continuing this series.

[Kendoll · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF 30% - I loved the idea of this book but while reading I just couldn’t connect.

The plot was confusing and I wasn’t a huge fan of how things were set up. Mainly for me though it was the two main characters. Reagan in general annoyed me and I just didn’t feel any chemistry between her and Enzo.

Pass.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: Delayed Admission
Author: Heather Renee, Narrated by Vanessa Moyen
Publisher: Heather Renee
ISBN: B07R5C6MPJ
Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/Delayed-Admiss...
Reviewer: Teresa Fallen Angel
Blurb:
Shadow Veil Academy 1
She's being hunted and the only way to survive is to become the hunter.

To Raegan Keyes, she's the only one of her kind but has no idea what she is. Until one night, when she finds out her unexplainable abilities aren't the only thing she needs to worry about, and her world becomes much bigger than she ever could have dreamed.

When a mysterious man named Enzo arrives, too striking to be human, Raegan learns she's not as alone as she believed. As more secrets are revealed, she's swept off to an academy for others like her thousands of miles away from home by a complete stranger whom she'd rather stab than travel with.

As tension builds between Raegan and Enzo, she begins to find her purpose as she settles into her new existence. With a group of new friends, she's finally feeling alive again. That is until something sinister comes along, once more throwing her life into mayhem.

Total Score: 5/5

Summary:

Raegan thought she was an average girl until she started manifesting strange and dangerous powers. It was difficult to deal with the loss of her parents, but her Aunt stepped in filling the whole in her life, but could she except Reagan’s new abilities. That is until Reagan was attacked and a man Enzo stepped in to save her. All of a sudden Reagan is told she isn’t who she thinks she is, her parents weren’t her real parents, and for her safety she needs to go to Shadow Veil Academy where she can learn to control her abilities.

This is just the start of Reagan’s new life filled with drama, teenage angst, danger, bullying, and maybe even love. This story takes Reagan into a world she never know or expected where she has to find her place and strength so she can face the trials ahead.

The audio-book takes the reader into Reagan’s life where the unexpected is around every corner.

[Angela ReadingCave · Rating 3 out of 5]

Raegan has had a rough time of it, her parents passing months ago, grieve is eating her up. So is survival guilt. Her Aunt Jules tries her best to help her through it, moving to Oregon and helping her to test out of high school. Something is off, she is gaining abilities she shouldn’t have and when she is attacked by something not so human, a guy with pointed ears steps up to save the day. Apparently Enzo is from Shadow Veil Academy and she is showing signs of being something other than human. What is up for debate as her magic is locked.

Raegan is pretty stable, she going through the stages of grief. She acknowledges them and then keeps on rocking. She is taking everything pretty much is stride. She tries her best when it comes to the magic portion but she is not like the other students. (Saying why would be a total spoiler so #sorrynotsorry). She develops a great friendship with Gemma, a shifter who lives on her floor.

Enzo is a full elf, and extremely powerful. As a mentor he is great, as a boyfriend not so much. He keeps too much hidden. Of course, he is good looking and there is some attraction there. I think the issue is that I wanted her to be with a full on alpha meal and he was more like the Beta. He just wasn’t enough for me, and with the ending how it is there is an opening for a better love interest to come into the picture such as I don’t know Embry maybe.

This one has all the elements of a great series. The book starts off solid. The love interest, well that is where is fell short for me. I hated the love interest, he attempted to be all protective alpha male but something was off for me. I hope he does not continue to be the love interest in the next book. I would love for him to well fall off the face of the Earth, but I doubt that will happen.

My Rating 3 out of 5 stars

Favorite Quote “You, on the other hand, could use some sparkle in your life.”

Other People
Gemma- new bestie
Lyssa- Enzo’s ex, resident mean girl
Stone- Headmaster, sorcerer
Malina- big baddie
Jules- aunt, guardian

[Devz Milady · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad book but too many mysteries can spoil the fun.

Reagan Keyes finds out more about herself and joins a supernatural academy after her parents die.
She realizes she is not human but she is more of a hybrid than normal, which makes her special even in a magical world. (of course she would be:) )
She finds friends and a mysterious bf Enzo but also gains an enemy Malina, who created her (as she later learns). The book ends with a predictable betrayal and a MEH cliffhanger.

Reagan is pretty cool as a heroine.
Her sidekicks and even the vamp Lyssa is cool as well.
The MEH is the male hero - Enzo.

Enzo's characterization and Reagan's and his relationship is the biggest drawback of this book.
There is not much chemistry and honestly Enzo is not very likeable.
Above all, he is too mysterious to be in anyway acceptable.
Its inconceivable that anyone can be in a relationship with someone who speaks in half sentences and mysteries.
In this book, Reagan does not know much about Enzo's family, what he does when he goes missing, why he hides his aura, how he knows things he knows.

Also why is it that in all such YA books, saving of the world is left to underaged kids?
Malina is such a super villain ready to murder many and many- yet she is put in a school (excellent choice!) and there is not many effective guards there either.

Anyways this is not a bad book actually and I might actually read the second part in the hopes that Enzo dies somewhere and some better hero pops up.

[Heather Rainwater-Alvarado · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had taken a break from the academy books for a while because they can be a bit juvenile, but the cover was captivating so I decided to give it a try with little to no expectations. I'd say this is a solid 3.5 star book. Some of the starting plot points are a bit obvious, but gradually builds twists and turns as it goes along. The fact that Raegan is blindsided with the fact that her parents aren’t really her parents, but she doesn’t even bat an eye was surprising and spoke to some more writing development that could have happened. Yes, there is room for writing improvement from Renee, but overall, to be honest, it’s better than many of the other academy books I’ve read. The segregation of students by race and not gender was a bit odd. I know many people are annoyed with the time jumps as the year progresses, but have they never read an academy book before? You kind of have to in order to get through the year. Though some of the characters are a bit one-dimensional and have room for so much more development, there's enough about them that draw you in and hope for more in the future.

I was shocked at Raegan’s easy acceptance in taking Enzo for a mate and essentially soul-mate, especially in book 1 in a series, but at least there is room for more focus on the evil Malina has brewing. The ending with Raegan running away from all of her issues was a bit disheartening and kind of a cop-out, but I did enjoy the book so far that I’m still looking forward to the next in the series.

[Michelle Fritz PA · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enter SVA where the races rule and magic is everywhere! Raegan's world starts to change when she develops unusual powers and she's left feeling all alone.  With seemingly no where, or one, to which she can turn to, everything changes one night! Once everything turns upside down, things begin to make sense and a whole new world opens up.  Rae enters the gates to Shadow Veil Academy and suddenly she is surrounded by power, secrets,  spells, friends,  enemies and the most overwhelming darkness. This is just the tip of the iceberg!! This story will make you squeal with glee and it will surprise you in both of the best and worst ways! I wanted to throw my phone and stomp my feet towards the end!! My heart became so invested with the characters that it felt like it was breaking into a million tiny pieces! This is without a doubt one of the most well written and emotionally engaging academy series in existence!!  You will be held captive from the very first chapter and this does not let you go! I highly encourage you to make the time to read this in one sitting,  it's utterly mesmerizing! Heather Renee has blossomed beautifully as a writer with this intriguing series starter! This is poignant and compelling and exciting and even a bit sexy!!! One click this today, don't keep SVA waiting!

[Kelly Stepp · Rating 3 out of 5]

A paranormal academy read that just wasn’t my cup of tea. I was pulled in by the blurb and the promise of romantic adventure, supernaturals, and a mysterious evil, but felt the book never quite delivered on all its promises. It felt as though the big plot points were there, but it lacked finesse and consistency in-between, leaving me with lots of questions and struggling to engage. I also battled with the lack of depth and character development as well. I found myself rolling my eyes and becoming frustrated as the MC often jumped between self-pity and “I’m a kickbutt warrior.’ The romance element felt forced as well which left me disinterested and disbelieving. I absolutely loved Gemma and her sense of self and vibrancy. The unanswered questions kept me going to the end but I wasn’t blown away by any of the reveals. If you enjoy quick, character-light pnr academy reads or other series by this author, this might appeal to you. I’m a fan of this narrator, but her talent for embodying Reagan and Enzo only further heightened their grating, ever-changing personalities for me. I thought she did a good job distinguishing between characters’ voices and bringing the story to life, this just wasn’t the book for me.

[Karen Voitik · Rating 4 out of 5]

>Book Review – Delayed Admission
>I am an independent reviewer. This book is the 1st in the Shadow Veil series and ends in a cliffhanger. Reagan is a girl who doesn’t particularly like school. Her parents have died and she is living with her aunt. A young man, Enzo, saves her one night and introduces her to otherworldly creatures, of which she is one. Reagan doesn’t seem very shocked to hear that witches and elves exist. I felt her reaction to the new school of creatures was a bit underwhelming.
>The book tries to become a high school bully story taking place in a supernatural high school, but it quickly turns from that plot to something way different. Reagan is targeted by an ancient witch and Enzo tries to protect her. There are some cute moments, especially Reagan’s butler box and all it can do. Enzo and Reagan have a slow burn romance that really fizzles out. There isn’t any real chemistry. Enzo never goes alpha to protect Reagan and Reagan doesn’t go nuts when Enzo goes missing.
>This book is appropriate for an adult audience. I am giving this book 4 stars. The story is good, but the romantic tension is flat.

[Jozie | Cozy Romantasy Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual Rating: 3.75☆

Delayed Admission is the first book of the Shadow Veil Academy series. It's an adventurous, young adult novel with magic and paranormal creatures in an academy setting.

The story begins with our FMC, Reagan, being attacked by a dark paranormal creature. She is rescued by an elf, Enzo. At this point, Reagan is just discovering that she is different, but she does not know of the paranormal world that she will soon be thrown into. She is enrolled in Shadow Veil Academy, where she will learn what type of hybrid she is, how to use her powers, and who she is.

I listened to the audiobook edition and did enjoy it. There are many different types of creatures in Shadow Veil. I was pleasantly surprised to find out what Reagan was. I've read similar paranormal academy novels, and the FMC is usually a witch discovering her powers. That was the biggest difference, though.

Overall, I enjoyed listening to this story and think that fans of paranormal academy settings will enjoy this one too.

academia • closed door romance • dragons • enemies to lovers • magic • paranormal romance • shapeshifter • supernatural • vampire • witches

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 STARS... WON'T LET ME PUT THE HALF ON IT.
okay, so i don't normally read a book if it as poor reviews..
I didn't expect much from this book however it wasn't nearly as bad as some of the reviews have stated (obviously its based on opinion so they are not wrong or right)
so the things i didn't like
1) no real background information on any of the characters so it was hard to feel a connection towards them.
2) weeks and even months went by between chapters which was frustrating.
3) some of it was a little confusing because some sentences didn't make sense.
things i did like
1) the storyline was really good and had a lot of potential.
2) the plots in it where really great, i thought i knew who was going to betray the main character but i was wrong, normally i hate being wrong but i hate a predictable ending even more.
3) most of the characters where likeable.
All in all it wasn't bad, it was a quick enjoyable read, it just needed a little more to make it great, and maybe a little more editing.

[Sandi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an engrossing story that catches you pretty quickly. Rae lives with her aunt, living a fairly innocuous life until Enzo saves her from a mysterious shadow figure and she finds out she’s not human, but some kind of hybrid, and who she thought were her parents weren’t really, and her magic had been bound. Phew, that’s a lot to take in. But off she goes to the academy where she can learn to control her magic. There’s a sweet budding romance with Enzo throughout, a decent amount of action, especially towards the end, a fun best friend, and a nasty mean girl to deal with. While nothing here is ground breaking, it’s a fun listen. The dialogue is witty and fitting for the ages of the characters, and often adds some nice levity and humor. Some big reveals at the end leave it wide open for the next book, as it’s definitely a cliffhanger. Overall a very enjoyable book, and I look forward to continuing with the next book.

I received this audiobook free in exchange for my fair and honest review.