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Sidetracked
Jayde Palmer considers herself a typical college student, but life is messy.
The day before her 19th birthday, a chance meeting with a beautiful young man named Ice Monroe disrupts Jayde's plans for a relaxing summer. She assumes he's too good to be true—until he calls. Jayde takes the bait, and things seem to be going well, but the relationship takes a bizarre turn when Ice reveals himself as a magical human/feline shapeshifter.
As Jayde comes to terms with the knowledge that the world around her is not nearly as typical as she once believed and struggles to work out Ice's true intentions in dating her, an awkward encounter with a figure from his past leaves her increasingly unsure who (or what) she should believe.
In her mind, only one thing is clear: You can't always trust your first impression.
***
Sidetracked is part one of a four-part series full of dark secrets, mysterious dreams, secret government programs, hospital visits, mental illness, and tragically attractive...people? With cats and a little bit of magic!
Genre: new adult, urban fantasy, psychological drama with slice of life, romance, and thriller elements
Content Warning: As a series, Sidetracked explores various sensitive topics and themes—including mental illness, suicide, trauma/abuse, toxic relationships and behaviors, physical violence/injury, and hospitalization.
The day before her 19th birthday, a chance meeting with a beautiful young man named Ice Monroe disrupts Jayde's plans for a relaxing summer. She assumes he's too good to be true—until he calls. Jayde takes the bait, and things seem to be going well, but the relationship takes a bizarre turn when Ice reveals himself as a magical human/feline shapeshifter.
As Jayde comes to terms with the knowledge that the world around her is not nearly as typical as she once believed and struggles to work out Ice's true intentions in dating her, an awkward encounter with a figure from his past leaves her increasingly unsure who (or what) she should believe.
In her mind, only one thing is clear: You can't always trust your first impression.
***
Sidetracked is part one of a four-part series full of dark secrets, mysterious dreams, secret government programs, hospital visits, mental illness, and tragically attractive...people? With cats and a little bit of magic!
Genre: new adult, urban fantasy, psychological drama with slice of life, romance, and thriller elements
Content Warning: As a series, Sidetracked explores various sensitive topics and themes—including mental illness, suicide, trauma/abuse, toxic relationships and behaviors, physical violence/injury, and hospitalization.
455 pages, Paperback
Published July 15, 2021
2 people are currently reading
15 people want to read
About the author
S.K. Kelley
4 books5 followersS.K. Kelley is an author from the Pacific Northwest who has enjoyed creative writing since childhood. When not writing, she might be found drawing her characters, hiking in the mountains, or spending time with her family. Her debut novel, Sidetracked, is the first in a series that has been in development since 2008 and explores themes of mental illness and trauma.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
January 30, 2022
Holy smokes. I'm not quite sure where to even begin with this review. I picked up Sidetracked thinking it was going to be a cozy shifter romance with cats. I was so so wrong! This book is INTENSE!! A good intense, but so intense!
Avoiding spoilers is going to be particularly difficult because from the very beginning I wasn't even sure if I was supposed to like Ice, the confident immortal "love interest". He's aloof, muted, and seems not to care much at all about our protagonist, Jayde. I kept wondering if we were supposed to root for Jayde and Ice to be together or not. That was one of the many reasons I was so invested in this book and couldn't put it down. I was so confused and I loved it. One minute Ice would act like he couldn't care less about Jayde, and then he would do something super nice. Not knowing what he was thinking or what his motives were for letting Jayde in on his secret (that he's an immortal- a cat shifter with special powers) drove me nuts in the best possible way. Did he even like her? Was there something more going on? I just had to know!!
But then, later in the book we meet James. He's what the immortals call "defective". He's an immortal, but he can't shift and has no special powers. And there's a history with Ice that neither we nor Jayde know about. However, the mere mention of James is enough to get Ice riled up. At some point I started shipping Jayde and James, which also confused me for reasons I don't want to ruin here. Suffice it to say, I was confused and conflicted the ENTIRE time I read this. It was great haha
Not only did the characters and plot keep me glued to the pages, but I loved Kelley's writing style. It was clean and precise, yet perfectly descriptive. It was a joy to read, even if I did want to scream at Jayde for not just asking Ice what his deal was.
I give this 5 stars and EAGERLY await book two in the series, Borderline. That ending was a huge shock and I must find out what happens next!
Avoiding spoilers is going to be particularly difficult because from the very beginning I wasn't even sure if I was supposed to like Ice, the confident immortal "love interest". He's aloof, muted, and seems not to care much at all about our protagonist, Jayde. I kept wondering if we were supposed to root for Jayde and Ice to be together or not. That was one of the many reasons I was so invested in this book and couldn't put it down. I was so confused and I loved it. One minute Ice would act like he couldn't care less about Jayde, and then he would do something super nice. Not knowing what he was thinking or what his motives were for letting Jayde in on his secret (that he's an immortal- a cat shifter with special powers) drove me nuts in the best possible way. Did he even like her? Was there something more going on? I just had to know!!
But then, later in the book we meet James. He's what the immortals call "defective". He's an immortal, but he can't shift and has no special powers. And there's a history with Ice that neither we nor Jayde know about. However, the mere mention of James is enough to get Ice riled up. At some point I started shipping Jayde and James, which also confused me for reasons I don't want to ruin here. Suffice it to say, I was confused and conflicted the ENTIRE time I read this. It was great haha
Not only did the characters and plot keep me glued to the pages, but I loved Kelley's writing style. It was clean and precise, yet perfectly descriptive. It was a joy to read, even if I did want to scream at Jayde for not just asking Ice what his deal was.
I give this 5 stars and EAGERLY await book two in the series, Borderline. That ending was a huge shock and I must find out what happens next!
March 7, 2022
What I Did Like:
-Intense. This one grabbed my attention really quickly and didn’t let up. It’s intense and fast-paced which works for the story we’re hearing.
-All of the redflags in the “relationship” combined with all the things mentioned in the content warning were important to the story being told. Nothing reads like a gimmick or a way to drag in readers. It’s authentic and relatable even when it’s being fantastical.
-Great wind up for the first book. I’m intrigued, I want to know more, and I have SO MANY QUESTIONS. This one will definitely get you into the series and then keep you reading.
Who Should Read This One:
-Fantasy fans, specifically those who like paranormal leanings, will love this one.
-If you were/are a fan of the Warrior series, liked the general idea of Twilight, and want more paranormal stories like those … get this one.
My Rating: 4 Stars.
This is a great first book in this new fantasy trilogy and I can’t wait to get my hands on book 2.
For Full Review: https://tabathashipleybooks.com/2022/...
-Intense. This one grabbed my attention really quickly and didn’t let up. It’s intense and fast-paced which works for the story we’re hearing.
-All of the redflags in the “relationship” combined with all the things mentioned in the content warning were important to the story being told. Nothing reads like a gimmick or a way to drag in readers. It’s authentic and relatable even when it’s being fantastical.
-Great wind up for the first book. I’m intrigued, I want to know more, and I have SO MANY QUESTIONS. This one will definitely get you into the series and then keep you reading.
Who Should Read This One:
-Fantasy fans, specifically those who like paranormal leanings, will love this one.
-If you were/are a fan of the Warrior series, liked the general idea of Twilight, and want more paranormal stories like those … get this one.
My Rating: 4 Stars.
This is a great first book in this new fantasy trilogy and I can’t wait to get my hands on book 2.
For Full Review: https://tabathashipleybooks.com/2022/...
May 14, 2022
I may be biased as the author, but I think this book is pretty good.
I started writing the first draft of Sidetracked in 2008, when I was in eighth grade. It was terrible. The story wasn't good. The characters weren't good. The writing was bad, and none of my characters had chemistry with each other. That draft, which filled three and a half single subject notebooks and ended around the halfway point of what is now the third book, was basically unreadable. Considering that, I couldn't be more proud of how the published version of Sidetracked (part 1) turned out. Age-appropriate or not, I think what I've written is exactly the series my thirteen-year-old self would have wanted to read--even if I imagine she would be ultimately disappointed by the direction the story takes and how the series ends (because my teenage self was both a dirty Ice simp and a merciless character killer).
Anyway, there are several scenes in this book that still make me laugh or cringe or feel unreasonably angry even after reading them hundreds of times, and that has to count for something.
I started writing the first draft of Sidetracked in 2008, when I was in eighth grade. It was terrible. The story wasn't good. The characters weren't good. The writing was bad, and none of my characters had chemistry with each other. That draft, which filled three and a half single subject notebooks and ended around the halfway point of what is now the third book, was basically unreadable. Considering that, I couldn't be more proud of how the published version of Sidetracked (part 1) turned out. Age-appropriate or not, I think what I've written is exactly the series my thirteen-year-old self would have wanted to read--even if I imagine she would be ultimately disappointed by the direction the story takes and how the series ends (because my teenage self was both a dirty Ice simp and a merciless character killer).
Anyway, there are several scenes in this book that still make me laugh or cringe or feel unreasonably angry even after reading them hundreds of times, and that has to count for something.
April 20, 2021
I was given a pre-released copy, being related has its perks. And I have to say, every time I think about it, the book, I get that pull in my stomach because I dont know when I'm going to get the second book in my hands.
It's such a great book. The main character is so relatable. I was cracking up left and right. And that kind of writing always pulls you in. Everything that happens to them, happens to you.
I couldn't put it down. I had it finished in 2 days. The author also puts a material warning in the book for anyone who may be sensitive to certain topics. Which I think is absolutely awesome.
It's such a great book. The main character is so relatable. I was cracking up left and right. And that kind of writing always pulls you in. Everything that happens to them, happens to you.
I couldn't put it down. I had it finished in 2 days. The author also puts a material warning in the book for anyone who may be sensitive to certain topics. Which I think is absolutely awesome.
July 28, 2024
Twilight vibes and drama
If you like slice of life dramas with a paranormal twilight-esq flair (except without the vampires), then look no further. Maybe it's because I knew a bit about the story and characters going in, but I found Jayde to be frustratingly naive throughout a lot of the book and a huge pushover. But maybe that's just part of her charm (at least for some readers).
If you like slice of life dramas with a paranormal twilight-esq flair (except without the vampires), then look no further. Maybe it's because I knew a bit about the story and characters going in, but I found Jayde to be frustratingly naive throughout a lot of the book and a huge pushover. But maybe that's just part of her charm (at least for some readers).
May 13, 2022
It's a slice of life but the pacing was incredibly slow. I also thought the main character was too plain and a bit boring. But the overall story and the enigmatic relationship was strong amd intriguing. If the pacing was fixed it might have made for a much stronger story overall. But I was fixated and eager to know what would happen.
June 21, 2023
What the actual heck! I absolutely did not see the twist coming. I was so happy with this. Probably one of my favourite books of the year so far! I absolutely have to read Borderline immediately, I need to know what happens next!
March 20, 2025
This didn't go as I expected, but in an interesting way. The ending really has me hooked and I can't wait to pick up the rest of the books.
April 2, 2022
This was a fun read for me because on the surface it seemed like it was going to be a shifter romance but as it went on, it became clear that there was something a lot more sinister going on. It was also a pretty quick read and there’s a lot of mystery trying to figure out who you can trust and who you can’t. Also - it has a lot of very relatable short girl content and I appreciated that, especially the scene about having to climb the grocery store shelves.
I’m going to be on the lookout for book 2, because things aren’t neatly wrapped at the end of book 1 and I am definitely invested in finding out what’s really going on.
I’m going to be on the lookout for book 2, because things aren’t neatly wrapped at the end of book 1 and I am definitely invested in finding out what’s really going on.
April 10, 2023
This was a shocking fantasy series starter that has me hooked
What I liked:
This story … WOW! it started out a little slow for me, the first few chapters in and I thought I wasn’t going to get into it. It picked up and then I couldn’t stop reading and needed more. I now can’t wait to read the second one.
The ending. I literally said “what the hell just happened” and started the page again. I am blown away. AMAZING ending, shocking, thrilling, and has left me so intrigued to read more. A perfect cliffhanger ending.
Night - She is a side character but I would read a whole book about her. She is great, and I love the way she seems to say what the reader is thinking too. Of course she has her secrets, but she was one of my favorites.
What I liked:
This story … WOW! it started out a little slow for me, the first few chapters in and I thought I wasn’t going to get into it. It picked up and then I couldn’t stop reading and needed more. I now can’t wait to read the second one.
The ending. I literally said “what the hell just happened” and started the page again. I am blown away. AMAZING ending, shocking, thrilling, and has left me so intrigued to read more. A perfect cliffhanger ending.
Night - She is a side character but I would read a whole book about her. She is great, and I love the way she seems to say what the reader is thinking too. Of course she has her secrets, but she was one of my favorites.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews