Book has good elements of fantasy that can grip the reader. Prose reads YA, probably a bit too much though but the pacing of the book was enough to keep me intrigued.

This one was not one I really enjoyed. I thought the story was off and the characters were just kind of ugh. I think this is one to check out before you commit to buying it.

I am first to admit I am not the biggest fan of vampire lore or movies. I saw how beautiful the cover art for Blood Born was and I read the description and I my interest was piqued to dip my toe in 'blood' and give it a fair chance.

Shelley Wilson has a strong suit and character development. The protagonists character was a young female; she was neither whiny or ultra-strong; she, was a growing individual throughout the read. The rest of the rest of the characters, also vampires, were great, too. I wish it got into their back stories a bit, but the friendship and bonds instantly made with a young 'nest' of vampires in refreshing in a world of digital bullying and failing morality.

Overall, this book is 3.5 star(s). for me. It was very close to a 4, but it ended too abruptly for the pro/antagonist in a heated moments in more than one moment in the book, and made me want a little more action. Overall, it was a good read, If you are into Vampires, dark academia, light thrillers, and a few twists, this book is for you. Thank you Net Galley for this ARC & Shelley Wilson.

Good and entertaining! If you like short and fast paced books this is the book for you!
Emma is a good character, and I liked the rest of the kids, I like the feeling of " school " if you like books like that!
It did not give me a lot of emotions, but the story was entertaining .
Thanks Netgalley for the opportunity to read this arc!

this was a really good! I liked the characters, and they were super well-developed. the plot was super cool and fun to read, and the writing was also smooth and easy to understand
highly recommend

This was a tough read. It was quick, like ripping off a bandaid. Our MC feels very familiar, like I’m reading some old vampire fic from the 2007-ish LiveJournal and WattPad days. Sometimes it’s nice to go back to that, but I really just wasn’t in the mood for it this time around.

I think this is a book you have to read when you’re in the right mood for it. It starts off right in the middle of the action, which is great. For a book with this kind of plot (very special MC with mysterious background and secrets hidden from her and then boom magical love interest), you want it to start off in media res. So I respect that. But that’s kind of where my favor stops.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Tween, vampire-obsessed me would have devoured Shelley Wilson’s Blood Born. I would have loved having age-appropriate vampire novels with a touch of romance then, and I was highly entertained by it now, even if I’m not part of the target demographic.

When Emma is turned into a vampire, her world is turned upside down. Her grandmother is kidnapped, a mysterious woman shows up on her doorstep promising to help her, and she meets a male vampire she has an instant attraction toward. All of this is hard to process for the loner who has always been haunted by a darkness she can’t quite explain. Now she needs to fight her own family, whom she’s only just learned about, to save her grandmother and her new-found friends at the Haven, a place for vampire half-breeds. Unfortunately, the vampire who changed her does not have Emma’s best interests in mind, and conflicting prophesies offer little guidance.

This is clearly the first in a series, as the ending is a bit of a cliffhanger. The plot has all the tropes one wants in YA vampire novel. Is the protagonist an orphan or have at least one dead parent? Check. Is the protagonist a loner? Check. Does the protagonist turn out to be a princess in hiding? Check. Is the vampire she falls for older and pretty good-looking? Check... I could go on. The romance side of the story is limited to a few kisses, so it’s not too steamy for younger readers. The biggest draw is the kick-ass main character, Emma. Despite her change and upheaval, she stays true to her values and proves to be strong and capable. She works to help and protect her friends and family.

I enjoyed Blood Born by Shelley Wilson and look forward to the sequels. I want to see how Emma confronts her future problems and learns to use her skills and strengths as a vampire.

I was incredibly thrilled to get this ARC as I love all things vampire!

The story starts out as a whirlwind and is truly fast-paced from the beginning. Honestly, this made sense to me as a reader because I felt more in the MC’s shoes. If my life was flipping upside down, I would be in a scramble and I felt like the fast-pace helped convey that.

One thing I did not like was that at the end of Chapter 1, the grandmother makes it seem like she is about to tell Emma everything that she found out after leaving the first time but then for Chapter 2, you are left hanging and nothing is handed over.

There were moments that felt like the thoughts weren’t complete or too rushed, but the story held together. Overall, although it felt clunky, I still enjoyed it for the most part and will absolutely be reading the next book!

I received a copy through NetGalley for review.

While it was a little bit clunky in the plot, the ideas were original.
I feel like if there had been a little more refining, editing and explanation it would have been a higher rating for me.

We meet Emma, a human girl who's constantly felt like she needed to stay away from people, I got the feeling she felt depressed and isolated, constant state of anxiety. She lived with Flora, who raised her after her mother died in childbirth.
But it later comes to light that the reason Emma always felt darkness around her was because her father was a full blooded vampire, and she was a Damphir. But she was human up until she was attacked and awakened as a full vampire.
Most vampires are created as Half-Bloods, they aren't born.

Emma is quickly thrust into the world of vampires, and it quickly becomes clear that everyone else knows more about Emma and her origins but for a while they seem unwilling to explain anything to her, they just keep telling her she's special. That she's different from the Half-Bloods.

Emma is a war with the two sides of herself and has to reconcile that both parts have been with her her entire life. That constantly feeling darkness most of her life and resisting its temptation has prepared her for her life as a vampire.

Themes of lost family, found family, battle, prophecy, vampire lore and legacy, a little romance, death, self acceptance.

3/5
J'ai assez aimé ce livre, le rythme est très rapide mais reste agréable, la logique du monde des vampires reste classique mais maîtrisée, et le personnage principal est adorable à suivre.
Cependant, il manque légèrement d'originalité et je n'aime vraiment pas le trope "jeune fille mineure en relation avec un immortel vieux de plusieurs décennies/siècles".
A voir ce que va donner la suite !

I quite liked this book, the pace is very fast but still pleasant, the logic of the world of vampires remains classic but controlled, and the main character is adorable to follow.
However, it is slightly lacking in originality and I really don't like the "underage girl in relation to a decades/centuries old immortal" trope.
To see what will come next!

I received an arc of this novel and this is my feedback

Wow. I am so ready for book two now. This was action packed vampire story for teens. Emma is the main character. She is attacked and left for dead. She navigates the world like a newbie until her grandmother Flora disappears. Then it’s chaos teenaged emotions revelations(can’t reveal because spoilers) and a crushy poo on an older vamp named James.

I really dug it. It was fun without being fluffy. Heavy scenes of violence though so if that isn’t your bag then I would avoid it. But honestly it is a vampire book so why wouldn’t it have gore violence and blood.

It was quick, fun read, perfect for fans of Vampire Academy and Twilight. I think this book would be best suited for younger readers for the quick pacing and lots of characters. The initial plot was solid enough, but I think it could use a little more details on settings etc for better world building. But overall, it was fun :)

Emma, after being turned into a vampire, discovers family secrets and a world she didn't know existed. Once there, she quickly makes friends as well as enemies. While navigating this new life, she finds herself in the middle of a war between Immortals and Rogues.

Fast paced and perfect for a younger crowd, this story takes you into a world where even vampires aren't immune to prejudice.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was a very quick read and while some of the book was dark, it was also fun. My only suggestion would be to have the characters developed a bit more.

Thank you #netgalley and #bhcpress and the author for this cARC in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed this book with the traditional vampire lore and "nests". However I felt that some parts were a bit slow with over-explanation and I felt slightly bored in the middle with a lot of when Emma meets the coven of vampires, it just dragged a bit for me. However the twists were interesting and I liked reading about different types of vampires, there was a lot of actual lore you don't find in most books. Also I liked Emma as an MC she seemed very independent and strong without being annoying.

Fantastically gripping story features Emma, ripped from her life before her time, it is impossible not to feel heartbreak for her tragedy. Her tricky relationships with her grandmother and other acquaintances become highly volatile and highlight the change in her. Her journey then leads her through conflict and twists, drama and darkness as she tentatively steps into the middle of a history of rivalry and war between immortals and rogues as she follows the long road to her destiny. A wonderful, exciting read with everything from shock, horror and the ultimate choice between winning and losing.

It was quick, fun read, perfect for fans of Vampire Academy and Twilight. I think this book would be best suited for younger readers for the quick pacing and lots of characters. The initial plot was solid enough, but I think it could use a little more details on settings etc for better world building. But overall, it was fun :)

I'm not sure what my opinion of this book really is. I felt it read like a first or second story on wattpad or other social writing network. The writing was mediocre, the story a bit dis-jointed and frustrating to follow. And in the end of it all the author rushed the story to bring about a strange ending that can only be resolved with a second book. Will I be reading the second installment - honestly, no, not unless I am looking for a very short read between other better written works.

1/5 stars. I wanted to like this book. I enjoy vampire stories and had heard good things about other titles by this author. Unfortunately, this book had a confusing, disjointed storyline and the FMC seemed to forget from one page to the next, what she knew. Early on, she admits that clearly, she is now a vampire. Four pages later she is screaming in confusion at being affected by sunlight. She is shocked that she wants to drink blood, even though this is a world where creatures like vampires exist. I wish I could say the story gets better, but it doesn't. This read like poorly constructed fan fiction, rather than a developed story.

I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily