2/5 Stars + 0/5 Spice

- YA Romance/Fantasy
- Vampires
- Dual POV
- Switches between timelines

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher Second Sky and the author Shalini Boland for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

This book is not at all what I expected. Let me start by saying this book is not bad, I am just not its intended audience. I’m not even sure YA is an accurate classification, I have read and enjoyed plenty of YA that felt way more mature than this.

This book switched between two points of view and timelines one being 1881 Paris/Turkey and the other being modern day England. The beginning of this book took forever - the main plot began around 65% of the way through the book according to my kindle. The beginning of this book was unnecessarily long in my opinion. I believe it could have been significantly condensed and the main plot line been given more time. Like, *ahem* the romance plot, or honestly lack there of.

When the main plot line does finally pick up I’m not going to lie it left me wanting. The romance plot line left a lot to be desired *ba dum tss* - unintentional pun (I like to think I’m funnier than I am). It is in no way explicit by any means, and honestly the progression was not super believable.

This book features foster care, vampires and a great deal of wealth. The FMC is newly 17 and has a 12 year old brother. She inherits a huge estate and a large sum of money and more responsibility than should be even remotely considered appropriate for her age. The vampiric elements of this book are definitely different and unique compared to other popular depictions of vampires in the media - although a lot is still unknown by the end of this book.

Honestly, I believe this book is geared towards young teens. The pacing, content and overall maturity of language is very adolescent. As I found this book difficult to engage with and honestly hard to get through I do not believe I will be picking up any more books in this series.

Madison Greene and her brother Ben, were used to living in care and were currently living with Trevor and Angie. Things weren’t great, Trevor was an alcoholic and would lose his temper quite easily and whatever Madison did seemed to wind him up. However, on her seventeenth birthday her fortunes changed and she inherited an old mansion and quite a lot of money, more than she ever dreamed of. It meant that Madison and Ben could leave foster care and live together while paying off Trevor and Angie with money and a house, then only having contact for Social Services purposes.

Madison and Ben loved living at the mansion, there were nine bedrooms, they had Morris and Esther to look after them and the house although there was a bigger workforce that looked after the grounds. They just had a whale of a time exploring the place and the grounds. Madison took to exploring the house including the cellar where she found some dusty boxes which she was determined to get into. When she did, she found five statues that looked like they were made of porcelain, their skin was so smooth. She knew at once that she had to protect these statues, that they were important and she was drawn to one more than the others. She often sat by him, running her fingers through his hair, softly touching his face. Then one day, he sits up, draws her wrist to his mouth and sucks her blood. She manages to get to bed, where the next day Ben finds her suffering with sweats, going hot and cold. He gets Morris who calls the doctor. He reckons it’s flu but he is concerned when he sees her wrist but he bandages it up so it will heal well and starts her on antibiotics. It takes a few days for her fever to break then she gets her strength back and is back to normal. She gets annoyed when the same happens to Ben and spoils their first Christmas at Marchwood.

She tries to kill the one she is drawn to as she now knows what he is. Madison thinks about leaving the house but then she has to give up her inheritance and the house then she will have nothing. She can’t do it. But whatever she does she can’t harm the statue. Next, she uses her landrover to drag the box out into the open, thinking sunlight might harm him. It does! Then he tries crawling back into Marchwood and Madison follows…

Can Madison kill him now? Will she want to? Will the others wake up?

This is a great read for paranormal romance readers, lovers of vampire stories, I really enjoyed it as I like those genres too. Madison is a great character. A true teenager with a chip on her shoulder but very protective of her twelve year old brother Ben, which is nice to see. After years in the care system and not being loved, she is now looking after herself with a pot of money and an allowance I’d like to spend each month! The book goes between the present and the past, which is something I like as you learn the history of the present. The book is well written, the plot is good and it is well researched. It’s the first book of a trilogy and I will be looking to read book two to see what happens next.

I loved this book! The mix between the past and the present really added to the drama and made the book exciting to read. This book is perfect for lovers of twilight who want a less cheesy feel, and I can’t wait to read the rest in the series!

Vampires ,love and danger.......Hidden is the first in a trilogy of stories setting up the characters that you will become obsessed with.
When a teenager inherits a beautiful mansion with wealth beyond her wildest dreams, Madison and her brother Ben think life is amazing. Little do they know what awaits them in the cellar. Madison explores one day alone and finds Alexandre a sleeping vampire who she wakes up violently, (you,I'll find out why), and after a short while they find that they've fallen in love with each other. All seems perfect but as all stories tell you, nothing is perfect for long!!.
I love the writing style, it was easy to be drawn in and be right in the story!. The plot was exciting and not a bore and I found nothing predictable, well, apart from the love!!. Then the end left a real cliffhanger......
I can't wait to read the next book in the series. It's going to be glued to my hand if it's as good as this first book!!.
I received this free ARC book for an honest review.
#Netgalley, #shaboland, #secondskybooks.

I firstly want to thank Shalini Boland, Net Galley and Second Sky for giving me the opportunity to read this book early in exchange for an honest review.

The idea of this story did really pull me in and I was curious with how the story would carry. And it did not live up to its expectations, I was so close to DNFing this book but only kept up cuz I wanted to give it a chance.

Now I want to start of by saying this seems to be wrote for a much younger audience than it seems to be marketed. I feel even a YA seems too old for this book it felt to me for a much younger audience. I would say max 14 years old.

I found the story very difficult to enjoy.

I much preferred the past timeline of Alexandre I found it much more interesting and it contained some substance. The future with Maddy didn't really hit home for me.

I was honestly relieved when this book was finished. Too many plot holes too many irritating characters. Too much just not making any sense! And it's a republish! You would think it would have have had a better editor this time around.

I voluntarily read an advanced copy of Hidden by Shalini Boland. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC.

There was way too much teenage angst for me to get into this book. I am OK with some, everyone in the world is against me vibes, but this book just dove in and never let up. At least in the several chapters I have read. I found myself disliking the writing style, especially when it came to the dialog, to the point that I couldn't go forward. Hidden is not the book for me. But, as usual, I recommend giving it a try because it might not annoy others as much as it did me.

This is review for a blog tour of an entire series and my review, even if details my opinion for each book, will be on the entire series.
I wanted to read these books as I am a sucker to everything vampire since I read Dracula ages ago. I think that the modern vampire was recreated by Anne Rice and there was an explosion at the beginning of the XXI century (Twilight anyone?)
When I started this series, I was very happy to discover that, even if the MCs are teens, they were not similar to the characters of Twilight or Vampire Diaries as they’re considered a sort of archetype for this type of books.
Ms Boland created two original characters and I loved Madison and Alexander as they’re well rounded and strong character.
I felt for Madison as she’s a girl who lost a lot and her only family is her brother Ben. She’s lucky and inherits a big mansion, the start of an incredible adventure. Her relationship with Ben is strong and sweet.
Alexander is a well rounded and energetic boy, he is the one who will drive Madison into a fantastic adventure and I liked hime.
Hidden is the first book in this series and, I think, the slowest one as it introduces the characters and there’s a lot of word building.
It kept me turning pages and I enjoyed it.
Taken is the second book in this series and it didn’t suffer from the book-in-the-middle syndrome. There’s a lot of developments, new characters and more world building.
It’s fast paced and I appreciated how the author developed a fast-paced plot that kept me turning pages and on the edge.
The storytelling is excellent and I liked the world building and how the plot flow.
Hunted is the grand finale, the switches between timeline but kept me hooked and inhaling this story as I wanted to know what was going to happen.
Action packed, full of twists and a firework of end that left me satisfied.
I thoroughly enjoyed this series and hope there will be other stories set in this universe.
I thank Second Sky for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Thank you NetGalley for providing this e-ARC, all opinions are my own.
Sadly this book was not for me. I had to DNF at 20%. My main issue was that I just could not find anything likable about Madison. She was very annoying and bratty to me. Alex was considerably more likable.
I do however think that someone who enjoys young and unlikable characters MC could really like reading this book.

Quite frankly out of the 25 books I have read so far this year... this has got to be my favourite! I just LOVED it! I devoured it! I loved every single word on the page...well audiobook.

As soon as I saw Vampires, I signed up. I love everything to do with the vamps. I just had such high hopes for this book, and I really was not disappointed...far from it! From that opening sequence, I was hooked. I got the audiobook (this is based on the original book so there might be bits missing, I did pick up on a couple of errors) because I knew I wanted to be listening to this as much as possible, and it just so happened I had a 4-hour car journey the next day.... now normally when in the car, I get a bit tired and change over for music to liven the journey home up... nope not with this book, I was even considering getting "lost" just so I could carry on listening to it!! I just couldn't get enough. I have never been more excited for a Monday morning I tell you!!

The tale is reminiscent of a few different vampire tales, pulling in different elements, but I still found this really refreshing to read. It definitely set itself apart from other books and that's down to the author and her characters. I was just obsessed, I cared, and I was in love!!

I felt every teenage angst for Maddy, especially during the party and the discovery of the secret room. I was wondering how she would be related to the Marchwood vampires and of course, who doesn't love the dash of romance to boot! I hope we see more of Esther and Morris - the kick-ass couple they are!! I have a few ideas as to who one of them might be.

I really want the audiobook for the next book as I just want to keep listening but for now, I will wait. I will come back to Maddy and Alex soon as I fear a lot more darkness will come their way...

This book is a fantastic start to a new YA Vampire series. It has multiple timelines that eventually intersect, as well as MPOVs.

For me, the beginning to longer than I wanted it too, but it was understandable and needed, so that both past and present could merge correctly. I think the author did an amazing job with that part specifically, bc while I REALLY just wanted it to hurry up and "get to the good stuff", I still really enjoyed the background and buildup.
Once the timelines met up, I definitely enjoyed the story even more. Maddy and Alex made me giggle quite a bit, as did their relationships/banter with the siblings and friends.

The book is definitely a little on the longer side (500pgs via Kindle), and does take a little bit to get going, so make sure you're can settle in uninterrupted before you start. As far as spice, it's more puppy love/fluff then 🌶, but it works for who/where the characters are in their lives. It's cute and sweet.

If you read the 1st chapter excerpt for the 2nd book, at the end of this one, you will have a heck of cliff hanger waiting for you. I will definitely be grabbing the rest of the series and expect it to get even better as the story progresses!

Special thanks to NetGalley/Shalini Boland&Publisher for allowing me to read this fantastic story!

At first this was a little slow but well worth the wait. Absolutely adored the characters, plot and dual chapters and povs. Alex is the dream and the ending made me so happy and also eager to pick up book 2

This was different than other vampire books. There seems to be only one way to kill them.
When Madison turned 17 she found out that her and her brother, Ben inherited this house and a lot of money.
Looking all through the house she finds a room that is locked up tight and she wants to find out what is hidden. Vampires.
Loved how Madison tried making friends with her old high school friends by having a party only to find out having a party isn't all that it is cracked up to be.
She meets a guy to be her DJ and they are friends but he wants more from her.
The story is in the present and 1881 fluctuates throughout the book so you get to know the families back when.
Thank you NetGalley and Second Sky for the book to review.

Rounded up from 3.5

Hidden is a young adult vampire romance, told in two timelines, 1881 and the modern day.

In modern day England, Madison is an orphan, her only family is her younger brother Ben. On her seventeenth birthday, she finds out that she's inherited Marchwood Manor, along with a whole load of cash. It's a dream come true, but Madison is wary after her upbringing in the foster care system. She discovers there is a catch: sleeping vampires are living in the house.

Both Alexandre and Madison are really likeable characters that I rooted for through the story.

Madison is damaged by the death of her mother and subsequent years in care, which makes her a bit prickly, but she shows her softer side with her younger brother Ben.

Alexandre is an impetuous person. His curiosity and headstrong nature has a tendency to get him into trouble. I really enjoyed the parts in the past focussed on him and how he became a vampire, which added a bit of action and tension to the story.

As this is the first book of the series, it spent a lot of time really setting up the story for the other novels in the series, so ‌it was a little slow paced in places but I loved the open ending that makes you want to know what happens next for Alexandre and Madison.

All three books are available now so I can easily see someone binge reading these novels!

If you're looking for a sweet vampire YA romance with a bit of adventure thrown in, then I'd highly recommend Hidden to you.

Hidden by Shalini Boland is the first book in the Vampires of Marchwood series, and it is an addictive young adult vampire romance filled with mystery, suspense, and a touch of darkness. The story follows Madison Greene, a 17-year-old girl who inherits an old mansion and wealth beyond her wildest dreams on her seventeenth birthday. As she steps through the creaking door of the sprawling building, she realizes her life in foster care is in the past, and her world has changed forever. But what she doesn't know is that Marchwood House hides a secret, and her life will never be the same again.

The book is divided into two timelines, one set in the present day, and the other set in Paris and Turkey in the late 1880s. The present-day storyline focuses on Madison, who spends her days exploring and learning more about her ancestors. While discovering crates and boxes of old clothing and other items, Madison learns there are secrets buried in the basement that come with the house. As she investigates further, she stumbles upon a set of large, dusty boxes in the basement and finds herself staring at the most handsome face she's ever seen. High cheekbones, porcelain skin… And when he wakes up and locks eyes with her, she realizes her heart already belongs to him, even though her head is screaming at her to get as far away from Marchwood as possible.

The second timeline takes us back to Paris and Turkey in the late 1880s and follows Alexandre, a vampire who has a dark and dangerous past. Alexandre and his family head to Turkey for several months to work at an archeology site. They are warned by the local village people to stay away from that dog site as there are night demons that once wiped out an entire population. Believing the stories to be just that, the group continues working to discover what is hidden below ground. What they find will change their lives forever.

The author does an excellent job of weaving these two timelines together, creating a captivating and engaging story that keeps the reader hooked from beginning to end. The characters are well-developed and likable, and the romance between Madison and Alexandre is sweet and genuine. The book has a great balance of mystery, suspense, and romance, and the pacing is just right. The plot is intriguing, and the author's writing style is engaging and easy to read.

One of the things I enjoyed most about this book is the way the author explained the past and gave us the backstory of how the vampires came to be. It was fascinating to see how the events in the past were connected to the present and how they affected the characters' lives. The world-building is fantastic, and the author creates a rich and detailed world filled with vampires, werewolves, and other supernatural creatures.

I absolutely love a Vampire Ya book and this one did not disappoint. I enjoyed how the book explained the past and gave us the backstory and how they became Vampires. I enjoy the characters and find them well rounded. The plot was a little slow to start but once it took off it was at a good pace. I’m really looking forward to reading the next book after that ended!

Thank you to Second Sky, the author and Netgalley for an EARC of this book in exchange for an honest review

Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Publication date: March 21, 2023

Hidden is the first book is a YA Vampire series by Shalini Boland. I didn’t realize this is a previously published series that has been polished, updated and republished. After researching a bit about the author, it appears the original series was self published and the author updated and released to capture a wider audience.

This series starts as a dual timeline story. The first, present day storyline focuses on Madison Greene, a 17 year old in foster care with her younger brother Ben. Their story takes place in England.

Madison and Ben have lived the last couple of years in the same home after being shuffled from different care homes over the years. On Madison’s 17th birthday she is approached by a lawyer informing her she is rightful heir of a large estate in a small village and will receive a large monthly allowance provided she lives in the house for 10 years.

Madison and Ben are taken to the estate where Madison spends her days exploring and learning more about her ancestors. While discovering crates and boxes of old clothing and other items, Madison learns there are secrets that come with the house, buried in the basement.

The second timeline takes place between Paris and Turkey in the late 1880’s. Alexandre and his family head to Turkey for several months to work at an archeology site. Alexandre’s parents are employed by wealthy European families to find long lost treasures.

Alexandre and his siblings have never accompanied their parents on these adventures before but one scandalous evening at a ball, has them heading out of Paris society for a few months.

The local village people share legends and warnings to Alexandre and his family. Stay away from that dog site, there are night demons that once wiped out an entire population. Believing the stories to be just that, the group continues working to discover what is hidden below ground. What they find will change their lives forever.

This is a young YA story and is a clean romance/adventure vampire theme. I found some parts dragged a little but ultimately kept my interest throughout. This is a 3.5 star read for me. Recommend for a young audience or others who enjoy younger YA books.

#NetGalley #hidden #ShaliniBoland

My first book by this author, and my first book similar to this & I AM HOOKED! Like hook line and suckerrrrr! This book is an amazing read!!

I absolutely loved this book. The characters were very developed and I was invested from the beginning.

I think that the plot began quite slowly and I struggled going back and forth to the flashbacks to 1881, but as I got further into the story I did appreciate the plot and character building Shalini Boland provided.

Present timeline we follow Maddy, Maddy is your typical angsty teen. She does come with trauma and baggage. She feels like nothing is going right in her life, that is until one day everything changes.

Then there is Alexandre from Paris in 1881, he was younger, single and handsome. We follow him as he embarks on an expedition to dig up and discover cursed accident catacombs.

I believe I’m a bit older than the target demographic of the book, while it has a nice slow romance and vampire fantasy.

Due to the main character's age and the way she behaves and dialogue I had a hard time staying with the story but as a young adult that this is aimed towards I would say it has the teen drama and angst and feel the writing is perfect for its aimed audience.

Would I recommend this book? Yes, I would. It is a great read and enjoyable if you are the target audience or you don’t mind the teen angst and drama.

This is something new from Shalini Poland that I've really enjoyed reading; it hooks you in and keeps you there. I enjoyed the dual timeline and the aspect of the foster/ family relationship and I would definitely recommend!!