Touching Fate

I was pleasantly surprised with how much fun this book was. I thought the plot of the story was so interesting. I have never read a book like this before, and I thought Brenda did a great job of creating a fun and magical storyline. The main male character, Reese, was so swoon worthy. I adored him and his adorable accent. He was my favorite character in this book. I also really liked the other main character, Aster. She was snarky, loyal, and brave. She tried her best to understand her powers and save the ones she loved. I really admired that. 

My major complaint about this book was that the romance developed too quickly, and that was why I didn't give this book a higher rating. Aster and Reese definitely had a lot of cute moments, but they were just too sudden. It made the romance feel a little unbelievable. I would have liked to see them have more of a slow burning romance. I also felt like the romance almost took over the plot of the book. I would have liked to seen the romance dialed back a bit. 

Overall, I enjoyed this book! I would definitely recommend this book to people who like YA romances mixed with magic, strong family ties, and friendship. 

3.5  / 5 Fangs

*This ebook was given to me in exchange for a honest review.*

I really wasn't sure what to expect when I started this book. The description grabbed me right away. It was so unlike anything I previously. The book sounded so good, I started reading it immediately.
WOW!! I'm soooo glad I picked up this story. It was better than I even hoped! This book rocked!
The author pieced together a wonderfully original and compelling young adult book.
A story centered on gypsies and tarot card magic was refreshing. It was a unique take on fate and curses. I couldn't put it down!
Everything about this book was worth the read. There wasn't even a downside or complaint when I finished the Touching Fate.
Overall, this book deserves five glittery stars and more. This young adult story is a must read for fall 2015!

This was a first read for me by Brenda Drake and I was really surprised at how well I liked it. I am usually not into the tarot cards and all that psychic stuff, but this story had me hooked from the beginning. Brenda did an excellent job combining romance, suspense and drama. I was hooked from the very beginning and could not wait to find out what was going on with Aster and Reese.

Aster is a young lady that was not into all the psychic stuff and was just going about her life until her friend and one of her sister's get her to have a tarot card reading. What they don't know is the ability that Aster has to change the fate of things and who they happen to. It took awhile for the girls to really figure out what was going on. In the meantime, Aster has meet Reese. Reese is from Holland and has a curse on him, but Aster does not know this. Reese wants to get to know Aster because he knows that she can change the fate of the curse that has been put on his family.

While Aster is trying to figure out how to keep from hurting her family and involving them in the fates that she is able to change, there are several situations that happen and scare Aster. The suspense and action in this story keep you turning the pages. I was really into this story and did not want it to end. Will Aster be able to change the fate of Reese's family curse or will she find out what he is using her for and let him take the fall? You need to read this story to find out!! Such a great read and just the right amount of everything to make a great story line. I can't wait for more from Brenda!!

22840462 Samantha Joyce's review Oct 06, 15  ·  edit 5 of 5 stars Read from September 28 to October 06, 2015

**Thank you to Netgalley and Entangled for the eARC in return for an honest review **

Omigosh! This book! I was so flipping excited to read it when I saw the synopsis, and I wasn't disappointed!

It's hard to share too much of this story without spoilers, but it comes down to Aster (and her discovery she can reverse a person's fate with the touch of a Tarot card) and Reese (and the fact that he is supposed to die in a few weeks on his eighteenth birthday, thanks to a family curse). When Reese learns of Aster's ability, he tries to get close to her so she will reverse his fate, only to have things get much more complicated than he thought they would be.

I absolutely adored the concept of someone with the ability to change a person's fate. It's so clever, and something I hadn't seen before. And I liked Aster as a character. She has her sullen moments, but so did I as a teen girl, and I didn't have to deal with half the issues she does. Aster's family is a character all their own, made up of a baking grandma, a mother obsessed with flowers, and a slew of sisters with all of their own problems. I found myself wanting to sit in that house and just let them exist around me.

Reese and his friends were another favorite for me. Knowing he's going to die soon gives Reese his darker moments, but also doesn't separate him from his humanity. When he begins to have feelings for Aster and learns what changing his fate will mean for her, the decision he is faced with is anyone's worst nightmare. 

The pace of the book was unrelenting. I read it quickly, because I needed to know what happened next. And just when you think the stakes can't get higher, they do. I absolutely devoured the last few pages, only to be sad I was done.

Brenda Drake has created a unique concept with fun characters (and teens who drink, and swear, and even have sex! Yay, realistic teens!) and a fast pace. If you want a good read about fated love and whether it can or can't be changed, I highly recommend TOUCHING FATE.

I really enjoyed this book. It was an easy read, sometimes a bit frustrating but overall I had a good time reading this book.

I loved the whole story. The cursed boy that will die on his 18th birthday. The girl that doesn't know that she has the ability to change fates. I thought it was really well thought out and written.

I also really liked Aster as a character. I loved the moments she had with her family and with her best friend, Leah, who I also really liked. Reese, I don't like him. Which is weird. But I never felt for him. I didn't want him to die due to his curse or anything but yeah, didn't like him at all. Therefore I also didn't really felt anything about the relationship that was build in the story and was actually way more interested in the parts of the story that dealt with the fatechanging and the figuring out, how to actually break the curse without bringing it over to Aster's family.

Touching Fate by Brenda Drake is a fast-paced, fun, and highly entertaining YA read. From page one consider me hooked. Writers know what an asset Ms. Drake has been in the writing community so getting to read her first novel was not only an honor but something I couldn't wait to do. First off, this novel's premise is unique and I enjoyed Aster's 'talent' with Tarot cards and changing fate. Reese is a nice guy (for someone dealing with a curse) and totally worthy of his instant fangirl-over status (that letter*sigh*). Having both characters narrate fills in a lot and helps readers create a fuller picture. The story had the added bonus of being really intense with the encroaching date of Reese's 'doomed' 18th birthday. Can we talk about the tension?

Overall, I really enjoyed Touching Fate. Magic, Gypsies, curses, fate and romance combined together keep readers not only engrossed but entertained.

Touching Fate was a really good book. The mystery of how and if the curse could be broken kept me turning pages. I liked all the characters, although Asters’ family and other supporting characters could have been a little more developed for my taste. The book focuses mainly on Aster and Reese, even though Aster has three sisters, a mother, and a grandmother, they’re not talked about much in the book, other than to show how Aster’s actions changing fates are causing her family members to have problems. I felt like there was opportunity to show more interactions between the family so the reader could get a better sense of how they all felt about each other and how they worked together as a family, but that didn’t happen. Reese is great though, he’s good looking, and even though he first approaches Aster with the intention of getting her to lift his curse, knowing the repercussions for her, he changes his mind and realizes it would be wrong to ask her to do that. I thought Touching Fate was an enjoyable, quick read that kept a good pace. I never felt bored with it, and I really liked the story. I just felt that there were aspects of it that could have made it a more substantial read. I read it in about four or five hours, and I think it was an enjoyable way to spend my time. I recommend it if you’re looking for something light, with some magic involved, some romance, and a fast read. 4 stars

I'm not much of a reader of young adult, but I found the theme of Touching Fate to be so unique. I don't think I've ever seen an idea like a fate changer, using Tarot cards. That alone had me wanting to read. 

The ending couldn't happen fast enough. And by that I mean that I was dying to see what happened. I was so tempted to cheat and jump to the end.

For me there was just enough romance without being all clingy and in your face. The characters remained themselves and weren't the type to get complete absorbed in love. It certainly matter to them, but I liked the backbone they showed about keeping on when times got tough in their relationship.

An enjoyable and fun read!