Review of The Hidden by Kelley R. Martin

The Hidden

by Kelley R. Martin

 

★★★★★

 

Synopsis:

 

College freshman Emily Hayes knows lots of things. She knows she’s adopted, and she knows her gorgeous but infuriating classmate, Thomas, is awakening a desire inside her unlike anything she’s ever felt. What Emily doesn’t know? She isn’t human, and neither is Thomas.

For millennia, two immortal races have lived among us, hiding in plain sight. Known as The Hidden, they’re embroiled in a bitter battle for supremacy. Emily soon finds herself thrust into the supernatural world she was purposefully sheltered from, where those close to her aren’t always who they claim to be. Like Thomas, who turns out to be not only a figure from Emily’s past, but a Healer–an immortal with rapid healing powers.

With Emily’s own transition into immortality fast approaching, she has no idea what she’s in for, or that her unique background will put her in the middle of their centuries-old conflict. Who can she trust when both sides want her dead?

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I was asked to review this by Kelley and I'm so glad to have been given the opportunity-- what a great debut novel! I just loved it. First of all, I'm a little obsessed with that gorgeous cover! I admit, I'm sometimes a judge-a-book-by-its-cover kind of girl, as much as I hate to admit it, and I just love this one.

 

I won't go into too many details regarding the story because I don't want to give anything away. There are a few little surprises in there and you should enjoy them as they come. We have Emily, who is a very likable and relatable character. She's smart, she stands up for herself, she's...adaptable. I really like Emily. I like that she actually tries to THINK about things as they happen, she's rational. Her reactions to things seemed very realistic-- I probably would have reacted the same way in similar situations. Then we have Thomas. I just LOVED Thomas. New book boyfriend? Quite possibly. Thomas is said to be a big man-whore and womanizer, but that isn't who he is at all. He does have a sordid past, which Emily eventually comes to realize, but not in that way. It's obvious that Thomas has a good heart and he falls hard for Emily.

 

Obviously this book has a paranormal element to it. I honestly wish there would have been a bit MORE of the paranormal. I love a good romance, but I found myself wanting just a bit more action. Even with that, I still loved this book. The sex scenes in this book were pretty frequent and pretty steamy-- I'm not complaining ;) That was a little surprise, as was some of the language used. But, like I said, I didn't mind. The ending definitely left me wanting more. I wouldn't call it a cliffhanger, but it really has me wanting this sequel to hurry up! This book held my interest the entire time and I became really invested in the characters, I didn't want it to end. Very, very good book-- especially for a debut! I can't want to read more from Kelley and I really can't wait for book two!

 

A couple of quotes I liked:

 

I felt sorry for the little things. “They look so…sad.”

“Maybe they were taken from the wild. Perhaps they’re depressed because they miss their mates. I’d be depressed too if I was separated from my soul mate.”

I looked away from the tank, up to his dimly lit face.

“You believe in soul mates?”

“I do now,” he said with a trace of a smile"

 

“Em, I love you so much it hurts. I would do anything for you. I’d die for you, and I know you’d do the same, so don’t you dare stand there and tell me you’d rather have a lifetime of nothing special than a few years of something extraordinary.”