Quite a slow start to this YA vampire fantasy romance.
The chapters going back to Alexandre are a long spread out prologue and whilst it was a good way to discover Alexandre and how he came to be it just felt a little slow.
Madison seems to be a typical teenage girl and then gets drastically boring and lacking when she goes to Marchwood.
The romance is just words no real spark or chemistry but the vampire story is engrossing and intriguing with something a little different from the norm.

The book was provided to me as an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review

3.75 ⭐
I would like to thank NetGalley, the publishers and mostly the author of this book for providing me with an Arc of this book in return for an honest review.

This book will be published on the 21st of March

Personally I recommend going into this book blind (without reading the book description aka the blurb)

The plot
Going into this book I thought that It would be this romance between a vampire and a teenage girl, kind of like The Vampire Diaries, IT WAS NOT. But I'm honestly not complaining since I really enjoyed the plot of this book and how it wasn't that predictable since it kept switching between POVs and timelines. This book isn't exactly a romance book but a book about a teenage girl in foster care and a boy from the 19th century who end up meeting. It does take a while to understand what is happening since, again, it switches between the two's POVs and their timelines but, when they do, It is both cute and hilarious.

The Characters
Madison
Madison's character was written amazingly! She acted like this rebellious teen but this act was solemnly to protect herself and her younger brother from any harm and from their foster parents. It was very obvious that she was just a scarred girl who wanted the best upbringing for her younger brother whom she believed was her only family. Her foster family made me so freaking mad!!!

The both made me go absolutely feral but their characters just reflect true foster care and why a handful of people do it which shouldn't be acceptable .

Alexandre
Alexandre is a teenage boy from 1881 and when he causes a bit of an issue which goes against the social rules at a ball, he is forced to travel with his parents to Turkey. Since the two characters were speaking in completely different timelines (LIKE COMPLETELY) 1881 and the present, it was a bit confusing on how the two would cross passes since it takes about 75% of the book to get to the main plot. Even though it takes a while to understand, I was entertained with them switching POVs..

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I'm honestly looking very forward to the second book in this series and will definitely keep an eye out for it on NetGalley especially with how this book ended!

The plot kind of reminds be of vampire diaries in a way. But basically here’s kinda what happens. Girl is found by mysterious lawyer telling her she’s a descendent of a dead rich dude and now owns a mansion, mansion has creepy room with a dead body and some times with sleeping vampires. Girl thinks they are just really realistic looking statues. Vampire wakes up girl falls in love with vampire, and so on. The idea of the story I liked, but the book itself wasn’t something I enjoyed. I could not get interested at all. The writing style i felt like didn’t flow, and I also thought the intro and first couple of chapters were just really really slow. And then in the middle it gets super fast paced. I also could not make myself life the characters I felt like they were pretty generic. Overall this books wasn’t my type of book, but I can think of some people that would enjoy it.

Unfortunately this book just wasn't for me.
I absolutely love a good vampire book and I have read all types but for me I just couldn't get into the storyline.
I did however prefer Alexandre story and I think if it would of been a story just about him and his life then I would of enjoyed it more. He was an interesting character.
Maddy was very immature admitted it did keep in with her character after all she is a teenager. But I didn't feel the two characters merged well together.
If you like vampire books with teen angst then give it a try.

Firstly I would love to thank the author Shalini Boland for writing this beautiful book and the publishers and NetGalley for accepting me so I could get an advanced copy to review.

"Falling in love has never been so dangerous…"
An opening blurb like that, okay YESSSS I am HOOKED. I am 100% here for it. So you bet I requested a copy of this book ASAP, and read it right there and then!!

The book starts with a little backstory, a little teaser if you will. Then you are trusted into Madison Greene's life. She and her brother have been in the system since she was seven (I believe) and she is known as a bit of a troublemaker. She doesn't always intentionally get herself into bad situations, BUT the struggles of being a kid without an adult who cares about you and is ready to back you up. That shit is hard, so no one believes her.

Then she is suspended, she is working with her foster mum at a supermarket, and she gets approached by this man in a suit. He is asking all of these questions and informs her she is coming into a great fortune. Yippee right? Not quite, there are a few stipulations to her getting this money and this estate.

Think old money, because these people have spent over 100 years trying to track down just one person who has even an ounce of blood relation to the owner. OVER A HUNDRED YEARS.

But anyways, she has to live in the massive mansion for at least 10 months out of a year, if she wants to see any of that money that is currently hanging over her head.

Now the prosperity has seen better days, obviously because it's taken so long to find someone to hand it down to. But, it also had this man in the basement, Maybe it's a bit of art, a statue, but not quite. It, he, wakes up and that's where the fun starts to happen.

Because again, "Falling in love has never been so dangerous…"

Especially when his a vampire...

This book took me a while to get into if I am being honest. In the end, I didn't mind it. It's not going to be my favourite read of the year. But I am happy I got the chance to read it, and I will be reading the second book. If you are about halfway and feeling a little iffy, like the story is struggling with a point. You got to remember that it is supposed to be a series. And just wait for the ending!

A great start to what I hope is a great series! Some details feel a little unbelievable like approaching a 17 year old girl about an inheritance and having to pay off her foster parents, as terrible as they were.. why not wait another year till she’s 18 and they would no longer be an issue? They already waited over a hundred years to find the right descendant. The flashbacks between maddy and Ben to Alexandre and his friends/family was very smooth and intriguing, something it’s hard for even big named authors to achieve. When both worlds collide the magic begins. I have to admit at about 80% through this book I was thinking this is all very nice and such but there doesn’t seem a point we’re heading to.. the final shoe drops just after this point and creates lots of future use supernatural drama as well as reuniting love between vampires and human

A good read if you want vampires mixed with high school drama.

First you get the girl, troublemaker. Despises her foster parents and school. Likes to be free and wild. And her brother, how is like an angel compared to her. Drama ensues. Next they become multi millionaires and get to live in a mansion on their own. Drama. She finds statues in her house. These statues are actually vampires and one wakes up. Drama.

An interesting concept for a world with vampires. Definitely different than your usual stories. I liked the history of how they became vampires.

Personally, I just didn’t enjoy reading it. The characters were bland and it was hard to feel anything other than irritation over how childish they seemed (which is understandable because they are young). Add to that, a 17 year old is allowed all this fortune quite suddenly and to raise her 12 year old brother on her own? That seemed odd. And within a month of staying there, they throw this ridiculous party. And her brother gets drunk. Ridiculous.
Then you add in when Alexandre wakes up, and they become buddies immediately. The ending was interesting as well and a nice little twist. But it just all seemed thrown together. Like I said, someone else might enjoy it but it wasn’t my cup of tea.

'Hidden' by Shalini Boland (formerly published at 'Chosen') is the first book in the ''Vampires of Marchwood' trilogy, and is aimed at the young adult market but is amusing enough to keep adults interested. especially with the decidedly dark and creepy beginning of Alexander's story.
Popular culture tells us that vampires are dangerous creatures, with a thirst for human blood and can rarely be trusted. And getting involved with a vampire community is a fairly hazardous endeavour.
Boland turns this trope on it's head and tells the story though a dual timeline. First up is Madison Greene, an English teenager who resides in care, along with her younger brother. On her seventeenth birthday, Madison is approached by a suspicious lawyer who tells her of a family fortune that has been left to her. As always been a character receives an unexpected inheritance, there is a complicated family history that will only be revealed as the story progresses.
Meanwhile, we have the storyline of Alexander and his family on an expedition in 1881, which turns horribly wrong and leads into the story of Madison in the present day.
When reading a YA novel, I often find myself thinking about the naivety of the teenage characters and also wondering what has happened to the role of the adults within the story. That is the case here, but when reading a fantasy novel, I guess that a certain suspension of belief is also required. And once that suspension is applied, the story becomes much more enjoyable.

Many Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing the digital review copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
Have you ever read a book, started the first chapter and just knew that this not the book for you? Unfortunately, this was definitely not the book for me. I don’t want a review where I just point out all the things that I found wrong with this book, but let’s just say I stopped reading when I realised the female protagonist of this book, is only 16. I’m sorry but this is just wrong, please stop normalising children in these situations.

Vampires are my favourite of all time magical creatures. It is the best things I even write my own vampire fiction. This book is billed as paranormal romance which is generally not my thing. I do think that this author can easily pull it off.

It is great fore to see a different style for vampires and there are chances for me to learn how people make vampires different or stand out.

The time jumping can be a bit disconnected at first but I think it adds to the quaint storytelling that the author can replicate.

I was a little confused as with the time jumping o found it hard to figure out just what should be happening and sometimes I found it confusing with the characters.

The writing style of the author makes this book feel like it's a breathe of fresh air.

I love the way they make Maddy and Ben a focal point and that she is trying to care for her little brother. You can see she is a pain but she is also the only family for Ben who is overly exuberant.

What would you do if you inherited a large property as well as lots of money? Honestly I don't know what I would do now in my mid 40s let alone at the young age of 16.

I think my favourite parts are the modern day but the story that goes back to the past was interesting and this could easily have separated out the books alone as well to make different parts of the series.

The more I read the book the more I understand why they did the time jumping even though it is confusing at the same time it is a great technique to keep readers interested as you are trying to piece together the full story.

From the past Alexandre is my favourite he seems very thick in the head and doesn't understand that actions have consequences which is probably a young person thing as well as one who has been born into a upper class family from the time period.

I like the story building up to the vampire changing as it shows a lot about the before since it's what is important at times to see the real person not just the monster.

The build up to becoming a vampire feels more like a saga but I also feel aot of suspense and that you could sense something was happening.

It feels like a young adult book with the age of the main character which is great as most in this style are adult and doesn't focus on character building.

Overall this book was great and so close to being a 5 star read but some of the time jumping has jumped me out of my enjoyment of the story. I can say I am looking forward to the next story.

I like a good vampire story and this was a good read. For all fans of the Twighlight saga this book is for you. I liked the first part of the book set in 1881 and the archaeological dig where it all began. The other half of this book was for went into the realms of fantasy and was quite unbelievable. I like my vampires with a lot more bite.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.

Vampire stories never cease to pique my interest. I loved this one, it was very gothic twilight esque. Will be continuing with the series.

A little bit of a departure from my normal genre but having read some of Shalini Boland’s other books I thought I’d give it a go - I wasn’t disappointed!

‘Chosen’ is more targeted to YA not a 30-something cat lady, but there was something really enjoyable about the… innocence of it.

The first half could probably be condensed and made a shorter read, but overall it was a rather fun read!

I believe this is a revamp (no pun intended) of a series of 3 initially released in 2011/2012/2016, so I’d be interested in knowing if book 2 and 3 will also be re-released, or whether it matters for the story.

The only obvious reference to 2023 was PS5 - nothing much has really changed in the world since 2011 (in terms of tech, cars etc)

Shalini Boland is one of my all time favourite authors, so I was excited to read this new genre of book from her.
This is book 1 of her new Vampires of Marchwood series. It’s a really good and easy read that I think will really appeal to the YA audience. My 13 year old daughter has already asked to read it and will also really it.

I love vampire romance but this one did not do it for me.

I'm used to snarky, morally grey, vampires. Alex was so stiff and boring, yeah I get he was stuck in a coffin for years but it's mentioned he watches a bunch of movies you think he would have gained just the tiniest bit of personality.

The first 50% of the book was a fast read but after it seemed to drag. The chemistry between the two main characters felt forced, almost as if it was filler.

The big problem of the book isn't even presented until the last 10ish % I'm assuming it was written like that to get you to read the next one.

Overall this book wasn't for me.

The premise of this book is very enticing for those looking for paranormal romance. However, it was entirely our mistake thinking the characters age was a jumping off point for a NA-Adult story - we didn't realise Second Sky would also be publishing YA! Unfortunately, we don't review and recommended YA to our listeners (only adult SFF romance) and it wouldn't be fair to judge it from the perspective of a reader looking for an adult PNR. We have given it a 4 star rating, as we aren't allowed to submit our feedback without one and from the opening chapters we could tell the writer is accomplished at crafting character, drama and suspense.

Quick Summary: A dark and mysterious vampiric YA

My Review: Chosen (Vampires of Marchwood, Book #1) by Shalini Boland was an intriguing read. It was strangely familiar while still being curiously foreign. Many of the story elements lured me into further reading, while others had me desiring to reach the conclusion of it all. The action scenes and the diverse settings were well done.

The author did a good job of presenting such haunting characters. She kept me guessing, making me wonder why some survived and others did not, during what I will call the making. By the story's end, I wanted to better understand what made Alexander and his kin so unusual. Why did the ancients come for them?

In terms of Ben and Madison, I found their backstory to be heartbreaking. They were both interesting characters who will obviously play more pivotal roles in the books to come. Without giving anything away to other readers, I must say that I definitely need to better understand the whole inheritance, lawyer, cloak and dagger, us versus them situations. Certain holes existed in the plot that I couldn't overlook.

Finally, the chemistry between Alex and Madison was not quite forced but it was not quite believable either. It was too contrived. One minute she is obsessed with staring at him and in the next, she's climbing him like a tree. Also, I could not help but wonder if the Madison and the DJ situation was a set up for a possible love triangle.

My Final Say: Chosen was a mixed bag read for me. It's the type of book that could go either way. Book 2 would be the tell. I would certainly be open to giving the next installment a chance, however, it would have to give me a bit more substance. Thus far, it reads like the story of the Cullens with remarkable enhancements.

Rating: 3.5/5
Recommend: Yes (+/-)
Audience: T/Older YA

Appreciation is extended to the author, to the publisher, and to NetGalley, who provided access to this title in exchange for an honest review. The words I have shared are my own and have been submitted voluntarily.

Chosen is a tale of two times; a family travelling to Turkey to excavate a hidden city who encounter a brutal truth, and present day teenager Madison and her brother. Madison has inherited millions and millions from a distant relative, and escapes foster care to a luxurious mansion, that just happens to have boxes of vampires in the basement.

You have to take this as it is - a predictable supernatural YA romance that will require you to suspend your disbelief. I mean it's a literal 17 year old girl who inherits millions from no where who falls in love with a statue in a box.

That being said, it's a fun read. I'm a huge vampire fan, and most new vampire literature is rather YA, so I accept it. It's quite original. The historical tale is interesting and setups up the characters I assume we'll see in the rest of the series too. The stakes end up being higher than I anticipated, and again, I can feel how this is going to set up some serious action and danger in future books.

I might have rolled my eyes a few times reading it, but I'm still going to be continuing with the next one. A recommendation for anyone who likes YA supernatural romance.

Chosen is book 1 in the Vampires of Marchwood series by Shalini Boland.

I’ve read many amazing books by this author and was excited to see this interesting story written by Boland.
Much to my surprise I enjoyed this one.
I’ve always loved vampire stories and this author did an amazing job writing her first one.
This was exciting, fun, intriguing and gripping.
The characters are great. The romance was awesome and the story hooked me.
I can’t wait for book two.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank You Netgalley and Second Sky for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this eARC.

1.25/5 stars! Saying this is for fans of K.F. Breene is horribly misleading. I adore K.F. Breene's ability to make strong female characters that have their own stories to tell and don't take anyone's crap. The FMC of this book becomes obsessed with her lover 5 seconds after meeting him. Even with a fated bond kind of thing, female characters can still have some semblance of independence and be their own people. This book didn't happen. It honestly was majorly icky and I'm bummed that I read it.