Seeking Fate by Brenda Drake

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Title: Seeking Fate
Author: Brenda Drake
Series: The Fated #3
Published by: Entangled: Crave
Release Date: September 3rd 2018
Format: eARC
Pages: 196
Genres: Paranormal, Paranormal Romance, Young Adult
Source: NetGalley
Reading Challenges: Lenoreo's 2018 Netgalley and Edelweiss Challenge, Lenoreo's 2018 New Release Challenge
Find it: Goodreads ✩ Amazon ✩ B&N ✩ Google ✩ Kobo ✩ iBooks ✩ IndieBound
My rating:

Blurb:

Fate changer Daisy Layne is nervous about searching Europe for a firstborn son doomed to die on his eighteenth birthday. But she’s the only one who can save him. No pressure or anything. She needs the help of guide Andrei Vasile, who she’s been talking to online for two years. Still, meeting him in person…that’s a whole different story.

Andrei is determined to keep Daisy safe, even if touching her could kill him. At least, that’s what his family has told him about fate changers like Daisy. She’s strong and beautiful, and it’s his job to keep her alive. Unfortunately, what she doesn’t know could kill her.

Save a life. End a curse. And never, ever get too close…

My Review:

I received a free copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review/opinion.

3.5 stars — So, first things first: I totes didn’t realize this was the last in a series.  I knew it was part of a series (it says “The Fated Series” on the cover), but I assumed it was the start of one.  I really wish it’d been more clear, b/c while it wasn’t a continuation of the previous stories, as I was reading I could tell I would have gotten more enjoyment if I’d read the other stories first.  So it’s essentially a standalone, but I find in paranormal series it’s harder to do a series of standalones, b/c there just feels like something missing.  Like if you’re at a party and some friends have an inside joke, and while you can understand based on context, it’s not quite as fun as if you were in on the inside joke (shout out to the hubby for the analogy).

That being said, I really did enjoy myself!  It was a fun and unique world, I’ve never read anything about tarot card readers and magic that surrounds that.  I was surprised by some of the innuendo, particularly from Andrei, so I can’t decide if this is mature young adult or new adult…it’s sort of on that line I guess.  I thought the world building was pretty good, I was never really lost…other than, like I said, feeling like my view would be more fleshed out if I’d started with book one.  I will admit that oftentimes the paranormal/magical elements really fell by the wayside and it was more of a thriller/mystery book, you know?  That’s a bit of a bummer.  Probably another thing that would have been helped by reading the rest of the series…and I am tempted.

Daisy could be a bit of a conundrum in that she was purported to be this sweet, caring, empathetic girl, and I definitely felt that…but probably not to the degree to which I was told.  She was also really insecure, and gave super mixed signals to Andrei sometimes.  There were definitely moments where I got frustrated by her, but on the whole I liked her.

Andrei was his own conundrum…part playboy, part sweet beta boy, I never really figured him out I don’t think.  And because we didn’t really get to see them interacting in those 2 years they talked with each other online, only heard about it, I felt like I didn’t understand how his feelings developed so quickly.

Even their chemistry was a conundrum.  I definitely felt it, but like I said, I would have liked to see them making the connection instead of jumping in when it was supposedly already there.

Writing this review, I can’t decide whether to round up or down.  I really did enjoy myself with the story.  While I totally predicted the twist about the cursed heir from essentially the start of the story, I was still curious how it was all going to play out.  But it also really felt like something was lacking.  *sigh*  I hate it when they’re solidly in that half star and I can’t decide.  But my advice is definitely to read the series and not just this book…I just have a strong suspicion it would have altered my opinion slightly.