Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.

Start by marking “Touching Fate (The Fated, #1)” as Want to Read:

Other editions

Enlarge cover

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Open Preview

Touching Fate

(The Fated #1)

Brenda Drake (Goodreads Author)

3.98 · Rating details · 193 ratings · 71 reviews

Aster Layne believes in physics, not psychics. A tarot card reading on the Ocean City Boardwalk should have been a ridiculous, just-for-fun thing. It wasn’t. Aster discovers she has a very unscientific gift—with a simple touch of the cards, she can change a person’s fate.

Reese Van Buren is cursed. Like the kind of old-school, centuries-old curse that runs in royal families ...more

Get A Copy

Paperback, 236 pages

Published October 12th 2015 by Entangled Teen Crave (first published January 1st 2015)

More Details... Edit Details

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Reader Q&A

To ask other readers questions about Touching Fate, please sign up.

Be the first to ask a question about Touching Fate

Lists with This Book

2016 Pitchwars Mentor Books

141 books — 65 voters

Fall 2015 Young Adult Releases

96 books — 91 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

Showing 1-30

Average rating 3.98 ·

Rating details

· 193 ratings · 71 reviews

More filters

Sort order

Start your review of Touching Fate (The Fated, #1)

Nov 06, 2016 Carrie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley

When out with her friends Aster Layne visits a tarot card reader thinking it's all just fun and games, that is until something happens during the reading. When Aster touches one of the tarot cards it seems to change her friend's bad reading but as with all magic Aster will soon learn that magic comes with a price and that price is usually very bad.

Reese Van Buren's family has been cursed for centuries and now Reese is doing everything he can to escape his fate. The first born male in each gener ...more

flag 16 likes · Like · see review

Jun 12, 2015 Brenda Drake rated it it was amazing · (Review from the author) · review of another edition

Shelves: i-wrote-this

Hello everyone, I'm the author, so naturally I'm biased. But I love this story and had such a fun time writing it. It's filled with romance, betrayal, curses, fates, friendships, family bonds, and a touch of magic. What would you do if you could change someone's fate with a touch of a tarot card, but with a price? ...more

flag 12 likes · Like · see review

Dec 20, 2018 ☆Dani☆ ☆Touch My Spine Book Reviews☆ rated it it was amazing

This was another fantastic novel series by Brenda Drake. She is an amazing author whom even though she has plenty on her plate and a busy woman she still creates amazing novels that captivates her readers!❤ This one touches on the paranormal/metaphysical side and was so fun! This book had lots of sweet romance and great characters with a great plot to go with it.🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Like the Library Jumpers Series, I give this start of this series a hands down, 5 out of 5 stars!!!❤

flag 10 likes · Like · see review

Jan 17, 2020 Daisy Delfin rated it it was ok

Shelves: ya, 2020

Pages: 238
My rating: 2
Read other books by this author in the future: no

This book is hard to review. I actually did not like the story. Basically it’s supposed to be a love story with supernatural touch. But it is a love story gone wrong. There were so many things wrong: the family keeping life threatening secrets from the kids, Aster fooling around with the fates of others and her family instead confronting her family. Reese betraying Aster and her forgiving him without a second thought. A lot o ...more

flag 6 likes · Like · see review

Nov 12, 2016 Diana rated it really liked it

This book gripped me and I couldn't put it down. Aster is one of many siblings and all of them have forbidden to come near Tarot cards. But Aster does and by accident changes the fate of one of her friends and gets a mark in return. Soon she discovers she is a Fate Changer, with the ability to change the future of people around her using Tarot cards. But all magic comes with a price...
Meet Reese. A guy who is cursed, as all his line is. He will die when he turns 18. Only person who can change hi ...more

flag 5 likes · Like · see review

Sep 01, 2015 Andrea Heltsley rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2015-read, arc-reviews

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 ...more

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Nov 06, 2016 Roxanne rated it really liked it

Thank you to Entangled Teen and NetGalley for a copy of the eArc in exchange for a fair review!

I receive these lovely emails from Entangled and from there I can request to review books from them. They had Cursing Fate on the list, and I wanted too, but I hadn't read the first book, but then I saw that they were offering copies of Touching Fate so that you could read and review both books for Entangled. So I jumped on that chance as Touching Fate has been on TBR since January of this year. If th ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Sep 01, 2015 Miranda rated it liked it

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 an ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Jul 08, 2015 Rachel Harris rated it it was amazing

Touching Fate swept me away in a world of magic, adventure, and sexy romance, where not everything is as it seems, and fate, while written in the stars, isn't always fixed. A spellbinding tale of love and choices...and did I mention the hot European accents?? ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Sep 21, 2015 Jenn rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: new-author-to-me, 3-star-reads, young-adult, withcraft-and-wizardry, arc, paranormal-supernatural, read-in-2015

Because it seemed he held the algorithmic key to solving the encrypted code locking her heart.

There are two different kinds of people: those who believe in fate and those who don't. Aster Layne falls into the later category. She knows her role in life, she has her routine with her friends and family, and most importantly, she doesn't believe in magic.

Reese Van Bruen not only believes in magic, but is also cursed by it. And not just a tiny curse, one that will kill him on his 18th birthday. Rei ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Oct 11, 2015 Nicole Hoefs rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed-on-blog, read-in-2015

I really liked this book. Aster and Reese were good characters, and I even enjoyed some of the secondary characters like Leah and Jan. I ended up giving it 4 out of 5 stars. Thank you Netgalley for giving me a copy in exchange for a honest review.

I think Brenda did a great job with the characters. Dual POV can be hard to pull off, but she did it. I think Reese was pretty true to how a guy would think/act. My one problem with the book was that it felt a bit rushed, especially the romance part. I ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Oct 12, 2015 Michelle Hauck rated it it was amazing

Shelves: kids

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 comp ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Nov 08, 2016 Kate (beautifulbookland) rated it it was ok

Shelves: net-galley, 2-stars

Ah, I'm so disappointed with this book. I felt so sure I would love it. The whole idea of the book seemed so promising, but it just fell really short for me.

The characters lacked depth and I found the romance to be a bit unbelievable - you know something is wrong when, in a book about tarot cards and curses, you find the ROMANCE to be the unbelievable thing! I thought there was a serious case of insta-love here. I mean, their first kiss was 23% into the book! Then practically the next day they ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Jun 05, 2016 Pintip Dunn rated it it was amazing

Brenda Drake never fails to amaze me with her originality and creativity, and this book is no exception. Touching Fate presents us with an intriguing world of tarot cards and fate changers. I love the characters so much and especially love the difficult moral choices with which they are faced. Reese is adorable, and I love his relationship with Aster. I can totally see why she falls for him! It is a fun and fast-paced read. Highly recommended for anyone who likes stories with fascinating worlds ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Aug 27, 2015 Melissa (YA Book Shelf) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Brenda Drake definitely knows how to build tension and suspense. The more I read, the more intense it got, in part because of the 18th birthday deadline, but not only.

It brought to mind all of my own tarot card experiments as a teen, including the fact that one of my friends almost always got the death card. (But no, she didn't die on the moment she was born on her 18th birthday.) ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Nov 05, 2016 Jillian Quinn rated it it was amazing

Shelves: rave-review

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for not only a very quick review, but also for my honest opinion. I'm thrilled to say that I absolutely loved this book. When I first read the synopsis, I was afraid this book would be like The Raven Boys, a book I still haven't finished to this day because it was such a disappointment. But I'm happy to say that Touching Fate is everything I had hoped The Raven Boys would be and more. I adored every second of this book and read it wit I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for not only a very quick review, but also for my honest opinion. I'm thrilled to say that I absolutely loved this book. When I first read the synopsis, I was afraid this book would be like The Raven Boys, a book I still haven't finished to this day because it was such a disappointment. But I'm happy to say that Touching Fate is everything I had hoped The Raven Boys would be and more. I adored every second of this book and read it within a few hours.

This story is told from multiple points of view- Aster, a teenage girl with the ability to change fates, and Reese, a hot Dutch boy with a curse that will kill him on his eighteenth birthday. Through a chance encounter, Aster and Reese meet on the boardwalk in Ocean, City, and that's when Reese realizes his "Girls Gone Wild holiday" before he dies will have to be cut short to pursue Aster, the only person who can save him from his family's curse. Aster has no idea she can change fates until she touches a tarot card on the boardwalk, reversing her sister's fate.

But once she realizes what she can do, things start to take a bad turn for her family. After Aster changes a person's fate, that same fate is now transferred to someone in her family. So, when the handsome Dutch boy that Aster can't get out of her head continues to pursue her for his own selfish reasons, she falls right into his trap. But, as luck would have it, the pair are also fated for each other. Reese and Aster are both likable and I wanted things to work out for them not only individually, but also as a couple. They were cute together, and there was plenty of adorable kissing scenes that were swoon-worthy. i was a little annoyed with Reese trying to dupe Aster and tricking her into working with the tarot card reader, but in the end, I really wanted them to end up together.

I loved the ending of this book. It is wrapped up nicely with a perfect happy ending to this story. I also received an ARC of Cursing Fated, book #2 of the Fated series, and at first, I thought it was the continuation of this story, buy it's actually a new story involving characters mentioned in this book. I'm excited to read that book next.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes YA contemporaries, romances, or books with paranormal and magical realism. I'm posting this review on Goodreads, with a review to follow on my blog, Twitter, and Amazon.

I should also mentioned that Brenda Drake and I have followed each other on Twitter for months. She's the Pitch Wars and PitMad creator, and as a writer, I've found this to be incredibly helpful. After an editor from Entangled requested to see more of my work during one of Brenda's events, I then signed up for the blogger newsletters, and months later, I received an email to review this novel within a very short time frame, two days to be exact, and I was happy to read this book right away once I realized Brenda is the author. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series. Brenda is now on my auto-buy list going forward.

The review on my blog: rantandraveaboutbooks.com, Twitter @jillianquinn7, and Amazon are coming soon. ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Dec 12, 2016 Suze Lavender rated it it was amazing

Aster has been told to stay away from Tarot cards, but she has no idea why. She doesn't believe in psychic powers, which is the reason she tries a reading anyway. When she touches the cards something that's supposed to be funny changes into something life altering instead. Aster is a fate changer and Tarot cards are an essential part of her rare gift.

Reese will die at his eighteenth birthday unless he can find a fate changer to help him. Reese comes from an old Dutch nobility line that has been ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Oct 22, 2015 Molly Lee rated it it was amazing

TOUCHING FATE by Brenda Drake is a fast-paced, intense young adult novel with a unique concept.

Aster can change people’s fate. Reese has a centuries old curse. When they come together? The dynamic is explosive!

I loved this book and the characters within it. Aster is a no-holds-bar seventeen year old girl who has a strong voice and a slew of endearing qualities. Her journey is an intense one and I loved following her through it. Her love of her crazy family is what drew me to her first (because s ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Jun 17, 2015 K.T. Hanna rated it it was amazing

Brenda creates a world with likable characters that you grow to feel for and love. The twist of fate? The touching of the cards? Absolutely well done. I liked that most of this spanned a large chunk of the school year, and that Aster and Reese actually clicked for me.

While they were immediately aware of/attracted to each other, the passage of time is quite obvious in that it takes them a while to actually fall into synch. It took me back to those moments in high school when you have a new crush, ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Oct 01, 2015 winterthekatt rated it really liked it

The moment I saw this book, I was intrigued. Putting together a girl who can change fates and a guy who is cursed sounded like a perfect recipe to me, and it certainly met my expectations. I liked that the book had a very realistic feel to it, I almost kept forgetting the fact that there was magic involved because it was so believable.

In the beginning I felt that the relationship between Aster and Reese was a little forced. I'm not sure why I felt this way and I can't really put my finger on it ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Nov 14, 2016 Poulami rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal-fantasy-young-adult, romance

Originally posted on Daydreaming Books.

* I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

Thiiiiis.... was an okay read though I expected more, much more from it. Some things were fun and some meh but it was still a somewhat fun ride.

Aster Layne is a fate changer but she is unaware of her powers. Reese's eighteenth birthday is coming up fast and like all the other firstborn in his family, he is probably going to die on that day due to an ill-fate ...more

flag Like · see review

Aug 23, 2018 Suz Jay rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult

“All Aster’s relationships (three to be exact) started off like fusion and ended up like fission—she and a guy would collide, releasing so much energy that they’d become unstable, making their relationship susceptible to outside influences (like other girls), and they’d split up. She desperately wanted to overcome her attraction to rebellious guys. She even made a pact with her mom—the next guy, she’d date against her type.”

Aster touches a tarot card and ignites her inherited power to change fat ...more

flag Like · see review

Nov 22, 2016 Megan (Under the Book Cover) rated it liked it

Shelves: ya-books, romance, fantasy, series

Review also posted at: http://underthebookcover.blogspot.com...

3/5

Thank you to Entangled Teen for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for review!

This was such a quick and fun read that I absolutely devoured in no time at all! I loved the synopsis and thought that the idea of a girl that loves science having a "very unscientific gift" tied together with a guy who is cursed to die on his eighteenth birthday would make for an interesting read, and it definitely did.

Aster never imagine Review also posted at: http://underthebookcover.blogspot.com...

3/5

Thank you to Entangled Teen for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for review!

This was such a quick and fun read that I absolutely devoured in no time at all! I loved the synopsis and thought that the idea of a girl that loves science having a "very unscientific gift" tied together with a guy who is cursed to die on his eighteenth birthday would make for an interesting read, and it definitely did.

Aster never imagined that a fun tarot card reading would turn into her having the gift of a fate changer- one who can alter someone's fate for better or for worse. Nor did she ever think that she would bump into the person that she was fated to be with on the same day. Reese is fated to die on his eighteenth birthday thanks to a family curse that takes the lives of firstborn sons and never expected to run into a fate changer who could possibly reverse his curse and save his life. His plan? Trick Aster into falling in love with him so she'll have to change his fate. The problem? Reese has fallen in love with Aster and can't bring himself to trick her into saving him. The other problem? Aster's fate changer powers are wrecking havoc in her life, and she doesn't feel safe changing fates anymore. Will fate rip apart the two lovers or is there a way to remove the deadly curse?

What really drew me to this book was that it was described as one that you could read in one sitting. I've been on the lookout for a quick read or two, and Touching Fate fit that description perfectly. It was very fast paced, and a lot happened in what felt like a really short period of time, but I think that this book benefited from the quick storytelling. That being said, I did find it difficult to really connect with any of the characters that I encountered and I couldn't really allow myself to dive as deeply into the story as I would have liked. I certainly didn't dislike this book, I rather enjoyed it, but I just couldn't fall in love with any of the characters or the world like I wanted to.

Speaking of characters, let's talk about the ones in this book. Aster was quite sassy, and very independent, which were probably my two favorite things about her as a character. She cares for her family, takes care of her sisters, and has pretty much sworn off guys after her last relationship crashed and burned. That is of course, until she meets Reese, and ends up wanting her entire life to revolve around him. In a book with tarot cards, magical powers, and a family curse that kills firstborn sons, I found the romance to be the hardest thing to believe. Initially, Reese's intention is to trick Aster into falling in love with him, which definitely rubbed me the wrong way and made me dislike him as a character. Another thing that bothered me was how quickly the two fell in love. The very first time that Aster and Reese meet, she walks off thinking about his six pack abs, amazing blue eyes, and "dark blonde hair that brushed his brows just right." I thought it was incredibly cheesy and even rolled my eyes over the interaction. However, the reason behind the insta-love was explained later on in the book, which allowed me to believe it a bit more than I initially had and eventually root for the two lovers to end up together. Discovering how the two were connected really made me able to believe their feelings for each other more, and I liked that it added a bit of depth and backstory to the characters. I think on their own, Aster and Reese were good characters, and I would really like to see some more development from them with the next book. I'd also like to learn more about Aster's sisters, Iris, Violet, and Daisy, as well as Aster's best friend Leah!

The plot was different and fun, and really made this book easy to read through. Girl meets boy, boy thinks girl is cute, girl thinks boy is stupid but secretly thinks he's cute, girl discovers she has magical fate changing powers, boy is dying soon, boy plots to trick girl into loving him in order to save him, boy and girl fall in love, and the rest is filled with spoilers so I won't be talking about it! But really, does that not sound like it would be an interesting read? Because this is a book that can be read in one sitting, a lot happens very quickly, making it somewhat difficult to really believe some of the things that happen. Aster discovers she has the power of a fate changer, something she knows absolutely nothing about and doesn't believe in, and is pretty much a master of it after only doing it a few times. She's also sworn off boys that are the typical type that she goes for, but falls hard and fast for Reese who is basically the epitome of the type she usually goes after. But what I understood and accepted was that this was intended to be a quick read! Books like this are supposed to have the hard and fast romance and crazy things happening really quickly. As I said before, I think the fast pacing really worked for this book, and while it may have not been my favorite book of 2016, I still really enjoyed it for what it was. Sure, the romance was a typical love-at-first-sight, but the author gives a good explanation as to why it happened so fast, which kind of gave me an "oh, so that's why" moment towards the last 3/4 of the book. I may not have been able to fall head over heels in love with the characters, but I'm still really looking forward to reading the second book and seeing more of this world and the characters in it.

Brenda Drake's writing was fun, fast paced, easy to read, and very likable. Her writing style is one that I enjoyed very much, with it being the right amount of descriptive but still keeping it fun and easy to follow. If you're looking for an interesting story involving tarot cards and the ability to change your fate, definitely check out Touching Fate by Brenda Drake! ...more

flag Like · see review

Sep 29, 2019 Tina rated it it was amazing

Shelves: cmc20

This book was filled with action from the beginning. There was deception/betrayal/bullying. The main female character was strong. I liked how she handled the unexpected throughout the book. The dynamics between the sisters was great. The family that was pulling together during touch times was good. There were plenty of surprises and it pulled me in from the beginning. I really enjoyed this book.

flag Like · see review

Aug 14, 2017 Lucy Briand rated it really liked it

Although I wasn't hooked by the first chapter, I'm SOOO glad I stuck with it. It didn't take long after that to get sucked into the story and its magical concept. I love tarot cards so this was right up my ally and found it very unique in my opinion. Started reading this around 9am and have now (4:30pm) just finished it. It's an easy read and a wonderful way to spend my day off :) thx for the journey! ...more

flag Like · see review

Dec 21, 2016 S.E. Doster rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Touching Fate is a quick but fun read. I usually don't read romance, but this book was hard to put down. Can't wait to read the next book from Brenda Drake's Fated series. ...more

flag Like · see review

Jan 02, 2016 Dark Faerie Tales rated it liked it

Shelves: reviewed-by-kristie

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: Moderately dark story about a girl who can change people’s fate with the touch of a Tarot card. There were a few minor issues with the plot but overall I enjoyed the uniqueness of the story.

Opening Sentence: It looked like the house had swallowed an entire art store and thrown up the supplies all over the lower level.

The Review:

When I read the synopsis for Touching Fate I was intrigued by a story about a girl who could change someone’s fate with ...more

flag Like · see review

Oct 23, 2015 books are love rated it really liked it

At first I wanted to smack Reese upside the head. I mean yes he was desperate but still he was playing with someone’s emotions and that is nothing to sneeze at. Over time though as I saw him grow and see Aster as more than just a way to stay alive but a girl that is strong, funny, smart and sexy I warmed up to him. And his sacrifice in the end made him swoony.

His cousin Jan I loved. He was a sweet guy. I was so glad he stood by Reese and was there for him no matter what. He totally deserved the At first I wanted to smack Reese upside the head. I mean yes he was desperate but still he was playing with someone’s emotions and that is nothing to sneeze at. Over time though as I saw him grow and see Aster as more than just a way to stay alive but a girl that is strong, funny, smart and sexy I warmed up to him. And his sacrifice in the end made him swoony.

His cousin Jan I loved. He was a sweet guy. I was so glad he stood by Reese and was there for him no matter what. He totally deserved the girl and was glad he got a happy ending.

Aster goes through a lot in this book. As does Reese. Difference is Aster had no idea her life was going to change so significantly and that her family kept such secrets. Over night her life transformed. She was no longer the girl with ambition and the habit of being with bad boys but one who changes fates, falls for the sweet guy and harbors guilt over fates changed and lives affected. She doesn’t want to fall for Reese and does everything to keep him at bay. but that boy was on a mission and couldn’t be stopped. Their time together was sweet and precious and it was sad when the truth came out although it didn’t come out quite the way it should have.

Reese over time changed as well. He lost the arrogance and started to live life. He allowed himself to feel. He opened his heart and found love. Love with Aster. He was eaten with guilt over how they started and what was happening to him. Eaten with guilt with not being upfront with her from the start but he was afraid. Now he was in a hole and when he fell in love there was no going back. In the end he made a sacrifice for her and her family and their love. At first all Aster saw was betrayal she didn’t see what he was going through or was giving up. She actually was quite mean and although she was hurt and feeling betrayed her thoughts were wrong for no one deserved the fate Reese was given. Once she saw that and saw that she loved him no matter what she redeemed herself and the happy ending begins to come about. The bantering and journey these two go on to see that love is wonderful and that without it life is empty is great to see.

A fun sweet book on fate finding a way to bring two people together no matter the circumstances and both learning to love and trust each other.

...more

flag Like · see review

Nov 06, 2016 Olivia rated it really liked it

Shelves: netgalley-reviews

"Touching Fate" is a YA fantasy romance about Reese and Aster. Reese has been on a quest to find a Fate Changer, a rare person who can alter another person's fate through their connection to tarot cards. Reese happens to be in town when he locks eyes with Aster, and they feel an immediate connection (there is some insta-love here). Aster is coming from a bad break-up though and resists. Reese knows he must find and get her to fall in love with him so that she can break the curse which has haunte "Touching Fate" is a YA fantasy romance about Reese and Aster. Reese has been on a quest to find a Fate Changer, a rare person who can alter another person's fate through their connection to tarot cards. Reese happens to be in town when he locks eyes with Aster, and they feel an immediate connection (there is some insta-love here). Aster is coming from a bad break-up though and resists. Reese knows he must find and get her to fall in love with him so that she can break the curse which has haunted his family for generations and will kill him. Although Aster resists at first, she is soon all-in on their relationship- and Reese finds that he is too. However, they both learn that there are dire consequences to changing fates, which makes Reese's original plan a non-starter. The question becomes if there is another way and whether they can overcome this powerful magic to save Reese- without having any unintended consequences.

Overall, it's a fantastic and quick read, driving you quickly through the story and connecting you to both Aster and Reese. I liked the idea of balance and consequences- there are no easy solutions here. Aster and Reese's relationship really grew on me too; despite the insta-love at the beginning, they take their time to know each other better (although there are many secrets between them) before moving forward with their relationship. It's a YA book, but I would recommend it only for older teens, as there is mentions of their physical relationship (though not explicitly described) and discussions of death and mortality that might be too much for young teens.

I can easily see following this series, especially since we only got to know a few of the side characters (like Aster's sisters which are basically described and then left to mystery). As part of Entangled's Crave series, they are made to be quick, fast-paced books that can be read in "one sitting" (though I found it to be a weekend read, as it still took me a few hours). I like the style- you still get a complete story with developed main characters but without any filler. This was a delightful and suspenseful fast-paced fantasy book about love and the power of love to overcome the obstacles. Readers of YA fantasy who also love romance will really devour this book!

Please note that I received this book from the publisher through netgalley. All opinions are my own. ...more

flag Like · see review

Sep 12, 2015 Shannon Rogers rated it it was ok

Shelves: own-arc

I really loved the story premise and concept to Touching Fate. I loved the idea of a gypsy-based, magical story where a guy's family is cursed for all the first-born male children to die at the age of 18 unless they find a fate changer. It started off great.

I loved Reese as a character. He was sweet and lovable, as was his friend Jan. Both of these characters were so endearing that I loved them immediately. I felt sad for Reese's situation,and thought the story had some wonderful conflict on his I really loved the story premise and concept to Touching Fate. I loved the idea of a gypsy-based, magical story where a guy's family is cursed for all the first-born male children to die at the age of 18 unless they find a fate changer. It started off great.

I loved Reese as a character. He was sweet and lovable, as was his friend Jan. Both of these characters were so endearing that I loved them immediately. I felt sad for Reese's situation,and thought the story had some wonderful conflict on his side. Aster, the other main character, was interesting in the fact that she discovers quite by accident that she is a fate changer when she and her friend go for a tarot card reading and something rather spectacular happens when she touches one of her friend's cards. After that, however, I started to run into some snags.

Aster came across as a bit cold to me, and because of that, I couldn't really understand why Reese was initially so intrigued by her, other than the fact that he discovers very early that she is a fate changer. Everybody has been through heartbreak before, and due to that, they tend to be cautious. Aster didn't really display what I would call cautious vulnerability caused by having her heartbroken though. She came across in a more negative way that is hard for me to articulate, other than to just say it was somewhat off-putting. At the same time, however, the romance was insta-love, which I felt was really contrary to her behavior. So at a certain point, I felt like saying, "okay, which is it? Are you cautious and pushing people away with one hand due to heartbreak? Or are you going to pull people in and ask them to go to prom with you with the other?" Because of this wishy-washy behavior, the romance was just too quick and often didn't make sense.

Although I found the author's actual writing to be well-crafted and I love the overall story idea, there were just too many things that worked against it for me to really enjoy it. If the romance had been played out a bit better, I might have enjoyed it more than I did, but as it was, I was a bit disappointed that this story with such potential ended up falling flat for me. ...more

flag Like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend It | Stats | Recent Status Updates

Readers also enjoyed

See similar books…

About Brenda Drake

Brenda Drake

866 followers

Brenda Drake, the youngest of three children, grew up an Air Force brat and the continual new kid at school. Her fondest memories growing up is of her eccentric, Irish grandmother’s animated tales, which gave her a strong love for storytelling. So it was only fitting that she would choose to write stories with a bend toward the fantastical. When Brenda’s not writing or doing the social media thing ...more