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Empath Found #1
The Terrible Gift
Fi has always known there's something not quite right about herself.
Not quite human.
For as long as she can remember, Fi has been sensitive to other people's emotions. So sensitive, she works a night job as a cleaner to avoid being overwhelmed by all of their feelings.
After a night on the town goes wrong, Fi comes to the attention of the Academy of Avalon. The obscenely beautiful jerk of a man who comes to collect her confirms her suspicions - Fi isn't human at all.
But all is not as it seems in Avalon. Magic is dying, those who have it are hunted, and at least one person really doesn't want Fi there.
Fi also has to figure out how to deal with the insane magnetic pull she feels to some of the most gorgeous and magically powerful males at the academy. What's a little boy-drama on top of an identity crisis?
Contains mature themes.
Not quite human.
For as long as she can remember, Fi has been sensitive to other people's emotions. So sensitive, she works a night job as a cleaner to avoid being overwhelmed by all of their feelings.
After a night on the town goes wrong, Fi comes to the attention of the Academy of Avalon. The obscenely beautiful jerk of a man who comes to collect her confirms her suspicions - Fi isn't human at all.
But all is not as it seems in Avalon. Magic is dying, those who have it are hunted, and at least one person really doesn't want Fi there.
Fi also has to figure out how to deal with the insane magnetic pull she feels to some of the most gorgeous and magically powerful males at the academy. What's a little boy-drama on top of an identity crisis?
Contains mature themes.
ebook
First published January 31, 2020
1101 people are currently reading
1525 people want to read
About the author
Colette Rhodes
36 books1,796 followersColette Rhodes is a paranormal romance author from New Zealand. She loves to write about love in all its forms, and adores imperfect heroes and heroines who find perfection in each other. You’ll often find her trying to justify her degree by including ancient history and mythological influences in her work.
If she’s not writing, then you’re almost certain to find her reading—ideally with a cup of tea in hand and a scented candle burning to match the mood.
Keep up with Colette here:
Website: coletterhodes.com
Instagram: @coletterhodes_author
If she’s not writing, then you’re almost certain to find her reading—ideally with a cup of tea in hand and a scented candle burning to match the mood.
Keep up with Colette here:
Website: coletterhodes.com
Instagram: @coletterhodes_author
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 202 reviews
July 6, 2020
It is the author's first book, and so is a little unpolished, but I like the story and the core characters ... except for Bryn. I'm just not a fan of the whole "he's only mean because he liiiiiiiikes you" garbage, and for the most part I just want to punch Bryn in the junk.
It is a fated-mates thing, set in a fae college. But I'm enjoying it.
It is a fated-mates thing, set in a fae college. But I'm enjoying it.
November 5, 2022
This was kinda horrible! Fully ridiculous and utterly random, but whatever, it was also incredibly entertaining, so I’ll take it!
April 29, 2023
Spoilers ahead
Fi uses magic one night to escape a bad situation and comes to the attention of the Fae. All her life she's been able to sense people's emotions but having been abandoned as a child she has no idea that she's not human....until she's escorted to Avalon and learns about the Fae and her gifts.
The mates
Bryn complete asshole who feels the mating pull but for "reasons" forcefully rejects it. He's in a relationship with OW and since meeting the h he hasn't had sex with the OW but kisses her and is with her until book 2
Next guy(I forgot his name 🙄) pretty decent guy, got his insecurities because he's from a poor family but a good guy all around and the first guy she bonds with. I could've done without knowing he'd slept with OW 2 days before meeting the h 🙄 but he's all in once he meets her
Third guy....the Dom who's got wings and is tough and standoffish t first but warms up pretty quickly
Last guy(as far as I know since I stopped reading middle of book 2) complete sweetheart who I adored
I think the reason this didn't work for me is probably the ages of the mcs, they were in their 20s but I've rarely found college or high school romances that work for me.
Also I hate when I'm told how powerful the mcs are but they turn out to be helpless..... The h was kidnapped twice and held for a month the second time yet everyone was helpless to find her
The h is training to use her powers and in self defense but she's kidnapped so easily I was annoyed at
Smexy times were fairly frequent but very much meh 😒
All in all I've had some hits from this author so I'll try her again but this series just wasn't for me
Fi uses magic one night to escape a bad situation and comes to the attention of the Fae. All her life she's been able to sense people's emotions but having been abandoned as a child she has no idea that she's not human....until she's escorted to Avalon and learns about the Fae and her gifts.
The mates
Bryn complete asshole who feels the mating pull but for "reasons" forcefully rejects it. He's in a relationship with OW and since meeting the h he hasn't had sex with the OW but kisses her and is with her until book 2
Next guy(I forgot his name 🙄) pretty decent guy, got his insecurities because he's from a poor family but a good guy all around and the first guy she bonds with. I could've done without knowing he'd slept with OW 2 days before meeting the h 🙄 but he's all in once he meets her
Third guy....the Dom who's got wings and is tough and standoffish t first but warms up pretty quickly
Last guy(as far as I know since I stopped reading middle of book 2) complete sweetheart who I adored
I think the reason this didn't work for me is probably the ages of the mcs, they were in their 20s but I've rarely found college or high school romances that work for me.
Also I hate when I'm told how powerful the mcs are but they turn out to be helpless..... The h was kidnapped twice and held for a month the second time yet everyone was helpless to find her
The h is training to use her powers and in self defense but she's kidnapped so easily I was annoyed at
Smexy times were fairly frequent but very much meh 😒
All in all I've had some hits from this author so I'll try her again but this series just wasn't for me
November 11, 2023
I struggled with this book for the first 50% or so. After that it picked up and I was able to get into it, so I am glad I stuck with it - but I almost didn't. The beginning pages and chapters felt very flat and the world building was force fed. Once that was established though, and Fi starts finding friends around her at the academy - and potential mates, the writing picks up a bit and things start smoothing out.
In the end, I did end up enjoying this novel, though I am unsure if I will continue the series at this point in time. There is just enough unique facets to gain my attention, but the tale itself is familiar... we've read this before. Hidden girl child rediscovered, unusual powers, fates mates (that is part that is unique, they are not quite fated, just highly compatible) save the world, yada yada. Been there, done that, read it too many times. All that said? After the 50% mark, the narrative does start holding its own, offering up enough snark and wit to cause some smiles and a new direction to the usual fare. I liked that.
In the end, I did end up enjoying this novel, though I am unsure if I will continue the series at this point in time. There is just enough unique facets to gain my attention, but the tale itself is familiar... we've read this before. Hidden girl child rediscovered, unusual powers, fates mates (that is part that is unique, they are not quite fated, just highly compatible) save the world, yada yada. Been there, done that, read it too many times. All that said? After the 50% mark, the narrative does start holding its own, offering up enough snark and wit to cause some smiles and a new direction to the usual fare. I liked that.
November 27, 2024
I really like Colette Rhodes, especially her Cheeky Fairy Tales series. This book was very obviously her first book because her writing has definitely matured. I liked this, but I didn't love it. There were a number of things that I think need to be fleshed out a bit further. I liked the characters, but none of them are particularly memorable. It got a little repetitive at times. I want to keep reading the next book, but I'm also not addicted to this. Idk, I feel a little meh about it. Didn't love it, but didn't hate it.
July 7, 2020
Love Marlen
I've read the entire series and this first book is my favorite for sure. The relationship build between Fi and Marlen is soooo sweet and HOT and it has the perfect amount of steam and build up for my preferences. Fi is such a likeable character. She is guarded but compassionate. She is no Mary Sue but she has plenty of special characteristics that make her stand out in a crowd. Great beginning to the series.
I've read the entire series and this first book is my favorite for sure. The relationship build between Fi and Marlen is soooo sweet and HOT and it has the perfect amount of steam and build up for my preferences. Fi is such a likeable character. She is guarded but compassionate. She is no Mary Sue but she has plenty of special characteristics that make her stand out in a crowd. Great beginning to the series.
not-for-me
August 17, 2024I've tried multiple times to read this and just can't get into it. I'm just going to drop it with no rating and move on to something else.
January 8, 2022
4.5 Stars
I really liked this book! The world was super interesting, the characters were fun and entertaining, and the mate bond with a twist plot line had me hooked!
What I Didn’t Like- The first and last chapter were a little rough, not going to lie. The writing felt a bit shaky in the first chapter, but it got much better after that. The last chapter though, felt completely rushed and out of left field. It really felt like the author was like “oh crap I need to end this book… Cliffhanger now!” and didn’t think about how disconnected it felt from the rest of the story or how it came from nowhere. I really felt like I skipped a chapter because it was so weird. It turned me off of the story, not going to lie.
I really liked this book! The world was super interesting, the characters were fun and entertaining, and the mate bond with a twist plot line had me hooked!
What I Didn’t Like- The first and last chapter were a little rough, not going to lie. The writing felt a bit shaky in the first chapter, but it got much better after that. The last chapter though, felt completely rushed and out of left field. It really felt like the author was like “oh crap I need to end this book… Cliffhanger now!” and didn’t think about how disconnected it felt from the rest of the story or how it came from nowhere. I really felt like I skipped a chapter because it was so weird. It turned me off of the story, not going to lie.
November 20, 2020
A little slow in the beginning but it picks up and it gets good.. I'm satisfied, so I'm off to book 2 of this series.
Overall rating:
4* ~ A Good Read
Overall rating:
4* ~ A Good Read
May 25, 2020
When I first started this book, I put it down after the first chapter and it sat in my kindle for a while until I eventually went back to it. After about a quarter way through, it started to suck me in and I devoured it quickly and immediately moved on to the 2nd book.
The heroine was sweet and the men were different enough (personality wise) that it was easy to differentiate between them. The multiple POV switches were rare but well done.
I'll be adding this series to my "waiting for more" goodreads TBR list for sure.
The heroine was sweet and the men were different enough (personality wise) that it was easy to differentiate between them. The multiple POV switches were rare but well done.
I'll be adding this series to my "waiting for more" goodreads TBR list for sure.
October 19, 2022
¿Que puedo decir? Es el tipo de libros que me gustan por el simple hecho de que atrapan mucho y me sacan de bloqueos inminentes.
La historia esta buena y los personajes son lindos. Obvio que lo de las almas gemelas es un poco...extremo y rápido, pero aún así las parejas están buenas.
Espero poder hacer un análisis mas profundo de la trama en el segundo libro, pero por ahora todo es aceptable.
No es la octava maravilla, pero entretiene lo suficiente.
La historia esta buena y los personajes son lindos. Obvio que lo de las almas gemelas es un poco...extremo y rápido, pero aún así las parejas están buenas.
Espero poder hacer un análisis mas profundo de la trama en el segundo libro, pero por ahora todo es aceptable.
No es la octava maravilla, pero entretiene lo suficiente.
September 12, 2020
All she wanted was a mindless hookup. Instead, she ended up blasting her wannabe rapist through a window and into the river. The next thing she knows a guy who isn't exactly human is there to collect her and take her to Avalon to enroll in the academy. He's fae. And so is Fi. A two-week trial. That's all she agrees to. She gets so much more.
This story started out shaky but once established, it gained momentum. World and character building are not its strong suit. Be warned, the characters and their early relationships are shallow and feel stilted. Then as Fi gets settled, so does the story. The friendships and relationships start to feel natural. The story becomes entertaining. Totally worth it.
This story started out shaky but once established, it gained momentum. World and character building are not its strong suit. Be warned, the characters and their early relationships are shallow and feel stilted. Then as Fi gets settled, so does the story. The friendships and relationships start to feel natural. The story becomes entertaining. Totally worth it.
July 22, 2020
To be fair, I would probably rate it 2.5 stars but this book and this series, in general, has quite a few shortcomings. It feels more like a rough sketch of what the story could've been and the characters are underdeveloped, I would even go as far as saying that they are all pretty one dimensional. Not great, not terrible, just underwhelming.
August 15, 2020
It was okay. Rather slow moving.
Read
July 13, 2021This was a sweet little book with loads of intriguing ideas & worldbuilding elements in it, and some delicious characters! Can't decide how to rate it as it's a debut with some show/tell issues but I'm just enchanted by the fae lore in this & am definitely super curious to know more about Avalon and the creatures that inhabit it. Also listened to the audiobook and really liked the narrators, especially Fi's.
Some of my fav bits (spoilers):
- The entire intro was honestly pretty hilarious, Fi's voice has great humour
- The idea of draining fae magic and placing it into crystals/"amulets", some Dark Crystal vibes there
- The different fae having different elemental affinities & the relationship with nature and the need to be barefoot at all times
- The way the campus looked in my head was just blissful
- The RH guys were great, loved the push-and-pull. Marlen the healer is absolutely lovely. Bryn's backstory is intriguing and there's something a bit Zuko-esque about him and his attitude & fire affinity lol. And of course, Arthas and his wings and penchant for dom/sub dynamics, probably my favourite tbh, would love to see where that relationship is going. I especially loved the scenes when Fi was with both her suitors towards the end.
The ending was somewhat abrupt as a resolution of the book's mystery, and I also somewhat expected it to end with the masquerade ball that was mentioned, but I suppose that'll be for book 2. All in all an enjoyable listen!
Some of my fav bits (spoilers):
- The entire intro was honestly pretty hilarious, Fi's voice has great humour
- The idea of draining fae magic and placing it into crystals/"amulets", some Dark Crystal vibes there
- The different fae having different elemental affinities & the relationship with nature and the need to be barefoot at all times
- The way the campus looked in my head was just blissful
- The RH guys were great, loved the push-and-pull. Marlen the healer is absolutely lovely. Bryn's backstory is intriguing and there's something a bit Zuko-esque about him and his attitude & fire affinity lol. And of course, Arthas and his wings and penchant for dom/sub dynamics, probably my favourite tbh, would love to see where that relationship is going. I especially loved the scenes when Fi was with both her suitors towards the end.
The ending was somewhat abrupt as a resolution of the book's mystery, and I also somewhat expected it to end with the masquerade ball that was mentioned, but I suppose that'll be for book 2. All in all an enjoyable listen!
March 14, 2021
Hmm Not bad
Not bad start. I originally was going to read the Dragon series by this author but it mentioned it had spoilers for this series and I’m a person who has to follow reading order so here I am. I basically dove in without much knowledge, I don’t recall reading the synopsis.
But so far I’m enjoying the book. The writing is decent though but bit more on the telling side than I would like. I prefer to live in the moments with the characters rather than have what happened recounted. It’s less authentic for me, less emotionally impactful.
Still I enjoyed the book even though not a lot happened or at least not a lot for me happened. I do like Marlen, I don’t like Bryn, I really dislike H’s who can’t handle their feelings so their stick themselves to someone else in order to block the feelings. It’s lame, especially with a potential bond. I really like Arthus too. Dunno who my favorite is. Dunno why she was hidden I’m hoping for more answers. Hopefully in the next book.
Not bad start. I originally was going to read the Dragon series by this author but it mentioned it had spoilers for this series and I’m a person who has to follow reading order so here I am. I basically dove in without much knowledge, I don’t recall reading the synopsis.
But so far I’m enjoying the book. The writing is decent though but bit more on the telling side than I would like. I prefer to live in the moments with the characters rather than have what happened recounted. It’s less authentic for me, less emotionally impactful.
Still I enjoyed the book even though not a lot happened or at least not a lot for me happened. I do like Marlen, I don’t like Bryn, I really dislike H’s who can’t handle their feelings so their stick themselves to someone else in order to block the feelings. It’s lame, especially with a potential bond. I really like Arthus too. Dunno who my favorite is. Dunno why she was hidden I’m hoping for more answers. Hopefully in the next book.
July 13, 2024
Since it's a RH book, we have the terrible and overused nicknames for the FMC (HER NAME LITERALLY COMES WITH A BUILT IN NICKNAME). Here they are: foxglove (70+ times); scout (10 times); sweetheart (8 times).
Let's not forget that in a RH, we must have a guy that is very into BDSM and a guy who HAS to stay away from the FMC due to [insert dumb reason here]. *eye roll*
The book is also littered with punctuation errors, wrong word choices, missing text and terrible formatting. The chapter pages are 3/4 white space + a graphic. The way that the author chose to format this book skirts the line between visual choice versus book stuffing. It looks like the author partially fixed the formatting issues in the box set, but not the graphics taking up too much space.
The plot was very surface level and lacked a lot of details, we mostly got dialogue and lore dumps via the dialogue.
Let's not forget that in a RH, we must have a guy that is very into BDSM and a guy who HAS to stay away from the FMC due to [insert dumb reason here]. *eye roll*
The book is also littered with punctuation errors, wrong word choices, missing text and terrible formatting. The chapter pages are 3/4 white space + a graphic. The way that the author chose to format this book skirts the line between visual choice versus book stuffing. It looks like the author partially fixed the formatting issues in the box set, but not the graphics taking up too much space.
The plot was very surface level and lacked a lot of details, we mostly got dialogue and lore dumps via the dialogue.
July 13, 2022
Ugh, the romance is INCREDIBLY boring. Marlen is one of the most uninteresting heroes I’ve read in a long time. There is no tension at all. He’s all in from the start and there is nothing but the heroine’s reluctance delaying the inevitable. Not good.
Bryn is less pushover but he’s all the way the opposite of the puppy dog Marlen which is just as uninteresting. He’s too scared to commit so he keeps rejecting her. Boring. We’ve all read that before. Especially since he is just so consistent about avoiding her. It’s not interesting.
DNF 70% it’s become a drag to get through. 😕
Bryn is less pushover but he’s all the way the opposite of the puppy dog Marlen which is just as uninteresting. He’s too scared to commit so he keeps rejecting her. Boring. We’ve all read that before. Especially since he is just so consistent about avoiding her. It’s not interesting.
DNF 70% it’s become a drag to get through. 😕
September 11, 2020
This series was suggested to me by a friend and it was a great recommendation.
It was only my second RH series but I am really enjoying this one. Its light its fun and I am a big fan of Marlen or as I call him - fish boy.
Even as a new author the story has depth and the world building is really good. I also liked that even though the characters are attending school its not all teenage angst that was refreshing.
I'm excited for the other books in this series.
It was only my second RH series but I am really enjoying this one. Its light its fun and I am a big fan of Marlen or as I call him - fish boy.
Even as a new author the story has depth and the world building is really good. I also liked that even though the characters are attending school its not all teenage angst that was refreshing.
I'm excited for the other books in this series.
March 26, 2021
Fi finds out that she's fae and is brought to Avalon to learn to master her powers. However, she's one of the few fae with a special blessing from the gods—she's an empath. And if people find out, she's at risk as her gift is coveted. Fi will have to find out who is trying to make her leave Avalon and she will need the help of her three mates to continue surviving.
It was a nice story, although I preferred way better some of Colette Rhodes other books.
It was a nice story, although I preferred way better some of Colette Rhodes other books.
March 16, 2022
This first book was free through KU, but the other two are not in this trilogy. The good news is March 31, the trilogy bundle will be available free on KU. I am eager to finish this trilogy so the bundle can’t come quickly enough. So it didn’t take long to figure everything out in this book, but was still worth reading.
June 25, 2020
I actually enjoyed this book, I read some reviews before reading it and I was expecting a very slow book full of descriptions rather than actual action and dialogues but that was not my impression at all. I really enjoyed it and the following books as well.
April 25, 2021
This was my first book by Colette Rhodes, and it will not be my last. I enjoyed the unique storyline, and it's characters. I feel like we need more books about Fae, this definitely hit the spot.
August 27, 2023
Honestly? Not baaaad. I was totally waiting for it to tank but the fact that it got me out of my slump? That's more than I could ask for
October 8, 2024
3.5 - there’s some turns that this takes that were weird choices.
June 3, 2020
I had seen this book recommended a few times, but for one reason or another put off reading it. Once I started I couldn’t stop. The story starts off with a bang! Fi has always been able to read others emotions, but suddenly she saves herself by blasting a guy out a window, and then finds herself in Avalon to learn more about her powers. The guys are interesting, and I love how her relationships with each of the guys is unique. The story does end with a shocker, but book 2 is out already. I’m off to download it now :)
May 18, 2020
Four stars! Duh!
Ffian not very likeable. She is too untrusting and too easy at the same time. She seems to not trust the people she should and trust the people she just meets. WTF.
Ffian not very likeable. She is too untrusting and too easy at the same time. She seems to not trust the people she should and trust the people she just meets. WTF.
May 9, 2020
The first 2 chapters of this book were pretty rough. The author didn't seem to know how to get where she wanted to go, so the beginning is a lot of telling and not much showing or setting/character building. Once the characters arrived in Avalon, the story really improves. There are still some grammatical errors and pacing problems, but overall the story is interesting. I plan to read the second book.
I would recommend this book to fans of romance, paranormal, and reverse harems. This is definitely an erotica romance, so there are a lot of steamy scenes. It is probably not for romance readers who don't like graphic or "adventurous" sex scenes.
I would recommend this book to fans of romance, paranormal, and reverse harems. This is definitely an erotica romance, so there are a lot of steamy scenes. It is probably not for romance readers who don't like graphic or "adventurous" sex scenes.
March 29, 2020
This is my first book by Colette Rhodes and I I loved it.
All the characters were very engaging and easy to cheer on. Really like Fi. She had so much going on and especially when she got to Availon. I loved how she worked through everything logically and especially when her suitors started showing themselves.
I have to say the concept of suitors was such a great idea and loved how it was portrayed in this story. I loved how each of the suitors were so different and brought out different qualities in Fi.
Marlen was such a sweetheart and it was great that Fi got to feel so loved by him. Arthus was a nice character although we didn't get to find out much about him, but what we did, I liked. Bryn was a red hearing and i look forward to finding out more about him.
It was great that we got to enjoy Fi's gifts and reading what she was experiencing especially from other people. It was great with the multi POV's. Gives such a more rounded experience.
I look forward to finding out where this story goes. Very exciting indeed.
All the characters were very engaging and easy to cheer on. Really like Fi. She had so much going on and especially when she got to Availon. I loved how she worked through everything logically and especially when her suitors started showing themselves.
I have to say the concept of suitors was such a great idea and loved how it was portrayed in this story. I loved how each of the suitors were so different and brought out different qualities in Fi.
Marlen was such a sweetheart and it was great that Fi got to feel so loved by him. Arthus was a nice character although we didn't get to find out much about him, but what we did, I liked. Bryn was a red hearing and i look forward to finding out more about him.
It was great that we got to enjoy Fi's gifts and reading what she was experiencing especially from other people. It was great with the multi POV's. Gives such a more rounded experience.
I look forward to finding out where this story goes. Very exciting indeed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 202 reviews