Mixed feelings; it was fun and well paced but there were parts I just felt like I had to skim through as I wasn't entirely invested

🌿BOOK REVIEW🌿

The Coldest Touch by Isabel Sterling

“‘I’m not afraid of who you are.’
‘What I am, you mean.’
‘I meant what I said.’”

Elise is cursed with experiencing how someone will die whenever she touches someone. She becomes overwhelmed when she knows, but cannot prevent, how her brother will die. She then meets Claire, a vampire who has been tasked with seeking out Elise and helping her hone and perfect her powers. Elsie is skeptical of Claires true intentions and isn’t sure whether she can trust her, but when she predicts the imminent murder of one of her teachers, she has no option but to team up with Claire.

This was the perfect book to read around Halloween, it was such an easy ready that I completely escaped into. The two POVs of Elise and Claire were done so well that you got to know the two characters really well, and also learned of their own personal motive. They were both developed well as characters, in a way that actually had you rooting for them both.

There was a tension that was created and woven through the story that kept me grasped until the end!

Great YA sapphic, vampire fantasy story!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

⚠️CW// murder, violence, blood

Everything about this premise is so incredibly strong so I’m delighted that I loved the book itself! I don’t read a lot of fiction with vampires, but I couldn’t resist a sapphic one. That’s why I’m shocked to say this: I came for the romance, but I stayed for the interesting world and plot.

It was just so much fun! Well-crafted, a little wild, and definitely creative! I couldn’t put it down and even though I’m normally someone who needs character-driven books, I didn’t mind that this one wasn’t as strong there.

The characters are fine, to be honest. They’re fun to be with, they have something special to them, and I cared what happened—no worries there. But I wasn’t totally attached to them (or the romance) either. They’re not ones I’m gonna remember vividly… but somehow I still loved this book.

The pacing could’ve been better too, but ultimately I really enjoyed reading this! Especially the world-building and murder-mystery vibes were it for me. THE COLDEST TOUCH isn’t the best book, nor is it my favourite, but boy was it fun!

Thank you so much to Hodder and Stoughton for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Sadly I DNF'd this book after reading a couple of chapters

For me the main characters were really likeable and although set in the present world, the world building was almost non existent.

Im so sorry I couldn't finish this book but perhaps a reread later on will help and I will love it!

Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I received this arc on the third of December...and I'm only reading it now. I am truly awful but I thank Hodder & Stoughton for still giving me arc's!

I was truly hoping to love this as it has vampires, sapphics and murder mystery. However, it failed me in every way possible. The book is set in the present day of our world which made it easy to follow but this also made it seem that Sterling thought they could get away with doing the most shallow world-building. The paranormal aspect of this book does not hold up well as it is very poorly explained. There are terms used like 'The Veil' and 'Shepherding' etc., which Sterling choose to give little insight into as it appears they didn't understand how it fully worked either. 'The Veil' is the worst explained part of the book, which is disappointing since it is also one of the most prominent parts. It is supposed to be a government of vampires who set laws and control the paranormal but the book explores and explains little of it, so they have no real authority that the characters say they have. The two head vampires Luca Tagliaferro and Henri Guillebeaux are mentioned a lot but we meet one of them (Henri, if I recall) for all of one or two pages. This made the motivations of Claire, Delilah, Wyn and Elise very weak and vague as there was no tension. Furthermore, Sterling tried to expand on their already weak world by mentioning multiple bloodlines - most of which had no relevance to the plot and therefore were useless. There were other paranormal and fantastical characters mentioned like witches and faeries but they also had no relevance or deep explanation. It's clear that the world falls apart pretty quickly due to the lack of substance and facts.

Stemming from this is the writing itself. This book is clearly written for a younger YA audience in mind - so, not me - which meant that many elements were written to be overdramatic which made the characters feel silly and incapable of handling things with maturity or individually. Characters got emotionally hurt without actually doing any thinking to understand the bare bones of a situation, so I found myself frequently annoyed with them. I also believe that the book would've suited a third-person narration instead of a first-person narration because the characters' thoughts felt useless to the main story, and it often made it feel like I was being told something instead of having it shown.

Speaking of the characters, the protagonists, Claire and Elise, are said to have a F/F romance but I felt that it was the plot with the least weight to it (it really on takes effect in the last 15%). Sterling forces you to believe the characters have a romantic interest in each other, even though it's barely shown or hinted at in the majority of the book. This made the romance incredibly unbelievable and unnecessary. The extent of the romantic feelings is a kiss-of-convenience for plot purposes, and Claire's insta-love obsession with Elise and her "ocean eyes" (a phrase which was used one too many times). Going back to the romance being unnecessary, the book would've been ten times better without it because it would've allowed Sterling to strengthen Elise's character development by working on her issues with her ex (related to the plot), and the death of her brother. A romantic interest was not what Elise needed. Therapy was!

As for the plot, you can tell that it was Twilight/New Moon inspired, except way more boring and repetitive. The plot consisted of the same beats: Elise performed a spell, a murder happened, and then a new character would be introduced. This made the foreshadowing painfully predictable and I was right about 95% of my guesses. I know I should've DNF'ed this book after saying that but it was a very easy read that required little brain power. This did allow me to skim-read at times, so I may have missed some information...but who am I kidding? All I would've missed is the characters inner monologue repeating itself. The climax of the book was perhaps the most annoying part. Just before it, there was a key scene that was entirely skipped because Sterling conveniently switched POVs at the last second to avoid doing any world-building. Think of the moment as a character gaining a new power...we totally missed out on it, and it was extremely necessary to see for the plot.

Lastly, the awful representation in this book has to be discussed. It is filled to the brim with forced representation. Each time a new character was acknowledged, their name would be followed by their ethnicity and a vague (repetitive) description of their physical appearance would be given. When we first met Elise's best friend, Maggie, her name was followed by "a Korean American." Who's first thought about their best friend is their ethnicity? It was super uncomfortable to read. A similar issue occurred with gender. Through Claire's vampire powers (probably unexplained as I don't recall an explanation) she was able to determine someone's gender? And virtually every time they would be genderqueer...it's as though Sterling didn't know of any other genders.

This book was not good, and I am glad I read it so I can prevent others from wasting their time.

I haven't read much supernatural books lately, honestly mostly because it's either vampire or werewolves and I just.. I don't know. But this one was a bit different, so I went in head first. I really loved the death oracle powers and Elise training. ánd a murder mystery! I definitely hope this will have a sequel and we'll get to see more of the amazing diversity

Thank you for my earc of this book!
I loved the premise of this book and it was good fun but the writing itself was quite slow at times and I found myself losing focus or not engaging. This was an unedited copy so could have been resolved in the final version!

I've read Isabel Sterlings books in the past and I have really enjoyed them so as soon as I saw she was doing another one I couldn't help myself!

I loved the supernatural element to it, and i LOVED the relationship between Elise and Claire, the development kept me hooked.

A girl who can tell how people will die by touching them meets a vampire girl who isn’t mortal, and has no death. This is a great take on the classic ‘American High School Vampire Romance’ trope - so much fun!

Supernatural and sapphic? Sign me up. This was a super fun read, yes it’s tropey and a little predictable but all the more fun for it. Definitely recommend as a fun beach read

⭐⭐⭐.75⁣
I enjoyed this one and found it to be a fun read. What made this one stand out to me was the premise of a sapphic supernatural characters! I feel like you don't see enough of this and was so eager to read. ⁣
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I liked the storyline and the characters in this one. Claire and Elise are strong characters and I really liked the side characters. ⁣
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However I struggled with the romance aspect and I didn't feel the chemistry between the two sadly. I also found that the pacing was a little off in places. ⁣
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Overall this was a fun read with a diverse range of characters.

Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton and Netgalley for letting me read an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinions!

Let's face it, it was about time that we re-visited the oh so popular paranormal vampire story through a sapphic lens. And I am so glad that young readers finally have books like this one, where they can see themselves and the relationships they crave represented.

I thought that the story was quite cute and nicely written. Yes, it was quite predictable and relied a little too heavily on certain tropes at times, but overall, it was still a enjoyable read! The characters are likable, their motivations do make sense for the most part, and the attraction between the two main characters felt organic and sweet. Overall, I'd for sure recommend this one to anyone looking for a light YA that gives a queer twist to popular tropes.

'The Coldest Touch' follows Elise, a young girl with a strange gift. When she touches someone, she sees the way they die. After being unable to save her brother from his death, she will do anything to get rid of her powers.

I liked the range of LGBTQIA+ diversity, as alongside the main two characters, there is also a pansexual character, and a non-binary character, which isn't often seen in books. I also appreciated the fact the story didn't make a big deal of the characters LGBTQIA+ identities, and how this aspect was written.

However, although I appreciate the diversity of the characters. I didn't really like the way the writer introduced the characters. It was overly-descriptive, and went felt a tad forced diversity, if that makes any sense. Here are two examples I found, and that particularly stuck with me.
"Maggie, a petite Korean-American girl"
"A black boy, not the one from the homecoming photos"

In short this story is well-written, has an okayish romance, and has okayish characters. I'd recommend this to the younger side of YA, inside of the more mature or more well-adversed readers.

Rated 3 stars

Thank you to netgallery for allowing me to read such a cute sapphic romance.

The Coldest Touch is a thrilling YA story about family, choices and what we’re willing to do for the life we want, perfect for fans of queer supernatural romances with high stakes.

This book was delightful! To me, it had the perfect balance of action, magic and character exploration. It’s fun and tense, packed with action and real stakes (not a vampire pun)! Truly, it was a joy to read and I really wish all my reading experiences could be like this. I love the world-building and the bits of magic and supernatural elements we get. They slot right into the existing vampire and general supernatural canon (at least the parts I’m familiar with) while adding something new. All of these characters and their powers are just so cool! Everyone is very hot and stylish and nobody has ever made me want to be a vampire than Wyn. They are absolutely the kind of person I aspire to be one day. A non-binary vampire with killer fashion sense? Come on, that’s a vibe!

I am a big fan of books with multiple POVs and The Coldest Touch utilizes them brilliantly! Alternating between Elise and Claire, we get to know both of them incredibly well. We see their fears and worries and the love that ultimately drives their decision. They are so different and that just makes them more interesting. Nobody is going to be surprised, but I’m obsessed with Claire! She is a fantastic character and counterpoint to Elise. And all her edges and wounds made her even more compelling.

Elise, poor Elise. I really felt for her and her grief and all the terrible things that happen to her broke my heart. But seeing her grow into her power and fight for the life she wants? Unbelievably cool. I loved watching her learn to use her powers as the death oracle and grapple with the implications of them. After all, she’s just a teenage girl who suddenly has control over people’s fates! Additionally, I love that this is a sapphic romance with a questioning lead! Personally, it’s not something I’ve encountered to the extent of this but it was very fun to read and little old questioning me would have been so happy to feel seen! The book allows Elise room to explore her sexuality and arrive at a point of comfort in her own time.

Admittedly, I kind of hope there’s a sequel or more books in this world because there are so many questions I have and corners of this world left to explore!

I can’t over emphasise how much I loved this, I don’t think there are the words. This book has some of my favourite characters ever , amazing friendships , mystery and a fantastic plot that will leave you on the edge of your seat. My only criticism would be I felt the romance was rushed a little, I but it wasn’t a major big bear to me because I still loved it. This is such a fascinating and addictive story, I really do hope there is a sequel in the pipeline, I will devour it.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

One of the things I loved was that love to hate villain of the book and I love the inclusion of a non-binary vampire!


I struggled to fully connect with the characters but loved the storyline so I will give it 3* as character connection is important to me

I'm a big fan of this author after readi the couplet of witch books. This is cute and easy to read in the same vein and I really really enjoyed it! It was a bit long and could have been condensed in places but overall very fun

A cute yet emotive teen vampire/witch read with sapphics.

This book was an awesome read, it’s definitely a teen read but tackles real world topics like death of a sibling, murder and not so real world topics like the absolute *burden* of immortality.

I’d also like to point out we have Non binary rep with the side character Wynn, and pansexual rep with Elise’ ex boyfriend, Jordan. Basically we’re getting all the LGBTS’ in and I’m HERE for it.

It’s definitely a fresh take on the classic vampire novel, with ethereal main focus actually being on Elise- the death oracle- a kind of witch that foresees the deaths of those she touches.

I seriously enjoyed this, and would recommend it to anyone who loved twilight or the house of night series. It’s refreshing to have a sapphic take on the classic vampire tales that isn’t Carmilla (as much as my gay heart loves that.)


TW// there is one scene involving a knife on a wrist, non descript, and non graphic murders/ deaths throughout. Age gap (Obviously as it’s a vampire fic. Elise is 17 as is Claire but Claire is roughly 100 in vampire years.)

Rainbows and Sunshine
Jan 9, 2022

I saw sapphics and vampires and I jumped on this one! I really enjoyed this one. Written in dual POV, we have Claire, vampie stuck as a 17 year old and Elise, whose trying to understand her new abilities.

Elise's power to see death via touch has caused her to shut herself out but with Claire she can finally relax as she sees nothing. This is a slowburn romance with a fast paced plot. Another great thing is the friendship between Elise, Maggie and Brandon. It was so beautifully portrayed.

I also enjoyed the mentor relationship between Claire and Wyn and I love that they were more like siblings. Also yes to nonbinary vampires!

Overall it was really fun and I would definitely love if we get a sequel 'cause I love seeing them be a couple and see their relationship grow.

*ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review

I’ve wanted a book with a sapphic vampire/human relationship for YEARS which is why I’m so thrilled Isabel Sterling came through with THE COLDEST TOUCH! It’s my first read of 2022 and what a way to start the year. ❤

Claire wants nothing more than to get rid of her strange new ability to see how people die – it’s ruined her life as she’s isolated herself from everyone she loves to escape the pain of seeing and experiencing their deaths. When the mysterious new girl at school (love that trope being genderswapped!) says she can explain what’s happening, Claire seizes at this last chance to get her life back. What she doesn’t know is that Elise represents the Veil, a group that governs the paranormal world, and they need her ability to maintain order whether she likes it or not.

This book was EXCELLENT, it hooked me in from the first page and didn’t let me go, it was a one-sitting read! The fast-paced plot, intriguing world-building and lovable characters made it super enjoyable. I loved that Claire’s friends played a big role (including her ex-boyfriend, which I thought would be awkward, but turned out so sweet) and the focus on her fractured family dealing with grief over losing her brother and how they come together by the end.

And it was great how Elise had important goals outside of the growing romance with Claire that she never lost sight of, plus her relationship with her boss Wyn who treated her like a kid sister was fantastic. My favorite character has to be the adorable cat Richie who stole every scene she was in!

As a standalone, there was no nasty cliffhanger and it felt so satisfying to reach the last page and sigh sappily at our couple getting their happy ending. I would love to read any further books about Claire and Elise, there are plot threads set up that can be explored, but this feels complete and fulfilling as is.