The Coldest Touch is a fun, sapphic, paranormal book, however, predictable plot points and a lack of character chemistry meant it wasn’t a new favourite.

Elise has withdrawn after the sudden death of her older brother, a death that she predicted, a death she couldn’t prevent. She can’t control her ability to see how everyone she touches will die, so she tries to keep her distance from people. Claire is a vampire working for an underground society of paranormals known as the Veil. She’s assigned to help Elise master her rare powers. Elise is reluctant at first, but when she predicts a teacher’s imminent murder, she’ll do anything to learn how to change fate.

This book was a sweet, compelling read that thoughtfully touched on themes surrounding grief, power, and identity. Although plot points were predictable, it was a fun read reminiscent of popular Young Adult vampire books. The inclusion of a sapphic romance is particularly exciting, as the genre has, historically, been incredibly straight. Despite this, there was a lack of chemistry in the slow-burn relationship that made it feel underdeveloped. The worldbuilding is fun, if not particularly original, but many threads were left hanging in what felt like a set-up for an as-yet-unannounced sequel. As the standalone it currently is, the ending was unsatisfying. The Coldest Touch is a book that might best suit readers on the younger end of Young Adult. It was a perfectly entertaining read, but it didn’t manage to set itself apart from other books in its genre.

The Coldest Touch by Isabel Sterling is a contemporary YA paranormal sapphic romance centered around Claire, a vampire turned at seventeen - younger than anyone would want to be stuck at forever - and Elise, a girl recently given the power to see the deaths of those around her. Claire is tasked with guiding Elise into her paranormal duties, in exchange for help in a mission of vengeance from the rulers of the vampire world. But Elise throws the paranormal world's rules into question for Claire, as Claire battles with her all too human teenage emotions.

This book was a fun romance with an interesting twist on vampiric lore that I loved, and everything surrounding Elise's powers was really interesting. It also explored themes of family, friendship, and grief in a really touching way. Without giving anything away, there were some characters whose fates didn't seem to affect the whole situation as much as I feel like they would have, but that didn't detract too much from my enjoyment of the book as a whole.

Overall, I enjoyed this book, and I definitely hope there will be a sequel to explore more of the world and tell more of these characters' stories.

This was quite different from anything I have read previously. Think friends to enemies to lovers (with queer rep), think vampires and death oracles, and basically a whole bunch of unique stuff that made this a truly special experience to read. We follow Elise and Claire, a death oracle, and a vampire. Both with different but similar motives, traumatic pasts, and ultimately a fate they cannot escape. I really enjoyed seeing the character development between the two protagonists, and it was painful to learn about their pasts, especially Claire who has a history of being betrayed.

Some of the twists and turns in this book were genuinely so crazy I had to take a moment to compose myself. For example, the moment I learnt Rose and Delilah were the same person, or Nick being “alive” or even Maggie pushing Elise into the water (although I calmed down when I realised, she was being compelled). I love when books do this, and I think it makes the first-time reading experience all the more special because you’re just completely and entirely shook, like where on earth did half of those things come from????

I really liked Jordan. I thought he was incredibly sweet, genuine, and caring. I think we all need a Jordan-like love interest in our lives.

I thought this was the perfect pace too, it wasn’t too fast to the point where I couldn’t keep up, but it also wasn’t too slow to the point where I felt like I’d aged in the process of reading. I thought it was pretty easy to follow along, and I felt like there were no ‘pointless chapters’; every chapter contributed to the story line instead of being what I call a ‘filler chapter’.

I feel like I cracked the code with the title, ‘The Coldest Touch’. When Elise touches Claire who is, quite bluntly, dead, she doesn’t see her death. Firstly, because she isn’t alive anymore, and my theory is that makes her cold to the touch? (Bare with me- there is more to it). It’s also the most impactful touch, firstly because it’s the first touch in a while where Elise doesn’t have to go through the excruciating pain of seeing yet another death, but also a beautiful bond builds between the two, and eventually they fall in love. That made more sense in my head, I wouldn’t say I’ve cracked the code, but I guess I saw where the title was coming from and I understood the meaning?

However, I felt like Rose/Delilah’s story was left on a bit of a cliff-hanger, and I’m not sure if this was done deliberately as it means we’ll be getting another book, or if that was the end of it. I was left wondering with unanswered questions, does Claire ever find her and get revenge?

I also felt like we didn’t see enough romance between Elise and Claire. We got a gradual build up, which I loved, but the ending was a little ‘vanilla’ in my opinion. I thought there could have been more to it, and there could have been more romantic interactions between the two protagonists.

A 4-star rating from me, just because of the two above aspects that I felt were lacking. But other than that, it was a great read and I am looking forward to checking out more of Isabel’s work.

3/5 stars

this was a sweet sapphic vampire ya story! i was definitely expecting more from the romance department and got more of the supernatural mystery plot instead but that's on me. both characters don't feel like stereotypical cliches, they are given moments to show different sides individually which was nice, i just wished more opportunities were given for them to interact and spend more time together. it just didn't feel enough, they were most interesting and fun to read when together - including the side characters and their little experiments/plans. individually they just did not have enough to hold my attention.

the writing style was pretty easy to follow, it made for a quicker read, the plot and the characters just failed to really grab me. i didn't really feel that much chemistry between the two because even after 50% in, i feel like their interaction were so quick and something was just missing. i loooove touch starved characters, those tiny moments of reflex from elise were so great. i felt like the middle definitely dragged a little, especially at the 30-40% of the story. also i feel like the author feels the need to specify details of the characters that serve no purpose to show the reader how diverse they are,, which usually i dont mind but it feels out of place when reading from first perspective of our main character and they are just describing their best friend (when we first meet her) something like 'my asian best friend waved at me'. its just a tiny, tiny personal nitpick but whatever.

if you're looking for a supernatural ya story set in high school (don't worry the vampire is described to have a brain that is stuck at a teenage mindset so it's not That kind of weird romance) that also happens to be sapphic, i do recommend it!

I was very intrigued by the concept of The Coldest Touch, as it featured an interesting take on the classic vampire trope in YA literature. The book started off very strong, and I enjoyed the introduction to Claire and Elise, the two protagonists, and their respective personalities and lives. I also liked how there was a little more to the story than the typical human girl being introduced to the concept of vampires being real, with the 'Death Oracle' element. I enjoyed how diverse the book was in terms of the characters identities, but I do think the big selling point of the book to many people was its LGBT romance between the main characters, which I didn't feel was fleshed out enough. The potential wasn't met in that aspect of the book, and it felt very unresolved even by the end. I also feel that the book dipped in the second half, with the pacing increasing hugely and plot points being introduced that were just confusing.

Wow, well what can I say? I DEVOURED this book in less than 24 hours. I could not put it down. The Coldest Touch is officially my best read of 2021.

The plot is fast paced and the characters relatable, Elise's determination and strength makes her a fascinating heroine, the fact that nothing seems to faze her and she wants to do the best for everyone around her.. The representation of gender and sexuality identities is beautifully done, without needing a long backstory it is just accepted as so which is beautiful (they/them pronouns). This is the first book I have read with they/them pronouns and it just felt right. Claire was multi-layered and her backstory fascinating. The friendship between Elise, Maddie and Jordan felt organic and real, especially given the situation they were in.

The romance is slow burning but built up perfectly. The way the book approached the flexibility of sexuality was just spot on, my favourite quote being "there is no expiration date on coming out". I will be recommending this to everyone I meet and definitely introducing it as part of our book club in the next year.

5*, unputdownable.

This was a really fun book, I really enjoyed the characters. The first thing that drew me to this book was the cover, I can't resist a book with vampires in it as well so I knew I would enjoy this. I loved the friendships between characters but didn't love the romance as much, I would still love to read more from this author in the future

Both Claire and Elise are interesting characters in their own rights and I enjoyed many of the plot points throughout the novel. My favourite part was near the beginning though when they teamed up to stop (and then investigate) a murder. I wish this had been a bigger part of the story but the narrative jumped from one point to the next pretty swiftly.

There were a few reveals throughout which I enjoyed (a couple I had a hunch about but one was particularly surprising). But I did find some of the plot to be a bit too predictable. Particularly the classic fall out between the two leads, it felt very forced and they didn’t try very hard to understand the other’s perspective.

One thing I did really enjoy was the writing style. Sterling has a very easy way of writing and managed to create a real range of atmospheres through the book. Especially in some of the spookier parts, making it a really good read to get in the mood for Halloween.

After enjoying a previous book by this author I was interested in this new queer release especially when it’s witchy and vampire and got bisexual rep in it.
Yet I was so bored. Technically there was nothing wrong with the writing style, it just didn’t engage me as other YA books have done especially in this genre. I felt lots of things were unnecessarily repeated and you never got the sense of dread that you were ment to be feeling

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book early! I really enjoyed this book and I thought it had a sweet undertone throughout and through the concept! Can’t wait to add this book to my physical shelf I enjoyed it that much!

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for providing me with an EARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.

"She's been lonely longer than she's been seventeen. And she's been seventeen for so many years she's lost count."

The Coldest Touch is a perfect mix of so many things; part revenge story, part mystery, part romance and part fantasy novel it encompasses so many great things in such an easy way. It is such a fantastic mix that it provides a refreshing take on tropes many have seen before. Is this the book that brings vampires back? Maybe! I certainly loved it.

The worldbuilding is done brilliantly, I wouldn't say its overcomplicated but there is enough depth in the organisation of this underground supernatural world that it seems utterly believable. That being said with a lot of it being in a high school setting, I think it would be a great introduction to more urban fantasy literature if someone has only read contemporary romance before.

The characters are the star of the show for me, including our main characters cat! They are all complex and have their own individual motivations that give the story layers. The romance is perfect and exactly what I needed when reading this. Not to mention the brilliant LGBTQIA+ representation that is handled so effortlessly.

The plot and pacing kept me engaged the whole time and once I picked it up I found it very hard to put back down again. There are enough twists in the story to keep you entertained without it taking away from the character development taking place. Honestly, I didn't want it to end.

I had previously been interested in this authors other works but they have been pushed to the top of my raydar after reading this one.

Really it seems like I have nothing but good things to say about this one. So definitely pick it up!

Thanks to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for providing this eARC. I absolutely loved this book. It has mystery and paranormal elements and I really loved the hidden "The Veil" society. The writing style was really descriptive and I loved the dual povs. The cast of the book is diverse and really, really queer what I loved. The author did a phenomenal job. The book and its plot really surprised me. I had no clue where the story was headed, which I loved. I'm really looking forward to reading more books by this author. I recommend this book to people who love paranormal stories with a hint of romance.

I have been excited for Isabel Sterling's next release since finishing her debut duology, that excitment doubled when I learnt this was all about vampires. Overall this book was enjoyable. I liked how it wasn't you're avergae vampire tale, instead having other layers of the paranormal like Elise having powers mixed in there. I do wish the political world of the vampires had been explored more, and we could have seen more of the plot besides just Elise training.

Thank you to Hodder and Stoughton and NetGalley for an advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Coldest Touch was one of my most anticipated reads this end of 2021 and it certainly did not disappoint. It is the first book that I have read by Isabel Sterling and I can without a doubt say that I absolutely love her writing style. The Coldest Touch is a YA f/f paranormal book following Elise, a girl cursed with being able to predict people’s death through touching them, and Claire, a Vampire tasked to help Elise embrace and use her power correctly.

I absolutely adored pretty much everything about this book. I loved the LGBTQIA+ representation, the found family aspect, and the addition of a murder mystery. It was such a quick and easy read, I didn’t feel like I was missing much and I didn’t become confused at any point. Due to it being fast-paced, I felt like a couple of things were rushed which left me wanting more so I really hope there’s a sequel!

I loved the characters and their relationship, especially the development of the relationship between Elise and Claire. It was just so cute and adorable. As for Elise’s father, whilst I understood he was processing what happened to their family in his own way, I still wanted to punch him so bad. I did want to see a bit more of other Vampires as well as other paranormal/fantasy beings mentioned in the book such as witches and fae.

The setting was pretty much consistent, there were no complicated places being mentioned I could picture the different settings quite well (i.e. the school and character’s houses) which is something I love in books.
Overall, this book is perfect if you’re looking for a fast-paced book with paranormal sapphics and a murder mystery.

3.8*

first of all, thank you to hodder & stoughton and netgalley for the arc.

this is my first isabel sterling book but i've been hearing many thoughts about her other series and the premise of this really intrigued me. i mean a sapphic paranormal romance with a murder mystery element in it sounds like a fun time to me!

i enjoyed reading this, but it didn't completely take over me like i thought it would. it WAS a fun time though, and I had a lot of fun with the main characters. What I loved is the friendship between elise, maggie, and her ex boyfriend jordan. I think the strongest point of this book was that, and also elise's journey of discovering her identity. i also really loved the premise - a lesbian vampire and a bisexual girl who can see people's death if they ever get in contact with her - but even though i like their chemistry, it was good at best but i would've loved more development from them. i also think a lot of it was just done super fast and too insta-love in my opinion. i also liked that there are other queer characters in this book!

the things i didn't love - the introduction to the world! i had a hard time figuring out what the hell claire was talking about in the first place and how there's suddenly a bunch of names thrown in. i also was not sold on the romance, even though it was a huge part of why i picked this book up.

but overall, this was a solid book and if you want something fun to pick up, this book would be a great one to pick up! also makes me wish there are more of these concepts in YA, but this is definitely a start.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

This book was a lot of fun to read. Elise and Claire are both good, identifiable characters, and the plot is satisfyingly twisty while still maintaining the elements of romance. It's always good to see great LGBTQ+ representation in a story that doesn't end horribly - I definitely got some San Junipero vibes from that ending. A good quality teen read.

The concept of this book is one I was really excited to read. Vampires and LGBTQ+ representation? Sign me up. And the book started out really well. It dived straight into the drama and the characters grabbed me straight away, as did the storyline.

However, after the introduction to the main plot line, it did feel as though nothing was moving forward at a pace I enjoyed. I did struggle to continue with this one and whilst the pace did pick up in some parts, there wasn’t enough for me to really enjoy it.

The romance was very insta-love for me and there wasn’t enough tension and build up between the two main characters for me to be rooting for them but I did enjoy the representation and the mentions of struggles of Claire, a lesbian vampire, for finding people ‘like her’ throughout her life as a vampire.

Overall this is a great book for spending the day under a blanket with a warm drink.

THIS BOOK!

Sapphic vampires? It's got it!
Positive LGBTQ+ rep, including pansexual, bisexual and non-binary characters? YES!!!
Good humour and an interesting plot? Sure, it has that too!

This was my first time reading a book by Isabel Sterling and it sure won't be the last. And it's sure to be popular among fans of her other books. By far the biggest selling point of The Coldest Touch, for me at least, is definitely the range of LGBTQ+ representation that it has. Both the main and side characters represent a large range of LGBTQ+ identities while not feeling like they're token characters. While reading The Coldest Touch I realised that this is the first book I've read, in all 23 years of my life, that had an openly non-binary character who went by They/Them pronouns! (And yes they, Wyn, were my favourite character) It also feels so rare for a book with LGBTQ+ characters to not only end on such a happy note but to have queer characters who don't face any everyday homophobia throughout, and it was such a breath of fresh air.

While the main characters are pretty fleshed out and interesting some of the side characters feel a little bit underdeveloped. Where some side characters like Wyn felt well built, others like Elise's two friends and her brother were lacking. Even the main villain of the book at times felt all talk no bite like she existed solely to be a 'badass' evil vampire. My main criticism of The Coldest Touch would be the novel's pacing. It seems to go from 0 to 100 pretty quickly within the first few chapters and then after that tension is built up continuously but when it's finally resolved, the resolution feels somewhat underwhelming. I understand the desire to leave the plot somewhat open-ended with the possibility for a sequel, which would work well with this book.


Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book was absolutely incredible. It was fun and quirky and so divine. The writing was so beautiful and I loved the dynamic between characters.

This book has some good friendships in it, we get to see friendships build back up again after a tradegy which i enjoyed. There was a good murder mystery type thing going on which was fun, i do wish they went more with it tho it felt a little glossed over. This was very plot driven, there was no world building or really any descriptions of the surroundings. I enjoyed the romance but it did develop quick and the main character becoming bi happened as soon as one of her friends mentioned it to her, i would have liked a bit more of thought of it from the main character. The thing that bugged me the most is that people were described as either being black or white, that was the main thing the author used to identify the characters by which made me feel a little uncomfortable. Overall, i rated this a 3 stars.