Keep to yourself. Focus on the job. Sheriff Vaughn Ellis’s very existence as a rare double-shifter defies the natural order. It also makes it extremely difficult for him to get close to anyone. To trust anyone. It’s nothing Vaughn can’t handle, until a seductively sweet woman arrives in Black Robe, and suddenly he can’t think about anything but her. The product of a witch/werewolf pairing, … witch/werewolf pairing, Hannah Cochran gets the odd-wolf-out thing. But when she uncovers a major threat to the lycanthrope world, she finds herself playing nice with the sexy sheriff. Abiding by the law isn’t usually Hannah’s style, but nothing catches her breath quite like the commanding attraction she feels toward Vaughn.
Working closely together only intensifies their fated connection, making it impossible to deny–or resist. Hannah fears that getting involved puts Vaughn in danger. But when she becomes the target, it’s Vaughn who’ll have to decide which rules he’s willing to break to save the woman he can’t live without.
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This book is approximately 89,000 words
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I’m so excited that Kari’s Touch the Sky is out in the world. I absolutely loved this book! I’m not usually a paranormal reader, but I am SO hooked on this series. Highly, highly recommend!
Hannah has stumbled into quite an ugly situation and is now on the run for her life. Turning to her cousin for help with her out of control powers, she meets the local Sheriff and finds herself in conflict. He’s sexy and attractive but he’s the law and she’s on the run. What’s a girl to do! Vaughn has struggled his whole life as a double-shifter, not really being accepted by either kind. Rejected by one, treated leery by the other has given him serious trust issues. His wolf and eagle are always bickering but they can agree on one thing: Hannah. While his attraction to Hannah is strong, he knows she is hiding something. To be together they will need to trust one another and that may just be the hardest battle.
Suspense, action and shifters – OH MY! I’ve really gotten into reading mysteries lately which means I’ve missed out on PNRs so when an author combines both, count me in. I just love a book that keeps me guessing until the end and Touch the Sky definitely delivered all three. Hannah being on the run and the reasons why, yeah I love how it wasn’t done all in one info dump. Her story is laid out thorough the book in layers, layers that had me guessing until the end. Some I had pieced together but others caught me by complete surprise. Vaughn I just adored from the beginning. Honestly, how cool is it to be a double shifter! Seriously, some shifters can be just so mean.
This book has everything that hit my reading pleasure buttons. The tension and build-up of both the growing relationship between Hannah and Vaughn as well as the secrets that Hannah harbored are perfectly matched. They steamy moments had me laughing one minute and panting the next. The cast of characters, from Frost and the shifters to the villains and their victims (622…EEK!), I just couldn’t get enough of. The mystery surrounding Sharon Beck and Raze have me begging for answers. Who are they really? What is their motives? Are they on the same side? Then there is 662. OHEMGEE! I am dying here! I need that next book NOW!
Whelp, taking a chance on a new to me author to read Touch the Sky was a complete win. While I missed out on reading the first book when it came out (Which I plan on backtracking to), I never felt lost. I thoroughly enjoyed Touch the Sky and now I’ll be sitting on pins and needles wait for the third book because I’m praying it’s about 622 and 617. Oh my gosh it just HAS to be about them!
I received this book from The JeepDiva with the express purpose of an honest review. The opinions, contents, and rating of this review are solely mine
Stars – 4
I loved this sexy shifter romance. It’s a perfect Halloween read with a pumpkin spice coffee or a hot mulled apple cider. I really liked the romance and the story was a page turner!
4 Magical Stars
Review by Nancy
Late Night Reviewer
Up All Night w/ Books Blog
Touch the Sky by Kari Cole is a blood-tingling, mystical, spellbinding read. It is the second book in the Mated by Fate series, I for one did not read the first book and still thoroughly enjoyed this one.
Sheriff Vaughn Ellis is a rare specimen of a man, a double-shifter. Always being looked down on for being born a double-shifter, he is wary of people. Vaughn keeps his distance and doesn’t trust easily. Until Hannah Cochran walks into his town. Hannah, also a rare specimen, is the product of a werewolf/witch pairing. While on the run, Hannah lands in Vaughn Ellis’s home.
Despite their distrust of each other Hannah and Vaughn can not help the attraction pulling them together. But Hannah cannot get involved, she has too many secrets and her intentions are to keep on running. She stole something that was very valuable to some very bad people, and they will do anything to get it back. When Vaughn realizes she is a target, there is no stopping him from becoming her protector. Working side by side only intensifies the attraction that she is trying to run from. Fate brought them together and despite the odd pairing they are absolutely perfect for each other.
Kari Cole definitely gave us a page turner. A story full of mystery, magic, and love. And of course those alpha shifters you can’t help but fall in love with.
I loved this book! All the great characters, all the intrigue. I can’t wait to find out where the series is going. And Vaughn…whoa, hubba hubba!
The second story in the Marked By Fate series is an exciting and touching romance that grabs readers attention and refuses to let go. Sheriff Vaughn Ellis as an eagle – wolf hybrid intrigued readers in Hunt the Moon and now he’s enthralling them along with the witch – wolf hybrid Hannah Cochran who’s in major trouble and sinking fast. These strong, bold characters are easily connected to and reader can’t help but feel for them as they struggle with their emotional and trust issues, the intense situation, prejudices and their sizzling attraction. Fate won’t stand back and let them ignore the chemistry so it builds to red hot proportions that causes their connection to intensify as they work end up having to work closely together if want to survive.
Thrills and adrenaline pumping suspense keeps readers on the edge as Hannah tries to stay ahead of the bad guys while trying to discover their secrets so that she can stop their evil deeds. Vaughn and Hannah’s relationship adds to the tension filled, fast paced and smooth flowing plot that has few surprising twists along the way that keeps everyone on their tender hooks. The social interactions between the pack members also adds drama and emotional turmoil as well as strife to the story and the author does a fantastic job of building the atmosphere of the story that readers can practically feel all the strain and turbulence that spills from the pages of this story which also means that they feel the good emotions as well. So, far Kari Cole is promising to be another favorite for me as I have become quite captivated by the world and the members of this pack.
4.5 stars
I was curious about Vaughn from Book 1, so I was so excited to find out he was getting his own book!!
Vaughn’s life is full of superstitions and conceal hate. Most people are skeptical about him because he’s both a wolf and an eagle shifter. Because of that he’s closed off and doesn’t really trust anyone. Everything’s starting to change when Hannah arrives in town. She’s the product of a witch/werewolf pairing; a witch that can’t control her magic abilities.
I was so happy to see Luke and Izzy again (my favorite couple!). The attraction between Vaughn and Hannah is undeniable, even though they try to escape it at first. In this book, the mysterious attacks against the pack continue and new secrets are unveiled.
This is a really good book and I’m looking forward to the next one!!
Fantastic installment in the Mated by Fate series. I loved this story of a woman on the run who ends up in the arms of a lawman. Both Vaughn and Hannah are misfits negotiating a difficult situation, and Cole handles their hang-ups and complex relationship with depth and feeling. Can’t wait for the next book in the series!
Touch the Sky by Kari Cole is book Two in the Mated by Fate series. This is the story of Vaughn Elli and Hannah Cochran. I have read the previous book, but feel you can make this a standalone book if you wish to do so.
Hannah found her self in a bad situation that made run for her life. Hannah meets Vaughn who is the Sheriff in this new town for her. Vaughn is a double shifter which has cause issue for him sometimes. Both are special shifters which with trust and time things start to come out that opens them more to their growing feelings.
I enjoy a good shifter romance with good world building, whether that setting be contemporary or fantasy. I also look for a sexy but plausible-feeling Hero and heroine. Touch the Sky, like its predecessor, Hunt the Moon, comes close. Vaughn is sheriff and beta of his wolf-shifter pack. He is a eagler/wolf shifter blend, which puts him on the outside of the pack, looked down on as a mixed breed. When Hannah, a witch/wolf shifter blend comes to town, the heat between them is instantaneous. I enjoyed the mystery of who Hannah actually is and why she’s on the lam. The plot combines two storylines, suspense set on top of romance.
Touch the Sky is the second book in the Mated by Fate Series and can be read as a stand-alone novel. Touch the Sky follows the story of Hannah and Vaughn. Hannah has always been different. She is the product of a rare shifter paring. In order to take down the threat to the lycanthrope world, she’ll have to keep what she is a secret. That proves easier to be said that done. What Hannah wasn’t planning on was Vaughn. She can’t fight the pull she feels towards him and working together to solve the mystery only proves to make that fight harder. Will Hannah and Vaughn be able to stop the threat to their species? Will Hannah and Vaughn be able to resist the pull they feel towards one another?? There’s only one way to find out….
I thought this book was an ok read. I really liked the concept of this story and found it interesting and original. I loved the blending of the different paranormal species, seeing other shifters besides wolves and bears. I loved the idea of a werewolf/witch combination and couldn’t wait to see what that paring in Hannah would bring. Speaking of Hannah, I really enjoyed the push and pull between Hannah and Vaughn. They both tried pretty hard to fight it, but fate had other plans for the two of them and I enjoyed watching the two of them fall.
However, the pacing of this story just killed it for me. It started out pretty good in the beginning and I’ll be honest, I don’t mind a slower pace in the beginning of story since we’re setting the story up. But, I do like the pace to pick up after 30% of the story. In this case, it never picked up, which was disappointing because it made the story feel like it was dragging on and that I wasn’t making much progress with it. There was a few times where I wanted to just put this book down and walk away. However, I am not a quitter and I did finish this book. And I gotta tell you, I’m glad that I did. While this book wasn’t a 100% hit for me, I’m glad I got to see how the story played out and get some type of resolution.
Overall, I think Mated by Fate will be one of those books that you’re gonna either love or you’re gonna hate. And for me, it was just an ok read. This story-line is really interesting and the characters are very likable. I do think this series has some great potential, the pacing just needs to be improved. This is my first book by this author and while it wasn’t a 100% hit for me, I’d be open to checking out more from her in the future.