The Coldest Touch

By: Isabel Sterling

Narrated by: Katie Koster, Kristen DiMercurio

“Vampires going to high school, but make it queer. Sterling delivers a fresh, thoughtful take on beloved paranormal tropes with a delightfully bloody romance.” —Mara Fitzgerald, author of Beyond the Ruby Veil

From the author of These Witches Don't Burn comes another paranormal romance for fans of Richelle Mead and Stephenie Meyer.

Elise Beaumont is cursed. With every touch, she experiences exactly how her loved ones will die. And after her brother's death—a death she predicted but was unable to prevent—Elise is desperate to get rid of her terrible gift, no matter the cost.

Claire Montgomery also has a unique relationship with death, mostly because she’s already dead. Technically, anyway. Claire is a vampire, and she's been assigned by the Veil to help Elise master her rare Death Oracle powers.

At first, Elise is reluctant to work with a vampire, but when she predicts a teacher’s imminent murder, she's determined to stop the violent death, even if it means sacrificing her own future to secure Claire's help.

The trouble is, Claire and Elise aren't the only paranormals in town—a killer is stalking the streets, and Claire can't seem to shake the pull she feels toward Elise, a romance that could upend the Veil’s mission. But as Elise and Claire grow closer, Elise begins to wonder—can she really trust someone tasked with securing her loyalty? Someone who could so easily kill her? Someone who might hold the key to unraveling her brother's mysterious death?

Critic reviews

"A haunting LGBTQ+ paranormal romance that is sure to keep readers emotionally invested." —Booklist

"Exciting and endearing." —Kirkus Reviews

"This cleverly subverts genre expectations with sardonic humor and quippy snark. Those craving more vampire fiction in high school settings with a romantic twist have found their next read." —BCCB

"The characters’ rich backstories and authentic teen voices make this book an enjoyable ride through the genre." —SLJ

"Sterling’s world will appeal to readers who appreciate atmospheric and emotional paranormal romance; through alternating dual voices, she offers a gentle, sapphic romance and a nuanced exploration of identity, power, and consent." —Publishers Weekly

"Sterling raises the bar with this wonderfully sapphic paranormal romance! Both thrilling and heartfelt, The Coldest Touch is a brilliant addition to the world of vampire lit, sure to leave readers thirsty for more." —Jennifer Dugan, author of Hot Dog Girl and Some Girls Do

“Vampires going to high school, but make it queer. Sterling delivers a fresh, thoughtful take on beloved paranormal tropes with a delightfully bloody romance.” —Mara Fitzgerald, author of Beyond the Ruby Veil

Awesome story

Everything is great. Plot, characters, and such. Some cliches but well done none the less. My favorite is the vampire has feelings. It makes the usual cold mystery fall away leaving plenty of room for emotion and romance.

A great story!

The author does a great job writing believable teenagers and a fascinating supernatural world.

Full of emotions and action.

I have never read a book that made me laugh and love a ex boyfriend as much as this. it's full of aaction, emotion, and comedy gold.

Another Story Well Done

There is a style to Isabel Sterling that pulls me in and jars me at the same time. Her witch books were the same. This isn’t bad because I have now experienced her published books and find myself waiting for the next one. The grating part is the out of control teen and their emotions, and yet, that could be just a reflection of how I was as a teen that truly gets me.
This storyline was well done in the sense that it wasn’t all pink roses and petunias- there were some serious decisions to be made and losses where I thought YA books wouldn’t venture into.
Worth the read/listen.

Reads like Fanfiction...

Thin Character Development

With a story that drags and narrators who have only one tone to their voices, I'm finding this listen to be excruciatingly rough to finish. And a fair warning that some of this story won't seem important unless you read the other book to get some ground work of the world would have been nice.

One moderately better narrator may have be able to bring the story to life, but it really reads like maple syrup in winter.

The "Age gap" regardless of outwardly appearances, is odd and thinly veiled behind the whole, "turned earlier than was allowed" shtick. My teen heart this and my teen brain that is a poor way of trying to explain that she somehow thinks like a teen even though she's a grandmother by age alone and drinks blood from college aged females.. Odd.

That comment in Ch. 33 around 2 minutes and 7 seconds is freaking eye rolling. Jesus wept.

And finally - is there ever a LGB novel that doesn't need to reiterate the LGB party line? I feel like I'm getting a replayed sermon about my life style each and every time I read these novels...