Touch of the Angel by Rosalie Lario

Touch of the Angel by Rosalie Lario

Book 3 in the Blood of the Demon series

www.rosalielario.com

All Amara is trying to do is stay alive and save her mother from harm.Unfortunately, since she's succubi, that's much easier said than done. When her accidental and unsuspecting prey one night is a sweet, if a little rough-around-the-edges, angel named Ronin, Amara has trouble forgiving herself for killing him through their one-night-stand (let me interject here for all of you non-paranormal people: succubi kill any non-sex-demon they have sex with). She can't seem to get his face out of her mind. Ronin wakes up drowsy and weakened from his one-night-stand with a beautiful girl - and it doesn't take long before he realizes she's succubi. Can he find her and take her off the streets before she kills anyone else? And what will he think when he discovers her real motivation for her dirty deeds?

This book started out disappointing – especially since the first two books in the series were so incredible. This book began slow, a bit confusing, and not terribly attention-grabbing. I wasn’t sure quite what I was reading and I wasn’t all that interested in reading about it. Luckily, that didn’t last too long! About 1/5 of the way through, it finally started to pick up the pace and turn into the magnificent book I was looking for. Still, that first 1/5 of the book was agonizing to get through and I’m still not certain I understand exactly why it was written the way it was – where the reader is plopped in the middle of a scene as if they should understand it. One other thing I noted that I didn’t like about the story was that the dialogue was a little unnatural and wooden at times. However that also disappeared as the book went on. Really, only the beginning didn’t live up to my very high expectations (well, the ending was a little cliché, but I was still able to enjoy it and put that aside).

I liked the book but there were a few things I absolutely adored: Ronin, Amara, and the unique nature of their romance. How many romances start with the heroine almost killing the hero… with sex? That was amusing, to me. I also really enjoyed how both the romance and the plot became increasingly unusual - and not in a bad way. There were some twists I wasn't expecting, and the focus of the story was far different than what I expected, which was still enjoyable. I also loved the romantic focus on the vulnerability of Amara due to her incredible sexuality. I really liked how Ronin protects her – recognizes that she needs protecting – and looks beyond his own anger at her, to the larger problem (the main villain). Many heroes can be short-sighted, but Ronin was looking far ahead.

Amara, for her part, is a savvy heroine. She's funny, sarcastic, smart and kind-hearted. She's going through a rough time, trying to keep her mom healthy and herself healthy in a deadly game where she's a near-useless pawn. She's struggling but she's keeping her head up. She was generally optimistic and I loved how she was able to keep her self-preservation instincts throughout the entire story instead of turning into a wimp that needed rescuing. Her determination to survive is unmatched. She has to make hard choices throughout the book but she doesn't let her bottom lip quiver - she does the best she can to make the best decision she can. She's definitely a strong woman, in need of an equally caring and equally strong man.

Ronin was really an incredible angst-y hero. Suffering through a nauseatingly awful childhood, he is strong, caring, protective, and smart. He looks past his own suffering to the suffering of others and does his best to ignore his own pain and rescue them from their demons (past and present). He’s a very giving hero, and inspiring. He’s also funny and your ‘typical man’ sometimes, which brings him down from being an obnoxious paragon to simply a caring human being (or rather angel-demon hybrid) capable of mistakes but not prone to them. The way he cares for Amara is beautiful and touching and makes for a great romance. The book's terrible start coupled with its beautiful prose and tender romance throughout the middle and end had this book averaging out to a B- in my mind – still good, but not as good as I’ve come to expect from Lario. Especially since this book became so unusual and interesting throughout the middle, I was extra disappointed by the still adequate but cliche ending.

Still, I would definitely recommend the entire series. Books one and two are phenomenal, and I can't wait for book four. Thank you so much, Ms. Lario, for sending me your book for review!

Favorite Quotes:

Getting captured sounded like the best thing ever.

Ronin’s chest expanded. “I like it. How’s Brynn?”

“Fine. Pissed at me. She says next time I have to be the one to give birth.” (Keegan)

“Sexy”ness rating: Hot! What else could you expect from a sex demon?

Overall Rating: B-

Bottom Line: This book started off slow but quickly picked up its pace to become the enthralling read I expect from Lario. Ronin is a loveable hero and Amara an admirable heroine. The book focuses on their struggles and provokes major amounts of empathy from the reader for both the hero and heroine. I also adored the struggle they faced as lovers – my only wish is that it wasn’t resolved so neatly. Overall, another touching addition to the series!

Pages: 286

Published: December 6, 2011

Genre: Urban Fantasy/Paranormal

Angel's Desire by Rosalie Lario

Book 2 in the Fallen Warriors series

www.rosalielario.com

Ethan is an angel – and one of the Fallen. Condemned to die by others of his race when he didn’t go along with their plan to eradicate the human race, he barely escaped with his life. Ethan knows he’s among the lucky. After all, his best friend, Caleb, died – leaving a nephilim daughter (his best kept secret) behind. Ethan has known ‘Taylee’ her entire life and has felt radiating shame for his attraction to his best friend’s young daughter. However, many years later and with a wealth of hurt holding the pair apart, Ethan knows he can’t live without her any longer – and sets out on a quest to make her his mate. Tayla, though, is not convinced. Grown up now, and with plenty of misconceptions regarding Ethan’s role in her father’s death, Tayla is not going to give her heart to Ethan again for him to turn around and break it like he did all those years ago. Is there any hope for this hopelessly misguided couple?

I liked the couple well enough  – I could definitely feel the drama and conflict, even if I wasn’t sure I understood it (this book seemed guilty of the big-misconception-that-was-cleared-up-with-one-conversation-but-has-kept-us-apart-for-years ploy). Ethan was sexy, playful, and dark. I liked, of course, how handsome and adorably boyish he was. He also had some really great lines (as witnessed in my favorite quotes portion) and was incredibly romantic at times – in that angst-y hero way. *Fans self* Ethan really brings the heat, and the sexual tension was overwhelming in a good way. As for the heroine, Tayla, I was occasionally annoyed by her because she seemed overly dramatic and pig-headed, but I was still able to empathize with her. At the end, when she finally gets herself out of her me-me-me rut, she was endearing and sweet. I was charmed by Tayla and Ethan's interactions at the end, and wished them the happiest happy-ever-after there could be.

The plot in the novella was fast-paced but enjoyable. The ending, with it’s last big conflict, left me slightly breathless with anticipation and I wish I’d had a little bit of a better explanation about how it all went down – it was over too quickly for me to truly savor the suspense aspect. The majority of the book serves to further the ‘big-show-down’ plot that runs through the series, as we wait on the edge of our seats for our Fallen Warriors to save the world from their angelic (or not) counterparts. I’m very excited to see how this pans out through the rest of the series. I can’t wait to see this super-team at work!

There’s some excellent world-building, although there are a few loopholes that could bother you depending on how attuned you are to the exact reality of humanity. For example, the suspicious nature of humanity is neglected completely, however the length of the novella would have to be increased considerably were we to account for the reality of human behavior and aspiration for conspiracy. These loopholes didn’t bother me too much, and with some truly fun characters and an interesting story-line I was suitably impressed by Lario’s second novella in her Fallen Warrior series, and am definitely looking forward to the third – I can’t wait to see the rest of the absolutely adorable Fallen fall again – this time in love.

Favorite Quotes:

She'd deserved to be left alone so that she could grow into womanhood unmarred by the sins of angels.

"Touch me and tell me you don't believe we’re meant to be together. Tell me you aren't mine."

Tayla noticed him watching her. She turned her head and raised a brow. "What are you looking at?"

"I'm looking at you," he answered evenly.

"No, and don't call me that," she snapped. Hearing her childhood nickname [Taylee] had a way of mentally taking her back to that time. It was too weird.

Ethan turned to face her, a wicked grin lighting his face. "What shall I call you then? I need some term of endearment to address you by."

An impish thought prompted her to suggest, "You can call me Master."

 “Sexy”ness rating: Hot!

Overall Rating: B

Bottom Line: With great sexual tension, good character development, and lots of emotion don’t miss book two in the Fallen Warriors series! Ethan is a hero you won’t soon forget!

Pages: 114

Published: September 30, 2011

Genre: Paranormal/Fantasy

For Love of An Angel by Rosalie Lario

Book 1 in the Fallen Warriors series

www.rosalielario.com

A big thanks to Rosalie for sending me this book for review!

Angels aren’t really God’s servants, in For Love of an Angel. No, instead they come from a different dimension. When the veil fell and angels found themselves stuck on Earth, for good, they decided to play up to the fact that humans worshiped them and do what any invasive species does - take over the planet. First, by turning humans into slave laborers and mindless drones fed by pro-angelic propaganda. Second, by methodically exterminating said humans until the planet is all their own. However there are some angels that want to co-exist peacefully with humans – who believe in preserving a species instead of wiping it out. They are known as The Fallen – and they fight a losing battle. Eva is a human, working as a barista, when she meets Michael, who is one of the Fallen. While he is devastatingly sexy, Eva knows that’s not enough to form a connection. But Michael knows Eva’s secrets, and soon reveals how Eva’s very life is in danger. The two must make a daring escape and Eva knows she will be on the run from the angels (the evil, not-fallen ones) for the rest of her life. Can she forgive Michael for risking her safety to meet her, and acknowledge their love? Or will she turn her back on him and leave for a life below-the-radar - and alone?

I love Rosalie’s writing. There were sentences in this novella that literally gave me the chills – that made my eyes light up, made me bounce in my seat in excitement and a shiver crawl up my back. Stealthily eerie and ominous, sentences like “Angels were not known for their compassion” were short and to the point. Sentences like that – that get their message across in so few words – are the mark of a truly great writer. And Rosalie is a fabulous writer. She has good voice and focus, and her writing is exciting. It builds inside you, each sentence upon wonderful sentence of prose and dialogue. I really enjoyed this book. I was entertained by most every page. The book didn’t let up – it was consistent, through and through, in it’s riveting qualities. Let’s sum up this paragraph by saying that, quite simply, there is absolutely nothing lacking in Rosalie’s writing style.

Unfortunately, I didn’t get the character development or plot development I needed. While the story moved at a great pace, there was way too much sex and not enough relationship/bonding thrown in. The sexual tension between Michael and Eva could literally be compared to a blazing bonfire, but I wanted to see the more emotional connection underlying the lust. Whether that connection was under-developed because Rosalie chose not to write about it or because there simply weren’t enough pages in the book and something had to get cut out, I was surprised by the lack of bonding. As far as plot went, many of the scenes occurred a bit too quickly for my taste – leaving a few things lackluster in description or in believability.

However the book was suspenseful, and very unique. As with Rosalie’s other series Blood of the Infernum (which I strongly recommend), in For Love of an Angel beings like angels are not from heaven as in human lore, but are instead akin to aliens (that's as apt a description I can give you). I really enjoy the intriguing twist this brings to the story-line (you can read more about that twist here, in Rosalie’s own words when she did a guest post on my blog!) because the book is definitely more interesting than the average angel-infused paranormal. I loved the creativity and imagery in this book – and Michael is mouth-watering both in his dialogue and his physique. I must admit that at first, his pet name for Eva – ‘beloved’ – kinda freaked me out, but as the story progressed I found I liked it. It fit him, and their situation. All in all, this was a good novella – interesting, well-written, and unique. I would highly recommend For Love of an Angel by Rosalie Lario for a quick, fun-filled afternoon of reading.

Favorite Quotes:

Angels were not known for their compassion.

The walking orgasm in front of her hadn’t gotten laid in years?... How was that even possible?

But despite their differences, they all had one thing in common. They all exhibited a blatant, rip-their-shirt-off type of sexual appeal.

Not that any of them was wearing a shirt.

 “Sexy”ness rating: HOT but a little overwhelming in mass and repetitive nature

Overall Rating: B

Bottom Line:  With sexy angels and a sweet but sensible heroine, For Love of an Angel is electric, riveting, inspired, and unique. You don't want to miss this fabulous novella by Rosalie Lario!

Pages: 35,000 words

Published: May 8, 2011

Genre: Paranormal/Fantasy

Blood of the Demon by Rosalie Lario

This review was done on an ebook ARC copy provided by the lovely ladies at Sirens Song Reviews. Check out my post on their website at: Blood of the Demon by Rosalie Lario

Book 1 in the Demons of the Infernum Series

www.rosalielario.com

Wow, has it been a while since I’ve read a paranormal – and let me tell you, it was great! This was such a fun book to read. The hero and heroine were well done. The plot, besides being a tad silly at times, was refreshingly original. I loved the unique presentation of demons, angels, and their roles in the universe. This book has convinced me to look out for more Rosalie Lario works and perhaps read a few more paranormals, to keep it ‘unreal’. J That was a pun. Laugh. Please.

Thank you.

Anyways, on to the plot. Our hero, Keegan (I honestly could not find a last name. Coming from the land of historicals, where every character has not only a last name but thirteen titles, this was a disconcerting event for me), is a demon. He and his half-brothers, Taeg, Ronin, and Dagan, have been sent to Earth by ‘The Council’ to stop their father, Mammon (an insane, greed demon) from taking over the planet with an army of super-strong-flesh-eating zombies that he’s hoping to awaken with a spell from an ancient book. Only problem seems to be no one knows where the book is – or the heir, the only person on the planet who can make the spell work.

Keegan and his crew discover their heir’s identity before their father and whisk her away to… ah… safety. Brynn Meyers, however, is none too pleased at being whisked out of her art gallery and stolen by crazy kidnappers who believe she’s the key to the apocalypse. And thus, in a race against time to beat the maniacal father, the half-brothers and Brynn have to decide to work together. Although ridiculous at some points, I thought the book had a great pace. The plot was intriguing and definitely suspenseful. I was thoroughly entertained.

There were a few not-so-good plot problems. There were a few moments I wish were elaborated, for clarification and better understanding – and things were a tad rushed at the end. There were also a few minor plot details that didn’t exactly sit right, (for example if demons are never as strong as their parents, wouldn’t the entire species eventually die out from weakness as each successive generation would be weaker than the first?) but overall the plot was great and I was happily caught in the flow and the funny, sarcastic writing.

The characters. Keegan is a dark hero – the Alpha male, beaten by his father as a young boy, obsessed with responsibility in an effort to not turn out like dear ol' dad. He is the eldest, a leader, and very serious in terms of duty until Brynn comes along and rocks his world. Oh. Also, he’s really sexy. I don’t know if you like Tall, Dark, and Handsome but I definitely do. His brothers are all a riot, and I loved how they interacted! Taeg, especially was a hoot. He was uproarious, and a great comic relief but still loyal to his brother and intelligent and not simply a hopeless jokester. I liked that all of the guys had several dimensions. That can be hard to pull off, but Lario creates true characters matsterfully.

As far as our heroine, Brynn, I knew I liked her from page fifteen when she wakes up, remembers being kidnapped and says “That asshole.” Her spunk was charming, her strength an undeniable draw. She was open-minded, giving, compassionate, intelligent, curious, strong, and sarcastic. She stood up for herself and her man when it counted. She took all the strange things Keegan was telling her in stride, but she was intelligent enough to think about them, consider what they meant. She was definitely not an airhead. I loved her - she just got more and more admirable as the book went on.

The romantic plot, unfortunately, was probably my least favorite part – though it was still good! It lacked a proper build-up, and so some of the events seemed a little sudden. I couldn’t always feel the heat and sexual tension between Keegan and Brynn, especially in the beginning. I did love, however, how Keegan protected her and loved her fiercely at the end. His sacrifices for her and his family were so touching and emotional – and her bravery to save him was just as poignant. Overall, it was good – and it picked up steam as we went to a rip-roaring finish. This book was creative and dramatic - sensually and otherwise.

Favorite quotes (there were many more):

“Why don’t we take her to Disney World next? The Taj Mahal?” (Taeg)

“You were sent to Earth? So how are you supposed to have gotten here? Through a tornado?” (Brynn)

“What?” (Keegan)
“You know, like Dorothy? Wizard of Oz?”
Straight-faced, he said, “I’ve never met this wizard.”

“Wait a second. If there’s a portal in every major city, how come we couldn’t just use that to get here instead of flying?” (Brynn)

“Traffic control.” (Keegan)
“Are… are you shitting me?”

“Sexy”ness rating: Smokin!

Overall Rating: B+

Bottom Line: A sexy hero, a smart and spunky heroine, an insane father with apocalypse on the brain... this book had great characters, and a fun plot! I loved some of the unique ideas presented in this book. Reading this book made me remember why I love paranormal romance. A definite to read!

Pages: 241
Published: August 2011
Genre: Paranormal (Humans, Demons, Dragons, Zombies, Fae, Angels, Vampires, and Sirens all mentioned. Helluva zoo, I’ll say.)