Avenger's Angel

The Lost Angels #1

by Heather Killough-Walden

When four female angels were created for the archangels Michael, Gabriel, Uriel and Azrael, a chaos spurned by jealousy erupted, and the archesses were secreted to Earth. The four favored archangels followed, prompting a search that has lasted millennia. But for Uriel, the former Archangel of vengeance, the search ends the moment he lays eyes on Eleanor Granger, his one true archess. Can he protect her from the danger lying in wait for her - and win her heart?

Genres: Angels, Paranormal Romance, Paranormal, Romance, Fantasy, Vampires, Urban Fantasy

392 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published November 1, 2011

About the author

Heather Killough-Walden is a California native currently living in Texas with her husband and child. She is the New York Times bestselling author of the Big Bad Wolf series. Heather’s educational background includes religious studies, archeology, and law. She has traveled all over the world but hopes to one day live in a town with a world-class hockey team. (Let’s Go Pens!) Visit Heather’s website at www.killough-walden.com, where you can sign up for her newsletter. Also, be sure to keep in touch with her and other fans through her Facebook fan page and through Twitter (killoughwalden)!

Reviews

[Rachel (BAVR) · Rating 1 out of 5]

Please believe me. I didn't purchase this book expecting a great story, but I needed something to read to distract me from the unfinished backlist I have piling up on my Nook. I figured it would be a fast read, that there might be some angelic badassery and a little angelic sex and a happy ending. What I didn't expect was to quit the damn thing 2/3rds through. I didn't expect the visceral anger and the burning desire to growl out the words, "Fuck you SO HARD, book!" Alas, my husband was in my presence when I reached the point in the story where I wanted to kill everything, so I kept my mouth shut. But I wanted to say it. I also want to burn the memory of the utter crap I just read from my mind, but that's impossible because (1) I feel a responsibility to warn my GR friends far, far away and (2) some things need to be bitched about. So here goes.

WARNING: PROFANITY AND SPOILERS AHEAD!

SUMMARY:
Two thousand years ago, God - or the Old Man, as characters call him - gifted his four favorite archangels with girl angels called archesses. For being super loyal and the totes best angels in all the heavens, Michael, Gabriel, Azrael and Uriel each got a soul mate to - I don't know - make sweet angel babies on clouds with or something. Unfortunately, before the archangels could "claim" their prizes (the book's word, not mine), a gang of jealous angels fucked the works up and caused the archesses to be cast from Heaven to Earth. Furious at the loss of their new toys, the four favored archangels fell to earth to search for their archesses. Two thousand years later, Uriel finally finds his lady in a bathroom. Yeah, Avenger's Angel really amps up the romance.

Eleanore Granger has no idea she's an archess. But of course! If a woman knew something, even the tiniest thing, in this book, the whole world would come to an end. She knows she has special powers, like the ability to heal others and telekinetic skills. Since humans are freaking awful, Eleanore's spent the better part of her 25 years dodging shady government vehicles containing men in suits with nefarious collections of needles. Uriel meets Eleanore as his human alias, Christopher Daniels, the sexiest goddamn movie star in the whole world. He comes onto Eleanore fast and hard, but she's unsure about who to trust. You see, the archangels have a nemesis, some angel with daddy issues (and probably a really tiny peen) named Samael who's determined to win Ellie for himself through any means possible. Naturally, Samael's antics lead to a menagerie of male posturing, growling, and tug-of-warring over the pretty new girl thingy.

I don't think that this book meant to be sexist. Several times, Ellie even complains about her destiny with Uriel robbing her of the choice to live her own life with her own choices. Incidentally, the prose is so damn pleased with itself when it describes these totally hot archangels and all of their super-alpha powers and their maneuvering of this kind of boring girl that my sexism detector starting blaring louder than a virgin heroine experiencing her first orgasm. And then there was THE SCENE, the one that made me stop reading, but I'll get to that later. All you have to know now is that I think this book is accidentally sexist. Wait, no. It had to be intentional. Maybe ... Screw it. Whatever the intent, I still feel like this:

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So disappointed right now.

THE PROBLEMS

1. Every Male Character is a Gary Stu: The archangels are supernaturally beautiful and powerful. The bad guys are supernaturally beautiful and powerful. They're all great lovers. Their physical descriptions are incredibly similar aside from differing eye colors and hair colors/styles. Apparently, the Old Man didn't use much creativity when he created his perfect celestial beings, nor did he know that different races are a thing. I suppose the one thing I can't use against the archangels is that they're so freaking dumb that bees can likely buzz in one ear of their celestical craniums and out the other in record time. Samael's pretty smart, but he's also an infantile asshat with an inferiority complex. However, it wasn't enough for the author to establish that the boys are THE BEST EVER ...

2. The Repetition: I lost count of how many times the male beauty was mentioned. Eleanore spends a majority of the text distracted by the "handsome," "gorgeous," or "beautiful" men and often mulls over the way their muscles "ripple," "flex," or "bulge" under their extra-tight shirts. Uriel always wears a tight thermal, and for god's sake, I don't know how any being can flex as often as he does from the amount of times his muscles are mentioned. That has to be exhausting! However, Eleanore isn't the only one who mentions how super-hot all the penis-wielders are in this book. The men do it, too! No matter whose perspective is used, it must be repeated how sexy and perfect the stupid guys are. You know, when one has to insist on something like physical beauty so much, it's usually because the fucker ISN'T THAT HOT.

3. Eleanore is Useless in Comparison to the Supermen: At first, I was excited that Eleanore got special powers of her own. "Cool!" I thought, "She'll be able to add some badassery to the story." But no. I hate it when a book makes me feel naive. Eleanore can move things with her mind; the boys can move BIGGER things with their minds and with more control. Eleanore can influence the weather with her emotions; the boys have control over the elements. Eleanore can heal; Uriel becomes a goddamn vampire, the most powerful thing EVER, and gains the ability to FLY. Adding powers to the characters exponentially doesn't make for a very interesting story.

4. Uriel the Vampire: My main complaint is that there's no indication on the blurb that this turns into a freaking vampire story. I was willing to let it slide at first because it seemed like vampirism would be very difficult and very painful for Uriel. Unfortunately, he adapts at the freaking speed of lightning, and his brothers allow him to go after Eleanore after A WHOLE DAY, even though he craves her blood more than anything else. The characters pass around the Stupid Ball in this story constantly. I honestly don't know how any of the boys learned to tie their shoes.

5. THE SCENE: The first love scene teetered treacherously close to rape and/or abuse. It made me sick. Here's a book from 2012, and it's still clear that people - both men AND women - don't fully understand consent. It pains me to do this, but the only way to get my point across is by posting quotes. The point of the scene is apparently that Uriel is so overcome with lust for Eleanore and vampiric bloodlust that he can't help himself. The bad writing speaks for itself, but the content is even worse. Read at your own risk:

"Coherent thought all but left him as he turned to the bed and threw her down onto her stomach in the center of the bed.

"Eleanor gasped and cried out, clearly struggling to make sense of the suddent movement, scrambling to get her hands and knees beneath her.

"He didn't give her the chance. He was on top of her, pressing her into the quilt before she could gain any leverage."

Aw, how romantic! He cut off her mobility. What a charmer! Uriel uses vampiric mind control during this scene, telling her to "trust" him and to submit. THESE ARE THINGS YOU ASK, CAPTAIN RAPE-KIT! Holy hell, I HATE it when authors write these things like I'm supposed to think the interaction is sexy. "Another part of her relished in the domination, wanting more," my ASS. But maybe Uriel doesn't realize what he's doing. Maybe this a misunderstanding ...

"Uriel's self-control was gone. There was nothing left in him but a dominant vampire, an archangel who needed his archess, and a determination that forced his will upon the woman trapped beneath him."

Damn it. "Forced his will." Now I was pissed at myself for giving the dude the benefit of the doubt. He ends up tearing off her clothes, all while she's immobile. I will admit that Eleanore's apparently super turned-on by this, which is kind of hard to believe considering that she's often afraid of him and also a 25-year-old virgin who only received her FIRST KISS a couple days ago from Uriel. But yes, I'll be fair, the interaction is supposed to be sexy. But then you have THIS gem, and if it doesn't freak you out, I don't know what will:

"'I'm going to let you up. Don't try to get away, do you understand?' he whispered harshly in her ear.

"She hesitated in answering, her desire fighting with her natural instinct to flee. Uriel's hand was out from between them and once more wrapped around her throat in a flash. He used it to pull her up and against him, squeezing in warning."

This is the part in the interaction when Oprah would tell you to scream and run for the hills, ladies. I don't care if your name is Admiral Sexy Beast and your bowel movements give women orgasms. Wrapping your hand around another human being's throat is NEVER okay. Fucking shenanigans. Isn't this basic stuff? You know, like how we've collectively decided not to stab our loved ones with steak knives. Some things just don't fall in my gray area.

Uriel makes Ellie grab the headboard and ends up taking the virgin from BEHIND. To add insult to injury, he's a total dick about Ellie's grip on the headboard.

"Eleanore moaned again, and with hard eyes, Uriel watched her fingers slip a little on the railing.

"'Don't you dare let go,' he growled, and she jumped gripping it tighter."

Yes, master, because if she lets go of the headboard thanks to the pain of you ramming into her like a rutting buck, God will kill a kitten. Is that what happens if an archess disobeys her archangel, or is this just an asshole vampire thing? Uriel eventually grabs her by the hair and yanks her head back so he has access to the veins in her neck. I'd just like to SEE my husband try to grab me by the hair. Oh, but he wouldn't try something like that. BECAUSE HE ISN'T A DOUCHEBAG. But I'm sorry, I haven't including a quote from Uncle Uriel's Creepy Factory in awhile ...

"He lowered himself until he could once more whisper in her ear. 'I'm going to take you now the way I've wanted to take you since I saw you that night in the bookstore,' he told her, keeping his grip on her hair tight so that she couldn't pull away. 'I'm going to take you hard and fast,' he promised her. 'Because you're mine, Ellie.' He almost growled his ownership. 'And you always will be'

"With that, he covered her mouth with one one hand and thrust forward, holding her still as he did so. In one clean, driving shove, he ripped through her virginity and rendered it in two."

He COVERS HER MOUTH WITH ONE HAND, presumably so no one can hear her screams.

My rage has yet again reached a boiling level, so I won't share anymore quotes with you. You should know that when Ellie finally loses grip on that freaking headboard, Uriel ends up biting and feeding from her. WITHOUT HER CONSENT. I'm pretty sure romance is dead now. It may never recover from the bad vibes this book put out into the universe.

You may be relieved to learn that Ellie has an earth-shattering orgasm from being turned into Uriel's chew toy and kneeling submissive. I'm not relieved, though. I'm just done with the godawful book and its godawful message.

If the writing had been decent, perhaps the romance wouldn't have turned into an American Horror Story, but I can only judge on what was presented to me. I wouldn't recommend this book to my cats. They have more respect for people than the hard-bodied arch"angel" Uriel has for the love of his life in this book. So this is apparently my limit - rape disguised as romance. Good to know.

Utter crap. C'est fin.

[Heather Killough-Walden · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wrote it. :)

[UniquelyMoi ~ BlithelyBookish · Rating 3 out of 5]

Long ago, the Old Man gathered together his four favored archangels, Michael, Gabriel, Uriel, and Azrael. He
pointed to four stars in the sky that shone brighter than
the others. He told the archangels that he wished to reward them for their loyalty and had created for them soul mates. Four perfect female beings—archesses.

However, before the archangels could claim their mates, the four archesses were lost to them and scattered to the wind, beyond their realm and reach. The archangels made the choice to leave their world, journey to Earth, and seek out their mates.

For thousands of years, the archangels have searched. But they have not searched alone. For they are not the only entities to leave their realm and come to Earth to hunt for the archesses. They were followed by another. . .

Avenger’s Angel is the first book in Heather Killough-Walden's new Lost Angels series, a theme that seems to be quite the rage these days. Angels, whether they’re of Dark, of Light, Fallen or Arch, are the “in” thing to write about, and so I appreciated this fresh take on their world. The quote I opened with tells you all you need to know about the storyline of this series, so I’ll skip right to my thoughts on this book, in particular.

As I’ve said, I enjoyed this fresh telling of the story, but I had a really hard time with the world building and character introduction early on in the book because there was just so much to absorb. Names, titles, powers, abilities… I felt like I needed to take notes just so I could follow along. For example; just as each angel had a name, they also had their title; Michael, the Warrior Archangel; Uriel, the Angel of Vengeance; Gabriel, the Messenger Archangel; and Azrael, the Angel of Death. Now, the names and titles were used interchangeably and that was a problem for me because when reading any story, I want to feel like I’m part of what’s going on. For example, if “Michael turned to the Angel of Death and said…” I want to know who he’s talking to, Uriel, Azrael, or Gabriel? I don't want to have to stop and think, 'Wait, which angel is that?' Unfortunately, I found that to be very distracting and disruptive to the flow of the story. Yet, I feel the need to mention that I found there to be a lot of repetition in places, so maybe that was the author's way of trying to help us remember those details?

Now for the good stuff! I’d say it was about a third of the way into the book when everything finally clicked into place for me and the story took off. From that point on, I honestly couldn’t put it down. It was fast paced and action packed, and with bad guys coming out of the woodwork our Archangels were kept on their toes! Uriel suddenly became this incredibly sexy, alpha being who was protective and tormented… and I fell hard for him. Ellie, his archess, is a female who had her own brand of tormented to deal with, and I loved how they finally came together, a perfect match. That said, I do want to share with you this little snippet, Uriel and Ellie’s initial reaction to one another:

Uriel’s heart stopped beating. His jaw dropped open.

He couldn’t be seeing what he was seeing in that moment. He couldn’t be feeling what he was feeling. Not now. Not here, in a bathroom— after two thousand years. Maybe he’d slipped in the rain outside and hit his head.

No, that was impossible. He was relatively invincible. Being hit on the head would do nothing to him but make him a little cranky.

She was really standing there before him. She was real; he could see her, hear her— he could even smell her. She smelled like shampoo and soap and lavender.

Jesus, he thought, unable to refrain from letting his gaze drop down her body and back up again. She was everything that he had ever imagined she would be, from her tall, slim body to her long jet- black hair, and those indigo blue eyes the color of a Milky Way night. Her skin was like porcelain. Her lips were plump and pink and framed perfect, white teeth. She was an angel.

She was his archess. And she was . . . scowling at him?

The bottom line - While Avenger’s Angel is not without its flaws, it really did turn out to be a very unique, sexy and entertaining story. I'm excited by the groundwork that has been laid for the future books, and I'm really looking forward to reading more about Michael, Gabriel, Azrael and their Guardian, Max, and even Samael, one very bitter angel known as The Fallen One. They each have their own demons to battle and I can't wait for their stories. Overall, this really is a 3 star read – slow to start but a great finish, but because I became so intrigued by the other characters and was left anxious to get my hands on the next book, I’m bumping it up to 3.5 stars. I have no doubt whatsoever that this will be an awesome series, one I have every intention of continuing.

I wish to thank Signet Eclipse and netgalley.com for providing me with a copy of this ebook.

[Danielle · Rating 1 out of 5]

Review originally posted at Ramblings From This Chick

I had such high hopes for this book when I picked it up. Everywhere I turned it seemed to be getting such rave reviews. I'm not sure what book they were reading but it definitely wasn't this book. Don't get me wrong, this book is not in any way horrible, it actually has a lot of potential. I just am at a point that I'm just so frustrated with how things are playing themselves out that I just can't physically pick it up right now. This book actually had me tossing my Kindle onto the table in frustration.

The premise behind this series is really good. I love the idea of four different archangels that have come to earth to find their achess(their soulmate created just for each of them). In fact I loved the first quarter of this story. It's fast paced and action packed. I start to have problems a little before midway and then they just seem to keep piling themselves on one after another. I think there is just too much happening within the book. I'm not sure if it's because this is the first in a new series, but there's just a bit much going on for my tastes.

Uriel, the Angel of Vengeance has all but given up hope of ever finding his archess. His brothers and himself have been looking for 2000 years with no success. So they've all have found ways to acclimate themselves into the new world. One is a Firefighter, another a Police Officer, and one is a Singer in a popular rock band. Uriel has taken it upon himself to become an actor. He has become Christopher Daniels one of the most famous actors in the world. While Uriel is out attending a signing at a bookstore in Texas he comes across a woman healing a small child which he immediately recognizes her as his archess.

Eleanor is "special" and she doesn't know why. For as long as she can remember she has been able to control the weather, use telekinesis and heal others. Her abilities have made her a target and because of them, she has constantly been on the move since she was a kid. So when Christopher Daniels walks in and catches her healing a young girl she doesn't quite know how to react. She isn't sure if he poses a threat or not. When Christopher Daniels decides to ask Eleanore out on a date to a Gala, she isn't sure she should accept. Yes, she is insanely attracted to him, but he's very popular and she can't risk the exposure.

I love the initial chemistry between these two but after awhile it just starts to fizzle. I stop believing in them and I honestly start to not like either of them. Uriel, in the beginning is so charming and lovable. Then certain things happens and he does a complete 180. I don't really understand at all how Eleanore could find herself attracted to him. He becomes possessive and slightly domineering. He isn't concerned with her feelings only making himself feel better. I couldn't even finish reading their love scene because it came off feeling more of a taking rather than a couple loving each other. Eleanore is a virgin and is someone who has never been kissed and to see her first love scene to be so brutal was just heartbreaking. I get that not everyone likes it gentle and slow, but does it really have to be so rough? After seeing Uriel take her with his hands around her throat I was done. I just don't believe it and the love that they both supposedly have for each other. I'm sorry but that's not love.

Again, I really enjoyed the premise of this series and I found myself really enjoying all of the other characters. I think I will definitely try another in this series and hope that it's better than this book.

**ARC copy provided by Netgalley**

[Alba M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Uriel es un arcángel al que hace dos mil años, el hombre viejo, a el y a sus hermanos les concedió algo precioso: un alma gemela a la que llamarían arco. Pero viendo que los otros arcángeles se pusieron celosos el hombre viejo escondió a las 4 arco en la tierra. Así que tanto uriel como sus tres hermanos bajaron a la tierra en busca de ellas.
Dos mil años han pasado y Uriel ha perdido toda esperanza de encontrar a su arco. Eso es hasta que se cruza con Ellie en una librería y sabe que es ella, ella es su arco, a la que lleva buscando toda la vida. Pero nunca es tan facil sabéis? La vida nunca lo pone fácil.

Me gustó Uriel, no voy a decir que lo amé con locura infinita porque no es el mejor de los personajes que he leído, pero me gustó bastante. En cuanto a Ellie, pues no. Primero, que al principio no me cayó nada bien, es bastante borde y tonta. Y segundo que no me creí cuando se supone que le vino la inspiración de que estaba verdaderamente enamorada de Uriel. Al contrario también me ha pasado lo mismo, lo que pasa es que como él el amor ya lo sintió en el momento en el que la vio con esto de que es su arco... pues habrá que creérselo. Pero ella, que durante todo el libro estaba suspirando también por Samael y nunca dio media mierda por Uriel, que nunca dijo no se, me gusta cómo es o me gusta lo que hace por mi... pues como que luego no me cuela.
En fin, el libro está bastante bien a pesar de que los personajes principales son una mierda. El argumento te mantiene enganchada porque entre los ataques y que quieren conseguir a su arco... y los hermanos de Uriel para mí mi preferido es Azrael, como es el que más sufrió al caer a la tierra creo que su historia será bastante buena.

[Heather Killough-Walden · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wrote it. :)

[Ren Puspita · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars
e-ARC provided by netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP USA

Contain some spoilers.

I will not tell about the story just want to explain why I give this book 3 stars instead 4 or 5 stars.
The reason :

- An irritating hero.
Uriel the former archangel of vengeance a.k.a Christoper Daniels , the famous actor of "Comeuppance" is douche or jerk. His action kinda remind me of hero at old bodice ripper novel. Actually not too jerk, he can be charming sometimes. But mostly he act as Neanderthal when its concern Eleanore. Too hot-headed sometimes. He redeem himself near the end of story, but not so much.

- Not sure with the heroine..
Don't know if she TSTL, but well, Eleanore, you know who's the better man, just sayin'. Eleanore is Uriel's archess, his soul mate. But I found their chemistry are lack of emotion. Too rushed, too forced. Eleanore is a virgin who never been kissed before. I'm not complaint about this. I know maybe America people will laugh about this, because its seems weird for their culture, but not mine. What bother me the most is why she easily accept Uriel as soul mate, and their love scene make me cringe. Uriel - Eleanore love scene almost like rape. Even Ms Killough-Walden explain that's what Eleanore want, to mix pleasure and pain, me as readers think the otherwise. If I'm on Eleanore side I want my first time to be oh-so-romantic, not include my partner strangle my neck and hurt me

The funny part is when Eleanore have more chemistry with the villain, the fallen angel, Samael. Huh, I just want Eleanore forget Uriel and become Samael's lover!

-Interesting secondary characters.
I love Max, the angel's guardian. I'm intrigued and want to know more about his relationship with Lilith, Samael's companion. And Uriel's brethren too. From Michael, a former Warrior Angel, who seems like the oldest of them all and act as leader, he's the brotherly figure. Gabriel the former Messenger's Angel, with his sexy Scotland brogue. He seems like to fight and quarrel with Uriel, but he is the man who care and love Uriel deeply than the other.

The last is Azrael. As former Angel of Death, Azrael is the first of four archangel who succumb to the darkness and become vampire. He become a famous rockstar and who doesn't love a rockstar. Tall, dark and dangerous (BTW, I find the authors like to use this sentence to describe Uriel and another archangels.) I love Azrael, despite his dark side, like other archangel, he care too to them and Eleanore.

- Love,love, love the villain!
Its shocked me, when I find the villain is more interesting than the hero. Samael is fallen angel, since he rebel against Old Man, because Old Man doesn't want to give him a soul mate. Samael is cunning, calculated, cool and confident. Mix all of them and you will swoon over him. Even he's so evil and want Uriel's archess for himself, he never threat Eleanore badly. Well, their relationship seems real and natural rather than Uriel-Eleanore. I hope Ms Killough-Walden will write his own story. Samael need HEA!

- Great premise but the execution kinda meh.
I'm intrigued when read the synopsis. That's why when its available at NetGalley, I'm not hesitant to request it. In the end, its just not surpassed my expectation. I want something epic for this book, but find it near the end story. The early part almost boring and some part just annoyed me.

-Slow beginning, but great plot and twist for the last 100 pages.
Like what I explain above, the first part kinda slow. But when the archangels meet the true villain, that's when I love the story. I'm not expected the twist and looking forward to read more about the enemies.The epilogue not the best, but its part what I love the most from this book.

With the pros and cons, the strength and the weakness, I still enjoy reading Avenger's Angel. Its just not meet my expectation. But I will reading the next book Messenger's Angel. The second book is story about Gabriel, the former Messenger's Angel and his archess, Juliette. We get a brief info about Juliette in this book. I hope Juliette and Gabriel have more chemistry rather than Uriel-Eleanore. If you love Paranormal Romance, and love angel theme, just add Avenger's Angel to your TBR =)

[Μαρία Γεωργοπούλου · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love to start a new paranormal romance series and the first book in The Lost Angels series really rocks!! “Avenger’s Angel” by Heather Killough-Walden isn’t just like the other paranormal romance books. It has not only romance, it has a lot of action and great plot. Archangels and fallen angels, hidden secrets and old stories together they’re making a great story with interesting characters.

In this series we have the story of God’s four beloved archangels (Old Man in the book!). These archangels are on Earth the last two thousand years in search of their perfect mates that God has create for them. After two thousand years, the first of these women make her appearance, but she has no idea about her purpose in life. And the lucky archangel has to deal with a lot of trouble!

This book is Uriel’s story and with surprise I read that this archangel wanted to be a movie star and he is famous! It’s not something that you read very often in a pnr book. But yes, Uriel is a famous actor and he promotes his new movie in which he plays a vampire!! When he meets Ellie, a simple woman who works in a bookstore he realizes that this woman is his Archess, the woman God has create for him. But Ellie, hadn’t an easy life. From when she was a little girl, she had the ability to heal and she had to be very careful so her parents had her mostly at home. One day, some people tried to have her for their own purposes and from then she was moving in order to stay hidden. Now, it’s finally time to learn the truth about herself.

Ellie is a lovable person. She is kind and sweet but she’s also brave. She takes the new developments rather well but, of course, she always knew that she wasn’t a normal person. Uriel is sexy, smart and I love the way he treats her. He spend thousands of years searching for his mate because he was lonely and although Ellie is a young woman she was also very lonely.

I loved all the other archangels also! Michael, Gabriel and Azrael (my favorite!) are awesome guys! They are smart, sexy and kind and I love how much they want to protect Ellie although they know that she isn’t their Archess. Max is their guardian and I really liked him and I want to know more about him in the future because I understood that there is a big story for him!

Of course, there is Samael. He is a fallen angel and he wants an Archess because God hadn’t create one for him and he’s jealous. He’s trying to have Ellie and it makes it difficult for Uriel. But, to be honest, I don’t think that he’s as bad as he wants to appear to be. I think that he has to many secrets and I really want a whole book about him!

Another thing that I have to say about this book is that it has the HOTEST love scene that I’ve ever read!

So, great story, great characters and great love scene! What else do you need for reading a book?? I definitely recommend it!!

[Katerina · Rating 1 out of 5]

Se questo libro vi è piaciuto non leggete la recensione. Sono seria: cercherò di fargli tanto male quanto lui ne ha fatto a me. Mentre leggevo mi sono sentita offesa all'idea che qualcuno pensasse una roba del genere potesse divertirmi, e non riesco a capire come abbia raggiunto la pubblicazione. È stata la prima volta che ho interrotto la lettura per cercare informazioni, perchè non riuscivo a credere che fosse un libro vero, che sia stato stampato - venduto! - davvero. Speravo la serie fosse una barca di pesci d'aprile, o di avere una versione fallata (in questo ci spero ancora).
Con gli angeli ho avuto un imprinting degno di nota: Angel Sanctuary, bellissimo manga di Kaori Yuki. Questo vuol dire due cose: primo, gli angeli molto poco tradizionali e completamente screwed-up non mi spaventano; secondo... ho standard molto alti. Del tipo che mi serve Neil Gaiman (con o senza l'ausilio di Terry Pratchett) per non essere delusa. O Supernatural. O Viggo Mortensen che fa Lucifero.
Insomma, non è che se non sono biondi con l'aureola, o teneri e pucciosi, non mi vanno bene.
È altro che non mi va bene qua dentro, e il solo modo per farvelo capire è raccontarvi la premessa

Dio, amichevolmente chiamato il Vecchio, ha deciso di creare gli angeli. Non ha fatto come in tutte le altre versioni, dove sono asessuati o maschio/femmina. No. Li ha fatti tutti maschi.
Maschi alpha bellissimi, machissimi, carichi di testosterone... e neanche una ragazza.
Qui si inizia a capire il dramma.
Io già stavo immaginando lo slash selvaggio, ma a quanto pare l'omosessualità è ancora peccato, perciò sono tutti disperati perchè "un maschio per natura desidera una femmina".
Il Vecchio ha quindi un'altra geniale idea: chiama i suoi quattro arcangeli preferiti (Michele, Gabriele, Uriel e Azrael) e gli fa un regalo. Un fidanzata a cranio. Quattro pulzelle apposta per loro.
Loro sono felici, tutti gli altri un po' meno.
Ma si potrebbe ancora risolvere: Samael, che posso solo supporre abbia pescato la paglia corta, và dal Vecchio tipo Oliver Twist che chiede se può avere ancora cibo, e chiede se possono avere una figa anche loro.
No.
Scatta la guerra civile. Gli angeli si fanno la guerra perchè vogliono le gnocche, che credo sia un motivo incredibilmente idiota ma anche molto valido contemporaneamente. In ogni caso mi sarebbe piaciuto vedere chi lottava per continuare con le docce fredde, e chi diceva no, papà, se voglio la fidanzata posso averla.
Le cherubine, nel frattempo, vengono spedite sulla Terra per protezione (suppongo che a quel punto volessero stuprarle in gruppo). I quattro arcangeli le seguono, riuscendo pure a perdersi.
In tutto questo Samael è descritto come lo stronzo che vuole le cose degli altri, ma per me aveva ragione lui. In più non fanno altro che dire che era il preferito del Vecchio, e che è IL Caduto, costringendomi ad andare a vedere se Lucifero prima di essere Lucifero era un pirla che doveva chiedere il permesso al babbo per farsi la morosa e il motorino.

Bella premessa, eh? Specifico che se ho parlato dei personaggi femminili in questi termini è perchè così sono scritti: le cherubine non hanno scelta, sono proprietà dei loro arcangeli, al punto che essi hanno anche dei bracciali che possono bloccarne i poteri. Sai, in caso non facessero i salti di gioia all'idea di mollare baracca e burattini per loro e provassero a ribellarsi. Sul serio, ad un certo punto Ellie pensa a come non voglia separarsi da Uriel per poi aggiungere che anche in caso lui non glielo permetterebbe.
La cosa interessante è che tecnicamente dovrebbe andar bene per il semplice fatto che la predestinazione è così forte che Ellie a Uriel la darebbe anche in un bagno pubblico.

L'incipit è questo, ed è idiota. Ma idiota forte. Si aggiunge lo stile.
Una tragedia. È il libro peggio scritto che abbia mai letto: l'autrice (o il traduttore) ha seri problemi nella comprensione delle parole, o sul significato delle frasi, e parliamoci chiaro: capisco il politically correct, ma se ignori il senso di ciò che scrivi non scrivere.
Perchè non puoi vendere roba simile:
_ Non era chi fingeva di essere. [Ma dai?]
_ Serrò la mascella e chiuse gli occhi per il dolore che gli scorreva nelle vene. [wtf?]
_ Si dissolse in una nuvola grigia e si librò in cielo, dove sparì completamente nelle tenebre della notte. [Ma non si era dissolto nella nuvola grigia?]
_ Occhi grigio antracite, incastonati in un volto mozzafiato. [Non so cosa sono gli occhi incastonati, ma ho l'idea che facciano malissimo]
_ Era il fondatore, presidente e direttore generale della più grande compagnia al mondo di media. [Il Mega Presidente Galattico!]
_ Decidi tu, puoi lasciarla andare oppure perderla per sempre. [Cosa. Vuol. Dire.]
_ Volare era uno dei tanti poteri degli arcangeli così, con un colpo di magia, scavalcò la ringhiera, scese le tre rampe di scale e rallentò prima che i suoi stivali toccassero terra. [So volare quindi plano, o cado con stile... ma con un colpo di magia come Magica Emi]
_ Inoltre sapeva che amava le moto. [Da questo Eleanor capisce che Samael è straricco. Certo. A me piacciono i castelli, quindi sono una regina]
_ "Sì" mentì. "Il minestrone era buono." Del resto, era vero. [Qui avuto la certezza che l'autrice non ha la più pallida idea di cosa stia scrivendo]
_ Insossavano una fondina ascellare, piena di pistole. [Una fondina ascellare 'piena di pistole' la voglio vedere]

Mi fermo perchè sto per avere una crisi di nervi. Capirete che il libro è fondamentalmente composto da parole a caso, che narrano eventi a caso, e che a questo punto io ero un filo compromessa per accettare di buon grado l'idea di Lilith che gira vestita come lo stereotipo della bibliotecaria zittella e che è una delle anime più candide mai venute al mondo. Ha anche una storia confusa: creata per gli uomini sulla Terra, le viene ordinato di sceglierne uno da servire o essere punita (il Vecchio ce l'ha con questa cosa di fare delle donne una specie protetta o un premio ambito). Lilith, comprensibilmente, mostra il dito medio e viene quindi cacciata sulla Terra.
Wait.
Ma non era già sulla Terra? O intendi che dal Giardino dell'Eden viene spedita sulla Terra? Perchè niente può essere chiaro per tre righe di fila?
Odio questo libro. Lo odio sul serio.
Cmq una volta arrivata sulla Terra, o andata dieci metri più in là, Lilith subisce il fato di Alexiel: vivere e morire infinite volte come essere umano.
Per Angel Sanctuary, non sono pignola: qui è pieno di cose che vengono da altre fonti, tipo Azrael (che è diventato un vampiro) che fa la rockstar (Lestat, anyone?); Eleanor è un angelo spedito sulla Terra incarnatosi in una bambina che crescendo mostra poteri (ciao, Anna di Supernatural); il film di cui Uriel è la star è palesemente Twilight; la villa dove vivono gli arcangeli è il castello di Howl.
Sfortunatamente non ero dell'umore adatto per vederli come omaggi.

Quindi per ora abbiamo una scrittura orrenda, una premessa cretina e la consapevolezza che il libro ha saltato lo squalo tipo a pagina 3, quando Azrael si è trasformato in un vampiro e sappiate che se riuscite raccontare la trama dicendo che c'è un arcangelo vampiro restando seri mi siete superiori.

Qui le cose si fanno confuse: non è ben chiaro che storia stia venendo raccontata. La storia d'amore, la guerra con Samael o quella introdotta dopo due terzi abbondanti di libro quando arrivano i Leviatani, voglio dire gli Adariani? Sono integrate così bene che vanno praticamente avanti in parallelo senza che lo sviluppo di una influisca sull'altra e quando succede, è come se si scordassero cos'era successo prima.
Ne è un esempio il momento in cui Max, il babysitter degli arcangeli, ha una conversazione con Eleanor in cui la avvisa che nel momento in cui deciderà di stare con Uriel sarà per sempre quindi è il caso che faccia chiarezza sui suoi sentimenti: le piace la sua anima gemella o Samael? Discorso che avrebbe avuto anche senso se non fosse arrivato al 90% del libro, dopo che Ellie e Uriel non hanno fatto altro che cercarsi, dire di voler stare insieme e andare a letto insieme. Si rimescolano le carte in tavola, dicendo che Uriel non ha scelta se non amare Ellie, mentre Ellie è dotata di libero arbitrio. Peccato che fino ad ora non fosse così, addirittura la ragazza ha affermato di aver capito come mai non avesse sentito la mancanza di una vita sessuale: non aveva mai incontrato Uriel, ergo non aveva mai desiderato nessuno davvero. Più il non indifferente fatto che Uriel non le permetterebbe di andare via (detto dal narratore, non mia speculazione).
Bel libero arbitrio del cavolo.

Ma scusate, forse volete sapere cosa sono i Leviatani, no, gli Adariani. Sono il primo tentativo di creare angeli del Vecchio. Poi però si è accorto di averli fatti troppo potenti, quindi li ha buttati sulla Terra (che è un po' un secchio della spazzatura). Insomma, Dio in Supernatural è un menefreghista ma almeno i Leviatani li ha rinchiusi da qualche parte. E fidatevi che se siete peggio del Dio di Supernatural vi conviene farvi qualche domanda sulle vostre competenze divine. E darvi qualche risposta.
Questi tizi hanno un piano geniale, che inizia e finisce con la loro incapacità di comprendere il corretto funzionamento della genetica: nella lotteria di super-poteri non hanno vinto nulla di medico. Ellie invece è principalmente un chierico da gioco di ruolo e questo è il piano: "Il generale aveva pianificato di portarsela a letto - e di permettere ai suoi uomini di fare lo stesso - con la speranza che Eleanore passasse loro il gene che veicolava quel potere".
Geni, una malattia sessualmente trasmissibile.

Mi fermo qui con le mirabolanti avventure di questo branco di idioti, e passo ad alcune cose in ordine sparso: iniziamo con LA PEGGIOR SCENA DI SESSO DI SEMPRE. Che quando 50 Sfumature fa scene di sesso meglio di te devi solo andare nell'angolo a vergognarti. È una delle cose più creepy che abbia mai letto, in cui fondamentalmente Uriel violenta Eleanor. Non credo di essere di mentalità ristretta, leggere per farsi un idea.
_ Eleanor gemette e gridò, cercando chiaramente di dare un senso a quel gesto improvviso, e provò ad alzarsi facendo leva su mani e ginocchia. Ma Uriel non gliene diede la possibilità. Piombò su di lei, spingendola sulla coperta e impedendole di muoversi.
_ "Non opporre resistenza" le sussurrò all'orecchio, facendole allungare le braccia sopra la testa e bloccandole i polsi contro il materasso. "Sottomettiti e lascia fare a me."
_ Desiderava la sua cherubina ed era pronto a tutto pur di sottomettere la sua volontà.
_ Le avrebbe trasmesso il piacere che provava lui stesso.
_ Eleanore gridò, indubbiamente poco abituata a essere svestita. Uriel si chinò per riderle nell'orecchio.
_ Ellie era ormai completamente in balia di Uriel e saperla cosciente della sua impotenza gli fece pulsare il membro.
_ "Ti prenderò forte e veloce" le promise. "Perchè sei mia, Ellie" ringhiò. "E lo sarai per sempre."
_ La penetrò senza pietà, più e più volte, sempre con la stessa brutalità.

La scena d'amore, signori e signore.
Dovrebbe essere ok perchè lei raggiunge l'orgasmo. Personalmente ero molto, molto, molto, molto a disagio.

Eleanor e l'alimentazione sana: la ragazza va avanti a barrette energetiche, e ad un certo punto trova un banchetto con pietanze che vanno da fragole ricoperte di cioccolata a cracker al formaggio (?).
Più la romantica cena a base di minestrone, piatto unico.

L'alta moda: Eleanor deve andare ad un evento con Uriel, e serve un vestito da red carpet. Lo trovano, ma Ellie è confusa: "Per nessun motivo al mondo si sarebbe provata quel vestito né tantomeno l'avrebbe comprato. Probabilmente era l'abito più bello che avesse mai visto in vita sua". Ma come sarà questo capolavoro della sartoria? Innanzitutto è "del colore del sangue, acceso e seducente". Quello che tutte le persone normali pensano vedendo del sangue: che colore seducente. Poi "le calzava come una seconda pelle, lasciando intuire chiaramente che la cherubina non indossava niente sotto". La sorella che ha studiato moda mi conferma che se possono farti una visita ginecologica l'abito non è molto elegante. E suppongo che gliela possano fare, visto che ha pure lo spacco laterale. Ha anche i guanti lunghi, rossi.
Come saranno le scarpe? "I suoi piedi erano avvolti in un paio di scarpe argentate e dai tacchi alti, astututamente e finemente disegnate per ricordare la schiavitù e le restrizioni".
Complimenti, hai appena fallito nel descrivere una scarpa.
In definitiva il look è: abito rosso con spacco da indossare senza biancheria, guanti lunghi rossi, borsa non pervenuta e scarpe argentate che ricordano la schiavitù.
Eleanor chiede come sta, per me le basterebbe andare sulla strada e sentire quanto le offrono, ma ottiene una risposta criptica: "Faresti salpare mille navi".

Vengono nominate le Parche, come esseri più potenti del Vecchio. Okay.

La smetto qui, ma devo riconoscere al libro che ad un certo punto è riuscito a riassumere perfettamente il mio stato d'animo: "non era dell'umore adatto per riflettere sulla creazione e sulle ragioni che si nascondevano dietro tutto ciò che era o non era successo in quel mondo assolutamente contraddittorio".

In sostanza, questo libro è una cagata pazzesca, oltre che una di quelle cose che sono molto più divertenti a parlarne che a leggerli davvero. La trama è stupida in tutto, così tanto che anche i personaggi risultano stupidi perchè non solo ne fanno parte ma la prendono sul serio. La storia d'amore è inquietante e sviluppata da cani, con Ellie che semplicemente accetta tutto quello che Uriel fa o dice. Le citazioni sono goffe nella migliore delle ipotesi e il loro unico intento è strizzare l'occhio al lettore, farci vedere che l'autrice è una di noi che ha letto e visto e probabilmente fangirlato. La scrittura è la cosa peggiore che mi sia mai capitata sotto gli occhi: libri scritti così non andrebbero pubblicati.
Francamente, non riesco a prendere sul serio un libro che si appoggia sulla premessa che Dio è stato così idiota da dare agli angeli desideri di vita di coppia ma senza la possibilità di avere una vita di coppia, e che loro non abbiano potuto trovare una soluzione da soli. E non capisco: se gli angeli sono fratelli perchè le cherubine non sono loro sorelle?

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Uriel, Azrael, Michael & Gabriel are favoured archangels and as a reward for their loyalty the Old Man created a soul mate for each of them. Unfortunately before they were able to claim their mates the archesses were lost on earth. The archangels chose to leave heaven to follow their mates and have spent the last 2,000 years trying to track them down. As soon as Uriel meets Ellie he knows he has found his destiny but can he convince her that they are meant to be together? The brothers aren't the only ones searching for the archesses though, they were followed to earth by Samael and he is determined to claim an archess for himself. Who will be the first to steal Ellie's heart?

I've been excited about this book since I first heard about it back in May so I couldn't wait to get my hands on a copy. As soon as it arrived Avenger's Angel jumped right to the top of my to read pile and it was a great start to a new series. I loved each of the archangel's (Azrael in particular) and am very excited to know that they will each get their own story, this is definitely a series I want to continue reading. I did have one nagging question though - if the archesses were lost 2,000 years ago and Ellie is only in her early 20's what happened to her in those missing years? Is she a reincarnation of the original archess or did it just take her a very long time to get to earth? In the grand scheme of things it isn't a problem that I don't know the answer but it is something I hope we discover in a later book.

Ellie has always known she was different, she has healing abilities and is able to control the weather, she never knew why she had these powers but she knows they place her in danger. She lives in fear of being discovered and has grown up moving from place to place trying to keep her talents hidden. After narrowly escaping from government agents as a child she is terrified that they wanted to experiment on her and is always ready to run at a moments notice. When she first meets Uriel she is attracted to him but sees him as a threat, he is a famous movie star and she daren't bring that much attention to herself. Uriel isn't going to let her just run away from him though, he has spent thousands of years searching for her and wants a chance to prove to her that they belong together.

I liked the fact that the relationship between Uriel and Ellie develops slowly, the chemistry between them is great but Ellie doesn't instantly fall in love. It takes time for Uriel to gain her trust, especially with the tricks Samael has up his sleeve. Sam wants to claim Ellie for himself and will use whatever means necessary to keep her away from Uriel. I have to admit I loved Sam, I definitely have a thing for the bad boys but I get the feeling there are a lot of layers to him and I can't wait to find out more. I'm really hoping he'll get his own book at some point in the series. If there was one thing I didn't like about Ellie and Uriel's relationship it was the way he took her virginity, she came across as so nervous when they got started that the way he was so forceful with her left me feeling cold. I would have preferred their first time to have been more tender and caring but I guess that is down to personal taste.

The plot was a little slow at first but once the story gets going I was completely hooked. There are some great twists towards the end that I really didn't see coming and they have me very excited about the second book Messenger's Angel. I'd recommend this series to paranormal romance fans and am definitely planning on checking out Heather Killough-Walden's Big Bad Wolf series in the future.

[Wendy *Sebella Blue* Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a reward for their devotion, and flawless service, four favored Archangels, were given a special blessing. They were shown the four brightest stars in the vast cosmos and told that they were the gifts. Four Archesses meant to be mates to the mighty, Uriel, the angel of Vengeance, Michael the Warrior, Gabriel the Messenger, and Azrael the angel of Death. A revolt arose in Heaven because of the jealousy over the favored status of the four, causing the Archesses to fall from the sky and land in the emerging human population, and the four Archangels decided to follow and search for their promised mates. After fruitless millenia of searching, the four have assimilated into modern culture and all but given up hope of finding their Archesses. Until now........

I was not familiar with Heather Killough-Walden's previous works, and to be perfectly honest, had not heard a lot of buzz concerning this book, but I was taken in by the blurb and thought "Why not?". Best gamble I've taken in years!! I loved, loved, LOVED it. This is NOT another cookie cutter, jump on the PNR bandwagon book. This was a MASTERPIECE! As my friends at Goodreads can tell you, my updates were fast and furious while I read this book. This book had more twist and turns than a rollercoaster. The writing was intelligent but not so detailed and complicated that it lagged. The characters were fun, sexy and people I would have over for drinks and strip poker. Eleanor Granger, Uriel's heroine was absolutely great, and you know I am no pushover in the heroine department. I am also a huge fan of a redeemable villain with shades of grey. Sooo mysterious!! I wanted to surgically implant this book so I would never be without it and perhaps absorb some part of these awesome beings.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I thought was going to be a formula PNR book (immortal guy meets human girl, knows her instantly as "his" and then proceeds to 'win' her over) started out right, but about halfway through gave a violent plot twist and then just kept on twisting. The second half of this book I could NOT have anticipated, and with a genre that has this formula down to a science to the point where I confuse several series and characters with each other, this book stands out.

Azrael and Ellie were great together! After the epic plot twist, I was sure there would be more conflict between them. And producing not one, but TWO villainous characters threw me for a bit. Toward the end, though, alliances and feelings change, which was interesting for the overall arc and made me wonder where Heather would take all of this.

I can't WAIT for the next one and I really hope it's about Michael. (Heather's actually confirmed it's about Gabriel.) :sigh: I have a feeling Azrael's book is going to be great, too. Heck, all of them will probably be good, which is why I'm definitely going to be reading them.

[Torzilla]

I wanted to like this title, but upon setting my Kindle down back in August, I have not had the desire to pick this book back up. It's a pity--especially since I was so looking forward to this novel.

My issues:
-The hero and heroine were difficult to like;
-Very hard for me to get into the story;
-A little bit too cooky/corny for my tastes.

I know that plenty will gobble this book up, despite the fact that I did not enjoy this title. Incredibly interesting premise, but it seems that I am not alone in my dislike for Uriel. Perhaps when I am less pressed to review books, I will return to this one and give it another shot.

Ah well, I'd suggest borrowing from a friend, if possible. If you want to buy it, read a sample of this at the very least. Whatever you do, don't write it off just because of my complaints.

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review posted: Happily Ever After - Reads

Michael, the Warrior Archangel
Uriel, the Angel of Vengeance
Gabriel, the Messenger Archangel
Azrael, the Angel of Death

The blurb for this one really intrigued me: 4 archangel “brothers” following their scattered mates, or archesses as they’re called, down to earth to try and find them. The search isn’t as easy as they maybe thought it would be and thousands of years later, the archangels are living on earth as basically humans and still looking for their long lost mates.

The first archangel up is Uriel. As is the case with all the four archangels, they’ve had to fit in on earth, and that means working, traveling, doing pretty anything to pass the years, so right now, Uriel’s currently living the life a movie star, playing a vampire on the big screen. He’s doing a signing at a bookstore where Eleanor, or Ellie, works. When he catches Ellie healing a sick little girl in the bathroom he knows instantly she’s his missing archess. He knows by sight and now the long journey of trying to convince her that they were literally made for each other begins.

Ellie’s pretty head strong, and her biggest worry all her life is hiding her unusual abilities. She can heal people through touch, control the weather, move objects. It was difficult for her to make friends, she never had a boyfriend and her parents were forced to move the family more than once when she growing up because, well, men in suits with needles, were trying to capture Ellie. She obviously knows they want her because of her abilities, so she hides them as best she can, but if a little kid is hurting, or someone is in pain, she can’t just let them suffer.

There are two strong storylines going on, the men who have been after Ellie all her life and Samael. Oh…Samael. What a villain that I loved to hate, and hated to love throughout the story. He’s a fallen archangel and has been on earth with the other archangels looking for the same archesses. He was jealous that an archess wasn’t created for him, and it’s his mission now to find them and…then…who really knows what. I think he just wants the other 4 archangels to not find them, and he said a few times that he would never kill an archess, but so much remains a mystery about Samael. He stole the book for me. He isn’t a typical bad guy, there are moments of, I can’t say tenderness, towards Ellie, but he’s nice to her, he shows almost vulnerability at times – he’s a walking contradiction. He puts up a hard-ass, bad guy front, but I really hope he gets his own story. Because I enjoyed his character so much, I’m giving him the quote in this review *g*:

She was not free. She never had been. And she resented it.

“I can give you freedom,” Samael said then.

Eleanore looked up at him, eyes wide. “What?”

Samael took a quick, thoughtful breath and stood. He paced to his desk, turned, and leaned back against it, his arms crossed over his chest. “Eleanore, you must know in your heart that I can give you anything you desire.”

Oh no, she thought. Be strong, Ellie, be strong.

But his smile was tender and his gaze made her feel weak. “You need but trust me.”

Then, without warning, he disappeared.

The lead relationship took a while for me to buy into, and I’m not sure I’m completely sold on them at the end of the book as it is. There was something very harsh about Uriel, he too, showed moments of sweetness towards Ellie and he felt a sense of completion having finally found his mate, but when they were together I can’t say that sparks flew off the page. Their first sex scene was hot, Uriel is a dominating guy, but it was also Ellie’s first time, and I just wanted them to have a little more romance in their relationship.

The final showdown ends up being with the men who’ve been chasing Ellie all her life, and they end up having a stronger connection to Samael then anyone knew. There’s quite a bit of world building in this first book of the series. It got a little bogged down in the middle, but the pace picked back up and the action sequence during the final few chapters of the book had me back in the book. The fighting involves all the characters we get to know throughout the story and Uriel and Ellie have a nice moment at the fights end.

The world is interesting in this new series centered around archangels and their missing mates. While all the world building that’s somewhat typical of a book 1 in a new series pulled my attention away from the story at times, I am left wondering what will come of the other 3 brothers and where their archesses are in the world. Of all the brothers, Azrael intrigues me most. He’s very dark and it feels like he could have the most angst that needs to be told and hopefully there will be a lot more page time for Samael.

[Heather Book Savvy Babe · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 of 5 Stars
If you are familiar with my book reviews or my blog (http://booksavvybabe.com), you may already know that I am partial to angels. I love the different mythologies surrounding them, their powers, their divinely supernatural status, it all appeals to me. When I saw Avenger's Angel, I quickly jumped at the opportunity to read and review this new paranormal romance. Avenger's Angel is book 1 in a new series about the "Old Man's" 4 favorite archangels; Michael, Gabriel, Azrael, and Uriel. After creating soul mates for these favored angels (4 Archesses, the only female angels), the archesses were sent to the protection on Earth, and the favored archangels left their realm to come find their lost mates. The archangels lost some of their powers when they descended, and they were not the only beings to fall to earth. Samael (a very powerful archangel), fell to earth to try to claim one of the females for himself. After thousands of years, Uriel, the Angel of Vengeance finds his arches, Eleanor. However, Uriel must vie for her affections and win, or he will become a servant to Samael. And of course, the archangels are not the only dangerous supernatural beings around.

On the whole, I really did enjoy Avenger's Angel. The four main archangels are a powerful, close-knit family who are seeking an end to loneliness. Even though they left "heaven" they still have a need to help people and they still have their basic natures. I liked Uriel, he is a very strong, alpha, protective male hero who tries to understand Ellie's (Eleanor's) needs. Ellie herself is a very interesting heroine, she has a kind heart, and when it comes to danger, she proves she is far from weak. Ellie does have a hard time understanding what Uriel and the brother's have been through, and their intentions. Overall, I think that she adapted to circumstances pretty well.

Something that felt a bit odd to me in this story is the nature of good and evil. The angels and the supernatural beings don't really seem to come from a good side or bad, they are all created by the "Old Man" and they are quick to fault him, and declare that he is imperfect and can't relate to the human world. Samael is the "evil" being, but he is a villain who doesn't seem to be ALL evil. He is out for his own purposes, and will do anything to achieve those purposes, but he still retains some of his angelic nature that can blur the lines between good and evil. I am actually quite intrigued by Samael, his character definitely made this story much more interesting.

Avenger's Angel is an enjoyable read that creates a world where Archangels develop human sympathies and the lines between good and evil are blurred.

Avenger's Angel didn't jump out at me as a really stand-out book. However, I did really enjoy the main characters, the four archangel brothers. I find that I am curious to see what happens for the other archangel brothers, as well as for Samael. I found the world a bit odd, but still interesting and if I get the chance to read the next book in the series, I will likely pick it up to see what comes next. With that, I rate Avenger's Angel 3.5 of 5 stars.

I received the ARC e-galley copy of this book for review from NetGalley.

[Rhonda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this will be a good and different series to read. I enjoyed reading the first one.

Their are 4 archangels, Michael, Gabriel, Uriel and Azrael, that were the most favorite and The Old Man created for them 4 soul mates but before they could meet the 4 archness soulmate were cast down and the 4 archangels followed them and have been searching for thousands of years. with only some of their powers left to them. They did not come alone to search for them.

Michael warrior angel now policeman in NYC

Gabriel messenger angel now fireman in NYC

Uriel angel of vengence Movie star

Azrael angel of death, now the first vampire Singer

Samael the fallen media mogul now

Ellie works in a bookstore that Christopher Daniels (Uriel) was signing at today a novel written about his blockbuster movie. He reconginezed her right away and could hardly believe he finally found her.

Ellie was 25 she was home schooled because she had powers of healing and over the weather that came out and her parents were scared someone would take advantage of her. In fact they did have to run a few times and it was very close. Ellie did not know why and who were after her. The last thing she wanted was to be in the spotlight and for people to watch her.

Sameal wanted a archness himself he was planning to suduce her and made a bargain with Uriel to win her if he did than Sameal would leave her alone. If Sameal won her favor than Uriel would have to be his servant forever. If Uriel did not make the deal Sameal would kill her. Of course their were hidden clause in the contract.

Their are twists and turns into the book that i kept being surprised with. did not want to put the book down till I finshed it. Was a nice size of book and look forward to more stories about the other 3 archangels.

I was given this ebook to read in exchange of honest review from Netgalley.

[Zoe · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wrote a long, spoilerific review about this book, the whole time banging the keys loudly with my angry typing. Then I realized, I don't need to bother with all of this explaining why I hate the story in agonizing detail. All I have to say is that Avenger's Angel must have been Twilight fan-fiction that got revised to include angels. I liked Twilight. No, I loved Twilight. But I hate this shit so bad, I want to scream until I lose my voice.

I knew this was going to be bad when the angels got a TARDIS house to live in, and when the male lead was a super famous movie star playing a vampire, while his brother IS a vampire who's a world-famous rock singer like Lestat. So, they're rich and famous, they all have AMAZING eyes, and they have a house that can be anywhere and anywhen. Can this story get anymore shit?

YES. Yes it can. It starts with the heroine being a virgin whose SOLE EXISTENCE is to be a contested piece of ass for a devil and an angel. Clearly, the author wants to make this a series with four books repeating the same pathetic plot over and over. Four women, four angels, and each time, they're just prizes to be won.

No, fuck that. I've read better penny porn than this shit. *Takes deep breath* I give Avenger's Angel one star. Now if you'll excuse me, I need a lot of strong drinks to erase this shit from my memory.

[Barbara ★ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was really liking this until the hero did this Uriel uses his mind control abilities to "force" Eleanor's compliance while he basically rapes her. Ellie was a virgin but Uriel grabs and holds her by her throat during most of the sex. There was nothing at all romantic about this and it totally ruined the book for me. I enjoyed the ending and will continue with the series unless of course this same crap ends up in the second book.

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been so excited about “Avenger’s Angel” ever since I saw it at the Headline Publishing event back in May. The cover is just gorgeous, and as I have a huge thing for angels right now, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on a copy. Luckily I received an early review copy, and let me tell you, I was not disappointed!

The writing is fabulous and there are three plots that weave together to create a thrilling action-packed story as well as a beautiful romance, and there are moments that are just gorgeous and made my heart melt.

The characterisation is great too. The protagonists in this book (there will be four books in the series altogether) are Ellie and Uriel. They are such great personalities and I love that their relationship wasn't insta-love, although it was definitely insta-lust. There’s lots of sexual tension between them, but it took Ellie quite a while to begin to trust and love Uriel and it was nice to see their relationship grow at a realistic pace.

I also fell in love with Uriel’s brothers: Gabriel, Michael and Azreal, especially Azreal, who’s an Archangel with a difference - he's also a vampire. He lives mostly in the basement on his own. I find him sad and can't wait until he finds his own Archess who will love him.

Also, unsurprisingly *I always seem to go for the bad boys* my favourite character was, Samael. He wants the archess for himself and pretends to be someone he’s not too gain her trust. Although he’s the villain, there's something about him that makes me believe there is so much more that meets the eye and I hope soooo much he gets his own book. I would love to meet the woman who's able to thaw his icy, black heart.

I really like the fact that Ellie is a strong character and can stand up for herself, but she's soft and vulnerable too, a great combination. Her realisation that these four brothers are Archangels and that she is an Archess is very well done. She doesn’t instantly believe, but the situation is helped by the fact that she’s had a niggling feeling for most of her life that something wasn't quite right, especially as she has abilities other humans don’t such as the ability to heal and the ability to control the weather.

The only real negative point I have with this novel was the sex scene between Uriel and Eleanore. As Uriel was a vampire at the time (due to an unknown spell cast by the naughty Samael to prevent Uriel from revealing Samael’s true identity to Ellie) it seemed as though he used his hypnotic abilities to keep her subdued and then had his wicked way with her. He even put his hand over her mouth as he took her virginity violently to keep her from crying out from the pain. This took the edge off from what should have been a satisfying union. It's what I had wanted since they first laid eyes on each other as the sexual chemistry between them is just so toe-curlingly good. But the tender hotness of this scene was diluted by not knowing if Ellie was willing or if she was under a vampires influence.

However, a few pages after the scene, Ellie did state that she liked being the submissive party and that she had thoroughly enjoyed what Uriel had done to her. I wish this was shared before the sex scene as I would have felt more comfortable reading it, although, I’m not a big fan of the submissive female as it goes against my nature.

I also wish there was a little bit more ‘wing’ action too. The cover is absolutely stunning and I love angels with wings, but most of the novel the archangels are just like humans but with supernatural powers. However, I do get my wish at the end of the novel, but not as much as I would have liked and there wasn’t enough emphasis on the beauty of the wings. However, the ending is great and leaves me very impatient for the next book in the series.

VERDICT:

"Avenger's Angel" is a fantastic addition to the paranormal romance genre, with sexy Archangels and a strong, beautiful heroine. The world is intriguing and the action is fast-paced. I for one can't wait to read future instalments. Fans of paranormal romance will lap this up - a great start to a new paranormal series.

[Selly - Leggere Romanticamente · Rating 4 out of 5]

La recensione sul blog: http://romanticamentefantasy.blogspot...

Questo primo libro della serie paranormal romance Lost Angels ci presenta i quattro famosi Arcangeli della storia: Michele (il Guerriero), Gabriele (il Messaggero), Uriel (l'Angelo della Vendetta) e Azrael (l'Angelo della Morte), ma nello splendido scenario creato da Heather Killough-Walden, i fatti sono andati diversamente da come la storia ci ha raccontato.

Gli Arcangeli si trovano sulla Terra da millenni con lo scopo di trovare le proprie anime gemelle: le quattro cherubine che il Vecchio (così viene chiamato il Signore), ha donato ai suo prediletti ma che in seguito ad una sommossa nei Cieli, sono state disperse sulla Terra per essere protette.
Dopo tutto questo tempo i quattro Angeli si sono più o meno ambientati sulla terra e ognuno di loro ha uno professione: Uriel è un famossissimo attore, Azrael una rock star mascherata di cui nessuno conosce il vero volto, Michele è un poliziotto e Gabriele un vigile del fuoco.
Nessuno di loro ha mai incontrato la propria cherubina almeno finchè Uriel (conosciutissimo da tutti come l'attore Christopher Daniels),incontra Eleanore Granger una bellissima ragazza che lavora nella libreria dove è in programma una sua sessione di autografi. L'Arcangelo la riconosce immediatamente, sa esattamente di trovarsi di fronte alla sua Lei, ma Eleanore non conosce la verità, non sa neppure spiegarsi alcune sue particolari doti che possiede sin da bambina. La ragazza ha passato la vita a scappare da un posto all'altro, per fuggire da qualcuno che la vorrebbe catturare per via dei suoi poteri e l'incontro con Uriel e gli altri Arcangeli, è destinato ad aprirle gli occhi e a cambiare la sua vita per sempre.
Eleanore è una donna forte e moderna, una vera eroina, dotata di libero arbitrio e ad Uriel non basterà dirle che è stata creata appositamente per lui, dovrà conquistarla e dimostrarle di essere veramente innamorato di lei.
La tensione sessuale tra i due c'è eccome, si avverte praticamente sempre, ma ci sarà qualcuno a dargli del filo da torcere: il potente e affascinante Arcangelo Samael, il Caduto da sempre in conflitto con i quattro prediletti e pseudo cattivo. Perchè pseudo? Perchè nonostante cerchi più volte di separare i due predestinati non si riesce ad odiarlo veramente, in fin dei conti non è poi così cattivo come potrebbe sembrare ed è un personaggio molto ben caratterizzatio ed intrigante. Da come è ben descritto, si capisce che anche l'autrice prova una forte simpatia per questo misterioso personaggio.
I veri e propri cattivi però ci sono e anche in agguato, ma non aggiungo altro ve lo lascerò scoprire leggendo!
Mi sono innamorata da subito di tutti i protagonisti della storia, ho apprezzato molto che nel libro ci sia spazio per tutti, nonostante i personaggi centrali di questo primo libro siano Uriel ed Eleanore.
Sicuramente da nominare anche il saggio Max, guardiano dei quattro Arcangeli e Lilith, amica di Samael e personaggio che sembra essere un po' la coscienza del gruppo. Tra loro due sembra esserci un particolare feeling che spero verrà sviluppato nei prossimi libri.
L'arcangelo che mi ha conquistata maggiormente è stato Azrael: l'Angelo della Morte e primo vampiro della storia, quindi non vedo l'ora di leggere il libro dedicato a lui.

Il verdetto? Una lettura molto piacevole ed originale, un libro molto scorrevole, con diversi intrecci e colpi di scena che mi hanno davvero conquistata.
Se vi piace il paranormal romance e avete un debole per gli angeli è una lettura sicuramente consigliata.

[Lori {Romancing the Dark Side} · Rating 4 out of 5]

Original Romancing the Darkside Review:
http://romancingthedarkside.blogspot....

Sexy archangels on a hunt for their soul-mates that will steal your heart!

This is a promising start to a series that has definitely piqued my interest! Avenger's Angel tells the story of the four favored angels of Heaven who were given the gift of their soul mates, known as the archesses, only to be torn apart, banished to Earth and hidden from the archangels. Vowing to find their true loves, Michael, Gabriel, Uriel and Azrael abandon their duties to continue their search on Earth, one that has been ongoing for 1,000 years. When the former archangel of Vengeance, Uriel meets Ellie he instantly knows she's the woman he's been searching for, but hidden in the shadows lies a jealous enemy that will go to any lengths to have an archess for himself. Searching for his archess has proven nearly impossible for Uriel but keeping her at his side will prove to be his biggest battle yet.

I've read a few books regarding angels and this one definitely stands out. The story is really creative, the author has written a dark paranormal romance with an all star cast of characters that you'll undoubtedly fall in love with, villains included! Ellie and Uriel's sexual tension is off the charts but I love that Ellie was immensely attracted to him but fought it off as long as she could, it keeps things interesting. She's a smart and sharp heroine but I can't say I was invested in her character from the start but found myself liking her more towards the end. The angels in this book are all tortured heroes who have sacrified their lives and taken new ones, all in the name of finding love, how can you not love them? They all have completely different personalities and each brings their own style, giving the story a bit more of dimension and originality.

The scenes with all the archangels were some of my favorite and these complicated men sparked my curiosity, leaving me anxious to read their stories. I can't call a favorite just yet but I definitely want to know more about the dark and brooding Azrael, I have a feeling his story will be magnificent! If all of this alpha hero male candy weren't enough, we meet the two villains who are just as appealing as the heroes. I have a soft spot for bad boys and Samael had me at hello! There's nothing better than a love hate relationship with a villain and that's exactly what Samael does best.

Unexpected twists, unusual alliances and a powerful romance make this a riveting story. It's unpredictable, dark, fun and adventurous. You will connect with all of the characters on an emotional journey that will stay with you long after the last page is read. Sexy archangels and fascinating world building make this a winner for paranormal romance and urban fantasy lovers alike!

{ebook courtesy of NetGalley}

[Kara-karina · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5
Egalley thanks to Penguin Group USA

Where do I sign up for the rest of the series? It was uber cool, people.

Four Archangels roaming the earth for 2000 years looking for their archesses. And check this out: one of them is a vampire and a famous rock singer, another is the actor who played a vampire in a insanely popular movie, the third is a policeman and the forth is a fireman.

Is this a collection of man candies or what? *grinning*

But that's not it. There is a Fallen Archangel, Samael, who wants an archess for himself. He is beautiful, tempting, and not an asshole, CEO of a big media corporation and he loves to draw contracts which need to be signed in blood. Sounds familiar? I thought so.

When Uriel, one of the Archangels finds his archess, Ellie, who works in a bookshop where he does the book signing, he desperately tries to attract her attention. He waited 2000 years for such moment, and she is a perfection for him.

Ellie, who's been on the run all her life, because she has unusual abilities - she heals, manipulates the weather and moves objects with her mind, can't afford to get involved with a famous actor because she will get noticed.

Situation gets complicated because Samael finds Ellie as well, and tries to woo her. Interestingly enough, you don't get any evil vibes of him. He is cunning and he wants an archess and he worships Elly. But he also totally plays Uriel to get him into signing the contract which changes the guy into someone, let's say, unstable for the duration of it. All because Uriel didn't read all the clauses before signing. Typical.

I loved Ellie and Samael. But because of Uriel complications he wasn't as likable as he could have been. The scene of sex was almost rape-y, and I hated to read it (I'm still fragile after Dark Predator disaster, people). However, according to the author Uriel was reading Ellie's mind and behaving in a way which turned her on even more. She admitted it herself and there was nothing on this topic later on. So yeah, that part of the relationship was shaky.

The big baddies very very believable and really dangerous, which I liked and the whole world-building was very well done.

I'm totally sold on this series and looking forward to the rest of the books, hoping that the next relationship won't be as volatile as this one.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series is about 4 archangels (Uriel, Gabriel, Michael, and Azrael)who were "the old mans" favorites. For being his favorite he gifted them all with their own soulmate/archess so they would never be lonely. Then jealousy spawned from another which ultimately got the archesses sent to earth to be hidden. The 4 archangels decided to go to earth and claim their soulmates. They have been searching for 2000 years and have since decided to fit in with the ever changing society.

Avenger's Angel is Uriel's (Angel of vengeance)book. He has taken up acting to pass the time away and is now a big movie star for a vampire flick. He is set up for an Autograph signing at a small book store in Texas, where his archess Eleanore (Ellie) works. Ellie has always been different, she can heal and do other things she can not explain how or why. She has hidden her talents in fear of being taken for research.

I absolutely loved the first meeting with these two. I always love it when an author can really get you into the moment! I felt the longing, excitement, and the disbelief Uriel felt when he first set eyes on Ellie (which is an A+ in my opinion!) He then sets out to prove to Ellie that she is his soulmate. Their sex scene was a dom/sub type action. (no tying, whipping, or gagging type but him taking control telling her what to do etc. it was lustful, erotic, I need you right this very second type of sex)

Samael is a fallen angel who also is in search for the archesses. He is upset he was not created a soulmate so he would no longer be lonely. He also happens to find Ellie and also tries to get Ellie by any means necessary. I did not feel (as others did) a big connection to Sam and Ellie. He is lonely and i got the feeling he would settle for any of the archesses. Anyway *** I LOVED Samael he so NEEDS his own book! ***

Loved the book but I was disappointed towards the end. I think the book needed at least one more sex scene that was more romantic (then the first time)or slower at least with more feeling from both sides. There was only one sex scene in the book.

Can not wait for the second book!!

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

... The four archangels - Michael, Gabriel, Uriel and Azrael - fell to earth 2000 years ago, to search for the archesses - soul mates - that the Old Mam [God?] created for them as a reward for their loyalty. Fellow archangel Samael - AKA The Dark Prince - follows the brothers down to earth, as he is jealous that they have archesses and, so, he intends to take them for himself.

This is the first book in THE LOST ANGELS series, where we follow each brother as they continue the search for their other halves...

***

Uriel [the angel of vengeance] has had difficulty finding his place in the human world and is currently living as actor Christopher Daniels, as he continues 'trying on' different lives trying to find his perfect fit. The second he sees Eleanore he realises that she is his archesse, so all is good. Isn't it?

Eleanore Granger has had strange powers her whole life; telekinesis, healing and ability to control the weather. Her parents have tried to hide her abilities and protect her, but some shadowy organisation has been hunting her since she was little. So as she has been trying to fade into the background for most of her life she is not at all impressed by Christopher's high-profile life.

With the shadowy organisation and Samael both closing in on her, can Uriel convince her that he really is a immortal archangel? And how will she react to the revelation that she was created just for him?

***

AVENGER'S ANGEL is a paranormal romance, which action and a urban setting. The main storyline isn't anything new, but it is well written, the main characters aren't whiny and annoying and the mythical elements that dress everything up are interesting and well researched.

I also like how the other three brothers are also in the story so we can get a feel about how their characters will be like in future books, but their inclusion doesn't feel forced. For me - although Michael and Gabriel seem like their stories will be strong enough - Azrael [The Angel of Death] seems to be the most interesting character and I can't wait for his book.

[Jen Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a book with potential. The premise: 2000 years ago, four favored archangels were given the gift of soulmates. But before they could join with their archesses, members of their brethren interfered, wanting the women for themselves. The creator sent the women to earth to protect them, and their mates chose to fall, in order to find them among the humans.

Presumably, each archangel will get his own book as the series progresses. This one features Uriel, the first of the four to finally find his archess. Uriel is living as a popular actor (a la Robert Pattinson) when he stumbles across Ellie at a book signing. She has no idea what she is or that angels even exist. But she has had mysterious powers all of her life and she is inexorably drawn to Uriel.

There are two main foils for their relationship. One is Samael... he's one of the jealous archangels who didn't get a mate. He also followed the women to earth and is determined to make Ellie, his. The other problem is a mysterious group of men that has been tracking Ellie and her powers since childhood.

All of this sounds pretty good, but something didn't quite connect for me in the execution. There was a lot of repetition, especially in the early part of the book. Ellie's attraction to Samael was, while understandable, somewhat off putting. But the biggest problem for me was the lack of a discernible build. Uriel was besotted at first sight. Ellie's resistance was laughable. It's like she's supposed to be tough and strong, but also this shining beacon of good. Meanwhile, Uriel is a perfect, gorgeous, rich movie star. As if being a freaking angel didn't make him spectacular enough.

Meh. It wasn't bad. It just didn't live up to its potential. The scene stealers in the story were Samael and vampire-angel Azriel. Perhaps, a story featuring one of them would grab me more. 3 1/2 stars.

*ARC Provided by NetGalley

[Gawelleb]

Je voulais une histoire d'Anges ça tourne au vampire...passons sur le fait que je n'aime pas Ellie ...Il y avait de bons arguments...le lien entre les frères, le méchant mais euh ... même si le côté "femme créée pour ces mâles là "m'a un chouia derangée parce que ça donne une image rétrograde de la femme, j'ai en plus appris en lisant quelques reviews que la notion de consentement est un peu jetée aux orties et que la scène de sexe a tout d'un viol. Je ne vérifierai pas, je n'ai pas le courage d'aller jusque là.

[Vashti · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my first read by this author and it was a good read,not great,but good.I enjoyed the storyline about the Angel's lost mates sent to Earth and they each 4 have to find them.There were times ehrn zI wanted to chuck it in ,but held on to the enf.Very intrigued about Samael,just love the bad boys and hopes that HKW writes his story.

[_yay_ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This ARC was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Publish date: November 8th, 2011
Fiction – Adult: Romance: other, 416 pages
Penguin Group USA (Signet Eclipse)

Four soul mates were created to brighten the lonely existence of the Old Man’s favorite archangels. Unfortunately, an uprising threatening their safety made it necessary to cast them down to earth. Michael, Uriel, Gabriel and Azrael have been searching for their archesses for thousands of years. Over time they’ve learned to adjust to their human forms, more or less blending in.
From the moment Uriel first sets eyes on Eleanor Granger in a women’s restroom there’s no doubting it, he has finally found his archess. With danger closing in on them, will he be able to convince her of his devotion? As a being of free will, Ellie must come to love Uriel and accept her destiny. With good reason she has been hiding her abilities all her life. Now it’s time for her to face her fears and maybe, just maybe…put her trust in the handsome stranger, who’s piercing looks Ellie feels down to her very soul.

Ever since reading Nalini Singh’s Guild Hunter series I’ve had a thing for angel-themed paranormal romance. The idea to have them search for their soul mates attracted me right away and I knew I had to review this book.
The introduction of the four archangels didn’t leave anything to be desired. After enough background was given to get a rough idea of what the reader could expect the author fast-forwarded to the present and the story developed from then on.
Having read the blurb, I knew Uriel was the hero of the book, however, diving into the first chapters this didn’t really become clear until he stood in front of his soul mate, gaping at her in total surprise. In fact, I was intrigued by Azrael the former Angel of Death the most and was a tad bummed it wasn’t him the first book of the series was centering on. An archangel turned vampire with the powers of a reaper - a fascinating concept for sure.
Then again, my insta-crush on him pretty much guarantees I’ll be reading all future releases.
On the downside, I felt like Azrael played too big a role, somewhat stealing the limelight from Uriel, and that wasn’t the best of possible outcomes.
A needed element of suspense was given in form of a fifth archangel, who had followed them to earth with the intention of claiming one of the four archesses as his queen. I was surprised at myself for taking an immediate liking to him. Yes, he interfered and had an aura of arrogance surrounding him, but I couldn’t help but suspect his rage was the result of feeling all alone. Also, he was the first to acknowledge that Ellie was her own person and not to be forced into a bond.
Each archangel led a specific life on earth, which in turn, gave the others a chance at an individual storyline. It’s a good foundation for a continued series. The author did a good job of bringing the struggle of surviving their human condition across. “…it was a constant distraction from their search…”
With every tidbit of information I liked the world building more and more. I love, love, love a paranormal romance that had its hand in the contemporary cookie jar. Christopher Daniels - Uriel’s human self - happened to be a movie star adored by millions. It made things interesting, especially because Ellie was well aware of who Christopher was, and kind of scolded herself for finding him attractive.
I liked her. She had wit and was brave in the face of one surprise after another. It couldn’t have been easy to learn her true identity. She had every right to be afraid and confused. I certainly would’ve been and understood why she had reservations about dating someone famous, for one can’t exactly hide in the spotlight.
As I was reading a thought popped into my mind. Maybe it wasn’t about when Uriel would find his soul mate, but rather about when the archess was ready to be found. She had no knowledge of being someones soul mate, but knew something must be the cause for her to have healing powers. No dummy this one.
How did I picture Uriel? One yummi AILF (archangel I’d like to f***)! I was done for when he brought her coffee in the morning. Marry me, please? He could be a bit of an ass, an arrogant and VERY dominant ass. Loved it (yeah, of course I did *fansself*). Prepare yourself for sizzling vampire sexy-schmexy.
The built-up slowed down a bit after a great first few chapters and I was missing some Uriel-Ellie one-on-one time. It would’ve been better to give them more room to let them discover the true nature of their feelings for one another (destiny completely excluded). I just didn’t feel the chemistry there for a while. At the 60% mark that changed. Oh boy, oh boy, did it change for the better. I could feel Uriel’s need for Ellie and how her emotions were running amok. My favorite moment was when he had to fight his vampire instincts and keep it together around her. Very intense. Same goes for the suspense: on hold until halfway through the book, but then I was suddenly glued to my Kindle.
I recognized the connection between someone from Ellie’s past and the danger she and Uriel found themselves in right away. An unnecessary cliché (she wasn’t even all that affected by it).
More than once I noticed that the author gave detailed explanations on things I would’ve figured out on my own. For example: “I’m sure he read it before he signed,” said Michael. “That’s why I suggested it was hidden”, said Max.” No way…, really???
Nonetheless, I absolutely enjoyed this read and recommend it to all fans of PNR. Loved the plot twist in the end! A great showdown. 4 stars to Avenger’s Angel by Heather Killough-Walden.

Beware of Spoilers!
A few of my favorite quotes for those of you who are interested:
° “She was an angel. She was his arches. And she was…scowling at him?”
° “The monster that he had become was eating him up inside. It was devouring the core of his being.”
° “…teenage girls now racing towards him like a medival village mob…”
° “…you’ve mistaken the women’s restroom for the ridiculously famous sex symbol restroom - which is next door.”
° “Jane Granger swore up and down that her daughter had some purpose on this planet and that it would make itself known when the time was right.”
° “A very, very good kisser. Like, The Princess Bride, five best kisses ever kisser.”
° “Was this some kind of gorgeous actor convention? Was Richard Armitage in here somewhere, too?”
° “That’s it, thought Eleanor. Her creep-out-o-meter had just pretty much exploded.”

[Sandy M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Goodness, I have to say Heather Killough-Walden keeps the twists and turns coming in this first book of her new Lost Angels series. I like the concept of the four favorite Archangels being given freewill to come down to earth to locate their Archesses - their soul mates. It takes them numerous lifetimes to find those unique women, and just when they think all might just work out, they couldn’t be more wrong.

Uriel, the former Angel of Vengeance, is up first. In his current life, he’s Christopher Daniels, famous actor the women scream over. In fact, it’s as he’s escaping a gaggle of teens that he runs into Eleanore Granger while she’s helping a young child - in the women’s rest room of the bookstore she works for and where he’s participating in a book signing. He knows at first sight she’s the one, the Archess made specifically for him.

Having moved all over the country to keep her secret hidden, Eleanore is finally weary enough to think about staying put and fighting all who might want to use her abilities for their own gain. Having the attentions of a handsome movie star never entered her mind, but when he persists it’s difficult to say no, as it is to Samuel Lambent, media mogel and about the most handsome man she’s ever seen. Unbeknownst to Eleanore, however, Samuel is truly Samael, the Fallen One, first archangel cast out and who is doing all he can to get his hands on an Archess.

Eleanore is torn at first, not knowing which man to trust, but she soon realizes it is Uriel who she’s destined to be with. But just as they are making initial headway, Uriel’s blood contract with Samael throws a kink into their lives - Uriel becomes a vampire due to the Dark One’s machinations. I’m still on the fence about this particular part of the story. I’m not sure why this happens, other than to throw more fear Ellie’s way. But she also gets some excitement out of it a few times, one being when Uriel flies her across the sky and along the coast and other places. I could go for that myself. And, of course, it helps in the end when they’re all fighting a new enemy. I just didn’t care for the total changing of my hero. He’s out of control most of the time due to his new powers, hunger, and lust and when they’re directed at Eleanore, it’s a little much, despite how much she likes it. It’s too close to being forced on her for me.

Even in this form, however, Ellie discovers things about Uriel that cast him in a new light for her, touches her heart, and re-enforces her love for him. Uriel, of course, would die for her, if it ever comes to that. How close does he come? You’ll be surprised. And the ending is one of the best I’ve read in a long time. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

It took some getting used to having the angels’ maker referred to as The Old Man. At first, it’s kind of abrasive, thinking there has to be another way to refer to the Almighty. But then it dawns me - for some reason I seem to be slow on this - after Uriel calls the other angels his brothers for the twentieth or so time that this deity is their father. Thus Old Man, as a lot of kids use to refer to dear old dad. Made more sense then.

The new enemy I mentioned is one of those twists in the book. Didn’t see that coming. Ms. Killough-Walden does a very nice job at distraction and misdirection when it comes to these powerful evildoers, the Adarians. The powers all the characters are given throughout are a lot of fun, whether for good or bad. I’m curious, though, as to why the Adarians got all the fun stuff and the Archangels seemingly got what’s left over, which is just the basic stuff. Yeah, I know, because it makes the fighting more interesting, tipping the scales in favor of the enemy so that triumph over them is more satisfying, but it would be nice to see those angels flexing some of those other abilities.

I’m usually not one who sympathizes with a villain, but I do find myself feeling a tad for Samael. That makes me wonder if perhaps down the road he might be redeemed and get his own heroine. I sure hope so. It would be fun to see his reactions to a soul mate loving him, trusting him, wanting him. Samael is even more striking, more powerful than the angels, but he has that smirk and attitude, an arrogance that drives you nuts when he uses it all for evil. He even says he’s not a kind man. But seeing how Ellie pulls something unexpected out of him, you can just imagine what a soul mate would do to him. I also like the attraction between Max, the angels’ guardian, and Lilith, another fallen one and assistant to Samael. That’s another book I would love to see in the series.

One thing that has bothered me once I started reading is the cover of this book. Not that it’s a bad cover, but I would have preferred no faces, only because both the Archangels and the Archesses are described as beyond beautiful, angelic of course. The models on this cover are attractive enough, but they just don’t do justice to the descriptions. A better choice would have been to follow along the lines of the UK cover, which I’ve included here. That cover just shouts exactly what this story is about, especially once you get to the end of the book.

I don’t usually read excerpts at the end of books, but couldn’t help myself this time. I’m curious. The former Archangel Messenger, Gabriel, is next, and I wanted to get the flavor of his story. I’m glad I read it - it starts out at a quick pace, no wasted moments. But then again, I’m a bit unhappy after reading it - it’s about a seven-month wait for the book to hit the shelves. That’s normally why I don’t read excerpts!

Avenger’s Angel is a good start to this series. It’s interesting and fairly fast paced with sexy and beautiful heroes who do anything necessary for their heroines, and it keeps you guessing. Though it has a couple of small issues for me, I think you’ll enjoy it.

See my complete review at http://www.goodbadandunread.com

[Diana (Offbeat Vagabond) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review posted here: http://offbeatvagabond.blogspot.com/2011/12/book-review-avengers-angel-lost-angel-1.html

I have two questions: 1) When is the next book coming out and 2) can I get it right this very second? Everyone knows my love for angels and honestly, I think this is one of my favorites. The world, the characters, the story; everything just fit so well. I absolutely fell in love with this book and It seems I have found another great series full of hot brothers that kick lots of ass. So that is definitely a bonus.

I loved our main characters. Uriel, the Angel of Vengeance, is a famous actor. His movie is based on a book that just happens to have a book signing at a bookstore where his soulmate (archess), Eleanore (Ellie), works. She has no idea what she is, but she knows of her powers (healing and manipulating the weather) and is trying very hard to stay low-key. But that is hard when the very famous and gorgeous Christopher Daniels (Uriel’s Hollywood name) takes a liking to her. She thinks he is making her into one of his many adoring groupies, but she doesn’t know that she was made for him and he has been searching for her for over 2000 years. I really liked Ellie. She went out of her to always help those in need even though it drained her and could expose her to her enemies. She never gave it a second thought and that is always a nice thing to find in a good heroine. She was strong and vulnerable all at once.

Also loved all the other characters, specifically Uriels’ brothers; Gabriel, Michael and Azrael. They were all hot, but I think my favorite of the four was Azrael. He is the only one that was “deformed” when coming to Earth. He is not only an angel, but a vampire. He helped Uriel the most when it came to Eleanore, well he sort of had to, given that Uriel was cursed and ended a vampire like him. There was a sweet chemistry between him and Ellie. Like him looking out for a sister even though he barely knew her. But I pray his book is next, I am very curious about him. Seriously, I know you guys will love him.

But like many great love stories, they need a villain and boy did we get one. Samael, the fallen archangel, wants an archess for himself because one wasn’t made for him. So when he learns of Eleanore, he puts together a very clever and manipulative plot of getting her. I don’t know what to make of him honestly. He is the devil for all intents and purposes, but there was one scene in this book that made me unsure of him. And I actually believe he was being sincere in his weird way. Yet right up to the end, we know he is plotting something huge, but we don’t know what. We know he has lied about something about himself and what he actually is and his intentions are very unclear. I am a sucker for a great villain and I think Samael might be a favorite. I can’t wait to see what Killough-Walden will do with him next.

I love where this story takes us. I like the idea of archangels coming to Earth to find the women that were made for them. And the things all these archangels do just to save Eleanore, made me love them that much more. We know Ellie is hiding from people that want her powers, but we don’t know who. The answer really isn’t what I was expecting and my mouth hanging open. I am definitely curious about the development here and what this means for the other archesses to comes. I won’t spoil it, but goodness, it was an interesting surprise. I liked that little bit and following Sameal, we get a taste of the man he is, but he is a very complex character. He adds a lot of mystery to this book.

Now my compliant. It was explained in the book and I understand it. I like that Uriel and Ellie are in love and all. But it still makes me feel a little off and not in a fun way. The sex scene was a tad bit too much for me. Since Uriel was a vampire, he has extra powers specifically mind control. When Ellie and Uriel finally break the tension, I didn’t like it because she was partially compelled. I know this sounds weird coming from me, but if you have read this, please tell me what you thought. Is it just me or what?

I mean I understand it is what Ellie truly wanted, from what Uriel read in her head. But since it is her first time, why not make it steamy, slow, and sweet? I guess Killough-Walden was probably going for a BDSM sort of thing, but some of that I didn’t find sexy, I found it a little scary to be honest. Maybe it is just me because BDSM is a genre I am yet to start (really need to ease me into this sort of stuff). I am not a prude, but I am still a good-old Southern girl. But I was a little disappointed with this scene and I was dying for it. Then again, after it was done, we find out Ellie may have been a virgin, but she was kinky. But seriously, why was the mind control needed? We know they want each other, why not let it happen naturally? Well, as natural as a vampire-angel hybrid and an angel can be together.

Overall, I still enjoyed myself with this book. I love how all the plots merged together and I love knowing there will be more to come. These archangels really are to die for. Ellie was a heroine worth rooting for and Sameal is a bad boy I wouldn’t mind having around. There is so much to this story and I can’t wait for more (Azrael!!!) I just pray the sex scene in the next one is better.