Unlike many high school heroines in fantasy books, I always knew I was not ordinary. Far from it.
Since I was two, I have been seeing angels and demons. Given the gift of battle as a warrior, my role as a slayer often interferes with my role as a normal girl. So no, I was never a typical girl who had just found out she was heir to some magical family or something like that. I've been "gifted" practically all my life.
So when my ordinary family moved us to San Francisco to a new school where my father teaches, I didn't think much of the school. Shadowlight Academy, the most exclusive and posh prep academy for the super rich. I thought I would be there to slay the evil like an undercover superhero amongst the ordinary.
I just didn't think the ordinary would all be extremely unordinary. Especially the three most popular kids in school. Then there's the hot brooding rebel boy who didn't seem to fit in, too. Everyone here has secrets, and I am determined to find out what, before it kills me...the entire Academy and even the world.
Okay, I might be dramatizing a bit, but yes, from what I've barely seen...it could be that big. Better get my game gear on and my entire armor on, because this is going to be one epic battle. But who can I trust?
The Beautiful Ones, which rule Shadowlight Academy is known to be both beautiful yet wicked. They're fascinated with me as I am of them. But who or what are they really, and why do I feel drawn to them like a fly to a spider? Can I escape their beautiful web before I am trapped forever? Do I want to?
*The Beautiful Boys is the first in a high school paranormal academy series for mature teens and up. Expect a tough heroine who can take on anyone and anything, with lots of steam literally and figuratively, and a reverse harem romance.
Kailin Gow is an USA Today Bestselling author, publisher, screenwriter, director, producer, and speaker with hundreds of books published. She is also the owner/founder and organizer of mega-book signing events like Rockin' Hollywood, Naughty Mafia in Las Vegas, which has featured the very top authors of Romance and drawn thousands of readers, including being in a documentary film now out on Amazon Prime.
Over 14 Million copies of her books have been downloaded around the world and translated into 25 languages. 2 of her book series, FADE Series and Red Genesis Series, has been optioned by the Academy Award-winning team behind Netflix #1 most Liked and Top 10 Netflix Original Film, Wish Dragon, also the team behind the special effects magic of Star Wars and Marvel films.
She owns a traditional publishing company with an API (Asian Pacific Islander) Diversity initiative that has partnerships with production companies across the globe with distribution through Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, Disney and more! Kailin Gow is a go to media guest on Women in Film and Television and is a voting member of the Academy Awards.
Her Worldwide Brand, Kailin Gow's Go Girl has won awards for its tv series, books, cosmetics, fashions, beauty and health products, and soon-to-be home and travel products. As of 2021, Kailin Gow's Go Girl is excited to expand into its own line of hotels, starting with a 70+ room hotel in Texas. In 2022, her books will be adapted into entertainment venues called Sparklesoup World, offered in various locations throughout the U.S. and internationally.
She has been a host on world-class stages, an invited speaker for BEA and a regular radio/TV guest for major stations. She is an official voice of AAPI, She has a TV Reality show on her as an author and personality. She is also the host and publisher of a leading author industry guide, subscription newsletter, and podcast called Authors Voices. Five of her pen names are USA Today Bestselling authors and will be traditionally published in 2022. She is also a recurring speaker/instructor of writing series and serials for professional screenwriters and producers as of 2021.
She was called an "innovating author" and an "Author as Influencer" by Goodreads executives at Book Expo America 2014 in their speech.
Kailin Gow is one of Cindy Crawford's Beauties, who is beautiful on the inside as well as the outside, along with Gabrielle Union.
She was called "a successful author who knows how to balance being an author and life" by Huffington Post. USA Today recommends her steamy romances while PBS Kids have recommended her Teen Fantasy Series.
Amazon highlighted her author success story on the homepage of Amazon.com and in their book, Transformations and was invited by Amazon to be an author spokesperson for Amazon's launch of the Kindle fire in Santa Monica.
In the publishing industry, she has written and presented many articles and workshops for major publications as well as conventions. https://www.fastcompany.com/user/kail... and is the host/founder of the podcast and newsletter Author Voices. Additionally, she owns a law firm specializing in consumer advocacy.
Kailin Gow holds a Masters degree in Management from USC and degrees in Social Ecology (Psychology, Criminology, Sociology, and Ecology/Climate), Drama, and Film making from UC Irvine where she once ran and DJ for a radio station that helped discovered OC bands like Sugar Ray and Gwen Stefani.
The Beautiful Boys is the start of new YA RH paranormal series and is definitely more the end mature end for YA.
This book definitely starts off more differently than other books that I have read in any of these genres. The book starts with Lux already having her abilities and knowing who and what she is. It's not a bad thing, but if you are looking to get any backstory or flashbacks as to how it all began, there is very little detail on that aspect.
Lux is moving and starting a new school. The dynamics between Lux and her parents is very key in how this all plays out. I love the closeness and how must respect is between them all.
I won't give away too much of the plot except to say that in this book, the boys compete for Lux's attention. I am not thrilled with how quickly things advanced amongst them but the author does briefly address this up later in the book. There were also times where the characters acted more mature than their ages, but as the book progresses, it all starts making sense and coming together.
I have to say that the first 70% wasn't enticing as the last 30%. However, the first portion is definitely more plot and character development while the last portion is more action, plot progression and where things really come together.
Overall, this is a very interesting start to the series. I am all-in to see where Kailin takes us on this journey and where Lux and her 3 boys end up.
Another great story! I have read almost all of her work and no matter what she writes about its a home run. I just finished a classic read, so this was a nice change of pace. I love anything paranormal. I wont tell you all what happened in the story because what fun would it be if you already knew. I want you to discover it all the way I did!!! I have so many things I want to share but I refuse to give away or spoil the story for you. If you are a fan of Angels, hybrids and Incubuses then this is a book you should pick up. If you are a lover of Angel or Buffy tv series this had that feel to it. I love teenage angst. If you are new to Kailin I hope you take a chance ! If you have read any of her other work she has poured her magic in to this new series as well.
This is the first time I’m reading anything by this author, and I think the book was an interesting twist on a normal RH, I enjoyed reading it. I love that Lux was so strong and independent as well!
At times I felt the way they were speaking didn’t fit into their teenager lives, it was just too mature at times. Other than that I enjoyed the book!
I received a copy of this book for a fair and honest review. I have tp say when I started this book I had to put it down a couple of times. My mind was thinking of all the things that could happen. Some of which happened and some that did not. It had me very edgy the whole way through. I have picked my favorite and some of the others have me still wondering what is to come next. There is a lot of mystery to the characters that I am needing answers too. I am still wondering what to think about this book. It is the first in a series and I have to sort it all out in my head. Just enough twists and turns and surprises to keep me guessing. Now I want the second one. I need the light to see through the darkness.
New jobs New school New friends Same role ... lux is a slayer of demons
Braxton is the first boy she meets and he’s tasked with the job of showing her around school.. (shadowlight)
As brax is showing lux around she gets a strange feeling and follows her gut but this just leads to her meeting Asher the schools bad boy but he’s troubled and lux senses it.. As the day goes on she meets Moore and his twin sister Shayne ..he’s just as captivatingly handsome as brax and Asher ... as their secrets started to unfold I got sucked into this book even more,
I received an ARC of this for an honest review. Lots of potential in this story. The beginning of the story didn’t match the attitude of the FMC by the middle of the book and because of a few disconnects like that I couldn’t give it a 5 star review. But overall loved this story and really want to see how things play out
Who knew that demon hunting could be so sexy? It is in this book! Lux (the MFC) is the demon hunter & her world is chock full of Hot Demons and Angels. Right in the middle of all that are three students - Brax, Asher and Moore who are all drawn to her as soon as she starts at this new school. Which they all attend too. Lust, Laughs and Lies all in one book. Just Brilliant
What an interesting story with a surprise ending you won't believe. Lux is a character with an interesting story. Everywhere she goes, it seems trouble follows. The beautiful ones each have their own stories, that are interwoven with Lux and her destiny. I cant wait to continue with this series.
Lux is the heroine of this book, she has seen demons and Angel's since she was 2, the fact that she ends up a slayer is no surprise. She is one tough gal. I enjoyed the drama, suspense and how very real these characters are. I really enjoyed this book.
I really enjoyed this first look at the Shadowlight Academy series. This author is new to me, and I have to admit that I really enjoyed her writing style. Each character seems to leap at you from the page. The storyline is fluid and kept my interest. I really enjoyed Lux, how her relationships were and how she is a tough character. I mean growing up seeing demons knowing that one day she was going to be a slayer. The guys are hot, and I really cant pin point yet which one I like more. So if you are looking for a good paranormal read, and a new series. May I recommend The Beautiful Boys!
WOW! What an incredibly intense roller coaster ride of action and suspense with a whole lot of panty melting moments. I absolutely love Lux. She’s fierce and loyal and can kick some demon butt! The beautiful boys in her life are all so different in their strengths but oh so beautiful and tempting. Never a dull moment.
Fantastic writing. This story grabbed me from the start and I can’t wait to see what happens next.
I’m so torn right now! First things first, this was such a different spin on a bully romance, it was nice to see our girl not isolated and humiliated. Lux, the demon slayer, and her vastly different boys were a sight to behold. My favorite: Asher. And I hope that doesn’t change. I can’t wait to see what’s in store for her next!
This is the first book I have read of Kaitlin Gow work, an I can honestly say I was pleasantly surprised. I enjoyed the strength of Lux’s character and the way she interacts with the storyline. An I just want more especially because of the twist we were left with. I can wait to start book two
I really loved this story, being pulled in from the first moment. Lux was an amazing MC and the guys were yummy! I really loved her attraction to them and man, Moore had me all in knots.
So I'm about 10% in and I'm DNF. I don't like how this has started, I'm reading like 'yeah, yeah, yeah, right, ok.. but wtf?' . I felt expected to know what was going on and I'm sure it would of been explained the more I read, but I wasn't feeling it.
The Beautiful Boys kicks off the Shadowlight Academy series with a unique twist on the YA paranormal romance genre. I appreciated that this book didn’t follow the usual "girl discovers her powers" arc. Instead, Lux already knows who she is, which gives the story a confident head start. It’s refreshing to see a heroine step into the narrative fully aware of her purpose, though I did miss having a bit more backstory or origin scenes to build a deeper emotional connection early on. While it’s labeled a “bully romance,” that element felt pretty light.
Lux herself is a standout. She’s tough, driven, and has a no-nonsense attitude that’s easy to root for. Her bond with her parents is surprisingly strong for a YA book, and it added an emotional weight that I wasn’t expecting—but appreciated. The relationships with the guys progress quickly, and while that threw me off at first, the story eventually gives more insight into why those connections are so intense.
Overall, The Beautiful Boys is an intriguing start to a series that has a lot of potential. It’s dark, stylish, and leans into the "older YA" category with a mix of angels, demons, and mysterious powers. I’m curious to see where Lux’s journey takes her next.
This book was just... weird. I don’t know if it’s me or the book, but I honestly couldn’t figure out what was going on most of the time.
It’s marketed as a bully romance, but there was zero bullying. Like literally none—from the MMCs or even the side characters. I even rechecked the description twice thinking maybe I misread it. But nope, it still said bully romance, and the vibes were giving insta-love harem instead.
The three MMCs were immediately head over heels for the FMC, Lux. And I’ll be real—I didn’t like Lux at all. She had this weirdly standoffish, unnecessarily rude attitude toward all of them for no real reason… and then she turned around and slept with all three, one by one, only to ghost them, again one by one.
What annoyed me the most? This didn’t feel like a proper reverse harem. It felt like Lux was playing with their feelings, like she was just checking them off a list rather than actually forming a bond with them. There was no emotional connection, no group dynamic, and definitely no cohesion. It gave messy, not polyamorous. And that’s not what I want in my RH books.
I was sadly disappointed in this book and won’t be reading the series. I thought it was a great concept, but so much just happens without any rhyme or reason. What bothers me the most is that, for all Lux seems to be aware of her status as a demon hunter, and having been guided and trained since she was 2, she lacks any remote common sense.
There are so many things that happen to her where she should be questioning them and searching for answers. Seeking Lothario out if needed since she can get ahold of him. But no. She lets her hormones guide everything. And during the last battle she seems utterly useless.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
2.5, but decided to round down instead of up. The main character is do wishy-washy and just comes across as extremely selfish. I'm half way through book 2 and it's not getting any better.. It's so disappointing because years ago I read quite a few books by this Author and loved them... Maybe it's the fact that this is a Reverse Harem. I've read a lot of RHs lately and I live them, but this doesn't compare. It feels more like a love triangle instead of a RH... Idk..
Literally nothing happened in this book and none of the characters were even remotely good. The writing sucked, and I honestly didn’t even know who the love interests were supposed to be. The book finished with Lux reuniting with the guy who killed her friend’s guardian, sent her friends/other love interests away, and basically raped her (as he used magic to convince her to have sex with him). This book was a shit-show, with no actual plot to speak of.
It was an meh book. I do have to say though, for a supposed badass, she does seem to sit around watching the action a lot. Also, boy development relationship thingies are stunted and inconsistent. But it wasn't horrible and I made it all the way to the end so it was ok.
Konnte das Buch nicht zuende lesen. Mir haben sich die Zehennägel beim Lesen hochgerollt. Von wegen Heldin. Drückt ein paar Dämonen ein Kreuz auf die Stirn und das war es. Puff weg sind sie. Total oberflächliche Hauptfigur mit der man überhaupt nicht folgen kann.
I tried. I really did, but I have to DNF... the story is cool but the writing it's too inmature and drafty. I've said it before and I'll say it again: love a fast burn but not a fast paced story. This feels like it needs to be worked on.
This is the beginning of Lux's story. Here we meet Lux who just moved to San Francisco. She starts a new school and Meets Brax, Moore and Asher. She feels a pull to these three guys but is keeping a secret. Well so does everyone else. Moore's sister Shayne is evil and twisted. The chemistry is hot with Lux and the guys. So what will happen?read and find out. It does start off a little slow but it quickly delves into the story. I love it and can't wait for the next book.