Published April 30, 2013
Publisher: HarperTeen
Format: paperback, I own
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance
To Buy: Amazon * Barnes & Noble
Rating: 5 STARS
(From Goodreads) Anna Whitt, the daughter of a guardian angel and a demon, promised herself she’d never do the work of her father—polluting souls. She’d been naive to make such a vow. She’d been naive about a lot of things.
Haunted by demon whisperers, Anna does whatever she can to survive, even if it means embracing her dark side and earning an unwanted reputation as her school’s party girl. Her life has never looked more bleak. And all the while there’s Kaidan Rowe, son of the Duke of Lust, plaguing her heart and mind.
When an unexpected lost message from the angels surfaces, Anna finds herself traveling the globe with Kopano, son of Wrath, in an attempt to gain support of fellow Nephilim and give them hope for the first time. It soon becomes clear that whatever freedoms Anna and the rest of the Neph are hoping to win will not be gained without a fight. Until then, Anna and Kaidan must put aside the issues between them, overcome the steamiest of temptations yet, and face the ultimate question: is loving someone worth risking their life?
Can I just tell you how much I love Wendy Higgins? She's definitely one of the "good guys." She returns e-mails right away. She replies to Tweets. She's NICE. Do you know how much more I want to read books written by nice people? It's like icing on top of the cake. It's even better if the books are actually good.
Thankfully, Wendy's books aren't just good. They are freaking awesome-tastic. Which is the sprinkles on top of the icing on top of the cake.
Sweet Peril is the second book in the Sweet Trilogy. In it, Anna has been separated from the love of her life, the Duke of Lust's son Kaiden, and not by her choice. Kai says he doesn't want to see her anymore, so Anna is forced to carry on without him. She is sent around the world with Kope as her companion to try and drum up support for a growing Neph rebellion of sorts. It's a dangerous game they're playing, but the payoff - freedom to live the lives they want without fear of death at the hands of their fathers - makes it worth the risk.
My only problem with Sweet Evil (Sweet Trilogy #1) was Angelic Anna. She was just a little too sweet for me - she made my teeth hurt. Thankfully, the things she experienced in Sweet Evil have tempered the sweetness to just the right level so that, in Sweet Peril, Anna has honestly become a bad ass with a nice side. Which is much more palatable. I love the new Anna! She's taken knife throwing and grappling lessons. She "works" semi-regularly, so she's become a party girl. And, even though she pines for Kai and tries to see him when she can, she doesn't fall all over him and beg and plead and completely lose her dignity. Ass-kicking Anna is totally awesome.
And, Kai - Sweet Heaven - Kaiden Rowe, who was perfectly dreamy in book 1, has been elevated to Public Book Boyfriend Number One. He still acts like a complete asshat from time to time, but he also has his moments where he comes to his senses. Those moments, I could read over and over again.
In Sweet Peril, we get to know both Kopano and Blake a little better - definitely a good thing. Kope was Anna's other choice. The fall-back in case Kai didn't get his crap together. And, really, Kope should be no one's second choice. The dude is so amazing in so many different ways. And Blake was the much-needed comic relief. I love his relationship with Kai. Kai is a completely different person around Blake. I laughed every time they got together. And, the way Blake treats Anna is beyond sweet. She's like his little sister.
It was easier to forget that all these Neph kids work for their evil fathers in Sweet Peril. They seemed much more normal. But, that didn't diminish the fact that there was always an underlying current of tension brought on by the fact that everything Anna is doing could result in her immediate death if she is caught. The Dukes are the real bad guys here. So, despite the humanizing of the Neph kids, the action and scariness and danger is still felt nearly constantly by the reader. In fact, I think the more human and real the Neph seem, the more stressed out I felt. I really want these kids to all make it. And, the thought that Wendy might make me fall in love with them, only to have one or two NOT make it, scares the crap out of me. Wendy just unveiled the cover of Sweet Reckoning (Sweet Trilogy #3) last week, and what a pretty cover it is. I will most likely pre-order it, just as I did Sweet Peril. because I am totally hooked on this story now, and cannot wait to see how it all turns out.
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