White Hot Kiss by Jennifer L. Armentrout

*****



From Harlequin Teen:

One kiss could be the last 

Seventeen-year-old Layla just wants to be normal. But with a kiss that kills anything with a soul, she's anything but normal. Half demon, half gargoyle, Layla has abilities no one else possesses. 

Raised among the Wardens—a race of gargoyles tasked with hunting demons and keeping humanity safe—Layla tries to fit in, but that means hiding her own dark side from those she loves the most. Especially Zayne, the swoon-worthy, incredibly gorgeous and completely off-limits Warden she's crushed on since forever. 

Then she meets Roth—a tattooed, sinfully hot demon who claims to know all her secrets. Layla knows she should stay away, but she's not sure she wants to—especially when that whole no-kissing thing isn't an issue, considering Roth has no soul. 

But when Layla discovers she's the reason for the violent demon uprising, trusting Roth could not only ruin her chances with Zayne…it could brand her a traitor to her family. Worse yet, it could become a one-way ticket to the end of the world.

White Hot Kiss is a scorching paranormal YA that will keep you up all night!  Layla and Roth are phenomenal.  Poor Layla doesn't fit anywhere, being half Warden and half Demon.  No one can get close, because her ability is to suck out a person's soul.  Luckily, Roth is a demon, so no soul, which means Layla can get as close as she wants, and she definitely wants.  Roth is by far my favorite JLA boy (sorry Daemon, I still love you too!).  He's sarcastic, seriously hot and a completely lovable bad boy.  

Zayne on the other hand is supposed to be the whitehat Warden.  He clearly cares for Layla, but is so bogged down by the expectations of his family, he can't admit it.  I like Zayne, I just don't think he and Layla fit.  Her crush on Zayne was a product of her loneliness as a child.  Her burgeoning relationship with Roth, while admittedly borne of circumstance, is certainly not because Roth is the only person to treat her with any kindness.  In fact, he's kind of a jerk a lot of the time, but he challenges her, forces her to think about her preconceptions and makes her a better person. 

I've probably read WHK four or five times.  It's action packed, emotional and completely awesome!  I'm dying for Stone Cold Touch, the next in the series.   White Hot Kiss in a nutshell = hot demon boys, hot gargoyle boy, awkward and hilarious bffs and a seriously fantastic story.  

~Shel

Redemption by Véronique Launier (Hearts of Stone #1)

* * *

Guillaume: For five hundred years I've existed as a gargoyle. Perched atop an old Montreal church, I've watched idly as humanity wanders by. With the witch Marguerite gone, there is no one left to protect, nothing to care about. I never planned to feel again. But then a girl released me from my stone restraints, allowing me to return as a seventeen-year-old human boy. I must find out all I can about this girl's power . . .

Aude: Getting attacked twice in as many days is strange in itself, but even stranger is the intriguing guy I keep running into. There's something so familiar about him, like a primal drum rhythm from my dreams. But spending time together only raises more questions--about my heritage, a native Mohawk prophecy . . . and an unearthly magic threatening our city..

Redemption’s premise about gargoyles and native culture and legend captured my attention. It’s an irresistible mix that Launier paced with a steady mix of mystery and tension.

It’s from Guillaume’s point of view that we first meet Aude as she’s being attacked by complete strangers. Guillaume perched high above the cathedral witnesses this horror but also something stranger. Somehow this girl is able to ward off her attackers and in the process releases him and his brothers from their gargoyle form.  Aude’s power is of great concern to them because if she is who they thinks she is, then she is the key to their survival.

Aude would rather just pretend that it all never happened.  She throws all her focus and energy into her band Lucid Pill. Guillaume is never far behind though as he befriends her and learns more about her. It’s just Aude and her mother; her father is a non-factor. But her ancestry is what intrigues Guillaume and his brothers.  When they learn that she is descended from a powerful line of witches whom Guillaume and his brothers have sworn to protect, Aude’s world gets more complicated.  Everything that was “normal” begins to change. Aude can’t pretend she’s a regular kid anymore.  Now she must learn how to harness her power and most importantly learn who she can trust.

I’ll admit, it took me a while to get into Redemption but that's because I was going through an annoying reading funk. While I liked the idea, I was feeling rather impatient for the story to move forward. So I decided to leave the book for a week and when I picked it up again, I did so with renewed enthusiasm. I began to appreciate how all the pieces were coming together and I felt chills when Aude and Guillaume discovered her heritage.

Launier telling the story from both perspectives helps to understand the confusion and apprehension that both of them feel throughout the book.  Aude is so used to being independent and being strong for her mother. Her single-mindedness about her band si what fuels her sense of purpose. So when Guillaume comes along, she’s hesitant about trusting him and leaning on him for support. Guillaume for his part has a past that’s weighed down by guilt and loss. In light of their discovery about her family, his problem becomes discerning if his attachment to Aude is love or obligation. Regardless, watching these two together is half the thrill in reading Redemption.

I think with its different locale and reference to the Iroquois culture and its Seventh Generation prophecy, Redemption adds a new flavor to the paranormal genre. It’s definitely worth the read. And after Aude and Guillaume have overcome their first hurdle, it's only a matter of time before things escalate. I’m looking forward to what’s next for this  new life Aude has entered in to.

~ Bel