Dark Kiss: REVIEW

CATCHALL 
I actually got an ARC of this one a long time ago, but my ereader is stupid and broken and would not let me upload it, sadly. Jerk ereader. But anyway, I finally got around to buying myself a pretty little physical copy and absolutely beyond adored it. In fact, I couldn't stop reading it, it was so good. It wasn't perfect, but I still really loved it very much. I thought it was a fantastic story.

THE HEROINE 
SAMANTHA DAY
Samantha Day is your typical girl-next-door. She's so relatable and I loved her completely. I found myself drawn into her story and who she was. I immediately found myself wanting to learn more about her from the very beginning. She was awesome and mysterious and develops beautifully. It was really interesting to watch her transformation from the beginning of the novel to the end.

THE LOVE INTEREST 
BISHOP
Oh goodness, it would have been impossible for me to not fall deeply in love with him. I admit that his name isn't originally a turn-on, but I have this D&D game that I play sometimes with a character named Bishop who is possibly the hottest thing since fire, so I was biased when I began. But he quickly moved into my heart of his own volition. He is really sweet and protective, and tries so hard to be good. I admired him greatly for that. Also, he's just so awesome. Protective. Sweet. Strong. Powerful. Troubled. Really, really hot. I was deeply in love with him, even though he isn't as sexy as Kraven.

THE REALLY SEXY DEMON 
KRAVEN
As much as I am in love with Bishop, Kraven is just so sexy. I love bad boys. I just love, love, love bad boys. And Kraven has got to be one of the sexiest bad boys I've come across in quite some time. Seriously, I want him. I do not even know how to explain how much I love Kraven. Like, so much. SOSOSO freaking much. I love Kraven ridiculously much. He's naughty and somewhat insane. Dark and maybe a little cruel. Sexy. Damn sexy. It's incredible. Like, how does someone even get that how? Well now, this is turning into a hopeless ramble so I'm gonna shut up, since by now I'm sure you know how desperately much I love Kraven anyway.

THE VILLAIN 
NATALIE
Natalie intrigued me at first, but unfortunately I quickly became bored by her. She doesn't have a whole lot of substance and while she does start off different then she ends visibly, there's no real arc and she isn't really that interesting. I would have liked to be incised her head, though.

THE PLOT 
Dark Kiss started off a little bit slowly. It took a while for any real action to happen. First, it sets everything up prettily and waits as you try to figure it out. Unfortunately, yes, it does take a while to get into anything interesting.

Still, once it gets started, it really gets started. The action is still a little on the slow side. It's not really action-packed, although there is definitely a lot of action. It was definitely a hard book to put down. I really didn't want to stop reading it, although much of it was because I wanted to get to the end. Not because it was bad, but because there wasn't exactly a ton of action, as I've said.

It was really interesting, though. Angels and demons forced to work together because of a great evil. Some got along alright, some really hated each other. The dynamic was great.

Even though the plot was a bit too slow-moving for my taste, the awesomeness of it all really made up for the lack of speed. Overall, it was awesome and I loved it! And Kraven.

THE ROMANCE 
I loved the way this romance was, even if it definitely veered into the instalove zone, which was unfortunate. Still, while it is underdeveloped it is believable in a strange way. I could feel the sparks between Sam and Bishop. While I felt some chemistry between Sam and Kraven too, I'm glad she doesn't want him because I'll take him any day. But moving on! Sam and Bishop have a really good romance getting started and with further development it could really flourish.

THE WRITING 
Michelle's writing is nice, if a bit too juvenile. It's told in first person POV by Sam, and sometimes she sounds a bit too young. However, the prologue from Bishop's POV in third person is completely beautiful. I really loved that part, and the rest of the book might have been better if told in third person, but oh well. Sam does have a really relatable voice, which helps make her so real.

THE ENDING 
The ending was awesome! It left me satisfied. I felt that just enough was wrapped up, the main plot of this book all resolved but enough left open for problems in future books. It doesn't close off avenues, and leaves a lot. It wasn't a huge and cruel cliffhanger, but it most definitely left me wanting a lot more!

WRAPUP 
I absolutely loved Dark Kiss! I really cannot wait for the next book, and will be reading it as soon as is humanly possible. I already have a feeling that I'll never be able to get enough of this series. And why would I? It has its faults, but it's also incredibly awesome and a ton of fun! I am a Michelle Rowen fan for life!

FINE.

****FINAL RATING: 4.35 RED ROSES****

For Darkness Shows the Stars: REVIEW

CATCHALL 
I've read almost all of Jane Austen's books. In fact, the only one I haven't read, ironically enough, is Persuasion. I'll have to read it soon, I think, to help me further appreciate this book. Still, I am of the firm belief that this book was still awesome nonetheless. I literally couldn't put it down. All I wanted to do was read this book. I was far from perfect, but it was still unbelievable awesome.

THE HEROINE 
ELLIOT NORTH
Unfortunately, Elliot didn't work as a name for me. I know that she was named to parallel Anna Elliot without having the have the exact same name, but it still didn't work for me. I really didn't like the name on her and I was completely disappointed by the name. Anywas, the stupid name aside, I really liked her. Sure, she was unusually dense, and kind of ignorant on some matters, but it also clear that she was really intelligent and had some awesome ideas. She was the girl who could save her people, and moreover, she wanted to. She worked hard at being a good person and while she had faults—many of them—she was a truly admirable character.

THE LOVE INTEREST 
MALAKAI WENTFORTH
Oh, jeez, Kai is hot. So very, very hot. So what if he kind of acts like a jerk for one-half to two-thirds of the novel? Actually, I know I shouldn't find it hot, but it is actually really hot and I can't deny it. I absolutely fell in love with him. despite the strong and unaffected front he put on, he has a sweet heart and a wonderful personality. I couldn't get enough of him. I loved reading about him and looked forward to the scenes that he was in eagerly. I absolutely loved him. I already said that, didn't I? But this is just to let you know how much I meant it!

THE SISTER 
TATIANA NORTH
What a freaking brat! I realize that that was the point, but still. Anyway, she came around in the end, and there was definitely something to admire in her actions.

THE FATHER 
ZACHARIAH NORTH
I know what it's like to not get along at all with your father, and I really sympathized with Elliot on this front. When he antagonized her, I really understood what she was going through and it helped me identify with her. It brought me closer to Elliot, even though I absolutely hated Zachariah. He was a complete jerk!

THE FLEET 
FELICIA INNVOVATION
I loved Felicia! She had life in her. Life and loss and love. (I love alliteration, don't you?) Anyway, Felicia was awesome! I liked how real she was. I really felt a connection to her, too. She helps mentor Elliot and takes her under her wing when her father won't. Under her, Elliot grows as a person. Felicia is so nourishing and sweet in her own way, and I really liked her.
ANDROMEDA PHOENIX
I liked Andromeda. Her story is so heartbreaking, and even though she has a tough shell, it's easy to see that she isn't always so tough underneath, and we've all felt that way at one point or another. Vulnerable. I really liked her and while she definitely wasn't the easiest character to understand, she was one of the most interesting.
DONOVAN PHOENIX
I liked Donovan, too. He's broken and fragile for much of the book, but slowly he grows stronger. He learns to love again and, moreover, to really live again. I absolutely loved him, and would be very satisfied if we were to get a novella from his POV. (Hint-hint.)

THE PLOT 
The plot was amazing.

Again, I feel like I will probably appreciate it more once I have read Persuasion, but still.

Some things bothered me because they were far too coincidental, which was really irritating. I don't like it at all when things fit together too nicely. It's annoying and nothing like life.

Also, the flashbacks or whatever you'd like to call them weren't in order, which drove me insane. I know they were trying to make a point relevant to the chapter, but it was just freaking irritating. I could never figure out what was going on and it drove my crazy, as I've said. Too much to keep track of.

Above all, For Darkness Shows the Stars is a love story. Not everyone will agree with me on that front, but that's the way I choose to see it.

Sure, there was a ton of stuff going on all around them that affected both Elliot's past and present choices, but to me, it was always a love story and there was nothing that could change that.

THE ROMANCE 
Ah, the romance. Elliot and Kai were literally made for each other. Sure, they struggle through that, and for a long time Kai stubbornly refuses to acknowledge that. Still, he comes around (of course!). The romance is so sweet and a tad underdeveloped, but there's so much chemistry that is doesn't really matter so much. They fit together perfectly and when they're together, it was like nothing could ever come between them. Sounds horribly cheesy but it's true. I loved the romance so much. I felt what Elliot was feeling, and I really felt like I was a part of it.

THE WRITING 
I love Diana's writing! It's so beautiful. Sometimes it can get a little confusing, though. Several sentences I had to go over two or three times before I could understand them, but that was fine. Honestly, it was really amazing despite its problems. I could picture everything so beautifully, and the world-building is incredible and expertly executed.

THE ENDING 
The ending was perfect. It satisfied my romantic-to-a-fault heart absolutely. It was a but too pretty and clean, but whatever! I loved it, and I wouldn't have chosen a different ending if I could. Elliot and Kai belong together, and this ending was perfect. It even made me cry, it was so beautiful. Happy tears are the way a book should end.

WRAPUP 
I loved this book a ridiculous amount of much, and I absolutely can't wait until I can read more of Diana's books! In fact, I'll be doing so soon and eagerly. I can't wait to dive into more of her worlds, as she's done such an incredible job with this one.

FINE.

***FINAL RATING: 4.60 RED ROSES***