Monday, November 4, 2013

Review: No One's Angel by Kelly Walker

From Goodreads:
CONTENT WARNING: Due to adult sexual situations and language, this novel may not be appropriate for readers under 18. If you are looking for an intense, passionate love so wrong it is right, a story about losing your way but clawing desperately at any chance to find your way back, about hanging on to your last shred of sanity and trusting someone enough to let go of your fears, look no further. No One's Angel's angel is a New Adult (NA) Contemporary Romance about a girl learning to fight back and a boy learning to let go. Tess used to spend more hours than she'd care to admit playing her favorite computer game, using the nickname Angel. She could pretend her life was different, and she could pretend Arion was just a friend. But a girl needs more to keep her warm at night than pixels, and she traded her virtual heaven for a real-life hell. Now she's on the run from a past she won't talk about, and the only place she has to go is the doorstep of the friend she's never actually met. When Angel disappeared from their nightly games, it nearly destroyed Arion. He threw himself into work and women, but he can't help knowing the one-night stands will never compare to the angel who haunts his dreams. At first, when she shows up soaking wet and scared-shitless on his doorstep, he thinks his prayers have been answered. But the more Arion tries to keep Angel close, the more her fear drives her away. If they are ever going to have a chance for a future, they'll first have to deal with the past that hasn't forgotten her any more than she's forgotten it--and Arion will have to learn how to let her go. Read an excerpt: Arion reaches for my hand but catches only air. I freeze. And then I shiver. Without the warmth of the blankets, I remember I'm not wearing anything but his shirt, and given the look he's giving me now, I'm not the only one who's noticed. That expression I can read just fine. "You aren't going anywhere, Angel." I suck in a sharp breath, hearing his words in someone else's voice. But I did. I'm here. I left. My eyes dart around the room like a moth fluttering against a light. My pile of clothes, which should have been by the door, is missing. "Did you take my clothes?" The tightening in my chest makes my words breathless. I try to tell myself not to panic, but that's like telling a dog not to wag its tail. Acknowledging it only makes it worse. I gulp for more air as my head starts to spin. "Would only seem fair. After all, you took mine." His tone is tense, but beneath it I can hear his familiar teasing. I try to tell myself I don't have to be afraid. This is Arion. The one person I trust. I know him. But I don't, and to tell myself otherwise is a lie. If he wants his freaking shirt he can have it. I've got to get out of here. My fingers begin undoing the buttons without me really thinking about it, and then I'm shrugging my shoulders free. His eyes go from warm pools of interest to sexy oceans of desire in the time it takes me to remember I don't even have a bra on. I manage to catch the shirt just before it falls away from my hips, and I quickly wrap it around me, covering myself. I tilt my chin toward him defiantly, daring him to say or do anything even as I want to beg him to let me go. At the same time I want to beg him to pull me close. My emotion is a giant see-saw, and I'm tottering on the edge with him in the middle. If he takes one step toward me, it will tip the balance.
Thank you to NetGalley for letting me read this novel in exchange for an honest review.

It's been a while since I read this book, and I think what happened was I wrote this big long review on Goodreads and it somehow got erased!  That's the first time that's ever happened to me!  So I've learned my lesson, I will write my reviews on my blog first, then copy/paste it to Goodreads.

So back to the book.  There were a lot of things I enjoyed about this book, including the set-up.  I've never read a book where the characters have met and fallen in love/lust online.  Which is odd, because it seems like this is becoming more of the norm these days.  Come to think of it, three of my cousins have married or been engaged to people they've met online, so it's not as far fetched as you might originally think.

Both characters were enjoyable enough, although I think Arion may have been a bit too hot.  I mean, he's a gaming geek.  It would have been more believable if he was skinny and pale, although the author does a good job of explaining his amazing body by describing his eating habits and intense workout schedule.  The chemistry between Angel and Arion was obvious right off the bat, but man was Arion possessive!  No wonder Angel was freaked out, especially after being in an abusive relationship with the man she's running away from.

There were a couple of things that rubbed me the wrong way.  There is a part in the book where Angel gets into trouble, basically attacked by a stranger.  I won't go into details, but Arion is there to save the day, white knight-style.  Anyway, it just struck me as a bit cheesy, and seemed to infer that Angel is so desirable that she can't go anywhere, even a pub, without being in danger.

The ending was wrapped up way too quickly and easily, and also seemed a bit silly to me.  It's one of those endings that are supposed to be suspenseful, but as a reader you just can't believe how stupid the characters are being!  I wanted to scream out loud, "You idiot, don't leave her there!"

So, all in all, an okay read for me, neither dismally bad nor outstandingly good.

My Rating:

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