Latest Read: Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins

Here are the basics ...
Sweet Evil (The Sweet Trilogy #1) by Wendy Higgins
Publication date: May 1, 2012
Publisher: HarperTeen
Category: Young Adult - Paranormal
Source: Borrowed from library

Summary: What if there were teens whose lives literally depended on being bad influences? This is the reality for sons and daughters of fallen angels. Tenderhearted Southern girl Anna Whitt was born with the sixth sense to see and feel emotions of other people. She's aware of a struggle within herself, an inexplicable pull toward danger, but it isn't until she turns sixteen and meets the alluring Kaidan Rowe that she discovers her terrifying heritage and her willpower is put to the test. He's the boy your daddy warned you about. If only someone had warned Anna. Forced to face her destiny, will Anna embrace her halo or her horns? (Adapted goodreads.com)

My thoughts…

The good: Don't ask me why but I was in the mood to binge-read a paranormal (romance) series. The Sweet Trilogy by Wendy Higgins had been on my radar but I never considered reading it until Jennifer L. Armentrout mentioned it in one of her books. And with the series coming to a close so soon, I figured - why not? I'm really glad I gave it a chance because it ended up totally satisfying my paranormal craving. (Which sounds funny written out like that but it's true!)

Sweet Evil introduces us to the world of angels, demons and Nephilim and does a great job of setting up the stage and tone for the rest of the books. The tone here? Surprisingly dark! Of course, the angels are good and the demons are bad (except not all of them) but Nephilim are caught somewhere in the middle. Because their fathers are demons, they're practically forced into their servitude and have to badly influence humans. Yes, demons are on Earth but they look like regular people who go out of their way to sway society towards sin, murder, drugs, alcohol and mayhem. Some Nephilim are happy to do their fathers' bidding but there are some who want a different life. This is the world Anna Whitt, the main character, is living in even if she doesn't know it yet.

Anna is this genuinely kind, innocent and shy teenager who can sense and feel the emotions of those around her. She realizes her special abilities aren't normal but she accepts them without trying to understand why she's different. She has a loving and overprotective adoptive mother and a great best friend in Jay (who I loved). I have to admit though, her naiveté and juvenile dialogue (I understand she's a teenager!) did bother me a bit in the beginning. But once I got used to the writing style and got to know Anna better, especially when she lets her inner strength out and the truth about her past is revealed, I really began to root for her.

The relationships in Anna's life shed a lot of light on who she is and I enjoyed that we got to see what friendship and family mean to her. But there is romance and it comes in the form of bad boy Kaiden Rowe. I was looking forward to this part the most and it didn't disappoint. It might seem insta-lovey at first but there's a reason why he's curious about Anna and well.. Kaiden is a hot drummer so Anna noticing him isn't much of a surprise. I expected this aspect of the book to take over the plot but it didn't. It was given just the right amount of focus so it left you wanting more as the the romantic tension rose but still left left plenty of room for world-building and for the story to move forward. That said - I am definitely hoping for more Kaiden in the next book.

(Super minor) reservations: I was a bit skeptical in the beginning. Mainly because of the writing style and because I've already read my fair share of Nephilim books. But the book hits a certain point where it just hooks you. At least that was my experience. If you decide to give it a chance and feel the same way, keep reading. I was genuinely impressed by all the detail the author gives the reader.

Do I recommend?: Yes! I put the second book on hold at the library as soon as I finished. If you like paranormal romances, definitely pick this one up.

Happy reading!