Latest Read: Sweet Peril by Wendy Higgins

Here are the basics ...
Sweet Peril (The Sweet Trilogy #2) by Wendy Higgins
Publication date: Apr. 30, 2013
Publisher: HarperTeen
Category: Young Adult - Paranormal
Source: Borrowed from library

Summary: Anna Whitt, the daughter of a guardian angel and a demon, promised herself she’d never do the work of her father. But 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. 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, 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 and face the ultimate question: is loving someone worth risking their life? (Adapted goodreads.com)

My thoughts…

The good: Anna Whitt has to do the work of a Nephilim - partying, drinking and encouraging those around her to do the same. Not that she wants to, or that her father wants her to but because she has to keep fooling the Dukes and Legionnares (a.k.a. demon whisperers) that she’s a good little Neph instead of who she really is. The good, pure-hearted half-angel who Heaven wants to use as their soldier to send the demons back to Hell. Oh yeah, no pressure at all. But luckily she’s not alone. She has the support of her adoptive mother Patti, her father Belial and the group of Nephs who’ve become her friends - Blake, Kopano, Marna and Ginger. And Kaidan. Because of her feelings for him (which c’mon, you know he reciprocates even when he says otherwise), he’s staying far, far away from her but he’s always in Anna’s thoughts.

Sweet Peril pushed the overarching plot forward while giving us a deeper look into this world, Anna and the people in her life. Even though Anna is "playing the game", she's embracing her destiny as a soldier for good and sees this as a chance to not only get rid of demons but to give Nephilim a fresh start. This journey literally takes her all over the world, with help from Kopano, as she recruits more people to her cause. At the same time, we see just how badly treated Nephilim are and the depths of evil the Dukes have wreaked on earth. I've mentioned before the tone can get dark and that's still the case here.

I really enjoyed seeing the purpose in Anna. Even her struggle with her demon side (like her inclination to drink) with her angelic side was interesting to watch. I can see how this may seem a bit PSA to some but I think it's more about knowing your limits. Because she does like to have fun! Just not at the cost of others getting hurt. I also can't forget to mention her feelings for Kaidan. I was a little sad at first because true to his word, he was keeping away. But when they did cross paths - wow, it was tension with a capital T. (I loved it!) We may only see Anna's side of things, but it's clear Kaidan struggles with deep feelings (and attraction) for her despite what he may say.

(Super minor) reservations: I knew what to expect from the series and the writing and it definitely delivered story-wise. There is still a lot of emphasis on how hot Kaidan is but given that he's the son of the Demon of Lust, I guess it's okay (hee!).

Do I recommend?: Yes! I was tearing through these books. If you're in a paranormal romance mood, I recommend giving this a shot.

Happy reading!