Sweet Evil

Okay, so Sweet Evil blew me away!!! Without a doubt, Wendy Higgins' phenomenal story is the best series-start of the year, and I literally couldn't put this book down!! Wow, I'm floored and I'm going to be VERY impatiently waiting for the next book in this series!!!! This was such a cool twist on the whole fallen angels theme!!! I think what I loved most about Sweet Evil was that instead of seeing an innocent heroine fall in love with the bad boy fallen angel, we actually get to be on the flip side of things. Anna is herself the child of a fallen angel, so she's destined to be right there amongst the bad boys when it comes to her lot in life. The Nephilim are the children of the Dukes, fallen angels on earth who each influence a particular sin on humans. The Nephilim's sole role on earth is to obey the Dukes and 'work' by influencing humans with the temptations of one of the sins, by threat of death if they don't. Raised by an adoptive mother and having never known her parents, Anna's always known she had strange abilities. But she didn't know what that meant until she met Kaidan Rowe, the incredibly delicious drummer who's reaction to meeting Anna completely baffles her. When Anna discovers that her strange abilities are the result of her having a fallen angel for a father and a guardian angel for a mother, her whole world is thrown upside down. Now she and Kaidan are on a mission to travel to see the father she's never known, if only she can resist Kaidan's indescribable temptations...which isn't easy since his father is the Duke of Lust and he's never heard the word 'no' from the lips of any girl. Alone in close quarters for days at a time for their trip cross country, Kaidan and Anna get more than they bargained for as lust turns into much more. But since being Nephilim means being unloved and having no freedom to feel emotions, they may be destined for nothing but heartbreak. I'm still kind of reeling from this book, because I'm absolutely addicted to the story and I feel like I'm having withdrawal symptoms right now!! Higgins created this incredibly thrilling story around characters that just completely sucked me in, it was such an exciting and sexy thrill-ride!! When I first started reading it I was thinking to myself that this was going to be a really good sweet YA fantasy story, but it morphed into something far beyond that. The plot was awesome, like I said before I really loved that Anna was in the thick of things with the other sin-influencing Nephs for this story. She starts off innocent and naive, having a religious foundation thanks to her adoptive mother and knowing nothing of her 'bad side'. But as she learns more about who she is, her eyes are opened and she begins to see how unfairly her kind is treated. She receives a gift from someone from her past that sheds light on what her unique heritage means for the future of the Neph. A fire is brewing inside her, fueled by her feelings for Kaidan and the other Nephs she befriends along the way. She is seeing that there are allies where no one expected, and it's clear already that there are exciting things to come down the road!!! Anna truly has the potential to be an unforgettable heroine, I just love the bold personality that she develops and the strength she gains from her time with Kaidan. It's like they feed off of each other's opposite personalities; he gains a tender side from her goodness, and she learns to be strong and emboldened from his bad-boy ways. I absolutely adored Kaidan and Anna together; between the obvious fireworks that go off every time they touch and the way they just get each other despite their differences, I couldn't get enough of them!! There were some seriously steamy scenes that had me fanning myself and made my heart just about beat out of my chest, and they took me completely by surprise since Anna kind of 'grows into' her part bad-girl side a bit. I mean, of course there's the obvious fact that Kaidan is OMG, HOLY MACKEREL, sexy! Come on, his dad is the Duke of Lust, which means Kaidan's sole role in life is to seduce and have sex with more girls than he could possibly count. He's drop-dead gorgeous with the hard body to match, and he knows how to sway even the toughest of customers...*sigh*. While yes, there's the whole "womanizer" factor there, it didn't bother me other than the fact that it tore me up when Anna had to stop and think about him being with someone else. It was heartbreaking, because of course she knows he has to do his 'job' even though she loves him, and when Kaidan pushes her away she's left with that knowledge to keep her warm at night...ugh. My stomach was in knots for her, it was just painful!!! The supporting characters in this story were just awesome, I was really impressed with how much we were able to get to know so many of them without sacrificing the story. The other Nephs that Anna meets have such different, distinct personalities that add so much to the plot and kept me hooked to every word. I loved Anna's father, with his soft side despite his status as one of the dreadful Dukes. When he 'trains' Anna in their sin (he's the Duke of substance abuse) by getting her drunk so they can find out what her limits are, I was laughing at the hilarious irony of it all!! I really hope he's around a lot in the rest of the series, because he's got a huge heart and really deserves redemption. This story started out at a steady pace, with important revelations and some twists that took me by surprise. But woah, talk about going out with a bang!!! As much as I was drawn into this book all along, the last couple of chapters threw caution to the wind and then just crushed me like a bug!! Good lord, the wait for the sequel to this book will be excruciating, I can't leave my Kaidan like this!!!!! GAH!! I must admit, though, I'm really, REALLY excited about the rest of this series because the plot is warming up to be one epic story that I won't soon forget!!! Until then, I will be biting my fingernails wondering when Wendy Higgins will do us the honor of giving us more of this phenomenal story...VERY impatiently wondering... =)

*Three and a Half out of Five Stars* I stored Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins away on my "to-read" list in May 2012. I didn't end up reading past its first page until October 2013. There was no particular reason for this wait. It was just that book that kept slipping down my list, losing its place to long-awaited sequels, school assignments, and whim reads of the moment. But I wasn't feeling well the other day, and, (once I'd thoroughly secured my place as most boring college student on the planet by getting into bed at 9:30 on a Friday night), I finally decided to download it to my Kindle. I didn't turn off my reading light until 3:00 AM. Sweet Evil follows good-girl Anna Whitt through the ups and downs of high school, romance, friendship - and the discovery that she's the product of an angel-demon relationship. The mythology of Sweet Evil was what first attracted me to it, and it didn't disappoint. Higgins creates a world in which demons live among us in secret, cajoling humans into lapses of sin and misery, and their own Nephilim children into carrying on the family business. Although definitely not a heavy read by any means, Sweet Evil definitely has a bit of cultural relevance. The paranormal plotline didn't live in its own vortex, separated from everyday life. The characters worked in the novel's favor for the most part, as well. It was easy to see Anna (the sheltered, human-raised daughter of Substance Abuse) and Kaidan's (the son of Lust) respective backgrounds in their personalities. Kaiden especially, although I initially worried he'd fall into the familiar mold of dark, handsome, cocky paranormal love interest, pulled at my heart. Mostly for empathy-related reasons. Partly because he, well, completely lives up to his heritage. As Anna thought upon meeting him, he's "HOTT" - too hot for merely one "t." (That goes for the content of the book as well, by the way. Definitely a more mature young adult novel.) There were moments when Anna seemed a bit inconsistent to me, but, for the most part, I thought she made a likable protagonist. Perhaps not always the most believable - her wavering between temperance and self-indulgence grew a bit inconsistent at times -- but sympathetic. She flickered from resolving to save her virginity for a committed relationship to attempting to sleep with Kaidan (who has no choice but to be about as uncommitted as a guy can get). From resisting alcohol into giving into her dad's demands that she learn more about it. Sure, there were reasons for both those cases. They just, like several other plot points, seemed sort of contrived. Now for the minor characters. No complaints over Kai and Anna's friends - they were all fairly fleshed out. Patti, Anna's adopted mother, irked me a bit more, as did Anna's biological father Belial (AKA the demon in charge of Substance Abuse). It felt at points like Higgins was simply using them to carry the plot into a particular direction, rather than paying attention to character development. Like when overprotective Patti agrees to send her daughter on a cross-country road trip with a Nephilim boy she's met exactly once. Another justified, but contrived plot point. Nevertheless, the only real problem I have with Sweet Evil has more to do with organization than anything. The road trip between Kai and Anna -- as forced as its beginning felt - actually worked fairly well for the first half of the novel. The twinges of insta-love lingering around their first meetings bugged me, but the road trip solidified a believable bond between them. Then the second half of the novel came. They returned home; Kaidan to the "work" his father forces on him (he gave me so many more Finnick Odair feels than I ever thought possible), Anna to her adoptive mother. Then to learning more about her own responsibilities as a member of the Nephilim. This, too, in itself, worked in terms of plot and even character development. It just felt like it came from a different book. The first and second halves of Sweet Evil seemed very much divided from one another. I almost wish that Higgins could have found a way to expand on each and actually turn each half into its own novel - but, at the same time, that would likely have added a good deal of unnecessary bulk. The latter half of Sweet Evil might not have seemed as separate from the first to me if Higgins hadn't chosen to introduce a love triangle. The needless staple of the young adult romance genre. Still, it wasn't the triangle itself that I disliked. It actually made sense that Kopano would feel a pull towards Anna, and she to him. And they had much more in common, if not nearly as much chemistry, than she's had so far with Kaidan. Yet, as realistic and understated as it was, the love triangle was still jarring. Jarring and unnecessary. Maybe the next book will show its purpose, but, at the moment, I wish that Higgins had chosen to focus on developing friendship between Kope and Anna, rather than possible romance. Tropes and occasional forcedness aside, Sweet Evil was a fingers-glued-to-the-book, swoon-worthy read. I doubt I'll reread it any time soon, but I'll definitely get my hands on the sequel at some point. And, hopefully, it will take me far less than a year this time.

Wow. Just wow. I'm having a hard time figuring out just how to make my thoughts come out on screen effectively, so I've just been sitting here staring at the last page of this book . . . not seeing anything, simply lost in my own thoughts about this book. And I don't know quite how to make my thoughts into words. Frustrating. But I'll give it a go. . . Amazing! Absolutely amazing! I just adored this book so much. It was one of those books that you can't just simply read and enjoy. I had to stop every few pages to yell out my love for this book to some passing family member. By the end there was no doubt in this household as to my feelings about this book. It constantly kept me on the edge of my seat, yearning for things that logically could not be, and yet hoping beyond hope that the rules of this world could somehow be magically bent to make those things possible. I felt like my heart was breaking over and over and over again, but instead of shrinking away I kept right on reading because I had to hold onto the hope that someway, somehow, there would be a happy ending to this story. First of all, this story was not at all what I was expecting. For some reason after I read the blurb for this story I expected a story that would glorify evil and wrongdoing -- not sure why I got that impression, but it was enough to keep me from adding this to my kindle for a few months. I don't shy away from edginess in a story, but I could never get behind any story that ultimately called what was bad something good. Well, let me just say this unequivocally . . . THIS BOOK IS NOTHING LIKE THAT. It is the exact opposite. This is the story of good existing in the world despite constant pressure against it. This is the story of a person choosing to rise above the circumstances of her birth to choose to make good decisions in the face of evil opposition. It isn't smooth, and it isn't always pretty, but the good is working to survive and overcome throughout this entire book, and I LOVED it. So, the specifics: This is the story of Anna, a sixteen year-old girl who has grown up knowing that she is different from the rest of the world around her because of her ability to sense the emotions of the people around her, heightened senses, and a crazy long term memory ability. Largely sheltered by her guardian, Patti, Anna has gone throughout her life making good choices. She goes to church and prays, she doesn't lie, swear, cheat, drink, do drugs, or sleep around. Even in the world or ordinary humans she stands out for her goodness. But her world is thrown completely out of whack one evening when she meets Kaiden and discovers she is more than she ever believed. Patti is then forced to admit that Anna is the child of an angel and a demon, making her a Nephilim, but an unusual one because normally Nephilim are the product of a demon/human union. Anna's father is the demon of substance abuse. Kaiden is a Neph as well, the son of the demon of lust. As children of demons their role in life is to tempt and seduct humans to entice them to commit the sins championed by their particular father. Only Anna's father has been in prison, avoiding her for all of her life and sparing her from any tempting duties. Instead she spends her days keeping herself and her friends away from harmful substances. Kaiden is not so lucky. His father is a major jerk of a father who has no problem demanding strict obedience from his son as far as tempting duties go, and so Kaiden has been working for years, developing a fairly hardened personality to go with it. Circumstances work out in such a way that Kaiden and Anna find themselves together on a cross country trip to visit her father and an elderly nun who has crucial info for Anna, and on this trip Kaiden's walls come down a bit as the two of them are drawn to each other more and more. But life for a nephilim is not so simple. They are not allowed to fall in love with one another. Their sole responsibility is to do the duty set forth by their demon parent. It is impossible for Kaiden and Anna to be together. Anna's good and hopeful heart doesn't believe this, so she holds out hope for Kaiden. But Kaiden's heart that has been hardened by the reality of his life experience recognizes the impossibility of the situation. Heartbreaking, to say the least. What I loved: The relationship between Kaiden and Anna! Loved them! There was such an amazing mix of tension born out of their impossible situation and an emotional pull to one another that fought against those impossible odds. I could feel the swirling emotions of Anna as she fought to hold onto Kaiden despite the rules of their world. I could feel the conflict in Kaiden as he fought against his own feelings for Anna, knowing that they would be punished if anyone discovered that there were any feelings between the two of them. It is obvious that Anna has broken through all of his preconceived notions of what the nephilim had to be when he sees her choosing to do good and hold on to her religious feelings and kindness for humanity in the face of the demon led world they inhabit. There were so many ups and downs of this entire relationship that it felt as if my heart were clenched for the entire book. It was written well so that I was never brought to the point of irritation. Instead, I was constantly pulling for the two of them to find some way to make things work and be open about exactly what they felt for one another. The interesting theme presented as Anna worked to preserve her goodness and kindness, even when faced with the crazy world run by the demons of this story. Kaiden had no real belief in his freedom to choose to do good. He simply followed orders because that was his only choice, whether he liked it or not. Anna made him see another possibility, and although he doesn't end this book by defying his father and choosing to fight against the rules leading him to tempt the world around him, there are cracks in his outer shell that have begun to form. This fight for good to overcome evil throughout the book was beautifully written. I can't wait to see exactly how this will play out in the series. My words aren't going to do this book any justice at all. Just read it. That's all I can say. But I warn you: This book does not necessarily have a happily ever after sort of ending. It doesn't end on a cliff hanger, but there are lots and lots of loose ends. Anna and Kaiden do not ride off into their happily ever after. Good has not completely beaten evil. The demons are going to work very hard to try and take away Anna's goodness and hope. She has a battle ahead of her if she doesn't want to be dragged into their nastiness. But this book ends at a beginning -- the beginning of Anna's fight to keep her goodness in the face of some horrible odds against her. I, for one, am totally rooting for her. I love her strength to choose to be good in all this mess. I love her father. I love her friends. And I love Kaiden. I want for all of this to work out to their good, with Kaiden and Anna fighting together to find a way to be together. I cannot wait for the next installment in this amazing new series!

This book was more than amazing for more than a few reasons! I don't think I can put into words exactly how awesome this book is...I just don't think I can do it justice, not by a long shot! Normally I would wait till the end of my review to say whether or not I would recommend a book. But I need to say NOW, up front, that you need to buy this book...LIKE RIGHT NOW...even before you finish reading my review, dang it! In fact, even though I've already read Sweet Evil, I'm ordering my finished copy today! And I'm going to stalk Wendy Higgins' blog to wait for any updates on book signings...because I'm in major need of an autographed copy. And I have a feeling that I'll be busting down doors to force this book on everyone I know. I'm freaking obsessed with this book, in a very non-healthy way! The moment I picked up Sweet Evil I was immediately sucked in, so much so that I would get irritated whenever I needed to put the book down...for any reason! Normal stuff to survive was getting in the way of my precious moments with this dang book, like going to the restroom or sitting down to eat dinner with my family, or even when my husband asked if I'd watch a movie with him...and boy was I pissed off because the movie was awful and it kept me from reading Sweet Evil! So I think I was up until 4am, determined to finish it. It took all my will power to not skip to the end and find out how this book ends. And I'm so happy that I didn't because I would be beating myself up now if I did. I absolutely adore some of the multiple characters in this book! I loved how sweet, innocent, honest and pure Anna is. Normally I'd think that a main character that is "that good" would get on my nerves, but her virtue, mixed with her personality, was just the perfect combination. She can't even tell a lie for crying out loud! Anna rocks! And Patti, Anna's adopted mother, is the very definition of the sweetest mother on earth. Jay, Anna's best friend, is an all-around good guy who'd drop anything for Anna, and he needs her as much as she needs him. And even Anna's dad is kick *ss! There are also these four Nephilim that come into the story later that I heart! And then there is Kaidan! Yummy!!! *drool* He is for sure up there with my all-time-favorite fictional boyfriends! Hello, he's a drummer in a popular local band and he's the son of the demon hmmmm you will have to read and find out! I really truly cannot pinpoint a single fictional character that I'm more attracted to! But just as much as I adore some of the characters, I'm just as horrified by some others...like the demons! And boy, are they sick, twisted and evil. Just thinking about them makes me cringe. The romance in Sweet Evil is the very definition of the title! It is sweet, evil, hot, intense, heart melting and heart breaking. Even though the story between the insanely intense romance scenes was more than awesome and compelling, the whole time I could only think about, and crave for, more of those intense romance scenes! I'm surprised this book didn't lead to a more adult book...because Wendy Higgins could totally pull it off. I'm glad she kept it YA because I don't think I could've handled it. Like I just said, not only is the romance amazing but the whole story is awesome! There were some crazy intense scenes and some majorly horrific moments too. Wendy Higgins didn't hold back on how evil the demons could truly be. But it wasn't just the moments with the demons that were horrific. Learning about what the demons actually expected of the Nephilim, and then living those expectations with Anna was equally horrific but at the same time awesomely intense...as I would sit at the edge of my seat with my eyes bugging out of my head. Yep! That good!!! There were more than enough crazy intense scenes throughout and right when you'd think that it couldn't get any worse, it does.

I'm really torn about this one. I have been anticipating this book for awhile now and I think I worked myself into such excitement that it was easy to be let down, and for the same reason I continually tried to push my way through the not-so-great parts hoping that my premature fan-girling would be justified. I have seen so many reviewers raving about this book like it's the second coming of the Twilight phenomenon and certainly they are more than entitled to their opinions (that is what we bloggers do right?) but I just didn't get that thrill. Sweet Evil is not by any means a bad read, but it also is not the amazing story I expected it to be. I went into it expecting steamy romance, thrilling action and a gripping, unique plot. I got about half of those things which isn't too bad, but after being so excited to read it, it fell short. As always let's start with the good (including that absolutely gorgeous cover). Steam. The steaminess of this book cannot be denied. There were certainly times when I felt like I needed to open a window and just cool off for a second. In fact, parts of the book, felt more adult than young adult. This is probably because the main heartthrob of the story, Kaidan Rowe, is the son of the Duke of Lust. He definitely takes after his father. He, naturally, falls for sweet little Anna who never swears, or lies, or drinks and certainly does not do anything Kaidan might have in mind. When the two of them have to travel cross-country alone things really heat up. One of the most redeeming things about the book is the way that Anna and Kaidan change each other throughout the story. Anna lets down her guard a little when she's with Kaidan and he, in turn, allows her to see glimpses of his vulnerability. They really start to love each other, in large part because of Kaidan's damage from never truly having love in his life. One of the sweetest lines in the book comes from Anna's inner dialogue after discussing Kaidan's loveless upbringing: "I tried to imagine young, inquisitive Kaidan looking up at the demon in his life, desperate for his attention. I wished I could hold that little boy." - Ch. 14 The love between the two of them is what we all like to see in books, raw and real and deep. Another part of the book that I enjoyed was the mythology. Higgins does a great job of setting up the mythology behind the angels and the demons and their children. She also does not have any qualms with being very brutal about the way the demons behave. There are parts of this book that are very hard to get through because they are violent and heart wrenching, which I think is important when we are talking about evil. She really drives the point home. That's where the love sort of stopped for me. As far as uniqueness goes, I can't really say the plot was all that different from most paranormal romances. Good girl meets bad guy. Girl tries to change guy. Bad guy is still bad, but broken underneath. Girl finds out she has flaws too. They can't be together but probably will, maybe, at some point. It's fun and everything, but I was hoping for more of a different vibe with this one. The only real difference I can see is that Kaidan isn't really the hero type. He has a tendency to stand around and be freaked out when Anna is in mortal peril instead of actually jumping in and doing something about it. And then there's Anna. Don't get me wrong, I liked Anna, but I didn't love her. She seemed weak and scared all the time and she cries almost constantly. I'm a big crier, but Anna put me to shame. I kept wanting to shake her and say "Snap out of it! You have important things to be concentrating on!" Next, there's the resolution problem. I didn't feel like this book had much of a resolution. It is going to be part of a series so obviously they can't explain everything in the first book, but after I finished it I kind of felt jipped. It felt like the entire book was just a prelude to the next one. Finally, I felt like there was a lot of finger wagging going on. I realize it's a book about angels and demons, but I just felt preached to much of the time. It seemed a little judge-y. Basically, this book was entertaining. And it did keep me reading. Unfortunately I didn't feel like there was a great pay off. I would still recommend this book if you want something to keep you engaged for a few days and I will be reading the next one because I need to know what happens. I just hope that the rest of the series is a little meatier.

"Pleasure is the bait of sin." - Plato Colorful Auras Anna is one of those goody-two-shoes characters that truly is just good. By definition, it comes across in the fact that she's a virgin, she stays away from alcohol and drugs, and she gets all her homework done on time. Deeper than that, this girl truly abhors lying to others and when she sees the propensity towards addiction in her best friend, Jay, she does her best to steer him away from those temptations. Her character is refreshing. She doesn't try to load off her beliefs on others and lets them do as they wish, but she also has no desire to change the person she is. Even though she comes across as naive, she is very strong of will. She has a ton of powers that she hides from the world as she tries to come across as a normal person. The world is intricate and I really loved learning about all the details. Higgins does a great job of making Sweet Evil more than just an angel/demon book. Anna is different from anyone, as she's a Nephilim that is part angel and part demon. There are other Nephilim out there that she learns about as she gathers more information about her true heritage. These Nephilim are part demon and part human. The Nephilim are the part of the story that hurt my heart to read about. They are regarded as nothing important and are required to do the "work" of their demon parents. These parents are all men, the Dukes of the deadly sins (and a few more sins thrown in). I don't want to give too much away about the intricacies of the story, as it's really interesting to learn all about. There are so many wonderful characters thrown in. From the other Nephilim that Anna meets to her human friends and even her adopted mother, Patti, it's hard not to love each and every one of them. Sins Run Rampant The only thing that I'd watch out for is that this is young adult as the characters are all indeed in that age range. There are some young adult books that are acceptable for my son to read who is about to turn 13. This one isn't one I'd call acceptable for him just yet. So if you have an avid reader on your hands as I do who is a bit younger and likes to read 'older' books, I would just read this one first to determine whether you think they should read it. There are teenagers in this world whose main function is to spread the sins of their fathers far and wide. It's very hard to watch remembering their ages and the people they go after, but it's also very important to the story. Oh Boy Well Higgins doesn't hold back on the love interest in Sweet Evil. Kaidan Rowe is the son of the Duke of Lust and definitely doesn't disappoint. He's a drummer in a band, has bad boy written all over him, and basically couldn't be a better opposite to our straight-laced heroine Anna. While there are some definite steamy scenes with him involved, he doesn't do commitment. Also, Nephilim aren't allowed to date each other. So while Anna would like nothing more than to tame her a Kaidan and have him all to herself, there are a lot of obstacles she'll have to cross before getting there. Right now, it's heartbreak alley for her. Still, it's a blast to read about. He's incredibly sweet to her while also being a jerk trying to push her away so she doesn't get too attached. I'm very interested in how this will all play out since Nephilim are killed on the spot for dating one of their own. Do You Believe in Fate? Sweet Evil is an excellent opening book to the series. We get a lot of information about the workings of the world, in small tidbits sprinkled throughout the entire book so it's not information overload. I loved the descriptions of how the Angels and Demons all fit together and the backstory for their lives. I adore the characters and the depth each one has. The romance is a definite complexity that I'm itching to see play out. I am also absolutely invested in finding out how everything ends. Recommended to Paranormal Fantasy lovers.

Anna Whitt always knew she was different. Being able to see and feel the moods and emotions of everyone around her made it pretty hard not to realize just how different she was. But until the day she met Kaidan Rowe she thought she'd kept her abilities a secret. And yet he knew. With just one look it was as if he was able to see everything she'd been hiding her entire life. And she wanted answers. Even if being around him was dangerous. Even if she felt inexplicably drawn to him in a way she had never felt drawn toward anyone else. And even if it meant losing her heart to someone who didn't ask for it, didn't want it and didn't care if he broke it. Because finding answers to questions she'd had her entire life seemed worth the risk of a broken heart. But in her search for answers, the stakes will be raised and she'll be forced to choose between good and evil. And this time it won't be only her heart she could lose, but her life and the lives of those she loves. *** Perfectly titled, Sweet Evil is exactly that. A deliciously wicked, sinfully good and all-consuming story that readers will devour every morsel of and still be hungry for more. Author Wendy Higgins' debut novel is absolutely riveting. The introduction is enticing. The story is intense and enthralling. And the characters are alluring, intriguing, lovable, despicable, maddening and totally unforgettable. They're characters readers will want to know and want to know more of. With every page, the author draws readers deeper into the world of good and evil that she created. A world where demons roam the earth masked in human form, using their offspring to do their bidding - spreading chaos, fear, hatred, lust, envy, violence. And then there's Anna. A girl who battles against the evil within. Choosing light over darkness. Good over evil. Right over wrong. Until the day she meets Kaidan Rowe and her entire world changes. Always knowing that she was different, but never really knowing why, Anna hid her abilities from her best friend Jay and from Patti, the only mother she'd ever known. Keeping them in the dark made her feel at least somewhat normal, even if she knew she wasn't. Yet from the moment Kaidan set eyes on her, he somehow knew she was not like everyone else. He could see what others couldn't. He could sense things about her that she didn't even know about herself. And she was immediately drawn to him. But learning the true nature of who she is and who he is comes at a price. She will be forced to choose sides. And if she chooses not to embrace her darker nature, she will not only be putting her own life in danger, but the lives of everyone she cares about. Including Kaidan. Even at nearly five hundred pages, Sweet Evil is an easy one-sit-read. With a blistering pace, an intoxicating storyline, and a fascinating world the author built around her characters, this book will be impossible to put down. Even after the last word on the last page. It's addictive. It's delectable. It's dangerous. It's sexy. It's dark. It's gorgeous. It's unpredictable. It's torturous. It's pure, sweet evil.

What first attracted me to this book was the cover. The contrast between the red and the black was quite striking and yet soft at the same time. When combined with a series of interesting reviews and recommendations to be read, I had no choice but to pick up a digital copy of my own. Upon first encounter with Anna, I have to say that I wasn't her biggest fan. Meek, quiet and with an almost annoying urge to always do what's right and never lie, she was as close as it could get to being defined a saint. It was almost sickening and I could have sworn my ipad took on a saintly glow of its own for a while. Combined with an initially slowed and calm pace I wasn't particularly gripped. But Anna's peculiar abilities had me wondering a few things and like most readers I wanted answers, so I ploughed on. I was soon rewarded, as it was not very long at all when Sweet Evil took on an interesting turn, and I could no longer put it down without having thoughts about it at the back of my mind. What would happen to our little miss goody-two-shoes if she met the right combination of attraction and evil? Kaidan was dark, dangerous and oozed sin. Beautifully conflicted, he's her polar opposite. For the first time ever she wants something that goes against her very own do-gooder nature and has the strength to go after it. Kai stirred her humanity and as she slowly learned more about her true nature she became more human. Having Anna explore sin whilst Kai in return explored innocence was, as the title suggests, sweetly evil and rather comical at times. I found the irony of this fact, in a bitter sweet evil setting wonderfully appropriate and added depth to an already interesting read. Whilst these two characters explored each other and their respective worlds, Wendy Higgins cleverly weaved into their story several themes. Greed, pride, lust and gluttony were shown under different lights, allowing me to see them from both angel and demonic points of view. I found that by doing so the author brought her wonderfully paranormal story back to our reality, relating it to what we know. With an initial slow start and almost detached approach, Sweet Evil slowly built to a desperately beautiful passion. Who would have thought that a sinful creature from hell would have been willing to sacrifice itself to save the innocence it so wanted to take, whilst virtue was all to eager to stumble and fall in the depths of sin. Wendy Higgins's style was somewhat deceptive. Starting slow almost uninterested only to then build up to a twisting series of events and a grand temporary finale (there will be a sequel); made for a very good read. I will admit that I was cooing and blushing on few occasions. I quite liked how Wendy Higgins made Anna fantasise and become overly emotional one moment only to then end her gushy paragraph with a short sarcastic remark. Anna was most certainly a character that grew on me as her story unfurled itself and now I desperately await the sequel so that I may worry, laugh and blush with her again. I found this sentence at the beginning of one of the chapters and I thought it was absolute perfect representation of the tale to be told "Some rise by sin, and some by virtue fall" by William Shakespeare If you liked this I would recommend the Predestined series by Abbi Glines and Falling Under by Gwen Hayes. Another recommendation, where although there is no demonic factor, but remains a paranormal YA nevertheless, would be the Lux series by Jennifer L. Armentrout. If on the other hand you would like something on the more angelic side of things then I would suggest the Premonition series by Amy A. Bartol. I would also perhaps think about reading the Until I Die series by Amy Plum.

Sincerely, you have to read it... At first I was afraid to be bored... angels Vs evil... nothing very original I feard not to find a real story behind the romance, and not to find new details that had never been told about the subject. But this was like a hurricane. I felt like Dorothy in Oz, taken in another life. I've been so "in" the story that now I felt like my entire life is a Cliffhanger waiting for the release of the second book.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve read this series but I fall in love with it every time. And I can’t believe it’s never been made into a movie or TV show. Sweet Evil has everything I love about YA; forbidden romance, first love, great friendships, laughter and banter between friends, Angels & Fallen Angels/Demons, Nephilim and a high stakes journey for Good vs Evil. I loved Wendy’s fresh take on Fallen Angels and their Nephilim children and incorporating the 7 Deadly Sins in with them. The whole badge concept and the fact that a Nephilim’s whole existence is to be bad influences on human souls! I never once felt bored learning about their lives and history, it was such an interesting and exciting history. I was glued to the pages. The romance in this book is one of my all time favourites. I just get so invested in their story every time. The fact that their relationship is forbidden and can have deadly consequences if they get caught, just makes me love their time together even more. Those stolen moments are just that more sweet. I think Anna and Kai are the perfect balance, her sweet, kind hearted nature evens out his very bad boy ways. There’s nothing I don’t love about this amazing series. I will forever reread The Sweet series over and over again and never not feel like I’m experiencing it all for the first time. Whenever I’m in the mood for a good YA romance that can make swoon and have a pretty much constant smile on my face, this is the book I go for always.

Strano ma coinvolgente! La trama è molto diversa dal solito ma ammetto che mi è piaciuta. Mi è piaciuto anche il protagonista maschile al contrario di quella femminile che ho trovato super piatta e noiosa

SWET EVIL is so forbiddingly well written that I can't imagine anyone ever setting this book aside for more than a few minutes after starting it. Well, I needed to for bathroom and kitchen breaks, but believe me, I would have read straight on from beginning to end if that was possible. Anna is one heroine I could almost 100 % identify with. A very rare occurance. She's the good girl, shy and very emotional about everything. That Anna is one of a kind adds thrill and curiosity to the story. She is angel and demon all at once. Having an angelic mother and a demonic father. Everything's new to her and she has yet to find her destiny and place in life. How evil does she have to be to survive the Dukes constant supervision and how much evil might kill the goodness that makes her the person she is? Kaidan, our male protagonist, is pure dynamite. Erasing every other book boy from my dreams. Well, as the son of Pharzuph he knows how it's done. Ladies, get ready to be expertly seduced! Kaidan Rowe is attractive, sexy and even if he would never admit it, he has a heart and is very capable of using his brain and not only..yeah, you know. The contrast between Anna and Kaidan is enormous at first look. He is the bad boy, having to have as much sex as possible to please his demonic father of lust. Anna is the angelic good girl. You'll see them being together is an explosive combination. Anna will be tested and also Kaidan has to face who he really is. I like how much Wendy Higgins extracts from her characters and gifts to us readers. Her characters are made of awesome! There was one teeny tiny thing that bugged me though. Wendy Higgings incorporated a few German sentences, which I really appreciate. More foreign languages in YA English books, please! But somehow the phrase got mixed up and wasn't translated correctly. I guess it just slipped through the edits. What would SWEET EVIL be wihout the big evil? Wendy Higgins spins a story of sins and acts of kindness. Goodness battleling evil. So there's no way round meeting the various Dukes of sin and all the bad in the world. Quite entertaining I say. Expect to read a lot about inappropriate behaviour, much cussing, cheating, sleeping around etc. There's a list of the Dukes and their offspring at the end of the book, so don't worry if you can't remember all the names and attributes after their first mention. Up until a few days ago Wendy Higgins hadn't been sure if there would be another book in the SWEET EVIL series. The news: Harper signed her for a trilogy. So there will be two more books after SWEET EVIL!! I can hardly contain my excitement. THE VERDICT SWEET EVIL – A seductively delicious treat! This book was so much more than I'd hoped it would be. Kaidan and Anna's connection is sizzling hot. The entire cast is so brazenly charismatic and wonderful. The challenge to ever get that book out of my mind is on! It's a real joy for sinners and a dare for saints! SWEET EVIL makes you want to be both!