Book Shelf: Beauty Awakened (Angels of the Dark #2) by Gena Showalter

His name is Koldo. He is scarred, powerful, his control legendary-and he lives only for vengeance, determined to punish the angel who viciously removed his wings. But if he yields to the forces of hatred, he will be kicked from the heavens, eternally damned.

She is his last hope. Nicola Lane was born with a defective heart, yet this fragile human shows surprising strength as demons stalk her every move, determined to end her. She is the key to Koldo's deliverance...and his downfall. Though he fights duty, destiny and his first addictive taste of desire, his toughest battle will be the one for Nicola's life-even if he has to sacrifice his own....

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Review:

Beauty Awakened is the 2nd installment in Gena Showalter's Angels of the Dark series and marks the next chapter in her Lords of the Underworld spin off series!

I feel I must begin this review by saying that I am a HUGE Gena Showalter fan. Always have been and always will be, but unfortunately I wasn't the biggest fan of this book as I have been with others of hers in the past. Don't get wrong, I liked it and was certainly worth reading, but for some reason I just didn't love it like I'd hoped I would.

Beauty Awakened features Koldo, one of the Army of Disgraces hardest warriors and his lady love, Nicola, a human female with a fragile heart-literally. I liked Koldo and Nicola, I did, but I just didn't adore than as I have with most of Gena's couples in the past. Were they good together? Yes. Were they great characters? Er, maybe. But I just didn't connect with them and love them like the couples of the past.

For some reason I struggled to really connect with Koldo. Usually, I've completely smitten with Gena's leading men, but despite Koldo's strength and heart, I just didn't really fall for him like I wished I would have. There was just something, something I can't even name, that kept me from really caring about him as I wished.

And unfortunately, Nicola was the same. Nice character and all, but I felt like I'd seen her before and due to this I never fully felt invested in her life. She lacked that spark I look for in female leads and because of this I struggled to become invested in her life and her growing relationship with Koldo.

As I've mentioned previously, I liked the connection between Koldo and Nicola, but I didn't love it. If I'm being honest, it felt like there was something missing. As though they had been paired togther simply for the sake of it. I don't know. I just expected more I guess. There seemed something lacking. Even their physical relationship and chemistry seemed missing--something I don't expect with Gena Showalter. Her writing of their romance seemed off or something.

Anywhoo, overall not a bad read, but definitely not the best book of Gena Showalter's I've read either, and yet, I like where she's going with this series. Each book evolves the plot a bit more and there are a whole bunch of characters--Thane, Bjorn, Xerxes and Axel--that I'm really eager to read about in the future!

Rating:
Source: I bought it.
Format: Paperback.
Buy it: Booktopia | The Nile | The Book Depository | Amazon
Recommendation: For fans of PNR! 
Cover: Not the biggest fan--it's different than the previous one and those of Gena's LOTU series.
Will I read sequel/continue with series: Oh yes! This book may not have blown me away, but I still intend to stick with it!