ARC Review: Beauty Awakened by Gena Showalter

I received this book for free from Author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
 
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Recommended Read!

“This might just be one of my favorite paranormal romance reads this year.”~ Under the Covers

Gena Showalter is back and with another hit.  BEAUTY AWAKENED grabbed me from the very first pages when it tells the tale of a little boy starved for his mother’s affection.  A love that he never got.  And the suffering that came after.

Koldo is a tough warrior in Zacharel’s Army.  But I think I would do better at introducing him by giving you some visual stimulation because this is pretty much what I thought of…(minus the hair because Koldo is bald)

If that doesn’t get you jumping up and running to read this, I don’t know what else could. 🙂  But hot warrior with beaded beard aside, Koldo captured my heart both as a child, and then as an adult.  He fights for justice and what is good.  After all the darkness in him, he can still open his heart to others.  A true hero to fall in love with for all of you who like your men tough and extremely caveman alpha, but with the sweetest marshmallow inside.

Nicola and her twin sister Laila have always battled disease and known they won’t live a long life.  Now almost in Laila’s deathbed, Koldo finds Nicola and realizes the sisters’ problem is that they are shadowed by demons who whisper fear into them, and the fear is slowly killing them both.  Koldo makes it his job to teach them how to keep those demons at bay and heal.

While I’ve seen some may think this was a bit too much into the spiritual and the power of positive thoughts, I was fascinated that the author included that element mixed in with angels in her book.  It makes perfect sense to me!

And while Koldo is top claimed material, Nicola was a good heroine for him.  She’s not the kick ass type, nor is she a doormat.  She doesn’t try too hard to be funny.  She’s just real.  Love that about her!

This might just be one of my favorite paranormal romance reads this year.  I think BEAUTY AWAKENED is a perfect blend of all the elements I love about Gena Showalter’s writing.  It’s laugh-out-loud funny at times, sexy and full of sexual tension, and with non-stop action that keeps you intrigued and turning those pages.

If you are looking for the sexy times, I have to warn you….you won’t be finding them in this book.  There is actually just one sex scene.  Not what you were expecting me to say, huh?  But when a book is well written and the story makes the progress it should, at the pace I think makes sense, I don’t have a need fo sexy times to be stuck in there just because they HAVE to be.  And that’s not to say there isn’t plenty of sexual tension and almost there moments, because that was definitely there.

But Koldo is a virgin, an innocent when it comes to matters of attraction and lust.  And so is Nicola.  She’s only gone on a few dates her whole life and they always made her uncomfortable.  They both needed the time to adjust to their feelings and to heal their emotions as well as their bodies.

Then there’s the overall plot of Zacharel’s Army.  Things are getting interesting.  We get more glimpses of Axel and Malcolm and THANE.  Mmmmmm Yes please give me some Thane soon!  For the Lords of the Underworld readers, William (my love) makes a cameo in this one as well.  I sense some books with warriors with dark pasts coming up.  As usual…I can’t wait for the next one!

Favorite Quotes:

How sublime.  I got stuck with the only winged warrior with ADD.

He was what he was.
He was what his parents had made him.
He’d tried to be more.  He’d tried to be better.  Each time, he’d failed miserably.

“The words we speak are important, powerful, and since names are spoken every day, directed at specific individuals, people often become what they are called.  I like to know who I’m dealing with.”

“I’m staying.” Just try to get rid of me. See what happens.”

“Glad you could leave Chesticles long enough to make an appearance.”
“Call her that again and I’ll cut your heart from your chest and give it to her as a trophy.”…
“May I recommend you peel my skin from my body, too?”

“Good thing I strapped on my big-boy panties today.”

“You threw alcohol at a puny human male.”
“He’s lucky to still be alive.  I could have thrown daggers.”

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Francesca

Blogger/Reviewer at Under the Covers Book Blog

I’m a 30 something sun lover currently living in Florida.I’m a book and coffee addict and lover of all things elephants.

I get easily distracted by pictures of sexy guys and have tons of book boyfriends.I keep all my alpha males chained to my basement and guard them fiercely.*Back off bitches*I like to see Jason Momoa as a lot of those boyfriends, because ….. mmmmmmm JASON.MOMOA!

I’m a part time graphic designer (yes, everything you see on UTC has been done by me), run my husband's business from home and on a good day I’m a self appointed superwoman (she who can do it all).I love blogging with my girls and I couldn’t do it any other way!My first love is everything paranormal, but in the past few years I’ve re-learned to love contemporary romance.Every once in a while I like to mix things up with a historical romance, a steampunk or an LGBT book.Because I need variety to avoid book slumps.I don’t always need an HEA although I prefer one, and I love authors that can rip my heart out and make me ugly cry.

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