Bitter Sweet Love by Jennifer L Armentrout
Release Date – December 1, 2013
Publisher Website – Harlequin Teen
Publisher Social Media - Twitter
Pages - 105 pages
My Rating- 4/5
**received from publisher in exchange for an honest review**
Here is the Goodreads synopsis
Dez wasn't just Jasmine's crush. A gargoyle Warden like Jas, he helped her come to terms with her destiny—fending off demons and maintaining balance between good and evil. He was her everything...right until the moment he disappeared without a trace. It didn't help that Jas's father had just announced that she and Dez would one day be mated. Hard not to take that personally.Bitter Sweet Love does exactly what it promises. It teases. It offers up action, romance, and a brief glimpse at the world of the Warden. It's the perfect start to Jennifer Armentrout's sizzling new series that focuses on forgiveness, duty, and following your heart.
And now he's back, three years older, ten times hotter, ready to pick up exactly where they left off. But Jas isn't taking that risk again. Dez has seven days to meet all her conditions and earn back her trust. Seven days filled with terrifying danger and sweet temptation. Seven days to win her heart—or shatter it all over again...
Dez and Jas' story is sweet, and angst filled. It's also a forgone conclusion. Very little stakes as the end is crystal clear (even if it isn't for our characters). It made the novella enjoyable, but predictable. The payoff comes at the end where the set up for White Hot Kiss left me dying to continue the story.
The introduction of Layla, Zayne and Roth is where this novella gets interesting. I am already intrigued by all of them. Layla is going to garner sympathy for the way she's shunned and merely 'tolerated'. Her isolation from the rest of the Wardens immediately invokes sympathy. Roth's presence and what his agenda is already has me dying to read more. Zayne seems like a sweet, supportive guy who is incredibly kind to Layla. In this short novella, that doesn't even focus on them, Jennifer managed to make me care enough that White Hot Kiss is a MUST read for me.
The Wardens and their mythology is captivating. Jennifer Armentrout has managed to make gargoyles fascinating, and sexy. This novella gives the reader a crash coarse into their purpose, and how they work. I was unsure that I would be able to fall completely into the story, but it's set up more than accomplishes pulling the reader in. The threat of demons, the sense of duty, and the 'pack' mentality are all going to have ramifications for the characters that will present some delicious storylines.
Bitter Sweet Love offers an intriguing concept, a delicious tease, and fantastic set up. It does exactly what the author, publisher, and ultimately reader, want it to. It makes not picking up White Hot Kiss impossible. I can't wait to delve deeper into the mysteries of the Wardens, and the fall out from the events in this scorchingly hot novella.
Great review Kat! It's always good to get the gist of a story before reading it if I were to, and you always summarize it all so very well. Your blog really gives the straight goods to outsiders (if you want to call us that, lol) on the ABC's of YA (or the new unofficial yet more accurate title: "All Ages" fiction) is all about.
ReplyDeleteI'm really digging in the synopsis where Jas gives Dez a few challenges to win her back. Sure, "game playing" isn't what I would encourage in relationships, but after going AWOL for 3 years, her zooming back into his arms like a fly to flypaper (yea, lame example I know, but my other ideas, well, lol). Sounds like there's still some risk in it for Jas too as she still seems to carry the torch for him. Sounds like a decent read for those who would be in the mood for it!
Amy :D <3