For a star rating and full review please visit InD'tale magazine online, June 2016 issue. http://indtale.com/reviews/contemporary/sweet-indulgence-silicon-beach-trilogy-2

***This review has also been posted on The Social Potato

I sadly, did not like Sweet Temptation as much as I hoped I would. I did like being with these characters again but over the past year, I have changed as a reader. Things I might not have noticed a year ago, stick out to me and that’s exactly what happened with this book. Before I go any further, I would like to warn you that the review will be filled with some spoilers for the Sweet Trilogy but I will refrain from mentioning anything major.

My main issue with this series is the way sex is dealt with in this book. Teen sexuality is dealt in a weird way in this series. Characters have sex, which is great but the main couple has to get married before they can have sex because otherwise Anna wouldn’t be pure. That sends so many horrible messages about sex. I appreciate that the two don’t dance around the idea of sex and know what they want, I’d rather that sex not be painted as impure if had before marriage.

That wasn’t it though. One couple who did have sex before getting married… they suffered consequences that affected their happily ever afters. What kind of messages do all of those things send about sex? Moreover, have I frightened you by mentioning sex a bazillion times?

I have never had too much of a problem with the way Anna was characterized. She annoyed me but I was always able to get past that and focus on all the cooler things that were going on. This time though, I felt like Anna was being painted as an ideal in a way that made me feel comfortable. Anna was considered pure so if you aren’t like Anna does that make you impure? Does that make you someone God wouldn’t love? Idk.

This book deal with religion and while I am not a religious person I wasn’t really disturbed by the things that were happening in this book until now. I think a lot of my issues just come down to the concept of purity put forward by this series.

Do I sound like a Lit Major? Maybe all the analyzing stuff in classes has gone to my head. Or maybe there are some real issues here that need to be discussed.

The real question here is that was Kaidan just as swoonworthy in his own book as he was from Anna’s point of view? I DON’T KNOW. I am glad that Kaidan didn’t sound exactly like Anna and had his own distinct voice but he was also cheesy sometimes.

I seem to have said so much off putting stuff that it might make you wonder, why do I even like this series? Why was this good brain candy?

It’s because Wendy has done such a good job in creating a world that is set apart from all the other clichés of Angels/Nephilim in YA. There is world building done beyond just someone mentioning the Lucifer fell and a bunch of angels fell with him. It is unique and that’s what drew me to this world.

On top of that, the way Wendy develops her plot arcs is just great. Romance does play a huge role in the books but there is also so much more going on. Friendships are forged, relationships are explored, etc. So even though I have a lot of issues and found bits of the books to be too cheesy, I still managed to enjoy the books.

Note that I received an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review

***This review has also been posted on The Social Potato

Before I start, it should be said that my rating doesn’t really reflect whether or not this was a satisfying conclusion to the trilogy and I can whole heartedly say it was.

This trilogy, I should advice, is not for everyone. Fans of JLA will love it, but if tons of cheese aren't something you’re fond of, you might want to skip it. It’s weird, considering I myself have little tolerance for cheesy stuff, but Wendy Higgins makes it work. These books are the perfect guilty pleasure and are terrific brain candy. And while I cannot say I loved them, I can most definitely say I thoroughly enjoyed them.

I think one of the strong points of this series is the world building. The author’s take on nephilim/angels/demons is original in many ways and brings something new to this sub-genre.

The characters themselves are an interesting bunch as well. There are some I am not overly fond of and there are others I adore, but they all have something to add to the story and I love that they had depth to them.

Anna has come such long ways since book one, and unlike the last book, I didn't have a problem with her in this one. One of the major reasons is that once she finally wraps around her head some things, she becomes determined and strong. Of course, when I say strong, you shouldn't imagine "badass", because in all honesty, Anna is anything but that, but she is something. Something that allows her to become the center of what will happen and allows her to take responsibility and call some of the shots.

I am not going to say much about Kai, but you should know thatKai will never let you down with his swoon-worthiness. He continues to be supportive, protective, and, in spite all his kick-assery, sweet.

Anna and Kai never fail to put a smile on my face and I was so glad that after all their struggles, they could finally have a relationship. The problem with this was that their relationship really became cheesy, to the point where I couldn’t help but roll my eyes half the time.

One of my biggest problems with this book is also the fact that everyone's in a relationship with everybody.I am the kind of reader who hates that sort of thing. It just really bothers me. I don’t like it when all the characters in a book are happy-happy and in a relationship. I feel like that takes away the struggle and changes the focus some.

And while that is true for this book, I wasn’t disappointed in the end. There were definitely times where I was wondering why things seemed so easy, but I felt like the author did the trilogy justice in the end because the final showdown was exciting. I was on the edge of my seat; I waseagerly awaiting to see how things would turn out and I did have a lot of fun.

All these characters that we’ve come to love over the past couple books have come so far and I felt like the author did justice to them. I was happy with how things ended and for the first time in a while, I enjoyed the epilogue.

I can close this book with a smile and be happy for all the characters and all the endings they got, and while there are things I would most definitely change, I am satisfied.

I’d recommend this trilogy to anyone who loves books about nephilim and doesn’t mind cheese so long as they are having fun.

***This review has also been posted on The Social Potato

I read Sweet Evil almost two years ago and when I finished, I eagerly awaited Sweet Peril’s release like the rest of the fans. However, I didn’t dive in. I waited and waited and when I got my hands on an arc of book 3, I knew it was time to give in, and so I enlisted Siiri @ Little Pieces of Imagination to join me. My biggest fear was that over time, I would become less fond of this series and would end up disliking the sequel (after all, there are things that I read back then that I would probably hate now) but luckily that wasn’t the case. I ended up thoroughly enjoying this book even though I did have some issues with it.

My biggest issue in general is actually Anna, the protagonist herself. I like the idea of her, but at the same time I dislike the character. She does show some development and for that I am glad but it’s so hard to actually get behind such an innocent (and occasionally naïve) character. I understand her angel side gives her certain qualities but I feel like there isn’t enough of a balance seeing that she is ‘supposed’ to be half good and half evil. I understand why all of this is done; my issue is that Anna really seems like a child sometimes. With that said though, she finally realizes the things that are at stake (albeit it does take a while).

Kai is the highlight for the novel for me. Boy do I SIGH FOR KAI. He can be an asshole, but at the same time he has a good heart, and I am sure there are many people who are tired of all the cliché guys that push the girl away, but Kai actually explains the reasons to Anna. Sometimes, he can be annoying in the way he completely cuts her off and tries to get her to move on when we all know he won’t be getting over her, but he really is the sweetest. And can you resist a guy with a British accent?

The romance between the two actually works out a lot better than one would expect. You’d imagine this book would have tons of angst, but it doesn’t. Once they actually get together, after some awkwardness THEY TALK. And Anna is the one who initiates it because she is tired of his shit. The only thing that really bothers me (which is really minor) is Kai’s nickname for Anna. It’s creepy.

Plot wise, this book does not fall victim to the second book syndrome. The author takes the tension up a notch as a prophecy comes forward and they set out to recruit nephilims for their cause. It was exciting to get to know some of the nephs outside of their little group.

One of my qualms is that we don’t actually see more of the world. I am hoping Higgins is saving it for book 3, because I do want to get to know more about this world that she has created.

Overall, this book was a fun ride and I sped through it (even though I did read it over the course of a few days).

My family is taking a road trip to Zion and Bryce this summer. Both places are utterly lovely and utterly otherworldly.

Here are some great Road Romances that take place in Paranormal, Science Fiction, and Steampunk Worlds. 

1. Driving Mr. Dead by Molly Harper 

2. Driven by Eve Silver

3. Knight of a Trillion Stars by Dara Joy 

4. Kinked by Thea Harrison

5. Scarlet Devices by Delphine Dryden

6. Warrior  by Zoe Archer

7. The Iron Duke by Meljean Brook

8. Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night by Kresley Cole 

9. Dark Fire by Christine Feehan 

10. Sweet Starfire by Jayne Ann Krentz 

Do you have any favorites? I would love some Fantasy Romances.  Warprize (Chronicles of the Warlands) by Elizabeth Vaughan qualifies. I adore that series. 

To vote for the best of the best, go to the Goodreads list: Drive: Best Paranormal Road Romances. 

To get recommendations for all the subgenres of Road Romances, take a gander at my Pinterest Board: On the Road: Best Road Romance. 

If you missed the other two lists in the Road Romance List Series, be sure to check them out!

Overland or Sea: Best Historical Road Romances

Road Trip!: Best Contemporary Romances with Road Trips