7/5/13: Galley available for request at Netgalley: here. Gooooo!6/11/13: Buddy re-read with Ace, Amanda and Khanh.Still as yummy as I remember and definitely a much needed refresher for [b:Haze|15765699|Haze (The Rephaim, #2)|Paula Weston|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1365437783s/15765699.jpg|21469797]. I didn't really notice the steam in this one from the last time I read it but holy hell there was some sexy. First read: 1/30/13 4 snark-tastic stars. I like stalking my friends' favorite shelves for my next read when my feed goes a bit meh. This one I plucked from Joan's and after reading the Angelfall comparisons. Plus, I SERIOUSLY needed a break from all the warm and fluffies of contemporary romance.Apart from the title (which, knowing the plot, I totally don't get) and the convenience of having the 'human' characters be so easily accepting of the paranormal reveals going off everywhere, this was a fun and compelling read. It didn't necessarily fill out the Angelfall-shaped hole in my heart (for lack of ANY update on the next book from that series) but the time I spent in Paula Weston's creation was filled with LOLs and smiles.The dialogue was so sharp and witty and the main characters easily likable it's hard not to be invested. It's a bit lopsided because Rafa gets all the snarky and quotable lines (most of which will give the plot away) though Gaby dishes out some good ones as well. "It's been a long time since you asked me for anything. I'm not going to fuck it up." (Rafa) "Any chance you could ease up on being an arsehole for a while as well?" (Gaby) "That I can't promise." "You'd probably make a coin purse out of my balls." "Nah," I say lightly, like his rejection doesn't sting. "I'd want something big enough to carry more than five-cent pieces." There's a LOT of angel mythology thrown in the mix that I'm almost sorry I didn't read this closer to the release of the second book. I know I'm bound to forget everyone's alliances and motives. There's a bit of Aussie speak and wallabes and lorikeets (which I had to google for) all over but they didn't really interfere with the story's flow, if not make them more interesting for me. The fight sequences weren't confusing (as these things tend to be), though I was giggling at that fight scene where fruit bats were screeching in the background while I imagine badass Rephaims were going all Matrix moves on each other . The secondary characters were likable enough. Ez was made of pure awesome and I just love how Simon Jason functions as a punching bag for Rafa's snarkiness. His fingers linger on my skin. "You should put something on it so it doesn't get too dry. I bet Goldilocks has a nice range of moisturisers in a man bag somewhere." It's actually bordering on homoerotic tension, now that I think about it.It sucks that very little got resolved by the end of this one and, if anything, more questions just piled up. But come May 22, I'll be coming back for seconds for the answers but staying for the dialogue.
