Jocelyn Davies (1)

Why exactly is it that I love angel books so much? Oh yeah, it's because of awesome, impossible-to-put-down books such as A Beautiful Dark by Jocelyn Davies! When I say that this book was impossible to put down, I mean it! My ARC copy of this book is bordering on 400 pages, yet I read this book from start to finish in around 7 hours, unable to tear myself away.

I really loved and connected with so many of the characters in A Beautiful Dark, which is something that is really vital to my show more enjoyment of a book. If I can't connect with the characters, I find it next to impossible to really get into a book, but there were no worries in that regard when it came to this book!

Skye was someone that I felt a connection with almost immediately! She seemed like such a normal teenaged girl; hanging out with her best friends, dealing with boys, trying to do well in school and starting to think about collage. I really like it when I can actually relate to a character, as was the case with Skye, at least before her life got flipped upside down by the arrival of Asher and Devin. I also really liked Skye's feistiness, she definitely had a bit of an attitude and wasn't afraid to use it, especially when it came to Asher and Devin. Skye had so many other great traits, such as her intelligence, strength and determination that really drew me to her and made her such a great character in my eyes!

In addition to having a great main character, A Beautiful Dark also had two absolutely scrumptious love interests! Asher was definitely a bad boy and as a result, he had me hooked from the beginning. He's a bit cocky, mischievous, playful, outgoing, and a total ladies man, at least from first impressions. But once we get to know him better, we get to see a much more caring and gentle side of him, although his wild side is still definitely there! Asher's perfect balance of sexy bad boy and sweetheart made him an ideal love interest for me!

The polar opposite to Asher's wild ways was the always in control and rule abiding Devin. For the majority of the book Devin was quiet and reserved except for a few fleeting moments when we got to see behind his walls. What I found interesting was that, from a glance, Devin would seem to be nothing like Asher, but as I got further in the book I definitely got the feeling that Devin was a lot more like Asher then he should have been. I feel like he craved to be able to break the rules, no matter how much he tried to hide it. I think that in the end, Devin's refusal to break the rules really turned out to be his biggest flaw.

The plot of A Beautiful Dark was great! It kept me interested and on my toes, and it was an awesome take on angels. I liked getting to learn a bit about the history of the angels and can't wait to learn more about them in the future books in this series! Also, Jocelyn Davies' writing was awesome, I felt like this book was so easy to read in I would find myself getting sucked in and then being astonished by how much I'd read without even realizing it! I would definitely recommend this book to anyone! show less

Now we all know how the old saying goes: don’t judge a book by its cover, but I’ll be totally honest. I couldn’t wait to read this book and it was all about the cover. It pulled me in immediately. It’s an enigma. Who is this girl? The background is dark and stormy; the title is evocative of an intriguing mystery. I couldn’t rest until I was one of the first readers and got my hands on it. I’m happy to say I wasn’t disappointed.

Skye, the protagonist, age seventeen is living a show more normal life—sort of. She’s the unrequited crush of a young man that works at the coffee shack, trying to negotiate school and friends and come to terms with the loss of her parents, killed in an accident. Having Mom’s best friend as her guardian is great, but it can’t remove the pain that is always brewing beneath the surface.

Missing parents are a common device in YA fiction to allow for situations that would be a lot more difficult if not impossible if adults were present—at least if you want a credible story or the writer is utilizing irresponsible parents as part of the plot. That’s not the case here. The missing parents are an integral part of the mystery of this story. They’re part of a delicious little twist that is essentially only hinted at. I’m hoping to see it explored more as the tale continues.

Jocelyn Davies does a nice job of worldbuilding. It was easy to fall into that world and visualize the cold, ski-town, the crunchy ice and the hot, steaming coffee that await the teens who meet up at the intimate coffee shack. When two hot boys who are diametrically opposed to each other, appear in Skye’s life, things begin heat up—and I’m not talking about that coffee!

I loved the two strange boys that Skye finds herself jockeying between. The author is to be commended for giving Devin and Asher very unique and distinctive personalities. Readers may find themselves liking one more than the other, but that’s okay because people are often drawn to one type of person over another. That’s the way it is in the real world. They both had their strengths and flaws and I had a hard time deciding whom to root for. Their emotions had depth and I loved the attraction and repulsion they had in their connection to Skye.

The ending was a total shock and a huge cliffhanger. This is no stand-alone novel. One must read the next book in the series to get important questions answered and I for one, can’t wait! show less

After reading several mixed reviews of this book- I was hesitant to start it! But when I did, I was pleasantly surprised to be giggling on all of page TWO, and thinking, "WIN!" when Skye and her friends start talking about the coming zombie apocalypse during her birthday party!

"I'm holding out for a hot zombie,"

"Yeah, or, like the hot scientist who finds the cure."

"Or the hot government agent who's assigned to protect you from the international terrorist who plans to wipe out the nation show more with the world's first zombie virus weapon of mass destruction."

Hehe!!! I loooove this: One- because it's her birthday party, and Two: because it's very much a conversation my friends and I would have at a gathering of any sort! Anyzombiewhatever... Moving on!

Skye steps out for some air, where she encounters a gorgeous guy... Of course. At this point I'm thinking that this guy is either going to be the villain or the romantic interest. Predictably, she is instantly attracted to him. But, what intrigued me was what he says to her after she tells him that she hasn't made a birthday wish,

"It's not too late," he said. "You've still got half an hour to change your life."

Ooooh! Right?!?!

Coincidentally, Asher (the guy outside her party) and his cousin, Devlin, start attending Skye's school the following week! We've got two guys- ONE chick... *sigh* but oddly enough I thoroughly enjoyed this particular love triangle/battle of wills between Devlin and Asher!

Devlin and Asher are as different as night and day. Asher is flirty, cocky and dangerous, in contrast to Devlin's sweet, calm confidence. What intrigued me the most was that where as the romance factor was mostly focused on Asher- and that's who I would have USUALLY been pulling for... but I was SO Team Devlin (for MOST of the book)!

At this point I know that one of them HAS to be the 'villainous' one... That's just HOW it works! But which one? Have I been completely fooled? Am I way off point? If so... Kudos to to Ms. Davies, because that doesn't happen often!

About 1/3 of the way in, I find myself tiring of the general bit of 'nothing-ness' going on... UNTIL they go on a ski trip and around the camp fire, Asher tells a 'story' about a Rebel and a Guardian of an elder race of greater beings falling in love, having a baby and being shunned by their respective sides. WE of course know that these are Skye's parents- but she doesn't figure it out until Devlin and Asher take her up to the roof of her school and reveal to her their WINGS!

Asher is a black-winged, Rebel and Devlin a white-winged, Guardian. Both sent here to watch over Skye as she comes into adulthood. There has never been a child born to a Rebel and a Guardian before, so no one knows what she will become... But BOTH sides want her.

Then Devlin's little blonde-haired, blue-eyed angel girlfriend/mate shows up out of the blue... and I call party foul! I wasn't made aware of this chick so I get to switch teams! And this may have had a little something to do it with it too,

"He [Asher] had taken my face into his hands and the rest of me into the darkness of his wings, and he was kissing me and I was kissing him and we were kissing eachother in my little bedroom, in my little house, in my little town, while the mountains soared into the sky."

Uh yeah...

A Beautiful Dark had a KILLER ending... Made complete with forbidden love, two HOTTER than hot male love interests, a hidden past and an unknown future. I am dying to read the next one!

4.5 stars! show less

Jocelyn Davies has written what I lovingly call "book candy". So easy and delicious to devour, that it might just be a sin. Books like this may or may not knock my socks off, but they'll keep me reading on and on until I'm finished. A Beautiful Dark was just that for me. Nothing too heavy, nothing mind blowing, but a sweeping and enjoyable read nonetheless.

Skye is a wonderfully vivid character. The reader is treated to a view of Skye's entire life, including her tough past and her bright show more present with her friends. She is funny, smart, sweet, and a loyal friend. It was honestly hard not to appreciate Skye, even when I felt a little bit frustrated by her choices (or lack thereof). She's a real person. It just so happens that she has an extraordinary side to her as well.

If that wasn't enough, Joceyln Davies offers up two very different boys for the reader to choose between. One light, one dark. One cocky and charismatic and the other stoic and at peace. Devin and Asher are like night and day, but this works very well for the story. The tension that exists between these two crackles off the pages. Their existence makes Skye's story so much more intriguing.

As I mentioned above, the story line tends to fall into a pattern that ends up a little easy to anticipate at times. A Beautiful Dark is, at it's core, an angel book. It follows a lot of the same rules that books in this category often do. Light and dark. Good and evil. Skye's future is hinged on which she chooses. What kept me immersed in the story though was the unique set of rules that each side had in place. Davies doesn't just allow her boys free reign over their lives, there are rules that must be followed. I won't spoil, but it does make things much more interesting.

The bottom line? This is a great read. I didn't find it to be anything absolutely unique or groundbreaking, but it was a great read nonetheless. I was looking for something a little less serious and a little more fun, and I found that in A Beautiful Dark. I'm not one to compare books, but I will say that if you enjoy paranormal romance this will be a book you are sure to fall in love with. Good luck choosing sides! show less