Nalini Singh

Angels' Blood

Annika Arguemore

One of the best I've read in a long time. The world-building was great, the characters were fleshed out, their actions were realistic, and the plot made sense. Although, it was more focused on the romance than the actual mission itself and sometimes the transition of the scenes were too quick.

Joy Bush

great book. I couldn't put it down. looking forward to the rest of the series.

Lover of Romance 

Summary 
Elena Deveraux is a vampire hunter, and she has always had the talent for being able to detect and sense vampires around her. She is considered to be the best of the best. When she is called upon to meet with the archangel Raphael, she is shocked, but he needs her to hunt down a rogue archangel who has gone insane and is on a killing spree. She has never before been able to scent archangels, until now. This hunt will put Elena in the middle of a mad killing escapade that will put her in danger of losing herself to the dangerous and lethal archangel Raphael. Elena knows what her job is, and she also knows that she may not survive. This is the most dangerous mission she has ever gone on, and when an intense desire for Raphael gets thrown in the mix, Elena starts to realize that if the rogue doesn’t kill her, the danger of being with Raphael could very well destroy her…

The Hero 
Raphael, holds one of the most powerful territories of the archangels. Despite the fact that he isn’t the most oldest of his kind, he is one of the most dangerous and cunning of them all. He is ruthless and not afraid to use every weapon at his disposal to get what he wants. Raphael isn’t your typical hero, in fact he is quite edgy and pretty dangerous. But whew did I love him. In fact I don’t think I have ever read a hero like him before, there was something so much more to him and you get that sense from the very beginning. That even though he is pretty damn dangerous and scary at times, there is also a soul deep part of him that needs love and affection just like everyone else. This side of him no one sees until Elena comes on the scene and we see him change slowly but surly to a being that begins to love.

The Heroine 
Elena, is a vampire hunter, but she is so much more than the average hunter. There is a reason Raphael wants her so bad, because she is the best the Guild has to offer. She was born a vampire hunter, and her senses are natural to her. Which makes it easier for her to hunt vampires than anyone else. The family that Elena was born into it she has lost them all because of her father. And she despises him, but she has created a new family, her best friend and her husband, and other members of the Guild are her real family and she will do anything to protect them. What was most intriguing about Elena was the various facets to her character that we see. At first we see a bad ass fighter, that can bring in those rogue vampires pretty dang easily. We see her as a protector and a fighter and stands up to Raphael (which could easily get her maimed or killed) but she forges on. Despite how scared she is of him at times, she still goes forward and boy did i love her strength and fortitude to deal with whatever came her way. She was a heroine that I cheered for from page one.

Plot and Story Line 
For the longest time I have been in love with Nalini Singh, and I fell for her Psy Changeling series, but I resisted reading this series, why? I have no idea. hehe oh the workings of my mind, I honestly don’t even know why I didn’t, probably because I just haven’t read that much in Urban Fantasy, but I was thrilled that there was a focus on the romance as well as this world that Singh has created for us. but I found myself just falling for this story immediately. From the first page I was completely hooked, and I couldn’t put this one down, and whew what a page turner this story was for me. The first aspect that I fell for was our heroine. She is completely a bad ass and love her personality, and I found myself relating to her in those strange ways that I would never normally see if I hadn’t been so involved in this story. And the hero….WOW….he is a shock to the core, because he is so much more than any hero you will ever read. And the chemistry between these two is pretty fiery hot!! I mean honestly, the whole sensual game they play with each other is hot enough to set fire to you. Now on to the main focus of the story…the hunt for the rogue Archangels. Now these archangels aren’t your average ones that you hear about. They are dangerous and scary and formidable. You don’t cross these beings or you are dead. What was so spectacular about this book was how well Singh balances out the Urban Fantasy world and the paranormal romantic elements. In fact it was quite difficult at times to distinguish the two, they were melded together in such a way that it formed a rich story that will enthrall you from the beginning. I was astonished at the way the story developed and the ending….DANG can this author give me a surprise or shock that I would never see coming. This book really tested me in a way that allowed me to see “outside the box” and in a perspective of seeing a different side to a character or actions being taken. The story itself is action packed and thrilling to the end, guaranteed to get your blood pumping with adrenalin and excitement. The romance between Elena and Raphael is intense and magnificent and is utterly captivating!!

The Cover 
I am not sure what I think of the cover to be honest, the colors are very dramatic, and it makes you feel that edgy and dangerous feel that the book portrays.

Overall View 
Angels’ Blood is an utterly engaging read that will have you on edge from beginning to end, a story that is packed with suspense, dangerous creatures, a fighting heroine, and a passionate love!!

Kelsi Proulx

This was my first time reading an adult angel book, rather than a YA angel book, and the experience was definitely much better. While this was definitely a bit more on the "spicy" side than I prefer, I am definitely looking forward to reading more in the series.

I found the world exciting and original, the relationship between vampires and angels was an interesting touch. The story was action from page one and I had a tough time putting it down. One issue I had was with Raphael though. I am pretty sick of the whole alpha male relationship, it just doesn't do anything for me. That's completely personal though.

The surprise twist at the end will make for a very different story in the next book, can't wait to find out what happens! Might have to pick it up soon.

Vampire hunter Elena Deveraux knows she's the best - but she doesn't know if she's good enough for this job. Hired by the dangerously beautiful Archangel Raphael, a being so lethal that no mortal wants his attention, only one thing is clear - failure is not an option ... even if the task she's been set is impossible. Because this time, it's not a wayward vamp she has to track. It's an archangel gone bad. The job will put Elena in the midst of a killing spree like no other ... and pull her to the razor's edge of passion. Even if the hunt doesn't destroy her, succumbing to Raphael's seductive touch just may. Because when archangels play, mortals break ...

Amy Grieve

Vampire Hunter, Elena Deveraux, is one of the best at her Guild, and she knows it. Elena is hired by the seductive archangel Raphael to hunt another archangel gone bad. She knows that the task is impossible, but she likes a challenge.Elena has to deal with her overwhelming passion towards Raphael. A passion that could kill them both...

First, I would like to WHOA! Before reading this book I didn't check to see if it was suitable for my age, so really I was quite surprised at having a bondage loving vampire in the book. So lets just clarify, this book was not written for shy readers.

Angels' Blood was the first book of Nalini Singh's that I have read, and now I think she is one of my favourite authors! 

She managed to create believable characters, that she developed slowly throughout the book. Elena was AMAZING! I loved how she had the nerve to stand up to Raphael when he stepped out of line, while at the same time she showed vulnerability with him. Elena and Raphael's relationship always had me on the edge, wondering what they would do next.

The story flowed and made sense all the way through(unlike some other paranormal romances). The concept was unique, which gave it edge.

Book 1

Why do I not review books the first time I read them? Why do I do this to myself? It's a nightmare!

Okay, I have read this book before and enjoyed it. I sped through the first few books in the Guild Hunter series, stealing them from a friend so I could devour them... but then the books they had run out and I decided to take a break and didn't invest in the rest. Now I don't have the friend to steal books from and I'm stuck buying them myself and the price is just as offputting now as it was back then. 

I finally was in the mood to read this (after seeing a few folks rave about it again on Twitter) and figured why not have a slow investment in the books again?

Elena is just as strong an MC as I remember. I mean, she does a few questionable things that had me going 'seriously, girl?' because pissing off an old vampire and an archangel is a bad life decision but I did love her and so was hooked in her story. And frowny face Raphael was interesting too and even though his backstory is slowly coming back to me (ruining some of the fun of rereading because I obviously remember too much) it's still totally awesome. I loved seeing those pair together and their fun banter and this whole story was just brilliant.

Can't wait to reread book two because I remember loving this pair with all of my heart. They were amazeballs and the secondary characters are good too, I remember we get more of them later on and I am down for that.

Becky

Tanja Hoffmann

Urban Fantasy Paranormal Romance is always so formulaic, yet I enjoy it everytime lol

I’m floating between 3 and 4 stars for this one. It’s a case of “it’s not you, it’s me”. Urban fantasy isn’t a go-to for me, but I liked this one... I just had a tough time sticking with it. Will I read more? Maybe? Probably?

RTC

Emma Renfrey

I couldn't get into this book whatsoever. After reading around 5 chapters in a week, I struggled to get any further.

Meagan

This book was HOT. Not only was the romance top notch, not the least bit cheesy, but the story line itself is strong, badass and fast paced. I read this book overnight as I have done with the others in it's series. I always fall for a female lead that can handle her own! ❤

Anyaconda

Blog post: www.kaffeeklatschandbooks.blogspot.co...

I don't really know where to start with this. Before I get into the juicy details, let me say that I don't read a lot of romance/smut books contemporary, medieval, regency, alien (Ice Barbarian series anyone?) or otherwise. 

The reasons for that are quite simple:
	
- Most of them have way too much lusty and horny content, that are just cringe-worthy beyond measure. There are only so many times I can read the words throbbing, wetness, clenching or other.
	
- Most of them aren't even "romantic", they're about sex.
	
- Most of them have all too perfect characters. There is a huge gap when it comes to diversity. I'd love to read about not all perfect muscle-men and size 2 women with great assets. What about short people, people with disabilities and or other body types? I enjoyed The Kiss Quotient and the Bride Test by Helen Hoang, that's a great start, but dear authors please take this into consideration.
	
- Consent is usually missing and a lot of the interactions between characters either border on or are sexual harassment (grabbing somebody and forcefully kissing them without their consent or touching them all over).

- Insta-eternal love

*spoiler alert*
Don't get me wrong, Nalini Singh can write, but I needed more background regarding the "glorified angel mafia". The characters were nothing special and I don't like aggro-male-possessiveness. Elena and Raphael were lusting after each other for the most part of the book and then we don't even get a sex scene. It's as if Nalini Singh wasn't able to decide if she wanted to fall under the smutty or not smutty category. For me personally you either leave it out or you need to go all the way.
After events unfold they're suddenly in eternal love and Elena changes into an angel, but that hasn't happened in eternity. No real explanation. What a load of rubbish.

Summary: I won't be continuing with this particular series, but I haven't given up on the author entirely yet. I will give Nalini Singh another chance at a later time.

Jess Ostrander

4.5! 
Picked this up for a book club, and didn't really know what to expect. It was a bit confusing at first, because some things weren't explained right away, so that took a bit to get used to. I liked Elena right away though. I'm a sucker for a strong, sassy, badass heroine; and Elena is very much that. I liked the world building, and how the system of hunters, vampires, and angels work. There's still a few unanswered questions, but that just adds to my need to get the second book in my hands now! Raphael is such an interesting character, and I like him a lot. The relationship between him and Elena was so full of tension, and definitely draws you in. Also I love the way Elena and Raphael have their little "families" of friends around them. Elena's fellow hunters are amazing, and I like that we get to see their relationships fleshed out. Raphael's Seven are super interesting too, and I can't wait to learn more of their stories. 
Overall, this book was awesome. Well written, characters with depth, and a good amount of passion too!

Angels' Blood

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