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Angels Among Us #1
Fallen
In a world full of the sick and dying, the hurting and desperate, and those lost in darkness, angels dwell. An angel of healing, Amir has spent centuries performing miracles for people hovering at the very edge of death.
A professional ballerina, Shayla lives her life to dance. Abandoned by her family, she is alone in the world yet determined to pursue her dream. When a car accident leaves Shayla in critical condition and in danger of never dancing again, it seems that all hope is lost.
Amir enters Shayla’s life intending to heal her, but when he sees her laying in her hospital bed fighting for her life, something unfamiliar resounds within him. A stranger to desire and love, Amir is drawn to Shayla like a moth to a flame despite the fact that the rules of heaven forbid angels to engage in romantic relationships with mortals. Should he give in to temptation he will become one of the “Fallen”, demons cursed to the depths of hell for eternity.
As his desire for Shayla rises to fever pitch, Amir will face the choice between love and damnation, or loneliness and divinity. Will an angel who has roamed the earth alone for centuries choose to continue on the path of righteousness, or will he fall captive to his burning desires and be forever damned?
A professional ballerina, Shayla lives her life to dance. Abandoned by her family, she is alone in the world yet determined to pursue her dream. When a car accident leaves Shayla in critical condition and in danger of never dancing again, it seems that all hope is lost.
Amir enters Shayla’s life intending to heal her, but when he sees her laying in her hospital bed fighting for her life, something unfamiliar resounds within him. A stranger to desire and love, Amir is drawn to Shayla like a moth to a flame despite the fact that the rules of heaven forbid angels to engage in romantic relationships with mortals. Should he give in to temptation he will become one of the “Fallen”, demons cursed to the depths of hell for eternity.
As his desire for Shayla rises to fever pitch, Amir will face the choice between love and damnation, or loneliness and divinity. Will an angel who has roamed the earth alone for centuries choose to continue on the path of righteousness, or will he fall captive to his burning desires and be forever damned?
70 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 3, 2011
36 people are currently reading
391 people want to read
About the author
Elise Marion
62 books322 followersElise Marion is a lover books and has a special place in her heart for sweet and sensual romance. Writing about love across all walks of life is her passion, as is reaching people through the written word. The Army wife and stay-at-home mother of two spends most of her time taking care of her children. Her second job includes writing stories about characters that people can fall in love with. When the Texas native isn’t caring for her family or writing, you can usually find her with her nose in a book, singing loudly, or cooking up something new in the kitchen.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
January 15, 2012
So Amazingly Beautiful It Took My Breath Away.
I was looking for a book I could read over the weekend. This beautiful cover caught my eye and I knew I was in for a treat.
Our hero is named Amir and he steals my heart in the opening scene as he says to a six year old dying girl: “Your prayers have been heard. Your daughter will live.” Tears poured down Mrs. Bates’ cheeks and she burst into loud sobs, burying her face in her hands. Amir felt her joy, and it caused a wide smile to break out across his face. His heart nearly burst with the fullness of it.
Now that was emotional and I was already connected to this angel of mercy. Now we get to meet the Shayla Gaines. Amir visits her in a hospital room where she has been in an awful accident. He was sent from heaven to heal her. She is all alone and being kept alive by humming machines. Two weeks later, she wakes up. Amir visits her every day during visiting hours because there is a spark between these two that is undeniable, a chemistry that can’t be quenched. And the plot thickens…
The story is just beautiful and I fell in love with these two wonderful characters that gripped my heart and never let go. Elise Marion knows how to capture readers with her exceptionally beautiful and exquisite writing. I was taken in by the vivid descriptions and romance. This book is highly recommended! Trust me…you won’t be disappointed!
I was looking for a book I could read over the weekend. This beautiful cover caught my eye and I knew I was in for a treat.
Our hero is named Amir and he steals my heart in the opening scene as he says to a six year old dying girl: “Your prayers have been heard. Your daughter will live.” Tears poured down Mrs. Bates’ cheeks and she burst into loud sobs, burying her face in her hands. Amir felt her joy, and it caused a wide smile to break out across his face. His heart nearly burst with the fullness of it.
Now that was emotional and I was already connected to this angel of mercy. Now we get to meet the Shayla Gaines. Amir visits her in a hospital room where she has been in an awful accident. He was sent from heaven to heal her. She is all alone and being kept alive by humming machines. Two weeks later, she wakes up. Amir visits her every day during visiting hours because there is a spark between these two that is undeniable, a chemistry that can’t be quenched. And the plot thickens…
The story is just beautiful and I fell in love with these two wonderful characters that gripped my heart and never let go. Elise Marion knows how to capture readers with her exceptionally beautiful and exquisite writing. I was taken in by the vivid descriptions and romance. This book is highly recommended! Trust me…you won’t be disappointed!
November 14, 2012
"Does anyone have a fan? I need a fan. That story was hot!”
Fallen is the story of Amir and Shayla. Shayla is the lonely ballerina with an estranged family and Amir is the Angel sent from Heaven to heal her after she is hit by a truck leaving rehearsal. When Amir feels the determination to survive within Shayla he becomes intrigued by her. As he watches her slowly heal he begins to experience feelings for her. When she awakens, his job is finished but he cannot seem to leave her. He constantly wonders about her and is forced to fight an inner battle to determine whether or not she is worth the fall from Heaven.
Holy Goodness!!!! Wow. I am speechless. I knew this book was going to be good but I did not expect to laugh, cheer and cry! Elise Marion does a spectacular job portraying the feelings of these two characters. Her ability to create the humanity within Amir is breathtaking. You can see the full progression of the emotions between the characters and she leaves no stone unturned. Her depiction of Heaven is as beautiful as it could possibly be. All of her characters have such purpose and all help to propel the story forward. This story makes you believe in the power of love and all that can be accomplished with it. I cannot give enough praise to this book. This book will satiate the hopeless romantic in everyone and make every woman wish she had her very own Amir. I cannot wait to read “Tempted” the next book in the series.
Fallen is the story of Amir and Shayla. Shayla is the lonely ballerina with an estranged family and Amir is the Angel sent from Heaven to heal her after she is hit by a truck leaving rehearsal. When Amir feels the determination to survive within Shayla he becomes intrigued by her. As he watches her slowly heal he begins to experience feelings for her. When she awakens, his job is finished but he cannot seem to leave her. He constantly wonders about her and is forced to fight an inner battle to determine whether or not she is worth the fall from Heaven.
Holy Goodness!!!! Wow. I am speechless. I knew this book was going to be good but I did not expect to laugh, cheer and cry! Elise Marion does a spectacular job portraying the feelings of these two characters. Her ability to create the humanity within Amir is breathtaking. You can see the full progression of the emotions between the characters and she leaves no stone unturned. Her depiction of Heaven is as beautiful as it could possibly be. All of her characters have such purpose and all help to propel the story forward. This story makes you believe in the power of love and all that can be accomplished with it. I cannot give enough praise to this book. This book will satiate the hopeless romantic in everyone and make every woman wish she had her very own Amir. I cannot wait to read “Tempted” the next book in the series.
March 15, 2012
I am a big Elise Marion fan, so I knew this would be a good book. However, the absolute sweetness of the story had me at page one. I loved both characters, the premise of the book....just everything. The ending had me in tears that were of both happiness and sadness. My only complaint is that the book wasn't longer, and that's because I was enjoying the story so much.
Excellent, Elise. Absolutely excellent.
Excellent, Elise. Absolutely excellent.
December 17, 2011
This was a quick sweet paranormal romance and I read this in one sitting. I love a story with a tortured hero and it certainly wasn't an easy road to love for Amir and Shayla.
I look forward to more from this new author.
I look forward to more from this new author.
March 13, 2013
This story was truly beautiful. If you're looking for a feel good story, here it is.
December 7, 2011
I honestly have no idea how to review this book without having spoilers but I'm going to try. Elise Marion is a promising new author, very talented. You can feel the passion she has for her craft in her writing.
This novella is a fast, emotional read. The emotions are great, the descriptions of heaven, the heat of the love scenes, the genuine love between Shayla and Amir is indescribable. I just finished reading the book and felt the need to review while my emotions were still fresh. The ending was so powerful, I found myself tearing up.
Amir is an Angel with the power to heal who falls in love with a woman/case he is sent to care for. Shayla is an amazing character. And the chemistry between shayla and Amir is intense. Her take on Angels was different and interesting.
My favorite thing about this book is the amazing detail. The author seemed to really do her homework when it comes to medical situations. And her descriptions of Heaven were so colorful!
Also, it really showcases an author's talent when they can make a novella feel like a full length book. Elise does this. I felt like I knew the characters deeply.
And just so you know, the love scenes were fantastic and done well. I would recommend this book. I look forward to more books from this author.
This novella is a fast, emotional read. The emotions are great, the descriptions of heaven, the heat of the love scenes, the genuine love between Shayla and Amir is indescribable. I just finished reading the book and felt the need to review while my emotions were still fresh. The ending was so powerful, I found myself tearing up.
Amir is an Angel with the power to heal who falls in love with a woman/case he is sent to care for. Shayla is an amazing character. And the chemistry between shayla and Amir is intense. Her take on Angels was different and interesting.
My favorite thing about this book is the amazing detail. The author seemed to really do her homework when it comes to medical situations. And her descriptions of Heaven were so colorful!
Also, it really showcases an author's talent when they can make a novella feel like a full length book. Elise does this. I felt like I knew the characters deeply.
And just so you know, the love scenes were fantastic and done well. I would recommend this book. I look forward to more books from this author.
August 9, 2012
When I started this, my third Elise Marion read, I was anxious! So many potential pitfalls in a story of this kind, I thought - how can an `angel` story be psychologically convincing, is there going to be some religious sentimentality, and so on... Elise Marion soon put me at my ease. In the special effects department of her writing apparatus, she describes brilliantly the transitions from angelic humanoid to actually flying angel, but more importantly she captures the tension and the doubt which Amir experiences about the nature of earthly love, the fear of commitment, just as vividly as she captures - and here no surprises, because she always does it with such conviction - the joyfulness of physical and sexual love. You can take it as a simple romance, a love story, or as parable in which the spiritual and the physical are mirrored against each other, but either way, it`s a great read.
This review can also be read at www.john-wheatley.blogspot.com
This review can also be read at www.john-wheatley.blogspot.com
December 13, 2011
I loved this book! It was one of those nights, you know how it is, when I didn't want to invest myself in an entire huge novel, but I did want to be entertained to the point of sexy distraction :)
Fallen was the *perfect* read! For being a novella, all the characters were beautifully and fully developed. Their relationship was steamy and torturous.
*sigh* and the end was exactly what I hoped it would be. Elise Marion knows how to create the heat and intensity of romance but never forgets the emotional bond between reader and characters.
Fallen was like sitting down to savor a delicious piece of Dove chocolate...feeling the piece melt on your tongue and giving in to the urge to bite the heavenly lump.
Problem is, one piece of this decadent indulgence is not enough. I want more novellas, Elise!
Fallen was the *perfect* read! For being a novella, all the characters were beautifully and fully developed. Their relationship was steamy and torturous.
*sigh* and the end was exactly what I hoped it would be. Elise Marion knows how to create the heat and intensity of romance but never forgets the emotional bond between reader and characters.
Fallen was like sitting down to savor a delicious piece of Dove chocolate...feeling the piece melt on your tongue and giving in to the urge to bite the heavenly lump.
Problem is, one piece of this decadent indulgence is not enough. I want more novellas, Elise!
July 3, 2012
A short, sweet, romantic, touching and emotional paranormal read. Also another great work from Elise Marion.
Shayla is a dancer. She's alone with no close family and just a dream to make it with her skills and talent dancing. One evening leaving rehearsal she gets seriously injured by a vehicle and ends up in the hospital on the brink of death.
Amir is a devastatingly handsome angel that has had the job of healing chosen humans for hundreds of years. A recent job he is given changes his life and feelings. Confused and unsure he continues to do his job and makes a friend in the process.
Together Amir and Shayla help one another. They are quite an amazing pair and the chemistry is strong. But it is forbidden for angels to get intimate. They become fallen if they do so. Many decisions will be made for both of them. I hope you are as happy with the outcome as I was :)
Shayla is a dancer. She's alone with no close family and just a dream to make it with her skills and talent dancing. One evening leaving rehearsal she gets seriously injured by a vehicle and ends up in the hospital on the brink of death.
Amir is a devastatingly handsome angel that has had the job of healing chosen humans for hundreds of years. A recent job he is given changes his life and feelings. Confused and unsure he continues to do his job and makes a friend in the process.
Together Amir and Shayla help one another. They are quite an amazing pair and the chemistry is strong. But it is forbidden for angels to get intimate. They become fallen if they do so. Many decisions will be made for both of them. I hope you are as happy with the outcome as I was :)
June 13, 2013
Fallen is the first of the Angel’s Among Us trilogy.
Amir is an angel with special healing powers and God has sent him to earth to heal a professional ballerina who was critically injured in an accident. Born to greatness and without Amir’s intervention Shayla will never dance again and that God will not allow. Amir is instructed to stay with her until he’s called to another assignment.
As Amir helps Shayla to heal he doesn’t at first recognise the odd feelings he’s experiencing, ones he’s never had before and with those growing feelings comes a warning and a timely reminder that the consequence of giving into physical temptation will alter his life beyond repair.
I liked it. It was clean (one sex scene) in comparison to what I prefer but it was entertaining and a quick read.
December 3, 2018
Full Review posted on Book Lovin' Mamas
I won't go into it further. It's a charming, short book that I recommend anyone who loves reading about Angels/Demons will enjoy. I loved how Amir was there for Shayla throughout the time she was in the hospital and afterward. He stood up to Shayla's parents too, which someone had to do.
This book did have me crying a bit in certain parts. I felt sympathetic for Shayla and what she has gone through in her life. The poor girl just wanted family support and didn't have it until there was an almost tragedy with her.
My favorite part in the book was the last chapter since it was touching. =)
I definitely will be reading the next book "Tempted" soon.
I won't go into it further. It's a charming, short book that I recommend anyone who loves reading about Angels/Demons will enjoy. I loved how Amir was there for Shayla throughout the time she was in the hospital and afterward. He stood up to Shayla's parents too, which someone had to do.
This book did have me crying a bit in certain parts. I felt sympathetic for Shayla and what she has gone through in her life. The poor girl just wanted family support and didn't have it until there was an almost tragedy with her.
My favorite part in the book was the last chapter since it was touching. =)
I definitely will be reading the next book "Tempted" soon.
November 8, 2012
Excellent book... a very nice romantic interracial romance novella that warmed my heart. Amir is a healer for GOD and he is sent all over the world to heal the sick. Shayla is a bw that is in a accident which leaves her in the hospital. Amir is sent to heal her, he falls for her and their romance begins... Although it is only 60 pages the charaters were well written and the story line flowed easily for the reader. I especially loved the ending. I definitely would have paid more for this book it was only 99 cents.... you can't miss reading this book!
June 7, 2013
Excellent book , this is a short, romantic, touching and emotional paranormal read. All the characters were beautifully and fully developed. Their relationship was steamy and torturous and the end was exactly what I hoped it would be. I can’t wait to read the rest of the books by the author Elise Marion.
June 14, 2013
I did not think I would like this book, but turns out it is a breathe of fresh air. Shayla is seriously injured in an accident and Amir, a healing angel, comes to heal her but unforseen emotions start to trouble Amir and he has some hard decisions to make. This was a heartfelt but short story that was a pleasant change. You will not regret reading this.
June 6, 2013
Really enjoyed this book, it was short and sweet. I really enjoyed how at the end the author chose to expand on what happened to them later in life. Excited that this book has a sequel so to speak. Ready to see what happens with Sarah and if she will feel what Amir started to feel.
June 4, 2013
Wonderful short story. Easy read, well-developed characters. Hero was HOT and compassionate. Heroine was spunky and caring. Great story. I will read more from this author.
June 9, 2013
A nice quick read
July 21, 2013
Sweet love story that shows that sometimes there are more choices then we thought and that love is the easiest choice of them all....
July 11, 2013
This is a good read, if you want something, light, happy, and slightly dramatic. I loved it! Finished the book in one day and ended with a smile. Such a good, heartwarming story.
July 12, 2013
I enjoyed the story very much. It was romantic, and uncomplicated.
September 18, 2013
great quick read. loved the spiritual aspect.
November 21, 2013
This is a short story, but surprisingly well written. I enjoyed this read, and I thought the balance of GOD, creation of man, angels, and faith was not too farfetched.
July 19, 2014
A sweet, warm novella with a little spice.
October 9, 2014
This book was sweet. I look forward to readin the rest of the series.
March 23, 2024
He Didn't Fall But Chose A Different Path!
I first read this book over nine years ago and remembered almost nothing about. I came across it again after reading other books about vampires, mages and other paranormals and different types of Angels.
If there's such a thing as an interracial love story between an angel and a woman, this is it. Shayla is a beautiful African-American ballet dancer who is struck by a car and is mortally injured. Amir is a healer Angel sent by God to heal her. In his human form, he's a gorgeous white man. He not only heals her but falls in love with her.
When He realizes that he loves her, he knows that he has two choices. He can leave her forever and remain an Angel or he could give in to temptation and become a fallen angel, destined to fall from grace and live eternally in hell. He choose to leave her because the thought of living separately from Heaven and God is unfathomable.
However, God gives him another choice. He could give up being an Angel and live on earth as a man to be with Shayla. Of course, he would only be able to return to Heaven once his earthly life was over.
You must remember that this is Fiction and is not a treatise on God, Heaven, Angels, Hell or anything else. It also has a very thin plot with very little character development or back stories. It is like most romance books with a hint of spice at the end - nothing else!
I first read this book over nine years ago and remembered almost nothing about. I came across it again after reading other books about vampires, mages and other paranormals and different types of Angels.
If there's such a thing as an interracial love story between an angel and a woman, this is it. Shayla is a beautiful African-American ballet dancer who is struck by a car and is mortally injured. Amir is a healer Angel sent by God to heal her. In his human form, he's a gorgeous white man. He not only heals her but falls in love with her.
When He realizes that he loves her, he knows that he has two choices. He can leave her forever and remain an Angel or he could give in to temptation and become a fallen angel, destined to fall from grace and live eternally in hell. He choose to leave her because the thought of living separately from Heaven and God is unfathomable.
However, God gives him another choice. He could give up being an Angel and live on earth as a man to be with Shayla. Of course, he would only be able to return to Heaven once his earthly life was over.
You must remember that this is Fiction and is not a treatise on God, Heaven, Angels, Hell or anything else. It also has a very thin plot with very little character development or back stories. It is like most romance books with a hint of spice at the end - nothing else!
September 8, 2025
While there isn’t anything overtly wrong with this story, the plot and character arcs have been done before and, in my opinion, done better.
Angels, healers and celestial beings are a trope that have been well-explored by many authors and filmmakers over the years. This story adds nothing new to overly-popular trends in this genre.
While the build up to *the* moment was okay, the ending was rushed and smacked of the author running out of steam once they’d given the reader a somewhat spicy scene.
I didn’t really care for any of the characters. You’re not given enough to like or dislike Amir, and Shayla felt a bit like a cardboard cutout. A few key personality traits, but little else offered outside of her love of dance.
The story could also do with another once over for line editing. A couple of things I noticed:
13% - Amir place(d) one hand on either side…
86% - …after the (delete the) grabbing the book from her hand.
Angels, healers and celestial beings are a trope that have been well-explored by many authors and filmmakers over the years. This story adds nothing new to overly-popular trends in this genre.
While the build up to *the* moment was okay, the ending was rushed and smacked of the author running out of steam once they’d given the reader a somewhat spicy scene.
I didn’t really care for any of the characters. You’re not given enough to like or dislike Amir, and Shayla felt a bit like a cardboard cutout. A few key personality traits, but little else offered outside of her love of dance.
The story could also do with another once over for line editing. A couple of things I noticed:
13% - Amir place(d) one hand on either side…
86% - …after the (delete the) grabbing the book from her hand.
July 3, 2018
I really didn’t know how to rate this story. It was a cute story. Not well developed or believable, but cute. Certainly had grammatical errors that disrupted the flow for me. The romantic connection between Amir and Shayla was not there for me. Certainly did not feel it was worth giving up being an angel of the Lord. The potential was definitely there. There was love, I just didn’t feel the romantic love. Lots of interesting characters. Shayla’s parents had a story to tell, I wished was explored. There was so much missed, that would have made the story better for me. I will say, although I did not believe there was a romantic relationship, I was certainly rooting for them. I wanted to feel their everlasting love. There was just something missing. The last chapter was very touching. I do recommend the story and may explore other work by this author.
July 16, 2022
Breath Taking
This book was well written, it allowed me to see both the angel world as well as the female protagonist. I wish the author add more to the story especially the trial they have to face together, as well as developing the story more between them. I feel like the story was a little short but other than that the story was amazing.
This book was well written, it allowed me to see both the angel world as well as the female protagonist. I wish the author add more to the story especially the trial they have to face together, as well as developing the story more between them. I feel like the story was a little short but other than that the story was amazing.
January 6, 2020
I love books about angels
This story was unexpected but interesting. I was concerned about the outcome but I was not disappointed. I will be anxious to read the next "Angels Among Us"
This story was unexpected but interesting. I was concerned about the outcome but I was not disappointed. I will be anxious to read the next "Angels Among Us"
June 30, 2018
Very re-readable! Loved it
Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews