Chtíč

Fallen Angels #2

by J.R. Ward

Odvěký souboj mezi dobrem a zlem – se stále stejnými hráči a stále stejnými zavrženíhodnými dušemi. Sedm hlavních hříchů, které si nezaslouží nic než věčné zatracení. Další nelítostný souboj mezi padlým andělem se zatvrzelým srdcem a démonem, který je už mnohem opatrnější a zákeřnější. Isaac Roth, člen takzvaných černých vojenských operací, jehož jediným posláním je plnit rozkaz svých nadřízených a bezhlavě zabíjet, má za sebou temnou minulost a ještě neutěšenější budoucnost. Za nelegální činnost se ocitne za mřížemi, aniž tuší, že má v patách mocného nepřítele, co mu usiluje o život. Jeho osud se ocitne v rukou veřejné obhájkyně Grier Childeové, která v něm probudí dosud neprožitou vášeň. Isaakův někdejší kamarád Jim Heron, teď už padlý anděl, ho však před zatracením jeho duše varuje a nutí ho k zásadnímu rozhodnutí: buď kapituluje, anebo uvěří tomu, že nejmocnější zbraní proti zlu je upřímná láska.

Genres: Paranormal, Paranormal Romance, Romance, Angels, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Demons

440 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2010

About the author

J.R. Ward is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of numerous novels, including the Black Dagger Brotherhood series. She lives in the South her family.

Reviews

[Jessica's Totally Over The Top Book Obsession · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Mistaken Identity Stars



Spoilers

Crave the 2nd book in the Fallen Angels series was better for me than book 1. First off it wasn't bogged down with info overload. I enjoyed the faster pace of this book. There was lots of action in this book too. Also I personally liked this couple better than book 1. Isaac Rothe our male love interest in this book( since each book has more than one hero, mainly Jim Heron) was absolutely yummy. A sexy black ops soldier, with a good heart, and a slow southern drawl. Every time he said ma'am I melted a little. I also really liked Grier our female love interest. She was smart, sweet, and down to earth. I liked that she wasn't a super strong woman, but she wasn't a push over either. A lot of authors will write the heroines as either wonder woman or a door mat, Grier was a nice normal in between. I also enjoyed the romance in this book more too. Probably because in the last book the romance took a back seat to the world building and plot and in this book the plot and the romance were 50/50. More romance= Happier Jessica!



Isaac and Grier were so hot together. The romance in this book was spot on for me. I felt the connection between Isaac and Grier. I rooted for their love, and I enjoyed their story. Now the plot side of the book was good too, but there were a few things that could have been better. I really liked Jim. He was such a good guy but I loved that he could be a total bad ass too. I am totally wanting to see what happens with Jim and Sissy. I felt so bad for Sissy, she was so scared. I could also feel Jim's pain that he couldn't save her, and his feelings of failure. I looked at the other books in the series and seen Jim gets a book, I bet he gets with Sissy. I am trying not to read spoilers in this series, which is so hard because I am a spoiler whore, but I want to go into each read with no expectations. Still I can't wait to see if Sissy and Jim get together. There were some twist and turns in this plot that I enjoyed. I was totally shocked that the bad guys (Devina) won this round. On top of the good guys losing this round, Devina took Jim to hell, and her and her demons raped and tortured him for hours. I'm sure some will be really bothered by this, but to be honest it felt forced and for shock value to make Devina seem eviler. I could have did without it. I also could have done without Devina having OCD issues and seeing a therapist. She is a demon for fuck sake, it took away bad ass points that she sits in therapy and whines about her stuff like a human. Just sayin'! Now Mathias the soul that was lost to Devina, I felt really bad for Mathias especially after he realized that dying didn't bring him the peace he was hoping for but that he was in hell to suffer forever. Overall a good read and I am looking forward to the next book.

[Jilly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, here's why I always review books and don't wait a day. I have the memory of a goldfish.


Oh my gosh! Look at how cute this grumpy goldfish is! I want him! He's my new spirit animal!

Anyway, I read this book and immediately started the next one, which I just finished, so I don't remember the deets on this one. I'll give you what I remember:
There was a guy,
then a bad guy,
people died.
Angels.

That sums it up nicely.

[Shawna · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 ½ stars – Paranormal Romance/Urban Fantasy

This quote from the first page was my favorite passage and sums up the entire book rather nicely.

But that was life: Nobody got a guided tour to their own theme park. You had to hop on the rides as they presented themselves, never knowing whether you would like the one you were in line for...or if the bastard was going to make you throw up your corn dog and your cotton candy all over the place.

Although I really enjoyed it, Crave didn't quite live up to my stellar expectations or top it's phenomenal predecessor, Covet, which was one of my favorite reads of 2009. And that's mainly because the romance between the H/h, Isaac and Grier, just didn't have the same touching and intrinsic heart and soul connection that Vin and Marie-Terese shared in Covet.

Isaac and Grier are great, intriguing characters and magnetic together, but there just wasn't a deep enough relationship made or realistic romantic development between them. I'm hoping the WARDen will publish an extended HEA ending at some point on her website (like she did with Covet) because I'm really craving to see more of them as a couple.

I also had some issues with what Jim's character had to suffer violently at the hands of malevolent Devina for the sake of upholding the unfair rules in the epic struggle to save souls. Be warned that what the demon bitch does to him ain't pretty.

So even though this didn't blow me away as completely as Covet or the Black Dagger Brotherhood series and the romance element was somewhat lacking, Crave is still an awesome, gritty, and eerie read with Ward's usual brilliance, word mastery, and dark humor. I debated between 4 and 5 stars, but since I was still highly entertained, despite that a few things could have been a bit better and the romance stronger, I'm settling on 4 ½ stars!

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alright BDB fans...Before you read this review, put aside your love for the Brothers just for a minute because I know everyone is dying for their next Brother fix. Once you’ve done that, pick up your copy of Crave if you haven’t already and just read.

Don’t flip to the back to read the Lover Unleashed excerpt and don’t read Crave simply to spot Brother cameos. Read it because you love J.R. Ward’s writing style and you want to support her.

Now, where do I even start? I thought Covet was a great read. It had interesting and complex characters, steamy love scenes, and some good old heart n’ soul mixed into it. But Crave seems to be my favourite out of the two.

Crave is a lot more gritty and darker than the first book. Danger seems to be lurking in all corners this time and it’s interesting to see how Jim and his boys will handle Devina the second time around.

J.R. Ward is a genius at plotting so there are a few unexpected twists that are sure to remind readers that she’s got talent. Things pick up quick in the beginning and Ward’s storytelling grips you until the very end. Also, we get the answers to some of the questions that were raised in Covet.

One of my favourite things about this book is Ward’s writing style. It’s raw and gritty, but there’s so much heart in this little book. Ward is able to pull on your heart strings and make you feel sympathy for everyone, even the bad guys. Not to mention, there are a few great quotes in there that are sure to make you laugh out loud.

And the romance between Grier and Isaac is so explosive, it’s hard to believe that Isaac is a stone-cold killer and she is a sympathetic attorney trying to save his ass. The little ways in which Isaac slowly opens his heart to her is so sweet and beautiful. It rivals the sort of love you see in the BDB series.

So if you’ve read Covet and thought, “Meh, the BDB series is better”, give Crave a shot because not only has Ward stepped up her game, but she has proven that she’s able to write more than just about her sexy vamps. If Crave is any indication of how the Fallen Angels series will turn out, then Jim, Adrian and Eddie sure as hell need to be ready for a whole lot of fan-girlies coming their way. Because The Fallen Angels have arrived...

[Mel · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first book of the Fallen Angels series, Covet, introduced us to Jim Heron, a former XOps soldier who –much to his own surprise– was appointed as the key player in the ultimate game of good versus evil. Crave is round two in that game, in where angels (leather clad, tattooed and pierced) and a demoness (with OCD) battle for the fate of seven souls and the future of mankind. Meanwhile: there is a love blossoming between an unlikely couple: cage fighter and former XOps soldier Isaac Rothe and his public defender Grier Childe.

I really wanted to love this book. I was very much intrigued by Covet, which was just the right amount of dark urban fantasy elements combined with romance, and I couldn’t wait to find out more about Jim, his posse and his mission.
Unfortunately I was slightly disappointed with Crave. Don’t get me wrong: it was an okay book. But I didn’t think it was as intense and entertaining as Ward’s other books and, more importantly, I felt there were a lot of missed opportunities. Ward could have done so much more with both the love story and the general plot, but I felt like she took the easy way out and simplified something that could have had much more depth.

The romance started out great. I immediately liked Isaac and the tension between him and Grier was tangible. But somewhere along the line their story ended up going in circles and falling flat (with a last minute trip to Sapville, argh!).
I also couldn’t quite warm up to Grier. Maybe it was because she was supposed to be oh so smart but did a lot of stupid things (I get it: a little suspension of disbelief is in order but some actions and events bordered on ridiculous). Or maybe it was because she had a tendency of reflecting on and paraphrasing Isaac’s thoughts and actions (which probably meant to underline Grier’s emphatic ability but it just felt like she was spelling out things which we as readers could figure out for ourselves). Either way, I couldn’t really be invested in her character.

I was more intrigued by Matthias, one of the many characters to get their own POV. I liked being in the heads of Devina and Matthias. I appreciated the fact that Ward wanted to give us something else (something not particularly evil) about these two evil characters, although I think she didn’t do it nearly enough as to really create grounds to invest in them.
Same goes for Adrian. This might sound like a cheap shot but I felt like Ward is portraying him as a Brother, but one who –however swoonworthy– still remains in cardboard territory for me.

The story had an interesting twist towards the ending and I was pleasantly surprised by it. Unfortunately, the ending itself felt rushed and actually fell flat.
I also couldn’t appreciate the amount of (made up) slang. It was ridiculous! And the fact that all characters occasionally spoke like 12 year olds trying to act cool, made their narrative voices blend in together. I sometimes had to check who I was reading about.

*light spoiler* My biggest disappointment, however, was the story line of Jim. I was really looking forward to learning more about him and I was expecting (/hoping for?) a little moral ambiguity; afterall: he was chosen by both sides to be their most valuable player. I think it would have made a very interesting premise and would create more depth to his character, but Ward wouldn’t go there. I felt like she took the easy way by making her character indisputably good. She ended up doing the same for a second character, which I truly found a waste as it defeated the whole purpose of the message of the book, which is that we are not our past and everyone can be redeemed if they really want to.

[Buggy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Opening Line:"Hey! Wait a -- Save that shit for the ring!"

CRAVE is book #2 in the anticipated Fallen Angels series and while this still aint no Black Dagger Brotherhood with this instalment the WARDen seems to have at least found her groove, and I feel way more invested in the series as a whole now then I did after reading Covet, although I’m still not in love with it (does that make sense?)

Continuing 4 days after the end of COVET, Fallen Angel Jim Heron finds himself in familiar territory as the soul he has to save this time around is that of AWOL Black Ops soldier Isaac Roth. The back story here is extensive as Jim and Isaac share a history together, both having served under the treacherous leadership of Matthias. When we begin Isaac is making some quick cash as an underground cage fighter. After the ring gets busted Isaac lands in jail where we meet his beautiful, court appointed defence attorney Grier Childe.

Despite their differences (or maybe because of) the sparks fly with Grier going so far as to post his bail using her own money. With Isaac now free he plans on disappearing and fast the only problem is he owes Grier and can’t seem to get her out of his head even though he knows all he could possibly bring her is trouble. When Jim and his fallen sidekicks make contact Jim realizes that its not just Devina stealing his soul that puts Isaac in danger but their former commander Matthias has put a death sentence on his head, because the only way you can leave their covert little organization is in a body bag.

The story moves along fast but smoothly and with a whole lot happening in the mere three day span of the book. So even though our romantic couple isn’t given a whole lot of time to fall in love (or enough romance period) they still managed to capture my attention and even gave me a couple of *sigh* moments. I really enjoyed Isaac and Grier, who (despite the amount of omelettes getting eaten) have great chemistry together and the love scenes are erotic and heart wrenching, which lets be honest is a Ward standard.

Also as per usual with Ward there are numerous characters vying for POV time and as always she handles this seamlessly. Popping us back and forth between the hero and heroine and into heaven and hell in the minds of angels, demons and anyone else caught in the crossfire of battle #2 this time around. All the returning characters get fleshed out (some even get wings) so you learn more about Jim Heron as well as his intriguing but still somewhat vague angel sidekicks Adrian and Eddie. Even dog makes an appearance. We also get into Devina’s warped and evil head and she’s proved to be surprisingly interesting.

Of course this book is full of F-bombs and Wards own unique brand of slang which I usually enjoy. However this time there are just so many “Wardisms” that I found myself getting side tracked trying to figure out exactly what she was trying to say in her riddlesque product placement kind of way.

"A gust of wind went Nike across the landscape" This is fun a few times then it just gets dhistracting.

Crave is definitely darker then Covet with some scenes that are downright disturbing and I will tell you (because I drove myself crazy looking) that there aren’t any Brother sightings this time around except for the mention of 'sKillerz' but I’ll let you figure that one out on your own.

For me Crave effectively advances the series as a whole, tying everything together so that I could see the big picture. So that even though each book will deal with a different battle of good and evil it’s really the end game that counts and the ending this time around is …surprising

[Penny Well Reads · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF.

I didn't like it at all. I had to force myself tremendously to keep reading it. I kept expecting that it would get better at some point or at least more interesting, but it never did. I finally gave up during chapter 30. This book was an immensely let down.

I think this series is not for me. I am a huge HUGE fan of the Black Dagger Brotherhood series but these books are vastly different and don’t work for me.

I am not interested in the romance, I am not interested in the demons versus angels plot, I am not interested in the story lines, and I don’t care about the characters. The whole dynamic of the books is completely different to the BDB series and they just don’t engage me or even grip my attention in any respect. I am so frustrated because I want to like them so much but I don’t.

I can’t wrap my head over it, but I am just not into this series at all. I tried, I really did, but for whatever reason these books don’t make me tick. Why, oh why?

I think I gave the FA series a fair shot trying 2 books, so I doubt I will ever read any more books of this series. I am pretty sure I am done with the Fallen Angel series for good.

The Fallen Angel Series is of a different hue than The Black Dagger Brotherhood series and not nearly as good. In my opinion is an enormous disillusion.

[Auntee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good, but a little short of great. It's hard to live up to Covet, which I thought was excellent, or any of the author's BDB books. Where I think this one faltered was in the romance department. There was plenty of potential there--the hero and heroine were two very likable characters, from two vastly different worlds (he's a former Black Ops soldier with a brutal past and a bleak future; she's an uptown lawyer from a privileged upbringing)--but the fact that the whole story took place in a couple of days hindered the development of the romance. I liked them as a couple, but I just didn't totally buy into the swiftness of their romance.

This is book #2 in J.R. Ward's new Fallen Angels series. It's no Black Dagger Brotherhood, but it's a worthy series anyway. This book is not a stand alone--please read Covet first or you'll be hopelessly lost. The book starts four days after the end of "Covet".

The hero, 26 year-old Isaac Rothe, is a former Mississippi farm boy recruited into this secret Black Ops group at a young age. He becomes a killing machine, but not without damage to his conscience and soul. After five years he's had enough, and wants out. But no one is allowed to leave the team alive. He's AWOL, making money by fighting in an illegal cage fighting league, and the sadistic leader of his team (Matthias) is hot on his trail. When the cops raid the place where Isaac is involved in a cage fight, he's arrested, and that's when he meets the heroine of the story, beautiful 32 year-old attorney Grier Childe.

Grier grew up privileged and rich, with a former military-turned attorney father who was often absent in her life, an alcoholic mother, and a drug addicted younger brother who she tried in vain for years to save. Two years have passed since her brother Daniel has tragically overdosed, and since then she has done some pro bono work as a public defender. When Grier and Isaac meet, there's this spark between them. Even though he's big, brutal and scary looking, he's strangely gentlemanly, saying "Yes ma'am" in a sweet Southern accent. Grier is intrigued and wants to help him, although he's reluctant to accept her help beyond getting him out of jail. He knows it's just a matter of time before Matthias tracks him, and he doesn't want to drag Grier into that mess. He's mesmerized by her beauty, her voice, her perfume, her whole ladylike demeanor. He's never been around a woman like her--she is sooo out of his league it isn't funny. But he can dream, can't he?

So where does Jim Heron, the fallen angel from Covet fit into this one? Well it seems that Isaac is the next soul who Jim is charged with saving in his ongoing battle against the evil demon named Devina. Jim and Devina are in a no-holds barred war over seven souls--Jim is on the side of goodness, Devina is pure evil. If Jim can save Isaac's soul, he'll be up by two in their battle for the future of mankind. And it just so happens that Jim, Isaac, and Matthias are all connected--they were all on the same Black Ops team, and only Jim found a way off the team. Now Jim needs to help Isaac--but can he save him before Matthias and/or Devina gets to him?

This series has a lot to recommend. The storytelling is first rate (Ward is awesome with a sentence), the idea for the series is unique, there's humor, there's some real horror (Devina rivals The Omega for sheer evilness), there's some great secondary characters who I'd love to learn more about (Jim's buddies Adrian and Eddie) and there's a little romance. Yes, in this one I would've preferred more romance, because Isaac and Grier had some real potential as a couple. They had a real "opposites-attract" thing, which I loved, and loads of chemistry. I only wished that their relationship could've been explored more deeply. The whole story took place over a couple of days, so the relationship had to move very fast, which made it just a little unbelievable when the ILYs popped up. They did get to have a few talks about their pasts, sharing things about themselves that they'd never shared with anyone before, which I liked. But their whole relationship took place during a time frame when Isaac's life and the life of Grier was being threatened, and I wanted to see how they related to each other without that hanging over their heads. JR Ward did give the reader a little of that near the end of the book, but I needed a little more to be fully convinced of their love. I think I nice big epilogue or maybe an extra chapter would've helped.

So this one fell a little short of excellence for me, but it was still a great story, with a big twist at the end, and the ongoing battle between Jim and Devina is just heating up. Who will ultimately win? That's what will keep me reading, because there's no way I want that b**** Devina to not get what's coming to her. A solid 4 1/2 stars for "Crave".

P.S. I was really surprised when I read who was doing the Crave-ing...

Isaac...

[Mandi · Rating 3 out of 5]

As started in the first book in this series Covet, angel Jim Heron is the pawn between good and evil. After seven battles, where seven people’s soul is at stake, the world will know if evil or goodness has prevailed. In Crave, we see battle number two. Isaac Rothe is a former XOps member, an extremely secretive organization that runs on intel and murder. No one leaves XOps without a bullet in their head, but Isaac has managed to escape – for now. Needing cash and to let out steam, he starts participating in illegal cage fights – until he is busted by the police. Thrown in jail, under his real name, is like a beacon to call his former boss, Matthias to him. He needs to get out pronto.

Jim owes Isaac a debt from their former XOps days and knows Matthias has thrown in the call to have Isaac taken out. Jim figures the least he can do is get Isaac out of the country – alive.

Attorney Grier Childe takes on public defender cases every so often, and the one she is handed is a doozy. Isaac is a mountain of pure muscle, and the very successful Grier can’t help but set aside a little of her professionalism to drink in the sight of Isaac. Although beaten, and very rough around the edges, Grier likes what she sees.

With a brother dead from a drug overdose (who shows up as a ghost and felt very misplaced throughout the book), Grier feels the need to do something to save or protect Isaac from whatever he is running from. Isaac in turn feels the need to repay Grier for her kindness and cash to get him out of jail. But Isaac’s dark world is about to descend upon them, and the light is far from the end of the tunnel.

The first half of Crave is so good! I became very excited, because for me, Covet (book one) left much to be desired. Isaac has a very messy past, and I don’t know if I would call him a tortured hero, but definitely one that sees himself as no good, especially for the gorgeous Grier. As for Grier, I immediately liked her better than the heroine from Covet. She stands her ground and doesn’t cower in the presence of the roughed up Isaac. They have this whole “are you going to kill me or have sex with me” vibe that really notches up the sexual tension in the first half of the book.

"I need to go," he said roughly. Actually he needed to come...inside of her. But that was not going to be part of this. Even if he had to cut off his own cock and bury it in that lovely backyard of hers.

or

Guess what," he said in a low gravelly voice.
She swallowed hard once again. "What?"
Isaac moved in close, putting his mouth right to her ear. "Killing you isn't the only thing I could do to you....ma'am."

But then the second half of the book comes around and the romance fizzles to lukewarm. Where did my sexy, murderous Isaac go? Much more of the second half focuses on the other characters. There is a lot going on in this book and does not leave a lot of room for the romance to develop between the two main characters. Jim has a huge side story (which makes sense and I enjoyed). Eddie and Adrien, Jim’s angel friends have their thing going on, as does Devina, Matthias, the four dudes in heaven. I’m not saying the other storylines were boring – far from it. But I just wanted Isaac and Grier to build up their romance more – they make it to the bedroom quick – and then that is it.

I also don’t know if I like (or understand) the cheating that occurs on both sides. The four dudes in heaven make it such a point that they can’t interfere at times or the entire “game” will be forfeit, but then one of them does – without consequences from the Creator. Same thing with Devina – what are the rules of this game they are playing? They seem very wishy-washy. Devina does make for a worthy villain and I like her continuing story.

Crave kept my interest much more than Covet did and also had a better hero and heroine. With more focus on the romance throughout the book, I would have really liked it.

Rating: 3.5/5

[Debra Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Crave by J.R. Ward
Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance, Suspense
4.5 Stars

So if you have made it to the 2nd book you know that this series is about the 7 sins and has 2 mc's, Jim (the newly fallen angel) & Devina (the female demon) that are in all 6 books.
Jim must save 7 souls from Devina.

Each book in the series also has the 2 mc's whose souls have to be saved. In this story those souls are Isaac Rothe and Grier Childe. While I loved them both...... There were a few parts that didn't 'Completely' do it for me like bk#1 did. Well, actually those parts weren't just about Isaac & Grier, but..... You will have to read it to understand when I say,
"There are parts that put me off"

Now if bk#1 didn't have enough action in it for you, this one definitely ups that anty.
Devina is going no holds barred in her war to win the souls away from the good side.

Speaking of Devina, you get a lot more character build on her in this one.
You also get the goods on another bad guy.
There are added layers to what's going on with Jim.
And the layers for the story line get more interesting.

I liked bk#1 better, but I still loved this story & I raced to get bk#3

[Darien · Rating 4 out of 5]

^^I CRAVE A SHITE LOAD MORE!^^
4.5

Hands down, Crave is better than the first book in this heart pounding series. Where Covet was an introduction to the other side of Caldwell, Crave is established and brings the jaw drop and goose bumps. The Warden offers up a writing style all her own and some of the greatest leading men, these guys make being good “oh so bad”.

Jim Heron is to the save the world by saving seven souls. He is up against a WICKED biatch. She would make you welcome the antichrist with open arms. The soul Jim believes he must save is someone he knows very well, and brings him back to the life (temporarily) he left behind. He connects with old acquaintances, and the future is looking all kinds of grim for all of them.

Isaac Roth is on the run from something you are not allowed to run from. Being an ex-X-OP, his life is all about running and fighting. Until he gets caught; and the sexy lawyer is making him think about throwing in the towel and facing his demons. Great fantasy, but the person he is running from will kill him and everyone he knows. There is something else at play and Isaac is it finding it hard to figure things out, when an old friend appears (Jim Heron) and is hell bent on keeping him safe it ups his weird metre by a 50, what so important about himself anyways and why does it seem like the world is depending on it. Or so Jim think?

What the book is ultimately about is good vs. evil, and no one is more evil and ridiculous than our villain Devina. Talk about psycho bitch from hell (literally). She is crazy, out of this world and those are the one that make a ‘good’ bad guy. Devina is unlike anything I have read in a long time, she’s evil but I can’t help liking her. Does some serious shit happen? You damn right it does, it all kinds of does. My heart was hurting for Jim in Devina's love dungeon. Jim comes back like a roundhouse kick, all up in your face and making it hurt.

If you are looking for a true romance, it’s not in this book. However, if you want a bad romance (excuse my lady gaga reference), this book has it. This is all about “slam bam thank you mam” kinda shit. No roses and flower petals here, just bad times leading to everlasting love.

I think the Warden has a writing style that is all her own, and I am so glad she keeps to her originality. There are just so many lines in the book that made me smile, only J.R would put those twists on words and have them make total sense. I look forward to Envy, the third book in the series, cus gawd how I love me some Jim, Adrian and Eddie. Lets also not forget Dog, though his scenes were less they were all the more awesome.

SideNote- I think there are two angels, who are secretly in love with each other. They go by the name of Nigel and Colin (and I believe their love might soon be no secret at all). Awww the things that happen in my head ;)

[Saimi Vasquez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Isaac esta huyendo de su pasado, donde era un asesino para un grupo de operaciones especiales llamado XOps, donde una vez que entras solo hay una forma de salir y es en una bolsa de cadaveres. Pero Isaac no queria seguir asesinando, asi que hace un par de anos huyo, pero sabe que su anterior jefe lo esta buscando, asi que solo conoce una huir, hacer dinero pelando (lo mejor que sabe hacer) y correr cuando tiene lo suficiente. Pero una redada de la policia lo pone de nuevo en el sistema, y sabe que sus dias estan contados, asi que solo espera poder salir bajo fianza y huir de nuevo. El problema es que su "abogada" no lo deja, lo sigue persiguiendo instandole a hacer lo correcto, y el no puede alejarse de ella, es como si la atraccion que siente por la mujer es mas grande que todo lo demas.
Mientras tanto, hay una guerra entre el cielo y el infierno, y Jim, Adrian y Edward son los angeles encargados de impedir que Devina gane la contienda y se apodere de la tierra. Asi que este trio de angeles, encabezado por Jim deben intentar que sus "sujetos" no sean llevados al lado oscuro, y cuando Jim se entera es su "objetivo" es uno de sus ex-companeros de XOps, pone todo su empeno en evitar que este caiga en manos del mal.
Pero podran los angeles lograr que su "objetivo" tome la decision correcta? Podra Isaac detener a su ex-jefe antes de que lo asesine?

En esta historia vemos un intan-love entre un ex-militar y una abogada, la relacion entre ellos no tiene nada de especial, no hay mayor drama en la historia de amor, y aunque el autor intento que vieramos a esta pareja como los protas principales de la historia, realmente lo que me gusto mas fue la historia de Jim y la guerra con Devina.
Se que en el primer libro vemos como Jim se sacrifica y es convertido en angel, y vemos al personaje de Devina mas como una mujer malcriada y malvada, que como un Demonio. Aqui comienzo a tenerle lastima a Devina, porque realmente parece no saber lo que quiere, y aunque es realmente mala y manipuladora, creo que mas adelante en la serie veremos partes mas humanas de ella.
Asi que voy a contiuar con la lectura, porque quiero ver como se desarrolla la pareja Jim-Devina, y que va a pasar con los demas Angeles y Arcangeles.

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The battle between Heaven and Hell is heating up. Jim Heron is a fallen angel, on a mission to save seven souls. His opposition is Devina, a demon who doesn't fight fair. Jim must find Isaac Rothe, a black ops buddy with a target on his back. Isaac left the black ops team headed by Matthias, a man who now wants him dead. Isaac ends up in jail for illegal cage fighting where he meets Public Defender Grier Childe. She sees someone who needs her help...someone who is trying to redeem himself.

Another great installment in the Fallen Angels series. If you liked the first book, you'll really enjoy this one. Jim and his buddies, Eddie and Adrian, have their work cut out for them as they try to save Isaac. I liked the romance between Isaac and Grier, even though it was instalove. Even the demon, Devina, is interesting.

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Eric Dove. He does a fantastic job with these characters. I hope he continues with this series. My rating: 4.5 Stars.

[Pepito · Rating 3 out of 5]

So ... How most of my goodreads' friends could have given 4 and 5 stars to this book is beyond my comprehension. I'm giving 3 stars to it and being really nice about it. It was far better than book 1 though, that much I agree.

So many things are still wrong with this series that I don't know even where to start.

FIRST :The paranormal aspect of the story

I know this series is supposed to be paranormal, but IMHO not enough importance is given to the paranormal characters. I always find myself craving for more, more details about the angels, more details about the demons and a far deeper development of the plot. We know it's good against evil but not much more has been explained. Then I don't like the whole idea of Angels cursing all the time and saying the f word as it they were saying 'hello there'. I like the whole huge sexy guys dressed in leather and cursing like that for the BDB because they are warriors fighting against the worst evil in the planet, but angels should not be like that. Also I found that I feel like all J.R. Ward characters are becoming too much alike. It's hard to distinguish them as they all speak in the same way and behave too much alike.

SECOND: The main couple

The romance in this installment was between Isaac and Grier. I liked them, specially at the beginning, but their relationship never really developed, it felt more like a whim than love at the end. Things started fine, but then they just never went forward. Sex, fight, sex, fight, then a separation and then hey let's get together and have our HEA right from nowhere. I don't know, that ending was just a bit lame. Hey and this is not a spoiler as the main couples always get their HEA in this kind of books. Also you just know you didn't care much for the main couple when your attention is exactly everywhere else but in them. The whole time I was just trying to see if we would get more about Jim, Ad or Ed.

THIRD: THE PLOT

I was just dying to know more about the angels all the time, that's what's good about this series and we don't get enough of them. More than once I thought things would turn out one way and the next second just the opposite happened. As regular basis I like to be surprised but in this case it wasn't a pleasant surprise.
***Spoilers***
Like when Isaac was supposed to join them as an angel, but never did. Why throw as so many lines about it and then just make Jim disappear and never talk to him?
And WTF was that about Devina cheating and nothing happening to her for doing so??? How can't they do something but she interferes the whole time without repercussions? Why the good ones have to play nice when Devina is cheating all the time? It was annoying. I didn't like the ending at all. I would have given this book 4 stars if it wasn't for that ending! I would not mind Jim loosing but I did because it was not fair at all, all he suffered for nothing.
**end of spoilers**

I don't know I just didn't like too many things of the story, but I did like it as a whole. I do love the theme, Angels, good against evil, souls to be saved and all that. I just wish we get more of that and less about the romance of the soul who needs to be saved.

[Nomad · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was AWFUL, they say that it can become very apparent when a writer has jumped the shark and gone completely off the deep end. Well ladies and gents aside from the very first book, the Fallen Angels series marks the point where Ward done lost her goddamned mind! I mean this thing is... garbage, and honestly the book after it is even worse. But I'll save my vitriol for that... piece of wet toilet paper when I review it.

Crave almost sucks from the very word go. Let's start with the romantic couple, shall we? There is nothing very unusual about them at all. I mean this takes sterotypical to a whole new level. Let's take it from the top shall we:

1. Grier Childe is so drop dead gorgious she stuns almost everyone she meets into silence. Yawn. I mean, I'm not saying she has to be ugly, but all of Ward's females lately have become blandly beautiful, described nearly indentically save for their hair color, though the majority are blondes. Actaully at one point the police that this lawyer works with get so effusive with how beautiful Grier is, that it's nearly offensive. She's shown as getting preferential treatment and extra safety measures given to her because the whole damn police department is besotted with her. Ward makes a throw away statement that Grier is very kind, but honestly EVERYONE who thinks about Grier goes on and on about how pretty she is. It got rather ridiculous after a while, so overboard it became comic. It also became concerning because you end up thinking that any other woman who walks into that police department who's packing on a few extra pounds or just doesn't look like a goddess, is going to be treated like shit. It's made VERY clear that this is special treatment that only Grier gets, and it's pretty clear she gets it because she is so otherworldly beautiful. So I am left with the assumption that Ward thinks it's okay to give pretty people favors and people who aren't drop dead beautiful can go sit and spin.

Also: Grier excepts this preferential treatment with a smile on her her face. Here's how this works in the real world kiddies: when you work in an ultra boy's club like law enforecement and you accept treatment like this, it backfires on you BADLY. You trade on your looks instead of your brains in a career like that and almost EVERYONE ends up hating you.

2. Grier is supposed to be a brilliant mind but she makes the dumbest choices of any smart person I've ever heard of. I mean honestly, I spent a whole lot of time thinking 'You're an idiot, you deserve what you get. Not that you'll get it because your too pretty and lord knows anyone pretty never gets what they deserve in a J.R. Ward book'.

3. The male romantic lead is really forgettable. Want to know how forgetable? I FORGOT HIS NAME! There is absolutely nothing about him that would make him stand out in a crowd of fictional characters. Zero, nada. In all honesty I found myself not caring at all if Grier and Boring Guy got together or not. It really didn't matter to me and I'm at a loss as to understand why anyone WOULD care.

4. Here is where Ward officially went to the rape as drama well one too many times for me. Devina is torturing Jim Heron, and honestly, it didn't really affect me. By now it's old hat, she likes to use sexual torture the way other authors like to use... chairs. She's used it too often and I am now immmune to it it would seem. Sad but true. I now open her books and expect to see some sort of sexual violence as much as I expect to see White men aping Black/Latino culture patterns. This should not be. Rape should never be overused to this extent.

5. THE 40 YEAR OLD HERO IS IN LOVE WITH A DEAD 19 YEAR OLD GIRL! Like honest to G-d, sexual love. I need to go throw up now. And she's not just sort of dead like the ressurected as an angel Jim, nope she's all the way dead as in a rotting corpse in her grave dead. What's next? ZOMBIE LOVINS? It's tre chic to say that age is just a number but I'm sorry a 21 year age difference is just too much to surrmount and the only guys I've ever met in my life that were Jim Heron's age who wanted to be with a GIRL Sissy's age were creeps who liked the sense of control they had over someone that young. Oh, Sissy is a virgin too... OF COURSE!

Which brings me to....

6. J.R. Ward has a massive case of internalized misogyny. She hates women, it's kind of obvious at this point. The women in many of her books are virginal or near virginal boring good girls who have no skills, no ability to make their own decisions, no... NOTHING! And Sissy is the epitome of this trope. She's dead, she's the love of Jim's life because Ward tells us she is and that's it. The guy met her while she was dead and hanging upside over a bathtub. Now he's certifiably obsessed with her. It's disgusting! But hey, at least now Ward has no reason to write dialogue or motivations for her, she doesn't have to. She's dead. Jim yanks her out of hell for about 3 minutes to talk to her and well, guess what folks... she's a blonde damsel in distress... AND SHE'S DEAD! AND SHE'S 19! AND HE'S 40!

7. Did you like the tense battle for a soul in Covet? I did. I really loved that. You will never see it again. Jim spends the bulk of his time being unseen and watching his charges instead of getting to know them or helping them very much. How he can be credited with saving or losing a soul from this book onward floors me. He spends all his time obsessing over dead 19 year old Sissy.

Stop reading this series after Covet. I wish I had. But no... I read 2 more books. I can never get back the hours of my life I wasted in reading this book or the 3rd one, Envy.

[Smokinhotbooks K.C. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I know, I know you are not ‘supposed’ to compare BDB (for the uninitiated that’s Black Dagger Brotherhood) with Fallen Angles but I can’t help it. I’m in hearts with all the brothers and wanted the same relationship to happen with the Fallen series. (My emotional grid was all over the place…you actually can’t see that I just fist bumped myself)). But seeing as how Covet was a mite disappointing, I felt the need to pump the brakes and take a knee before I bought the new installation to the series, Crave. I was still feeling a bit sore from my initial jubilation smack down, and didn’t want to get my hopes up that Crave would be any better.

Oh, how I doubted my bestie, fav author. Ward, made a major improvement with her second book in the series and Crave is substantially better than Covet, by giant sized leaps and bounds. Now, it’s been a while between books so other than remembering Jim, fallen angels, and some crazy demon chick named Devina I was drawing a blank on the details of this series. The beginning is a bit confusing, actually I could have done without that whole part until our main man, Isaac, meets up with his lawyer, Grier Childe. Perhaps I was having a blond moment or not enough Ginko Biloba in my diet but once Grier and Isaac crossed paths the book became far more interesting. Why it was automatic, it was systematic, it was hydromatic! Why it was greased lightnin’!

Isaac is an awoled man on the run from the XOps (anyone else thinks that sounds dirty…). He is trying to survive by doing a little illegal MMA fighting to make some money. Nobody could fault Ward for being urbanely current. So, after being in an underground bust by the police, in walks his super foxy lawyer, Grier Childe. Grier has her own demons to slay and tries to keep them at bay by doing pro bono work.
Jim must once again battle the uber creepy Devina as part of the ‘Seven’ souls he must win for team good, otherwise the world will fall under the rule of evil. Nothing like a little pressure . As with Covet the soul Jim must save is never as cut and dry as it may seem and just because he has one on team evil doesn’t mean he can get cocky. Devina has grown more desperate to win and the stakes have just been raised.

I would have like more paranormal aspects with Devina and her demons, although there is one creepy scene where Jim makes a bargain with the demon to stay with her for a night. I may have been emotionally scared by that one. Sadistic torture can definitely leave a lasting imprint. What makes Crave stand out from Covet, is the characters. Grier was a much more interesting character and paired with Isaac’s southern gentleman charm and one badass demon – made for a great combination.

So, if you were sitting on the fence on this one, your ol pals KC and K-Khan give it the Smokin Hot Stamp of approval. Other than the confusing beginning you don’t want to miss out on this one because Ward can still weave one bad ass story and with a surprise twist at the end.

[Lynn · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I still feel that J.R. Ward's books are immensely readable, Crave proved to be the first time I've contemplated seriously giving her up. The plot of this book made absolutely no sense whatsoever, characters made choices that defied logic and seemed designed simply as a means to provide gratuitous scenes of torture. The central conflict of the story is convoluted and unclear - I have no idea what these people are fighting against and the rules of the game are ever changing. And I've finally reached the point where Ward's bending of the English language into her own unique form of slang is so ubiquitous and obvious that I can't ignore it and am constantly pulled out of the story to roll my eyes. I think I may have finally broken my Ward book-crack habit

[Caty · Rating 3 out of 5]

At first, I tought I was gonna like this instalment better than Covet, but at the end, it wasn't the case.

The plot was OK, not really original and just mildly entertaining. The romance was a little off, even when the hero and the heroine seemed to be really complex and interesting characters, you never really get the chance to know or understand them. Actually, the story unfolds in just a couple of days , and seriously, who falls head over heels in love in no more than 72 hours? That's just ridiculous. Lust? sure, an incredible attraction? off course, but honest, long lasting love in three days? yeah, right.

My biggest issue with this book was the language. God. What was the Warden thinking? I love the brothers' slang, I find it really cute and distinctive, I already recognize that crazy talking as the brothers' voice. But when the same slang is used and abused by other characters, it just sounds silly and at some points ridiculous, even a little embarassing, kind of like an old lady trying too hard to speak like the cool kids.

Obviously, I wasn't thrilled about Crave, but I still want to know what will happen with Jim, Adrian and Eddie. I'm not in love with this series, not even close, but I guess I'll still be reading the next book.

[Jess the Romanceaholic · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's entirely possible that I simply need to re-read Covet, because I see everyone else saying that Crave didn't quite live up to the standard set by that book. I disagree wholeheartedly. There was definite chemistry between Isaac and Grier, and the whole bit with Jim and Devina -- well, that was skeevy beyond words. Even though Jim isn't technically the hero of these books, y'all know how much I love a tortured male, and Jim's got it in spades in this one.

I did figure out the twisty twist way before the aha moment the characters experienced, and without giving ANYTHING away, I will say that things panned out satisfactorily.

--

I also died from a joygasm in reading the nice little tidbit from Lover Unleashed at the very end ;)

Solid 5 Stars from me.

[Cindyg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding...this was an excellent story...I love Jim and his buds...Isaac and Grier...awesome. I was pulled in right from the beginning and couldn't put this book down. The story lines where easy to keep up with...the pace was great and the character development both primary and secondary where fantastic. I'm in love with series and can't wait to see where J.R. takes us next.
I can't stress enough how good this book/series is...I highly recommend Crave...it will leave you CRAVING for more...

[Carol Storm · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hi Kids! Devina here again. As a sexy she-devil, I don't really celebrate Christmas, but I did want to wish everyone a happy holiday season, and let you know that CRAVE, the second novel in J.R. Ward's Fallen Angel series, is actually kind of . . . well, meh would be the word I guess.

I really had high hopes for this one going in. I really thought I was going to get some more steamy sex with Jim Heron, the blue collar angel with the wings and the cute little scruffy dog. But of course, we're on opposite sides of the whole World Series of Souls thing. You know, Heaven vs. Hell, fighting over seven mortal souls, best of seven wins. It's actually a lot more boring than it sounds!

This time around, our mortal couple turns out to be pretty appealing, but the love story never really gets going. First you have Grier Childe, a blonde, upper-class lady lawyer who is still mourning for her dead junkie brother and spends a lot of time helping poor (white) people in prison. I liked Grier. She was like a modern Grace Kelly type, with fabulous clothes and loads of aristocratic sex appeal. I just wish I could have taken over her body, and run through the streets of Boston naked!

But no, Grier gets to keep her own body in this book. And she even gets a hunk named Isaac Rothe, one of those mysterious Special Ops guys Jim used to run around with . . . back when he walked among the living. Now the problem with Isaac is, he never gets much of a personality. See, the whole XOPS premise is that these guys have no family, no ties, and no past. So Isaac really doesn't "exist" and his personality is actually pretty bland. We're told he has a "delicious" Southern accent (delicious to upper class Boston lawyers, I guess) but we never find out if he's from the Georgia pinewoods or the Louisiana bayous, if he's proud of his southern roots or embarrassed by them, or why he hated his family so much or who he dated in high school. Basically he just exists to make Grier coffee and worship her social status and aristocratic blonde looks. I'm just a she-devil, mind you, but it all seems pretty decadent to me. It reminds me of a crack Gore Vidal made once about short story writer John O'Hara, how his blue collar characters are always fawning over the country club types "in an ecstasy of social inferiority." Nailed it Mr. Vidal!

Now if Grier and Isaac could have had a real relationship, and confronted the huge real-life problems they might actually face, (she's a lawyer pulling down seven figures, from a very old family, he fell off a turnip truck and has about a seventh grade education) it could have been a good romance. Their early love scenes are super hot, and as a she-devil I know from hot! But see, J.R. Ward has an annoying habit of ignoring her own strengths and playing to her weaknesses. So no sooner do Grier and Isaac start exploring the joys of omelets and oral sex, (she's good at one, and he's very good at the other) we interrupt this sexy romance novel to bring you the world's most annoying villain.

What's that you say? Me? Did you think I meant . . . moi?

Oh no! I'm a sexy she-devil with a fabulous body and a great sense of humor, but I DON'T get to be the main villain in this second Fallen Angel novel. No, no, no! Good old J.R. Ward, in her wisdom, brings in a guy named Matthias, who is crippled, ugly, boring, wears an eye-patch, and is constantly whining about his bad heart. Sexy, huh? Oh, well. At least he chews the scenery like the corniest of old-time villains! He's the head of X OPS, see, and he keeps giving out bad "assignments" to guys he doesn't like, while bragging (over and over and over) of his own infallible wisdom and all-knowing powers.

Do you know how irritating this jerk gets after about fifty pages? He's not exactly Darth Vader. He's more like "The Pin" in the classic Indie film BRICK. (I kept waiting for Isaac to pull a Tug and yell, "I ain't taking no more orders from no costumed cripple!") No, on second thought, Matthias isn't even that cool. He's more like the perverted teenage loser Archie in Robert Cormier's classic YA novel THE CHOCOLATE WAR. Ever read that book? "I'm warning you, Obie. I'm the leader of the Vigils, and I'm a super genius. No one crosses me or else I come up with an assignment and they end up selling chocolates for all eternity!" Why on earth does the most gifted and original romance writer in the world want to steal her villain from a book that's usually assigned to under-achieving Seventh Graders as punishment?

I never bought that Matthias was tough, or that he ran X OPS, or that he had real ties to the government, or anything else. His all-knowing pose was fall down laughing funny, as was his melodramatic "heart trouble" and his spiritual malaise. At one point he stops into a church and gets down on his knees and begins to pray, and has a total change of heart. It's that corny. It's that stupid. Really the whole gang should have just started singing "California Dreaming" at that point, with Danny the Dead Junkie leading the chorus! "You know the preacher likes the cold . . ." Yeah, and J.R. Ward likes the sentimental cliche of the reformed villain!

So the longer the book drags on, the less we hear about the omelets and the oral sex, and the more endless, endless, discussions we get about Matthias and his guilty conscience, and Grier's angelic dead junkie brother. Did you ever notice that when rich white people get strung out on drugs, they're tragic victims, but when it happens to colored folks and the working poor they're just low-life junkies? Oh, and little Danny (don't call him David Kennedy) he didn't REALLY overdose, he was held down and FORCED to OD by evil government minions! Ah, the old secret conspiracy that absolves the beloved family member from blame. So very convenient, and so delightfully cheesy!

Now Jim Heron and I, we do have a couple of confrontations in this book, but they aren't as sexy as I would have expected. Or wanted! See, our man Jim has this thing where if a woman has normal sexual feelings for him he has to turn into a lightning bolt and knock her across the room. But if she's a dead fourteen year old girl who exists in a permanent state of mummified virginity he gets down on his knees and worships her. Well, I may be a sexy she-devil, Jim, but at least I'm not a repressed crypto-Catholic pervert with a sickeningly Victorian double standard about sex! Now Jimmy's two heavenly flunkies, Eddie and Adrian, they have sex with mortals all the time! How come when they do it it's cute but when I do it I'm a slut?

Right now I just don't know if I can handle another book in the Fallen Angel series. I don't want to be a pawn in J.R. Ward's game any more. I'm tired of the distorted sexual values, the sickening sentimentality about class privilege, and the disturbing absence of people of color. I think next time around I'm just going to stay in my room and count my lipsticks over and over!

[Home Is Where the Wine Is Book Blog · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I want a proper piece of you before I go. Something to remember you with that's in my skin, not just my brain."

SERIOUSLY DID THAT JUST HAPPEN?!!!!!


Ok so starting off let me say I LOVE LOVE LOVE J.R. Ward!....but this series is a buzz kill. First is slow talking about Jim's past etc etc.

Then in comes Isaac!!! Wowza that man is sex on a stick!



And I'm thinking HAPPY HAPPY JOY JOY!!

Problem is that was the best part of the book was the few chapters where Grier and Isaac...ummm get to know each other.

This book is more like a good action thriller than a romance...problem is I don't really like reading action thrillers...:(.

I rate it 4 out of 5 because of the middle and though it did keep me going till the end I felt annoyed when I was DONE.

I miss the BROTHERS!!!

[Riverina Romantics · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely no where near as good as the Black Dagger Brotherhood, but I still thoroughly enjoyed it

I didn't really enjoy the first story in this series because I had such high expectations coming off her Black Dagger Brotherhood series, so when I started this book I was expecting it to be pretty crappy - but I am happy to admit that I was wrong.

J.R. Ward is such a wordsmith! I cant put into words how brilliant she is.

I felt like I was on a rollercoaster ride with this book, totally floored against the back of my seat with the rapid pace and the pits and turns were unbelievable. Not only can J.R. Ward write one hell of a sex scene, but she can top it off with a whole heap of heart fluttering romance, stomach churning violence and non-stop suspense.

An excellent example of no holds barred writing skills are evident in my two favourite quotes from this book:

“My dear boy, do go f&*k yourself”.

“His c*&k twitched like it was raising a hand to be called on by the teacher, the erection all oh-oh-oh-oh-I-got-an-answer –for-that”.

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm very intrigued by this series. I'm still trying to figure things out because the angel/demon thing is confusing at times. I feel like Devina cheats quite a bit with the other side not really being able to.

The past is really what comes for everyone in this one. I will say that I enjoyed the connection with Isaac and Grier. I'm not sure I bought the I love you's towards the end. They seemed forced. The book was so focused on the fight that them just having sex a couple of times, didn't warrent the words for me.

I did feel like it ended rather ubruptly, but it was still a good book.

[Duchess Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick little mini review...

--Isaac is AWESOME! Big tough mean looking guy with a heart of gold...well, after he's done being a badass killer-face.

--Brutal! If you're askeered of rape scenes, you may want to skip a scene. It's a man who is violated, which I guess leaves more opportunity to be graphic about it? I know if it was a woman who had this done in such a descriptive way, there would be a reader revolt! I was a bit disturbed, so fair warning.

--Jim, OH JIM! You've just got to love him. He's surrounded by the most complicated chess game ever, one in which the good guys do bad things. Yet he retains his amazing empathy for the innocent. He's still got Dog, and the pitiful creature still snuggles! Nuff said...

--Much better than the first book. I was getting worried for a bit.

--Silly observation - Ward loves to use anatomy terms. Her characters all have "visceral feelings" and use their "frontal lobes" and often their "adrenal glands start working overtime". At one point, Isaac's head made like a washing machine...well, not anatomical, but it made me laugh.

[Pam Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I do love a book with a man who has been a black-ops soldier because you KNOW it’s going to be hella good. He is like a ghost I love that he can be there and then poof up in smoke!

The battle between good and evil is in full swing, Jim, Eddy, and Adrian are determined to win but it’s not as easy as it seems.

I loved Grier, and her whole character, she had such a strong will and great head on her shoulders. Her idea’s and determination really make her relationship with Isaac believable.
Davina is one nasty B----------- But I love her character too because is she wasn’t the way she is then the books wouldn’t work.
The ENDING…….

I am really starting to warm up to the narration.

[Ronda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't say too much about this book without spoiling it for others, but needless to say it is on my favourite shelf along with the first.... I love the way I'm getting to know Jim, Ad and Ed.... and I adore dog... I am so involved with the 'idea' of these stories that it is hard to put the books down... so different and still fabulous...

LOVED round 2, but still can't say what I'd like because I don't want to spoil it...

[Sanela K. · Rating 5 out of 5]

12. knjiga koju sam pročitala 2020. godine je drugi dio serijala "Pali anđeli" od J.R. Ward, pod nazivom "Požuda"... pročitana u dva dana. Pokušaću da opišem bez spojlera... I dalje pratimo utakmicu između sila dobra i sila zla, drugu po redu od ukupno sedam, prije nego što Veliki Sudija odsvira kraj. Džim Heron, bivši pripadnik specijalne jedinice, sada jači nego prije (u prvom dijelu), ali i na težim i većim iskušenjima nego prije, pokušava pomoći bivšem kolegi (Isaac Roth) koji se takođe usudio da napusti tu istu specijalnu jedinicu, u kojoj su prije nekoliko godina radili zajedno... Prošlost mu je bila puna ubistava, a budućnost neizvjesna i naizgled sumorna. Malo živosti unosi Grier Childe, prekrasna plavuša, advokatica dodijeljena da ga brani nakon hapšenja i kojoj je on bio pro bono slučaj... I naravno, tu su i likovi iz prvog dijela: Adrian, Eddie, Colin, Nygel, Devina... Vrlo interesantno za čitati, napeto na svakoj stranici, baš poput trilera, sa primjesama fantazije a opet savremeno, uključuje moralne dileme, malo erotike i pravu ljubav, prijateljstvo, saosjećanje... A naslov se odnosi, koliko sam shvatila na demonicu, glavnu igračicu snaga zla... Likovi su odlično razrađeni, radnja takođe a i sam kraj je odličan... šta se sve izdešavalo, koja ekipa je postigla skor i naravno, koji su sve likovi i moralni pobjednici u svojim individualnim životnim pričama. Ocjena? 🤔 Čista petica: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ i preporuka za čitanje. Jedva čekam da se bacim na čitanje trećeg dijela serijala 😀🤤

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars- (rounded up to 4) This review is Spoilery without outright spoilers.

I'm going to bullet point this review because, I just can't seem to write a coherent sentence.

~I love Dog. I wish we saw him more.

~I continue to like Jim, but I feel like he's not as morally ambiguous as everyone thought, but Ward also acknowledged that through the character of Devina so I can live with it. Since this was his first real mission, I wish it would have been more focused on the soul they were saving and Jim & Devina. The romance storyline made me feel cheated. Like there was a compromise A need to tell the story about Matthias, but an obligation to provide a love story. I would have been ok without it.

~I'm not sold on all the sexual abuse in this story. Implied or otherwise. I feel like it's a cheaters way to make Devina bad, when she has the potential to be bad without it. And it's a cheap way to make us feel for the ones who experience it. And the threat of it continually throughout (not just by Devina) just seemed like too much.

~I like Adrian. I feel like we have now seen his two extremes and I am waiting for his middle ground. I am curious about the full extent of his friendship with Eddie. And I am very curious about Eddie's POV. If we are going to spend so much time with these guys, I would like to get to know them as well.

~My curiosity is piqued about Nigel & Colin (page 71)- Do the two live together? Is it being implied they are in a relationship? And what kind of physical relationship is that? And what about Colin is different? I am starting to have some questions about these angels.

~I think it's interesting that Devina is seeing a psychiatrist. I think the idea of the ultimate evil have a case of OCD is interesting. I want to wait to see how it all plays out to see what i think about it. Or if was just there to be a funny thing about the character. Cause right now I'm like, "you have no conscious, yet you are concerned because you are hoarding things?" Like I said I'm will to see how it goes.

~Isaac... I thought we were in for an interesting outcome. I thought that maybe Isaac was going to joining the war which would lend itself to my theory that with every assignment, Jim collects the help of someone else. With Vin having the psychic ability and then Isaac could be a warrior... it has potential to be the way they all band together in the end to take on Devina because she tries to pull some major cheat... But I got off topic- Isaac I think starts off interesting and then just falls flat. And I know ultimately the story wasn't supposed to be about his redemption but...

~Matthais- I know that we were supposed to be shocked/surprised like JIm that the soul he was supposed to save was his, but since it was, I wish we had spent some more time with him. The way it is I feel like he was a curveball, for the sake of being a curveball. Because we spent SO MUCH time with Grier & Isaac- I saw that ending about 300 pages before it happened- if it wasn't going to really be their story, I would have like less of them.

~Grier-who I keep wanting to call Pam, as in Pam Grier, I only mention it because I just realized I had done it in the previous paragraph and had to change them all- was not a very interesting character either. She was a very good lawyer and clearly headstrong, with a softer side reserved for what seem to be lost causes and stray puppies. She sees the ghost of her brother as well. I think she had a lot going on and I feel like we don't really understand why she comes to terms with things so quickly.

~ I think the ghost was an interesting concept, but again, I'm not really sure what purpose it solved. Besides telling her to trust Isaac, he didn't give us new information. Or information we couldn't have gotten elsewhere or did get elsewhere.

~I am really curious about Jim and Sissy. I want to know where this is all heading. I think the way he talks about her sometimes sounds like he is in love with her and sometimes sounds like he is a father figure to her.

~I'm hoping this doesn't just become a good guys win/bad guys win every other book type of thing. And I hope this series is finite. I cringe at the idea of dragging it out. I think with an end in sight, the books could be more precise.

~There were a lot of characters in this book and I felt like in an attempt to service them all, some of them just got lost in the shuffle.

~I know it doesn't sound like it, but I did enjoy this book. I think I liked Covet better as a whole but I like the potential I see in this continuing story in this book.

[Melindeeloo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dark and gritty, and full of dangerous (and a few tormented) males...

Another soul is at the cross roads and up for grabs. Heaven is ahead by one soul, but Hell is up to bat and the first team (Heaven or Hell) to get a majority in seven skirmishes wins it all. With this second entry, Ward solidifies her new Fallen Angels series and get past some of the things that bothered me in the first book: Jim Herron, the sole entity ‘allowed’ to influence the soul’s decision, has definitely gotten his wings, and Jim’s relationship with his crew - Adrian and Eddie - is beginning to gel, and there are not too many heavenly interventions - the angelic mentors didn't really grab me last time. Jim's nemesis also gains a great deal of depth with her 'help sessions' and 'her collections'.

In Crave, Jim has more of a vested interest in this skirmish since several of the players are people from his not so distant human past as a black ops soldier. This when combined with the fact that I also liked the pairing for the romance better this time are also strong plusses in Crave’s favor. Jim's former black ops comrade Isaac and lawyer Grier Childes both are solid characters and the intense attraction between them as they are thrown into danger together seems real - even though it is hard to imagine a HEA for a pair from such different worlds.

Crave is definitely darker than the Covet and there are some difficult to read moments when one of the characters is tortured and violated - and in the aftermath of that as well. I can see Ward’s purpose in this, as it affects relationships between several characters, but it still was hard to take.

I guess the bottom line with Crave was that I enjoyed the immediate story of Isaac and Grier and thought that Crave effectively advanced the elements of the larger series arc. With all that happened, I felt as if that there was a real battle going on and not one with a quick and easy resolution – and I didn’t find the outcome to be predictable. Despite my discomfort with the extent of the darkness, I still am interested in seeing how things unfold for Jim and how the battle progresses in future books.