Deadly Passion is the first novel in Amanda Pillar’s angelic series Heaven’s Heart and is an exciting, easily to devour paranormal romance with sass, humour and action.
Half-demon Dru is a blood-bound assassin tied to her master until she works off her contract. She has a slight attitude problem, a strict hands-off policy and claws that she isn’t afraid to use. Dru wants to buy hers and her sisters freedom at any cost and is willing to take on targets that others shy away from. Which is how she finds herself in a region of Hell usually avoided, trying to kill a god and locate a mythical object---an object she may need to steal from an angel. Azrael was once a member of Heaven’s elite army, but when a priceless artifact was stolen on his watch, he and his squad members were thrown from Heaven as punishment. Now a fallen angel, he and his comrades are on a mission; find Heaven’s Heart, locate their missing brethren and return home. The first time Dru and Azrael meet she leaves him for dead. The second time it’s on a assignment to find the same object, Odin’s Orb. Will they step on each other to get what they need or will the attraction simmering between them see them both fight for something bigger….a chance at love?
As someone experienced with Amanda Pillar’s novels thanks to her Graced series I was keen to see what her take on angels and demons were in this paranormal romance series that features a different angel and couple in each instalment. For me this is my favourite kind of PNR. I love having the opportunity to follow a great bunch of interconnected characters throughout a series but focus on one couple in each novel as well as have previous characters appear in books----and I think this is exactly what Heaven’s Heart is going to be.
Introducing readers to her world of angels and demons, Amanda Pillar details Deadly Passion through the back and forth perspectives of Dru, a half-demon-half-human assassin and Azrael, a fallen angel who is trying to get back to Heaven. They should have nothing in common, but Az is not your typical do-gooder angel. Alongside his team, he is a warrior angel whose fall to Earth has left him with an appreciation for women and sex. He’s rough around the edges, but with Dru’s heartened, sarcastic attitude they suit one another.
I enjoyed that Amanda Pillar focuses around the story overall within this novel not just the physicality of Az and Dru’s relationship. There is a sex scene but not until towards the end after the characters have built a relationship and have gotten to know each other a bit. I love the build of a romance; the push and pull as two characters as they fight an attraction and think the anticipation is sometimes better than the end result. I commend Pillar for focusing on all aspects of the novel—the setting, the pacing, the angelic and demonic mythology alongside the romance and characterisation.
Having enjoyed Dru and Azrael’s tale, I’m looking forward to reading the other books in the series and seeing the other angels fall in love starting with Z and Dru’s sister Peony next in the second instalment!