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Review
3 stars!
This book is about faith, love, the unknown, and not taking ourselves so damn seriously all the time.
Evelyn “Evey” Casey dates but hasn’t really hit it off with anyone in the city of San Francisco. She rarely goes on more than one or two dates with the same person but finally she finds someone she wants to pursue. Just when she thinks there could really be a connection with her date, the date goes awry and the only thing possibly linked to the downward turn of events is the drunk at the bar who talked to her date moments before everything bombed.
Lucian is Evey’s guardian angel. After seeing her with her date through drunken eyes, he couldn’t help but mess with things. He’s been watching her for years and is drawn to her, more so than he should be. There are rules that keep order for the angels and the souls they protect, and Lucian has broken one – he has finally revealed himself to Evey and now her life will never be the same.
Lucian Divine is a step outside of Renee Carlino’s usually contemporary romances. The storyline is interesting, unique, and magical, and I was sucked in from the very first page. I was curious to see how the story played out and I found myself flipping pages as quickly as I could. It was well-written and the characters were complex. I liked the forbidden aspect of the story and thought it was well done.
Lucian should never have fallen in love with the soul he protected but he did. I understood his draw to her and was genuinely worried what would happen to him if he pursued her. He jumped into a relationship knowing there would be consequences and my heart hurt when the everything started unraveling. I loved his commitment to Evey and how he knew her so well, knew what she needed, and only wanted her to be happy. He was mysterious, sweet, sexy, and caring. But he wasn’t perfect and his inner turmoil was heartbreaking.
I’m on the other side of life, Evey, existing where death belongs and yearning to be with you. Yearning in brief moments to bring you here into the darkness.
It took me a while to warm up to Evey. I thought that some of her actions were not in line with her true nature. I wanted her to stand up for what she wanted and stand up for herself. I found her harder to relate to and I am not entirely sure why. She was sweet and loved fully but I guess I wanted to feel more from her.
The banter between Evey and Lucian was funny and I did enjoy them together. I just wish I felt more of a connection between them.
The relationship also moved a little too fast for me especially since they didn’t know what was going to happen when they took the next step.
“I can’t bear being without you. I don’t know what you’ve done to me, but I’m willing to risk it all.”
The beginning of the story was great with the description and buildup of the romance, but by the middle, everything fell apart and I felt this ride was a bit too bumpy. I wanted more happiness with this love story. As the story progressed, the actions of both Evey and Lucian bothered me. The time that should have been wonderful was far from it and I hurt with all the pain Lucian and Evey went through. My heart was ripped out over and over again with the agony surrounding them. Through it all though, it kept my attention and I was desperate to know what was to come.
This story shows the importance of faith, love, and trust in a relationship and I found myself wanting a HEA for Lucian and Evey by the end even with their faults and the rollercoaster they were put through. Overall, this book was entertaining but I felt that there were holes in it that left me wanting more. I enjoyed the beginning and the ending more than the middle of this book and I do think the ending worked well. It wrapped up the story nicely even though I had a few unanswered questions. I had a feeling it was going to take the turn it did and I was happy with the way things played out. Though it was not my favorite of Renee Carlino’s, I loved that she tried something new and I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.
“You are everything to me. You’re the dream, the air, the reason, the cause for my whole existence.”
*ARC generously provided by the author and InkSlinger PR in exchange for an honest review*