I’ve been waiting for this book since the moment I finished Tortured Sinner. That wasn’t a cliffhanger but it ended as a HFN with tons of loose ends and I was invested in these characters. Luckily for me, this story goes right into the action, picking up exactly where the first ended. The first book had a lot of tension and built up to the action so I was expecting more of the same but that wasn’t the case. I wasn’t prepared for the fast-pace and constant action, but it’s just one thing after another and I couldn’t put this book down.
There are new enemies and allies, plus a few twists I never saw coming but Claire and Johnny handle it all. Claire in particular has really come into her own, no longer holding back and not afraid to act on instinct. Johnny struggles with guilt from bringing her into his world but she proves to him time and time again that she is more than capable and will never shrink in the face of danger. She’s a badass who saves them more than once.
Their relationship has grown and deepened in so many ways, but it’s happening so fast, they’re both hesitant to give in to this all-consuming love at first. They’re so gone for one another but at the same time hesitant to reveal their dark sides, afraid the other will walk away if they only knew the truth. It’s frustrating but completely realistic. Eventually circumstances force their hands and they both drop all pretense. They bare it all, every vulnerability, despite their fears and it only makes them stronger. Claire was sure Johnny would be horrified at her secret but it leaves him in awe of her strength and determination.
Johnny thought he needed to protect her until he learns the hard way that keeping her in the dark works against them. They’re much stronger as a team than he could ever be alone and
the only chance they have to survive Franklin is to work together. Once all the cards are on the table, their connection not only deepens but gives them the energy and a renewed strength to fight.
I love everything about this story and it’s just as steamy as the first. These characters drew me in immediately in the first book and I always want more. The evolution of their relationship has been sweet and scary and hot but I still want more. They get their HEA here, but it comes at a price. The ending was bittersweet but leaves the door open for this to become a series and I really hope that happens. Their circumstances at the end of this book would be the perfect foundation for more so the series-hound in me is begging for it, but if this has to be the end for Claire and Johnny, I couldn’t imagine any other ending to their story.
I was given an advance copy by Social Butterfly PR in exchange for an honest review.
Fallen Angel on Amazon
Fallen Angel
by Tessa James
Sinners & Angels duet book 2
Available July 29th
I barely made it out alive, and even then, I lost the life I knew.
I was sure my plan would work. That I’d be able to disappear without a trace and leave the past behind me. But when a note appears and reminds me that I cannot run from this kind of evil, I’m forced to figure out how to end this once and for all.
Dragging Claire into this mess with me was never part of the plan, but she’s proven herself time and time again. I’m not sure I can do this without her. I’m not sure I even want to try.
A darkness lingers in both of us and threatens to take hold. I just have to stop it before it drags us down with it—her most of all.
