Series: The Sweet Trilogy

Synopsis:

It's time.

Evil is running rampant and sweet Anna Whitt is its target. Nobody knows when or how the Dukes will strike, but Anna and her Nephilim allies will do anything necessary to rid the earth of the demons and their oppressive ways.

The stakes are higher than ever, and Anna is determined that the love she feels will be her strength, not a liability. But trying to protect the ones she loves while running for her life and battling demonic forces proves to be perilous--especially as faces are changing and trust is fleeting. When the Duke of Lust sends Anna's great love, Kaidan Rowe, to work against her, Anna must decide how much she's prepared to risk.

In the most sensual and fast-paced installment yet, Sweet Reckoning brings all the beloved Neph together one last time to fight for their freedom.

Review:

*Spoilers for previous books*

Oh, this series was so much fun.  I am always on the lookout for a paranormal story that makes me want to smile with happiness while my heart is beating fast from the romance and perilous situations.  And The Sweet Series did just that!  While I did have a personal issue with an event that happened, I’m sure it won’t bother a lot people the way it did me.  But any who…..yes!  This series was fabulous, and since there is so much I can’t talk about, here’s my favorite things about Sweet Reckoning:

He closed his eyes. “I’d do anything for you.”
“Just love me,” I whispered.

An epic love story – A bad boy with a tortured past, and a truly good girl whose past is filled with love.  The two of them were polar opposites, yet when they were together it was an explosion of emotions.  Since Anna and Kaidan have finally announced their love for one another, I just knew that this book was going to be fabulous!  And I was so right!  I swooned over their interaction and I found myself grinning like a fool while fanning my face towards Kaidan.  My gosh, that boy can heat things up in the blink of an eye.  I got every single tiny moment I wanted with them, and it left me a very happy girl!

The odds were stacked against us. A year and a half ago I had held my hands up to the heavens and told them to deal me in, and they had. Now the prophecy was about to happen—this war on earth between the demons and their children—with me leading the way. My stomach was in knots.

True friends – I was thrilled that the twins, Blake, Kope and V played important roles in this book, so I got to spend a lot of time with them!  Each of them are true friends to either Kaidan, Annna, or even the both of them.  They could always be counted on in times of need, and they always had each others backs.  I loved that strong friendships played an important part in this series.  It makes me miss these characters almost as much as Kaidan and Anna!

Kaidan or the world? I’d been spared making that choice today, but it seemed inevitable that I’d have to eventually. Could I do the right thing if it meant Kaidan would lose his life? Tears threatened to fall again, but I fought them back, putting on a strong face and closing my eyes.
Please, God. Don’t make me choose.

Uncertainty and the unknown –  The way the story proceeded, there were twists that unfolded that I never even saw coming.  There were so many different parts at play, that it made certain elements of this book hard to guess, and I loved that!  I loved feeling clueless at times right along with Anna!  It made for a very eventful ride!

“Everything will be okay,” I said quietly. “The sooner we get rid of them, the better.”
His jaw worked from side to side. I wanted him to talk to me.
“What are you afraid of, Kai?”
“I’m only afraid of one thing.” His blue eyes hit mine. “Losing you.”

A wrapped up ending – If you know me, I deal much better with a Happily Ever After than a Happily For Now ending.  Not only was this ending wrapped up, but there was even an epilogue!  I wanted to jump up and down, I was so over the moon ecstatic that this book contained such a solid ending!

“It’s time,” I whispered.

While I’d love to stop my review here, I can’t.  Because there was a scene in Sweet Reckoning that was too religious for me.  I was perfectly fine that angels, demons and God existed in this series.  That wasn’t the problem.  What was the problem was in regards to having ones faith tested.  That situation left me feeling off, and I was not okay with how it was handled.  YET, I still love this series.  I loved the characters, the story-line and that ending.  So I will definitely be reading more books by Wendy Higgins!

Reading Order & Links: Amazon (click on covers), iBooks (click on titles) & Book Depository (click on book #)
Sweet Evil #1 Reviews: Jen Chelsea	Sweet Peril #2 Reviews: Jen Chelsea	Sweet Reckoning #3 Reviews: Jen
Sweet Temptation #4

Synopsis:

Anna Whitt, daughter of a guardian angel and a demon, promised herself she'd never do the work of her father--polluting souls. She'd been naive to make such a claim. She'd been naive about a lot of things.

Haunted by demon whisperers, Anna does whatever she can to survive, even if it means embracing her dark side and earning an unwanted reputation as her school's party girl. Her life has never looked more bleak. And all the while there's Kaidan Rowe, son of the Duke of Lust, plaguing her heart and mind.

When an unexpected lost message from the angels surfaces, Anna finds herself traveling the globe with Kopano, son of Wrath, in an attempt to gain support of fellow Nephilim and give them hope for the first time. It soon becomes clear that whatever freedoms Anna and the rest of the Neph are hoping to win will not be gained without a fight. Until then, Anna and Kaidan must put aside the issues between them, overcome the steamiest of temptations yet, and face the ultimate question: is loving someone worth risking their life?

Review:

Sweet Peril was completely mesmerizing.  Whether Kaidan was trying to seduce or push Anna away, or Anna was trying to discover his feelings, I was enraptured.  They twisted my emotions around in the best possible way. Especially that lead up to the ending!    This series continues to be a favorite, and I can’t wait to see how the ending unfolds.

I promised myself I’d never do the work of my demon father—polluting souls—leading humans to abuse their bodies with drugs and alcohol. I’d been naive to make such a vow. I’d been naive about a lot of things.

Anna continued to struggle in life, not only with her confusion towards Kaidan, but also because she had to “work”.  Since the others knew that she existed, she was being watched.  So Anna transformed herself into the ultimate party girl, and was a bad influence to the humans around her.  Which is the polar opposite of her goody two-shoes tendencies.  I felt horrible for Anna as she emotionally fell apart.  But thankfully her will to live was strong!  I was so happy to see that no matter how depressed she got, she continued to fight for her right to live and protect the ones she loved.  But I was happiest to see that Anna was willing to take risks.  Especially ones that revolved around Kaidan!

He stepped closer, not letting me go. “You shouldn’t have come.” I nearly faltered from the sting of his words and the fire in his eyes. “I know.”

The risks she took around Kaidan had my stomach in knots.  I was so nervous for her safety and her heart, but Anna was determined to know Kaidan’s thoughts and feelings towards her.  Which I desperately wanted to know too!  But Kaidan tried to have a death grip on keeping everything inside, except his ability to seduce.  But every once in a while it seemed as though he would slip up, and I grabbed a hold of those glimpses and held them close to my heart.   Kaidan continued to captivate me, made me smile and fan my face.  That’s why it was so hard to see Anna and Kopano spend so much time together.

I knew there would be something bigger to focus on someday, bigger than my life and my worries. And now it was happening. But I never imagined my life’s mission would be coupled with such agony and loss.

Anna and Kopano traveled together to recruit as many allies as they could.  They not only had their lives to worry about but their hearts too.  Remember that Kopano liked Anna back in Sweet Evil?  Well that hasn’t disappeared.  And I was scared to death that Anna would act on that attraction and friendship.  I just wanted her to firmly place him in the friend zone.  So their times together kept me on my toes.  I was so anxious with how the story would unfold, except for when other old friends made appearances.

But all I could think about was the boy I loved and his empty gaze, lost to me.

Thankfully, Anna was able to form stronger friendships within their group of friends.  I absolutely adored the twins.  Maria was the sweetest person ever, and I loved getting to learn more about Ginger.  Shocking, but she was so much fun with her snippy attitude lol!  I’m definitely a fan of both of them!  Ohhh and Blake too!  And another female whose name I can’t mention.  I loved that friendship plays such an important part in this story!

“I’m trying to talk to you,” I said. “Yes, I know. But I’d rather not.” In one step he had me against the table, the back of my thighs hitting the edge as he pressed his body flush against mine.

Sweet Peril created an emotional overload in me, and I say this with a huge smile on my face!  Moments made me swoon, elated, crushed, scared and I loved that my emotions pulled me in so many different directions.  I am so happy I picked up this series!  And if you are a huge paranormal lover, then I really think you would enjoy this series too.

Reading Order & Links: Amazon (click on covers), iBooks (click on titles) & Book Depository (click on book #)
Sweet Evil #1 Reviews: Jen Chelsea	Sweet Peril #2 Reviews: Jen Chelsea	Sweet Reckoning #3 Reviews: Jen
Sweet Temptation #4

Synopsis:

What if there were teens whose lives literally depended on being bad influences? This is the reality for sons and daughters of fallen angels.

Tenderhearted Southern girl Anna Whitt was born with the sixth sense to see and feel emotions of other people. She's aware of a struggle within herself, an inexplicable pull toward danger, but Anna, the ultimate good girl, has always had the advantage of her angel side to balance the darkness within. It isn't until she turns sixteen and meets the alluring Kaidan Rowe that she discovers her terrifying heritage and her willpower is put to the test. He's the boy your daddy warned you about. If only someone had warned Anna.

Forced to face her destiny, will Anna embrace her halo or her horns?

Review:

Sweet Evil was breathtakingly perfect.  It had every single thing I absolutely adore, and I closed the last page with tears in my eyes and hope in my heart.  The characters I met and the story that unfolded captured my attention and made putting the book down next to impossible.  When life forced that hand, I eagerly counted the minutes until I could step back into their world.  It was so much more than good vs evil, because the pages were filled with friendship, hope, family, trust and discovering your heart.  I loved every part of this story!

We were damned for simply being born. So why was I holding fast to rules that didn’t really apply to me anyway? Why shouldn’t I take from this life what I could in the time I had? This had nothing to do with what Pharzuph demanded of us, and everything to do with what Kaidan and I had become to each other.

I absolutely adored Anna.  She is what one could call a goody two-shoes, which I thought I’d have a hard time connecting to, yet she was so easy to understand.  She is honest, loyal and has a heart of gold.  Even when she reminded the teacher, in school, that they need to turn in the homework that hasn’t been collected yet haha.  But Anna has always known that she is different.  And after a run in the with Kaidan Rowe, she starts to see how much more different she really is then her adoptive mom and best friend.  Anna is a child of angels, one of light and one who is a demon.

I’d been looking in the wrong place earlier when I searched for a flaw in Kaidan. It was not in his face; it was in his personality .

Kaidan Rowe was gorgeously complicated and utterly heartbreaking.  He is the child of a demon, and explained to Anna what was expected of them.  Each of them are to have jobs, to be a bad influence to people, in their father’s area of expertise.  While I don’t want to reveal what Kaidan’s specialty is, just know that because of it I was always left swooning while also wanting to cry for him.  So Kaidan easily caught me in his seductive spell.  Even though he ran hot and cold towards Anna.  In case you’re not aware of this, I’m the one who’s always looking for the tiniest clue of hope towards a character.  So no matter what Kaidan said to Anna, I paid a great deal of attention to his actions.  And some of the little things he did for Anna made my heart soar.  He continually gave me hope, fingers crossed I’m correct!

“I wish , just once, that I could see your colors,” I whispered.

There were also darker moments in Sweet Evil, and those times seemed to break Anna apart while swallowing her whole.  And let me tell you, my heart shattered into a million pieces right along with her.  I felt her depression, her confusion, and I just wanted to curl into a little ball and sob for her.  Yet her perseverance and determination, that always won out, made me realize how much I respected and liked her.  She felt like someone I’d want to know, be friends with and have on my side.

“Which was your favorite place?” I asked.
“I’ve never been terribly attached to any place. I guess it would have to be… here.”
I stopped midchew and examined his face. He wouldn’t look at me. He was clenching his jaw, tense. Was he serious or was he teasing me? I swallowed my bite.
“The Texas panhandle?” I asked.
“No.” He seemed to choose each word with deliberate care. “I mean here in this car. With you.”

While I enjoyed the moments when Anna was with so many other characters I truly liked, Kaidan and Anna’s moments together were my favorite.  By far.  When Kaidan and Anna were together, it felt as though fireworks were exploding.  And I can’t wait to see what will happen next!  But thankfully after that ending, I was left with hope.  Hope of what is to come, and hope that this series will easily wind up on my favorites list.

Reading Order & Links: Amazon (click on covers), iBooks (click on titles) & Book Depository (click on book #)
Sweet Evil #1 Reviews: Jen Chelsea	Sweet Peril #2 Reviews: Jen Chelsea	Sweet Reckoning #3 Reviews: Jen
Sweet Temptation #4

****I don’t think there is a spoiler, but after reading the synopsis some might disagree-Don’t want to ruin anyone’s perception of the story****

I was skeptical when I first started this novel. Even as I began reading, I had my guard up-I haven’t had the best luck with the whole Angels and Demons thing. I will admit I wasn’t sure how I felt about Anna, the main character. She was pure and clearly never did anything wrong…*yawn*

But then she stumbles upon Kaidan Rowe…the best thing to ever happen to an angel based story. He is the opposite of her in every way, and I couldn’t love him more. Even though he is on the darker side of the story, he is hard to dislike, even harder not to love. And no-before anyone assumes, it isn’t the over-used, tired plot where all of a sudden Anna wants to be bad so she can allure Kaidan. Nerp. Maybe it’s just me who thinks that is an overused storyline, maybe not-but the point is, Wendy Higgins did not feel the need to take it that way and I love that.

I thought I knew where Sweet Evil was leading, but I really had no idea. The farther the story progressed, the darker it became. Surprisingly, though, there’s a tenderness to the story that I never expected, and it’s those sweet, tortured moments that made me fall in love with the story and wish it never ended. Yes-I could have read many more pages to get more snippets of the glorious Kaidan Rowe. There isn’t a climactic battle scene that tests the strengths of Anna and her friends as they fight to the death, dang-it, but there’s still a foreboding sense of dread that hooks you and draws you in, and it makes you happy with what you receive. The build-up to what might or might not happen is satisfying, and can only be a catalyst to what will happen in book 2, Sweet Peril. I just hope I am able to fill the reading abyss of madness until then-I can’t wait for the end of April!

Reading Order & Links: Amazon (click on covers), iBooks (click on titles) & Book Depository (click on book #)
Sweet Evil #1 Reviews: Jen Chelsea	Sweet Peril #2 Reviews: Jen Chelsea	Sweet Reckoning #3 Reviews: Jen
Sweet Temptation #4

Oh bloody hell (in a horrible british accent), I’ve fallen in love with Kaidan all over again. Not only did I finish reading this book in less than 24 hours, with a full day of work mind you, but I DEVOURED it. After waiting for a month following that hopeless ending of Sweet Evil, I am happy to say that I was completely enthralled with SP and all of it’s characters.

Anna has had to embrace her new party girl image while feeling guilty the entire time she is influencing those around her to partake in the madness that is her sin. A prophecy changes everything, and Anna finds herself traveling the world with Kope to find comrades among the Dukes’ sons and daughters. But in all this chaos, the most important person she could possibly want around isn’t. Anna is having trouble moving on from Kaidan and what she thinks they had/have. One problem is that Kaidan isn’t making it easy for her to contact him. The other-well, does he TRULY care for her??

I have to be honest. As my reading updates suggest, I was literally giggling like a little girl. I am not joking. Near the end of SP, I was so involved in the story that nothing else mattered. Shower? No..it could wait. Dinner? Hell no, I have a SPICY read going on here. So, the moral to the story is-we wait F-O-R-E-V-E-R for what we all want to happen..to happen. So much mindless nonsense and traveling the world and then BAM. Kai Kai time. Thank the lord. And not only did we get Kai time, it was Kai happy hour. Interpret that how you like, but for me it means that the end of the book didn’t lack any of our leading British man. Jealousy, anger, adoration, and love (and drama, duuuuh)-all abundant in SP. I LIVE for these emotions all bundled up in one neat little package, so I am on cloud nine right now. Sigh. I wish there could have been more. More than that, though, is we have to wait a bloody year to read the final book in the series. If that’s not a tragedy, I don’t know what is. Seriously.

So all in all a great read. I was a little put out with the scarcity of Kaidan in the beginning half of the novel, but the latter half was more than worth the wait and I couldn’t be happier. I realize I didn’t say anything about the secondary characters, oops, so here is a final thought. Marna and Ginger were great and I really enjoyed their presence throughout. I think they are more fun and interesting than Veronica-is that her name? I can’t even remember lol. And Kope. Poor Kope. Such a sweet guy, but he is no match for Kaidan and that is all I can say about that. Kai has a permanent residence in my heart. So here’s to a year of waiting for more of one of my favorite couples. But I have to say, I am more than fulfilled with this latest read, so it won’t be such a long wait with happier circumstances this time around.

Reading Order & Links: Amazon (click on covers), iBooks (click on titles) & Book Depository (click on book #)
Sweet Evil #1 Reviews: Jen Chelsea	Sweet Peril #2 Reviews: Jen Chelsea	Sweet Reckoning #3 Reviews: Jen
Sweet Temptation #4