Beauty Awakened

His name is Koldo. He is scarred, powerful, his control legendary-and he lives only for vengeance, determined to punish the angel who viciously removed his wings. But if he yields to the forces of hatred, he will be kicked from the heavens, eternally damned.
She is his last hope. Nicola Lane was born with a defective heart, yet this fragile human shows surprising strength as demons stalk her every move, determined to end her. She is the key to Koldo's deliverance...and his downfall. Though he fights duty, destiny and his first addictive taste of desire, his toughest battle will be the one for Nicola's life-even if he has to sacrifice his own....

Beauty Awakened is the second installment in Gena Showalter’s Angels of the Dark series. The first time I read this book was back in 2013. After reading it a second time (2023), I’m still in love with this book, especially with the character Koldo. 

Storyline/Background: Koldo has never been loved. His mother hated him since the day he was conceived, and his father tortured him the minute his mother gave him up to his father. His mother was the one who took his beautiful wings from him, and his father put him in situations where he had to do things he was ashamed of doing. Ever since his hatred toward both of his parents, he had chosen to take revenge on his mother and hoped he would kill his father when he did. He has craved to be just like the other Sent Ones, but he believes he has been punished for what he has done in his past thanks to what his parents endured him to do. The minute he comes across Nicola, his life is about to change. He will learn that love does exist and that he is capable of positive things.

Nicola has been suffering from the darkness around her since the beginning. Her twin, Laila, is dying at the hospital, and Nicola is not far behind. When she is given another chance at life and saving her sister’s life, she chooses to let the light in instead of the dark. She knew something was making her feel sick, but she never knew what it was until she came across the sexy stranger whom she talked to in the elevator. Koldo chooses to help Nicola because he is intrigued by her. He will have to teach her about keeping positive and thinking about only things that will heal her instead of harming her. Unfortunately, darkness has it out for Nicola and Laila, and they will do everything in their power to have them.

My Thoughts: I loved every bit of this book the minute and how it immediately gripped me from the first page. The child Koldo to the adult Koldo made me feel so much for him and how I wanted to comfort him and tell him it would be okay. What he had gone through and continued to go through, he stole my heart. He was destined to meet Nicola, so that she not only could help him but he could help her.

Nicola was such a strong female character as well in the story. She chose to fight back and not sit and let darkness eat at her. She chose to help her sister through the darkness, but it had to be Laila who accepted it. Nicola even made me laugh at how she handled Koldo because she put him in his place at times. 

Between what Koldo is dealing with and Nicola, there is also the issue of what is happening with other Sent Ones. Thane has his back story in this book and what is going on with him. We get more of a taste of Bjorn and Xerxes. We even get a taste of Axel, who happens to be a womanizer, but he seriously had me laughing with his personality.

Here’s one of my fave quotes from Axel:

“Fair enough, since I wasn’t interested. But I gotta say, I am so proud right now.” Axel flattened his hand over his hear. “You borrowed my patented move, proving I’m made of more than awesome. I’m awesalicious. Is that a word? It’s probably a girl word, but who cares! Seriously. Do you see a tear in my eye? Because I’m pretty sure I feel one.”

Awesalicious. Seriously, that is my NEW favorite word, thanks to Axel. =)

Oh, and if you are like me, waiting for the next LOTU book, there’s mention of those characters in this book, too. Another thing I enjoy is how Gena mingles stories together and prepares you for what is next. 

Gena Showalter does not follow trends; she makes her mark in her own way. She dominates the paranormal romance genre, and this spin-off series proves to me that she knows how to take it to the next level.

She will forever be a FAVE Author of mine, and I am definitely looking forward to the next installment in this series and, even more now, in the LOTU series.

Story Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Steam/Spice: 🌶️

Standalone or Part of Series: It’s part of the Angels of the Dark Series and I recommend reading in order.

Would I recommend this book/series? Yes.

Genre/SubGenre(s): Romance | Paranormal Romance

Trope(s)/Element(s): Fated Mates | Forbidden Romance | Tortured MMC | Virgin MMC | Virgin FMC | Angels | Demons

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About Gena Showalter

Gena Showalter is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of nearly 100 novels. Most stories fall under the genre of romance, be they paranormal, fantasy, contemporary, or young adult. She’s also co-authored a (delightfully quirky) cozy mystery series as well as a nonfiction guide about how to write a book in a year.

Gena is a dedicated mother, grandmother, and fur-mom. A woman under construction, whose life took a few unexpected turns the past few years. But she’s learned a lot and firmly believes her best days are ahead of her, not behind her. Chances are good she’s writing her next novel and already in love with the hero.

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FranJessca

Owner/Reviewer at A Book Lovin' Mama's Blog

I guess I should type a bio here. I'm FranJessca, or Fran for short. I'm the owner/reviewer behind A Book Lovin' Mama's Blog. I've been reading and reviewing books on my blog since leaving the Navy in 2011, and I will keep doing it as long as possible. My favorite genres will always be Romance & Fantasy, and I read every subgenre underneath those two genres. (Sorry, not a fan of nonfiction, so don't try to convince me to read it.)
My obsession with reading started over 30+ years ago when I went to my first Scholastic Book Fair and found R.L. Stine's Fear Street series. Later, I came across Anne Rice's novels at my public library when I was fourteen when my obsession with vampires started. I was the girl who preferred to be a vampire over a princess any day. My husband says I would leave him a heartbeat for a vampire that looked like Spike or Angel (from Buffy the Vampire Slayer) or Damon Salvatore from The Vampire Diaries. (It's true, though, and he's accepted it.)

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