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Embrace the Forbidden
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?
From the beginning when I found the blurb of the book in Goodreads I thought "Hey, this book looks totally awesome. I'm gonna have to read it!" And then I pre-ordered it right away. Reasons? Well, first we have the cover. Have you seen it?! Her red dress is gorgeous, she is a beauty all by herself but surrounded by that wicked forest and the cool shadow of that totally hot guy while the whole covers exudes this "embrace-me right-now-and-surrender" vibe is just too much.
Second reason: The blurb. Maybe this will sound weird but I've always being told I'm some sort of bad influence. Why? No clue. I mean, I'm the personification of cuteness and sweetness and all that... Yeah, right. I'm not fooling you, am I? Thanks to the first line of the summary I had an overwhelming desire to read this book about teenagers that had to be a bad influence in order to stay alive.
And then I finally got to read the book. True to be told I have mixed feelings. You see, Anna's personality at the beginning is just so... so... good (deep sigh). I know it's not bad to be good but then again, an utterly good person can get on your nerves, right? At least she did get on mine. But don't get me wrong, once you understand the deepness of her struggles the entire book develops a new layer of intrigue.
The way Anna interacts with the other sons and daughters of the Dukes make a huge difference in her life. Where once her only friend had being Jay (a human boy that is like a brother for her) now she had to learn to deal with the Twins, Marna and Ginger, daughters of the Duke of Adultery whose purpose was to break couples that truly loved each other; Blake, son of the Duke of Envy; Kopano, son of the Duke of Wrath, that has his own story and whom I like a lot; and finally Kaidan, son of the Duke of Lust, the target of Anna's affection.
All of them had to work for their fathers' cause. Or face the consequences; and let me tell you, we are talking of horrible consequences here.
Thanks to this new situation we see Anna fight and then embrace, somehow, her destiny. But how can see truly turn to evil when there's good inside of her?
Personal opinion:
Right now, if I could, I would love to read the second book. The way Wendy describes the scenes was superb, and this is a debut novel, people. During the first chapters I thought this book was going to be very suave, you know? But Wendy just blew my mind when some scenes were described with complete honesty making very easy to separate good from evil. Some paragraphs were a little too strong maybe but in the right amount. You will cringe but you won't cry; you will just understand what the characters are going through and that's a huge plus.
So yes, buy it and read it in one sit. You won't be disappointed.
17 out of 17 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted May 29, 2012
This book was great! Great story very original. Ive been losing my mind with all the vampire and werewolf books out right now. I mean I love them but you can only put so many new twists to them, and they end up kind of the same in all books. So this book was awesome a whole new original story havent read anything like it yet. The way the characters interact with eacother is great, in most books you dont see the rrlationships between all the characters with eachother. In this book you do, it makes you love each one more.
SPOILER ALERT!!
Does it piss off anyone else that Kaiden cant just suck it up and admitt his feelings? I mean freakin Kope knows her for like a couple days, barely talks to her, and he clearly makes his feelings known! I hope she gets over Kaiden more in the next book but at the same time I hope they get together! But right now i just want to punch Kaiden! Yeah im crazy i know.
12 out of 12 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.BookObssessed
Posted June 22, 2012
I love this book so freaking much, I wish it becomes a series . Please write more Mrs.Higgins !!!!
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Sweet Evil is the first novel in the Sweet Evil Trilogy and the debut novel of author Wendy Higgins. It is an urban fantasy, filled with angels and demons. The tale hints at an epic battle yet to come. I was immediately drawn to its beautiful cover and dark synopsis. Higgins writing style and world-building made this a fun, fast paced read and was a delightful start to this trilogy. The tale begins with fifteen year old Anna Whitt. She is a good girl who struggles with a sixth sense that allows her to see the emotions of other people. Anna is unusual; she never gets sick, heals rapidly and remembers everything about her life from the time she spent in her mother’s womb. Anna knows she is different, but as her sixteenth birthday approaches she meets the dark and mysterious Kaidan Rowe. He is a drummer in a band and drop dead gorgeous. He is like her, only he knows what he is and what he was raised to do. She is immediately drawn to him despite his bad boy reputation. As the tale unfolds Kaidan and her adoptive mother Patti help her understand who she is. Now Anna must decide what she will do about it. Anna and Kaidan drive cross country so she can meet her father, who is currently serving time in jail. I loved the journey and getting to know the two of them. When Anna’s father meets her and learns that Kaidan’s Dad is aware of her existence, he immediately makes plans to be released. Anna also goes to visit the convent where she was born and is given a gift by the nun who was there at her birth. From here the tale becomes action-packed as we learn more about this world. The characters were all unique in this novel and I immediately felt connections with them. Anna is all goodness and sweet, and watching her step out of her comfort zone was interesting. Kaidan oozes smexy and is definitely a bad boy. Despite his violent protests you quickly realize there is a warm, fuzzy compassionate side to him. Of course, their relationship is forbidden and watching these two play off each other was a blast. I am a sucker for romance and found myself rooting for them. The relationship is volatile and I am anxious to see how it develops. The one thing I am sure of is that Kaidan will be there for her. We meet some of Kaidan’s friends who are also special. All of them are unique and I enjoyed seeing the chaos they brought to the mix. Kopano was sweet, and I worried about a love triangle developing. Anna senses he would be the better relationship choice, but her heart belongs to Kaidan. It’s pretty clear he has feelings, but he hasn't yet made a move. Kaidan is extremely jealous even as he states they cannot be together. I am hoping Higgins avoids the whole triangle all together as I am already firmly team: Kaidan. The world-building is awesome and Higgins offers an interesting spin on how the devil influences humans. The tale is filled with demons, angels and all kinds of supernatural entities. Higgins has set the stage for an epic battle, not so much between good and evil, but on the issue of souls. The romance is steamy in this novel and there were a couple of intense scenes. I loved the scene where the council met, and I am flat out afraid of Kaidan’s father and the other Dukes. All of the children like Anna must do their fathers bidding, if they don’t the consequence are horrific. I am not talking about a grounding or loss of your cell phone. Disobedience brings punishments like torture and death. I loved how Higgins made Dukes out of the
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted May 19, 2012
I love this book and cant wait for the next one! I read this book in about a day! This book is amazing and really draws the reader in too! I love seeing the relationship between all the character develope. This book lures you in and you wont want to put it down until its done. But of corse, after you finish it, youll want to read the next one! I give this book 5 stars and cant wait for the next one.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.jennhaines07
Posted May 4, 2012
On the heels of all the vampire and otherworldly books comes Sweet Evil and blows them all away!! This goes beyond the beyond and leads readers into a world of real good versus evil. I was absolutely blown away and can't wait to read more from Wendy Higgins! I can't wait to follow Anna and see what's waiting ahead for her. And is it bad that I so desperately wanted Anna to give in to the 'evil' and Kai? :)
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.mgolden
Posted June 21, 2012
I adore this book so much! I really hope the next two are picked up because I have to know what happens next!! It is a must read for anyone who loves paranormal romances in YA.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.i just have to said a can no wait for a second book, i love the love story between Anna an Kai
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Posted May 8, 2012
You guys are retarded with the cat stuff.. what is wrong with people these days! This is a book review not a chat site.. the book i have read it is awesome one of my faves! Nothing to do with cats.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.brbookworm
Posted December 20, 2012
Unique and gripping. This story grabbed me straight from the beginning and didn't let go. The characters come to life in this well written, witty novel that makes you want to stay up all night reading. I had trouble focusing on anything else. This author did a wonderful job of helping the reader connect to the characters and kept the acting coming. Read this book, and I promise you will not be disappointed.
On another note, I really enjoyed the underlying good vs. evil battle that really is at the heart of the story line ( although the love story is gripping as well). Like I said before, read this book, you will NOT be disappointed, instead you will be chomping at the bit to get the next book in the series.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted December 16, 2012
This book has character, description, romance, action, and emotion all rolled up in one! An awesome read! Highly recommended!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted August 23, 2012
This is an absolutely great book! I couldn't stop reading once I started. Finished it within hours, which I'm now regretting, I want more! Unlike so many other books out there, the characters are likeable and the story line is captivating from the start. I don't want to give any spoilers so I'll just leave it at that. So glad I found this book, can't wait for the next one to come out!
Buy this book, you won't regret it!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted July 15, 2012
SUPERB! People who haven't read this book are missing out BIG TIME!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted June 29, 2012
This book is excellent! In a world consumed by vampires and werewolves (which I love, so don't hate) its a very nice change. This book truly shows good and evil and gives you a strong female character, that you can relate to in situations, as well as a strong, mysterious male character, who you cannot help but fall in love with.
All in all, this book is amazing. Reviews, blurbs and summaries do this book no justice. Its a fast past page turner that you'll have to fight yourself to put down.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted June 21, 2012
I saw it at the library and i thought i would give it a try, i fell in love, must read i bought it for the nook so i could take it everywhere
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted June 17, 2012
Fantastic
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted May 9, 2012
Sweet Evil had promise with a plot completely unique to its storyline. However, it fell short and was just above dissapointing. Personally, a key factor to a good story is a likeable protagonist. Anna was annoying all throughout the book and an utterly emotional crybaby. Her completely goody-goody attitude grated on my nerves the entire book. The only characters that were half decent were Jay, Balail, and Kopoke. Kaiden was not so much interesting as he was the typical hot-and-cold broody "love-interest." Unsatified... in short: don't waste your time.
1 out of 13 people found this review helpful.
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Posted May 21, 2013
This is one of my absolute favorites!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.LaEtoile8
Posted May 17, 2013
I found this book by pure coincidence and I am so glad that I did. The main characters have fantastic personalities and the writing style makes it very easy to become immersed in the story. This was a great book!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I really liked this story about Angels and Demons. The main focus on the story is with Anna, a half angel/half demon human. Anna is the only one of her kind which makes her dangerous. Raised by her adopted mother, Anna has gifts that she has no idea what to do with. She can see people's auras and feel their emotions. When Anna meets Kaidan, she feels this strong pull for him. Anna doesn't realize that Kaidan is dangerous, and it is forbidden for her to be with him. Kaidan is a half demon who feeds off of lust, but feels compelled to help Anna figure out where she came from. Anna faces so much heart break from Kaidan that you feel for her. Being only 17, she is put in situations even adults wouldn't be able to handle. This book pulls so many emotions from you; it's happy, sad, funny and exciting and even a bit steamy. The story really focuses on the relationship with Anna and Kaidan, which will break your heart. There's some action at the end, so it helps you understand the struggles that are to come for Anna, but leaves you with so many questions. This is Wendy's first book, I am very impressed. It was very well written and the idea for the story is intriguing. She was able to write a story about Angels, Demons, Lucifer and God without it being overwhelming with religion. Her scene and character descriptions make you feel like you right there with the characters. It makes you want to know more about them. I hope other readers enjoy this book as much as I did.
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Overview
Embrace the Forbidden
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 ...