Tuesday, September 8, 2015

Sweet Temptation by Wendy Higgins - Special Review and Giveaway

Wow, I am so honored to be a part of the Sweet Tour for Wendy Higgin's new release Sweet Temptation.  

Sweet Temptation is book 4 in The Sweet Series, is all from our favorite hero, Kaidan Rowe's POV and is out today!  





Author: Wendy Higgins
Publication Date:  8 September, 2015
Publisher: Harper Teen
Series:  The Sweet Series, book 4
Genre:  Young Adult Paranormal Romance
Age Recommendation: 16 and up
Rating: 5 Stars
~ I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review ~ 

Book Description:


Bad boy Kaidan Rowe has never wanted for anything—money, popularity, musical talent…hot girls—but seducing them is part of his duty as a Nephilim, slave to the demon Dukes. As the son of the Duke of Lust, Kaidan has learned his father’s ways, becoming a master of passion, a manipulator of chemistry. Disobeying his father would mean certain death. Thankfully for Kaidan, he’s good at his job. And he enjoys it. 

Until he meets Anna Whitt—sweet, smart, feisty, and inexplicably good—the one girl seemingly immune to his charms. The daughter of a guardian angel and a fallen one, she has a certain power over him, one that makes him wish for more than he could ever deserve. 

Determined to save all the Neph from their dark lives as the influencers of sin, Anna joins forces with Kaidan to overcome the demons’ oppressive ways. In the light of her affections, Kaidan must undergo his toughest test of all, a battle of the heart.

***Sensual and swoon worthy, this companion volume to the acclaimed Sweet Evil series from New York Times bestselling author Wendy Higgins, told from the perspective of the irresistibly sexy and mysterious Kaidan Rowe, gives readers revealing insights into his struggle, his intense connection to Anna, and most of all, the true emotions that drive him.***

TOUR SCHEDULE:
Week 1:
9/10 - Reading W/ABC


Week 2

The prep for this tour has been an emotional journey for me with some amazing moments and quite a bit of stress, but it was only stressful because I love this series and these characters so much that I am terrified of not doing them the justice they deserve.

You see when I was asked to join this tour, it wasn't just any other review tour, we were asked to make it special, to add something that we love to the process and well I found myself in a huge conundrum...what could I do?  I don't have any special talents, I am not artist or inclined to creative genius.  I'm a stay at home, homeschooling Army wife/mom, that runs when I can, reads non-stop, drinks beer, likes to bake, and fawns over StarLord (or just Chris Pratt in general) ...none of these non-talent talents would do me any good here.  So, what did I decide?  I apparently decided to do the most insane thing ever and reach way back into my skill set and do a photo stop.  I have rarely picked up my camera since the invention of camera phones so you can well imagine how this all played out.  In the long run though, I think I got some pretty good photos, photos that reminded me of Kaidan and Anna and will hopefully give you a glimpse into who they are.  I have to say I had a good time searching out these pictures either through old boxes of photos from years ago (hello Grand Canyon, which I have sadly never visited (what is wrong with the world that I haven't been there?) but luckily my husbands family had when he was younger.), driving through Washington DC looking for pictures that reflect the story, or creating my own little vignettes for aspects that I couldn't find anywhere else.

My Review:

I don't want to really review the story too much here because I don't want to give anything away if you haven't read the first three books.  This is a companion novel to the series, the story is in a sense the same, but the details are all new.

It was so interesting to go into this book because you think you know it all.  We've heard the story, we know how it ends, but in actuality we know so very little. We know the story from Anna's eyes, from her thoughts and feelings.  To learn the same from Kaidan's point of view is another amazing journey with this wonderful story and cast of characters.

I can tell you this; if you thought you loved Kai already, you have no idea.  He is so much more than any of us could ever imagine, except perhaps Anna...she has always seen who he truly is and it is a beautiful thing.  This book will have you swooning all over again as well as heart broken for Kai and anxious that even though you know how it is all supposed to go something will happen and the happiness we now know he truly deserves will be lost to him.  It doesn't happen to me often that I am as enamored with a follow up book as I was with the originals but in this case I am absolutely head over heels in love with this story again and maybe even more than I was before.

Wendy Higgin's makes this entire cast of characters come to life on her pages.  The depth in character development for Kaiden is as beautiful as it is complex.  We always knew his life was not sunshine and lollipops but truly understanding the depth of depravity and pain that he has been forced to grow up with cracks your heart wide open.  To see his interactions with his friends and theirs with him bring another level to the story that we didn't get in the first three books and just enhances the richness of it.  I keep thinking of Shrek and his layers upon layers, this story is deeper than we ever imagined.  And then Kaidan and Anna, all I can say is that with out reading this book you will never know, never truly understand the love that he has for her and how deep it runs.

If you have read the three prior books in this series I can not suggest strongly enough that you now go get this one, you WILL NOT regret having this book in your collection.  If you have not read the series yet, DO, this is absolutely one of my all time favorite Paranormal Romances period!

Two things to note:  First, if you have not read the series already, do not start here.  You will loose so much and all of the discoveries made in this book will not shine as brightly as they would if you start with Sweet Evil (book 1).  Second, this is a YA series, the first 3 books I would not hesitate to recommend to a younger YA crowd (14 and up), Kai's book is a bit grittier (we are talking about the son of lust here) and I think a bit older reader is best for this one (16 and up).

Now onto my project:



I had a wonderful adventure when I went searching for angel statues in the DC area.  I ended up at Oak Hill Cemetery and came across this beautiful statue.  For those that have read the novels you know that Angels play a major role in the books and I loved this one because not only is she a beautiful Angel, she is a beautiful Angel writing a story, or maybe if we are all very lucky she is adding certain names back into the ledgers of Heaven.  One can dream...


This Angel, oh how I wish I could have gotten a better picture but as you may well imagine this cemetery has been around for 167 years, nature and it have slowly become one.  I had to have a photo of this Angel though because of the sword.  This reminded me so much of The Sword of Righteousness that Anna is given.

 

The National Cathedral in Washington D.C.  When I first started thinking of what pictures I could take to symbolize this book I knew that these had to be one of them.  This church to me represents Anna's Faith.  Her faith in God, her faith in Patty, her father, her friends, and most importantly her faith in Kai.



This is the Backbar of the 9:30 club in D.C.  This was another photo I knew I would have to have for this post.  This is the kind of place I imagine Anna first seeing Kaidan, the night he is playing with his band Lascivious and both of their lives change for ever.  Music is a huge part of who Kai is and to have left this venue out would have disgraced him as a character.



The Grand Canyon, what can I say about the Grand Canyon other than it is now on my top ten list as one of the most romantic places on earth.  This place is so special to Kai and Anna.  It is a place of heart ache and love.  



             

I know you are wondering what the heck!  I am going to tell you, believe it or not these last two photos are the ones that I agonized over the most for weeks.  I could see exactly in my head what I wanted, but as you know what we see in our heads isn't always translated the way we hope in real life.  But, I had to have these two photos even if they aren't perfect because they represent not the book itself but Anna and Kai exclusively.  Through out Sweet Temptation Kai mentions that Anna's scent reminds him of pears and freesia and Anna mentions that Kai smells of Citrus "Oranges mostly.  And a little lime too."
         

  

I love that I was given the opportunity to do this because it just brought me even closer to this book, cementing it as a book that will always be a treasured favorite.  I hope that it will become one of your favorites too!

~ HAPPY READING ~

The Sweet Series:



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 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?



Anna Whitt, the 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 vow. 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?



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.


After earning a Creative Writing degree from George Mason University and a Masters in Curriculum and Instruction from Radford, I taught high school English until becoming a mommy. I've always had a heart for teens, and writing YA stories gives me the opportunity to delve into the ambiguities of those pivotal years before adulthood.

I live in Virginia with my husband, daughter, son and doggie Rue.



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6 comments:

  1. The Sweet Evil series is one of my favorites. The uniqueness of the story keeps me hooked not to mention Kai ;)

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  2. I love The Sweet Evil series and I can't wait to read Sweet Temptation!! :D Thanks for the great giveaway!!

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  3. I can't wait to read the book, this is one of my favorite series :) I love your post, all the angels and the vases based on the book, very original!

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  4. OMG! Malissa! I didn't realize your recent travels and projects were for this! You are such a rockstar! <3

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  5. Excellent post, Malissa! I love the idea of a photographic journey through a book! The vases of symbolism were so clever and effective.....even for someone who didn't read the book. Of course I love the9:30 Club photo....Now I know this is a book page and not a photography page, so #1, I might have to step out of my typical genre and check these out and #2, I will look for clues and ideas for my next book's photographic journey.

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  6. I liked learning more about the books and author!

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