This book is a Paranormal subgenre of the Harlequin Romance, following a tradition stretching all the way back to Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina, where twenty-somethings talk and act like hormonal teenagers.
For true fans of this type of book, it comes off quite well. It starts off with an interesting and realistic spate of rather nasty office politics from the point of view of a reluctant and sympathetic player of the game. This modern style of battle is intertwined with the traditional “Angels vs Demons” plotline being acted out invisibly on modern city streets.
Unfortunately, the book also has writing flaws, which are bad enough to affect the read, no matter what your genre preferences are.
There are numerous examples of awkward sentence structure like,
What’s going on?” the man, who called himself Shane, said.
The opening section features an eight-sentence telephone call spread over five pages, during which the author introduces a supporting character (who does not appear in person until Page 48) and describes a flashback to earlier action. Very complicated.
Fortunately, once the story gets going on the archeological treasure hunt it moves along nicely. The various conflicts intertwine smoothly, the plotline is sufficiently varied, and there is ample suspense.
The main characters who anchor the two driving strands of the plotline are both sympathetic and true to their type. An Avenging Angel can’t be expected to act like a normal person, but this guy comes close. The interaction between the angel and the mortal is appropriate and does not stray in stereotypical directions (sorry, no spoilers).
The action sections are tense and well described, although I would prefer fewer unexpected point-of-view switches.
This is a romance novel aimed at a narrow audience. I’m sure they’ll be very happy with it, despite the writing flaws.
Four stars.