Divine Fall Review

** Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me an ARC in return for an honest review. 2.5 stars!!! I really expected this book to blow me away but sadly it didn't. The story starts off with Jamie, a school outcast, who has lost her Mom. She meets Dothan, a Nephilim, who works as a stable hand at a barn where Jamie takes riding classes. The two start to form a relationship with each other but unbeknownst to Jamie, Dothan is planning on taking revenge and ultimately she gets sucked into a world of dark secrets. Well, the blurb and cover definitely looked interesting enough for me to delve into the story. At the start of the novel, I really liked Jamie's character. She came across as a bit snarky but I felt that because the author pushed the relationship to progress quickly, her character devolved after that. We then just get chapters filled with how Jamie wants to be with Dothan but can't. Plus, she constantly goes on about how hot he is. We get it. Honestly, I didn't find him that attractive and he came of as quite creepy at the beginning. I didn't find him swoon-worthy. Their relationship lacked chemistry because it was all insta-romance. As the story was centered around the relationship, I felt the main story line of Dothan's revenge and his backstory was somewhat sidelined. This part of the plot is thrown haphazardly in between chapters and picks up towards the end. The story would have definitely been better if this was the central storyline. I also didn't like the in depth information regarding horses. It brought nothing to the overall arc of the novel. The minor characters flit in and out of the novel. We have a villain but their character development was non-existent at best. The story lacks action and plot twists. There are minor revelations and the MC Jamie seems to just accept them willingly. She hardly blows up. The only part of the novel I did like was about the bullying. I wish the author focused on this issue more and brought more awareness to it. But as I said, the book was more about romance. We do see Dothan and Jamie compromising and forgiving each other. Plus, they learn to open up to one another about things. But this made the story a little bland. Overall, the story is enjoyable for a one time read or if you just want to pass the time. It had lots of potential but the delivery was just average. The author manages to tie up loose ends but it wasn't done in the most spectacular way. It was done just for the sake of it. If you are looking for a swoonworthy romance. This is definitely not it.

#angels #youngadult #romance #paranormal #KathrynKnight