Audiobook Review: Sweet Peril by Wendy Higgins

Title: Sweet Peril (The Sweet Trilogy #2)
Author: Wendy Higgins
Publisher: HarperTeen
Acquired Via: Library
Release Date: October 29, 2013
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?

My Review

I picked up Sweet Peril because I saw it at my library in audiobook format and I remember liking, but not loving, Sweet Evil, so I decided to give it a try.

The narration was decent. I was worried about the southern accent at the beginning, but it smoothed out during the first couple of chapters.

Normally, I do not like books with angels and demons. It is possibly because I actually believe in God, angels and demons so any book that is based on their fiction makes me uncomfortable. Also, while I am willing to suspend my disbelief while reading about werewolves, vampires and mermaids (because I know they are not real), the entire time I read about angels and demons, I am fully aware that it is fiction and I cannot get into the story. So for me to like Sweet Peril regardless of being an angels and demons book, and then to pick up the sequel is pretty rare. I think it is because I like the premise of these books - so far, they are less about the epic battle between Heaven and Hell and more about the human capacity and weaknesses for sin.

Other than the interesting storyline, there are a lot of negatives in Sweet Peril. To begin with, this book definitely reads like a second book in a trilogy. There is a whole lot of rehashing everything that happened in the first book all while hinting at things to come in a big conclusion in the third book with nothing really happening in the second book. While there are events that happen throughout the book, the book centers on Anna’s various relationships, romantic and otherwise. And the book is hinting about that epic battle between Heaven and Hell, which makes me nervous.

I would have liked Sweet Peril a lot more if Kaidan Rowe would not have been a part of it. Truthfully, he’s not really in the book all that much in the first half or so, SPOILER--> as he has pretty much refused to speak with Anna<--END SPOILER. I really enjoy the parts that he is not in, or when Anna is not obsessing over him. I just do not understand her attraction and her declarations of love over Kaidan. By the middle of the book, she has not seen him for more than a handful of times in almost a year, and she’s still pining after him. Kaidan is also guilty of the double standard, which is something that always aggravates me in stories. He also isn’t the nicest person when they do meet. Every time they do see each other, he pushes her away, or pushes her toward another guy, Kopano.

Now Kopano is a really interesting character. He is pretty much the most interesting character in the two books. His sin is wrath, but he has decided not to partake in his sin/working and is celibate. But he is apparently a very attractive and nice guy, who is studying at Harvard. (Now that’s my type of man!) He does have a little bit of the doormat/kicked dog personality at times, but his obvious struggle with his sin and his truly caring personality make up for it.

Anna is generally the every-teenage girl and is mostly likeable. She tries to do the right thing, or at least what she thinks is the right thing, and she has spunk and grit while doing it. I like that Anna isn’t willing to be the damsel in distress. She takes fighting classes and even knows how to throw knives. She is less likeable when she demonstrates "Mary Sue" tendencies or allows herself to be used as a doormat. For example, there is one scene where I wanted to shout with joy, and then it went downhill quickly: Kaidan is being typical Kaidan, which is to say a jerk, and Anna is telling herself that she won’t let Kaidan treat her like that. Then she gets distracted by his shirtless body...and Anna is now annoying.

While Sweet Peril wasn’t the best young adult paranormal, it was interesting enough for me to finish and want to read the conclusion. However, I won’t be on pins and needles to pick up the last in the trilogy, either.

- 3/5 Stars -

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