Name: Beauty Awakened
ISBN: 9780373777433

Gena Showalter

Koldo, who lives for revenge on the angel who destroyed his wings, yet faces eternal damnation if he yields to hatred, defends Nicola Lane, a fragile human with a heart defect, against the demons who are determined to kill her.

Beauty Awakened

Lover of Romance 

This review was originally posted on Addicted To Romance

Beauty Awakened is book two in the "Angels of the Dark" series and I am in love with this story. Gena Showalter is a queen in writing such riveting paranormal romance novels, and Beauty Awakened is no different. There was something so much more tangible about this book that just gravitated towards this reader. I deeply loved the development of this series so far and for those who are solid fans of the "Lords of the Underworld" series than this trilogy is a must read for you because it is connected to the same world although a bit different. For those new to the "Angels of the Dark" series, it's about archangels that work for the "Almighty" and fight demons to save humans and innocents from their evil machinations.

In Beauty Awakened, we have our hero, Koldo, whose life was rough. He was raised partly by his mother who abused him as a child and tore his wings from his back and then he was sent to live with his father who was just as cruel but more manipulative and evil. Koldo was forced to participate in actions he abhorred but had no choice in. Now he is working with Zacharael's Army, the only one without wings but he does have other abilities like "flashing" from different locations in a blink of an eye. While on a mission, he is sent to a hospital which is where he sees Nicola Lane and he is fascinated and wants to know her but he doesn't fully comprehend the feelings he has for Nicola, only that they are something he has never felt before.
You speak what you believe, and you believe you’re doomed. If there’s one thing I’ve learned throughout the years, it’s that what you believe is the impetus for your entire life
Nicola Lane is in the hospital because her sister is dying from a poison that can't be stopped. Nicola's family was killed by a drunk driver, and her sister is all she has left. But Nicola herself has special abilities, she can see the demons that torment them. But when she meets Koldo, she is fascinated by this brawny tough man that has a heart of gold and honest to a fault and innocent in the way of romantic entanglements. She doesn't know if she can trust him, but she knows the truth when he tells her of the poison in her body and how she must fight it. Soon Koldo and Nicola join forces, and there is some powerful chemistry between these two damaged hearts but they will have to fight a great enemy to find their HEA.

Beauty Awakened is a breathtakingly bold romance that will captivate the hearts of its readers. I was immediately pulled into this book and I never wanted to leave this story. It was magnificent and so beautifully told. In Beauty Awakened, we have a story that brings together a hero who is also a virgin, but so naive about relationships. He doesn't fully understand about intimacy and love but he knows its there and he wants it with Nicola. He knows what he is feeling for her is more powerful than anything he has ever experienced in his life previous. Of course, he has a lot of emotional growth he develops because he has never truly known love and acceptance, the kind that he received from Nicola who is all about love and acceptance. Nicola herself has her own growth and learning curves too, she has issues with trust but together these two pack a punch. I love how willing and open they are in the relationship, that they don't fight too much what they are feeling for each other.

The conflict that we see in the story is an outside force and we some different evil forces that are coming against Zacharael's army, Koldo and Nicola. I adored how Koldo and Nicola fight together to overcome the evil against them including Koldo's father who was believed to be dead. But what occurs in the last half of the story is AWESOMESAUCE!! I love how committed Koldo and Nicola are to each other and the different ways we see them sacrifice for each other. We see how much they are willing to sacrifice to help one another and this is what real love is all about and I love that Gena Showalter shows this in her storytelling.

Overall I found Beauty Awakened to be a beautifully portrayed romance that delves into a world of demons and angels, of sacrifice and true intimacy between two people..... AN AWE INSPIRED ROMANCE