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jules_writes's review against another edition
4.0
I loved this book.
Also isn't it great when you discover a new author only to realise they have loads more books already published?!?!?! :)
I will certainly be off to buy some more of Michelle Rowen's works.
Longer review to come later or check out my blog - The Great, the Good and the Bad
Also isn't it great when you discover a new author only to realise they have loads more books already published?!?!?! :)
I will certainly be off to buy some more of Michelle Rowen's works.
Longer review to come later or check out my blog - The Great, the Good and the Bad
shannon_cocktailsandbooks's review against another edition
4.0
This is the first YA book that I've read by Michelle Rowen. Being a big fan of her Living in Eden and Immortality Bites series, I decided to give Dark Kiss a try. Sure it's an angel story (which I've said before I'm not a huge fan of), but it looked intriguing. I'll say it now....I loved it.
Samantha is a teenager just trying to fit in. Since her parents' divorce, her father's move to London and her one act of crying out for attention, she's been trying to put her life back in order. So, it's under the guise of moving on that she goes to the all ages club with her best friend, Carly. She just didn't know that was a night that was going to change her forever.
Kissed by Stephen, the older boy she's had a crush on, Samantha discovers that some in her has changed...drastically. She's ravenous with hunger, cold, catching the eyes of boys who would look at her twice before and really wanting to kiss Carly's ex-boyfriend Colin.
Then she meet Bishop. He's confused and sounds like a stark raving lunatic, but something about him warms her and when they touch, she's able to ease his confusion. Unsure about the connection, but not willing to let go of it, Samantha helps Bishop on his mission to find the others and vowing to help find the source of the Grays...something she now is. As she helps Bishop and his friends, she soon finds the need to question Stephen about what he did to her and discovers that so much more is happening which will test her loyalty to her family, her need for information and her loyalty to her friends.
A lot happens in this first entry into the Nightwatchers series. Demons and Angels joining together to fight a demon who has gone bad (if demons can truly go bad), an Angel finding out his mission has been sabotage, but not sure to what lengths, and a teenage girl with an already fractured feeling of family discovering she's not who she thought she was.
The storyline is fast-paced and grabs your attention from the very first page. It's a fresh take on the old Angel versus Demon story and I loved it. The added twist to the story was not only Samantha and her true heritage, but also the relationship between Bishop and Kraven.
I can't wait for the next installment in this series, hopefully we won't have to wait too long.
Samantha is a teenager just trying to fit in. Since her parents' divorce, her father's move to London and her one act of crying out for attention, she's been trying to put her life back in order. So, it's under the guise of moving on that she goes to the all ages club with her best friend, Carly. She just didn't know that was a night that was going to change her forever.
Kissed by Stephen, the older boy she's had a crush on, Samantha discovers that some in her has changed...drastically. She's ravenous with hunger, cold, catching the eyes of boys who would look at her twice before and really wanting to kiss Carly's ex-boyfriend Colin.
Then she meet Bishop. He's confused and sounds like a stark raving lunatic, but something about him warms her and when they touch, she's able to ease his confusion. Unsure about the connection, but not willing to let go of it, Samantha helps Bishop on his mission to find the others and vowing to help find the source of the Grays...something she now is. As she helps Bishop and his friends, she soon finds the need to question Stephen about what he did to her and discovers that so much more is happening which will test her loyalty to her family, her need for information and her loyalty to her friends.
A lot happens in this first entry into the Nightwatchers series. Demons and Angels joining together to fight a demon who has gone bad (if demons can truly go bad), an Angel finding out his mission has been sabotage, but not sure to what lengths, and a teenage girl with an already fractured feeling of family discovering she's not who she thought she was.
The storyline is fast-paced and grabs your attention from the very first page. It's a fresh take on the old Angel versus Demon story and I loved it. The added twist to the story was not only Samantha and her true heritage, but also the relationship between Bishop and Kraven.
I can't wait for the next installment in this series, hopefully we won't have to wait too long.
novelesque_life's review against another edition
1.0
1.5 stars
(I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review).
Bella...I mean, Clary, no wait...Luce...no? Oh right, Samantha. Samantha is a teenager with a crush on an older boy and finds herself finally being kissed by him. This kiss changes her, literally. Odd things start to happen, yada yada. She meets a boy...yay! That is the last thing I remember before falling into a coma until I finished DARK KISS. I am supposed to review the second book, WICKED KISS but for the sake of my mind I will pass.
(I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review).
Bella...I mean, Clary, no wait...Luce...no? Oh right, Samantha. Samantha is a teenager with a crush on an older boy and finds herself finally being kissed by him. This kiss changes her, literally. Odd things start to happen, yada yada. She meets a boy...yay! That is the last thing I remember before falling into a coma until I finished DARK KISS. I am supposed to review the second book, WICKED KISS but for the sake of my mind I will pass.
lynseyisreading's review against another edition
3.0
First of all, I cry foul! Where's the Elvis hair gone? I was promised Elvis hair!
When the cover for this was first released the guy on the cover had this massive Elvis quiff that brought me no end of amusement. Seriously, you could have done a Half Pipe off the thing.
Don't believe me? Check it out, here's the original:
Elvis hair:
And here's the new one:
No Elvis hair:
Now where's the fun in that? It's all, like, normal and stuff. B. O. R. I. N. G.
As for the contents inside the book? Eh. It was okay. It was a decent enough story, but it had a lot of cliches, incredibly 2D cardboard cut-out characters, and a rather unlikable protagonist.
The worst part for me was the characterisation of the main character, Samantha, which consisted of TELLING me (as opposed to showing me), that she was a bookish, nerdy type that incongruously, for reasons unknown to the world at large, kept banging on about how she'd once shoplifted and ran away from home and spent three nights sleeping rough on the streets. #troubled #introverted
She was also quite bitchy and snarky, which was another thing she kept TELLING us about; that she had this incredible wit and had learned to fight people with her sharp tongue. Not once did I find any of her comebacks funny or cool in any way, but whatevs. #ohsnap #noyoudi'n't
She was also a bit TSTL. Like, "Hee, hee! Let's follow the weird, clearly mental, homeless dude into a dark alley. 'Cause he's like, super hot!". #inspired #tinygenius
And that's really all the characterisation you get. #theend
Oh, but then there were the boys: One good but tormented. One bad but redeemable. One really sweet, the token friend. One bad as bad can be...
I'm pretty sure the YAers will lap it all up, but I've read far too many books, including recently two brilliant YA books (Wilde's Fire by Krystal Wade and Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa), to accept this mediocre writing. It's all been done before so much better.
Having said all that, I did read it all the way through and in pretty short order. Like I said, the story itself was not too terrible and could have been so much better if it had some decent characters to carry it. But alas, it did not.
To sum up, it entertained me for a few hours, but I didn't like the characters enough to want more. I won't be reading the next one.
3 stars ★★★
When the cover for this was first released the guy on the cover had this massive Elvis quiff that brought me no end of amusement. Seriously, you could have done a Half Pipe off the thing.
Don't believe me? Check it out, here's the original:
Elvis hair:
And here's the new one:
No Elvis hair:
Now where's the fun in that? It's all, like, normal and stuff. B. O. R. I. N. G.
As for the contents inside the book? Eh. It was okay. It was a decent enough story, but it had a lot of cliches, incredibly 2D cardboard cut-out characters, and a rather unlikable protagonist.
The worst part for me was the characterisation of the main character, Samantha, which consisted of TELLING me (as opposed to showing me), that she was a bookish, nerdy type that incongruously, for reasons unknown to the world at large, kept banging on about how she'd once shoplifted and ran away from home and spent three nights sleeping rough on the streets. #troubled #introverted
She was also quite bitchy and snarky, which was another thing she kept TELLING us about; that she had this incredible wit and had learned to fight people with her sharp tongue. Not once did I find any of her comebacks funny or cool in any way, but whatevs. #ohsnap #noyoudi'n't
She was also a bit TSTL. Like, "Hee, hee! Let's follow the weird, clearly mental, homeless dude into a dark alley. 'Cause he's like, super hot!". #inspired #tinygenius
And that's really all the characterisation you get. #theend
Oh, but then there were the boys: One good but tormented. One bad but redeemable. One really sweet, the token friend. One bad as bad can be...
I'm pretty sure the YAers will lap it all up, but I've read far too many books, including recently two brilliant YA books (Wilde's Fire by Krystal Wade and Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa), to accept this mediocre writing. It's all been done before so much better.
Having said all that, I did read it all the way through and in pretty short order. Like I said, the story itself was not too terrible and could have been so much better if it had some decent characters to carry it. But alas, it did not.
To sum up, it entertained me for a few hours, but I didn't like the characters enough to want more. I won't be reading the next one.
3 stars ★★★
jae07's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
ellenpenleysmith's review against another edition
5.0
There is something fairly awesome about Dark Kiss by Michelle Rowen. I bought this book on a flim, recognising the cover and loving the sounds of the blurb without having read many reviews. And I have to admit, I wholeheartedly think it was worth it.
I love books that have unique plots, I guess you'd say. It reminded me in a way of the Soul Screamer novels. Just in the way that there was always something going on and it was never all that complicated to follow.
Another thing I loved about Dark Kiss is the unique spin on the angels and demon thing. I have to admit, I'm quite a bit over angels and demons, but Rowen tossed in another little creature which I think seperates this book from others: grays. Grays--Samantha--are people that suck out souls through kissing. And the number of Greys is increasing all too quickly.
Then we enter in Bishop, Kraven, Roth and Zach. These four have been sent down and up (heaven and hell) to basically get rid of all the grays. I loved these boys. Bishop and Kraven get the most spotlight, but you definitely get a feel of the other two. I think it would have been very easy to get the two Hell and Heaven boys mixed up, but Rowen did manage to give them distinct personalities while staying to that mould that people from Hell are sinners and those from heaven don't sin as much (I say this really loosely because my knowledge of heaven isn't all that broad).
I know some people have complained that the writing was too telling and not enough showing, but I honestly didn't notice it all that much. I was definitely caught up in the plot and characters way too much to notice.
All in all, I loved Dark Kiss. I think it was a fantastic novel with enjoyable, hilarious characters and a unique spin on a dried out demon/angels tale.
I love books that have unique plots, I guess you'd say. It reminded me in a way of the Soul Screamer novels. Just in the way that there was always something going on and it was never all that complicated to follow.
Another thing I loved about Dark Kiss is the unique spin on the angels and demon thing. I have to admit, I'm quite a bit over angels and demons, but Rowen tossed in another little creature which I think seperates this book from others: grays. Grays--Samantha--are people that suck out souls through kissing. And the number of Greys is increasing all too quickly.
Then we enter in Bishop, Kraven, Roth and Zach. These four have been sent down and up (heaven and hell) to basically get rid of all the grays. I loved these boys. Bishop and Kraven get the most spotlight, but you definitely get a feel of the other two. I think it would have been very easy to get the two Hell and Heaven boys mixed up, but Rowen did manage to give them distinct personalities while staying to that mould that people from Hell are sinners and those from heaven don't sin as much (I say this really loosely because my knowledge of heaven isn't all that broad).
I know some people have complained that the writing was too telling and not enough showing, but I honestly didn't notice it all that much. I was definitely caught up in the plot and characters way too much to notice.
All in all, I loved Dark Kiss. I think it was a fantastic novel with enjoyable, hilarious characters and a unique spin on a dried out demon/angels tale.
chelseavbc's review against another edition
3.0
This review was originally posted at Vampire Book Club.
I have to give it up to Michelle Rowen; she can make waiting for a single kiss the hottest thing ever.
The majority of the novel has protagonist Samantha doing everything she can to keep from kissing people. It is the desire and the danger that lies with a potential kiss that will keep you turning the pages of Dark Kiss.
Samantha has been turned into a gray. She has no idea what this means, because the boy she’s crushed on forever didn’t explain a thing before he gave her the hottest kiss of her life and took her soul at the same time. Now she has an unyielding hunger to kiss others, and it just doesn’t make sense. Other grays may be giving in, but somehow she can resist it.
When she meets Bishop, she just thinks he’s a slightly crazy hottie. He knows more about her than she does, and the angel’s mission on earth means he might be her enemy.
Rowen’s characters are well developed, and I truly liked Samantha. She makes a handful of not-so-smart decisions, but they feel right for her. Bishop is delicious and tortured and complicated and … well… there is no way you will not want to kiss Bishop. Really.
Some of the elements of this one — angels, demons, souls on the line — reminded me of Lisa Desrocher’s Personal Demons, but better done. If you enjoyed that book, you will love this one.
If you like the long tease and heroines fighting against what they may become, Dark Kiss will be a win for you. I liked it and will be game to read book two.
Sexual content: Kissing
I have to give it up to Michelle Rowen; she can make waiting for a single kiss the hottest thing ever.
The majority of the novel has protagonist Samantha doing everything she can to keep from kissing people. It is the desire and the danger that lies with a potential kiss that will keep you turning the pages of Dark Kiss.
Samantha has been turned into a gray. She has no idea what this means, because the boy she’s crushed on forever didn’t explain a thing before he gave her the hottest kiss of her life and took her soul at the same time. Now she has an unyielding hunger to kiss others, and it just doesn’t make sense. Other grays may be giving in, but somehow she can resist it.
When she meets Bishop, she just thinks he’s a slightly crazy hottie. He knows more about her than she does, and the angel’s mission on earth means he might be her enemy.
Rowen’s characters are well developed, and I truly liked Samantha. She makes a handful of not-so-smart decisions, but they feel right for her. Bishop is delicious and tortured and complicated and … well… there is no way you will not want to kiss Bishop. Really.
Some of the elements of this one — angels, demons, souls on the line — reminded me of Lisa Desrocher’s Personal Demons, but better done. If you enjoyed that book, you will love this one.
If you like the long tease and heroines fighting against what they may become, Dark Kiss will be a win for you. I liked it and will be game to read book two.
Sexual content: Kissing
jlove731's review against another edition
5.0
A kiss is sexy, passionate, and always a good thing... right? Well that's not always the case in Michelle Rowen's Dark Kiss. Dark Kiss is gripping, addictive, and will warp what you think about kissing someone. It's an adventure through a dangerous city where demons, angels, and other mysterious beings lurk around every corner.
Dark Kiss start off with Samantha Day. She's normal, semi-unnoticed, but enjoying her life. Until one night at Crave, a club for all ages, she finally gets kissed by her biggest crush. But, it wasn't just an amazing super sexy kiss. Stephen changed her into something dark and she has no idea how or why. Then she meets Bishop. A dark hair, glowing blue-eyed, hottie who she soon discovers is an Angel and just may have the answers to her questions. But, he's on a mission of his own and it seems they need each other to help get through the chaos that's only just beginning.
I was hooked on this story from the first chapter. It was one of those books where I wanted to skip work just so I could sit on my couch and finish it. The concepts Michelle created about demons, angels, grays, and nexuses were all so unique and I love how she mixed them all together into one story. And the idea of a kiss being able to steal your soul... is sick! I love how you can take something so seductive and make it something almost evil. And, that cover is just brilliant!
Next, I found myself loving each and every character too. Even ones you wanted to hate, I found something redeeming or intriguing about them. Samantha is so torn throughout the book about multiple things and I love how she's able to deal with each of them and always doing what's right for her. Boy wise (and there's a lot of them), I adored Bishop and Kraven most. Complete opposites yet, very much alike. I love each of their determination and looks but, where Bishop is the good boy with a dark past, Kraven has this wittiness to him which makes you just adore them both. And I definitely want to find out more about both of them and their pasts. Also, with Bishop... I'm so rooting for a Sam and Bishop happy ending, but we shall see!
Dark Kiss had surprises and twists that I didn't see coming and I always enjoy being surprising right along with the characters. If you're looking for a read with enjoyable (sexy) characters, suspense, and a book that will keep you hooked... definitely check out Dark Kiss!
Dark Kiss start off with Samantha Day. She's normal, semi-unnoticed, but enjoying her life. Until one night at Crave, a club for all ages, she finally gets kissed by her biggest crush. But, it wasn't just an amazing super sexy kiss. Stephen changed her into something dark and she has no idea how or why. Then she meets Bishop. A dark hair, glowing blue-eyed, hottie who she soon discovers is an Angel and just may have the answers to her questions. But, he's on a mission of his own and it seems they need each other to help get through the chaos that's only just beginning.
I was hooked on this story from the first chapter. It was one of those books where I wanted to skip work just so I could sit on my couch and finish it. The concepts Michelle created about demons, angels, grays, and nexuses were all so unique and I love how she mixed them all together into one story. And the idea of a kiss being able to steal your soul... is sick! I love how you can take something so seductive and make it something almost evil. And, that cover is just brilliant!
Next, I found myself loving each and every character too. Even ones you wanted to hate, I found something redeeming or intriguing about them. Samantha is so torn throughout the book about multiple things and I love how she's able to deal with each of them and always doing what's right for her. Boy wise (and there's a lot of them), I adored Bishop and Kraven most. Complete opposites yet, very much alike. I love each of their determination and looks but, where Bishop is the good boy with a dark past, Kraven has this wittiness to him which makes you just adore them both. And I definitely want to find out more about both of them and their pasts. Also, with Bishop... I'm so rooting for a Sam and Bishop happy ending, but we shall see!
Dark Kiss had surprises and twists that I didn't see coming and I always enjoy being surprising right along with the characters. If you're looking for a read with enjoyable (sexy) characters, suspense, and a book that will keep you hooked... definitely check out Dark Kiss!
novelheartbeat's review against another edition
3.0
From my blog Auntie Spinelli Reads
To be honest, I've been dreading writing this review. These are the hardest to write for me, reviews for those books that don't spark any passion toward love or hate at all. It's not that I thought this was a bad book...it's still 3 starfish for me, but I guess I just couldn't connect. The plot was decent and the ideas were fresh - I haven't read anything else like it before. The ideas such as the Hollow, Grays, nexus, and the point of human souls were interesting. I really don't know what it was, to be honest - but I was disappointed. I've read Rowen's work before and loved it (Nightshade and Bloodlust), so I was sure I was going to love this one. I'm quite saddened and disappointed that I didn't! I'm not real big on angel stories, so I've been hoping to find one that I could love.
The lead, Sam, was alright but I just couldn't make a connection. She was sarcastic and stubborn, so ideally I should have loved her...yet I didn't. More disappointment. I didn't feel anything for Bishop either - he seemed a bit one-dimensional to me.
The "romance" between Sam and Bishop was a little creepy. They have an 'instant connection' (coughcough*instaluv*coughcough) and they're drawn to each other. To Sam's credit, she does (somewhat) try to fight the pull. But it just came off a bit too mushy for me. There wasn't really any conflict between them, and what little complications there were seemed unnecessary and too much like plain drama.
There were a few character twists I never saw coming, though. Rowen sure knows how to make the reader doubt who to put trust in! It still held some of her signature surprises, but lacked the excitement that I thought it would have. Even when something terrible happened at the end involving a main character, I couldn't muster up much feeling.
Favorite quote:
Basically it meant that what happened in the past was over and what might happen in the future was not worth thinking about yet if it was only going to cause anxiety. Live in the now. Right here. Right now. Nowhere else.
Favorite character: Kraven. He was the only character I felt anything for. He's a snide asshat but I liked him for some strange reason!
ASSESSMENT
Plot: 3/5
Writing style: 4/5
Characters: 1/5
Uninspiring, with poor character and relationship development.
World-building: 3/5
Pace: 4/5
Cover: 5/5
To be honest, I've been dreading writing this review. These are the hardest to write for me, reviews for those books that don't spark any passion toward love or hate at all. It's not that I thought this was a bad book...it's still 3 starfish for me, but I guess I just couldn't connect. The plot was decent and the ideas were fresh - I haven't read anything else like it before. The ideas such as the Hollow, Grays, nexus, and the point of human souls were interesting. I really don't know what it was, to be honest - but I was disappointed. I've read Rowen's work before and loved it (Nightshade and Bloodlust), so I was sure I was going to love this one. I'm quite saddened and disappointed that I didn't! I'm not real big on angel stories, so I've been hoping to find one that I could love.
The lead, Sam, was alright but I just couldn't make a connection. She was sarcastic and stubborn, so ideally I should have loved her...yet I didn't. More disappointment. I didn't feel anything for Bishop either - he seemed a bit one-dimensional to me.
The "romance" between Sam and Bishop was a little creepy. They have an 'instant connection' (coughcough*instaluv*coughcough) and they're drawn to each other. To Sam's credit, she does (somewhat) try to fight the pull. But it just came off a bit too mushy for me. There wasn't really any conflict between them, and what little complications there were seemed unnecessary and too much like plain drama.
There were a few character twists I never saw coming, though. Rowen sure knows how to make the reader doubt who to put trust in! It still held some of her signature surprises, but lacked the excitement that I thought it would have. Even when something terrible happened at the end involving a main character, I couldn't muster up much feeling.
Favorite quote:
Basically it meant that what happened in the past was over and what might happen in the future was not worth thinking about yet if it was only going to cause anxiety. Live in the now. Right here. Right now. Nowhere else.
Favorite character: Kraven. He was the only character I felt anything for. He's a snide asshat but I liked him for some strange reason!
ASSESSMENT
Plot: 3/5
Writing style: 4/5
Characters: 1/5
Uninspiring, with poor character and relationship development.
World-building: 3/5
Pace: 4/5
Cover: 5/5
cupcakegirly's review against another edition
1.0
I wanted to love this, I really did but I just couldn't get into it. The cover caught my eye and the summary sounded interesting - good vs. evil having to work together to save the world? I'm down. A dangerous kiss? Sign me up! I got about two chapters in and completely lost interest. There were too many similarities to other books for me, City of Bones, Twilight, and Hush Hush and it just fizzled. I did finish it hoping maybe I would be wowed but I wasn't. This just wasn't the book for me. *ducks tomatoes*