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Book Review: Dead Man Walking by Giana Darling
01 Jan

Book Review: Dead Man Walking by Giana Darling

Posted by angelreads Book Reviews No Comments

Dead Man Walking (The Fallen Men #6) by Giana Darling

Pages: 542
Publish date: 27 December 2020
Publisher: –
ASIN: B08RDSGPV1
Purchase: Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU

A killer.
A criminal.
A psychopath.
The Irish enforcer for The Fallen Men MC is everything good girls are taught to stay away from.
Only, I found myself inexorably drawn into his dark gravitational pull. I wanted to know what it would be like to walk beside the human personification of Death and hold his hand, feel his kiss, and maybe even earn his undying love.
But Priest McKenna is older, cold as ice, and notoriously unfeeling.
So what are the odds that a dead man walking would come to life for little, insignificant me?
When a serial killer begins to target the women of Entrance, BC, and The Fallen suffers another terrible blow, Priest resolves to hunt down the killer himself.
And when the murderer sets his eyes on me?
My very own psychopath steps between me and certain death, thrusting us into an intimacy I prayed we would never recover from.

Dead Man Walking:

I received an earc of Dead Man Walking by Giana Darling for review in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way influenced my thoughts and feelings about the book. 

I have a lot of feelings about this book, and even now nearly a week after I’ve finished it. I’m still not sure how I feel. I haven’t read many dark romances. My experience of reading this band of romance is very small. So I don’t have much to compare it to. This isn’t for the faint-hearted. It’s dark, questionable and something I would not want to happen in real life. But it’s also intriguing, damning and sexy. It’s a great addition to this series and adds another layer to all the characters. 

As soon as I heard that this was going to be Priests and Bea’s book I was super excited and intrigued. They are such different characters and before this book, we didn’t know too much about them. Priest is very closed off and we only get a few little things about him here and there. And Bea, we might have seen her grow up, but she was a side character for a lot of it. Dead Man Walking follows their journey. The ups and downs. The rough patches. And both of them going through a hell of a lot. At first, they don’t seem like a good pair, but as the novel goes on. It makes sense. 

Photo by Tamas Munkacsi on Unsplash

Priest is a very interesting character. As soon as he was introduced in the series, he caught my eye. And as it went on I wanted to know more about him. Priest likes to kill. He does it and will do it again. And that makes him such a hard character to love. He has had a hard life and it’s turned him into someone that doesn’t feel and when he does it’s mostly angry. But because of all this, it makes him intriguing and I just wanted to keep on reading Dead Man Walking. The reader can see Priest come to not only understand himself, the man that he has become, but those around him too. Priest isn’t for everyone, and there are times where I had to pull myself back as well, but I still wanted to know more. 

Bea was this fantastic mix of sweet and dark. I really enjoyed this side of a female character. We don’t often see it, especially in MC romances. But the reader can see a side of Bea that is dark and dangerous even. But then there is this sweet side that shines through. She is the sunshine in their group and I loved that. And as Dead Man Walking goes on and things intensify Bea grows and the reader can see her both stand-up for herself and for Priest. 

The romance had its ups and downs for me. I think that there was so much chemistry between Bea and Priest that it jumped off the page. I liked seeing them become comfortable with one another and break those walls downs. Priest walls were built over many years and even being part of The Fallen Men didn’t break those. But Bea slowly but surely picked at them and broke it down little piece, by little piece. Like I said before I don’t read many dark romances, and their romance was not conventional. There were a few times that I have to pull myself out and just take a break. But I didn’t hate it either. 

Photo by Valerie Elash on Unsplash

The plot for Dead Man Walking was so intriguing and interesting. Like the rest of the book, it was dark and dangerous and kept me hooked. It was so interesting and at first, I didn’t know what to think of it. But as the book went on everything fell into place and just made sense. Dead Man Walking was intense. There were so many moments that were fast-paced and kept ongoing. I have found that a lot in MC books and I think it’s a fantastic mark of it.

Giana Darling did such a fantastic job in Dead Man Walking. She had two very different characters and she was able to make them both interesting, intriguing and real. The MC world in books isn’t always. There is a fine like and this dabbled in the dark side. 

Photo by Max Muselmann on Unsplash 

Overall, I have a lot of feelings about Dead Man Walking by Giana Darling. This book isn’t for the faint-hearted. Well, none of this series is. But while the series started off somewhat light, as the books went on things got much darker. And Dead Man Walking is dark. Priest is not an easy protagonist to get along with. He isn’t someone that you can fall in love with immediately or at all really. But that made for such an interesting combination, with Bea. Dead Man Walking explores the notion of darkness and light, of good and bad. And the grey in between. If you like you dark and even sadistic romances, then this one is for you. 

Have you read Dead Man Walking by Giana Darling yet? What did you think? Have you read any of The Fallen Men Books. You can check out my review of the first four books in the series as well as Inked in Lies for more. 

The 2020 Releases That I Loved Reading
29 Dec

The 2020 Releases That I Loved Reading

Posted by angelreads Top Ten Tuesday 6 Comments

This week I’m sharing my favourite 2020 releases that I read.  Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and Bookish and is hosted by The Artsy Reader Girl. 

Today it’s time to share my favourite books in 2020. That will be for another post. Now, this isn’t my favourite books that I read for the whole year, but these are my favourite books that were published in 2020. I can’t believe that this year is nearly over. It’s been a strange one that is for sure. 

I’ve read a lot of different books this year, but most of it has been romance, which also means that most of this list is romance. In saying that there are some amazing YA’s that have also made this list. Enough of this lets’ get into it. Like always these are in no order. 

Great and Precious Things by Rebecca Yarros: There should be no surprise that this has made my list. I have just adored everything Rebecca Yarros writes and I feel in love with this one from the start. It explores the notion of guilt and grief, as well as a fresh start. Camden and Willow were perfect protagonists that each had their own story. Rebecca Yarros knows how to tear me apart and she did again. You can check out my full review. 

Chain of Gold (The Last Hours #1) by Cassandra Clare: I mean this had to make this list. How couldn’t it? I adored the characters, the world and everything in between. Cassandra really made this one stand out in her shadowhunter world and I can’t wait for more. Depending on how the rest of the series goes, it could turn into my favourite series 

A Rogue of One’s Own (A League of Extraordinary Women #2) by Evie Dunmore: I adored the first book in this series and I couldn’t wait to read book two and I loved it just as much. It was fantastic getting to see more of the characters that we were introduced to in the first book. The writing was fantastic, the characters were great and I had a blast reading it. You can check out my discussion with Ely to see more. 

The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune: No one should be surprised that this had made my list of my favourite 2020 releases. This is not only one of my favourite books I read this year, but one of my favourite books ever. It’s about love, that isn’t just about blood family or falling in love. It’s about believing in yourself and those that do love you. This enchanting story is exceptional and breathtaking. Full Review.

Who Wants to Marry a Duke (Duke Dynasty #3) by Sabrina Jeffries: I managed to read the whole current series this year and I think this was my favourite of them all. It was such a wonderful reading experience and has everything that I look for in a historical romance. Full Review.

The Reality of Everything (Flight & Glory #5) by Rebecca Yarros: I mean, I couldn’t help myself. It had to make the list. I cried, I laughed and I smiled. It’s a rollercoaster of emotions and written exceptionally well. It’s the perfect way to end this series and wrap up all those ends that we wanted to know. It explores grief, family, and friendship. It looks at moving, falling in love, and remembering. Full Review.

Only When It’s Us (Bergman Brothers #1) by Chloe Liese: I was not expecting to love this book as much as I did. But I feel in love with the characters and their families. It’s emotional and heartbreaking at times, but it’s uplifting, funny and made me smile a whole lot. I love that we get to see the female lead as the athlete and disability is so present throughout the novel. You can check out my full review now. 
 
Always Only You (Bergman Brothers #2) by Chloe Liese: I couldn’t pick between the two and they both had to make it. It’s a fun, beautiful and charming sports romance that explores the ups and downs of falling in love. Ren and Frankie were amazing and I can’t wait to see more of them in future books. The disability rep in this one was also fantastic.
 
Only Mostly Devastated by Sophie Gonzales: This is another one that I was expecting to love as much as I did. But It was a blast to read it and it’s one that I keep on recommending at work. Plus its #LoveOzYA – so just pick it up. 
 
And that is it for this week’s Top Ten Tuesday and the last one of 2020. What are some of your favourite 2020 books? Do we share any that is the same? Let’s chat! 
Best Friend Picks My TBR Wrap Up
27 Dec

Best Friend Picks My TBR Wrap Up

Posted by angelreads Best Friend TBR, Discussions No Comments

So first I want to say, sorry about the lack of posts this month. I’ve just gone my first Christmas as a full-time bookseller and it’s been a little crazy. I’ve done 3 bookselling Christmas before, but this year was a lot different. But enough of that let’s get into this post. 

At the start of the year,  Ely my best friend and I picked 5 books for the other to read throughout the year. You can check out the post now to see my first thoughts on the books that she picked for me. And today it’s the final wrap up, you can check out what I picked for Ely and her thoughts too. So, let’s get into it. 

The Diviners (The Diviners #1) by Libba Bray: This was the first book that Ely picked for me and the one I was most nervous about. I had tried reading this one before and I never got through it. And sadly I hit the same spot this year again. I tried picking this one up twice throughout the year and even tried it as an audiobook, but I was unable to get into it. Which really does frustrate me. I wanted to at least finish it, but alas. 

Girl Against the Universe by Paula Stokes: I knew that I was going to love this one when I picked it up. I adored Girl Against the Universe by Paula Stokes. It was an excellent novel that does focus on mental health. It’s not a love fixes all kind of novel but explores how those around can help you in a way that you never thought. Maguire and Jordy were adorable and I love them so much. If you are looking for a positive mental health novel that has a little bit of everything then this is for you. You can check out my full review for more. 

One by Sarah Crossan: This is the other book that I sadly didn’t read this year. It’s still on my tbr and I hope to get to it soon. However, I knew I had to be in the right frame of mind to read this one and I just wasn’t. I cry a lot in books, even at the smallest of things. And I know that this one is going to wreck me. But I will get to it. Hopefully in 2021. 

Prince Charming (Royals #1) by Rachel Hawkins: This is one of the first books that I read from this list and I had such a good time reading it. It was fun, entertaining and made me smile a lot. Daisy and Miles were adorable together, but I like I said I wished I was able to see more of them. I felt there was room to add a lot more. In saying that I do want to pick up the next book in the series for sure. It sounds like it’s going to be as fun reading as this one. You can check out my full review now. 

Ghosts of the Shadow Market by Cassandra Clare: This was the first book that I read from this tbr and I had such a good time reading it. I loved that we got to see a different side of the world, from different characters and their perspectives. It was this great combo that includes characters from all her series, along with different timelines. This kept the stories fresh and interesting. It was a great bridge for a lot of stories and filled in gaps between books. 

And that it is for today’s post! I’m so glad that I am back. Posts might be here and there for the next few weeks, but once I get into my groove, I think we will be good. 

Also look out for our 2021 TBR, where we are going to pick another 5 books for one another. We had such a blast this year and I cannot wait. 

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💌 angel@angelreads.com
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March was a better reading month than February for March was a better reading month than February for me, and while I’m still stuck in my heated rivalry fanfiction era I managed to scrap out of it a little this month. 

I reread four books from the sweet omegaverse series and honestly had the best time. I also read two of my most anticipated reads of the year and had a blast. Sadly I did also have my first dnf of the year.

What did you read this March? Any standouts? What are you looking forward to reading in April? Let’s chat! 
🏷️ 
#romancebooks #bookstagram  #angelreads #spicybooks #marchwrapup
I have a love-hate relationship with this series. I have a love-hate relationship with this series. But I ended up really enjoying this one. It’s best friends to fake dating to-lovers. It’s always been you, bad-boy/good-girl, and I loved that. While Save Your Breath has quite a few tropes, it really leads itself to it, and it works. 

Aleks and Mia have known each other for years now. Since they were teenagers, that angst has been building up this whole time. And you can tell right from the get-go, it’s fantastic. I even wanted more of it, because I love pain. When Aleks went to live with Mia’s family as a teenager, sparks flew, but for many reasons, they both put their feelings aside. And well, now they are not only going to be fake-dating, but they might as well be engaged, too. 

I really enjoyed seeing how both Aleks and Mia both tried to hide how they were feeling throughout the whole ‘fake-dating’ situation, but anyone could see it. They know each other as no one else does. Aleks has a lot going on, and while I do think this was brushed over a little too much, Mia is his centre. Mia is a massive music star and is a female in the industry, so yeah, people don’t respect her. Obvsiouly because why couldn’t a female star be badass and write about the things that she has gone through? Aleks and Mia get each other, and that is very clear from the start; they are both just trying to squash everything. We get to see them slowly start to show how they feel, and well, one night it all explodes. 

Overall, I enjoyed this one a lot; it’s not my favourite of the series, but I had a great time reading it. I liked Aleks and Mia a lot as characeters and while I think the mental health aspect could have been explored a whole lot more, I can see why it wasn’t. The romance was slow and spicy, the angst was great, and the payoff for these two was what they needed. 

Tropes
🏒Sports/Hockey Romance
🎤Fake Dating/Engagement
🏒Childhood Friends to Lovers
🎤Forced Proximity
🏒Athlete x Pop Star 
🎤Angsty Slow Burn 

Content Warnings
Mental Health Struggles 
Suicide Intention 
Family Deaths 
Alcohol Consumption
Violence on Ice

🏷️ 
#romancebooks #bookstagram  #angelreads #spicybooks #bookreview
Well February wasn’t the best reading month. I onl Well February wasn’t the best reading month. I only ended up reading 3 books in. 3 pretty fun books but one of my slowest readings months in a while. 

And I’m going to be honest here it’s because I’ve been constantly reading Heated Rivalry fanfics. 🤷‍♀️ I’m having the best time though. 

How was your reading in February? Any 5  star reads? 

🏷️ 
#romancebooks #bookstagram  #angelreads #spicybooks #februarywrapup
January was a really solid reading month. I read s January was a really solid reading month. I read some books that had been on my tbr for some time, reread a few things that peaked my interest. I also started a few new series. And just had a good time!

I just had a really good start to the year. While February is a little slow so far I’m looking forward to what I can pick up.

What did you read in January? Any 5-star reads? Let’s chat! 

🏷️ 
#romancebooks #bookstagram  #angelreads #spicybooks #januarywrapup
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