**REVIEW** Embrace by Jessica Shirvington

It starts with a whisper: "It's time for you to know who you are..."
On her 17th birthday, everything will change for Violet Eden. The boy she loves will betray her. Her enemy will save her. She will have to decide just how much she's willing to sacrifice. Dangerously exciting and darkly romantic, EMBRACE is a compelling novel of good and evil, seductive desires and impossible choices. A centuries old war between fallen angels and the protectors of humanity chooses a new fighter. It's a battle Violet doesn't want, but she lives her life by two rules: don't run and don't quit. If angels seek vengeance and humans are the warriors, you could do a lot worse than betting on Violet Eden. LINCOLN: He's been Violet's one anchor, her running partner and kickboxing trainer. Only he never told her he's Grigori--part human, part angel--and that he was training her for an ancient battle between Angels and Exiles. PHOENIX: No one knows where his loyalties lie, yet he's the only one there to pick up the pieces and protect her after Lincoln's lies. In a world of dark and light, he is all shades of gray. Two sides: Angel or Exile.Two guys: Lincoln or Phoenix.The wrong choice could cost not only her life, but her eternity... 

Release Date: March 6, 2012

Published by: Sourcebooks Fire

Review Copy:  ARC, 374 pages 

Trailer

REVIEW

  This is one of those big hype books for me.  I have put off reading it because I was afraid of being let down.  So many times I picked it up looked at it and then put it down.  When I got Entice for review I knew I had to suck it up and jump.   Needless to say I was presently surprised.  I have this hard spot when it comes to angels.  I used to love them but then it was like everyone was doing it and not in a great way.  I had one series that was the exception but this book may have just rekindled my love.   It was an interesting and fast read that I honest,y read in a day because I really wanted o know what was going to happen, who was going to do what and more.

  Violet grew up without a mother and basically no father.  His absence is filled with her BFF Steph and Lincon her self defense partner/friend.  Though life isn't great or exciting she is content enough with how things are.  Well except for maybe wanting her feelings for Lincon to be reciprocated.  Jut when sh thinks that might happen things blow up.  She finds it that Lincon isn't who she thought, what she thought and sh kind of isn't either.  Betrayal is a powerful thing and this leads to new things.  Like Pheonix.  Pheonix is something new, something else.  Violet has to not only fight her feelings but decide what she wants to become and who she will be.

  I liked Violet.  There were times that her indecisiveness made me want to stream out loud and smack her.  Her huge redeeming quality is that she is strong and unwilling to give up.  I mean this in basically the most extreme way.  After a huge event when she was younger, she vowed never to run away so she faces things head on.  This means that she retains being who she is even when she finds out that might not be who she really is, being torn between two guys and basically having her entire world turned upside down on her birthday.  Basically she took each situation and learned, grew, became more and smarter than she was before.  To finish this bit up I just want to make it clear that yes she could be indecisive and whiny but to balance it she was strong and determined.  Violet was everything I loved in a character but was made more realistic with the things that drive me in a character.

  The romance was such a touchy thing.  I was torn on how I would feel when the love triangle touched down.  It was one of those brace yourself moments.  At first glance I thought it was going to be one of the ones that made me want to give up, stop the reading and the madness but it changed.  I would be lying if I said it didn't feel torturous at times still but for the most part it was okay.  Violet felt for one with her entire heart and the other sh seemed to want to feel more than she did for.  It broke my heart at times but the guys made it worth it.

  Pheonix and Lincon.  Really I'm not sure who I fell for.  I want to say Pheonix but if I'm honest I think it's his bad boy/want to change but only for her thing that really caught me with him.  Also his honesty...  Well mostly honest ways.  When Violet needed answers he tried to do the best he could to give hem to her.  Even his looks screamed pick me and there were times I found myself wishing it were my lips on his.  But first there was Lincon and he made me smile.  His biggest downfall with me was the secrets and hot to cold attitude.  There is a "reason" behind it but come on make a choice.  Follow your heart or follow the rules.  Jessica did a wonderful job of creating two guys that could both leave you hot or cold an I'm not sure I have chosen a team yet.

  Rather than the boys there wasn't much depth in the characters throughout this one.  Violets best friend Steph was fun and loyal but not someone you really get to know.  Though the moments that she spills onto the pages I did love her.  She is fiercely loyal and seemed to love Violet and be on her side no matter what.  My favourite was probably when she went on the best friend back up when she realized Lincon had kind of broken Violet.  Other quickly notable characters were Griffen and Magda.  Though neither of them really called to me more than the other.

  I will be picking up book two very soon.  In fact there is only one book separating it from my hands and being read.  The twist on the angels was a breath of fresh air and I enjoyed that religion wasn't pulled into it very much.  Not that I have a problem with religion but when it is left out it kind of creates a bit of a comfort zone, neutral we shall say. Despite the angels and romance the novel is really all about the romance, action and the power of choice.  Jessica Shirvington did an amazing job of captivating me and I look forward to reading more of her work.

Quotes

"Maybe.  But with all things there has to be balance.  You know, light and dark, sun and moon, yin and yang... So where there are entities that produce good, there must also be those that don't."

It was a sign of how bad things had become that I was relieved - at least death was still a certainty.

"Clearly I am out of the loop, but here's the thing.  There are two of you and only one of Violet and, bless her, she just wasn't built to handle two guys at once."

"Great.  So he gets super strength and powers of Sight, you can be some kind of human lie detector, and I get my own float at Mardi Gras."

The logical part of my brain demanded, Run, run, run.  Of course, I just stood, a poster child for all things dazed and confused.