ARC Review: Dark Kiss

Title: Dark Kiss
Author: Michelle Rowen
Genre: YA Fantasy, Paranormal
Release Date: May 29th

See it at Goodreads

I don't do dangerous. Smart, über-careful, ordinary Samantha-that's me. But I just couldn't pass up a surprise kiss from my number-one unattainable crush. A kiss that did something to me...something strange. Now I feel hungry all the time, but not for food. It's like part of me is missing-and I don't know if I can get it back. Then there's Bishop. At first I thought he was just a street kid, but the secrets he's keeping are as intense as his unearthly blue eyes. If he's what I think he is, he may be the only one who can help me. But something terrifying is closing in, and the one chance Bishop and I have to stop it means losing everything I ever wanted and embracing the darkness inside me.... NIGHTWATCHERS When angels and demons must work together, something beyond evil is rising...

To be honest, I didn’t have high expectations going into Dark Kiss. I’d read mixed reviews. It’s about fallen angels (I have odd chances with them from time to time). The blurb didn’t entirely grab at me to make me eager enough to anticipate it. Basically, I judged a book by the cover. The cover is really a bowl of H-O-T, okay?


So, I went into the story with a bit of caution. I was wary, and had low expectations from the start. I didn’t get my hopes up on this one. I didn’t want to because it seems anytime I do get high expectations for a book, it ends up being too high, and then it disappoints (in most cases). I’m glad I went into Dark Kiss with this too. After I finished, it ended up being much better than I thought it would be. The plot was curious, mysterious, and well-thought out. I was fascinated throughout, but left with some questions at the end. Perhaps this was purely intentional because it’s the first book to a series and these questions will be answered later. At least, I hope.


I couldn’t connect with all the characters. In fact, the main interest (or at least who I think is the main interest), I found almost forgettable and seemed more like an insta-love. This could be a slight annoyance, but it didn’t turn me away from the STORY (which is rare, because I‘m big into characterization and development), which was extremely solid and well-detailed. Bishop just didn’t capture my interest though. I didn’t feel his personality at all, and didn’t see how there could be any interest in him other than “Oh my, he’s cute.”(from the character's perspective). And really, to go off on a little rant here, let’s stop teaching our readers that it’s not just about looks, but there’s got to be some personality shown in there. Flaws included. End of rant.


I liked Samantha. She’s determined and strong in mind. She’s facing some challenges here, but keeps moving forward despite them instead of becoming all angst and whiney. Right on.
My favorite character of all though? Kraven. He was most definitely memorable. A smart-ass, sarcastic, and hilarious demon (with a personality that jumped from the pages) that I just adored.


Overall, the world-building and pacing were fantastic, though I was still at a bit of a loss and confused at the end. However, it’s a series I’m sure to continue in the future. It was a page-turner and kept me reading long into the early morning hours. I definitely look forward to more Kraven.


4 stars!