Review: Sweet Peril by Wendy Higgins

Title: Sweet Peril
Author: Wendy Higgins
Publisher: HarperTeen
Age Group: Young Adult
Category: Paranormal Romance
Release date: April 30th, 2013
Pages: 374 (ARC)
Rating: 5 out of 5
Source: Publisher
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Anna Whitt, the daughter of a guardian angel and a demon, promised herself she’d never do the work of her father—polluting souls. She’d been naive to make such a vow. She’d been naive about a lot of things. 

Haunted by demon whisperers, Anna does whatever she can to survive, even if it means embracing her dark side and earning an unwanted reputation as her school’s party girl. Her life has never looked more bleak. And all the while there’s Kaidan Rowe, son of the Duke of Lust, plaguing her heart and mind. 

When an unexpected lost message from the angels surfaces, Anna finds herself traveling the globe with Kopano, son of Wrath, in an attempt to gain support of fellow Nephilim and give them hope for the first time. It soon becomes clear that whatever freedoms Anna and the rest of the Neph are hoping to win will not be gained without a fight. Until then, Anna and Kaidan must put aside the issues between them, overcome the steamiest of temptations yet, and face the ultimate question: is loving someone worth risking their life?

Diving back into Wendy Higgins' incredibly captivating series, we reunite with Anna, our brave protagonist.  She seems to be quite well on her own, doing what she has to in order to survive as a Neph, which usually means tempting others at parties with drugs and alcohol.  No matter the distance or the fact that Kaidan is unwilling to speak to her, Anna knows that the heart wants what it wants.  In this steamiest installment yet, readers will be at the edge of their seats in anticipation for what happens next for these much-loved characters.

Throughout the story, readers will learn more about the battle, the risk each of the characters are putting themselves in, and the seriousness of the situation.  Anna must travel with her good friend and fellow Nephilim, Kopano, in order to warn others of what's to come and get them to join an alliance.  Without the help of many others, hopes of defeat aren't very high.  Though they need to focus on these very important tasks, Anna can't keep Kaidan off of her mind and constantly wonders why he's pulling away.

In Sweet Evil, we see how quickly Anna grows into a strong and courageous young woman. These qualities don't dim as the story evolves.  Though she seems quite uncertain at times, she's still a great character to follow.  She doesn't tend to give in, even when she wants to and she proves that although she is heartsick, she is capable on her own, unlike many other female characters in YA.  Kopano is very active in this book as well, which I enjoyed, because he's not a character that stuck with me for long after reading Sweet Evil.  He shows his loyalty and politeness many times, which I loved.  Of course, I can't forget to mention Kaidan, because let's face it...almost every fan of this series is deeply in love with him, including myself.  There are plenty of swoony scenes involved, which surely satisfied my hunger after a year of Kaidan Rowe deprivation.

Overall, Sweet Peril is the perfect sequel.  It's even better than I imagined it to be!  The characters are mostly the same, aside from a few small changes, such as Anna's adorable innocence and Kaidan's unwillingness to get too involved with anyone.  The chapters are filled with adventure, excitement and a slew of emotions.  I would highly recommend this book to readers who are looking for a well-written story mixed with the perfect amount of steamy romance!