Review: Forbidden by Lori Adams

Title: Forbidden
Author: Lori Adams
Series: Book One in the Soulkeepers Series
Published By: Flirt (April 15, 2014)
Source: ARC Copy Provided by the Publisher (in exchange for an honest review)
Genre: YA Fantasy
My Rating: 3 Stars

Book Description:
When Sophia St. James learns that she’ll be moving from Los Angeles to a podunk town somewhere in Connecticut for her senior year of high school, she isn’t expecting an otherworldly encounter. But there is more to Haven Hurst than meets the eye: it’s home to a family of Guardian Angels, and she is the only one who can see them in spirit form. Sophia soon realizes she wants to see much more of Michael, an irresistible yet volatile Guardian who seems drawn to her too.

As Michael battles his forbidden desire for the beautiful young newcomer, one of Hell’s most notorious Demon Knights arrives. Handsome and charismatic, Dante has come to claim the reincarnated soul of his lost lover trapped in Sophia. Cursed with the demon of Persuasion living inside him, Dante will use his seductive charms to lure Sophia into a dangerous game that ends with the kiss of death—unless Michael, who has captured Sophia’s heart, can now capture her soul.

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For some reason I am always drawn to book about angels and demons but am very rarely ever impressed with them. Maybe I have a preconceived notion about what constitutes a good book about angles or maybe my expectations are always just too high. I am not really sure nor am I sure why I feel the need to read every single one I come across but there you have it.

So I didn't go into this expecting to be blown away or knocked off my feet. I was only hoping to get a read that I would like and hopefully even enjoy, which, I did. 

Sadly, I wasn't blown away but this was a fun and different kind of read. It is always interesting to see how an author will approach and handle the issue of good versus evil. Where demons stemmed from and how and why they were created. Are they fallen angels or the very incarnate of evil himself?

Are any of them good? Do any of them have any shred of humanity at all?

Maybe these questions are the very reason I pick up these books so frequently. Maybe I like not knowing what I will get from a controversy almost older than time. 

My biggest problem with books like this one is how much world building and explaining needs to be done in order to get a good grasp on everything. And while this did have excellent world building, it made the first half of the book drag a little. There was very little action after those first initial chapters. The first couple of chapters grabbed my attention right from the start as we are thrown right into the world of angels and demons and then...then, not so much, at least not until the end when it all starts up again.

I did love the whole concept of angels and demons and Knights and Guardians. It really was well done and explained. I think almost all of my questions were answered by the end and that is super nice when that happens.

The last half of the book definitely picked up when the Guardians battle the Demon Knights and you finally get to learn what Sophie's dad did and what exactly Sophie is and why she can see both the angels and the demons, even if I wish a little more was explained as to Sophie's heritage, I can see where in book two, it will have a great storyline to unfold and tell. 

So while this one didn't wow me, it was a nice read that I did enjoy. Would I pick up book two? I am actually not sure. I wouldn't make it a priority but I could see myself doing it out of curiosity. 

*All thoughts and opinions are my own and were not influenced by the author or publisher. I was not compensated for this review.*