Review: Sweet Evil (The Sweet Trilogy, #1) by Wendy Higgins @Wendy_Higgins @harperteen

Blurb from Goodreads:
Embrace the Forbidden
What if there were teens whose lives literally depended on being bad influences?
This is the reality for sons and daughters of fallen angels.
Tenderhearted Southern girl Anna Whitt was born with the sixth sense to see and feel emotions of other people. She's aware of a struggle within herself, an inexplicable pull toward danger, but it isn't until she turns sixteen and meets the alluring Kaidan Rowe that she discovers her terrifying heritage and her willpower is put to the test. He's the boy your daddy warned you about. If only someone had warned Anna.
Forced to face her destiny, will Anna embrace her halo or her horns?

  The Cover Contessa's Review:

I'll start by saying that I have only heard good things about this book. And I'm not surprised because I really enjoyed reading it. This particular copy was gifted to me by Kayleigh from K-Books blog and I'm very grateful for her having sent it to me.

So, I'll be honest and say I went into this book not knowing what it was about at all. I didn't read the blurb or any reviews. The only things I had were all my friends raving and seeing the gorgeous cover. I'm a sucker for covers, for sure, and this one hit the spot. How can't you love the girl in the bright red dress (red - one of my favorite colors) and this "evil" looking guy behind her who is just swoon worthy!

I really enjoyed watching Anna and Kaiden develop in this story.
Anna is a sweet girl, fairly naive, who has a secret she keeps from many: she can feel their emotions. She's been fairly sheltered (or hidden, really) for most of her life. And she doesn't know the truth about her heritage. I loved how she interjected humor into the story. And she's fairly level-headed for most of the story (although she has her moments of angst as any teen would). But when she meets Kaiden Rowe, things change. She becomes a bit more rebellious, all in the interest of finding out exactly what she is and where she came from.
Kaiden is the bad boy, the influence no one wants their daughter with. And yet she inexplicably pulled to him and doesn't know why. He's sexy and oozing appeal, all the girls are drawn to him and want him. And it's not surprising, given his supernatural being status and what he was "made" to do. And the tension between these two does not let up for the entire story. You can feel their pull to each other. You keep telling Anna that she needs to stay away, but you also want to see them together. It's like a ying and yang!
The secondary characters really add a lot to this story. From Anna's best friend Jay, who is sweet and innocent himself, to Kaiden's crew, who all have their reasons for "being" on earth. The one that stood out most for me is Kopano. He's funny and kind of irresistible. I really felt a connection to him.
Overall the characters had amazing growth and development. They are relatable and real. They have emotions and Higgins isn't afraid to show them to the reader. I felt the fear, happiness, uncertainty that each character held. Especially Kaiden, he's the most torn of all the characters and it truly made me feel badly for him.

The storyline is very interesting and completely original. I really like anything involving Nephillim. And I love to see the twist Higgins put on this. If you're thinking Cassandra Clare, think again. This is the complete opposite side of the coin. These Nephillim are bad influences on humans, they make them do things they normally wouldn't. Think the seven deadly sins, yup, you read that right. And the Nephillim succeed in helping these things come to fruition. It's such an interesting concept. One that certainly held my interest through the entire book. I just had to know where it was going and why. Angels, demons, humans, it's a heady mix.

And Higgins's writing is spot on. I love her descriptions. I love how her story flows easily from one scene to the next. Wendy keeps it refreshing and new throughout the entire book, so much so I really didn't want to put it down. There's so much information that Higgins puts forth, it's a lot to take in, but it really lays a great background to the mythology with which she is working. And she provides great plot twists that you just do not see coming.

Overall I was extremely pleased with this book and I'm looking forward to reading the next one. I want to see where the relationship between Anna and Kaiden goes (and if the "love triangle" makes things that much more complicated).  And intense and seductive read that will pull you in and take you on a roller coaster ride!

4/5 stars

After earning a Creative Writing degree from George Mason University and a Masters in Curriculum and Instruction from Radford, I taught high school English until becoming a mommy. I've always had a heart for teens, and writing YA stories gives me the opportunity to delve into the ambiguities of those pivotal years before adulthood.
I live in the D.C. area with my husband, daughter, son and puppy Rue.

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