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Covet
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Covet
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Covet
Audiobook9 hours

Covet

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

3.5/5

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About this audiobook

Tracey Garvis Graves, the New York Times-bestselling author of On the Island, returns. 

What if the life you wanted, and the woman you fell in love with, belonged to someone else?

Chris and Claire Canton's marriage is on life support. Downsized during the recession and out of work for a year, Chris copes by retreating to a dark place where no one can reach him, not even Claire. When he's offered a position that will keep him away from home four nights a week, he dismisses Claire's concern that time apart could be the one thing their fragile union can't weather. Their suburban life may look idyllic on the outside, but Claire has never felt so disconnected from Chris, or so lonely.

Local police officer Daniel Rush used to have it all, but now he goes home to an empty house every night. He pulls Claire over during a routine traffic stop, and they run into each other again at the 4th of July parade. When Claire is hired to do some graphic design work for the police department, her friendship with Daniel grows, and soon they're spending hours together.

Claire loves the way Daniel makes her feel, and the way his face lights up when she walks into the room. Daniel knows that Claire's marital status means their relationship will never be anything other than platonic. But it doesn't take long before Claire and Daniel are in way over their heads, and skating close to the line that Claire has sworn she'll never cross.

LanguageEnglish
Release dateSep 17, 2013
ISBN9780698135734
Unavailable
Covet
Author

Tracey Garvis Graves

TRACEY GARVIS GRAVES is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author. Her debut novel, On the Island, spent 9 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and is in development with MGM and Temple Hill Productions for a feature film. She is also the author of Heard It in a Love Song, The Girl He Used to Know, Uncharted, Covet, Every Time I Think of You, Cherish, Heart-Shaped Hack, and White Hot Hack. She is hard at work on her next novel.

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Reviews for Covet

Rating: 3.6270028400000003 out of 5 stars
3.5/5

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  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Jim Heron has become a fallen angel after a freak accident at work kills him and angels give him a second chance at redemption. It is explained to him that he is the one person chosen by both sides (good and evil) to play the game deciding what happens to humanity. Jim doesn’t believe he has it in him to hold the fate of humanity on his shoulders, but he agrees to give it a go. His first task is to save the soul of Vin DiPietro; a man who is all about self-preservation and showing off his accomplishments.

    Added to this scenario, Marie-Therese is a high class prostitute. She works nights for Trez at a club in order to save enough money to pay off her debts and begin a new life with her son. After her divorce, she established a new identity for both herself and her son in the hopes that her ex-husband would never be able to find them. Marie-Therese is afraid to trust or love again. When she meets Vin DiPietro there is instant attraction, but will that be enough to help Marie-Therese overcome her fears?

    J.R. Ward is most widely known due to her hugely popular series, The Black Dagger Brotherhood. Some of the characters in this new series were first introduced to us through the Black Dagger Brotherhood. The setting for the series is in the Brotherhood’s Caldwell and the difference between the two is that the main characters are not aware that vampires exist. This is purely about a struggle between good and evil and which side will overcome the other to reign supreme. One of the brothers (Phury) makes a cameo appearance in this book, but if you are unfamiliar with the Brotherhood series you will miss the subtle remarks as he is never mentioned by name.

    What I love about J.R. Ward is her ability to create realistic characters that readers can whole-heartedly identify with! I would recommend reading the Brotherhood series before this one simply because that is where Marie-Therese is introduced and although it does not give you an in-depth background of her life in that series, it helps to explain the world that she is unaware she lives in. Once you dive into the world of Caldwell and all it has to offer you will be wearily waiting for the next novel of either series, as I am.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Why have I not read this series before?? I love the BDB and while this is definitely different from that series, it is awesome. On to the next!!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Another book with everything from the woman who writes them all. Loved it!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Anyting by JR Ward. LOVE IT
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Jim Heron has a military past that involves doing the dirty work of others. Vin diPietro is married to his business, and about to propose to his coldhearted girlfriend who is actually a demon in disguise. Both men are scarred by their childhoods, but when Jim becomes a fallen angel their paths are destined to meet. For Jim has been given the task of saving the world from being obliterated. To do this he must save the souls of seven people from the seven deadly sins. Ensuring that Vin and his true love can be together is part of that plan. The Fallen Angels series intersects somewhat with Ward's famous and fabulous 'Black Dagger Brotherhood' series. There are no vampires in this series, although there are cameo's, with Phury attending the same meeting as Vin's soon-to-be true love. Well written, but not quite as good as the BDB series.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Ok so I have to admit this was not my favorite Ward book....I think BDB spoiled me.

    Though I am a sucker for the tall dark and handsome and Vin's character was all that and more!!!



    First off the book was a roller coaster. Started off slow, the middle was orgasmic and the end was so so.

    Jim's character to me lacked some serious character building and maybe I'm missing the idea and that is the author's entire point...

    I miss the Ward sizzle!! I'm hoping that the rest of the Fallen Angel books series will deliver!!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Jim Heron has a military past that involves doing the dirty work of others. Vin diPietro is married to his business, and about to propose to his coldhearted girlfriend who is actually a demon in disguise. Both men are scarred by their childhoods, but when Jim becomes a fallen angel their paths are destined to meet. For Jim has been given the task of saving the world from being obliterated. To do this he must save the souls of seven people from the seven deadly sins. Ensuring that Vin and his true love can be together is part of that plan. The Fallen Angels series intersects somewhat with Ward's famous and fabulous 'Black Dagger Brotherhood' series. There are no vampires in this series, although there are cameo's, with Phury attending the same meeting as Vin's soon-to-be true love. Well written, but not quite as good as the BDB series.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    I usually devour JR Ward's novels and was disappointed by this first entry in her new series as I found it less compelling on a number of levels. It felt as if she were still exploring the nuances and shades of her new universe, including the development of the characters, whereas the Brotherhood books are less thought-provoking, they know more definitely what they're about. The Brotherhood books feel a bit unpolished but are filled with tension, especially as Ward employs the trick of developing one plotline, building it to a suspenseful moment, and then jumping to another plotline. It feels as if the mistakes she made in the Brotherhood series, including a lack of careful consideration, haven't been learned and compounded to make Covet a less than satisfying read.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This book was a little hard to get into. After a few chapters tho, things finally started to pull together and off we went! Jim is a human who gets chosen by good and evil to be put thru a series of tests in a contest to see which will rule the world. Interesting concept, for sure. This book was a bit out there for me but I did still enjoy it. I have already started Crave and it has began much faster than the first book. I do think this series needs to be read in order.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This book was good, but not as good as the Black Dagger Brotherhood series in my opion. I will read the next book.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    It's not a BDB kind of thing but it was interesting enough. Good plot and I liked the characters, specially since we had some BDB references. Good read.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    As good as BDB, possibly even better!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is my first book by J.R. Ward and I didn't love it or hate it. It took me awhile to really get into the book. I think by the time I got to chapter 5 is when I really start enjoying the story.Jim is a construction worker and has a past. He is out with his friends one night and his buddies are trying to hook him up with this woman. He doesn't have any interest. She has other intentions and does get what she wants.He learns that the woman is the girlfriend of boss of the job he is currently working on. He gets injured at the job and dies but is sent back down to save 7 lives. That is when I started to get interested.He has to figure out who he is saving and how to do it. He does get help by his 'buddies'. I enjoyed the angels and demons. I was just bothered with the beginning because I just didn't get drawn into the characters right away. Not sure if I will be rushing out to finish this series but I will look into reading them at some point.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I'm vacillating on how I rate this one. When I first started this book, I was immediately shamed into thinking I shouldn't have been so hard on Ward's talent when I was critiquing the BDB books--which I loved, by the way; I just can't handle all the name-brand dropping and the childish way the men talk. I saw more maturity in the writing of this story.We are given small glimpses into Jim Heron's background and character; traumatic childhood, military-special Ops, he currently seems to be on leave and is trying to avoid the call to return to duty, presently working in construction, lives as a loner in a run-down rental with only his clothes and small possessions, his truck, and a fixer-upper Harley. No family or emotional attachments.Events lead up to his being chosen to fight in a battle of Good v. Evil. He is told by four angels (Byron, Colin, Nigel, and Albert) that it is up to him to save the world. He has seven chances to influence people on earth. If he saves their souls, he saves humanity.This time around his mission is centered around a wounded but extremely successful businessman, Vincent dePietro, his lovely girlfriend/fiancee, Devina, and a single mother who has hidden secrets.I enjoyed this and will continue with the series. The book was rather long for the story told. It could have been condensed down quite a bit. I was getting antsy by the end for it to be finished. Although I prefer the writing style in this book, I didn't get as attached to the characters as I did in the BDB series. You win some, you lose some.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The beginning was sort of slow, I had to make myself keep reading, at about half-way I would have rated this book a 3 star, but...right about a tad after the half way point it got much better. There is some super steamy scenes between a couple of the main characters, and there are some awesome fight scenes as well. The plot picked up considerably and I finally started to see Ward's biting sarcasm from her characters. This book is definitely a must read if you are a Ward fan. I am super happy I got it in hardcover now
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I put off starting this series because of all the negative things I heard about it coming from other BDB fans. While this series is based in the same area, and you get to see a few of the BDB boys on the periphery, this series has to be viewed as a stand-alone project.

    And it's a good one.

    The characters are strong but flawed, absolutely masculine but still dealing with their weaknesses. The overall arc was strong, the battle between good and evil set up well, and the individual love story in the book was well-written and beautiful. And yet I wouldn't call this a romance novel...at all.

    Great book, four stars absolutely. I'd recommend it to anyone as a good read as long as they didn't expect Rhage and Mary to come trotting through. ;-)
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Oh, I just can't tell you how disappointed I am right now. I was so very, very excited about reading this. I adore the Black Dagger Brotherhood books (most of them anyway) and Lassiter really piqued my interest, so a whole series based on the Fallen Angels...how could it go wrong? Well I found out, didn't I? It could go wrong in any number of ways and Mrs. Ward seems to have found most of them.

    Don't get me wrong, I still love her rather unique writing style--all full of la-di-das and unique grammar structures that sound so very right for the characters. But the story...the story was a serious let down. Let's start with the fact that Lassiter, the fallen angel who shows up in the latter BDB books to introduce this spin off series, isn't even in the book. That's right, the very character who introduced readers to fallen angels was left out completely. How is that possible?

    Next, the use of the noble whore falling in love with the flawed but redeemable billionaire businessman (and visa-versa) is about as cliché and trite as they come. Overused doesn't even begin to cover it. Plus, I got really tired of all of the prostitute bashing disguised as Marie-Terese's pangs of conscious. Yes, I concede that it is generally a mirror of society's unfortunate opinion on the matter, but it was harangued on endlessly.

    Then there is the insta-love. Now, Ward is known for insta-love scenarios so this isn't really all that surprising. But here it felt more extreme than normal since both characters had to break character to actually fall instantly in love. Marie-Terese had to abandon years of careful caution and Vin had to suddenly develop a heart he previously lacked. Even if I was willing to accept this cosmic shift in both of their mentalities I then had to also accept their sudden effusive natures. The 'I love you', 'I trust you', 'thank you for believing in me' were flying off the shelf left an right, despite the fact that these people had known each-other for collective hours. I couldn't see for all the sappy hearts and flowers they were giving off. Gag.

    I was also left wondering if Vin and Marie-Terese's drama or Jim's situation was the primary plot of the book. I honestly couldn't tell. There is a serious problem when I finish a book and can't tell who the main character was. Now, I liked Jim a lot. I liked his anti-hero personality and rather grey goodness. I liked his wingmen, Eddie and Adrian. I liked their mission, etc. But they felt incidental to Vin and Marie-Terese falling instantly in love and I don't think that was supposed to be the case.

    Lastly, I'm totally lost on the pantheon of these books. Since Black Dagger Brothers showed up in the background on occasion (Butch's Red Sox hat in the last pew of the church service, running into Phury outside his NA meeting, her working for Trez, etc) I'm assuming this is the same general universe. So how exactly does the BDB's goddess and the Angel's God fit together? I'm stumped.

    Since I generally love Mrs. Wards actual writing I'd be willing to give the second book in this series a try to see if given a different plot I might like it better. But this particular book left me cold. Left me less than cold, it left me feeling like I had wasted time on. And all of it was only exacerbated by the fact that I had such high hopes going in. I really expected to love it. Such a let down.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    ★★★★Covet (The Fallen Angels, #1) by J.R. Ward

    The first of the new FA series, had to give it a chance, since its by the WARDen. The FA series takes place in Caldwell Ny, same as my fav BDB. Yay!!! Another link to my BDB. I was so excited, the series are supposed to collide. Well as of now there are references to some of the same places, and some characters, are seen, but not known to each other, in them. There is NO comparison between the 2 series, and I am a die hard BDB addict. Though FA didn't live up to my expectations, I Love the WARDen, and am confident the story will come along.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    J.R Ward is a great author. While this series is not as exciting and enjoyable as the Blackdagger series, this is still really intriguing. Have the second of the series and can't wait to read it. I would definitely recommend checking this author out. Her writing is concise, well structured and she has some amazing plotlines.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5

    I am THRILLED with the first book in this series. This is very different from the BDB series. This has an emphasis on the concept of heaven and hell, angels and demons (no vampires). It took a while to get into the story, but once I did I found the action exciting to the point of biting my nails.

    Jim Heron is a man with a mysterious military background. We don't find out what he did, but clearly it was top secret and he was the best of the best. Now, he's in Caldwell doing construction work on a house that Vin diPietro is having built along the Hudson River. When we meet him, he's hanging out at the Iron Mask with two of his co-workers, Adrian and Eddie. He catches the eye of a gorgeous woman in blue. One thing leads to another and against his better judgement, he ends up sleeping with her. The next day on the job will change his life forever. In a freak accident, he's electrocuted. When he comes to, he's surrounded by four angels who tell him he's been chosen to save the souls of seven people from the seven deadly sins. His first assignment is to help someone who's at a crossroads in his life. When he awakens in the hospital, Vin is there so he assumes Vin is the person he's meant to help.

    Vin diPietro is rich, successful, has a gorgeous girlfriend he plans on marrying, and he's building his dream home. Little does he know that his life is about to change. When he goes to the Iron Mask with his girlfriend and Jim, he notices a woman who's about to be manhandled by two men. He steps in and comes to her rescue only to be captivated by the mystery lady.

    Marie-Terese (remember her from ZeroSum?) is a prostitute by night, mother by day. She's hiding from a dark past and she finds herself backed into a corner when people around her start turning up dead.

    I loved Marie's character. There's so much more to her than was ever alluded to in the BDB book Lover Avenged. We finally get to meet her and see what her circumstances are. She's afraid of her past catching up with her, but she's strong and allows herself to let Vin in. I think her tough life based on the mistake she made a decade ago may have led her to fear powerful men, and she's not the type to fall in love blindly. As for Vin, he's not the cold-hearted bastard I imagined might be. Vin's loveless childhood and a strange gift have led him to seek out the life he now leads. When he meets Marie, he realizes that she makes him want to be a better man.

    Very soon things start to go south. Vin is accused of assaulting his girlfriend, Devina, Marie has a stalker, Jim finds out more about Adrian and Eddie, and there's even a short glimpse of one of the Brothers.

    What is Devina hiding and who is she really? In a race to save Vin's soul, secrets are revealed and Jim has a choice to make.

    I can't wait to continue this series. Love it!
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    1.5 stars

    Cast of characters so far in first 40 pages (out of almost 500):
    - Sweet young devout Catholic girl who has to prostitute herself to pay off a debt.
    - Pimp with a heart o' gold who tries to convince her to get out of the business; all his girls enjoy it and want to be there. He even offers to give her money to pay off her debt so she won't work for him anymore.
    - Scary, probably violent but restrained, very wealthy businessman who is used to getting what he wants. He jealously tries to control his wife.
    -Woman who uses men to get what she wants, sometimes playing scared and vulnerable and other times slutty and forward. Appears to be using business man for money.
    -Ordinary Joe Blow no doubt beefy construction worker who really isn't into the bar scene his friends drag him to, only drinks two drinks so as to not drive drunk, and then leaves early. Refuses to sleep with and then tries to protect sexy but vulnerable woman throwing herself at him. When he does, even though he made it all about her, he feels horribly guilty.

    Other than the first couple of pages explaining the premise in a dry encyclopedic sort of way, there hasn't been a shred of paranormal/UF/otherworldly anything.

    I don't doubt that Ward is a good writer: The words flow off the page and the premise is interesting. But the cliched and sexist characterizations just don't do it for me. It's sad because there's a dog character who is supposed to be wonderful. If there had just been one woman who wasn't associated with either selling or using sex to control, then I would be okay but this is just ridiculous.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    So, perhaps I am destined to dislike the first books in JR Ward series. I wasn't crazy about the first BDB book, but they got so much better. I'm hoping that is true for this series as well.

    There was really a lot of stuff going on in this book and yet at the same time it felt like pages and pages passed without anything interesting taking place. I was bored and I truly struggled to finish it.

    I did like Jim and that seems to be a plus as I believe the story follows him in the other books. I also was rather intrigued by Adrian and Eddie. Dog was a fun addition as well.

    On the flip side I didn't care at all about Vin or Marie-Terese and I didn't really feel anything between them.

  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    JR Ward's books are a whole lot like action movies - it's super fun while things are blowing up, but during the quiet moments there's a tendency to go "huh? oh, c'mon now wait a sec..." her other series, though plenty silly in a few ways, is a lot of fun and has some great romance in it. this opener to a new series, though, has an unfortunately higher rate of those "wtf" moments.

    in reading the blurb on the back of the book (same one used as the description here), you find this is composed of 2 interwoven stories. the prologue to the book says that the world's down to the final showdown between heaven and hell, and that good and evil have agreed on one person they find to be equally likely to save souls as to damn them to be that last coin-toss of eternity. the person they settle on, jim, is a construction worker with a shady black-ops past. too bad there's no real good-nature vs evil-nature conflict at all for jim - this softie rescues a stray puppy from the job site and feels horrible pangs of guilt from accepting the come-hither from a vixen throwing herself at him in a bar. you know exactly how this guy's white-knight thing is going to help the story end happily right from the start.

    he doesn't get the happily-ever-after, though, that's the other half of the novel. jim's boss has to end up with the right girl, the wrong one clearly being the heaven-or-hell soul dilemma he's got going. in this case, though, worse than just being predictable, the female leads get pretty close to insulting. one is the stereotypical beautiful but hollow, and the other one is the stereotypical virgin-whore. as in, literally, she's a prostitute, and every single icon of the virgin mary (there's a handful mentioned in the book) is described as looking exactly like her.

    the series has some potential, and Ward is still top of the game in writing good love scenes, but let's just hope it gets a whole lot better from here.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Another book with everything from the woman who writes them all. Loved it!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Covet is the first book in the Fallen Angels series and my first trip outside of the Black Dagger Brother hood with author J.R Ward. The setting is once again in Caldwell, New York and my first question when we hit that setting was, where is the Brotherhood? Well while they do not jump out of the pages and say here I am there are some veiled references. We have mention of Zerosum and the reverend, and we even catch a description of one of the Brothers going into a meeting. So alright they are around.

    However this book isn’t about them. Jim Heron is your typical military bad ass. He works alone as his license to kill black ops kind of way of being suggests and while hes trying to live in retirement it would seem like has other plans for him. Jim ends up being recruited for another kind of war, the war between good and evil. He is told that he is a player seen by both sides as agreeable on the field and he has to save 7 souls. If he doesn't well that’s it for existence gone in the blink of an eye. His first soul? His boss one Vin diPietro.

    I have to say again while it did take me a little bit to get into this book once I got into it, I could not set it down. The story is gripping and will keep you going “no way” over several things that happen. Of course it is a paranormal so the skies are the limit on what your going to see. I like that while it is obviously a battle of good and evil, good isn't your typical saintly kind of guys. In fact they are more like guys you wouldn't bring home to Mom, at first. There is some comedy to lighten the darker moments in the book and I really appreciated those comedy moments. I found myself literally laughing out loud at several parts. If you like paranormal this is a good book for you, if you like The Black Dagger Brotherhood, this is also a good book for you.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I’ve been meaning to read this other series of Ward’s. And so I figured while I way for my turn of Lover at Last, her latest in the Brotherhood series, I’d start this one. The book is no Brotherhood book, but it’s got its own charm. I always like Ward’s characters and Jim is no exception. I even liked the romance between Vin and Marie-Terese. The writing style is clearly Wards; lots of swearing and slang. :) I do want to know more about Jim but I’ve already been told that my wish comes true in the next book. I think Ward’s Brotherhood series is better than this one, but I still like it well enough to continue with the series. Looking forward to it.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Covet: A Novel of the Fallen Angels is the first book in a new paranormal romance series by J.R. Ward. The book does not encompass vampires but instead that of angels and demons who are both fighting to win the world against good and evil, respectively. Both the angels and the demons need to agree on the identity a player, or champion, for their cause. This champion must be acceptable to both sides, therefore needs to have an equal capacity to do good and bad, and it will be up to this one person to influence the fate of seven souls. The winning side of the game will be the one with the most number of souls. Since there are to be seven souls in play there is no chance of a draw or tie-breaker. If the angels win the Earth will be "nothing but one giant frickin' Christmas morning." If the demons win, they get to keep all the souls on Earth and the angels will be slaves for all eternity. Jim Heron is a building contractor and an ex-military assassin. He has been chosen as the champion of both the angels and the demons. Jim's first job is to save the soul of Vin diPietro. With very little information to go on and not a clue about how to do it, he starts by getting himself invited to dinner at Vin's home in the hopes that some soul-saving idea might present itself to him. Vin DiPietro is a cold, hard-hearted business man with plenty of money but a distinct lack of love, or even joy, in his life. That all changes for him when he meets a vulnerable woman, Marie-Terese, who brings emotion back into his life. But with a demon bent on collecting his soul the path to true love for Vin and Marie-Terese is fraught with danger. I like the new spin J.R. Ward has thrown into the mix and look forward to the next book in the series. If your looking for a break from the normal shape-shifter and vampire genre then this is definitely a book you will want to read. It had a lot of action and romance in it and the characters interactions will make you laugh out loud at times.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Give it a try, it just wasn't one I could get into. It was well written - I love the BDB I just couldn't get into this series. Maybe because I am burned out on paranormal and am now just keeping with the few series I really love that still have books coming out.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Just when I thought that paranormal romance had little to offer outside of vampires and werewolves, along comes the Fallen Angels series. Don't get me wrong, I love vamps and weres, but sometimes it's nice to mix it up and the Fallen Angels definitely does that. Covet has a little bit of everything. The overarching plot is that of a man who has been chosen to save seven souls from the seven deadly sins, and if he fails, the world as we know it will come to an end. (No pressure.;-)) The paranormal creatures here are angels and demons, but there is also plenty of other supernatural activity in the form of black magic, possessions and psychic visions. There is also a fairly strong mystery/thriller element with brutal murders and a few scenes from the viewpoint of the killer which was reminiscent of a supernatural version of a Karen Rose novel. Then, of course, there is the romance which was sweet and heartfelt while also being very hot. To top it all off this series takes place in the same world as J. R. Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood, so there is some overlap in characters. There are parts of it that reminded me of the BDB, and I really enjoyed watching for all the little BDB references and tidbits that were peppered throughout the story. Caldwell is certainly a hotbed of paranormal activity. Apparently, it is to New York what Sunnydale is to California.:-)Our heroine, Marie-Terese was first introduced as a secondary character in the 7th book of the BDB series, Lover Avenged where she worked at Rehvenge's club, ZeroSum, as a prostitute. When Covet opens, she is still a working girl, but now employed by one of Rehv's former bodyguards at a new club and starting to become soul-weary of her job. During Lover Avenged, I had gotten the feeling that there was more story to come for Marie-Terese, so I was happy to find out that she was a main protagonist in this book. I've read very few prostitute heroines, but Marie-Terese was very sympathetic. On the run from an abusive, obsessed ex-husband, and deeply in debt with a little boy to raise, she felt she had few other options. Marie-Terese is a loving, caring mother who never gave up trying to find her son when his father kidnapped him. Now she is living in hiding and everything she does is to keep him safe. Underneath the outer veneer of her hooker costume, Marie-Terese is a gentle, caring soul and a truly good person which is why I think Vin was drawn to her. She definitely isn't your run of the mill prostitute. She regularly attends church, confession and a prayer group not only because she is a woman of faith, but also as a way to keep herself grounded in some kind of normalcy in her otherwise chaotic life. Marie-Terese never really believed in the paranormal until she met Vin, and then it all became much more than mere fantasy for her. I really liked that she was so accepting of Vin just as he was, all his weirdness included, and in some ways her goodness also helped to save him.Vin begins the story as a cold, calculating businessman who isn't particularly emotional or romantic, but the Warden is a master at redeeming guys who seem irredeemable. Once she warmed him up and used Marie-Terese to melt his icy heart, Vin became almost irresistible. He definitely has a tortured past, not unlike that of the Brotherhood. Both his parents were alcoholics who regularly beat up on each other and him, until they finally killed one another when he was only seventeen. Vin grew up poor in a bad area of town, so it's not too surprising that as a self-made man, he now enjoys living “the good life” in a luxury apartment at the Commodore which I think is even more lavish than Vishous and Manny's (BDB) condos there. All his life, Vin has dealt with psychic visions which branded him an outcast among his peers. He thought that he had purged them from his system until he meets Marie-Terese and then they come back full-force. I thought that Vin's gift added a fascinating new dimension to the story. Best of all, I loved how he is so gentle and protective of Marie-Terese, always putting her safety above his own. He sees her as a beautiful woman who is worthy of his love and not just a body to be used for his pleasure. Vin was equally accepting of her as she was of him, always treating her with the utmost respect in spite of her profession. Together, Vin and Marie-Terese made a great couple. I loved how when they first saw each other they locked eyes across the club. The electricity between them virtually sparks off the pages. Normally, I don't go for the instant attraction or love at first sight, but J.R. Ward had a way of getting me to believe that these two really saw something special in each other. I loved how the first thing Vin did with Marie-Terese after she left her job was reveal the deepest, darkest part of himself by taking her to his childhood home. It was as intimate a scene as I've read in recent memory and perfect for the situation, because she needed to know that she could trust this man and that he wasn't like the other men she's known all her life. Marie-Terese was perhaps a little slower opening up to Vin, but given her background and the fact that she was on the run from her crazed ex, that's pretty understandable. Most of J. R. Ward's couples have great chemistry, and Vin and Marie-Terese are no exception. Although not quite as erotic as the BDB usually is, their love scenes are still classic J. R. Ward hotness.Vin may have been the romantic lead, but this story has another hero in the form of Jim Heron. Jim is a military guy with a shady past, apparently as a government assassin, and the powers that be still seem to have a hold over him. He's currently hiding out and working construction for Vin. Much like Vin, he has also had a difficult life. His mother was murdered when he was just a kid and he was the one to find her as she lay dying. In spite of his outward tough guy persona though, inside he has a heart of gold. When a scruffy stray dog decides Jim is his new master, Jim protests, but only weakly. Ultimately, he ends up becoming quite attached to the little guy in very short order. He also seems to care about people in general, and is especially respectful of women, probably because he has very fond memories of his mom. Jim unexpectedly receives a divine mission to save Vin's soul, and the way it all comes down was not what I was expecting. When it came to Jim, there were lots of surprises, and since he'll be the common character throughout the entire series, I'll be interested to see more of his backstory unfold and learn more about his mission.There are some other secondary characters who I suspect will be following Jim throughout the series. First, was Vin's almost fiancée, Davina. I immediately started wondering what was up with her when she acted sweet and vulnerable for Jim, and then became a confident sex-goddess with Vin. All I can say without giving too much away is that I knew right from the start that she wasn't on the up and up. Then there are Jim's two “friends,” Adrian and Eddie. Like Davina, they definitely knew too much and were acting a little strange, but it took a while before who's team (good or evil) they were playing on was revealed. There are also the Four Lads, as Jim calls them, a group of four well-dressed angels with British accents who give Jim his assignments. Then there was Dog. Every scene he was in I just wanted to say, “Awwww!” He was simply too cute for words, and made me want to jump into the story so I could scoop him up and give him some love. Although I'm sure he will only appear in Covet, I think Marie-Terese's son, Robbie, is the first child character I've seen in a J. R. Ward novel (at least those I've read so far). He's a cute kid with a few issues from his father kidnapping him and he and his mother having to live on the run, but Ms. Ward did a good job with making him act his age.Covet was in some ways reminiscent of the Black Dagger Brotherhood with its tortured hero and heroine and unusual character types, and since the Fallen Angels are a spin-off of that series, there are some common characters as well. Trez, one of Rehvenge's former right-hand men, is the owner of the club where Marie-Terese works. Trez is a pretty good guy in spite of his shady business dealings. He's a lot like Rehv in that he's protective of Marie-Terese and takes good care of all his girls. Butch's former partner, Jose de la Cruz shows up to handle the murder investigation, and BDB fans should keep their eyes peeled for the cameos by Phury and Butch. Blink and you just might miss them.;-)Overall, I thought Covet was an excellent start to the Fallen Angels series with a different sort of premise that will definitely keep me coming back for more. I'll be interested to see who Jim will be helping next. It all kind of reminds me of a dark, gritty, no-holds-barred version of Touched by an Angel. The story entertained me and kept my brain engaged, but at the same time could be pretty dark and creepy almost making me want to cringe at times. I really enjoyed the book and was usually eager to get back to it when I had to put it down, but for some reason, I didn't quite come away from it with that “Wow!” feeling which is why I didn't give it the full five stars. I'm not entirely sure why that was, but maybe it was because the romance isn't quite as front and center as I would prefer it to be and everything happened rather quickly. But in any case, it was still a great story. Anyone looking for a paranormal romance that breaks the mold, should look no further. In my opinion, J. R. Ward has yet another winner on her hands with the Fallen Angels.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This book was good, but not as good as her BDB series hehe