I have no idea why I wanted to read this one as bad as I did. I mean, sure I love angel books but this one sounded…different. It sound like it would be less FUN and more, I’m trying to say something important about society. And, to a point, it was that…but it was also fun!
Jackson Godspeed is the hottest young Angel in a city filled with them.
He’s days away from becoming a full Guardian, and people around the world are already competing for the chance to be watched over by him. Everyone’s obsessed with the Angels and the lucky people they protect – everyone except for Madison Montgomery.
Maddy’s the one girl in Angel City who doesn’t breathlessly follow the Angels on TV and gossip blogs. When she meets Jackson, she doesn’t recognize him. But Jackson is instantly captivated by her, and against all odds the two fall in love.
Maddy is swiftly caught up in Jackson’s scene, a world of glamour, paparazzi – and murder. A serial killer is on the loose, leaving dead Angels’ wings for the police to find on the Walk of Fame. Even the Guardians are powerless to protect themselves in the face of this threat & and this time it’s up to Maddy to save Jackson.
With the author of the book being someone who has worked in Hollywood, I really enjoyed the realistic portrayal of what being famous is like. And how annoying Jackson finds it. And I loved how he felt it was worth it to deal with the fame if he got to save lives.
Maddy was very different. She didn’t care about the angels, or the saving people or any of the hoopla her life was surrounded with. She just wanted to get through high school and get into a good college and live her life. And while everyone around her is either following the angels obssessivley or protesting against them, she just wants to carry on as normal.
I liked that when Jackson and Maddy finally meet (it took longer than I was expecting it too) the author very firmly put in a reason for there to be a connection. He gave them time to have a conversation and to connect over an emotional thing that felt big enough that even after only one short meeting, it made sense to me that they would be in each others thoughts. So, there’s maybe a bit of an…not quite an insta-love, they have a chance to spend time together and talk about more than just being in love like other books I’ve read. But there is definitely an instant connection but it didn’t feel fabricated to me. It made sense and I appreciated that.
Also, I loved that the book was a bit of a murder mystery, which I did not see coming at all. Usually there’s danger and such in these sorts of books, but this one was more of a mystery than usual. It was about finding out who was behind these gruesome murders and why and how Maddy fit into to everything.
I did find the answers a little predictable, espcially Maddy’s, but I enjoyed the mysteries nonetheless and I enjoyed watching the characters come to the realizations.
More than anything else though, I loved the world building. The famous angels that only save people who can afford to hire them. And we didn’t get all the answers about the world building that I wanted so I hope there’s more books. Even though it had enough of an ending that I don’t NEED more.
All in all, a fun, fast read with great world building and characters with a great connection.