Review: Heavenly by Jennifer Laurens

I met someone who changed everything. Matthias. My autistic sister's guardian angel. Honest. Inspiring. Funny. Hot. And immortal. That was the problem. What could I do? I did what any other girl would do-I fell in love with him. Zoe's sister darts in front of cars. Her brother's a pothead. Her parents are so overwhelmed; they don't see Zoe lost in her broken life. Zoe escapes the only way she knows how: partying. Matthias, a guardian sent from Heaven, watches over Zoe's autistic sister. After Zoe is convinced he's legit, angel and lost girl come together in a love that changes destiny. But Heaven on Earth can't last forever.


I really was a bit dubious about this book as I was really worried that it would just be another book about a human falling in love with an immortal, full of angst about how they can never be together, with another whiny heroine crying over a guy she met two days before.


Okay, so Zoe is a bit whiny but in all fairness she has every right to be, her sister is autistic, her brother is addicted to drugs and Zoe feels like she's got to deal with everything. I'd be whiny in her position as well. Aside from that, I actually loved the character of Zoe, I didn't agree with her decisions, as at some points she does dangerous and stupid stuff, but rather than this just being a plot device to have the hero come and save her the author actually builds it up so we can understand why Zoe does these things.


The story was great. While it does carry the concepts of a lot of immortal/mortal love stories it's also original and isn't all about Zoe and Matthias, there is a lot of background story. I loved the way Zoe's character developed from partying hard and getting drunk to being this great responsible sister. I also loved the way that Zoe's brother Luke developed, this book has some amazing morals without being preachy. Can I just say; The ending! Oh my days, I have to get the sequel now! 


I loved the romance as well; what I love about angel books is that, while I do like reading a bit of hot, steamy romance I also love a cute and sweet romance which is pretty hard to come across these days. The author is amazing at creating a beautiful and sweet romance without having the characters shoving their tongues down each other's throats every two pages and that's really why I loved this book. Despite the fact that Zoe is very... experienced... the romance was so sweet and not steamy at all. Pure, sweet, celibate romance! 


The only problem I had was how easily Zoe accepted what Matthias was, I think it was a little too fast and didn't seem very obvious.  


The ending is not what what I expected but I actually was glad it ended that way, that's all I say for fears of spoilers!


All in all, a pure and sweet love story with some fantastic underlying morals. A story of a broken family coming together.  

Overall rating: A

Stand alone/series: First in a series

Paperback Release: August 15th 2009

Publisher: Grove Creek Publishing

Pages: 280

Book obtained via: Swap