A Review for A Beautiful Dark by Jocelyn Davies

Posted by Donna
Expected Published Date: September 27th, 2011
Finished Date: July 8th, 2011
Source: ARC - NetGalley
Format: E-Galley
Pages: 320
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The Blurb from Goodreads: Skye never questioned the story of her life. Her Aunt Jo adopted her after the death of her parents when she was just a child, and together they flip through memories the way some people flip through photo albums. She never questioned if the stories were true. Until the night of her 17th birthday, when the arrival of two strangers intrudes on her cozy life. Polar opposites, like fire and ice, Asher is dark and wild, while Devin is fair, cold, and aloof. Skye has no idea what they want—only that their presence coincides with the beginning of some shockingly strange events. Events that Skye, if she dares to think it, might be responsible for causing. 

High up in the mountains of Boulder, Colorado, Skye finds herself caught in the middle of an ancient battle, one that began untold millennia ago. Torn between unpredictable Asher, whom she loves, and the infuriating Devin, who she can’t stay away from, her fate is murky as a starless night. And as the secrets of her true identity are revealed, Skye realizes that her destiny may reside in the Heavens—or somewhere darker.

The Review: "All of a sudden he’d taken two giant steps towards me, and before I knew it, had taken my face into his hands and taken me into the darkness of his wings, and he was kissing me and I was kissing him and we were kissing each other in my little bedroom, in my little house, in my little town, while the mountains soared into the sky." 

Wow! What a beautiful cover, don’t ya think? When I first seen this book a few months ago, I was instantly drawn to it because of the cover but then after reading the blurb, I just knew this was a book I needed to read…..as I’m so glad I was right. 

This story follows Skye, a seventeen year old girl who lost her parents at a very young age and was taken in by her mum’s best friend. Skye appears to be pretty normal, however a few strange things have been happening since her birthday but things get even stranger, when two new stunning boys start fighting for her attention. First there’s Asher, the tall, dark and handsome type and then there Devin, the mysterious blonde haired boy. As both boys try to get to know Skye she realises there’s something else going on, one that involves her having to choose between light and dark and good and evil. 

When I say I loved this book, I mean I loved this book. It had everything I could have wanted……mysterious boys, a forbidden love triangle and a kick ass story. What’s not to love? I’ve read a few Angel stories over the past few months and they left me thinking that maybe the angel story has been……..kind of played out but Jocelyn Davies has managed to write a captivating, exciting and intriguing story that leaves you wanting more and officially bringing ‘A Beautiful Dark’ in my 10 favourite reads for 2011. 

From the very first page you’re thrown into the world of Skye and instantly meeting Asher and Devin. The chemistry between these characters is amazing. Not only does it leave you falling for both boys and even though I had made my mind up pretty early on whose team I was supporting, you still manage to feel exactly what Skye feels….very confused. She’s torn between both Asher and Devin but I personally felt she was leaning more towards Asher. I felt there was a stronger connection between the two and in the end I ended up resenting Devin for getting in the way. Don’t get me wrong, Devin is a good character but Asher definitely gets my vote. 

The secondary characters were a great addition; Ian, Dan & Cassie were great friends to Skye. I did find Cassie slightly annoying to start with but the more you get to know her, the more I liked her. I have to say though; my favourite secondary character has to be Aunt Jo. She’s a pretty awesome legal guardian and you can truly see how much she cares for Skye, it was nice to see their love for one another come out so much during the story. 

The story itself was completely addictive from page one; you never knew which way the story would turn. Jocelyn Davies hasn’t stuck to the traditional ‘Fallen Angels’ story, it is something completely different and unique. Your constantly questioning who is good, who is bad and who will Skye end up with. It was one hell of a journey and I only wish it was longer because that cliff-hanger at the end has left me wanting to know more. I NEED MORE! 

Overall, this story doesn’t disappoint. It’s a fantastic start to new and exciting series and I can’t wait to read more. 

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for giving me the opportunity to review this book.