White Hot Kiss

Rating: 5! out of 5

Favorite Quote: “People with the purest souls are capable of the greatest evils. No one is perfect, no matter what they are or what side they fight for.” 

Summary: One kiss could be the last.  Seventeen-year-old Layla just wants to be normal. But with a kiss that kills anything with a soul, she's anything but normal. Half demon, half gargoyle, Layla has abilities no one else possesses. Raised among the Wardens—a race of gargoyles tasked with hunting demons and keeping humanity safe—Layla tries to fit in, but that means hiding her own dark side from those she loves the most. Especially Zayne, the swoon-worthy, incredibly gorgeous and completely off-limits Warden she's crushed on since forever. Then she meets Roth—a tattooed, sinfully hot demon who claims to know all her secrets. Layla knows she should stay away, but she's not sure she wants to—especially when that whole no-kissing thing isn't an issue, considering Roth has no soul. But when Layla discovers she's the reason for the violent demon uprising, trusting Roth could not only ruin her chances with Zayne… it could brand her a traitor to her family. Worse yet, it could become a one-way ticket to the end of the world.

Review: I'm not going to lie. I decided to read this book after seeing Erika and Cody's book event. The stuff they were saying about the story line and the characters really got me excited! So make sure to check them out at Books, Stars, Writing and Everything In Between and Literary-ly Obsessed. Okay, continuing on...I REALLY LOVED THIS BOOK. Recently, I have been in a reading slump, due to all the exhaustion summer classes has brought me, but this book has definitely reignited my flame. (Which sounds oddly disturbing, but let's just move past that...)

 Any way, the book is centered around a girl named Layla. Layla is a "hybrid" sort of thing. (I don't think they really have a name for what she is in the book.) Any way, She is half demon, half gargoyle. (I know you're thinking "Gargoyle?" but let me assure you that Armentrout does a fantastic job at making the gargoyles fit into to the story without making them seem too unrealistic.)  Gargoyles and demons are sworn enemies. Gargoyles are the warriors of  "good" and demons are the epitome of "evil." For this reason, Layla has never truly been accepted any where. Sure, she lives with the wardens (a.k.a. Gargoyles) and even has a close knit relationship with of few of them (Zayne, her childhood friend and crush! *winky face*) , but it seems as if they will never be able to get past her differences. One night, after an outing out with a few of her human friends, she runs into a little situation. (And by a little I mean life-changing.) All of a sudden, she finds herself befriending a (ridiculously hot) demon, and exploring the side of herself she has always been taught to hide.

Ugh! This book was packed with adventure, butt kicking, and steamy romantic connections. However, besides the obvious appeals (*cough* HOT DUDES) this story really pushes the idea that good and evil is beyond what lies on the surface level--which I really appreciated. As Layla moves through the story and her character (along those of others) develops, the reader gets to see Layla embrace more of who she is.

Finally, I'm team Roth all the way! I mean, I get the appeal of Zanye, but I don't think he will ever be able to completely understand Layla the way Roth does. UGH!