*** Originally posted to: Bookish Book Blog 
 I'm currently hosting a giveaway for a copy of this book! US/Canada, ends March 10th! 
 Wildly compelling, sexy and taut, Embrace by Jessica Shirvington offers a hot new take on angels! This fabulously written page-turner explores destiny, betrayal, love, trust, and free will. It's a delicious treat for everyone who enjoys fast-paced and totally engaging stories, filled with gorgeous characters, shivery sexual tension, heart-stopping plot twists, and richly developed mythology. This isn't yet another mediocre angel story, this is the real deal - an angel story to die for! 
 Violet's seventeenth birthday is approaching and she is not happy about it. In fact, she doesn't like celebrating her birthday at all, as it also marks the anniversary of her mother's death. Raised by a workaholic father, Violet seems to be just a typical teenage girl - with friends, hopes and dreams, and plans for the future. Well, maybe she's a little bit more talented than other kids her age - she can draw and paint like an artist. And OK, she's also quite athletic - ever since she met Lincoln, she's been exercising regularly: running, wall climbing, even practicing martial arts! And, well, there's no denying the fact that she's also quite a beauty. 
 Strange things have been happening to Violet recently. She's determined to find some answers, but who can provide them? Everything gets even more complicated when she learns that her long time crush (Linc) has been keeping secrets from her, too. Nothing seems to be the same anymore, her life is turned up side down. Having discovered who she really is, Violet is now facing some very difficult decisions. She can either take the final journey to becoming a full-blown Grigori (it's called embrace) or she can choose to remain human. Whatever she'll decide, there will be consequences, and nothing will ever be the same again. 
 Jessica Shirvington managed to do this one thing that many before her have tried and failed - she made angels sexy! With her excellent writing style, she created a beautiful, emotionally engaging, and entirely captivating story. I honestly did not expect to love this book as much as I did. It's gripping and intense. Lush. Steamy. Taut. Action-packed and entertaining. The tension never lets up, the characters are well-drawn, likable, easy to connect with. There's a fabulous chemistry between them. I'm not a big fan of love triangles, but this one worked so well! I won't even try to deny it - I LOVE PHOENIX!!! Mysterious, cocky, powerful, arrogant, passionate, H-O-T, Phoenix knows exactly what he wants and he will stop at nothing to get it. In terms of character development, Embrace is absolutely phenomenal. At least when it comes to male love interests. Violet is a whole different story - some will like her, some will not. Although you might find her just a tiny bit annoying at first, she will probably grow on you as your read farther into the book. Not exactly what you'd call a "match made in heaven", but give her a chance. For the most part I wasn't very fond of Vi, but as long as she doesn't go Calla on me, I am willing to tolerate her for Linc and Phoenix. 
 The plot line blew me away. There's no denying that. I'm fairly confident that this is one of the best - if not THE best - angel book out there. Jessica Shirvington's take on angels is not only original and well thought-out, but also very well balanced, believable and charming, without being cheesy or preachy at the same time. Let's face it - it's hard to talk about angels without mentioning God, Heaven and Hell, and other Christian mythology-related issues. And yet she managed to avoid digging deeper into the heavy stuff. She focused on Grigori and angels, and it turned out fabulous. As much as I loved the world building and all the 3D characters, I appreciated Shirvington's skillful and enjoyable storytelling the most. Her plotting was smart, elaborate and often full of surprises. I found myself totally invested in the story and eager to find out what will happen next. It's a dynamic and powerful read, destined to become a bestseller. Highly recommended!