Forget sexy, though he is -- I think Raffe is just the cutest, sweetest being ever! The way he's all macho and tough, but you can just tell he has this massive soft spot for Penryn. Warms mah heart <3 
 I also loved how subtle the romance is -- Penryn isn't one of those brainless girls who forget everything in their rush to be wiffff theyz vwuvverr -- so irritating when that happens! Instead she's focused till the very end on the main goal: getting Paige. The rest just kinda happens, very slowly and naturally. I really appreciate Paige, too. (view spoiler)[many, many books talk about how even though one character goes on a quest for a family member or something, that said family member is always returned unharmed, hunky-dory, and as fine and un-traumatized as the day they left. It takes enormous courage to write Paige as she became, but it pays off beautifully - as a reader, I wanted to cry and cheer and then cry some more by the end. (hide spoiler)] 
 The end was wonderful -- what happened to Raffe's wings in the end made my jaw drop, and the fact that he did what he did brought tears to my eyes, and the last few sentences left me with a sweet smile on my face and a burgeoning excitement to see what's next for this angel and his Daughter of Man.