Book Review: White Hot Kiss (The Dark Elements #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

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White Hot Kiss
The Dark Elements #1
By: Jennifer Armentrout
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Source:  Publisher


GR's 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.

The Dark Elements Series:

My Review on Bitter Sweet Love

My Thoughts:

I'm in love with a brand new series...mark my words, The Dark Elements Series is going to become extremely popular, and I predict that it is going to be loved just as much as Jennifer Armentrout's Lux and Covenant Series'.  White Hot Kiss is a stunning, and addictive series debut that I could not put down!  The world building was amazing, the pacing was perfect, the plot twists were unpredictable, and the ending shocked me, and left me frantic for the next installment!  I completely fell in love with the main characters, Layla, Zayne, and most of all, the sexy, sensual, swoon worthy, and deliciously delectable demon, Roth!  All of you JLA fans, run, don't walk and get the this book!  Ms. Armentrout brings us her "A Game" with this new series.

Lyla is half Demon and half Warden.  Unfortunately, she is very lonely.  Many Wardens (similar to Gargoyles) fear her, or want her dead, since she is part Warden and part demon, and she cannot kiss anyone or anything with a soul, or she will take it away from them.  Lyla "craves" the really evil, and really pure souls the most, but fights against this part of herself.  Instead, she works with the Wardens, by "tagging" demons during the day, so that when the wardens go hunting at night, they can identify the demons, by killing those that were tagged.  This makes their jobs easier, and Layla's gift makes her feel as if she is doing something positive to atone for her demon half.    Lyla has been in love with Zayne, a powerful Warden, for many years.  Zayne and Lyla have a very special friendship.  He loves her very much, is nurturing, caring, and compassionate when it comes to interacting with her.  Zayne does not fear her and has complete faith and trust in Layla to always do the right thing.  Unfortunately, Layla thinks that Zayne only sees her as a little sister, and knows that he is expected to mate with another Warden for life, as Warden's are in desperate need of producing offspring, due to the fact that their kind are dying out.

Roth is an upper level demon.  He ends up saving Lyla's life when she is attacked by another demon.  After that, Roth seems to appear everywhere that Layla is, and the two of them get very close.  White Hot Kiss kept me guessing from the beginning to end of the story.  It kept me speculating as to what Roth's motives were concerning Layla.  I needed to figure out if he was really falling for Layla, or using her for his own selfish purposes.  One thing was certain, Roth was drop dead gorgeous, and sexy.  He made me swoon over and over again, and I loved his witty commentary throughout the story.  I was torn between Roth and Zayne, but by the end of the story I had a clear favorite, and fell hard for that character based off of their actions.   
     

My Rating:

I give White Hot Kiss 5 Fiery Hot, Fast-Paced, Unpredictable, "Roth is so Sexy" Filled Stars!  I can't wait for the next installment in the series, Stone Cold Touch!  One thing is for certain, I will be reading this story as soon as it hits my Kindle!  Jennifer L. Armentrout never disappoints.  If you're looking for an amazing new young adult, paranormal series to begin, this one has it all; creative world building, a fast-paced, unique, and fascinating plot, and well developed characters that you will fall madly in love with.

My Favorite Quotes:

"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."  (eARC, Loc. 1854)

~Roth

"'We demons are all alike.  We covet pretty things, corrupt what is pure and whole, take what we never can have.  You should have a whole fan club made up of demons.'  His touch was lulling, comforting.  I yawned.  'You'd be a member of my demon-horde fan club?'  Roth laughed softly.  'Oh, I think I'd be the president.'"  (eARC, Loc. 2044)

~Roth & Layla

"'Just so you know, your virtue isn't safe with me.  So when you look like you want me to devour every inch of your mouth, I will without an ounce of regret.'"

(eARC, Loc. 2075)

~Roth

Purchase At:

Amazon | Barnes and Noble

About Jennifer L. Armentrout:

# 1 NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki.

Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture.

She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

Jennifer would love to hear from you. If you have questions about any of her books, would like to set up an interview, book signing, etc, please use the email address below. Please check out each book/series individual page for more information about each title and the FAQ section.

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