Review: A Beautiful Dark by Jocelyn Davis

On the night of Skye's seventeenth birthday, she meets two enigmatic strangers. Complete opposites--like fire and ice--Asher is dark and wild, while Devin is fair and aloof. Their sudden appearance sends Skye's life into a tailspin. She has no idea what they want, or why they seem to follow her every move--only that their presence coincides with a flurry of strange events. Soon she begins to doubt not just the identity of the two boys, but also the truth about her own past.

In the dead of a bitingly cold Colorado winter, Skye finds herself coming to terms with the impossible secret that threatens to shatter her world. Torn between Asher, who she can't help falling for, and Devin, who she can't stay away from, the consequences of Skye's choice will reach further than the three of them could ever imagine.

I devoured this book after discovering that my NetGalley request for it had been approved. Though recently read paranormal romance novels haven't really appealed to me, A Beautiful Dark was a very pleasant surprise..not to mention that killer cliffhanger! I'll get to that later, though.

The blurb is a very succinct yet well-explained description of this book, so I'll go straight to the review. Skye is almost everything I look for in a great female protagonist. She has brains and loads of potential, not to mention hidden powers beyond imagination. She's a little emotionally sensitive, but I can't really blame her--her parents died when she was just a child and she comes very close to losing others who are important to her in the story. The appearance of two mysterious guys who seem to be vying for her attention isn't helping her case, either. Asher and Devin couldn't be more different from one another--though they claim to be cousins, the two seem to despise each other. Ash is basically the charming flirt, while Devin is more aloof and reserved. Choosing between them turns out to be the most difficult and life-changing decision that Skye has ever faced. As for me, I was also torn between Asher and Devin for most of the story, but I settled on Asher for quite obvious reasons once you finish reading the book.

While A Beautiful Dark does center around unearthly beings and the basic theme of good versus evil, the plot was nonetheless intriguing and original. I liked how the reader gets a taste of what Skye's powers may be early on without fully being able to figure out what she is capable of. I also enjoyed the fact that Asher and Devin's motives were not always what they seemed. Though a few of Skye's sudden epiphanies left me momentarily confused, character development was great as well. (I wanted to murder Raven!) Now, back to that cliffhanger--I almost threw my Kindle at the wall after reading the ending, no joke. Waiting for a sequel is going to be the death of me.

Fans of paranormal romance, A Beautiful Dark is definitely one to check out!

Rating: 4.5/5 stars