My Review of Unchained by J. Lynn

9:00 AM Vi Win Win 1 Comments

Between the pissed off creatures that want demon-hunter Lily Marks dead and the fallen angel who just...wants her, Lily is about ready to trade in forever for a comfy job in a cubicle farm. The fact that she and Julian are civil to one another is enough to have her thrown out of the Sanctuary, but she can't shake her not-so-angelic stalker or how he brings her dangerously close to ecstasy. Her forbidden relationship with Julian provides the perfect fuel for suspicion when a traitor is discovered to be working within the Sanctuary. Lily quickly finds herself hunted by well, everyone. Her only hope is to discover the real traitor before she loses everything--and she'll need Julian's help. That is, if Julian is really there to help her...and not destroy her. Yeah, being a Nephilim isn't everything it's cracked up to be.

Jennifer has tackled the Nephilim world and she has done it well, my friends! I loved Jen's take on the Nephilim, Fallen Angels, and the battle between them. She had a ton of important characters in this book, practically all of them insanely hot guys (I mean, seriously, she killed me with the number of hot guys in this one) who lent their respective roles to the mystery behind this book's plot. I felt like this book was very much character-driven, more so than her other novels, which was great, but I also have to say that the plot was a bit lackluster. Even though I enjoyed the story and felt that it flowed smoothly, there wasn't as much action and intrigue that is supposed to grab at me like I usually see in her novels. I usually feel an undeniable pull when I read Jen's books, Cursed being the only exception so far, and this one didn't really have it. Although I did love it more than Cursed.

Lily was a great female protagonist. I loved her snarkiness, always a key personality trait I've come to love and expect from any of Jen's girls. Not only that, the pint-sized girl can kick ass! I loved that, in a sea of big, strong, sexy men, the girl can hold her own and even knock some of them down a peg or two. She reminded me a lot of Alex from the Covenant series, and you all know how much I love her. This is all about Lily, being a Nephilim who hunts and kills fallen angels and their minions. Somewhere along the way, she realizes things aren't always black and white, especially in a war where she's basically told what to do without knowing all the facts. As she discovers that what she grew up believing may not be true and with the threat of a traitor in their midst, things unravel and secrets are uncovered, one in particular that really shocked me. Then again, it didn't surprise me once I really thought about it.

Ah, Julian! What can I say about this sexy angel of a man? From the very first moment I met him, until the very last page, I was hooked! Man, Jen can create some seriously swoonworthy men! And the fact that each guy can stand apart from each other, in their own sexy, lovable ways; she is the Queen of Swoon. You can sense the attraction and raw sex appeal from the get-go, but throughout the story, you also see the passion, unconditional love, and understanding that Julian has for Lily. I really enjoyed their moments together and loved their dialogue. There is a lot of mystery surrounding Julian and we don't get too much in this introduction, but it's already enough to see his true colors and how significant he is to Lily's story. I loved that he was able to bring out hidden emotions in Lily and make her really see herself like no one else did.

As far as JLA reads go, it wasn't the most exciting, but I still really loved the characters and the writing. Jen is the master of snarky inner monologues, witty dialogue, and engaging characters. Since she wrote this book so long ago (2008) and has yet to write the other two in the series, I'm curious to see how they'll go, how it'll differ in style, or if she has it all mapped out yet. I definitely enjoyed Unchained enough to continue with the series and have high hopes for the plot, in general. If anything, I know Lily will keep me entertained and Julian will continue to make me swoon and sigh for him. Umm, Jen? Can I have a Julian of my own, please?