ARC Review: White Hot Kiss by Jennifer L. Armentrout + Giveaway!

If I were to describe this book using just a word, it's going to be: Roth.
Which is pretty much synonymous to the word HOT.
Scorching hot.

Title: White Hot Kiss (The Dark Elements #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Release Date: February 25th 2014
Published by: Harlequin Teen
Source: Publisher (Thanks Tashya!)
Buy: Amazon | Book Depository

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.

Layla sees souls and tags demons. It's the only thing she can do to stop herself from thinking too much about how she's unwanted, not accepted and not really either of the two species she's from: Warden and Demon. The Wardens, shifters with pure souls who turn into Gargoyles, keep the human world safe and the Demons do a little mischief to keep the balance of the world between Good and Evil. That is, until Layla finds herself being hunted by creatures from Hell with a very powerful demon as her protector. Hell wants her for a reason, but her family, The Wardens, aren't telling her anything. Why is a scorching hot demon helping her and why is her being a Half Demon Half Warden suddenly very important?

I had issues with Layla. Admittedly, I didn't like her at the start. She's the sort of girl that I do not like, the type who cries easily, whiny and demanding, who pities herself all day long and it took a while for me to warm up to her. She's not the typical kick-ass girl I see in most of Jennifer Armentrout's novels, she's that girl who's always sad and lost. Layla earned my sympathy at one point with the struggles she was facing and the trials she had to go through, trying to show the world that she's good when the rest of it thinks she's nothing but evil. I came to like her when she showed signs that she's changing for the better, slowly growing a backbone, and the gradual snark and fierceness she showed brought to life her character.

I can give you a pretty long list why I love Roth from the bottom of my very girly and all too romantic, giggly heart. He makes me swoon with the mere mention of his name. He's the perfect representation of all that is naughty and not so nice in a Demon. Every single word that comes out of his mouth was designed to make a girl do very, very bad things. What I liked about him is that beneath all that haughty, playful persona lies something more. He doesn't claim to be someone he's not, and he's not lying when he said he's not really nice. But beneath it all is a heart, though tainted, that has the capacity to feel. And who says demons cannot fall in love?

This is also one of those times where I totally feel nothing for the other love interest. Zayne was automatically typecasted as the older brother in my book. He can't be anyone else. He's too good, and that goodness pales in comparison compared to Roth's deviousness. He is, however, swoon worthy in his own right.

Also, who wants to own a pet like Bambi? Or Fury, Nitro and Thor?

When I first read the plot, I find it intriguing how gargoyles, demons and angels can mix in a novel, and oddly enough, Jennifer Armentrout made it work. It was, admittedly, a very unusual combination, but the way Jennifer Armentrout spins such a tale made it sound so epic and believable. Zombies? Seeker demons? Giant snakes? It's fascinating how she was able to bring to life such a world without even sounding boring or preachy as it also touches base with words like free will, what is good and what is evil.

Jennifer Armentrout brings the HOT in White Hot Kiss. She has this uncanny ability to write such breath taking, heart racing scenes that you gradually get addicted to as you read. Entertaining, fascinating and over all a thrill of a read. To be able to craft such lively characters and a world filled with secrets and intrigue... where does she get inspiration to write stories like this? It's not just all about the sexual tension between Roth and Layla, it's about a girl's struggle to accept herself for who and what she is, and to be able to tough it out and see through what it's like to be in between. It's about seeing people for more than what they are and what they look like. Amidst the heart stopping action scenes, twisty developments and unexpected surprises left and right, there's that parting kick in the gut moments that just made the story all the more loveable. I was so engrossed in the novel that I almost ripped out the last few pages, hoping that there's more for me to read. Can I please have the sequel now?

GIVEAWAY TIME!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

My rating:

Content (plot, story flow, character):

For Roth, I will give all the butterflies he wants.

There is a need to mention Layla's awesome friends, Stacey and Sam. I am also so very intrigued with how their relationship will develop! Stacey may be a little too naughty for me, but she's a good friend. Sam was too cute for words!

Stunning: Worthy of a Goddess' Praise!

Book Cover:
That cover spells HOT.