review: The Angel by Tiffany Reisz

The Angel by Tiffany Reisz

September 25, 2012

Harlequin MIRA

Adult | BDSM erotica

The Siren #2

Pages: 416

Source/Format: Netgalley/egalley

Rating: ★★★★ 1/2

No safe word can protect the heartInfamous erotica author and accomplished dominatrix Nora Sutherlin is doing something utterly out of character: hiding. While her longtime lover, Søren—whose fetishes, if exposed, would be his ruin—is under scrutiny pending a major promotion, Nora's lying low and away from temptation in the lap of luxury.

Her host, the wealthy and uninhibited Griffin Fiske, is thrilled to have Nora stay at his country estate, especially once he meets her traveling companion. Young, inexperienced and angelically beautiful, Michael has become Nora's protégé, and this summer with Griffin is going to be his training, where the hazing never ends.

But while her flesh is willing, Nora's mind is wandering. To thoughts of Søren, her master, under investigation by a journalist with an ax to grind. And to another man from Nora's past, whose hold on her is less bruising, but whose secrets are no less painful. It's a summer that will prove the old adage: love hurts.

REVIEW:

You guys know how much I loved The Siren. Well, I may love The Angel by Tiffany Reisz a tiny bit more. I haven’t read a sequel that surpasses the first in a really long time, so I was shocked when The Angel did. It is so, so good. And it features the person I was most curious about from The Siren: Michael. Angel. 

Michael is a confused seventeen-year-old who attempted suicide a year earlier and Father S. saved him. This is a tad bit spoilery for The Siren, so proceed with caution: Father S. told him if he didn’t harm himself for a year, he’d take him to meet Nora Sutherlin. And he does, in The Siren. And Nora takes Michael’s virginity. And it was an icky scene because he’s still technically a minor. BUT I was rather curious about this youngster and his backstory—why did he attempt suicide? (end spoilers, btw.)

And while it does dive into why in The Siren (I believe), we learn so much more about him in The Angel. And his love story made me roll around in angst. Guys, I wanted Michael and Character Who Will Not Be Named to get together SO HARD. They deserve each other and they spend the entire book glancing at each other and not confessing up their feelings. I felt like I had to get some Barbie dolls and force them to kiss. And you know, do some naughty and kinky things. ;) 

God, it seemed like yesterday that I read The Siren, but when I actually started reading The Angel, I hadn’t realized how much I missed Nora Sutherlin. Oh, Nora. <3 I love every bit and piece of you. Your witty remarks, your love for Søren…   and Wesley. Oh Wesley. My heart broke at the end of The Siren, and it broke again during The Angel. While I’m all Team Hot Guys, Wesley is tucked into a special place in my heart. I would take him home in a heartbeat. Who cares about Søren when you have Wesley?

. . . of course, not everybody feels that way, but whatever. I do, so shut your mouth. :P

Speaking of the lovely priest, The Angel takes us into Søren’s backstory quite a bit. We learn more about his family and what made him become a priest, all of which is relevant to the plot: a journalist sniffing around Søren for a story because she got an anonymous tip that there was suspicious behavior. Intriguing, no? I mean, when you think Catholic priest, you think abusing little boys, don’t you? Don’t lie to me. So needless to say, I was intrigued from the very beginning. Especially since The Angel starts with a very hot scene. 

God I love this book. This series. I need MORE. *lusts after The Prince*

The Angel doesn’t disappointed—it’s as intense as The Siren was, but it brings in new characters and stories. Just a little fair warning: there is talk of incest which made me shudder. I’m one of those people who are disgusted by incest, but can you really blame me? It’s icky. It makes me cringe and my stomach roll and I want to not read about it. And that was just a little scene. It wasn’t like Forbidden byTabitha Suzuma.

 

But I do recommend The Angel to The Siren lovers. I absolutely fell head over heels in love with this one, and need to know what happens next because holy crap, that ending is absolutely CRUEL. I cried, no lie. But aside from all that, be prepared to fall in love and be shocked at all the new revelations. Tiffany Reisz knows how to write a thriller, and she so does with The Angel. I had to keep reading to know what these characters knew and I didn’t!

A little taste of Nora’s personality, and a little tease:

“Gross,” Nora said. “Those two guys are kissing. That’s disgusting.”

“It’s quite unnatural,” Kingsley agreed. “I shudder at the very thought.”

“Is that so?” Juliette asked in her rich, melodic Haitian accent. “Then what were you doing with that young man last night?”

“Business meeting. We were discussing the ledges at the Möbius.”

“While naked?” Juliette asked, batting her eyelashes.

“It was an informal meeting,” Kingsley said.

p. 403-404, egalley