Monsters & Angels
Anne Marie Andrus
Publication date: October 11th 2017
Genres: Historical, New Adult, Paranormal Romance
438 pages
Fledgling nurse Sorcha Alden knew she had the skills to save lives, but she never dreamed that her own life would be the one in danger.
Driven by tragedy to honor her family name, Sorcha embarks on a journey that takes her from the bleak but familiar streets of New York, through the sultry and seductive city of New Orleans, and into the brutal jungles of Nepal. Forging friendships and carrying on her mother’s mission of healing was her dream. Plunging into a love affair with the mysterious Dr. Ashayle could have been a fairytale.
Being murdered and waking up as a blood-thirsty monster—became her living nightmare.
Torn away form a life that had just begun, Sorcha returns to New Orleans as a newborn vampire, forced to start over in a cutthroat underworld of devilry and decadence. Complicated politics, bitter rivals and jealous ancestors stand between her and the promises she’s still determined to keep.
In a realm where the boundary between good and evil is as murky as the Mississippi River and immortal does not mean invincible, will Sorcha ever risk her shattered heart and love again? Can the magical harmony of the Crescent City give her enough courage to fulfill her eternal destiny?
I rated this book 3.5-4 because I do not know yet which rate is more appropriate. It doesn’t feel like a solid 4, but not a solid 3.5 either. I’ll think more about it and update my rating.
The book is set in the 1930s. Sorcha’s fate changes when she moves to New Orleans, USA, even though not all chapters are set in USA.
The plot is fast paced and pretty easy to follow. There are a lot of chapters though – 86 to be more precise. It can be intimidating when you see you have to read 86 chapters. On the bright side, most of them are short and you fly through them easily. Also, some chapters are from other character’s point of view, which I personally like.
The story itself does grab the reader’s attention. It is easy to get curious and interested in the story. The novel deals with vampires, witches, voodoo, and magic. It’s very high fantasy, in my opinion.
Although the story is meant to be set in the 1930s, I didn’t get that from the story. The clothes, the way of speaking, Sorcha’s morality – not very fitting with the 1930s. Don’t get me wrong, there some 1930s elements, but for me, a big lover of historical fiction, it didn’t convince me that they were in the 30s. They could’ve been in the 80s, and it wouldn’t have make a difference for me.
There are many interesting characters in this book – including the secondary ones, like Zelia or Alexa. However, I will focus mostly on the main character.
Sorcha- our lovely nurse. I have mixed feelings about her. Sometimes I liked her, sometimes I didn’t. She seems to be a bit selfish, especially when it comes to men. But she also has good characteristics. She is a good and kind nurse, she is a fast learner, she doesn’t give up. As I said, mixed feelings. 🙂
The romance plays a big role in this book – in my opinion. Not the biggest fan. Sorcha seems to fall in love and involved with men too quickly – especially for 1930s! But maybe that’s just me – I’m very picky when it comes to romance novels.
Overall I did enjoy reading this novel. There are some parts that weren’t of my liking, but the good outweighed the bad 🙂 I think there will be a second book. I think I might read it, to see what happens with Sorcha’s dad and Vir.
Laura xo
P.S. Happy Thanksgiving my fellow Canadians!
Author Bio:
Anne Marie has been an equestrienne, chorale singer, candy-striper, EMT, and baseball fan. Roaming the back roads of New Jersey with her family, she found great respect for antiques, historical locations and the stories they hold. Her current list of favorite pastimes include coffee, bourbon, and Les Miserables–which requires more bourbon. She has been known to attend sporting events just for the flyover. The boat she and her husband christened Glory Days, is her escape from the chaos of everyday life.
The inspiration for Anne Marie’s debut novel, Monsters & Angels, is her fascination with vampires and her passion for everything New Orleans. When she isn’t writing, she can be found working nights with the critical care team in a busy trauma center.
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Thanks for hosting today, Laura! Great review! 🙂
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