Lash (Broken Angel, #1) (2024)

My Lash and Naomi:

Lash is a seraph angel. He is regularly given assignements to which he always does adjustments, deciding to go his own way, even if it means going against directs orders. But going against God's wishes has huge consequences and big punishment. So when after decades of exile he is given a chance to redeem himself, he is determined to do anything to fulfill his assignement. What he never expected was to fall in love with the object of his assignement - Naomi.

I really liked the premise of this story. However, execution was not so great. I didn't like the way angels were depicted here. I wasn't sure what to think about these modern name-changing/poker-playing/hooker-f*cking archangels and seraphs. They were too much like humans, they had too many vices for my liking. I understand that author was aiming for something unique and original, but it just didn't work for me at all.

This book is written in multiple POV. Unfortunatelly, I didn't feel any connection with heroine and her POV wasn't interesting for me at all. I like to read about broken characters. But Noami was never broken, she was just extremely weak character who was getting on my nerves all the time.

On the other side, I enjoyed reading Lash POV much better. But still, for a rebellious angel, he was very lame alpha male. And there is nothing more disappointing than weak alpha male character. Moreover, he and Naomi, were so boring as a couple.

Now when it is all said and done, I think it is quite clear that I don't plan on reading sequel and I would not recommend this book to my friends.

*ARC provided by publisher as an exchange for honest review*

MORE REVIEWS ON MY BLOG Reading Is My Breathing

First of all, take a moment and look at that gorgeous cover.
Seriously.

Lash is quite possibly my favorite fallen angel ever! Sah-woon.
And he's the proof that if an author creates a character I'll love despite his many flaws, I'll love the book as well, despite some things that might have bothered me about it.

Lash is a fallen angel in every sense of that term. He's wasting his life away, not that he has any of it to waste because it's pretty much an empty existence.

I loved Naomi. She's not your typical damsel in distress heroine and I liked her a lot for that.

You know, there was great chemistry between these two, and it's obvious from the beginning that there's a lot more to their story than this insta-love fallen-angel-falls-for-human plot. That's not what it's about at all.
However, I felt that their new relationship wasn't developed that well. The author glossed over that and I felt sort of robbed.

Put that, and some head hopping aside, it was really good writing - told in 3rd person past tense and the author lets you in on just enough to keep you wondering and engaged throughout the story. There were a couple of scenes bursting with emotion, I felt for the characters a lot.

I did have trouble piecing the story together, even after all was said and done. It was all a little blurry and I'm guessing she's keeping it for the second book.

I loved Jeremy (even if I thought his and Jane's POVs were unnecessary). I would love to read his book, though I fear with the way things ended that the second will be a continuation of Lash/Naomi rather than a companion book.
But that's okay, because it's not a cliffhanger, and I can wait. I can wait.

There are a couple of sex scenes (two-ish) and they were mildly graphic. Compared to some of the things I read, they were pretty tame, but I felt it suited the story.

I'm torn whether I should write a trigger warning here - so I'll put it under a spoiler tag. It's not much of a spoiler though, but just to be safe: there's a graphic depiction of suicide attempt.

I liked this book a lot! My only complaint is that it was maybe a little same-old, same-old when it comes to angel books, but I'd definitely recommend it! I'm hoping the next one will bring a new twist to this story. I'll definitely be reading it.

I listened to the Audible version of this book and had trouble getting into the story right from the start. I can't pinpoint anything that I didn't like specifically. I think it was just a case of "It's not you, it's me". In truth, I probably should have waited until I was less distracted and given it a try later. Nonetheless, I didn't.

Overall, it was a sweet, paranormal story. It felt very innocent and young to me, which I guess should be expected for the genre. It was clearly geared toward a younger demographic, which is fine with me sometimes. I liked it, but didn't love it. There were a few good twists at the end, but nothing compelling enough to make me want to continue the series.

Not a bad book, just not for me.

I saw the cover for Lash and I fell in love and then the book happened.

LOL. That was harsh, and not entirely accurate. And I'm actually just kidding.

Lash (our main character) made a mistake that cost him his home and his family. He was banished from heaven for saving a life he shouldn’t have. Years later he still wanders the earth, he has no faith and he’s lost everything and with no chance of getting it back, so why bother, right?

But he gets a second change. If he does this mission correctly he’s going back home, and all he has to do is look after a girl. Easy, huh? Not.

It’s been a couple of weeks since I read Lash, and to be honest my memory ain’t helping much. I loved the cover from the moment I saw it, but I was a little disappointed with the story itself.

I admit I skimmed through most of the beginning, all the chat with Naomi and her family. I might have been a little bit bored by it. But then came Lash and everything changed.

I’m not sure how to rate this book, because it was good, the romance was good, but everything else... I felt like it was missing something. It also had moments that were hard to believe, even when we are talking about angels.

I liked the scenes leading to the end a lot, mostly because the intensity and the suspense was there, vividly, whereas it was missing all through the rest of the book.

In the end, I am left mostly disappointed with Lash. Though I do not regret reading it and I might even check out the second book, I can’t say I could quite connect with the story and its characters.

Who knows what the future will tell. ;)

What can I say? I LOVED writing this story!

I asked my beta readers what they liked about the story. One of them gave a really good explanation that mirrors why I loved it. Here is what she said:

“The redemption story for Lash, and the love story between human and angel. I love stories where finding each other unearths "secret" parts of oneself. Also, usually we think of humans unworthy next to angels...I like stories that challenge the status quo.”

Lash is now on sale. I hope you enjoy it!

Emotional Supernatural Tale

L.G. Castillo is a psychologist/author and it was a treat to read this psycho author's novel about a naughty angel and the humans he affects.

Lahash (Lash) is a guardian angel sent on a mission years ago to save a boy from a plane crash. When he took matters into his own wings and saved another life on the plane, he messed up the natural order of things. That poor decision got him banished to earth, stripped of his angel duties.

Thirty-five years later, Lash feels forsaken by God. He channels his bitterness into smoking, drinking, and employing prostitutes. But he still manages to come across as appealing, which is one reason I love this story. Lash has a humor and vulnerability that endears him to the reader despite his occasional arrogance and mistakes. When one of God's angels finally gives Lash an assignment, I was pulling for him not to mess up this second chance. A big challenge for him is dealing with his palpable attraction to the woman he's assigned to protect: Naomi.

Naomi is a 21-year-old woman who has suffered many losses in her life. Her mother died years ago, and the story opens with her father's fatal car accident -- an accident involving the human Lash wasn't supposed to save years ago. Now some bad men seem hell-bent on killing Naomi. Luckily she has Lash, as well as some plucky family members. Naomi's grandmother Welita is a fantastic character; loving, sarcastic, and direct. Welita sees right through Lash, and tells him:

"I know you'll take good care of Naomi, and I know it's not because she's an assignment to you."
Lash swallowed. "I will, I promise."
Welita placed a hand on his cheek. "I see it in your eyes as I see it in hers. Remember, there is always light where there is love and if that is what is meant to happen between the two of you, then it was destined."

How lovely! I want a grandmother like Welita. The Latino culture fascinates me and it's great to get an authentic view in this novel.

A couple of aspects amused me in the story. One is that the devil owns a fracking business. In the battle between Republicans and Democrats over fracking's effects on the environment, that cracks me up. Another tongue-in-cheek moment was when the psychologist turns out to be EVIL. Lash's mentor describes the psychologist:

"He works on Lucifer's behalf, which is why he has his powers. He's highly skilled, able to put on many faces to deceive the humans he controls... That is why he works as a psychologist. It's a well-respected profession and is a perfect cover to complement his talents. He can use his inherent gifts of mind manipulations and hide them behind the skills humans refer to as psychodynamic therapy."

Hehe! I always wondered about those Freudians with their psychodynamic techniques.

My one complaint was that the plot became a bit convoluted at the end of the story.

Supernatural stories aren't my favorite but this story drew me in starting at the prologue. Highly recommended!

3.5 stars
My stars go to the cover, some humor lines and Lash.

Lash:
He was cast out of the Heaven and had a limited power in human form: flying only in the short distance, didn't know how to fix the car, was co*cky, but sensitive, vulnerable, kind in heart.

Let's say you woke up tomorrow and a miracle had occurred.
How would you know something was different? How would you know that your miracle happened?

I was swooned over Lash's answer:) *sigh* --> no need of any kissing scene or loving words whatsoever

Naomi was a likable heroine. She was not a drama queen at all.

I did not feel the passion in the dialogue between Lash and Naomi.(No steam!) It could have been a big plus if their passion were as heated as the cover shown. Obviously, there were some Texas real politic used for the character development. The last quarter had more angel fighting scenes I liked. The plotline about Naomi in the end was not quite explained or developed. Overall, the storyline is predictable, but a fun read.

I wish I could give 2 separate ratings to this book. One for the first half and one for the second. I realize the story had to be set up but I really wish the main characters would have been brought together earlier than half way through. I got frustrated with all of the back story and had to set it aside temporarily.

Then about half way through wham, it's a whole new story. The pacing picks up. At times the relationship development seemed rushed but I think it's because it was so late in the story. Regardless Lash is one hot angel and I really enjoyed him and Naomi. I wish there had been more of the action that was in the end at the beginning too. The last half of the book would get a solid 4 stars from me.

Thanks for the recommendation Ari!

Lash folds together redemption and human/angel Romance. Lahash (or Lash), a Seraph assigned to protecting humans, makes a grave mistake when he shows human compassion: He saves someone who shouldn't have been saved. While his heart was in a good place, he's banished from Heaven for it. He spirals downward from there, with drugs and sex. A more disrespectful mouth when it comes to authority, too. He's broken, away from home. But if he wants to return after thirty-five years, he must be tested, and it's a battle between will and willfulness, to mean good or do good.

I love how Lash isn't exactly the typical bad boy or broken angel. He's inherently good. He means well (usually). It just leads him to make bad choices, which makes him more human and lovable. What I love even more is that while they're bad choices, they're not necessarily wrong ones. His new assignment is to protect Naomi, and though he doesn't always succeed, it leads to better things, for him and everyone else.

It's with his atypical imperfections that L.G. Castillo did a fantastic job on the timeless theme of good vs. evil, Heaven vs. Hell, free will vs. fate, mixed with Romance. He's not the hero in a traditional sense or even the average Paranormal Romance, and his struggle to be so intertwines with his decision between Heaven and Naomi so perfectly that they become one and the same. He has to learn not only to obey but also understand that love means having trust and faith—both ways.

Add a strong cast of characters with wonderful familial bonds, as well as their own twists and personal issues, plus the fact that Naomi is as willful as Lash is, and Lash was intricate and fun. All the secondary characters and interaction was fresh and genuine. They made me smile and laugh and become even more curious what will happen to them. The connection between Lash and Naomi developed naturally. I really appreciated how it didn't overshadow the plot, and the sex was sensual and tastefully done. I also liked the author's spin on the angels and their world.

I'm looking forward to the rest of the Broken Angel Trilogy. I enjoy reading about characters needing to be saved along with doing the saving. I'm hoping a certain someone in the series will be, in the end. There's hope for the supposed villain yet, and there's nothing I love more than that. L.G. Castillo tied off story threads nicely while still leaving enough depth and mystery and intrigue for more. If you're a fan of well-written novels revolving around angels, with a good deal of action and heart-warming laughs, I encourage you to read Lash .

* eARC provided by L.G. Castillo in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
* Review also posted on the The LUV'NV blog.

Você já ouviu dizer que suas decisões de hoje vão influenciar os acontecimentos de amanhã? Está você preparado (a) para encarar as consequências?

Lash é um serafim que leva o seu trabalho a sério. Como um "anjo da guarda" ele recebe ordens que devem ser seguidas à risca. Mas uma certa vez ele mudou o script... e o rumo da história.
Ao ser designado para proteger uma criança de 8 anos que voltava para casa num voo para reencontrar sua mãe, Lash não imaginou que ao salvar outra pessoa naquele voo catastrófico, todo o seu futuro seria mudado. E também o futuro da humanidade.

Pagando por um erro que ele acha que não cometeu, agora ele tem a chance de se redimir. Ele só não sabia que esta nova chance estava mais ligada ao seu passado do que ele imaginava...

Naomi Duran era uma garota normal. Perdera a mãe na batalha contra o câncer há pouco tempo, vivia com sua avó carinhosa, seu primo grandalhão e um pai que batalhava para se livrar do alcool. Terminara seus estudos na universidade, mas não se sentia feliz.

Ela não esperava que sua vida mudaria drasticamente e que, ao mesmo tempo, ela seria apresentada ao rapaz mais lindo que já vira na vida, e que, de alguma forma, sua vida estava conectada a dele.

Lash precisa proteger Naomi de forças muito maiores do que as dele. Além de mantê-la viva, ele precisava descobrir e unir as peças daquele quebra-cabeça. Informações que ninguém lhe dava, mas ele sabia que eram necessárias caso quisesse cumprir suas ordens e poder voltar para casa. Mas será que ele realmente queria ir para casa, agora que havia encontrado uma nova razão para viver?

Foi incrível a afinidade que tive com a história. Eu sei que novamente voltamos à história de anjo (e não acabamos de ler uma série sobre eles? Finale, de Becca Fitzpatrick). Mas ainda assim, não tem como não gostar de Lash.

A começar porque a história dele é bem explicada desde o início. Mesmo que mais a frente a gente encontre outros mistérios, os erros e razões do porquê aconteceu aquilo com ele, são bem explicados.

Depois, porque o livro tem bastante ação, mistério, uns personagens que envolvem (com seu senso de humor, sua presença, seus poderes) e o romance, que é muito fofo.

As cenas de amor são bonitas, sem cair na vulgaridade. A descrição do que ele (Lash) sente por ela faz com que você sinta exatamente o que se passa com ele. A autora teve todo o cuidado em não escrever uma história rapidamente.

A arte da capa também ficou linda. Ao olhar a capa você já sabe quem são os personagens principais.

E como toda história que tem muito anjo, você se depara com todos os tipos de "el" da vida (Raphael, Rachel, Jeremiel, Michael...), mas alguns deles modernizaram os nomes.

E preste atenção no Jeremy. Esse anjo ainda vai dar o que falar. E ele é um charme!!
E a cena final me levou lágrimas aos olhos. Nada como ter fé.

Em resumo, desde que li "Belo Desastre", não lia um livro nos moldes "ele-ela" de protagonistas jovens que me cativasse tanto.
O lançamento está prevista para maio.
Deus sabe quando este livro virá para o Brasil. Mas vamos nos manter otimistas e esperar que uma editora compre os direitos e o traga logo.

Se senti conexão com os personagens? SIM!!
Ritmo da história: muito bom
Se quero ler a continuação? Com certeza
Ponto positivo: a história flui de maneira perfeita, sem correria; os personagens são bem descritos e você vibra em determinadas cenas
Ponto negativo: esperar o próximo livro. Aff...
5 estrelas

(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to author L. G. Castillo and Xpresso Book Tours.)
21-year-old Naomi has just graduated, and is ready to get on with the rest of her life, until the car accident that takes her father from her. Depressed and unable to cope, she really struggles, and eventually ends up in a group therapy session where she meets Lash.

Lash is a fallen angel. He made a mistake during an assignment, and did what he thought was right rather than what God wanted him to do, and has been banished to Earth for the last 35 years. When he is given Naomi as an assignment, and told that it is a chance for redemption, he takes it, but things start to go wrong when he meets Naomi and begins falling in love with her.

Naomi is special though, and the good angels aren’t the only ones to know this, and now Lash must keep her safe from Lucifer and his minions.
Can Lash keep Naomi safe? And can he keep his feelings for her to himself?

A thrilling angel story that will keep you glued to the page!

I’ve not had all that much luck with angel stories recently, but when I received a copy of ‘Lash’ for review I knew I had to give it a chance, and I’m glad I did!
Naomi was a great main character, the things that she felt were so real and I instantly connected with her. I felt so sorry for what she was going through, and although her actions surprised me at times, she really was a force to be reckoned with! I really liked the way she cared for her family, and her motorcycle made her slightly bad ass!

Lash was an angel with a back story. Cast out of heaven for doing something that he felt was the right thing to do, he had set in motion events that God didn’t want to happen, and his exile hadn’t been easy on him. Lash was an inherently good person though, and this was made even more evident when he realised who Naomi was, and why he had to protect her.

I loved the romance between Naomi and Lash, and although it took a while to happen, I was constantly crossing my fingers and hoping that they would admit their feelings for one another! When we eventually got a ‘love’ scene it was pretty tame, but I was just happy that they were finally together!

I liked the storyline in this book. As I said, I haven’t had much luck with angel books recently, they tend to go on about religion too much, or turn into full-on fantasy wars, which just doesn’t do it for me. This book was different though. For a start 95% of it happened on earth, and there was very little in the way of big battle scenes, which was good. I did like the finale though, and thankfully there wasn’t too much going on so it wasn’t confusing.
I liked the writing in this book, and the story seemed to flow very naturally. The tension of what would happen, and whether Lash and Naomi would admit their feelings for one another built by nicely, and I found it really difficult to put this one down!
The very end was a happy one! Yay! Although there was a hint of where the next instalment will take us. I’m just hoping that the next one will be as good or better than this one!
Overall; a great NA angel story, and a great start to the series.
7.5 out of 10.

I waffled between 3 and 4 stars for a while, but in the end awarded 4 due to the excellent world building and solid writing style in this debut novel.

Lash (Lahash) is a Seraph, tasked with protecting humans from peril. 35 years ago he made a mistake that has far-reaching consequences, when instead of only saving the life of the boy he was tasked to rescue, he also protected a young girl from losing her life in the same incident.

He has since been banished to live on earth in his human form, without the full angel powers he's been used to. He's been a rather bad boy for a while, which was a little difficult to swallow as angel behavior. It fit the characterization though. Lash is pretty angry and disillusioned for a while. When he's given a new assignment, to protect Naomi, he isn't provided much information and basically enters the situation blind.

From there, the author creates a fascinating plot that pits angels against the devil's minions and then the devil himself. The main characters are well fleshed out and believable in their actions and reasonings. Both hero and heroine have flaws, which make them relatable and likable. As the reader gets deeper into the plot, intentions and old secrets are revealed which give reason and purpose to the action within.

There is pain and loss, there is romance and there is a lot of action, and while this book is part 1 of a series, it fully stands on its own, while paving the way for the next installment. I do hope to see more of Bear, the little dog, as well.

The supporting cast, angels and humans alike, were nicely done as well, and especially Naomi's grandmother was endearing. Even the devil's minions were not completely sinister all the time, and had a bit of characterization.

The writing is not overly purple, and descriptive without bogging down the pace. There are minor spelling and grammatical errors that I hope will be addressed prior to the published version.

I look forward to the next one.

The author provided a free copy of this book in electronic format. A positive review was not promised in return.

Really 4.5 Stars....

Loved it.

That's really all I need to say, right?

Nah! I guess I have to back up my statement with some facts.

The story opens with Lash being devilishly angelic. Ya know, cuz he's an angel who doesn't like to follow the rules. But you don't hate him for thinking he knows better than his superiors, because he does the right thing for the wrong reason. And when he does the right thing for the wrong reason, well, hell kinda breaks loose.

Oops.

I loved Lash, because he's a good bad boy (and me likes the bad boys, oh so much). And I loved Naomi, the spunky, ain't-takin'-no-sh*t-from-no-one gal. I loved Lash's best friend Jeremy (um, yeah, let's see a book with him in the lead, okay?) Gabrielle, not so much. Didn't like her. I love when books don't always show angels as purely angelic, like Gabrielle. Some people might not like seeing angels in a poor light - I kinda do, because it makes things seem more real that even good guys (or girls) can be dicks.

All good all the time is all boring, in my opinion.

Anyhoo, the plot moves nicely, the pacing is nice. While you do sort of know what's happening behind the scenes and how it's all going to play out in the end, it was nice to see all the puzzle pieces fall into place and the true story unfold. I felt so bad for Raphael when his back-story unfolded (I didn't expect that).

All in all, this is going onto my faves list, and it's a keeper!

3 stars. The writing and world-building wer solid and the story moved along at a reasonable pace. I have taken a liking to the angel angle of the paranormal genre as of late, so the premise stood out to me. However, as I read it I didn't connect with the characters as well as I would have liked. I wasn't quite sure if this was targeted towards young adults or adults. Based on the cover (which looks cool) I was expecting something grittier. It depicts more chemistry between the hero and heroine than I felt while reading the actual story. Needless to say, it fell a bit flat for me there. The second half was significantly more interesting and it clearly sets things up for an ongoing series. It has a lot of potential.

To be fair. I read this directly after finishing a series of books that became a top 5 all-time favorite of mine, so after a book high like that it's very likely that I just wasn't in the right frame of mind to really embrace this story as much.

*ARC provided by author.

“I see it in your eyes as I see it in hers. Remember, there is always light where there is love and if that is what is meant to happen between the two of you, then it was destined.” – L.G. Castillo

Once I started this book, I had a really hard time putting it down. Lash’s internal turmoil hooked me and I wanted to keep reading just to see if he was going to be able to redeem himself since banished from Heaven. I found the book easy to read with enough activity throughout the story to keep me interested. Lash was a character I found myself wanting to understand better – and my heart went out to Naomi as well. I am looking forward to reading

FREE on Amazon (10/21/2017)!

Protagonistas: Lash & Naomi

Profesiones: Angel & Universitaria

Pais: USA

Edit: 9/3/13 Well, I see the author reviewed her own book, which is fine. I have done that myself. What is not cool is the fact she has given herself a 5 star rating. WTF? That is not cool. It's biased and skews the ratings, setting the number off. Authors should not be allowed to give their books ratings. It's just NOT COOL!

Original Review: 9/2/13
Was given this book in exchange for an honest review.

So, L.G. Castillo get 3 stars just because I liked Lash and the cover was effing gorgeous. The story was erratic, the timeline moved like a patient having a seizure, and there were enough grammatical errors to employ an editor for days. There was a serious lack of commas, words out of order and run-on sentences galore.

The CAST:

Lash: A fallen angel with serious baggage, trust issues and a pinch of guilt. I liked him. He felt real. He gets in trouble with the angels for saving someone he shouldn't have saved. That's a nice twist in a world full of asshole angels like Patch from Hush, Hush. I just wish Lash had been more fleshed out.

Naomi: Half-Latino (of some kind. We never do really learn her lineage.), just graduated college, loses her parents. She's a loose canon, making rash decisions on the fly and getting herself into trouble. I was indifferent to her. Sometimes, I liked her, sometimes I hated her.

Welita: A funny little Hispanic woman with a lot of fire in her belly. She amused me to no end.

The angels aren't very detailed. It's clear Gabrielle is a bitch, Raphael likes to speak in riddles, and Jeremy really misses having Lash around as his best friend. Naomi's cousin Chuy was the typical comic relief/level-headed relative that kept trying to keep her from hurting herself. Lalo was...well, I don't really know. He was used mostly as a plot device. I'm not quite even sure what he looks like.

The PLOT: Now here's where I take issue. The story in itself was NOT BAD. It was the execution that sucked. Where do I even begin? Key things to building a great story are details, world building, and having chronology that can be followed easily enough. This story fails on all accounts.

Descriptions and events play out at such a rapid rate that it makes your head spin. In a span of about 8 pages, we got Lash getting a BJ, his stripper prostitute getting high, Lash revealing his wings and then Raphael showing up and pitching Lash around the room, healing the stripper and delivering some enigmatic revelations. Lash revealing his wings to the poor drug addict was the most lacking thing up to that point. It was very vague, him just standing with his hands at his sides, palms out and "pushing". There's apparently blood drops and then his wings spring out. Uh....More details please? Why was he bleeding? Did it hurt? Anything?

The world building was pretty much contained to Houston. Not a lot of real description about the city streets, the neighborhoods or anything. All we can gather is Welita lives in a bad area. Not much else. All scenes outside of Welita's house were vague, leaving you to make up everything as you went. What did Naomi's apartment look like? Where exactly was the community center Chuy taught classes at? What about the motel Naomi and Lash held up in while running from Luke and Sal?

The chronology of this book blew my mind. Not only did some things happen in rapid order, leaving you with a WTF look on your face, but time seemed to move at its own accord.

For example, they're hiding in a random, nondescript motel somewhere in New Mexico when Luke finds them. Raphael holds off the baddies long enough for Lash to get Naomi out of there. It is stated they are about 300 miles from the safe house they're trying to reach. But in a matter of paragraphs, they can see the landmark they're trying to reach, Shiprock. 300 miles takes a few hours to cover in a car, I'm pretty sure. How they got there so damn quickly seemed to be a testament to the author's lack of details. Castillo reminds me a lot of myself when I was first getting into writing. I used to get to caught up with "getting there" that I left out all the details and clues necessary to build a credible tale. This book should have been several pages longer to fully cover all the lacking points. Slow down, pace yourself, pay attention to what you're doing.

And for f*ck's sake, use proper punctuation! OMG! I haven't seen so many errors since I read Fifty Shades. There were missing commas everywhere, making several sentences nonsensical and long. There were words out of order, problems with verb tenses, and even character names getting confused. (Raphael was labeled when clearly it was Gabrielle acting). The first time Naomi meets Lash, we're seeing the story from her perspective but it's already labeling "Lash said". How can you possibly know his name when he hasn't told you? That's amateur and something that should have been caught by an editor. But no....

The whole mess was capped off by Naomi being a Mary Sue. She's the missing Seventh Angel, the 7th archangel. Of course she is..... What better way to end this book? We never do get to find justice for Naomi's dad, who was framed for drunk driving the night he was killed, Jane Sutherland is still (unwittingly) aiding Lucifer (Luke), and what few details Castillo remembered we might want to know were thrown in as after-thoughts at the very end.

That is pretty much what this book felt like right there. Thanks, Turbo Rangers.

The angels are relatively incompetent creatures that make poor Lash, a fallen and rather powerless angel, practically fight Lucifer on his own for most of the book. He's left with no idea why is doing the things he's doing, except for the hope he can go home when he's done. I felt really bad for him, being used like some sort of puppet by his own father Raphe. I am getting highly tired of books that leave me in the dark to the point I can't even follow what's happening. Lash kept getting random visions, but, again, the detailing was so poor it made it complicated and unintelligible. Even my husband, upon reading a few paragraphs, was like WTH is happening?! And I just shook me head.

I think, if the author had just taken more time and put in more effort, this could have been fantastic. But it felt rushed, lacking and sometimes just down right confusing. I hope the next in the series is better thought-out than this one.

*I want to thank L.G. Castillo for the opportunity to read her book. I received this ARC for free for an honest review.*

This was a good idea that was an okay read that could've been a great one. Unfortunately, the execution was lacking. The author has real potential, but there's just too many flaws that hold this book back--I believe this is her first book, so it'll be interesting to see what her future works reveal.

Pros:

Seriously badass cover art! This, THIS is how it's done people! Pay someone (if you don't have the skills) and get the best damn art that represents your book. I usually read samples before I agree to read to review. But, hell, this cover sucked me in no questions asked. Damn you L.G.! Well played, madam. Well played.

I only remember finding one obvious typo. Bravo! Either she has helliously good beta readers or she's excellent at catching her typos. Tough to do either way. I know from personal experience. Typos are a bitch. (Near the end during Lash and Raphael's important conversation. There's a question mark that should be a period.)

Ebook formatting is top-notch! Again, this is hard to get right until you learn by reading and doing and reading and doing. Or paying for it.

Houston is my hometown (and while I work the streets as a medic and even I don't think they're as dangerous as this book likes to reiterate) I loved that it was set in Houston and how easily she incorporated Spanish/Tex Mex with her characters' speech and narration. Nicely done!

Cons:

Though the author's overall grammar was good, there were major and consistent problems with past perfect tense throughout the book. And several instances of awkward sentence structure. The first example I ran across was in the fourth paragraph of the first chapter. Lash sighed as he glanced at the information that the Archangel Gabrielle, his direct supervisor, gave him It should be... had given him not gave him/ Unfortunately, this verb tense problem continues throughout the book and often makes the narration choppy, awkward and downright confusing. I had to reread several sections to make sure I understood when/how/who.

The first chapter starts off Thirty-five years ago and the second chapter states Present. This actually made the timeline awkward and I had to go back and recheck the first chapter timing. It should've started with nothing listed on the first chapter and the second chapter stating Thirty Five Years Later since time is linear (at least in this story, lol!)

The majority of the writing is telling not showing with adverb dialogue tags such as 'he said gruffly, she said softly, he said passionately' and very few interesting dialogue beats in which to create characterization or show us the gruffness or passion. This makes it difficult to connect with any of the characters.

The scene when Lash and Naomi meet face to face for the first time is written from Naomi's POV, yet somehow she (the narrator) knows Lash's name before he introduces himself. When they're at the building doorway and he speaks to her, her POV narration has his dialogue tags as 'Lash said,...' rather than 'he said or the stranger said'. ???? What? I got the feeling that the author had been so eager for her romantic leads to finally meet that she flubbed the POVs and head-hopped here. I was actually wondering whose POV we were supposed to be in at the moment and had to go back and reread to make sure it was suppose to be Naomi's.

The romance between Lash and Naomi is lukewarm. After chapters of being told how attractive they are and how attracted they are to each other... after 35 yrs of Lash's behavior towards women in the beginning (which is one of the few examples of strong showing not telling), he requires very little physical attraction to Naomi to change his behavior. It's not quite insta-love since there's other forces at work, but I just never bought into their passionate love or Naomi's temper tantrums.

He's supposed to protect her, but most of the danger he 'protects' her from isn't really him doing the work. He's either arriving too late and she is saved by chance, or he accidentally creates situations that 'save' her/them, or his friends are deus ex machina and they're saved again! Not doing a great job of guarding her, Lash. Would've liked to have seen him actually do, oh I don't no... more.

There's a key event that changes the course of Naomi's life and WE DON'T SEE IT AT ALL. We get told about it after the fact. Thereby completely, utterly and unforgivably losing all of the emotional impact. FAIL. Major example of telling not showing no-no. I have no reason to care about the event or how it effects Naomi because I didn't witness it or feel its impact.

AND THEN,If Jane is in league in with the Devil to start the apocalypse and was saved by Lash as a child when he also saved Javier, Naomi's father, and if Naomi is destined to be an archangel to fight against the Devil, why didn't Lucifer just kill off or convert Naomi before now? Or at least try? What's the big rush during this story? What changed? I just don't buy that everything had to wait until she graduated college. Really? Remember 'The Omen'? Death and mayhem waits for no devil spawn.
-----

Sooo...

Overall, with such a kickass cover, I'd been hoping for a better read.

The story idea is good, and with more time and practice, this author will have some real writing chops.

I won't be continuing this series; however, I will be checking in on this author in the future because her potential is strong and I suspect she'll be offering us even better works in time.

*ARC kindly provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.*

Let me start off by saying that I absolutely loved this story. The cover is beautiful!! I think what hooked me was the setting. It's in Texas!! Houston, Texas to be exact. So Naomi, a beautiful young woman has lost her faith after her father died. The circ*mstances of his death made it out to be his fault. When really it wasn't. Naomi gets seriously depressed and tries to commit suicide. That was so sad. Lash, an angel, who was kicked out of heaven, thirty five years earlier, is assigned to protect her. She’s beautiful. Inside and out. She’s also special, she has some freckles on the back of her neck in the shape of a number 7. Her cousin, Chuy, rubs it for good luck. (He even won money off a lottery ticket after he rubbed her neck!! She just has to be something special) So, this assignment is basically to put Lash back into heaven. There are evil forces that are out to get both of them. Lash isn't a fallen angel. According to the story fallen angels go dark side to Lucifer and have black wings. Thing is, Lash starts to fall for Naomi. He even has distant memories of a past life of her. He hates to see her cry, sad, or upset. He just wants to take her into his arms and let her know everything will be okay. How sweet!! However, humans and angels are not supposed to be together. There was a back story that never got played out because when Lash thought on it, he wasn't told the rest of the story of when angels took human wives. When Naomi’s life is threatened not once, not twice, but three times, Lash’s boss, Raphael, tells him to take her to New Mexico where she’ll be safe. It’s all a race against the clock after that. They spend the night in a hotel room:

He wanted her as much as she wanted him. Then she realized what he was asking of her. He was an angel. He was on his way home. After tonight, she would never see him again. The thought crushed her. In the back of her mind, she knew there would be an end. He couldn’t be with her forever. The was soon, and this may be their last time together. Tonight, she’d follow her heart, even if it meant her heart, her soul, would be left bleeding in the end. If all they had was one night, one moment---she’d take it.

Yea, you can guess what happens. *Suggestive eyebrow raising* Next day, Lash is offered to go dark side so he and Naomi can be together forever but he refuses and is ordered by Raphael to hurry and take Naomi to the safe house or now, the safe point. As he gets there everything comes to a head and ends in a flash. He wakes up in heaven but feels empty because he doesn't have Naomi. After throwing a temper tantrum, everything is revealed and we find out why Naomi has those freckles on her neck. I’m not about to tell you the ending.
The only thing I found wrong was a few editing problems. There were words that were mixed up and one word repeated three times. But other than that, it was great.
What I can tell you is that Castillo gives us a HEA. I even teared up at the end. I loved Naomi’s family. Welita, so wise. Chuy & Lalo in the lowrider and Lash’s reaction, that made me laugh. I even loved Bear, the chihuahua. Everything in the story line was connected and throughout the read it’s all revealed. It wrapped up well. I want more. Lash is not your typical angel story and for a debut novel this was good!!

This review can be found on my blog at:
http://lovemesomebooks.blogspot.com/

An advance copy was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Some people aspire to be writers, so they start writing and end up producing some pretty good work. Others were born to be writers, and when they write the sky opens up and beautiful rainbows appear. I believe that L.G. Castillo evokes rainbows, and she proves it in this impressive debut novel.

From the very first chapter I was completely invested in these characters. Something about that first chapter captivated me to the point that I knew I wouldn't be turning off my Kindle anytime soon. That first chapter laid the foundation for the rest of the story. Without it, I don't think I would have felt the vast array of emotions I did while reading this book. It usually takes me a good amount of time to get comfortable with the characters, to truly feel like I know them. That wasn't the case here. I could hear Anita's voice in my head while she spoke on the phone. I knew for certain what her voice sounded like.

In the next few chapters Castillo really starts to sink her claws in, and at that point I am certain it will be painful to pull away. Naomi and her family -- Welita, Javier and Chuy -- really tugged at my heart strings. They are such a loving, devoted family full of culture and laughter and fun; one you want to be a part of. Within just those few chapters I felt as if I knew them, wanted to be a part of their family dynamic. I was falling deeper into the rabbit hole. I knew it was going to be one of those nights. You know, the nights where you claim to have insomnia, but really you just can't pull yourself away from the book you're reading, and you don't care how many cups of coffee it will take to keep your eyes open the following day.

Lash is our main character, and he is one of those swoon-worthy angels that make you want to sin -- a lot. His character development is astounding. So much happens to him throughout this story! By the same token, a great deal is thrown at Naomi. By the time chapter five rolled around I was shifting in my seat, the intensity of the story building at a steady pace. I couldn't read fast enough! For a moment I wished I was Trinity in The Matrix so I could just yell out, "Read Lash," and have every morsel consumed within minutes.

Although parts of the story were slightly predictable, there was a twist or two I didn't see coming at me. At one point I do recall shouting, "No way!" then having to wave my husband and his concerned glances away. I will say that I am not yet sure how I feel about the ending. I loved it and I didn't. Don't get me wrong, by the last page the tears were flowing steadily and my husband took full advantage of poking fun at me, but there were certain aspects I didn't care for. It wasn't enough to keep me from loving this book, but it was there. Now, I know what you're thinking -- was she crying tears of sorrow, or tears of joy? Sorry, I can't tell you that. You'll have to find out for yourselves.

Final thought: Lash is a fantastic debut novel by L.G. Castillo, filled with love, laughter, suspense, and smoking hot angels (yes, more than one!). To anyone that loves the paranormal romance genre, I strongly suggest you add it to your TBR as fast as you can. Castillo is an author you are going to want to keep your eye on. I mean, who doesn't love rainbows?

*Received ARC from the author for an honest review*

"...He looked at her intently, sending another flurry of butterflies to her stomach. She wondered if it had anything to do with the burrito Chuy dared her to eat earlier from the new mobile food truck in the neighborhood. It was the only rational reason she could think of for feeling so strange."
- Naomi

I loved this debut novel. Not only was it hilarious but it also sucks you in and won't let you go until its over and you're left wanting more. One of the reasons I love this book, is the plot. There were so many twists and turns that you were left thinking, "what the heck just happened?" but in a good way of course. There were many times where I thought I knew where it was headed but was completely wrong. It was interesting to see how everything played out, how everything happened for a purpose, and how one mistake could change the future drastically. Another reason why I liked the book so much was the hispanic culture featured in the book. There are some books out there that feature a hispanic heroine but not there are not many so this book was a breath of fresh air. Coming from a hispanic family myself, I was able to connect with Naomi and her family because of the many similarities to my own. One of her family members that stood out to me was her grandma Welita. She reminds me so much of my own grandma that I had to do a double take a few times because they are so much alike. This woman may be small but she is very strong willed and very wise; a force to be messed with. The characters in this book kept me intrigued and kept the plot from getting boring. These were some of my favorite characters:

- Lash: I loved how he acknowledged his wrong doing and the consequences that came from it. But what I truly loved is how courageous and strong willed he is. He will do what he believes is right even if he means he might get hurt in the process.
- Naomi: What I loved most about her was how even though at first she was oblivious to what was occurring around her, she wasn't naive. If something seemed off, she didn't just go with it and accept it to be true. Like when tragedy hit home, she knew something bigger was at play.
- Chuy: Though he puts on this tough guy persona, the guy is such a sweetheart you can't help but love him. He might have had more downs and ups in his life but he never stopped living. You could tell that the love he has for his family runs deep and would go do anything for them.
- Jane: This poor woman has no clue what she has gotten herself into by trusting those around her. She is such a noble and caring woman; its such a shame that because of certain situations others put her in other characters don't get to see this side of her. She truly wants to better the lives of others but unfortunately in the position that she's in she's helping do the opposite.

I truly enjoyed this book and cannot wait for for sequel. I'm dying to see how Naomi will react once she finds out why Lash was exiled in the first place and where this will take their relationship. I also hope that in the second book Jane finds out who that truly was in the other car in her car accident. This is a debut novel and author you will not want to miss out on. Definitely one of my new favorite series.

3.5 Stars

"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage." ~Lao Tzu

Fast forward 3 decades….

21 year old Naomi has lost a lot in her life. After losing her mother to cancer and her father in a tragic “accident” Naomi has given up on faith. It wasn’t enough to have lost her mother but to lose her father in such a tragic way is too much for her to handle. When she decides to take her life, destiny intercedes. In the form of Lahash, a fallen angel.

Lash has been living on earth as a fallen angel for a long time because of his necessity of interfering with divine will. He is reckless and doesn’t give a sh*t about anybody because no one gives a sh*t about him. If they did he would be with his family and life wouldn’t suck so much. He hates living among the humans so he does drugs, sleeps around and lives a wild life. He is careless and reckless.

When he is finally given an assignment and a chance to return home, Lash jumps into his new job. Protecting Naomi Duran is a piece of cake until he discovers that there are things in the works that he has no knowledge of. Naomi is part of a much bigger plan and it all started the day Lash saved two young lives.

Lash would do anything to protect Naomi and as the two spend time together he realizes that it’s not because of his job anymore. The feelings he has for her are much more than that of an angel protecting a human. And Naomi has been staving off getting close to Lash because the people she love are being taken from her.

But Naomi and Lash slowly discover that what is destined cannot be changed.

There is no doubt though that Lash will have you enthralled from the very first page! Naomi’s abuelita, or Welita, as she likes to be called, will have you smiling and remembering your wonderful grandmothers. And her cousin Chuy will remind you of that older cousin who is very protective of you. Being Hispanic I have to say that I loved the Spanish aspect to this book and can’t wait to read more!

A good fallen angel romance but I do feel like the readers connection with the characters was lacking. It sort of felt like it was a story told instead of a story lived and that made it a little bland to read.

Buy this. Read it. Enjoy it.

HAPPY READING!

Sometimes there are books I read where I liked them, but don't really have much to say about it afterwards. This book falls into that category.

Lash is an angel banished to earth from Heaven after again and again not following protocol and doing things his way, rather than the way his position as Seraph calls for. After 35 years into his banishment on earth he tries and is successfully living a life worthy of rebellion, feeding the flesh as much as possible even though nothing effects him like they would a human. Not having his full powers, being away from his life's work as a Seraph has left him broken and wounded emotionally. He's given a chance to return home by completing one mission: to protect Naomi. The problem is that he has growing feelings for her the closer her gets, though he knows it's forbidden for an angel to have any relationship with a human. But Naomi feels different than anyone he's ever met, that there is some purpose greater for her if the hosts of angel are trying to ensure her safety. Even Naomi's grandmother, affectionately called Mijita, feels that Naomi is destined for something great, despite the cruel hand she had been dealt in life with the amount of loss she had seen already. Perhaps there's more to both Lash and Naomi, than either one of them realize.

Favorite Quotes:
Why did her body have to go into stupid mode whenever he touched her?

Here she was with her life in danger, the demons of Hell, literally, chasing her and all she could think about was his hand on her body, and those lips, those perfectly shaped, luscious lips.

Tonight, she'd follow her heart, even if it meant her heart, her soul, would be left bleeding in the end. If all they had was one night, one moment - she'd take it.

Heaven, home, neither could exist without her.

Final Rating - 3.5 stars

This review is also posted HERE.

Cover: Amazing!!! Its gorgeous. I can't stop looking at it. The guy is so good looking, the perfect lash :)
Characters: Very well written
Book Flow: It's what I like to call climbing story :)
Story: Very interesting, very unique

I thought this book was great!!! Such a unique story. Lets start with the character Lash who is banished from Heaven because he is just a bad boy but with a big heart and did I mention super sexy (when I look at the cover all I can think of is sex...I mean sexy, yes thats it sexy) ;) I loved that he was written as a not so perfect "angel" he still has some major issues and was totally hot (not sure if i mentioned that)

Naomi is a great charcters, She had gone though so much heart ache and almost gave it all up. Although she is "saved" a few times she is not your typical damsel in distress, she is very strong and independent, but she is kind of a pain in the ass and very stubborn (read the book you will totally see why)

Naomi and Lash have such great chemistry, very romantic, caring and intense. I must admit the book only had one sex scene I was kind of looking for more. I really liked them together but regardless it worked.

There is a lot of secondary characters in the book which made the story complete. I pray the next book is about Jeremy, I loved Lash but there was something about his BFF that makes me want to know more.

This is a GREAT read with a very unique story. The ending was fantastic a twist I wasn't expecting and was left as a To Be Continued. The end actually made me cry not because it was to be continued but because it tugs at your heart (but it could be because I now have to wait for the next book) ;)

Mrs. Castillo did a great job creating an awesome story about Angels and Demons.
I loved it. I read it in two days and I can not wait for the next book.

Completely Recommend you wont be disappointed. Trust me :)

Naomi Duran has lost her mother and father within a year of each other and is hanging on by a thread. Her family is everything to her and she doesn't how to deal. Thankfully, her purpose in life is greater than she knows and she is saved.

Lash is going through the motions ever since he was kicked out of Heaven for doing what he believed was right. Unbeknownst to him, that one action set off a chain of events that he has to set to rights if he ever wants to return home. His task is easier said than done. Especially when he is confronted with a woman that mesmerizes him and his enemies are gaining ground on him.

Awesome story!

From the beginning I was a bit hesitant about the story. Naomi didn't come across like a character that I could connect with. I liked that she was Latina, but she was too co*cky for her own good and I knew it would lead her to trouble eventually. So I was surprised when I was cheering her on and admiring her courage.

L.G. Castillo did a great job of bringing Lash and Naomi to life. Although obviously coming from different backgrounds, the author brought out a lot of human traits in Lash for me to believe that Naomi and him had a chance at something.

The plot wasn't overtly complicated. There were some instances where I got surprised by the turns of events the author included, but the overall resolution didn't come as a surprise to me. But I did enjoyed the story regardless.

I found both Lash and Naomi were complex characters and that the author developed their connection over time. This in turn made me believe how it all came about.

Lash is the first book in the Broken Angel series and a great start to it. I'm certainly looking forward to reading After the Fall, the next book in the series.

I received this title through NetGalley in exchange of my honest opinion.

Lash, an angel fallen from grace, is given a second chance when he is given a new mission: to protect a woman named Naomi who has lost her faith. His mission grows more complex as he realizes the archangels and allies he thought he had have been keeping information and secrets from him. He must assess his growing feelings for Naomi, and decide how far he's willing to go to regain his place in Heaven.

----

Have you ever read a book, and then after you've read it, you didn't have much opinion of it one way or the other? That's how I feel about this book.

This was my first book revolving around an angelic character, and I'm starting to think there's a reason why I've stayed away from them so long. The characters seemed to be relatively one dimensional, like I'd read them or their equivalent in other stories (angel aside, naturally). I never really attached to any of them, which made it hard for me to cheer them on or care about what happened to them along the course of the story. The writing too was neither exceptionally bad nor amazingly well done. It was perfectly in the middle.

The one feature that stands out the most to me about this book is the cover, which I do have to say, is gorgeous. It'll hold its own on a shelf, that's for sure.

This isn't all that helpful of a review, because at the end of the day, I am completely indifferent to this book. I wouldn't recommend it, but I wouldn't discredit it either. If you have a thing for angelic characters, this may stand out to you far more than it did to me. I would consider picking up the next book in this series, to see how things progress.

Thanks to Netgalley and L.G. Castillo for my copy. This review can also be found on my blog, Bitches n Prose.

Ok I will admit that I really do have a thing for fallen Angels!
They seem to make really good reading....but they also have to be written well! And this book was written well! I spent most of the time reading this trying to guess what was happening, where the story was going and what the history between the characters were. And to me that makes a really good book, it means I was living it not just reading it.
I think Lash was a great character, he seems to have the typical bad boy persona but you can totally tell that it really isn't him! He really does care what people think and he truly loves his 'family'. Enter Naomi who steals his heart with one look. I loved how their lives seem to be totally overlapping from the word go, even before Naomi was born Lash had a big role in her life. Naomi is feisty and i love that about her. She doesn't want to be the weak girl and after her little lapse in judgement she comes back stronger.
The other characters in the story are strong and all have a reason to be there, I hate stories that have random characters just for the sake of it! They all added to the story even if it was the smallest thing it was important.

I really did love this story, it gave you lots of background to their lives that helped you see where and why everything was happening. And even thought it was a story based on Angels it felt very real...I know how daft that sounds but it really did! The story itself was great and it kept me looking for more, even at the very end I wanted to know more and read the next part....which with the way it ended I hope it isn't too long in coming!
So if you like this type of book then this is a must read...so go and grab it! <3

This is an epic love story between a fallen angel trying to earn his wings back, and a woman who is destined for greatness. I fell in love with this book. And even though I’m writing this review some three weeks after having read this book, I still remember everything vividly.

I love angel books, but it’s hard to find stories that do the angels justice. Too many simply fall too short on either theology or character development and chemistry. Lash hits home on all accounts. The theology of the book is close enough to read true, the characters are well rounded, and the chemistry between Lash and Naomi keeps you turning the pages, hoping there is a way for them to be together.

I loved that Naomi was a no nonsense woman (no navel gazing and no woe me), and that Lash was the unlikely hero. Even the support characters were great. The action portion of the book is set on high, and when they start running from Lucifer and his minions, you can only hope they’ll be able to escape. I did not expect the ending the story got. I was up half the night, reading, anxious to find out what happened.

There is also great sadness in this story, it had me reaching for my Kleenex box several times. And it’s been a while since I had to do that for a book. One thing is for sure, I can’t wait for the next book in the series.

Review can also be found at From the Bottom of a Frappe.

I received this book as an e-galley from L.G. Castillo via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine.

First and foremost let me begin by stating that I received a free copy of the book from the author in exchange for my honest review (LOP R2R). Thank you

I really enjoyed this story, even when the plot is similar to what I have read in the pass; although this one has a curious twist with the love story between Naomi and Lash. I wonder what happen in their previous life when Jeremy and Naomi, ended up together, or did they get taken to heaven prior to the Jeremy and Naomi were married. I would also like to know Raphel’s story, what happen to him, Rebecca and Luke?

Throughout the whole book, I was hoping for Bear to turn into a magical creature and beat the living-day-lights out of Sal. I was also hoping for a bit more detail on the fight scene. IT would have been nice to know what happen to Raphael, Deborah, Luke and Sal. I really enjoy the Spanish/Mexican references in the book, it was new and unexpected. However I did not like Anita nickname of Welita, I know that is how Abuelita is pronounce when shorten but why couldn’t she just say Buelita….I must say I may have taken ½ start just for that. It just one of my little issues I have. I did love her character thought and I hope to see her and chuy in the next book.

Let me stop rambling… just say it was a great story and I can’t wait to read the next book.